Viserys I Targaryen was the fifth king to sit on the Iron Throne, taking the title King of the Andals, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms, and Protector of the Realm. Born as the second son of King Rhaegar I Targaryen and Queen Saerys Velaryon, only a few months after the death of his older brother, Viserys led a tumultuous life and an oft-troubled reign.

After reigning for thirty-six years from 93 AC until 129 AC, King Viserys drew his last breath in the royal apartments of the Red Keep. He was survived by his queen Zhoe Arryn and their five children, and succeeded upon the Iron Throne by his heir Prince Baelor.

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Appearance and Character Edit

Though not tall and wide like his father had been, Viserys still keeps a rather fit build, and is by no means weak. He keeps his long and unruly pale blonde hair in a braid at all times, and atop his head sits the crown of Aegon the Conqueror, the same crown that his father and Maegor wore. His garments were generally ornate, though befitting of a king, and of dark, cool colors. The cloak he wore most often bore golden dragons all across it, and was very thin.

Viserys would best be described as a complicated person. Having been born into one of the worst winters in living memory, and just a year before the Hook Uprising, the young prince would grow up seeing the suffering of the realm. He genuinely does care for his subjects, and seeks to do the right, and just thing as his father had, but his judgement is not always on point. Viserys was no natural born leader, and he was not paticularly great at any paticular thing, something that frustrated his father immensely.

The crown weighs heavily on the head that carries it. Viserys constantly carries guilt from his own acts that caused the Rosegold Rebellion, and by extension, the death of many. The death of his wife, Queen Myranda Arryn, in childbirth and the subsequent death of the sickly child born a few days after had caused Viserys to completely withdraw emotionally. Even though he has returned to ruling his realm, the king is still noticably detatched from all but those he is closest to. He maintains a facade of contentment when dealing with others, but he is far from it.

History Edit

Early Life and Youth, 77 AC - 93 AC Edit

Born in the midst of Maegor's Breath to King Rhaegar I Targaryen and Queen Saerys Velaryon, Viserys' childhood was far from regular. His older brother, Aenar, had passed of dragonblight only a few months before he was born, and his father was never the same afterwards. From as early as he could remember, Viserys saw his father as distant, and uncaring, but he held an innate respect and love for him regardless.

Growing up, Viserys would seek love from his mother, with whom he had a very strong relationship with, and his younger brother of one year, Daeron. Spending time with his brother and cousins offered a respite from the long days of learning and being groomed for leadership, which he never took to that well. Viserys' natural ineptitude for leading was a constant source of frustration for Rhaegar, and would only drive a wedge further between father and son over the years.

Viserys, as a child, was not interested in much. He did enjoy hunting with his father when he could, and was quite drawn to falconry in paticular. The young prince also enjoyed horseback riding, and would like to get away into the Kingswood often in his adolescent years. Though not paticularly an avid reader, Viserys liked to read up on the history of House Targaryen, and of Old Valyria. He would also take to the musical arts, learning how to play the harp and the flute quite proficiently, along with learning how to sing, though he eventually stopped practicing after the later death of his father.

Like his father before him, Viserys felt like a bit of an outcast. Though he held strong bonds with his brother, cousins, and Osmund Tyrell, another squire of his father, the crown prince was indeed special, by virtue of his birth. He knew full well that one day he would sit on the throne, and he dreaded it. He did not wish to be responsible for so many, and genuinely did not feel as though he was up to the monumental task of ruling the realm.

Later in his adolescence, Viserys would find himself drawn to one of his cousins, Helaena, which would eventually evolve into a brief, but intense relationship. This would end after Rhaegar discovered the two in the act, angering him greatly. Wary of more pious lords taking issue to the heir to the throne lying with a cousin unwed, Rhaegar hastily had Viserys married to Myranda Arryn. Despite his father's best efforts, rumors managed to spread thanks to the sudden marriage, and in time, it was an open secret that the affair that happened. Nobody was offended enough to take up arms about it, but general opinion of Viserys lowered, especially among the nobility of the Reach.

