Jhet wrote:EDITx2: Actually reposting original app(Image)Aerys Targaryen the Second of his Name,
King of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms, and Protector of the Realm
Born in 244AC, within the walls of the Red Keep
Rules from the Iron Throne in the Red Keep, at the heart of Kingslanding
Aerys was born to Jaehaerys and Shaera Targaryen, themselves the children of Aegon the Fifth of his Name. From a young age he never proved himself to be a great man, possessing neither the mind nor the skill to excel as a prince of the royal family. And yet he was gifted with charm, enough to make him a great number of friends on whom his later successes would depend. One such friend was the young Tywin Lannister, the heir to House Lannister of Casterly Rock. The Lion of the West, after the War of the Ninepenny Kings saw the last of the Blackfyre Pretenders slain on the field of battle, was chosen to knight his friend who had earned his spurs at only sixteen. Two years later, this friendship would prove to be a blessing for the once failing Lannisters. Aerys, now dubbed King Aerys II with the death of his father, named Tywin his hand. Together, the two would bring the realm a dozen years of peace and prosperity.
As a teenager, under the watchful gaze of his weak father, the future king was wedded to his younger sister. Even at such an age the two were far from lovers, the marriage made purely out of a child's duty to an ailing father. As the years dragged on, this marriage continued to forebear a great tragedy. After Rhaegar, no more children blessed their house, driving Aerys into paranoia as he laid the blame on his enemies at court.
However it was not just dead children which tore at the sanity of the King. His friend and Hand, Lord Tywin Lannister, proved himself to be an exceedingly competent administrator, governing the realm without fault year after year. And year after year Aerys found himself having his own accomplishments overshadowed by that of the Lion. Slowly, the king began to act on his envy, acting against the wishes of his friend as he tried to grasp at prestige and glory that was being denied him. It was not long until the court learned that their own advancement lay in doing the same, giving Aerys the attention and praise that he had long wished for.
And yet there was a chance of recovery for the king's mind, and that chance was when Jaehaerys was born. A second son to strengthen the name and history of Aerys. And by a uncaring god the babe died. Aerys blamed his wife, her midwife, his mistress, his lover's entire family. Yet it was not enough, not for the King. In a fit of despair he took a walk of repentance, pledging himself to only lay with his wife. And while a son would come, healthy and strong, the damage of Jaehaerys' death could not be repaired.
Aerys, his envy of Tywin driving him to greater feats of humiliation against his former friend, once again refused his Hand's advise when Lord Darklyn refused to pay his taxes. Choosing to deal with the rebel himself, Aerys was captured by Darklyn and held prisoner for six months. Upon his rescue by Ser Barristan Selmy, Aerys had truly broken.
Once he was a handsome and charismatic man, generous and resolute. Now his paranoia led him to see treachery in every act, his envy to consider Tywin and his own son Rhaegar a threat. He refused to leave the Red Keep for four years, letting his hair and nails grow unkempt for fear of a blade. Only the Tourney of Harrenhal, in the Year of the False Spring, roused him from his seat. There, the realm at large was allowed to see the state of their king. Naming Jaime Lannister to his kingsguard at the behest of the youth's twin sister, Aerys deprived his Hand of his heir and saw to it that Tywin gave up his position. Considering himself finally victor over his rival, Aerys returned to the capital, believing the realm to once again be behind him as it was when he was still young.
Alas, with the threat of Lord Tywin neutered, Aerys found himself remembering the danger of his estranged son. Rhaegar, though known across the realm as the heir presumptive, was also a traitor. He was conspiring with disloyal vassals, with men and women lusting after his birthright. So, in a single stroke he stopped the daggers from striking. The king who had once promising to make Dorne blossom instructed his loyal retainers to execute his daughter in law and her Dornish offspring. With the city safe from his foes, the king made the final step - urged on by his most loyal council - and declared his eldest son a traitor.
Accepted
