#[[ otto slays but also gets slayed and he's a king for that

[illyrianbrat]

Prisoner (Part 3; FINALE)

Set: Middle of season 1 to beginning of season 2

Pairing: (kind of) Aemond Targaryen x Velaryon female!reader, (platonic) overprotective!Jacaerys Velaryon x Velaryon female!reader

Warnings: typical westori violence, curse words/spoilers for both seasons but especially season 2, everyone being absolutely stupid, conversations about characters that were offed, major character death, talks of forced marriage, being made prisoner, bruises, scrapes, minor talk about weight and not eating

Plot: One of Viserys Targaryen’s final wishes was to see them married. To please him, Rhaenyra allowed her daughter to stay in the Red Keep alone, not knowing it would be a terrible mistake.

(Part 1) ; (Part 2)

“Get up!”

A rough voice boomed through the quiet chamber. You jolted awake, disoriented. As you tried to rub your eyes, you saw multiple Kingsguards entering in haste. “What’s happening?” Instead of answering, the knight grabbed your arm and dragged you out of bed. “What is the meaning of this? You’re hurting me!”

They rushed you to the Throne Room, and without a second thought, the knight pushed you, prompting you to fall to your knees, grimacing at the sting of the cold floor.

“You!” You lifted your head and saw Aegon. “This was your doing!”

You furrowed your brows in confusion, looking at Alicent and Otto, who stood next to Aegon. “I-I have no-”

“You killed my son,” Aegon growled, unsheathing his sword and pointing it at you. “You had him murdered in cold blood. Now I will do the same to you.”

“I would never hurt Jaehaerys,” You managed to say before Aegon took a step toward you.

“Son…” Alicent warned, noticing your appearance. Your skin was gray and lifeless, cheeks sunken, and eyes red.

“Perhaps we should let her speak,” Otto suggested, motioning for you to continue.

“I do not know what you’re talking about. I have been in my chambers all day, the one I have been locked in,” you reminded him.

“Liar. You did this as revenge because we are keeping you here.”

“Your Grace,” Lord Jasper interrupted, “the princess has not been seen leaving her chambers. There are guards in front of the door at all times.”

Deep down, Alicent knew you were innocent. You could not have done something like this.

“Take her away,” Aegon ordered the Kingsguard, annoyed. The knight grabbed your arm and pulled you up, dragging you from the room. Your whines of pain echoed through the hall.

---

“My daughter sits captive in the Red Keep. Did you consider her while you schemed for revenge?” Rhaenyra interrogated Daemon.

He sat there, rather annoyed. “Yes. Unfortunately, I could not get her myself.”

“Did you think it would be easier to rescue her while they dealt with a dead child?”

“At least I did something,” Daemon argued back. “What have you done? You left for days, searching for Luke, while she remained a prisoner in King’s Landing after you decided to leave her there, unprotected and surrounded by our enemies. Why not ask Rhaenys or Ser Erryk why they left her behind?”

Rhaenyra scoffed, “How dare you.”

“She is also my daughter,” Daemon reminded her, “and I will stop at nothing to bring her back to Dragonstone.”

Jacaerys stood outside the chambers, listening to their argument. The guilt felt asphyxiating. His brother was gone because he volunteered them as envoys. His sister was a prisoner because he did not fight hard enough to make her leave with them after dinner.

“I cannot trust you, Daemon,” he heard Rhaenyra say. “You sent two assassins to slay a child. How can I trust you with her safety?”

At that moment, Jace made a decision. He would go to King’s Landing to bring her back.

He sped through the castle, gripping the hilt of his sword. Vermax would have to stay behind if Vhagar was guarding the city; he could not risk losing his dragon. If he did, his mother’s side would lose a valuable asset, and his sister would also suffer.

Jacaerys ran down the stairs, seeing a Velaryon ship in the harbor. Surely, someone on it would help him reach King’s Landing by nightfall. He saw many knights and servants walking up the path. More allies, he thought.

A weak grip on his arm stopped him.

His heart beat erratically as he recognized the person in front of him.

“Sister,” Jace gasped, his eyes darkening at your state. “What did they do to you?” He softly caressed your cheek.

Jacaerys hastily lifted you, not entirely convinced you could walk up to the castle on your own. You laid your head on his chest, tears of relief flowing down your cheeks. You were finally home.

“Your Grace!” Elinda, Rhaenyra’s loyal handmaiden, called out. “The princess has returned.”

Rhaenyra stumbled into your chambers, seeing Maester Gerardys tending to you. “My sweet girl.”

“Mother,” you whined.

“How is she?” Daemon asked.

“There are no notable injuries, apart from a bruised arm and scraped knees. She has noticeable weight loss. I will prepare a remedy for the princess myself,” Gerardys bowed and exited in haste.

Rhaenyra made her way to the bed, sitting next to you and cradling your face. “I am so sorry.”

You closed her eyes, happy to feel your mother’s warm and soft hands. “There’s nothing to forgive.”

“I wanted to return to King’s Landing,” Rhaenyra assured you. “But some things happened here, forcing me to stay.”

Jace stood at the foot of the bed, while Daemon stood next to Rhaenyra. “How did you get out of the Keep?”

“A man helped me,” you informed them, furrowing your brows.

