Aemon I Targaryen

King Aemon I Targaryen was a Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and the fifteenth Targaryen to sit the Iron Throne as King of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men. Aegon became king after a Great Council bypassed a number of candidates earlier in the line of succession, and after his younger brother, Prince Aegon "Egg" Targaryen, refused the throne. Aemon came to be know as The Old King, living to the impressive age of 104 years old. Though this was both a blessing and a curse, bringing an unprecedented era of peace to the realm, but outliving all of his immediate heirs.

Early Life
Aemon was the third son of Prince Maekar Targaryen and his wife, Lady Dyanna Dayne. He was named after his great-great-uncle, Prince Aemon the Dragonknight, by his grandfather, Daeron II Targaryen.

Aemon was a bookish boy. Aemon gave Aegon the nickname of "Egg".The brothers recreated the Battle of the Redgrass Field with painted soldiers on Maester Melaquin's table.

Studying and Maestership
King Daeron II Targaryen had four grown sons, three with sons of their own, and so felt that having too many potential Targaryen heirs was dangerous. Daeron sent Aemon to the Citadel around the age of nine or ten. Aemon forged his chain and was made a maester, finishing his studies at the age of nineteen. Maester Aemon then served at a lordling's court. After succeeding to the Iron Throne, King Maekar I Targaryen summoned Aemon and his brothers to court. Not wanting to sit on the small council as he felt that would displace the Grand Maester, Aemon chose instead to serve at Dragonstone, the seat of his eldest brother, Prince Daeron, until Daeron died of the pox. A Great Council was called in 233 AC after Maekar's death in the Peake Uprising. Since Prince Aegon was considered by some lords to be "half a peasant", it was suggested that Aemon could be released from his sworn vows and thereby succeed his late father. After some deliberation Aemon relented and placed aside his chains, ascending the throne as King Aemon, First of his Name.

Rule of Westeros
King Aemon I Targaryen was quite the active King in his youth. Along with his hand, Brynden "Bloodraven" Rivers, King Aemon worked tirelessly to pull the realm together. Within the first weeks of his rule, he made trade deals with the Ironborn, sewing the seeds of longterm change to the once isolated Islands. Aemon relied heavily on his family during these times, specifically Bloodraven. However, King Aemon proved to be a much needed leash on the bastard of Blackwood, often tempering his more extreme opinions in favor of diplomacy and peace.

King Aemon's time at the Citadel proved a great source of knowledge and wisdom. Aemon had forged many links and it is said he put each to use ten times a day during his decades of rule.

The Fourth Blackfyre Rebellion
King Aemon's claim to the Iron Throne was challenged thrice by his distant family across the Narrow Sea. Not all the Lords of Westeros respected a King who had once been chained. Blackfyre came once again from the east, landing on the Westerosi shores and moving quickly. Lord Bloodraven summoned the loyalists of King Aemon and marched against them. Believing that Bloodraven could handle the war without much of his intervention, King Aemon remained in King's Landing, tending to the daily administration of the crown. This continued leadership during the war was a crucial part in the Crown's victory over the invading forces.

The Crown was dealt a crippling blow during this war, however, when Lord Bloodraven was slain at the Battle of Wendwater Bridge. The news shocked the courts, especially King Aemon, who had come to rely heavily on his bastard family for support and rule. Nevertheless, other loyalists, such as the Laughing Storm of Storm's End and the Prince of Summerhall, his younger brother Aegon, were able to repel the rebel King Blackfyre back across the Narrow Sea.

Later Rule
After the death of Bloodraven, King Aemon selected Lord Baratheon as his Hand to reward his House for their loyalty during the Blackfyre Reblelion. Issues arose elsewhere, however, as King Aemon elected to burn Bloodraven's body in the tradition of dead Targaryens. The Blackwoods of Raventree Hall, the House of Bloodraven's mother, protested however, demanding that Bloodraven be buried in their family's grave. House Blackwood was quite outspoken in their criticism of King Aemon in these times, though many defenders of King Aemon were quick to point out that the Riverlands did little to defend King Aemon's claim, including Blackwood.

Lord Baratheon proved a poor Hand during King Aemon's rule. The Maester King found himself trusting his own opinion more and more over the advice of His Hand, breaking with him on several important issues. This did prove to be a positive for the King, as the peace of the realm continued during this time. Of course, not all of King Aemon's rule was wise. Shortly after the Fourth Blackfyre Rebellion, relations with the Westerlands began to deteriorate, to the point where Lord Lannister did not attend the birth of King Aemon's first son, Aerys in 239AC.

