Biodata
| Feature | Value |
|---|---|
| Name | Rhaenys Targaryen (雷妮丝) 10 |
| Species/Race | Human; descended through her biological father from an old Valyrian dragonlord family 10 |
| Gender | Female 10 |
| Affiliation | House Targaryen by adoption; Viserys’s household in exile 10 23 |
| Occupation/Role | Princess; adopted daughter of Rhaegar Targaryen and Elia Martell 10 |
| Biological Family | Unnamed parents who died in an accident; her father was a friend of Rhaegar and lived within Volantis’s Black Wall 10 |
| Status | Alive; traveling with Viserys’s concealed fleet toward a new settlement in Valyria 46 47 |
| First Appearance | Chapter 10, “Daily life” 10 |
Background / History
Adoption and Childhood in King’s Landing
Rhaenys was orphaned when both biological parents died in an accident. Rhaegar, who had befriended her father during his travels through Essos, adopted her. Elia accepted the adoption and raised Rhaenys as her own daughter. Her biological father belonged to an old Valyrian dragonlord lineage, rather than House Targaryen 10.
A little over two years old in 281 AC, Rhaenys frequently sought out Viserys to play. Although he was her uncle through adoption, she called him “big brother”; neither Rhaegar nor Elia corrected her. Viserys wondered whether they regarded the children as potential future partners, but this remained his speculation 10.
Viserys believed that the fall of King’s Landing would bring Rhaenys’s murder at Amory Lorch’s hands. His growing attachment to her strengthened his determination to intervene. When she asked him not to leave her, he promised to stay, treating the promise as a commitment to protect her from the fate he anticipated 10 11.
Refuge on Dragonstone
As rebellion approached, Viserys obtained Elia’s permission to take Rhaenys to Dragonstone under the pretext of visiting Queen Rhaella. Elia initially hesitated because of the girl’s age, but agreed after Ashara Dayne volunteered to accompany and care for her 14.
Rhaenys eagerly greeted Rhaella as “Grandmother” and settled into life on the island, where Ashara began teaching her to read. Following Rhaegar’s death at the Trident, Viserys invoked the need to protect Rhaenys and Rhaella when ordering Arthur Dayne and Jon Darry to remain on Dragonstone rather than return to Westeros 15.
At three years old, Rhaenys did not fully understand the deaths reported from King’s Landing, including those of Elia and Aegon. Frightened by the adults’ reactions, she sought comfort in Ashara’s arms. She later attended Viserys’s coronation beside Ashara and clung to him during Rhaella’s difficult labor. After Rhaella died giving birth to Daenerys, the surviving household departed for Essos 16 17 19.
Life in Braavos
The refugees reached Braavos after three weeks at sea. During the following seven years, Rhaenys and Daenerys became Viserys’s closest family. He spent afternoons with them and taught Rhaenys Valyrian, while Ashara continued their education 20 23.
When Viserys announced his expedition to Valyria, Rhaenys tried to maintain a princess’s composure, but her pale face and tearful eyes revealed her fear. She remained in Braavos under Ashara’s care and Jon Darry’s protection. Viserys’s eventual secret return delighted both girls, and he promised not to remain away so long again 25 44.
Departure for Valyria
Before relocating the household, Viserys helped Rhaenys study the Dance of the Dragons. He used the civil war to explain how ambition could destroy family bonds and urged her to place trust and kinship above the throne. Rhaenys accepted the lesson and asked whether Valyria was safe and whether many people would live there 46.
Viserys described a new country protected by dragons and told her she would remain its princess and become one of its future queens. Rhaenys regarded marrying him as natural, though the prospect of queenship made her shy. She promised to help build their country; no completed marriage or formal betrothal is documented in these passages 46.
Rhaenys left Braavos aboard one of five disguised merchant ships with Viserys, Daenerys, Ashara, and their guards. She was initially nervous at sea and frightened when pirates approached, but Viserys reassured the girls before confronting the pirate leader, Salladhor Saan 47.
Appearance
- Hair: Black, inherited from her biological mother in her initial description. The departure scene later describes silver braids, an inconsistent detail in the text 10 15.
- Eyes: Violet 10 17 46.
- Childhood clothing: Wears a finely made blue velvet dress when leaving King’s Landing; another blue dress appears during her later life in Braavos 15 45.
- Relative height: Stands half a head taller than Daenerys during Viserys’s return to Braavos 45.
Personality
Rhaenys is openly affectionate toward Viserys, seeking his company, clutching his clothes, and asking him not to leave her. During frightening events, she turns to him or Ashara for reassurance. Her curiosity also appears in her excited response to Dragonstone and her fascination with the warm dragon eggs 10 11 15 17 19.
As she grows older, Rhaenys becomes more restrained without losing her attachment to him. She attempts to hide her fear of his dangerous expedition and is quieter than Daenerys during their reunion. Her questions about Valyria and willingness to help establish their new country show an emerging interest in responsibilities beyond childhood play 25 45 46.
Abilities & Skills
Education
- Literacy and etiquette: Studies reading, writing, and etiquette with Ashara Dayne 15 45.
- Valyrian: Receives language lessons from Viserys 23.
- Historical study: Reads about the Dance of the Dragons, though its political intrigue and violence require Viserys’s explanation 46.
Dragonlord Heritage
- Her biological father’s Valyrian ancestry leads Viserys to consider her a potential future dragonrider; no dragon bond or riding feat is documented 10.
- Her possession of the Unburnt gift remains uncertain. Viserys prevents her from touching the eggs recovered from magma because he does not know whether she can withstand their heat 17.
Relationships
- Viserys Targaryen — Adoptive uncle, protector, and teacher whom she calls “big brother.” She later expects to marry him, and he envisions her as a future queen 10 11 23 46.
- Rhaegar Targaryen — Adoptive father; takes her in after the accidental deaths of his friend and the friend’s wife 10.
- Elia Martell — Adoptive mother; raises her as her own and entrusts her to Viserys and Ashara for the journey to Dragonstone 10 14.
- Ashara Dayne — Caregiver and tutor; accompanies her from King’s Landing, comforts her during family tragedies, and teaches her in exile 14 16 19 45.
- Daenerys Targaryen — Close childhood companion within Viserys’s household; shares lessons, play, and family time with her 23 25 45.
- Queen Rhaella — Adoptive grandmother; Rhaenys greets her affectionately upon reaching Dragonstone 15.
- Jon Darry — Sworn protector; guards Rhaenys and Daenerys during Viserys’s absence and supervises their courtyard play 25 45.
- Oberyn Martell — Elia’s brother; warns Viserys to treat Rhaenys well during the negotiations with Dorne 23.
Notable Quotes
“I understand. Family comes first.” 46
“I'll work hard. … I'll help you build our country.” 46
Trivia
- Rhaenys’s adoption distinguishes her from the biological daughter of Rhaegar and Elia whom Viserys remembers from the original story 10.
- Her true parentage is not widely understood: Viserys notes that others may believe she is Rhaegar’s bastard daughter 23.
- Viserys gives her a carved wooden horse, and she is later shown playing with a rag doll under Ashara’s care 14 17.