The Star of the Sea: Shiera Seastar (Spoilers Extended)
Due to her status as a Great Bastard Ive always thought that Shiera Seastar would have an affect on the story at some point.
In this post I'd like to look at some of the ways that Shiera could impact the main story.
Aegon IV had 6 (or possibly more.) great bastards.
And while Mya and Gwenys (Bloodraven's full sisters) Rivers are only mentioned once, the other 4 are frequently referenced and referred to.
Looking at the other ones:
Bloodraven - Currently alive and affecting our story as the Last Greenseer
Daemon Blackfyre - fAegon is a likely Blackfyre
Aegor Rivers - His golden skull is carried before the Golden Company as they invade Westeros
We get plenty of info on Shiera, but nothing like the above 3, so lets theorize.
#Background
She was the daughter of Aegon IV and Serenei of Lys
The reign of this unworthy monarch came to an end in 184 AC, when King Aegon was nine and-forty years of age. He was grossly fat, barely able to walk, and some wondered how his last mistress—Serenei of Lys, the mother of Shiera Seastar—could ever have withstood his embraces. -TWOIAF, The Targaryen Kings: Aegon IV
and:
SERENEI OF LYS (SWEET SERENEI): A Lysene beauty from an ancient but impoverished line, brought to court by Lord Jon Hightower, the new Hand. Serenei was the most beautiful of Aegon's mistresses, but she was also reputed to be a sorceress. She died giving birth to the last of the king's bastard children, a girl called Shiera Seastar who became the greatest beauty in the Seven Kingdoms, beloved of both her half brothers, Bittersteel and Bloodraven, whose rivalry would ripen to hatred. Children by Serenei: Shiera -TWOIAF, The Targaryen Kings: Aegon IV
Became known as Star of the Sea
Lady Shiera was the natural daughter of King Aegon IV by the ninth and last of his mistresses, Lady Serenei of Lys, the last daughter of an ancient but impoverished line of Valyrian nobility. "Sweet Serenei," Aegon called her, but about his court she was considered cold and haughty, and some said that she was much older than the king, and preserved her beauty by the practice of dark arts. Considered by many the most lovely of Aegon's mistresses, Sweet Serenei died in childbed, bringing forth the last of the king's "Great Bastards," the daughter she named Shiera, Star of the Sea. -SSM, Shiera Seastar: 7 March 2006
Appearance
Shiera was born with one dark blue eye and one bright green one, but the singers said that this flaw only accentuated her loveliness. She was the greatest beauty of her age, a slender and elegant woman, slim of waist and full of breast. She had the silver-gold hair of the Targaryens, thick and curling, and wore it very long. At some points in her life it fell well below her waist, almost to the back of her knees. She had a heart-shaped face, full lips, and her mismatched eyes were strangely large and full of mischief; her rivals said she used them to melt men's hearts.
Personality
Even at an early age, she was a great reader. She spoke a dozen tongues and surrounded herself with ancient scrolls. Like her mother, she was reputed to practice the dark arts. Though she never wed, she had many offers, and several lovers through the years. Duels were fought over the right to sit beside her, men killed themselves after falling from her favor, poets outdid each other writing songs about her beauty. Her most ardent admirer was her half-brother, Bloodraven, who proposed marriage to her half a hundred times. Shiera gave him her bed, but never her hand. It amused her more to make him jealous.
she was fond of ivory and lace and cloth-of-silver (but not gold, which she considered too vulgar). Her favorite piece of jewelry was a heavy silver necklace of emeralds and star sapphires, alternating. -SSM, Shiera Seastar: 7 March 2006
#Ties to the Story
Heart Shaped Face
Shiera is one of three characters in the series to have heart-shaped faces and they all have some (and in Jeyne's case very small) association with eastern magic:
Shiera:
She had a heart-shaped face, full lips, and her mismatched eyes were strangely large and full of mischief;
Mel:
Even her eyes were red . . . but her skin was smooth and white, unblemished, pale as cream. Slender she was, graceful, taller than most knights, with full breasts and narrow waist and a heart-shaped face. Men's eyes that once found her did not quickly look away, not even a maester's eyes. Many called her beautiful. She was not beautiful. She was red, and terrible, and red. -ACOK, Prologue
Jeyne Westerling:
Queen. Yes, this pretty little girl is a queen, I must remember that. She was pretty, undeniably, with her chestnut curls and heart-shaped face, and that shy smile. Slender, but with good hips, Catelyn noted. She should have no trouble bearing children, at least. -ASOS, Catelyn II
Which isn't super interesting until you remember that Jeyne is a descendant of Maggy the Frog.