The Marcher Rising
The tensions between King Aemon and Lord Baratheon came to a head during the Fifth Blackfyre Rebellion. Though not a proper uprising, the Lords of the Marches were long-held supporters of the Blackfyres and, when Ser Ronnel Caron was arrested on charges of treason, the marcher lords rose in rebellion, raising the banners of the Black Dragon. The castles of these lords were formidable and Aemon's brother, Aegon, was charged to end the revolt, hopefully peacefully.

But the marcher lords had years of experience with dealing with larger forces and, when Aegon marched on the foothills of the Red Mountains, he was ambushed in the night. He was slaughtered in his sleep, along with his sworn sword Ser Duncan and his squire, his nephew and youngest son of Prince Aemon, Baelor Targaryen. Aemon was furious and vengeful, sending his eldest son Maekar to shatter this petty rebellion in its entirety, which he did.

Lord Baratheon had tried to convince King Aemon to allow the Stag himself to deal with the issue, but King Aemon took a page from Lord Bloodraven's long book, preferring to show the strength of the Crown on this issue. It is unknown if Lyonel Baratheon resigned the post of Hand or if Aemon dismissed him. All that is known is that after the Fifth Blackfyre Rebellion, The Laughing Storm returned home, never to so much as chuckle again.

The Old King
Aemon ruled Westeros peaceful after the Marcher Rising, many of his critics now silenced with the ruins of Nightsong standing as a reminder that the Maester King was trained just as much in the art of war as he was in stitching wounds. Aemon's Small Council rotated heavily during this time. What is notable about this time, however, is that a strange inverse began. Rather than the Coucnil advising the King, it became the King advising the Council, as Aemon's Citadel training gave him great insight into many issues. Grandmaester Robyn was noted as joking that he was only sitting the Council for tradition's sake and that he was not truly needed.

It is important to remember during this time, however, that King Aemon was still vulnerable to misjudgement. The crown and West's conflict came to a head during the Marcher Rising, as the bulk of the paid taxes of the Westerlands are allegedly stolen by a group of bandits on the Goldroad. The Lannisters refused to pay the sum that is lost, leading to a stand-off with the crown. Aemon, eventually forgives the losses, driving the Iron Throne into debt and leading to them lending from the Iron Bank. The Lannisters grow popular among their subjects for their bold defiance and victory, but nary a Westerman is seen at court for the remainder of King Aemon's reign.

Aemon, ever looking for projects to unite Westeros, began to commission expeditions. This proved popular with the Ironborn, who had embraced a life of raiding for profit with the Crown. A fervor was sparked during this time by King Aemon to find the lost ship of Elissa Farman, The Sun Chaser. A drive that still sends sailors and adventurers west to this day.

The Sixth Blackfyre Rebellion
Though not a war outright, it is close enough as a betrayal of a vassals' oaths to a king and an attempted rebellion to be named the sixth in the Blackfyre Rebellions. It is also called the Sixth as a way for Blackfyre pretenders to allow their next rising to be the "Holy Seventh" and thereby "prophesized". A group of conspirators, including the Red Keep's Septon Harbert, Ser Ygon Bean, and master of laws Lord Edric Whent, plotted to murder His Grace on his ninetieth name day feast. Though the poisons were hidden in many items, including the Dornish red, a Norvoshi wintercake, and the glaze of a massive trout, the event is famously remembered as the "Pie Plot", for its only successful poisoning, but maesters prefer "the Name Day Plot".

The wondrous pie, which was intended to be served to firstly King Aemon, was eaten by Aemon's eldest son, Maekar, instead, Almost immediately, Maekar began coughing, eventually turning purple and collapsing. The Grand Maester almost immediately recognized it as a poison, and King Aemon ordered the doors barred. It did not take a night before Ser Ygon Bean talked, in hope of some clemency, but he found none. Each of the plotters were hanged for treason and murder, extincting the heirless House Whent.

Aemon retreated from court after the death of another son, ruined by grief. He was left with only his second child, Aerys, who took up his brother's place as Hand of the King.

Later Life and Death
The Name Day Plot left Aemon in a state of melancholy that he never truly recovered from. Gone was his drive to unite Westeros and arrest those who aimed to cause issue in his lands. He left rule of the land largely to his Council during this time, with Lord Velaryon serving as Hand. The Old King spent much of his time reading and reflecting on his rule.

The realm was anxiously awaiting his death, on bated breath as his grandson, Prince Viserys, had found the Red God R'hllor and began a large wave of Religious tension across the land.

King Aemon I Targaryen passed in 302AC, having sat the Iron Throne for Sixty-Nine years. He was 104 years old.