Shaera Targaryen

	Shaera Targaryen, by viscardiac ©
Titles	Princess; Queen;
Allegiance	House Targaryen
Predecessor	Betha Blackwood (queen consort)
Successor	Rhaella Targaryen (queen consort)
Race	Valyrian
Culture	Crownlands
Born	In 226 AC
Died	In or after 259 AC
Father	King Aegon V Targaryen
Mother	Queen Betha Blackwood
Spouse	King Jaehaerys II Targaryen
Issue	Aerys II Targaryen; Rhaella Targaryen;
Book	The World of Ice & Fire (mentioned)

Shaera Targaryen was the eldest daughter and thirdborn child of King Aegon V Targaryen and Queen Betha Blackwood. She became the queen of her brother, King Jaehaerys II Targaryen.^[2]^[3]

History

Princess Shaera was the eldest daughter of Prince Aegon Targaryen and his wife, Lady Betha Blackwood. She had two older brothers, Duncan and Jaehaerys, and two younger siblings, Daeron and Rhaelle.^[4] Shaera's grandfather, King Maekar I Targaryen, died in 233 AC, when Shaera was seven years old, and the Great Council selected her father to be the new king, Aegon V Targaryen, called "Aegon the Unlikely" as he was the fourth son of a fourth son.^[2]

It had long been the custom of House Targaryen to wed brother to sister to keep the blood of the dragon pure, but Aegon V had become convinced that such unions did more harm than good. Instead, he chose to betroth his children to some of the Great Houses of the Seven Kingdoms, in hopes of winning their support for his reign. In 237 AC, when Shaera was eleven, her mother Queen Betha arranged her betrothal to Luthor Tyrell, heir to Highgarden. Shaera's older brother, Prince Jaehaerys, was betrothed to Celia Tully. However, from a young age, Jaehaerys had been of a more traditional frame of mind, as he was in love with his sister, Shaera. Shaera, in turn, desired him. Once King Aegon and Queen Betha were aware of this feeling, they did everything they could to separate the two siblings, yet this only served to inflame their passion.^[2]

In 239 AC, Shaera's eldest brother, Prince Duncan, broke his betrothal to the daughter of Lord Lyonel Baratheon and married a common-born girl, Jenny of Oldstones. This caused much trouble and a small rebellion by House Baratheon, but in the end, King Aegon V yielded to his son's desires, though Duncan was excluded from the line of succession. Jaehaerys, the new Prince of Dragonstone and heir to the Iron Throne, noted this reaction of the king and court. In 240 AC, when Shaera was fourteen and Jaehaerys was fifteen, they eluded their guards and were secretly married. By the time this became known to their royal parents, Jaehaerys and Shaera had already consummated the marriage, forcing Aegon to accept it, despite the anger of House Tyrell and House Tully.^[5]

In 244 AC, when Shaera was eighteen, she and Jaehaerys had their first child, a son who they named Aerys. A daughter, Rhaella, followed within the next two years.^[6] While Shaera and Jaheaerys had married for love, Jaehaerys eventually commanded his children to marry each other, after hearing a mysterious companion of Jenny of Oldstones prophesy that the prince that was promised would be born of their line.^[7] Although King Aegon was frustrated by Jaehaerys's decision, he let his son have his way.^[2]

In 259 AC, Aegon summoned many of those closest to him to Summerhall, reportedly all the descendants of House Targaryen, to celebrate the impending birth of Aerys and Rhaella's first child, his first great-grandchild and Shaera's first grandchild. Unfortunately, a tragic fire occurred, killing King Aegon V, Prince Duncan, and many others of the court. It is not certain whether Shaera or Jaehaerys were in attendance at Summerhall, but it is known that both survived the conflagration, as did Aerys and Rhaella and their newborn son.^[2]

Though it is unknown when Queen Shaera died, she is mentioned to have remained in King's Landing with her brother and husband, King Jaehaerys II, when the armies marched out to the Stepstones to fight the War of the Ninepenny Kings in 260 AC.^[8]