Summary
The final part of the book begins with the reign of Aegon III. Following the departure of Cregan Stark, Aegon's rule begins under various regents. Aegon marries his cousin Jaehaera, daughter of Aegon II and Helaena, as part of an effort to heal lingering divisions. He names various members of his Kingsguard, choosing knights from both the former green and black factions. He also selects Tyland Lannister as Hand of the King. Tyland proves capable in the role and shows no bitterness towards Aegon, despite the fact that his mother had him brutally tortured, leaving him disfigured and blind. He wears a hood at court to avoid shocking or unsettling people, but this fashion choice leads people to become suspicious of him.
Corlys Velaryon dies and the king's council decides that Aegon's successor will be any son of Aegon's half-sisters, Baela or Rhaena. A plague known as Winter Fever sweeps through Westeros, killing many, including Tyland. Aegon shows great compassion and spends time with many of the afflicted. Aegon attempts to name Thadeus Rowan as the new Hand of the King, but the ambitious and greedy Unwin Peake rejects this choice and names himself instead.
Queen Jaehaera dies from a fall, which is viewed as suicide even though there are hints of foul play. Unwin tries to get Aegon to marry his daughter, Myrielle, but Aegon, much to the approval of many lords, rejects his offer. Following a ball, and a lengthy series of introductions to various young women, Aegon selects his young second cousin, Daenaera Velaryon, as his wife. This choice enrages Unwin, as he views it as a direct affront to his house. The marriage agreement makes Aegon appear more cheerful at his appearances in court.
Shifting focus, the book describes the long journey of Alyn Velaryon, commonly known as Alyn Oakenfist, Aegon's lord admiral and, later, Master of Ships. Alyn is celebrated for his bravery in a conflict against the pirate organization, known as the triarchy, in the region referred to as the Narrow Sea as well as his successful handling of an uprising in the Iron Islands. Velaryon makes a series of voyages, stopping at Bloodstone, Oldtown, and Sunspear. He solidifies alliances and meets many lords and ladies. At Bloodstone, he befriends the Tyroshi mercenary, Racallio Ryndoon, who informs him that Aegon's brother, Viserys, is still alive and being held captive in Lys. Without telling anyone, Alyn immediately sets sail for Lys. He barters for Viserys's return and agrees that the crown will pay a hefty ransom. He returns to King's Landing and surprises Aegon with Viserys. Aegon is thrilled and people note a dramatic shift in his mood. Unwin resigns as Hand returns to his home at Starpeak.
Thaddeus Rowan becomes Hand and there is a short period of prosperity known as the Lysene Spring. Aegon's line of succession appears to stabilize, as Viserys is alive and has a son with his Lysene wife Larra Rogare. However, things quickly take a turn for the worse. Aegon feuds with his brother when he orders all dragon eggs removed from the castle. Then, at a small dinner, both Queen Daenaera and Aegon's friend Gaemon Palehair are poisoned by apple tarts. Daenaera survives the attempt, but Gaemon dies, leaving Aegon disconsolate. The council learns that the poison used was likely the tears of Lys, a substance made in the region it is named after.
Various parties are arrested including one of Larra's brothers and Thaddeus Rowan. Marston Water becomes Hand during this time and orders the arrest of Larra. Amaury Peake, a member of the Kingsguard, comes to King's Landing to carry out the arrest, but is turned away by both Aegon and Viserys. Amaury is killed in a confrontation with Aegon's men. This leads to an eighteen-day period known as the "secret siege," in which, unbeknownst to the population of King's Landing, Marston and several other men engage in a standoff with Aegon. Aegon, Viserys, and other members of the royal family take shelter in Maegor's Holdfast, a stronghold within the Red Keep. After being brutally tortured, Thaddeus Rowan confesses to conspiring to poison the king, but Aegon believes he was coerced. Aegon does not bend to their demands and asks that Marston arrest the men who tried to deceive him. Marston follows Aegon's orders, switching sides, and the conspiracy is revealed following the arrest of Lord Confessor George Graceford and several others. Many of the conspirators die. Aegon ends the siege after Grand Maester Munkun sends out ravens calling for the service of various houses pledged to Aegon. Torrhen Manderly becomes Hand of the King and three regents, chosen by drawing lots, take on the role.
The book ends with the conclusion of Aegon's regency and the beginning of his proper rule as king. He rudely dismisses Torrhen as well as his regents, and cancels a planned tour of Westeros, believing it to be unimportant. Torrhen is hurt by this decision and finds it insensitive, as he has been nothing but loyal to Aegon for all of his time as Hand. The narrator concludes by noting that the period to follow would be known as the "broken reign of the Broken King"
Analysis
The fight for power is the main theme of the last section of the book, which details Aegon III's process of quickly making decisions in his new role as king. However, he is also influenced, and sometimes hampered, by the various regents and Hands involved in his reign. Notably, Unwin Peake makes himself Hand and does whatever he can to give himself more power, from undoing Aegon's small council appointments to trying to force a marriage between Aegon and his daughter, Myrielle. By focusing on the regency period of Aegon's tenure on the throne, Martin is able to reveal all of the political machinations and scheming that plague Aegon and put limitations on his decisions.
Reconciliation is another key theme in this final part of the book. Aegon attempts to heal the rifts created by the Dance, unifying the realm again and trying to put the past to rest. To this end, he names Jason Lannister, a former enemy of his mother, as his Hand in the first years of his rule. Likewise, he selects former members of both the green and black factions as his kingsguard, showing that he puts complete trust in them, despite the divisions that emerged during the war. Still, this process does not prove to be entirely smooth, as anxiety is expressed by members of his council about the line of succession, and conspiracies to oust and kill him arise. The book demonstrates the way in which the process of putting the realm back together after such a bloody and costly war is incredibly difficult, as the realm is left unstable.
Loyalty and trust are also prominent themes in these chapters. Aegon is traumatized by the horrible death of his mother, Rhaenyra. As such, he is very careful about who he confides in. This is further stressed after the Lysene poisoning incident, as he watches his best friend, Gaemon, die, and his wife, Daenaera, nearly die. During the "secret siege," Aegon refuses to leave Maegor's Holdfast as he becomes uncertain of who he can still trust besides Viserys and his wife. The siege eventually ends when Marston Waters follows his orders and arrests the men actually involved in the poisoning, but Aegon remains mistrustful and private. This aspect of the book shows how betrayal leaves Aegon feeling vulnerable and, somewhat justifiably, paranoid.
Trauma is also an important part of Aegon's story. He is described as gloomy and morose almost all the time, taking no joy in almost anything. At a young age, he watches his brother get kidnapped while fleeing a pirate attack. He then sees his dragon, Stormcloud, die a horrible death from arrow wounds. When his mother is taken by Aegon II, Aegon III witnesses her get devoured by the dragon Sunfyre. Then, as king, he sees his best friend, Gaemon, ingest poison and die. These traumas are written on Aegon's countenance, and they leave him him mistrustful, cold, and miserable. Martin emphasizes how Aegon never really recovers from the events of the Dance, even though he is the ostensible "winner" of the conflict.
The book concludes with the reign of Aegon III. He possesses neither the cruelty of Maegor and Aegon II, nor the indecision of Aenys, however his rule is not a happy one. Despite periods of brief peace, his reign still faces the same problems as those of his predecessors and he himself is depicted as haunted by loss. Ending the book on this somewhat ominous note shows how the Targaryen dynasty never really settled into a period of comfortable prosperity, but instead was always fraught with in-fighting, betrayal, and succession problems.