After being forcefully taken to and from the throne room, you sat at the edge of your bed, wondering what had happened to Prince Jaehaerys.

The door burst open, startling you. “Come on, Princess. We need to hurry.”

It was a strange man, someone you hadn’t met before. “Who ar—”

“We do not have much time,” he urged. “Prince Daemon sent me. Put on this cloak.”

You perked up at the mention of your stepfather. Ignoring the ache in your bones and stomach, you got off the bed and put on the cloak.

You ran out of the living quarters, moving through hidden passages. Before you realized it, you were outside the Keep. The man stopped, not too far from the castle, to meet with someone else. “Are you sure this is her?”

“Yes. Go on, get out of the city.”

“Come, princess.”

As you reached a small boat away from the harbor, you noticed the man was carrying a sack... a leaking sack. “What is that?, you questioned him, but he did not provide an answer. “What. Is. That?”

“Nothing,” the man hissed, holding the sack tighter.

“It’s leaking,” you informed him.

“Be quiet.”

You sat on the boat next to a sailor. As the man was about to get on, Gold Cloaks stopped him. They ripped the sack from his hand and opened it. Screams echoed through the night, and swords were pointed at him.

The sailor began rowing, wanting to get some distance before they noticed who you were. The knights grabbed the man, paying no attention to the boat. Your heart sank as you realized what was in the sack.

“Was it your doing?” You asked Rhaenyra.

“It was an accident,” Daemon replied instead. “I instructed them to find Aemond, not Jaehaerys.”

“Did they hurt you?” Jace murmured, and you shook her head.

“A Kingsguard held my arm tightly when Aegon demanded to see me, that’s the reason for my bruises,” you admitted. “I was locked in my quarters. I only saw a maid and Alicent. She… she told me about Luke.”

At the Red Keep, Aemond had decided it was time to finally face his future wife. But his plan was spoiled.

You were gone.

“How did that bitch princess leave? Where was the knight in charge of her?” Aegon fumed at the continued lack of security.

Aemond, however, was furious. In a fit of rage, he destroyed everything in his path.

You were supposed to stay there, forever, with him. He regretted not having you confined in Maegor’s Holdfast.

All he wished to do was fly to Dragonstone and have Vhagar burn it to the ground. But now, he’d have to be strategic about how to get you back to his side.

[blueberrypancakesworld]

Lies, truth and being back in Oldtown

Otto Hightower x wife!reader

warning : Otto slayed episode two (and I'm his biggest lover for it), fluff, kissing, little hurt/comfort, drinking alcohol, grandpa gets a time out with his wife, no use of Y/n, but they are THE player pair

Summary : The young prince's death a tragedy, Aemond's impulses devastating, Alicent's nocturnal activities sinful and in this mess of his own bloodline Otto is dismissed from the office of the Hand but with a personal victory and his supportive wife by his side…of course another dismissal screamed a couple of free time in Oldtown.

info : Otto was always good looking, he just got too good in the second episode and grandfather needs some time off. To be honest this is not my best worl I had an idea but my hands and mind were like ,,No we do it like this" and yeah it comes a little different. Happy reading and thanks for all the support.

masterlist

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The fire was no longer burning in the fireplace, the night was over and the day had long since dawned, a day full of emotion and excitement after the events of the tragedy that had taken place.

Westeros had lost a prince, the heir to the throne of the young King Aegon who had invested so much in his son.

For the first time it was something that made him cheerful and happy, his wife the queen had found a grip on reality, the dowager queen had smiled again when she saw the little prince and his uncle was at least satisfied that his brother was doing well.

It was a brief period in which all seemed well and the hand and his wife had at least a moment's peace and quiet in front of the family who were getting on their last nerve.

But in the Hand's tower room, the couple who had spent the night with good conversation and a little wine were also slowly stirring, unaware that so much more would happen that day.

At least her husband's dark eyes were on her sleeping form, darting back and forth over the papers and writings he'd had to take care of in the early hours. Pleasant as you are my star, he thought as he looked from his sleeping wife to the empty wine bottle, thinking back to the evening he'd come back to late at night and to his chagrin had to take care of business that his grandson or daughter were unable to do due to the death of Prince Jaehaerys.

His own great-grandson the little prince was a child without a care but he didn't have much to do with him, he was a busy man and his wife had a much better hand in family matters.

Not that he didn't grieve, there were hours when he would throw himself into his work and his wife would hug him, sighs coming from his lips…but there was no time for real grief at a time like this.

One thing they both knew was that in the beginning it had been excellent at keeping Aegon in check, one thing they were both sure of, it was because of them that everything here was running smoothly, that the city had not yet ended in chaos. ,,You're pulling such a worried face again," he suddenly heard her voice and saw that she had woken up from her sleep and had put the blanket on her upper body as she sat on the bed and watched him go about his work.

A knowing smile came to his own lips as he grabbed the hand brooch and came over to her, the face of a woman his age smiled softly and slightly tiredly at him, light wispy hair hanging on her head and yet it was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

She was his lady, the mother of his two children, the great grandmother of the royal family and the only thing the green ones had left as a loving heart.

