George R. R. Martin’s lore of the Seven Kingdoms, has a vast history. And in the center of it all, are the Targaryens and their dragons. While there is no shortage of characters or events that readers of the books were hooked to, their television adaptation only helped make them more popular. With Game of Thrones and now it’s spin-off prequel, House of the Dragon, GRRM’s stories have been brought to life with amazing precision.
House of the Dragon recently aired its most highly rated episode: The Red Dragon and the Gold, with a 9.7 IMDb rating. But it is still the fifth highest rated, when it comes to all episodes released so far, combining both Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon. And one of the three most highly rated episodes comes from Game of Thrones’s The Rains of Castamere, which has a 9.9 IMDb rating.
The Atrocity of The Red Wedding From George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones
The penultimate episode in the third season of Game of Thrones was titled The Rains of Castamere. But, for better or worse, it will always be known among fans of the show as The Red Wedding episode. The massacre of the Starks by House Fray was brutal and unethical, and showed the depravity of human nature.
The death of Catelyn Stark, her son Robb, his wife Talisa, and their unborn child, alongside several other Stark men and allies, will go down in Game of Thrones history as one of the most brutal plot twists. In what was supposed to be a joyous event – the wedding of Edmure Tully to Roslin Frey – turned into a bloodbath, with the famous quote, “The Lannisters send their regards,” still echoing in our ears.
A Death From Targaryen History That Could Give The Red Wedding A Run For It’s Money
Before King Jaehaerys I Targaryen was succeeded by his grandson, Viserys Targaryen, his first heir before he had any children, was the daughter of his older sister Rhaena, Aerea. Aerea Targaryen was one of the two twin daughters of Rhaena and Aegon Targaryen. Her younger twin, Rhaella, and she had very opposing behavior – one shy and timid, while the other outgoing and robust. Aera would remain the heir until Jaehaerys and his wife Alyssane would have children of their own.
Long story short, Jaehaerys had other children, and Aerea’s succession was absolved. Later, she would leave King’s Landing, where she grew up with her uncle and aunt, and go to Dragonstone with her mother Rhaena. Dragonstone was not to her liking, and one day she took Balerion the Black Dread, who presumably flew her to Old Valyria, which was doomed to curses and dreadful creatures. She would return more than a year later, clinging to Balerion, as a deathly sick humanoid version of what she once was.
The account of Aerea’s death was never put to paper, but Septon Barth, who was one of the two people who were with Aerea in her dying hours, said in his private writing that the “fever” which was said to have taken her life, was unlike anything they had ever encountered before. She had “swellings” moving underneath her skin, causing her great pain. There was smoke coming out of her, and she was put in a tub of ice to cool her down. This led to her heart stopping, as the “creatures of heat and fire” that lived within her could not stand the coldness of the ice and perished alongside her (via Fire and Blood by George R. R. Martin)
This gruesome death was one of the worst in Targaryen history, and thankfully hasn’t found a need to be brought to screen. While The Red Wedding was brutal and completely heartbreaking, as we see the Starks being massacred by their hosts. The death of Aerea Targaryen is one we would like to never be adapted on screen.
Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon are both available for streaming on Max.