Viserys would hardly get a chance to catch his breath, as only a couple moons later would Rhaegar pass of dragonblight. The funeral, and coronation directly afterwards left the newly crowned King in a daze, and while extremely intoxicated at his coronation feast, he ended up insulting Lords Tytos Lannister and Gwayne Tyrell, thus setting the prelude to the Rosegold Rebellion.

The civil war that followed would be brief, but bloody. Alongside Prince Aemon, one of the most skilled commanders in living memory, Viserys would lead his host down the Rose Road, sacking Tumbleton and absorbing the Stormlander host into his own. Confident in their numbers, the King would continue to march forward onto Bitterbridge, the last obstacle before Highgarden. Much to his ire though, the Reachmen were prepapred, and had already dug considerable defenses.

Angered, Viserys ordered an assault on Bitterbridge the next day, and the seven days after that were filled with bloodshed not seen since before the Conquest. Each day was the same, the Royal Army would advance, while the Reachmen held the walls. Many on both sides died, and it was ultimately a stalemate, though for his own effort in battle, Viserys was knighted by Prince Aemon.. The Battle of King's Landing and subsequent Golden Truce would give the realm peace once more.

Peace and Tragedy, 93-98 AC Edit

Now able to return to King's Landing and focus on matters of state and his family, Viserys would start to thrive. He still knew little of ruling, and relied heavily on the advice of his small council, especially the Hand of the King, Aemon. Viserys cracked under pressure easily, and it was only through this support, and the emotional support of his family that he managed to keep himself together.

His marriage with Myranda was initially quite unhappy, but in time, the two would fall in love with each other. Things were finally looking up for Viserys, until the passing of Prince Aemon in 96, in the middle of another outbreak of dragonblight. Aemon's funeral was a large affair, as he was widely known and respected across the realm, and his successor as Hand, Lord Gunthor Arryn, would help to keep the realm standing up as Viserys faltered.

When Queen Myranda was confirmed to be with child by Grand Maester Desmond, Viserys was overjoyed, and at the same time, terrified at the prospect of being a father. He wished to father his child differently than the way his own father raised him, but he was unsure if he had the ability to. Whether he would be a good father or not, he would never find out. Myranda died in 97 AC of complications while giving birth to a sickly and frail boy, named Valarr, who would die only a few days after being born. Viserys was devestated, and withdrew completely from all, while drinking more and more often.

After Myranda's funeral, Lord Gunthor Arryn resigned as Hand of the King and left for the Eyrie, and with the King completely neglecting his responsibilities as King, the Small Council was left with no clear leader. The realm started to decay with the lack of leadership, but the council and the Justiciars did what they could.

It was only after his brother, Daeron, pled for him to return to ruling that Viserys would gradually resume his role as King of the Andals. Balerion's death was unfortunate, but somewhat expected, as the poor beast had managed to live this long, which was impressive for even a healthy dragon. The extinction of the dragons lit a new fire deep within Viserys, and he was now fully determined to better the state of the realm.

Rebellions, 98 AC to 99 AC Edit

Funerals and Bridges Edit

Viserys, intent on displaying Targaryen power, had called for the realm to attend the funeral of the last dragon. A melee, and archery contest were held, with a dragonscale chestplate and dragonbone bow offered up as rewards respectively. With the arrival of Roy Baratheon, an old friend, in the capital, Viserys named him Hand of the King, needing somebody whose loyalties he didn't have to doubt at his side.

The days leading up to and surrounding the funeral would be nothing but troublesome and stressful for Viserys though. While holding court, Lord Gunthor Arryn and his bannermen strode in, in an outrage over a castle being built at the Trident's Crossing by Lord Justiciar Harry Darry.

Though Viserys was already loathe to deal with Lord Arryn, matters worsened when Lord Horton Belmore yelled out "Fuck the Darrys!", and the Valeman began stomping their feet in a supposed plea for justice, and it ended in him warning all present not to insult a man of the crown in front of him, and sending the matter away from his ears. Following this, Lord Arryn set up his own fortified camp outside the city's walls.