A woman he had married out of duty and politics but a woman who showed him that knowledge wasn't everything, how important it was to get things with ties while behind her stood her own powerful house and she was so much better interpersonally that he saw she was a player of the game in her own right.

,,The prince's death and Aegon's escape are troubling, I can't do everything," he admitted and pulled up a chair to sit in front of her, his hands taking hers in his and stroking the small scar she had gotten from her grandson when Aegon had thrown glasses through the small council and injured her, causing the hand to make a loud word and the king to withdraw.

But she straightened up, still thinking about him, she pressed a light kiss on his lips and took the golden pin from his hand, ,,I take care of the family and you take care of politics… pieces are set you just have to lay them right" she reminded him of the words and saw a knowing smile on his own before he squeezed her hands one last time and disappeared from the room with his papers while his wife, his shadow, his back wheel, his teammate got ready to go see if she could do anything with her family.

No matter how this war started she knew that the royal family were a bunch of mismatched people her own family was completely dysfunctional which was not least her fault and the fault of the throne it could have been different but things had happened and you had to make the best of it.

Lying in bed for a moment the smell of Otto a mix of paper, leather and wine made her smile at the conversations they had had emotional, devoted but most of all they were conversations about the tension in the bridge it was as if something was going to blow up at any moment.

Because this wildfire several hundred years later was the loud talking and shouting that could be heard in the corridors of the halls. The green golden dress of the royal grandmother was still wet with tears a few hours ago when she went to her daughter, the widow queen burst into tears, confessed her sins and sought refuge in her arms before they prayed together, it seemed as if she had at least caught her daughter.

Getting close to her granddaughter Helaena was always a little more difficult but she talked to her and tried to convince her with insects and help her, which at least ended in a little play with Jaehaera and Helaena seemed to have at least some support.

Aemond, on the other hand, had disappeared and she suspected to find her grandson in the brothels she had heard about a long time ago. But now she ran faster and faster as she heard the screaming and cursed inwardly that she hadn't been the first to find Aegon.

She hadn't noticed anything from outside, she had just been with her family and god knows what had happened again. Rushing into the room, the open doors alone made her nervous and she was met with a scene of chaos.

,,What's going on here?" she asked as the guards hurried to close the door before she stood between her husband and grandson, knowing the stunned look in her husband's eyes and Aegon's who only seemed more stubborn.

A sigh crossed the eldest's lips as Aegon put his hands on his hips and smiled, ,,Grandmother, I did my wife a favor and with Lary's help let the ratcatchers down," as he admitted his actions that hit her like a wave of bad wine at the wrong time at the wrong moment.

Her look of utter bewilderment went to her husband who looked at her the same way and shook his head, ..Aegon you hanged all the ratcatchers?" the elder asked her grandson and put a hand on his shoulder which he pushed away after a moment when he realized she wasn't on his side and went to Criston who was still standing in one place.

,,I am the king, I have done right and avenged my son," he countered, making sweeping movements and defending himself, not realizing what he had done on a larger scale, ,,You idiot, you have enraged the people, the foundation, do you understand that?" Otto asked, ignoring the warning of Cole, who stood by the king and pointed his hand at his grandson.

In his emotional state, Aegon didn't quite seem to want to understand that he had avenged his son and that was what mattered, ,,So what? I am the king the crown sits on my head by my father" said the Targaryen and his grandmother hid her head in her hands for a moment as she gathered herself and Otto slowly placed her behind him.

It was done, Aegon in his grief not seeing what he had done, the players of the game of thrones were no longer in control of their own game and the king began to move himself.

It was an abyss that opened up and they realized that they could no longer get through to him, ,,Is that what you think?" was the last question Otto asked his grandson before this abyss became something unstoppable as he dismissed Otto from the office of the hand.

It had happened again her husband lost the office of the hand in a situation that couldn't have been more nerve-wracking and the family's upper management had to find themselves without a place in the castle and a few hours later in an empty room of the hand.

,,He's a fool," she murmured, stroking her temple to quell the pain that threatened to rise in her head as she felt his hand on her shoulder and he held her close, ,,He's a dog let off the leash," he added, and they both knew that once they left the castle, they would be "free," but their family would perish. It was a feeling that the whole board game would turn and the family could no longer be properly protected.

It was a decision they couldn't change, and the feeling of his kiss on the top of her head only slightly loosened the knot in her heart. ,,What will they do without us?" she spoke her thoughts, feeling the temptation he was pulling her into, but he had no answer either, an answer that did nothing to ease her pain and grief, even as they made their way back to Oldtown by coach and ship.

But as soon as they saw the great Old Town, the tower of her husband's house, the fire burning inside and were greeted by Otto's brother, the atmosphere seemed to have changed.

It was calmer, you were hardly tense and even if you were always surrounded by worry like a draft of air, it seemed as if you could think more clearly again without being surrounded by city walls.

A city with a tower, the main seat, and large rooms in which noble couples found themselves looking out onto the balcony over their homeland, their hands joined together and drinking goblets of wine, ,,As if the blessing of the seven would calm you down," Otto murmured, placing the goblet on the railing of the balcony and looking out over the city where he had grown up and where his children had spent years.

,,We needed this blessing," she admitted, stroking a strand of hair behind her ear that had been blown away by the wind. She could feel his bend and knew that he was upset at how much he had been going back and forth now that they no longer had direct access to decisions.

