I figure I'll enjoy it since I haven't read anything by GRRM I didn't like.
I am just re-reading "Fire & Blood Vol. 1" right now having purchased it months ago on Amazon. It truly is a MAGNIFICENT literary work; I cannot recommend it enough to fans of the HBO adaptation and aSoI&F books as well. GRRM really did wonderful work in expanding upon "The Rogue Prince" novella from years ago. It will surely keep you entertained as we all await "The House of the Dragon" which begins shooting this very week in the UK.
When we look at these pictures of the Darkstar ~ Ser Gerold Dayne . . . particularly the first one . . . does anyone else wonder if his streak of Black hair washes out ala the Blue hair of Young Griff (the false identity of Prince Aegon VI)? Princess Arianne concludes in "A Feast for Crows" that her children with Ser Gerold Dayne "would be a beautiful as the dragonlords".
With over 17 swaps, replacements, frauds, substitutes, decoys and false identities throughout the aSoI&F series of books . . . from Queen Cersei's bastard Baratheons with Jamie Lannister . . . to Princess (Dreamfyre) Rhaena's twin toddlers of Princess Aerea & Princess Rhaella in "Fire & Blood Vol.1" . . . why wouldn't GRRM hide even more characters yet to be revealed in "The Winds of Winter" as frauds, decoys and false identities?
Since Princess Myrcella Baratheon
was a false Baratheon princess and yet afforded a royal decoy in her cousin Rosamund Pyke for her security detail in Dorne . . . why wouldn't Queen Rhaella Targaryen secure a royal decoy for her last living son, Prince Viserys III, from among the numerous children on Dragonstone (the dragon seeds) who have Valyrian features before she crowned him King of Westeros, Lord of the Andals and the First Men, and Protector of the Realm?
Chris Rock says "I know a Targaryen royal when I see one! You can't sneak a Targaryen prince past me!! That's not a Westerosi knight from a cadet branch of House Dayne with not an ounce of verifiable lineage, ancestry nor definitive birthdate . . . that is King Viserys Targaryen III"
EDIT: Furthermore, in the aSoI&F book "Fire & Blood", the source material for "House of the Dragon", Princess Rhaenys Targaryen (the Queen who Never was) only has one son with Corlys Velaryon (the Sea Snake) ~ Prince Laenor Velaryon. Prince Laenor shares three very descriptive facial features: 1. Aqualine nose 2. Deep purple eyes 3. Silvery white hair (page 374 of ("Fire & Blood").
These are the VERY same exact facial features that Princess Arianne Martell describes the Darkstar as having which make him in her experienced evaluation the most handsome man in the land.
So if that Black streak of hair the Darkstar has does indeed wash out like hair dye . . . he would look like a Targaryen prince!! Plus, I submit that it is no coincidence that the Darkstar has no known or verifiable parents, siblings, or bloodline even to give him standing. As a descendant of House Dayne he could rightfully claim "Dawn" as a knight of High Hermitage.
High Hermitage is a cadet branch of House Dayne where Ser Gerold resides. If he had verified lineage to the family of the legendary Ser Arthur Dayne & the glorious Lady Ashara Dayne . . . then he would have standing to claim the most famous sword in the Realm.
The Darkstar does NOT have standing required to rightfully claim "Dawn" . . . King Viserys III however does have such standing via Dyanna Dayne his great-great grandmother who gave birth to Master Aemon Targaryen of the Night's Watch and his siblings like King Aegon Targaryen V & Aerion Brightflame a possible great grandfather of Lord Varys. With a legitimate claim to "Dawn" the newly revealed King Viserys III could rally more knights to his cause and validate Prince Doran's assessment as "the most dangerous man in Dorne". He could overthrow Prince Doran at Sunspear then set his sights on the Iron Throne eventually!!