A meeting between Viserys and Lord Arryn occured a day after, at the Whtie Sept where Myranda was interred. The two seemed to come to an understanding, but the next meeting arranged between Lord Darry, the King, and Lord Arryn did not go as smoothly. Lord Darry recieved his son back, but Lord Arryn left with no deal reached.

The Roses of Highgarden Edit

Thoroughly stressed from the issues brought fourth during Balerion's funeral, the King set a few days aside in the middle of the moon to go hunting in the Kingswood, bringing several of his family, Roy Baratheon, Vaemond Velaryon, and Lord Lyman Crane. The only Kingsguard to stay in King's Landing would be Aethan, for the protection of the queen mother. During the hunt, Viserys came across his cousin, and former lover, Helaena, kissing Lyman Crane. Despite his best efforts to leave and ignore what he saw, as his feelings for Helaena were quite conflicted, and complicated, she in fact confronted him. Their conversation ended abruptly, with both parties fuming mad by the end of it.

To make matters worse, it appeared his city couldn't manage for a few days without him. Whilst hunting, the Master-of-Laws, Lucien Hightower, received an order from Gwayne Tyrell to arrest Uther Peake. When he requested Matarys Waters, the Commander of the City Watch, for assistance, the bastard refused, and was relieved of his command. He then moved to place Uther into house arrest, and went to Lord Darry to inform him of what he had done, only to be berated, and collapse of stress.

By this time however, the Master-of-Whisperers had heard of what was occurring, and went straight to Ser Aethan Velaryon, who put the Red Keep into a quarantine until the King got back. When Viserys came back to the city, he was already in a poor mood, and was outraged. Lucien and his wife, Alysanne, were put into house arrest, and a warrant for Gwayne Tyrell's arrest once he was in the city was given to Matarys, the reinstated Commander of the City Watch. It was with great resistence that the Ironrose allowed himself to be arrested, but ultimately, there was no fighting.

Meanwhile, the King found himself drawn to a certain Raya Blackwood, the youngest sister of Lady Miriam Blackwood, and a relationship soon began. In the heat of the moment, he proposed a marriage to her and subsequently bedded her, confirming the betrothal with Lady Blackwood the next morning. They had initially intended to get wed, but following a strong reaction from his family, Helaena especially, he decided to push back the wedding, to allow the realm to attend should they so wish. This, in turn, elicited a strong reaction from Lady Miriam, who insulted him directly to his face. Stances were made quite clear, and that night, the betrothal was cancelled.

[Additional details from 98 AC and 99 AC forthcoming.]]

Scars of War, 99 AC to 100 AC Edit

With "Queen Agnes" no longer an issue and the royal fleet under the command of Prince Daeron en route back to King's Landing after quelling the ironborn threat, King Viserys was able to spend some time starting to navigate a tricky and awkward relationship with his new wife and queen, Zhoe Arryn.

Determining how to punish treasonous houses occupied much of the king's attention in the waning months of 99 AC and into 100 AC. His cousin Princess Jaehaera desired nothing less than an immediate departure from Riverrun given the death of her husband Edmyn Tully and having been a prisoner of Lady Agnes, and so she returned home to the Red Keep - with her children Aerys and Aelinor in tow. Thus would Lord Tommard's grandchildren grow up alongside Baelor and his own siblings.

Exasperated by multiple treasons from House Redwyne under two different lords within the span of two years, King Viserys at first sought to remove the house from the Arbor - to take their castle and lands and cast them out of the ranks of landed nobility. He would stay his hand, however, after learning of Cleyton Redwyne's imprisonment at Seagard for attempting to warn the Iron Throne that Lord Franklyn was bending the knee to Sigrun Blacktyde. To be recognized as lord, Cleyton Redwyne was required to swear anew vows of fealty to the Crown and to publicly repudiate the treasons of both Franklyn and Urrathon Redwyne before the royal court. Other sanctions are recounted elsewhere.

It was the lion of Lannisters, however, that proved to be a more thorny issue. Despite Lord Tytos's strong protestations, his son and heir Ser Jason was summoned to the royal court to stand trial. A spy inside Casterly Rock had informed upon the plotting lion, confirming to king and council what they suspected - that Lannister had sided willingly with Sigrun Blacktyde, rather than their ships having been stolen. As his trial progressed, Ser Jason came to demand a trial by combat. Ser Garlan Roxton of the Kingsguard stood as King Viserys' champion and in the end Orphan-Maker's blade found its way to Ser Jason's throat.

