#fancasts: alfonso herrera and janet montgomery

[samwpmarleau]

[15/20] ASOIAF power couples → Aegon V Targaryen × Betha Blackwood

King Aegon, called the Unlikely, was forced to spend much of his reign in armor, quelling one rising or another, most notably the Fourth Blackfyre Rebellion. Though beloved by the smallfolk, Aegon made many enemies amongst the lords of the realm, whose powers he wished to curtail. He enacted numerous reforms and granted rights and protections to the commons that they had never known before, but each of these measures provoked fierce opposition and sometimes open defiance amongst the lords.

The most outspoken went so far as to denounce him as a “bloody-handed tyrant intent on depriving us of our gods-given rights and liberties.” A student of history and lover of books, Aegon was oft heard to say that had he only had dragons, as the first Aegon had, he could have remade the realm anew, with peace and prosperity and justice for all.

Even his sons proved a trial to this goodhearted king, where they might have been a strength. Aegon V had married for love, taking to wife the Lady Betha Blackwood, the spirited daughter of the Lord of Raventree Hall, who became known as Black Betha for her dark eyes and raven hair. When they wed at Summerhall in 220 AC, the bride was nineteen and Aegon twenty, so far down in the line of succession that the match provoked no opposition.

It had long been the custom of House Targaryen to wed brother to sister to keep the blood of the dragon pure, but Aegon had become convinced that such incestuous unions did more harm than good. Instead, he resolved to join his children in marriage with the sons and daughters of some of the greatest lords of the Seven Kingdoms, in the hopes of winning their support for his reforms and strengthening his rule.

With the help of Queen Betha, a number of advantageous betrothals were made and celebrated in 237 AC while Aegon’s children were still young. But Betha Blackwood’s children proved to be as stubborn as their mother, and like their father, chose to follow their hearts when choosing mates.

#aegon v targaryen #betha blackwood #aegon x betha #asoiaf #valyrianscrolls #game of thrones #asoiafedit #gotedit #house targaryen #targaryenedit #preasoiafedit #asoiafsource #gotsource #house blackwood #mine #asoiaf power couples #fancasts: alfonso herrera and janet montgomery #i didn't hate myself enough to figure out how to make black hair blonde lmao #just use your imagination