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| Prince Jaehaerys Targaryen lies in peaceful repose, his young life tragically cut short during the bloody Dance of the Dragons. Wrapped in a finely embroidered cloth and surrounded by flowers, his serene expression belies the brutality of his untimely death |
The killing of King Aegon's son in the novel
Prince Daemon's broker finds aides whose real names are lost to history, they are referred to as Blood and Cheese. The hidden doors and secret tunnels that the cruel Maegor had built were as familiar to the Ratcatcher as the rats he had caught, and using a forgotten passage, the Cheese led the Blood into the heart of the castle without being seen by any guard. Some say their target was the King himself, but Aegon was accompanied by the Kingsguard wherever he went. The Tower of the Hand was less guarded so the two men slipped through the walls. Ser Otto's chambers were of no interest to them and instead they slipped into his daughter's chamber. Queen Alicent had taken up residence there after the death of King Viserys when her son Aegon had moved into Maegor's castle with his queen. Once inside, the Cheese bound and gagged the Dowager Queen while the Blood strangled her bedchamber maid. They then lay in wait, knowing that it was Queen Helena's custom to bring her children to see their grandmother every evening before bed. Queen Helena with her three children was unaware of the danger that awaited them. Jaehaerys and Jaehaera were six years old and Maelor was two. When they entered the room, Helena was holding the little one's hand and calling for her mother. Blood closed the door as Cheese appeared to take Maelor away. Blood said to Her Majesty: "Scream and you will all die." Queen Helena is said to have kept her cool and asked the two: "Who are you?" Cheese said: "Debt collectors, an eye for an eye and a son for a son. We only want to settle matters. We will not harm the rest of you good fellows, not even a hair. Which one do you want to lose, Your Majesty?" Once she realized what he meant, Queen Helena pleaded with the men to kill her instead. “A wife is not a son, she should be a boy,” said Blood. Cheese urged the queen to make her decision quickly before Blood got bored. “Choose, or we kill them all.” She fell to her knees crying and Helena chose the younger of the two, Maelor. Perhaps she thought the boy was too young to understand, or perhaps it was because the older boy, Jaehaerys, was King Aegon’s firstborn and heir, and next in line to the Iron Throne. Cheese whispered to Maelor, “Do you hear that, little boy? Your mother wants you dead.” Blood gave him a smile and the huge warrior killed Prince Jaehaerys, beheading the boy with a single blow. The queen screamed.
Q&A Section
Q: Who were Blood and Cheese?
A: Blood was a former sergeant in the City Watch, known for his ruthlessness and skill in combat. Cheese was a former ratcatcher in the Red Keep, knowledgeable about the secret passages and hidden doors within the castle.
Q: Why did Blood and Cheese target Queen Helaena's children?
A: They were sent by Daemon Targaryen to exact revenge for the death of Lucerys Velaryon, Rhaenyra's son, who was killed by Aemond Targaryen. Their mission was to inflict the same kind of pain by killing one of Aegon II's children.
Q: How did Blood and Cheese gain access to Queen Helaena's chambers?
A: They used the secret passages and hidden doors in the Red Keep, which were built by Maegor the Cruel. Cheese, being a former ratcatcher, was familiar with these passages and led Blood into the heart of the castle undetected.
Q: What was Queen Helaena's reaction to the demands of Blood and Cheese?
A: Queen Helaena pleaded with the men to kill her instead of her children. When forced to choose, she reluctantly chose her youngest son, Maelor, hoping he was too young to understand or because her older son, Jaehaerys, was the heir to the Iron Throne.
Q: What did Blood and Cheese do after Queen Helaena made her choice?
A: Despite Queen Helaena's choice, Blood and Cheese killed Prince Jaehaerys, the older son, by beheading him. This act was a deliberate and cruel twist on their promise, adding to the trauma and horror of the event.
Q: What were the immediate and long-term impacts of this event?
A: The immediate impact was the deep trauma and grief experienced by Queen Helaena, leading to her eventual depression and death under suspicious circumstances. The long-term impact was an escalation in the brutality of the Dance of the Dragons, with revenge killings becoming more frequent and violent.
Q: How did this event affect the larger conflict of the Dance of the Dragons?
A: The murder of Prince Jaehaerys intensified the hostilities between the factions supporting Aegon II and Rhaenyra. It marked a significant escalation in the cycle of vengeance and violence that characterized the civil war, making reconciliation even more difficult.