They really had to play the backseat family members and even Alicent didn't seem to have a breakthrough anymore. ,,Yes, a break, my dear, is probably what we need," he finally gave in anyway and pressed another kiss on her, which she returned briefly, however much she loved him Lust was not what she felt on this day, rather a need for something palpable to help her.

She let her gaze sweat until she looked up into the sky, the infinite cradle, and drank her cup with one last draught. ,,We may have lost turns, husband, but there is something we can use to protect what we have created," she reminded him and grabbed his hand, pointing to the sky and the two of them looked up at the dragon in the sky with their youngest grandson on it.

She saw the same knowing flash in his eyes as in hers before his hands wrapped around her body, it had been a long time since she had seen him so unsettled. He didn't show it often that he was worried, he probably hated himself at that moment but he had a drive a cunning in him that she knew together they would save her house from its own destruction they hadn't given up their places yet, ,,Together the chosen pieces move on to a new one my star and we will be victorious" he added with a slight smile.

The apprehension disappeared for a moment before he placed his hand on her cheek and pulled her into another kiss. In every game, you had to give yourself a time-out to hit even harder on the next play.

~~~~~~~~~~~

@ewanmitchellcrumbs

@xionthelostpuppet

[asumofwords]

Smoke, Fire and Ash

Warnings: This fic includes noncon, dubcon, manipulation, violence, death, forced marriage, and inc3st. Tags will be added as the fic goes on. Mentions of assault, mocking, face fucking, somnophilia, dacryphilia, dubcon.

This is a dark!fic. 18+ only. Read at your own discretion. Please read the warnings before continuing.

Summary: You are the eldest daughter of Rhaenyra and Daemon Targaryen. You are forced to navigate the difficult surroundings of your upbringing and the eventual disintegration between your family and the Hightower's relationship. What will happen when your older and estranged uncle suddenly takes a more sinister interest in you? (Dark!Aemond x Reader)

Masterlist

Characters: Aemond Targaryen X Reader, HOTD characters.

Note: Hello angels, did you all see AO3 was down? I was distraught lmaooo wtf??? But it's back up now which means I can have my little night time stories again hehe. Reader has been working hard to get where she is and honestly? Slay. So here is the next chapter, I will say, things will be moving a lil quickly from here on out so buckle yourself up babes <3 Enjoy!

Chapter 81: A Council of Green

The dinner was uncomfortable for you all. Just as expected. 

You had gotten dressed for the evening with the help of Joanna and Amala, a black dress with red stitching and embroidery, hair half up, and half done in intricate braids with small rubies laid inside.

Aemond had been dressed in his usual black leathers again, the tunic buckling up high on his throat, but his hair was braided back and away from his face, half up, half down. 

Two halves of a whole.

You had walked together, anticipation strumming in your veins with every step you took towards the Great Hall with Aemond. Anxiety steadily building as you got closer, knowing that you would be in the presence of Aegon once again, and not only that, but his entire small council including the slimy Lord, Jason Lannister.

When you had arrived, you had been relatively on time. Most of the Lords arrived at the same time as you, with Alicent decked in her usual deep green. She had blinked at you oddly, as though she had not expected you to join, or that she had been told that you would not.

Though Aegon was nowhere to be seen.

Ser Otto Hightower however, did not even spare you a second glance, as though you were part of the furniture or one of their tacky Seven tapestries that defiled the castle walls.

Perhaps you were like a part of the furniture by now.

There, seen, and rarely heard.

When Aegon finally arrived, all having waited for him for a time, food already atop the table, he was flanked by Ser Cole, who announced his entrance to the Great Hall and the small council who joined as though they were not aware of who the pompous silver haired fool was already.

The wives of the Lords of the Small Council were also present, dressed conservatively in their House colours, bright blues and soft yellows and reds. When you had sat yourself down and looked amongst the long wooden table, you had attempted to gage the attention of the other women, hoping that perhaps you could make a friend. But none of the women turned to acknowledge you, avoiding your eye carefully.

The table was full tot he brim, and even the longer tables that flanked the sides of the Hall were full of men and women, servers and guards stationed about the sides of the room. There were even some lower Lords who were not a part of the council, but in charge of large plots of land or advantageous Houses and trades. 

It was, for the most part, a loud and joyous affair for them, or for all those except anyone who had witnessed the Prince and the King’s spat. Whenever Aegon’s eyes would graze over the two of you, landing on you in curiosity, the Maester or another Lord like Jasper Wylde, or even Otto Hightower would ask the King a question, speaking loudly to gain his attention. 

Like you would a child.

But whilst most eyes were not on you, you felt a pair beside the King’s short glances to be particularly burning. 

