The Decline of Power: Aegon the Conqueror and Jaehaerys I in the Targaryen Legacy

In the age of dragons and iron thrones, the fates of Aegon the Conqueror and Jaehaerys I Targaryen are intertwined with the rise and fall of their dynasty. If these two mighty rulers were to learn that their descendants would ultimately burn their dragons in a civil war, their reactions would likely be complex and filled with profound reflection.

Aegon the Conqueror

Aegon, who united the Seven Kingdoms through the fearsome power of dragons and the sword, would likely view this outcome with a mix of disappointment and horror. He understood the immense power of dragons and the crucial importance of maintaining control over them. To see his descendants misuse this formidable tool, leading to destruction among their own ranks, would be seen as a betrayal of his vision for a unified realm. Aegon might lament that the very instrument of conquest and unity had become a source of division and destruction, reflecting a failure in leadership and governance. His thoughts would undoubtedly return to the tragedy of his favorite sister-wife, who died in the actions of his weak successor, Aenys. Aegon may have wished that he had taken Aenys' idea of joint rule, distributing the Iron Throne among the major branches of his family, thus averting the civil strife that plagued his descendants.

Jaehaerys I Targaryen

Jaehaerys, known as the Conciliator, valued peace and stability above all. His reign was marked by efforts to strengthen the Targaryen dynasty and maintain harmony among the nobility. The sight of dragons being turned against one another would likely evoke feelings of sadness and regret for him. Jaehaerys would interpret this as a sign of the failure of the Targaryen legacy to uphold the principles of peace and cooperation he championed. He would probably see it as evidence that the Targaryens had lost their way, succumbing to ambition and internal conflict rather than fostering unity. The last thing Jaehaerys would want to see is his beloved dragons being consumed by fire, a symbol of their own destruction.

Broader Implications

Both Aegon and Jaehaerys would likely recognize that the dragons, once symbols of their power and authority, had become a double-edged sword. The internal strife and the eventual burning of dragons could symbolize the decline of the Targaryen dynasty itself, reflecting how the very elements that once brought them glory could also lead to their downfall. They might ponder the cyclical nature of power, the consequences of ambition, and the fragility of legacy. Ultimately, they would regret that their descendants did not learn from the lessons of their reigns.

Tapping into House of the Dragon

Tapping into the lore of House of the Dragon's 'Prince That Was Promised', Aegon the Conqueror would be supremely ticked off. He united eight regions, carved a prophecy into a magic dagger, and lost his most beloved sister-wife. He would be annoyed with Aenys and his weak reign, but at the same time, he would not be pleased with Visenya’s plan to crown Maegor, the same Maegor who killed his own nephews. Aegon might wish that he had taken Aenys' idea of joint rule and built a system of co-ruling thrones to distribute power among the major branches of his family, thus avoiding the civil strife that plagued his descendants.

Jaehaerys, on the other hand, would be too stubborn to admit that the Great Council was the wrong path. He would call Viserys an idiot for not being sexist enough, though Viserys’ safest bet was to double down on the legal precedent that made him king, not try to walk it back a couple of decades later. Jaehaerys would probably have opted for Alicent Hightower’s last-ditch desperate proposal when Rhaenyra took King’s Landing. Upon seeing that resistance was hopeless, Dowager Queen Alicent emerged from Maegor’s Holdfast, and Septon Eustace witnessed the dramatic event. The Dowager Queen attempted to treat with her stepdaughter, saying, 'Let us together summon a great council as the Old King did in days of old.' However, Queen Rhaenyra rejected the proposal with scorn, saying, 'Do you mistake me for Mushroom? We both know how this council would rule.' Then she bade her stepmother choose: yield or burn. The solution, as always, is another Great Council, unless you have dragons.

Aegon the Conqueror would probably learn from his mistakes. However, it is less certain if Jaehaerys would. His stubbornness and insistence on the Great Council path might mean he failed to recognize the need for decisive action in times of crisis, a lesson that his dynasty tragically paid for in blood and flame.