King Viserys offered Ser Jason an opportunity to keep his life rather than be executed - take the black and join the Night's Watch, an offer that was accepted. Lord Tytos was soon thereafter removed from the king's small council and sent home to Casterly Rock, but not before being required to relinquish hostages to the Crown. Elissa Lannister would come to court to serve Queen Zhoe Arryn. Due to his loss of trust in the old lion, the king further sees fit to name Lord Andros Tarbeck as Warden of the West. Despite all this, Tytos' grandson and new heir Tybolt would still marry Princess Alysella in the waning months of 100 AC- a measure designed to keep the lions in check and tied to the royal house.

Hope Amid New Conflicts, 100 AC to 103 AC Edit

Despite these hardships, there was yet some cause for celebration. Prince Daeron, victor over the ironborn and traitorous Redwyne and Lannister fleets, was welcomed home to King's Landing with a hero's retinue. In recognition of his brother's service, King Viserys would grant to him the title Protector of the Realm, a seat upon the small council as master of coin to replace Tytos Lannister, and a palatial royal estate in the countryside outside the capital.

A bright spot would emerge in 100 AC with the birth of a crown prince. King Viserys and Queen Zhoe would soon announce Baelor Targaryen to the realm, each as pleased as new parents could be - and with the succession of the throne assured, setting aside concerns of Viserys' bastard children. Shiera Waters was entrusted to the care of House Darklyn where she and her mother Meredyth Darke enjoyed a comfortable life. So, too, was Orys Flowers raised away from the royal court; he and his mother Falia of Bitterbridge were welcomed by House Rowan at the King's personal request.

Nevertheless, conflict was never far away. Border disputes gave way to more daring and successful encroachments by Dornish forces into the Stormlands. It would not be until 102 AC, however, that King Viserys was able to dispatch forces to aid his lords of the storm. Under the leadership of Lord Galladon Strong, Lord Triston Massey, and Ser Tristifier Darklyn, fresh troops provided support initially to retake the castle of Blackhaven, and then to continue forward into Dorne. Meanwhile, ships of the royal navy sailed south under the command of Admiral Zia Grafton. Her experience as a privateer was deemed invaluable to intercept merchantmen bound to resupply coastal holdfasts in Dorne, as well as to blockade some of those same ports.

It was Admiral Grafton that brought back to the Crown word of an overture from House Toland while blockading the port at Ghost Hill. With the Iron Throne's support, Lady Ashlynn Toland proposed a strike against Sunspear itself, with the goal being to overthrow House Martell, bring an end to the war, and to place Dorne under the Iron Throne. Initially skeptical, King Viserys nevertheless accepted the proposal. In 103 AC, Admiral Vaemond Velaryon led the royal fleet to safe anchorage at Ghost Hill, where Ser Matarys Waters disembarked to march across the sands to Sunspear, aided by Toland and their supporters. Caught unawares, Sunspear was sacked and the Martells cast down, with the Tolands rising in their place to rule Dorne under the Iron Throne.

Also in 103 AC, King and Queen would welcome another child - a second son, one that would be named Jaehaerys. A third son named Ayrmidon would follow in 104 AC, with two girls born in 106 AC and 107 AC - Princesses Daenys and Rhaenys, respectively.

Princess Jaehaera, the king's cousin, would be remarried to Ser Florian Strong, heir to Harrenhal, as a boon for his father's service both in the war against Dorne and earlier for his support against Agnes Tully.

Overtures and Righteous Tensions, 106 AC to 114 AC Edit

Spearheaded by Prince Aegon, the King's stalwart Hand, the Iron Throne opened series of negotiations with the Starks in the Kingdom of Winter starting in 106 AC. Although these talks were ostensibly to improve relations between the two kingdoms in order to forestall future wars, nevertheless the Targaryens harbored grander hopes for a day to come in the future.