Jason Lannister sat at the end of the table, donned in his House colours of red and Gold, his blue eyes glued to you and Aemond. Beside him, an empty chair where his wife would have been.

"And where is your wife, Jason.” Aegon asked, noting the absence of the woman, and the presence of every other Lords.

“She sends her apologies that she could not join me in King’s Landing. She is recently with child, and well…” Jason intoned, a limacious smirk winding on his face, “You know how women get when they swell.” 

The Lords wives stayed quiet, some with small, shy smiles on their faces in mock agreement whilst the Lords half heartedly agreed, others more enthusiastically than others.

It made your skin feel alight. 

“And how do they get, Lannister?” Your voice carried across the table snidely before you could stop it. 

A knife scraped across a plate, and all eyes were on you. You could feel Aemond’s careful gaze on the side of your cheek as you stared at Jason. 

Prick. 

The sound of Aegon snickering caught your ears, and you fought to not turn and face him. 

The Lord pressed his tongue into his cheek as he looked at you, “Well, I am sure you will find out in due time.” He smiled, eyes flicking from you to Aemond. 

“Of course, but I’m asking you.” You smiled back falsely, reaching to take a sip from your wine primly. 

Jason laughed, and some of the other Lords laughed awkwardly with him, sensing the tension, “My wife,” He began, looking around the table, “Has a terrible craving for fried trout, and will burst to tears if she is without it. It goes without saying, her hysteria can be quite jarring.”

“Interesting.” You mused, placing the wine back down, “Perhaps she is not being adequately satisfied with other smaller meats.” You grinned. Aemond hummed in amusement beside you. 

Aegon bellowed, large hand slapping against the wood of the table jolting goblets and cutlery. The other Lord’s joined in with their King, seeing permission to laugh at your snide remark. Even Jason himself huffed out a laugh, though the smile did not reach his eyes, and his jaw was clenched tight. 

“My niece everyone.” Aegon boomed, “The sharpest of tongues and the tightest of cunts.”

The room burst into laughter again, some more nervous than others. Otto did not laugh nor smile, and Alicent glared at her son. Aemond inhaled sharply beside you, and from the corner of your eye, you saw Ser Cole shift. 

"Aegon." Alicent warned beneath her breath, eyes darting from Aemond, to Ser Cole, and then back to Aegon.

“My brother is a lucky man.” Aegon hollered, raising his goblet up in mock toast. 

Aemond did not move, eyeing his brother down, anger radiating from him. 

It was perfect. 

You lifted your goblet to Aegon, toasting to yourself, before taking a deep sip, turning your head to Aemond, smiling. With a soft hand, you grasped his on the table, squeezing it twice. 

Aemond did not squeeze it back.

“That he is.” You smirked, head still turned to Aemond who slowly turned his gaze onto you. 

He was furious. 

Good. 

“And how is your son, My Lord?” You asked across the table, looking at Jason Lannister who’s face beamed with pride, “The last I remember was you offering his hand to me, not too long ago.”

Aemond took his hand away from yours and moved it under the table, gripping your thigh. 

“Loreon grows bigger by each day,” He grinned, “ A fine young Lord. He has his mothers eyes, but thankfully my hair. Can’t have a lion without its mane.” The Lord joked, and all chuckled with him. “Perhaps one day if you are to have a daughter, the Targaryen and Lannister Houses can be united.” He grinned. 

When the world is on fire, and I am long gone. 

The rest of the Lords moved to their own small conversations as you continued yours with Jason, feeling Aemond’s fingers dig meanly into the flesh of your thigh.

“Only if you were to build a Dragon Pit in Casterly rock. Our daughter will need to house her dragon there some day, and I expect I would come to visit.”

“You are welcome at the Golden Tooth whenever you please, Princess. We have the finest silk sheets, and the softest of beds.”

“I suppose I will have to see for myself if the riches of the Lannister House are truly what they are said to be.”

“If it is anything like the beauty of the Targaryen House is said to be, then you will find that the riches are just as spoken of.” He boasted and flirted. 

You had to bite your inner cheek from gasping as you felt Aemond’s hand bruise your leg meanly, his nails biting into your skin.

“You’d best watch yourself, Jason.” Aegon smirked, “Aemond looks ready to summon Vhagar.”

Jason paled, “My apologies, Your Grace. There were no ill intentions.”

“My husband is a possessive man and protective.” You intoned, turning your head to face Aemond whose eye was locked on Jason again, "Issa iā orvorta, ñuha dōna. Ao gīmigon iksan aōhon.” He is a cunt, my sweet. You know I am yours, You cooed sickly sweet, hand coming to brush against Aemond’s cheek.

Aegon burst into childish giggles, throwing his crowned head backwards against the high seat of his chair. Aemond’s jaw clenched. Whilst Jason cocked his head, not sure of what you had said and turned to join conversation with the other Lords. 

“Yn emā issare ñuhon tolī.” But you have been mine too, Aegon grinned, looking at you with bright violet eyes. 

Your heart leapt in your throat, bile rising in your mouth. 

“Daor ondoso iderennon.” Not by choice,You plastered a fake smile upon your lips, Aemond’s hand digging harder into your thigh as he straightened in his seat. 

To anyone else at the table, it looked as though the three of you were having a lighthearted conversation in your mother tongue. 

To the three of you, it was a stand off. 

