4. The final would-be king was the so-called Vulture King. His lair was in the border region of the Red Mountains, between th Dornish Marches and Dorne. According to Ran, there are Dornish Marches in the Reach as well as in the Stormlands. My careless line of him getting support from 'all over the place' was obviously supposed to mean that he got support from people in those regions, not from the Riverlands, the North, or the Vale. I really thought that would be obvious... A few early victories against the Marcher Lords led to a vast swelling of his ranks, at at one point he had about 30,000 men.
Princess Deria assured Aenys that she was not supporting/backing the Vulture King, but there was talk that she may have provided him with provisions and money.
The Vulture King successfully took and burned Blackhaven and killed Lord Harmen (sp.) Dondarrion. His downfall began when he split his army into three parts, thinking that they could still crush any foe. Orys Baratheon took care of one army, and successfully captured Walter Wyl in the process, whose father was apparently responsible for the loss of his hand [I imagine during the attempted Conquest of Dorne which also led to the death of Rhaenys Targaryen]. He cut him to pieces, and although he died on the march back of wounds from the battle, his son Davos, who was with him [we don't know if he was his eldest son, and the successor as Lord of Storm's End] when he died, said that he looked strangely content when he looked at Lord Walter's rotting feet and hands...
The Vulture King's other armies were brought down by an alliance between the new Lord Dondarrion, Lady Caron, and Lord Samwell 'Savage Sam' Tarly, who fought with Heartsbane in hand. The Vulture King was captured in what became known as 'the Vulture Hunt'. Savage Sam caught him, and chained to rock to die there. Talk goes that vultures devoured him, but it seems that he died of thirst in truth.
He was but the first of many Vulture Kings. The name was used by many outlaws/bandit chieftains in the region, and it's not known if they were related to each other. Another Vulture King must have wreaked havoc during the days of Daeron II, when Ser Arlan helped bring him down in the service of the father of Lord Manfred Dondarrion. [Ran actually told me that GRRM originally had the idea to have another Vulture King kill Maekar I, but that's obviously no longer the case.]
After that came a short section highlighting the differences between Aenys and Maegor:
- Maegor lived for war and battle, Aenys wanted to please, be considered a good and nice king
- Aenys trusted everyone, whereas Maegor trusted no one
Aenys was also very receptive to everyone's suggestions, so the decisions the king made depended often on his last visitor, which essentially made his politics looks very erratic. Although Maegor's reign was not covered by the reading, it's quite clear why now, I think, why Maegor was a much worse king than Aenys ever could be.
[In my personal opinion, Aenys could have been a average/decent king during a later era, when Westeros was already accustomed to the Targaryen rule, and not intent to challenge its monarch and/or considering and indecisive/not bloodthirsty king a weakling. Under other circumstances a king who carefully weighs any decision could have been a good thing.]
Aenys and Maegor kept a close relationship, with the latter serving as his Hand until Queen Alyssa gave birth to another girl, Princess Vaella, who died shortly after her birth, in 39. This additional proof of Aenys/Alyssa's fertility apparently shattered something in Maegor. He decided that his wife Ceryse must be barren, and marries Alys Harroway, the daughter of the new Lord of Harrenhal, on Dragonstone. No septon agree to officiate the ceremony, which is why Visenya did it in the old Valyrian fashion [I guess this was also the way how Aegon I married both his sisters back before the Conquest] without King Aenys' leave.
Both Aenys and Lord Hightower were not exactly happy with this situation. The High Septon demanded that Maegor leave 'the whore of Harroway' and return to his lawful wife. Aenys commanded Maegor to either set Alys aside in favor of his true wife, or to leave Westeros for five years exile in Pentos. Maegor chose the latter, and took Alys with him. When he left, Aenys demanded that Maegor return Blackfyre to him, but Maegor apparently responded that he would have to take the sword from him, if he wanted it. Ceryse remained behind. Aenys appointed the reputed miracle worker Septon Murmison in Maegor's stead as Hand of the King to appease the High Septon. Murmison failed to make Ceryse fertile, and she eventually rejoined her father in Oldtown.
More and more people began to dislike King Aenys.
