Quasfiel on DeviantArthttps://www.deviantart.com/quasfiel/art/Aerys-II-Targaryen-King-of-Spades-607795088Quasfiel

Deviation Actions

Quasfiel's avatar

Aerys II Targaryen, King of Spades

By
Published:
5.5K Views

Description

From "A Song of Ice and Fire"/"Game of Thrones": Aerys II Targaryen, popularly called "The Mad King", was the last member of House Targaryen to rule the Seven Kingdoms. Although his rule began benevolently, he succumbed to madness after being held hostage for six months by Lord Darklyn. After being freed by Ser Barristant Selmy and having all members of the Darklyn House beheaded, his reign became increasingly erratic and murderous. By the end of his life, Aerys's paranoia had taken a serious toll on his appearance. He ate little and became gaunt as a result of his fear of poison. After cutting himself repeatedly on the Iron Throne he also developed a phobia of blades, so he forbade any sharp implements in his presence other than the swords of his Kingsguard, refusing even to trim his nails or hair. His fingernails grew to cracked yellow claws nine inches long, and his beard and silver hair hung down to his waist in wild tangles. 

His fall begun when his son, Prince Rhaegar, kidnapped Lyanna Stark of Winterfell. Brandon Stark protested the abduction of his sister and demanded justice, but Aerys had him arrested for treason, and then offered to ransom him to his father. When Rickard Stark rode to King's Landing to ransom Brandon, Aerys had him arrested too, and then brutally executed both father and son. In reaction, the noble houses of Stark, Baratheon, Arryn and Tully raised the flags of rebellion and destroyed the royalist armies in several major engagements, culminating in the Battle of the Trident, where Prince Rhaegar died. King Aerys was finally betrayed by his former friend and King's Hand, Lord Tywin Lannister, who led an army to apparently defend the capital, but instead brutally sacked the city. Aerys decreed that the capital be set ablaze by wildfire, believing the massive inferno would transmute him into a dragon and he would emerge to obliterate his enemies. To prevent the King incinerating the city and its half a million inhabitants, Ser Jaime Lannister, a member of the Kingsguard and Tywin's son, stabbed Aerys in the back, earning the sobriquet "Kingslayer". 

Aerys's death brought to an end the Targaryen dynasty, which had ruled the Seven Kingdoms for three centuries. He was replaced on the Iron Throne by the leader of the rebels, Robert Baratheon. However, the Targaryen bloodline survived through his two youngest children, Viserys and Daenerys, who were spirited away to the Free Cities.

Also, the King of Clubs, the King of Diamonds and the King of Hearts:
quasfiel.deviantart.com/art/Ha…
quasfiel.deviantart.com/art/Ki…
quasfiel.deviantart.com/art/Ki…
Image size
4724x8034px 18.33 MB
© 2016 - 2024 Quasfiel
Comments2
Join the community to add your comment. Already a deviant? Log In
Aeelys-art's avatar
Tout d'abord je tiens à dire que c'est le roi que je préfère dans ta série des Rois ! :-)
La composition de la carte est chouette, dont le fait que le personnage couvre la carte en entier. Le jeu d'ombres et de lumière est super, et l'expression du visage est particulièrement réussie ! Il correspond très bien à la description d'Aerys II Targaryen. Bravo !