Aegon The Conqueror, King of the Six Kingdoms (the current Westeros map in HoTD doesn’t include Dorne) and Protector of the Realm, arrived in Westeros with two of his sister wives and three dragons. Riding Balerion The Black Dread, Aegon conquered most of Westeros and made Orys Baratheon his hand. The crazy fan theory that surfaced on Reddit suggests that Orys was Aegon’s lover. There are many indications for this, which we will explore in this article.
As Aegon only spent time with his sisters and had only one child with each, fans suggest he wasn’t interested in them. Aegon (27) married Visenya (29) as his father had forced him to, and married Rhaenys (25) out of love, as described in the books. This leaves a hole in the theory. Aegon ruled Westeros with his half-brother Orys Baratheon (also a bastard) at his side. And when you get to know about his relationship with the Hand of the King Orys, you’ll beg to differ.
Aegon The Conqueror’s Complex Relationship With His Sisters
The question is this: why does Aegon have only one child with each of his sisters? He did love Rhaenys Targaryen, his younger sister, and also married her after his father Aerion Targaryen’s death.
Aegon Targaryen, being his father’s male heir, was forced to marry his elder sister Visenya Targaryen. It is natural to believe that they were not keen on…ahem…performing their duties and producing an heir. His first child was with Rhaenys Targaryen. And simply to do his duty, Aegon had to have a child with Visenya, named Maegor I Targaryen. But why didn’t he have another child with Rhaenys?
House of the Dragon’s Tyland Lannister Mentioned A Critical Point
In House of the Dragon season 1, episode 9, Tyland Lannister jokes about the invasion of Dorne when an emergency meeting is called. One of the many easter eggs from episode 9, this one means that Dorne is free in the current HoTD timeline. It’s also important because Rhaenyas Targaryen, Aegon The Conqueror’s favourite wife died in Dorne along with her Dragon Meraxes. Maybe this could be the reason he didn’t have further children with her
Also, it is believed that after Rhaenys’ death he went through a lot of trauma and burned down Dorne with Visenya on their dragons, and this psychological imbalance might have been the reason for his sexual transition.
Orys Baratheon’s Role In Aegon’s Life
Orys was a mysterious character all along the story. He was believed to be a bastard brother of Aegon, born from a Baratheon mother. Born on Dragonstone, to Aerion Targaryen, Aegon The conqueror’s father, Orys was close to his half-brother Aegon and was also chosen as the Hand of the King after Aegon claimed Westeros.
Although Aegon’s sexuality was never truly discussed, we do see that even in the current timeline of House of the Dragon, being gay is not openly discussed. People know that Laenor Velaryon was a homosexual and ‘his’ children were bastards, it was unadvisable to speak openly about it. This was especially true during The Conqueror’s time.
He wasn’t interested in Visenya either way and had only had a child with her secure his family’s position further to do his duty. In the House of the Dragon’s storyline, Aegon is said to be one of the dreamers. Those who can have visions of the future, and that’s why Aegon saw the demise of Westeros in his dream. It is evident from Helaena Targaryen’s prophecies and Daenys The Dreamer, that people who have visions are also prone to go through emotional and psychological changes. Aegon, after his sister’s death, may have gone through some traumatic change.
Verdict: Was Aegon The Conqueror Actually Gay?
After weighing all the facts, we can assume that Aegon The Conqueror was most likely NOT gay. He did marry Rhaenys out of love (or lust, as she was the younger and the more beautiful sister), which is not homosexual behaviour. Also, George R. R. Martin never mentions anything relating to Aegon’s sexuality, so readers can assume Aegon to be heterosexual or straight.