“Kostan tepagon ao iā iderennon.” I may give you a choice, Aegon smirked, sipping his ale, “Aemond kostagon urnēbagon lo ziry jeldan.” Aemond may even watch if he wishes.

“Aemond iksis ñuha iderennon.” Aemond is my choice, You purred, sipping your wine, mirroring the King. You felt Aemond’s hand on your thigh loosen. 

Aegon rested his elbow upon the table lazily, sitting his chin in his palm as he looked at you both, “Sesīr hae ēza iā līve?” Even as he has a whore?

Anger bubbled up inside of you. You ground your teeth together and pushed out a false laugh, far too high to be believable, Alicent’s eyes darting to you with her brows drawn.

“Sesīr pār.” Even then. 

“Lēkia, emā zirȳla orvorta qilōny.” Brother, you have her cock whipped, Aegon smirked. 

Aemond hummed lowly, “Issa iā sȳz ābrazȳrys.” She is a good wife.

You almost beamed at the praise. You picked up your goblet to stop yourself from smiling, bringing the cup to your lips to sip at the honeyed Essos wine.

“Ivestragon nyke, qilōni's orvorta iksis rōvykta?” Tell me, who's cock is bigger? Aegon asked, and you spluttered your wine, inhaling it and coughing into your palm. 

The urge to dive across the table and force a knife between his eyes grew larger. 

You stayed quiet, sipping the wine again to settle the tickling burn in the back of your throat, and the rising anger that continued to mount within. Words fought in your chest to fly from your lips, but you swallowed them.

“Aōha lykemagon vestras nyke.” Your silence says me.

“Ñuha āeksio valzȳrys’.” My Lord Husbands, You smiled, wishing to sink your teeth into his throat, biting through the tendons and flesh, and ripping your head backwards, tearing the flesh away and watching his blood spurt out. 

Aegon ignored his Small Council, Lords and Ladies who had travelled from all over the realm to dine with him, and enjoyed the small time given to direct snide remarks to Aemond without the chastising of his mother. 

“Ao gīmigon lēkia, eman ryptan mirri sȳz udir hen Harrenhal.” You know brother, I have heard some good news from Harrenhal.

Aemond stilled.

The King grinned, teeth and gums being revealed by his lips pulling back, “Ēza Aemond ivestretan ao?” Has Aemond told you?

“Nyke gīmigon iksā nūmāzma naejot.” I know you’re about to, You snipped.

“Ah, ēza daor. Sȳrī,” Ah, he hasn’t. Well, Aegon smirked, leaning forward, “Gaomagon ao remember bona witch isse Harrenhal?” Do you remember that witch in Harrenhal? He tapped his chin in mock thought. 

He knew who she was.

“Alys?” He continued.

Alicent’s head snapped to her son, eyes darting back and forth at the sound of her name. Your heart raced against your chest, heat rising to your cheeks. 

How could you forget? 

“Hen rhinka.” Of course, You said dully, swirling your wine in your hand as you tried to not give him any satisfaction as rage bubbled inside of you.

Not only at the King, but at your husband.

“Ñuha lēkia ēza issare working qopsa, pār emā daor given zirȳla iā dārilaros.” My brother has been working hard, since you have not given him an heir.

An heir. 

“Aegon.” Aemond warned, jaw set in a stiff line.

“Skoros? Kostagon nyke daor biarvī manaeragon ñuha lēkia becoming vala? Iā kepa?” What? Can I not celebrate my brother becoming a man? A father?

Your blood ran cold, and fire licked at your face.

“Kepa?” Father? You seethed, teeth showing, smile faltering on your lips.

“Oh yes, Alys iksis lēda riña.” Alys is with child, Aegon grinned.

With child.

With child.

You saw red.

“Alys iksis lēda riña.” You parroted, tying to collect yourself as you thought of driving your fist into Aemond’s sapphire eye.

With child. 

Alys was pregnant. 

“Y/n-“ Aemond began.

“Aemond,” You interrupted him, turning your face to look at your husband, face cool, “Rijes aōt issi isse jorrāelatan. Kostilus, jikagon ñuha udir naejot aōha līve.” Congratulations are in order. Please send my word to your whore.

Aegon guffawed, eyes bouncing between the two of you. Aemond stared at you with a sallow face, your own carefully schooled.

You were enraged.

Your hand around your goblet tightened, nails reaching around the cool metal to dip into your palm as you desperately tried to use it to ground yourself. 

“Bisa iksis daor skorkydoso-“ This is not ho-

“Valzȳrys,” Husband, You smiled joylessly, all teeth, “Ivestragī īlva daor ȳdragon hen aōha nādrēsy’s.” Let us not talk of your bastards.

“Kostilus īlon should maghagon-“ Perhaps we should bring-, Aegon began.

“Aōha Valyrīha jorrāelagon mirre.” Your Valyrian needs work, You snipped, mock toasting your wine to him again, small droplets falling from the rim to the table below at the force of your thrust, barely contained anger spilling over. 

You let your eye trail over the King, his crown atop his head, wavy silver hair peaking beneath it, a small blush on his cheeks from the ale. 

You were furious. 

You were enraged. 

You wished to hurt Aemond. 

"Sir bona nyke pendagon hen ziry, iksā qumblie.” Now that I think of it, you are thicker, You mused, eyes quickly dropping to Aegon’s waist before back up at his face.

You reached to grasp the decanter from in front of you to refill your wine which disappeared at a rapid rate, and Aemond’s hand shot out, grasping your wrist tightly. The rest of the tables eyes flitted to the sharp movement. You snatched your hand away from him, not even sparing the man a glance as you continued to refill your wine. 

"Konīr's bona ēngos,”There's that tongue, Aegon chuckled, smiling at you appreciatively, his eyes grazing down your body, "Nyke gīmigon iā sȳrkta gaomagon syt ziry.” I know a better use for it.

