Summary
As seen inHouse of the Dragon, House Velaryon is next to House Targaryen in the hierarchy of the Blacks' camp. The Velaryons boast Valyrian descent, just like Targaryens, and their lineage can be traced back to an ancient bilateral kinship descent. Aegon Targaryen wed his heir, Prince Aenys Targaryen, to the daughter of the then Lord of the Tides, Aethan Velaryon. Aenys and Alyssa Velaryon went on to have six children, including the Old King Jaehaerys I.
House Velaryon has protected the crown’s maritime interests and is connected to the Targaryens through blood ties. Princess Rhaenys, the Old King’s eldest descendant from Prince Aemon, married Corlys Velaryon, and their son and daughter, Laena and Laenor Velaryon, married into the Targaryens.House of the Dragonhas umpteen quotes that show just how significant House Velaryon is in the scheme of things.
7"This Is An Absurdity. My House Is Valyrian, The Greatest Power In The Realm."
Season 1, Episode 2: “The Rogue Prince”
…saysthe wealthiest man in the Seven Kingdoms, Lord Corlys Velaryon, when he finds out that King Viserys Targaryen has chosen Lady Alicent Hightower over his daughter, Laena Velaryon.
Viserys and Grand Maester Mellos forcibly sacrifice Queen Aemma Arryn in childbed for the unborn. Viserys becomes a widower and is urged by various lords and advisors to remarry and ally House Targaryen with a stronger House in the realm. Otto uses his unwed daughter, Alicent, as a pawn to acquire power, while Corlys and Viserys' cousin, Rhaenys, propose a marriage between their daughter and the King. Everyone knows marrying into the Velaryons is a far better option than the Hightowers of the Reach. The Velaryons' naval and financial power continue to dominate the Seven Kingdoms, but the King chooses Alicent, saying:
6"House Velaryon’s Origins Reach Back To Old Valyria."
The Lord of the Tides and Master of Driftmark, Corlys Velaryon, correctly states that his House is of Valyrian stock. The Velaryons have an important influence over the Narrow Sea and are the biggest naval power in Westeros. They are the oldest allies of the crown, and they share blood with the ruling family. As seen inHouse of the Dragon, the Velaryons' silver hair is their most striking Valyrian physical trait.
The Targaryen-Velaryon intermarriages have been observed since the time of Aegon the Conqueror. His mother was a Velaryon, and he arranged a political match between his son, Aenys, and Alyssa Velaryon.
5"But Unlike The Targaryens, We Were No Dragonlords…"
House Velaryon’s lineage has been recorded in their texts, and it’s traceable to the days of Old Valyria. Some of their written records say that they had been inhabitants of Westeros before the Targaryens colonized it. House Velaryon made the island of Driftmark in the Gullet their base and expanded their naval operations from there.
Ancient as they were,the Velaryons weren’t among the forty Dragonlord familiesof Valyria. Though the Targaryens were among the forty elite, they weren’t certainly not the strongest. Aenar relocated to Dragonstone with five dragons; his direct descendants, Aegon, Visenya, and Rhaenys, conquered Westeros because of their dragons. The kings of Westeros had armies to field and strongholds for cover, but they did not have an answer for the Targaryen dragons.
4"Unlike Every Other Lord Of The Realm, I Can Say That I Built My House’s High Seat With The Strength Of My Own Back."
The castle of Driftmark was the original seat of House Velaryon, and it originally housed their sovereign piece of furniture - the Driftwood Throne. AfterCorlys amassed riches from his voyages to Essos, he had Castle Driftmark replaced with the newly built High Tide.
High Tide’s magnificence is a testament to the status and power of House Velaryon. The Great Hall of High Tide (renamed Hall of Nine) in the HBO adaptation is where Laenor and Qarl Correy’s pretend duel takes place. As seen upon Viserys' visit inHouse of the Dragonseason 1, episode 5, “We Light the Way,” the Hall of Nine is filled with artifacts, treasures, and fantastical objects.
3"The Word Of My House Is Not Fickle."
Season 1, Episode 9: “The Green Council”
The Queen Who Never Was, Princess Rhaenys, delivers this dialogue in her striking speech inHouse of the Dragon’s “The Green Council.” Rhaenys is sickened by Alicent Hightower’s belligerence. The Hightowers are going to usurp the throne, and they need allies should it come to war.
Princess Rhaenys Targaryen is married to the Sea Snake and is the daughter of the Old King Jaehaerys' deceased son, Prince Aemon. The throne was hers by right, but the Old King chose to convene a council in 101 and empowered the lords and vassals to name his successor. Rhaenys, a woman, did not inherit the throne, and it went to her younger cousin, Prince Viserys. Ever since the council of 101, Rhaenys' husband, Lord Corlys, has been vying for a bigger status in the realm. That is the reason why he agrees to a match between Viserys' heir, Princess Rhaenyra, and his only son, Ser Laenor Velaryon.
2"It’s Long Past Time Our Houses Were United In Blood."
Season 1, Episode 5: “We Light the Way”
Aegon the Conqueror’s father, Lord Aerion Targaryen, was married to Valaena Velaryon of Driftmark. Aerion and Valaena had two more children besides Aegon, viz, the eldest daughter, Visenya, and the youngest, Rhaenys. Aegon ruled Westeros as King, and his sister-wives ruled as Queens. At the beginning ofHouse of the Dragon’sepisode 5, Queen Rhaenys' namesake, Princess Rhaenys, remained the most recent Targaryen to be married to Velaryons.
Viserys makes his remark in the Hall of Nine while proposing his daughter’s wedding to Ser Laenor Velaryon. He’s right to say that their Houses need a marriage alliance to strengthen their relationship.
1"Upon Their Birth, Ser Laenor And Rhaenyra’s Children Shall Take Their Father’s Name, Velaryon…"
The most defining Velaryon quote in the entirety ofHouse of the Dragonand one that is the bedrock of the show’s narrative. Rhaenyra and Ser Laenor share three sons, none of whom are Velaryon in blood, and the marriage is a facade. In reality,Rhaenyra’s three children are fatheredby Ser Harwin Strong, and everyone in court knows about them.
Laenor prefers the company of men, and he and Rhaenyra agree to this arrangement soon after their betrothal. They act on their desires and preferences and their marriage is a mere political institution, undertaken to concentrate the Targaryen-Velaryon power and to strengthen Rhaenyra’s claim. Though Rhaenyra’s heir, Jacaerys Velaryon, dies during the Dance of the Dragons, such was the arrangement that he was to take the Targaryen name upon his ascension.
House of the DragonSeason 2 premieres June 16 at 9/8c on HBO and Max.