In 41 AC Aenys announced the marriage between his daughter, Princess Rhaena (then 18), and his eldest son and heir, Prince Aegon (then 15). This caused a major uproar among the Faith. Visenya was also pissed, because Aenys named Aegon 'Prince of Dragonstone' in Maegor's stead [that would be the promised explanation as to how and why the Heir Apparent to the Iron Throne is usually styled 'Prince of Dragonstone]. Visenya left the court in King's Landing and went to - Dragonstone.
After their marriage, Aegon and Rhaena began a progress throughout the Seven Kingdoms, but they soon faced troubles in the Westerlands. The High Septon expelled Septon Murmison from the Faith (he had officiated at Aegon and Rhaena's wedding), and proclaimed King Aenys a tyrant. When Aenys asked him to reinstate him, the High Septon addressed him as 'King Abomination' in a letter. The Warrior's Sons fortified the Sept of Remembrance on Rhaenys' Hill [possibly named so in memory of Rhaenys - the sept stood on her hill, after all], and a fortnight later Septon Murmison was dragged out of his litter and hacked to pieces by Poor Fellows. Aenys made preparations to leave the capital for Dragonstone, but he and his family were attacked by Poor Fellows who scaled the walls of the half-completed Red Keep and attacked the royal family in their sleep. Only the intervention of the Kingsguard, namely Ser Raymont Baratheon, saved Aenys and his family.
After arriving on Dragonstone, Visenya demanded that Aenys unleash his dragons on the Warrior's Sons in KL, and the Starry Sept of Oldtown, or that he give her leave to attack the places on Vhagar. Aenys sent her to her chambers in Sea Dragon Tower, and commanded that she stay there. Talk is that he may have been reluctant to use the dragons in battle due to the fate of his mother.
In King's Landing, the Warrior's Sons stopped the construction of the Red Keep, and ruled the city in every effect, and when an envoy from the Iron Bank of Braavos had to discuss matters with the King of Westeros, he looked for him in Oldtown, and talked to the High Septon - the true King of Westeros.
Prince Aegon and Princess Rhaena have to seek refuge in Crakehall Castle, which is then besieged by the Faith Militant.
On Dragonstone, Aenys falls ill suddenly. Something is wrong with his bowels. Grand Maester cannot improve his condition, so eventually the Queen Dowager Visenya takes over his care. For a time he seems to get better, but when he learns that Aegon and Rhaena are besieged in Crakehall, he has a breakdown. He dies shortly thereafter. [This whole thing looks pretty much like the Tears of Lys, if you ask me.] He is 35 at his death, but it is said that he looked like a man of 60.
Alyssa, and her children Viserys, Jaehaerys, and Alysanne attend Aenys' funeral. He is burned in the Targaryen fashion. Visenya is not present, an hour after Aenys' death she mounted Vhagar and flew to Pentos. She returns soon thereafter, accompanied by her son, Prince Maegor, riding Balerion.
End of the reading.
[Speculations about the continuation of the story: The fact that Aegon and Rhaena aren't on Dragonstone/in King's Landing seems to indicate how Visenya can install Maegor as king. And if Maegor can successfully retake KL from the Faith Militant, this should be the first step to prove that he is a powerful warrior-king in the eyes of the lords. Eventually, Prince Aegon will be able to muster an army to challenge his uncle, the usurper, but the fact that Aegon and Rhaena were besieged at Crakehall strongly suggests that Rhaena did not take her dragon, Dreamfyre, with her on the progress. How Aegon eventually bonded with Quicksilver, the dragon of his father, should be an interesting story. He should have been with Aenys on Dragonstone when he died, I guess, if Quicksilver was not left to his own devices in KL when the royal family fled the capital. I doubt that Prince Aegon can just simply return to KL/Dragonstone after Maegor has taken the throne, to bond with the dragon of his father. Quicksilver most likely sought him out/stumbled on him, not the other way around.
Back in the very early excerpt from the Worldbook, the Tyanna woman was called 'Tyanna of Pentos'. This should be a hint that Maegor/Alys met this woman during their exile in Pentos. She most likely accompanied them back to Westeros.]