"Ȳdra daor.” Don’t, Aemond finally spoke, voice low and rough, hand returning to your thigh where he dug his fingers into it again, possessively and angrily.

Aegon giggled, excited that he had finally gotten Aemond to react, the unfinished fight between them simmering to almost a boiling point. “Nyke gōntan daor jiōragon naejot sylugon ziry.” I didn’t get to try it, Aegon pouted.

“Se kesā daor.” And you won’t, You purred, sipping your wine, “Yn ñuha valzȳrys gaomas.” But my husband does.

Aemond’s grip on your thigh tightened again, and you watched as he grabbed his goblet of wine and drank deeply from it.

"Kostilus kesan mirri tubis.” Perhaps I will some day, Aegon mused, pouting his lips at you as he fought off a grin. 

You steeled yourself for what you were about to do, swallowing thickly as you looked Aegon in the eyes.

“Kostilus.” Perhaps.

The conversation had ended there, and Aegon had smirked, eyes half hooded as he looked at you. Alicent did not take her gaze from the three of you before you excused yourself, stating that you were tired and wished to leave your husband to his duties and fellow Lords for the rest of the evening. 

You had pried Aemond’s hand from your thigh and bowed to Aegon and the other Lord’s, reminding Jason Lannister that he should begin preparing a Dragon Pit for Casterly Rock, to which he grinned in response. Aemond’s heated gaze followed you as you left the Great Hall, walking back to your chambers alone. 

You arrived in your chambers and laughed loudly, furious at the news of Alys.

She was pregnant.

She was pregnant and he had not told you.

She was a greater risk to you now than before. You picked up a goblet at the side table and filled it with wine, already tipsy from the night, tossing its contents back down your throat. 

But Aemond’s reaction at dinner was another thing all together. 

It worked. 

Your last lingering comment to Aegon, a small, ‘Perhaps', left the One-Eyed Prince reeling in his head, his hand not once undigging itself from your thighs. Even Jason Lannister unburdened flirting that evening had helped you along tremendously. 

You had filled your goblet with wine once more, sitting in Aemond’s armchair, drinking slowly as you thought of the evening. Of the way his anger rose off of him in heated waves, the way he had become possessive of you with Jason. The way he scowled at his brother. 

He was beginning to resent them all.

The door to the chambers slammed open, and the storming footfall of Aemond caused you to lazily turn your head to look at him. 

He was irate.

“You seek to humiliate me in front of the council? In front of the King, flirting like a whore?” He sneered, marching over to you as he yanked you up from his chair, the goblet of wine tumbling from your fingers to the stone floor below, the red alcohol spilling across the tiles like blood. 

“And what of you? What of your whoring? Your bastard is pregnant.” You retorted, lips pulling back to bare your teeth. 

“She gave me an heir long before you did.”

You hand slapped across his cheek, Aemond’s head turning to the side. 

“You disgust me.” You spat.

A shadow crossed Aemond’s face.

Your knees hit the harsh stone floors before your brain could catch up, Aemond’s large hands jarring you down by your shoulders. His eye crazed. 

“You want to act like a whore, I will treat you like a whore.”

You tipped your chin up to look at him and smiled meanly, “Like Alys?”

“I told you, I did not see her.” He growled at you, hand gripping the side of your hair as he tugged your head. 

“I don’t believe you.” You sneered.

Aemond’s hand moved to the front of his breeches and began to tug at the strings, impatiently ripping them open in front of your face. 

A warmth spread within you. 

He was so angry. 

So on edge. 

It had worked.

It was working.

Aemond finally undid the last of his ties and yanked his pants over his ass, pulling his cock out of the confines of his breeches. You looked up at him defiantly as he began to stroke himself in his hand, slowly getting hard. 

“Having trouble?” You mocked, watching as he frowned down at you.

“Cunt.” He swore, before grabbing the back of your head roughly and tugging you towards his length.

“Open.” He barked, and you obeyed, keeping your eyes on him as he slid his length cruelly down the back of your throat in one rough push.

You gagged around him, tears prickling your eyes.

“Much better when you can’t talk.” He grunted, holding you down on him, the light curls at his base tickling your nose.

Aemond roughly pulled you back off of him by your hair, a spluttering cough escaping your lips as you sucked in a lungful of air. 

“I should have his head for that. Who does he think he is?” Aemond growled, pulling you back on his length, saliva dripping from your lips onto the stone below. 

Your knees ached as he began to thrust into your face harshly, his tip hitting the back of your throat as you breathed through your nose, tears dripping down your cheeks.

“Fucking Lannister scum. A Dragon Pit?” He grunted, using both hands to pull your mouth up and down his length, “He thinks he could fuck you? He thinks he could please you? Silk sheets? Is that what you want? You want fucking silk sheets?”

You gagged loudly as he pushed himself all the way in, holding your head down on him as he shook you with your hair, causing his cock to beat against your gag reflex.

“Stupid cunt. None of them could give you what I do. None of them could fuck you the way I do.” He continued, and you squirmed on the spot, bringing your hands up to his thighs to hold on for balance.

Aemond’s hands slapped yours away, “No. I didn’t say you could touch me.”

