House of the Dragon: Who is Aeriana Targaryen?

Rhaenyra name-drops a mysterious ancestor in House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 6: Aeriana Targaryen, a lost princess whose roots aren’t exactly clear.

If you thought keeping track of every Targaryen king was difficult enough, try to break down the entire Targaryen family tree. It spans centuries of inbreeding, bastards, and repeated names; seriously, is there a need for so many Aegons?

Devoted fans have kept the house’s ancestry ordered and updated for years, with most members between Aenar and Game of Thrones’ Daenerys accounted for.

Get ready for a headache, because House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 6 has just thrown a Valyrian spanner in the works with Aeriana Targaryen.

Who is Aeriana Targaryen?

Aeriana Targaryen is the grandmother of Steffon Darklyn’s grandmother. We don’t know any other details about their lineage; their father, mother, and children are a mystery.

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In Episode 6, Rhaenyra takes Jacaerys’ suggestion and starts looking for unconventional dragon riders; Targaryen bastards and others who may be eligible dragonseeds.

She starts with Ser Steffon Darklyn, the Lord Commander of her Queensguard. “You are of noble birth, and I had always heard, as you know, that the Darklyns and the Targaryens had some common blood,” Rhaenyra explains.

“I looked into the history, and indeed it is true. Your grandmother’s grandmother, Aeriana, was born a Targaryen princess.”

I have trawled dozens of subreddits, comprehensive family trees, and even House of the Dragon fan fiction – Aeriana doesn’t appear anywhere. However, I have three theories.

Theory 1

Aeriana is the granddaughter of Gaemon and Daenys’ child, whose name remains unknown.

WitleKidz/Reddit

Gaemon and Daenys were the offspring of Aenar, the first recorded Targaryen in George R.R. Martin’s source material. They had three children together: Aegon (not the Conqueror), Elaena, and another daughter whose name was never confirmed.

According to Fire and Blood, she married a “petty lord” and they had a child together, but little is known of who they are or what they became.

House of the Dragon begins in 101 AC, while Aegon’s Conquest kicked off in 2 BC. Aegon was born four generations on from Gaemon and Daenys, so Aeriana being their great-granddaughter is a possibility.

Theory 2

Steffon Darkyln may be the grandson of Theomore Manderly. Given the spotty history of their houses, it’s not a huge stretch to suggest Aeriana was unknowingly a bastard Targaryen who married into the Manderlys.

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As theorized on Reddit, “We know that one of Theomore Manderly’s daughters married a young Lord Darklyn in 72 AC, who seems to have been a bachelor prior to the wedding. Thus, their firstborn son, if they had issue, probably was Steffon Darklyn’s older brother, with both being born around, say, in the mid to late 70s AC.

“Incidentally, that would make Gunthor Darklyn, Steffon’s Darklyn’s nephew and the Lord of Duskandale by the time the Dance began, a maternal great-grandson of the late Lord of White Harbor, and a second cousin (if my math is correct) of Desmond Manderly.”

So what does this have to do with Aeriana? Well, Theomore had four wives… all of whom are known. One of them could have been Aeriana’s granddaughter, considering the ties between the two families; for example, the Manderlys supported Rhaenys’ claim to the Iron Throne at the Great Council.

We also don’t know much about Theomore’s parents. His dad was Rodrick Manderly, while his mother was simply known as Elise Manderly; perhaps she was a descendant of the Targaryens.

Theory 3

Admittedly, this is the worst theory: she’s just completely made up, in a meta nod to Fire and Blood’s unreliable account of Targaryen history.

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If you’ve not read the book House of the Dragon is based on, you should know that it’s technically a transcription of Archmaester Gyldayn’s recollections written in the Citadel of Oldtown. It’s full of rumors and alternate possibilities, and it doesn’t paint the full picture – hence why Rhaenyra and Alicent’s relationship is a larger through line in the TV show.

Just like Gyldayn’s scribblings, Rhaenyra’s family records may be inaccurate. After all, Darklyn didn’t have any connection to the Targaryens (or the Velaryons, for that matter) in the book.

“Not all those who came forward in answer to the prince’s call were seeds, nor even the sons or grandsons of seeds… amongst them the Lord Commander of her Kingsguard, Ser Steffon Darklyn,” it reads.

If you want to read more House of the Dragon content, check out our guides on Hugh Hammer, Ulf the White, and Alyn of Hull. Also make sure you’re up to date with our Season 2 release schedule.