Around the same time, King Viserys began a correspondence with Dorian Tyrell, who had ascended to the lordship of Highgarden several years earlier after the abdication of his lord cousin. Once betrothed to the king's cousin Alysella, Viserys remained fond of the younger man, despite the necessity of breaking that betrothal due to treasons by too many of Dorian's relatives. Viserys hoped to maintain a positive relationship with the Lord Paramount of the Mander, so that the strength of the Northmarch need not be the only weight that maintained the loyalty of the roses.

For additional details, refer to the Iron Thone wiki page.

Cobblist Revolts, 115 AC Edit

Although Marq the Cobbler's influence was most keenly expressed throughout the Riverlands and the Westerlands, so too did it spread to the nearby Crownlands. Emboldened by their successes elsewhere, several of Marq's acolytes began to openly preach his views against the Iron Throne and nobility in the very heart of the Crown. Several minor houses, either feeling neglected by the Iron Throne as its attentions were drawn elsewhere in the realm or seeing a chance to capitalize on such distraction, offered support to the peasant cause. Some of this support was genuine; some of it, naturally, was merely opportunistic.

Pleased by House Sunglass's ambush of a group of cobblist supporters, King Viserys raised the house back to a semblance of its former status. Athough House Rambton would not be returned as a bannerman, no longer would House Sunglass owe its direct fealty to the smaller house and would instead be sworn directly once more to Dragonstone and the Targaryens.

Not long thereafter, however, the Crown learned that there were yet other followers of the cobbler ensconced within the Crownlands when areas of King's Landing were suddenly put to the torch with unrest and riots spreading throughout the city. King Viserys himself, accompanied by Crown Prince Baelor and knights of the Kingsguard, took to the streets to aid the City Watch in putting down this revolt within the walls of their own city.

Elsewhere, however, the peasant revolts proved to be even more dangerous, with battles held throughout both the Riverlands and Westerlands. Houses Lannister and Tully worked closely together to quell these insurrections and were ultimately successful in trapping the rebels between their own two armies. Marq the Cobbler himself was even captured and brutally executed for his crimes. In response, King Viserys saw fit to rescind all remaining sanctions against both the lions of Casterly Rock and the trouts of Riverrun.

Northern Ambitions, 114 AC to 118 AC Edit

With rumors and reports alike making their way south of troubles in the northern Kingdom of Winter - wildling raiders, dragonblight, drought and so on - Vaemond Velaryon recognized an opportunity and approached King Viserys. The Velaryon admiral proposed that he remake himself into a pirate and start to harry the North’s eastern coast, particularly White Harbor. Knowing that his Hand would never support the measure, and due to lingering resentments towards one another from numerous issues of the past, Viserys approved the gambit but did not tell Aegon. An assassin named Unella of Dorne, with whom the king had become somewhat familiar years earlier, was enlisted to provide support in building a public and notorious reputation for Vaemond's new identity. Unella's efforts, clandestine as they were, would lead to her being granted a seat on the king's council as mistress of whisperers.

Not a week after the first winds of winter could be felt in the North, Vaemond in the guise of Lucerys the Sea Bear began to raid targets of opportunity numbers never seen before. Much-needed trade was cut off from the newly reopened White Harbor as the North attempted to fend off this plague of piracy. For three years Vaemond's attacks continued, culminating ultimately in the decisive Battle of the Bite where the northmen were successful in smashing a fair portion of the pirate fleet.

Soon thereafter Prince Aegon would seize upon his own opportunity in persuading King Viserys that the time was ripe to extend a hand of friendship to the Starks. The initial talks in White Harbor in 116 AC would prove inconclusive despite the Targaryen kingdom offering food stuffs to prevent full-scale disaster from unfolding in the northern half of the continent. Undeterred, Aegon would continue talks with King Theodan Stark throughout 116 and 117 AC.

In the midst of this, King Viserys would arrange for his heir Prince Baelor to marry Lady Ellyn Tarbeck in 118 AC shortly after the prince's eighteenth nameday. By the end of the year the king's first grandchild would be born - a daughter named Saerra.

