Lucerys Velaryon, son of (now) Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen, sliced Aemond’s eye with a dagger after he bonded with and rode on Vhagar, the world’s largest dragon, even though he was promised to Rhaena Targaryen. Aemond Targaryen lost his eye as prophesied by Helaena, her sister. We remember him telling his mother, Alicent, that losing his eye was more than worth the dragon he got in return.

However, in the season finale of House of the Dragon, Aemond seems to, kind of, regret losing his left eye, which he has now replaced with a blue sapphire stone. Aemond’s eye was stitched completely by the Grand Maester, so it is worth noting that he must have also removed some of the stitching to place a sapphire stone.

Fans on Reddit were arguing heatedly about the question of whether or not Aemond Targaryen’s sapphire will be shown in House of the Dragon, and HOTD episode 10 has given us the answer; yes! But why a blue sapphire? What is its significance in George R. R. Martin’s fantastical universe of A Song of Ice and Fire?

Aemond Is Not The Only One With Sapphire Eyes

Not only sapphire, but George R. R. Martin has given the colour blue half the importance. The song of ice and fire is depicted as the red and blue flames crashing into one another. The characters, who show traits of both ice and fire, play major roles in the story. For instance, Jon Snow is half Targaryen (fire/red) and half Stark (ice/blue), age-old wardens of the icy north. Not only sapphire, but George R. R. Martin has given the colour blue half the importance. Similarly, Aemond Targaryen having a blue eye may mean he will be an asset in House of the Dragon’s plot.

As long back as the Age of Heroes, we have mentions of legendary characters replacing their eyes with sapphire stones in Martin’s books. For instance, Symeon Star-Eyes, a greatly respected warrior given the title knight even though chivalry didn’t exist much back then, has lost both his eyes. He replaced them with sapphire stones when the pact was made between the first men and the children of the forest.

Notable References to Sapphire

Othor was one of the brothers of the Night’s Watch who turned into a wight whom Jon Snow killed in season one of Game of Thrones. His eyes were described as “blue as sapphire” in Martin’s book A Game of Thrones. The eyes of wights and wight walkers have often been related to sapphires, symbolizing the dead.

In season one of Game of Thrones again, Robb Stark tells Bran that Old Nan once told him a story that everybody lives in the eye of a blue-eyed giant named Macumber.