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Aenys I Targaryen was the second king of the Targaryen dynasty to sit on the Iron Throne of Westeros.

Biography

Early life

Aenys was the son of Aegon the Conqueror by his sister-wife Rhaenys. He was not a warrior and was not considered a strong successor to Aegon the Dragon. He rode a dragon named Quicksilver.

Reign and Death

Aenys ascended the throne upon Aegon I's death in 37 AL, but whilst the Faith of the Seven had proved able to stomach Aegon's bigamy and incest due to his strength, they sensed Aenys was not as resolute. As the product of an incestuous union, they considered him to be an aberration and launched a full-scale uprising against him.

Aenys proved weak and indecisive during this crisis, and was unable to effectively take action against it. As the rebellion gathered momentum, he appointed his half-brother Maegor to the position of the Hand of the King and left him to deal with the matter. The result was a total bloodbath as Maegor's tactics were disproportionate, cruel and merciless.

The Faith Uprising was only one of the many problems that emerged because of his character, such as allowing Goren Greyjoy to expel the Faith of the Seven from the Iron Islands, the rebellion of Jonos Arryn against his brother Ronnel, the rise of the Vulture King in the Red Mountains and the attacks of Harren the Red, the supposed grandson of Harren Hoare, which cost the life of his first Hand, Alyn Stokeworth.

Aenys died in 42 AL after only ruling for five years and was succeeded by Maegor. After Maegor's death without issue in 48 AL, Aenys' last surviving son Jaehaerys took the throne.

Character and appearance

Aenys was a weak, nervous man with a servile attitude, always eager to please. He was not a warrior, but was also not a decisive or effective diplomat either. He prove unable to deal with crises, preferring to let others deal with the situation and wash his hands of the affair. He does not appear to have either been especially loved or respected.

Aenys was as tall as his father, but much softer with a tendency to daydream. His eyes were pale, more lilac than purple. He was greatly concerned with his appearance, and wore many rings and jewels on his hands. His hair was curled and perfumed, falling to his shoulders in ringlets. He had a beard and moustache and tended to wear velvet robes of the same colour as his eyes. He did not take part in battles and rarely, if ever, wielded a sword. He had a new crown made, a much more ostentatious and larger crown made of gold rather than the simple circlet of his father.

Notes and References

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