Warning: Includes SPOILERS for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, based on the books!
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is poised to take HBO by storm … or, at the very least, by fire and blood. Taking place 79 years after the Dance of the Dragons (as depicted in House of the Dragon), the Game of Thrones prequel will continue to chronicle the fascinating history of House Targaryen. Here, the fearsome house still rules the realm with a fiery (more like smoldering) fist, but they’re significantly weakened compared to the glory days of Balerion the Black Dread.
This spinoff also bears ties to the flagship series, notably regarding Dunk’s family tree. As it turns out, Brienne of Tarth is his descendant. Dunk’s squire Egg, also known as Aegon V Targaryen, is Daenerys Targaryen’s great-grandfather. Exploring this aspect of their lineage means we could see another beloved Targaryen, one who has almost a century of living under his belt by the time Game of Thrones rolls around – Maester Aemon. Aemon is Egg’s older brother, and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms could bring his narrative arc full circle by including him in the series.
What Happens to Maester Aemon in ‘Game of Thrones’?
When viewers first meet Maester Aemon in Game of Thrones, he’s already a member of the Night’s Watch. In Season 1, Episode 9, “Baelor,” Aemon reveals his Targaryen identity to Jon Snow. After serving as a mentor to Jon and bolstering his ascension to Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch, Aemon’s health takes a turn for the worse. Samwell Tarly informs Aemon of Dany’s activities in Slaver’s Bay, and the dying maester voices his support for his great-niece from afar. He advises Jon with one of the show’s most iconic quotes, “Kill the boy, and let the man be born,” after the latter steps into his new leadership role.
Now bedridden, Sam and Gilly tend to Aemon until he shuffles off this mortal coil. However, before he passes, Aemon imagines a conversation with the late Egg. “Egg, I dreamed that I was old,” he says. Aemon Targaryen dies at Castle Black in the year 302 AC, at 100 years old.
Aemon’s fate is slightly different in George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire books. Aemon passes away in the fourth novel, A Feast for Crows, while aboard the ship Cinnamon Wind with Sam and Gilly as they head for Oldtown. His intention is to assist Dany despite his ill health. He believes Dany is the fabled “prince that was promised.”
What We Know About Aemon’s Early Years
Aemon was the third son of King Maekar I Targaryen and Dyanna Dayne. He was quite close to his little brother Aegon, even giving him the nickname “Egg.” Aemon was an intelligent child who would rather have his nose in a book than wield a sword. His grandfather, Daeron II Targaryen, sent him to the Citadel after realizing he had too many heirs to the Iron Throne. While Aemon is not in The Tales of Dunk and Egg series, Egg mentions him by name in the first novella, The Hedge Knight (1998).
In one scene, Dunk sits in a cell after attacking Prince Aerion Targaryen, Egg’s older brother. Egg finally reveals his true identity, and he shares the origin of his alias. “It’s short for Aegon. My brother Aemon named me Egg; he’s off at the Citadel now, learning to be a maester.”
Beyond The Tales of Dunk and Egg adventures, the titular duo visits Oldtown in the aftermath of the Great Spring Sickness. Now a teenager, Aemon gives Egg a mule named Maester and measures Dunk’s height.
Upon the deaths of his two older brothers, Daeron and Aerion, Aemon becomes Maekar’s heir. However, Aemon refuses the throne, instead ceding his role to Egg (hence why he was known as Aegon the Unlikely – a fourth son inheriting the throne is, well, unlikely). Aemon decides to take the black, joining the Night’s Watch as its resident maester to ensure he’s not used as a tool to usurp Egg. When Egg and Dunk die in the tragedy at Summerhall in 259 AC, the crown passes to Aemon’s nephew, Jaehaerys II Targaryen.
How Aemon Could Appear in ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’
Of course, since Aemon’s not in the source material being adapted for the small screen, the A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms creative team will have to go off-book to include him. Aemon’s already a teen and at the Citadel at the start of the series, so it would make the most sense to insert a flashback or two featuring the future maester as a child, playing with the future king.
Imagine them running around the Red Keep, reenacting famous historical Westerosi battles such as the Battle of the Redgrass Field during the First Blackfyre Rebellion (which, interestingly enough, ended with their grandfather’s ascension to the Iron Throne). The possibilities are endless. Both Aemon and Egg had dragon eggs as well. It would be equally poignant and a fun tie-in to the spinoff’s predecessors to see those eggs on screen, knowing what we know about the dying of the dragons. It would also contribute to the overarching story of the dragons, which are synonymous with House Targaryen.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms showrunner Ira Parker spoke to Screen Rant about Aemon’s potential appearance in the show:
SR: We know that there are some Game of Thrones characters that we’re familiar with from the original series that are alive during this time. Master Aemon comes to mind. Is there anything you can tell us about any familiar faces possibly popping up in Knight of the Seven Kingdoms?
Ira Parker: This first one, I think you’re gonna hear some names. I’m sure you’re gonna see faces. Yes, there are plans for faces as we move forward, hopefully, as we move forward.
After Aemon’s heartbreaking death in Game of Thrones Season 5, fans deserve a palate cleanser like watching him and his favorite brother together. Moments of frivolity are few and far between in this franchise. It would be gratifying to know that even a studious, hardworking, and honorable man like Maester Aemon, one who dedicated his life to service, got to truly be a kid, free of worries and responsibilities.
Source link
Add Comment