It should also be noted that according to semi-canon sources Daena the Defiant had a heart shaped face as well.
Bloodraven/Sorcery
Bloodraven proved to be a capable Hand, but also a master of whisperers who rivaled Lady Misery, and there were those who thought he and his half sister and paramour, Shiera Seastar, used sorcery to ferret out secrets. It became common to refer to his "thousand eyes and one," and men both high and low began to distrust their neighbor for fear of their being a spy in Bloodraven's employ. -TWOIAF, The Targaryen Kings: Aerys I
Rumors persist about her "dark arts":
That was insolent, but true. "Might be I don't know any highborn ladies, but I know a boy who's asking for a good clout in the ear." Dunk rubbed the back of his neck. A day in chainmail always left it hard as wood. "You've known queens and princesses. Did they dance with demons and practice the black arts?"
"Lady Shiera does. Lord Bloodraven's paramour. She bathes in blood to keep her beauty. And once my sister Rhae put a love potion in my drink, so I'd marry her instead of my sister Daella." -The Sworn Sword
Bloodraven still thinks of her and it seems he did try to change something
"He heard a whisper on the wind, a rustling amongst the leaves. You cannot speak to him, try as you might. I know. I have my own ghosts, Bran. A brother that I loved, a brother that I hated, a woman I desired. Through the trees, I see them still, but no word of mine has ever reached them. The past remains the past. We can learn from it, but we cannot change it." -ADWD, Bran III
There are also numerous parallels between Bloodraven/Shiera and the Night's King and his corpse bride.
Bloodraven/Bittersteel
It should also be noted the hatred these two have for each other, as well as the factions that still function on this hate to this day.
Better for Daenerys, and for Westeros. Daenerys Targaryen loved her captain, but that was the girl in her, not the queen. Prince Rhaegar loved his Lady Lyanna, and thousands died for it. Daemon Blackfyre loved the first Daenerys, and rose in rebellion when denied her. Bittersteel and Bloodraven both loved Shiera Seastar, and the Seven Kingdoms bled. The Prince of Dragonflies loved Jenny of Oldstones so much he cast aside a crown, and Westeros paid the bride price in corpses. All three of the sons of the fifth Aegon had wed for love, in defiance of their father's wishes. And because that unlikely monarch had himself followed his heart when he chose his queen, he allowed his sons to have their way, making bitter enemies where he might have had fast friends. Treason and turmoil followed, as night follows day, ending at Summerhall in sorcery, fire, and grief. -ADWD, The Kingbreaker
#Theories
We have no confirmation of her death (or anything after 211 AC). So there are numerous ways she could impact the storyline:
Ancestor of Melisandre
I think it would be quite impactful if Mel was going up against Bloodraven seeing that he loved Shiera:
A face took shape within the hearth. Stannis? she thought, for just a moment … but no, these were not his features. A wooden face, corpse white. Was this the enemy? A thousand red eyes floated in the rising flames. He sees me. Beside him, a boy with a wolf's face threw back his head and howled. -ADWD, Melisandre I
and:
t beyond the Wall, the enemy grows stronger, and should he win the dawn will never come again. She wondered if it had been his face that she had seen, staring out at her from the flames. No. Surely not. His visage would be more frightening than that, cold and black and too terrible for any man to gaze upon and live. The wooden man she had glimpsed, though, and the boy with the wolf's face … they were his servants, surely … his champions, as Stannis was hers. -ADWD, Melisandre I
Quaithe
I go back and forth on who exactly I think Quaithe is, but it def. should be noted here:
"Quaithe?" Dany called. "Where are you, Quaithe?"
Then she saw. Her mask is made of starlight.
"Remember who you are, Daenerys," the stars whispered in a woman's voice. "The dragons know. Do you?" -ADWD, Daenerys X
Valyrian Blood
I posted awhile back a list of all the current characters with Valyrian blood. Any children (I've seen numerous characters theorized) by Shiera would have some of this blood.
I can't wait to find out more about Shiera in Fire and Blood II or in some of the future Dunk & Egg books.
It should also be noted that there are only three characters known with heterochromia but they don't seem to match up very well: Alyssa Targaryen, Tyrion Lannister and Shiera.
TLDR: Just some thoughts/theories on the mysterious and beautiful Shiera Seastar
Posted Jul 17, 2020, 2:23 PM UTC · edited