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Alicent Hightower was brought to court by her father, Otto, who faithfully served the Old King Jaehaerys in his final days. Otto ended up retaining the position when Jaehaerys' grandson, Viserys, ascended the throne. Alicent remained at the Red Keep and became close friends with Princess Rhaenyra. In the years that followed, Viserys named the Princess his heir. As seen inHouse of the Dragon, Alicent ended up as the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms because of Otto’s immaculate plotting and planning.
Alicent had four children with King Viserys, and she began to see Rhaenyra as more of a stepdaughter than her companion. Their rivalry grew bitter, and the women were resentful. Rhaenyra felt betrayed when Alicent went behind her back and married her father.The Queen resented the Princess' privilegesand continually feared the safety of her children.House of the Dragonconfirmed that Alicent sent her youngest, Daeron, to Oldtown for many reasons.
Where Is Daeron Targaryen In House of the Dragon?
Alicent’s youngest son, Daeron Targaryen, has been conspicuous by his absence. Thefandom debated whether he’d make it toHouse of the Dragon, and Season 2 had name-dropped him. The intent behind Prince Daeron Targaryen’s name-dropping is very specific: he is to play a role in the Dance of the Dragons going forward.
Born in 116 AC, Daeron Targaryen is sixteen inHouse of the Dragon’s storyline. He has a dragon named Tessarion, and she is slated to join the Hightowers host in the Dance of the Dragons. Daeron plays a pivotal role in the Battle of the Honeywine in lore. In the aftermath of the Honeywine,Ormund Hightower hails himas “Daeron the Daring” after Tessarion razes the Northern and Southern forces fighting the Hightower host against the banks of the river.
Daeron’s upbringing differs from the rest of the Targaryen-Hightower children. He was raised away from the hustle and bustle of the Red Keep, far away from the politicking that could have caused him to become bitter.Daeron lives with the Hightowers at Oldtownin the Reach, which means he is raised in the Faith of the Seven. At first, Daeron was Lord Robert Hightower’s ward, and then his son, Ormund’s. Daeron’s nurturing in the Faith explains why Alicent’s brother, Gwayne Hightower, uses the adjectives “salubrious” and “stalwart” for him.
King Aegon II’s behavior has kept Alicent on her toes, while Aemond shows a lack of restraint. Neither of the boys is kind, andthe dreamer Helaena remains aloof. Alicent’s children are nothing like she’d hoped for, and Daeron is far away in Oldtown. She struggles to steer Aegon II, and her father, Otto, name-drops the young prince after his dismissal as Hand inHouse of the Dragonseason 2, episode 2 “Rhaenyra the Cruel”:
The Hightowers still have strength, and you have a son there who will take more kindly to instruction. Daeron may yet help us in weeks to come.
Why Was Daeron Sent To Oldtown?
Alicent’s conversation with Gwayne puts things in perspective. Beforerejoining Ser Criston Cole, Alicent asks her brother about Daeron, who was sent to Oldtown as a ward of the Hightowers. Daeron and Alicent haven’t been regular with the ravens lately. Alicent is happy to hear Daeron is kind, as Gwayne says inHouse of the Dragonseason 2, episode 6 “Smallfolk”:
He’s stalwart. Clever. As adept with his lute as he is with his sword. And a feature in the fancies of many a young lady, I’ll wager. He’s kind.
Sending Daeron away to Oldtown seems reasonable when the alarming tensions at the Red Keep are factored in. Daeron was born after Alicent had seen the worst of the Red Keep. She had already become a paranoid mother, thanks to Otto’s fear-inducing assertions, such as,“She [Rhaenyra] will have to put your children to the sword.“Alicent started to fear for her children after Otto’s first dismissal as Hand by King Viserys, and more importantly, after Rhaenyra’s son, Lucerys, took Aemond’s eye. She became extremely protective of her children and was angry at her husband, Viserys, for letting Prince Lucerys go unpunished.
In the latter part of Viserys' reign, Alicent had a full plate with three children, ruling in the absence of the King, andsitting on the Small Councilwith the Hand. The Queen herself was raised at the epicenter of the Faith in Oldtown, and given how Aegon was shaping up to be, she would have wanted to inculcate good morals in her youngest. Alicent does, after all, admit to Gwayne,“Kindness is a quality I’ve found lacking in his brothers.”
More than most, the practice of fostering the Princeling with the Hightower family was a move in the right direction. It added to the Hightowers' esteem and increased their standing among the Lord of the Reach and everywhere else in the Realm. That they were raising a prince ofthe Targaryen dynastywas a huge honor.