Ice and Fire, 119 AC to 120 AC Edit

In early 118 AC, Prince Aegon was dispatched north to meet with King Theodan once more, this time in Winterfell. Following arguments and disagreements throughout the day and conversations that continued late into the night, Theodan Stark ultimately decided to swear vows of fealty to King Viserys and the Iron Throne.

This was the crowning achievement of Aegon's capable tenure as Hand of the King. However, it was marred upon his return home to King's Landing when his king revealed that the notorious pirate was none other than their own cousin from Driftmark. Furious at a gambit that could have failed dramatically and brought war between the Kingdom of Winter and the Iron Throne, Aegon demanded a concession from Viserys in exchange for not making public this news - that his daughter Aemma would be wed to the Stark heir, not one of the king's own daughters.

The North was thus officially welcomed back into the Seven Kingdoms with a grand wedding held in Winterfell between Osric Stark and Aemma Targaryen in the second moon of 119 AC. Lords and ladies from throughout the land were invited to witness the reunification of the two kingdoms. For the first time since 55 AC - a period of sixty-four years - the realms of Westeros were once more reunited under one king, the King on the Iron Throne.

Troubles of Faith, 120 AC to 125 AC Edit

Despite the optimism of reunification, the inflammatory rhetoric of the Righteous One continued to spread throughout the realm. To counter this, Crown Prince Baelor sought from his father permission to resurrect an old idea once attempted by Prince Regent Jaehaerys Targaryen. Baelor would soon arrange for the notion of Targaryen exceptionalism to once more be on the lips of bards and poets, of mummers and actors' troupes, knights and maesters and septons, all throughout the realm.

In 122 AC, the crown prince lost his wife, and in response retreated to the island of Dragonstone. Knowing well the powerful and pervasive hold that grief could command over a person, King Viserys asked his youngest child Princess Rhaenys to keep watch over her brother and to help him as best she could. She would thus become a frequent companion of Baelor's on the island, with the two growing close as confidantes.

Little did Viserys realize, however, that he had unwittingly set into motion a potential new flashpoint for the realm. After the murder of Ser Jasper Arryn by Poor Fellows in the Vale and a bloody return to Gulltown where he lost Ser Luthor Oakheart of the Kingsguard, Prince Baelor found a different sort of comfort in the arms of his sister Rhaenys - and the two wed quickly and in secret on Dragonstone. Viserys was furious with his children at first; it had been decades since the last marriage between Targaryen siblings, and such unions threatened to undermine all his efforts to knit back together the disparate realms of Westeros into one kingdom.

Nevertheless there was little that could be done, as Rhaenys' belly soon grew big with child. Shortly into 126 AC, she gave birth to a daughter - Princess Naerys.

A Tenuous Peace, 125 AC to 130 AC Edit

With the realm once more reunified, peace appeared to be at hand. There were no conflicts between neighboring realms and the royal house stood tall. Nevertheless, in 128 AC, the High Septon held a mass at the Starry Sept in Oldtown to memorialize the fallen devout of Gulltown, as well as septons murdered in the Iron Islands. The Crown dispatched a letter expressing its disapproval, which the Righteous One saw fit to ignore.

King Viserys would not issue a further response, however, as he became ill soon thereafter. For the last two years of his reign, the king seldom attended to matters of state, increasingly leaving those concerns to his Hand, heir, and small council.

In the waning days of his life, Viserys would turn his attention around once more to trying to mend the rifts that had grown within his own family. For years he and Aegon had often been at odds in private, no matter how fruitful their collaboration as King and Hand proved to be for the realm; often did Aegon feel as though he was tasked with cleaning up messes caused by his kingly cousin. How the two hashed out a decision was known only to the two men. Ultimately, however, it was announced to their extended family that Princess Daenys would be betrothed to Aegon's eldest son, Vaelys.

By late 129 AC, King Viserys drew his last breath and left the mortal plane. His son Baelor assumed the throne in the following days, with his coronation as Lord of the Seven Kingdoms set for early 130 AC.

Family Tree Edit

House Targaryen - drafted by GreenFyire, Vierwood, and PsychoGobstopper