You dropped your arms, digging your fingers into your thighs as he continued. 

“I am the only man for you. You are my wife.” Thrust.

“Mine.”

Thrust. 

Warm heat settled in your gut as you hummed around him, curling your tongue up against the underside of his cock. Aemond moaned, letting go of one side of your head to brush hair away from your cheeks.

“Sȳz riña.” Good girl, He praised, framing your jaw with one hand, “Such a good little whore.”

Your core clenched around nothing and you shut your eyes, rubbing your thighs together to ease the ache that steadily began to rise in you.

“Aegon is a cunt." The Prince growled, "A depraved, pathetic excuse for a man. Do you think he could please you?” He grunted.

You did not want to think of Aegon.

You squeezed your eyes tight.

“A useless King,” Aemond continued, thrusts becoming harsh again, “Can't even perform his own duties. Has me do them. Has me fly about the realm when he has Sunfyre and does not ride him.” Another growl, his length heavy on your tongue, you could feel every vein and ridge. 

“Mother should have put me in line for the throne. We had to search the Silk Lanes for him when father died.” The wet sound of your mouth filled the room with Aemond’s complaints. “I hate him.”

I hate him.

Hate.

You sucked at Aemond’s length harder, a whine falling from this lips.

Rewarding him.

It spurred him on. 

“He should beg for my mercy. Should have me rule.” 

Delight sparked within you. 

You curled your tongue up against the underside of his shaft, pressing the wet muscle against him as his thrusts became sloppier, thick strands of saliva hanging from your lips as he continued, the front of your dress and the stone floors below wet with it.

“Fucking pathetic.”

You hummed in agreement, opening your eyes to look up at him. Aemond looked down at you watching the way his cock disappeared into your lips. A groan falling from his mouth as you caught his gaze.

“He could never have you. He does not deserve you. He is not worthy.” His tip hit the back of your throat, “Not worthy of your perfect cunt.” 

You moaned around his length.

“Not worthy of the throne.”

Thrust.

“Not worthy of life.”

Thrust. 

You suck sharply on him as his thrusts grow sloppy, his mouth slackened as he breathed heavily, hands holding your head still as he chased his peak. You fought against your gags, tears moving down your face as you continued to squirm from your spot on the tiles. 

It turned you on. 

“Fuck.” Aemond moaned, pushing himself as deep as he could go.

His hot seed burst down your throat, causing you to cough and gag on his length as he moaned above you, holding you down on it with no escape. Each pump of his seed coating your mouth and tongue. 

“Sīr sȳz syt nyke.” So good for me, “Vok byka ābrazȳrys.” Perfect little wife.

Aemond pulled himself from your lips, and a sharp inhale sucked air into your lungs as you coughed, swallowing what was left of his seed. The Prince’s hand moved to the side of your jaw stroking it as he looked down at you, thumb swiping up the seed that had escaped from the side of your mouth. Aemond rubbed it over your lips as he looked at you, your knees aching in protest.

“Filthy.” He purred.

Aemond bent down and pulled you up. The Prince took you to bed before hardening again, fucking his seed deep inside of you in the hour of the owl. You had whined and moaned, and he had fucked you roughly against the soft sheets, growling about his brother, about Jason, about the throne. 

And you had encouraged it. 

As the ebbs of your third release left your body, you found yourself boneless in the bed beneath Aemond, who crawled down the length of your body, planting insatiable kisses against your sensitive skin. 

“I am falling to sleep.” You had argued, trying to pull him up and away from your core, where his tongue darted between your folds. 

“Then sleep.” He uttered, “Let me enjoy the pleasures of my wife.” 

His tongue was soft and gentle, pressing soothing kisses to your core as you felt your eyes flutter shut, fatigue dragging you down into the depths of sleep.

You woke some time later to the familiar stretch of Aemond’s cock moving through you. You had groaned, blinking in the dark up at Aemond he pushed himself inside of you.

“Wha-“

“Shh. Go back to sleep.”

Thanks so much for reading along with me, if you wish to be added to the tag list please let me know :) Likes and reblogs are greatly appreciated ! Enjoy <3

Tag List:

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[themoonlitquill]

Team Black vs. Team Green.

I recently have gotten a LOT of asks about my position on TB vs. TG due to me making a poll about a fanfic I'm in the process of writing about Aegon II Targaryen and an OC of mine. There have been many that have said something along the lines of 'did you watch the show? look at all the SA he did and how EVIL he is towards Rhaenyra' and 'how can you support decisions of TG when they are the ones usurping' etc., etc., and it's EXTREMELY frustrating to me and here's why.

First of all, it is a FANFIC, a work of FICTION created by FANS, which means that 90% of it is NOT canon (whether it be show, movie, or book) and that means a lot of the ORIGINAL story/plot could be changed, along with the direction of the characters and their development. Which MEANS, that while I understand some of the stipulation behind it, that isn't going to change my mind or sway me away from diving into how utterly fascinating I find Aegon and the Greens to be.

Secondly, I have indeed watched the show, both seasons, more times than I can count. When I say that I am a House of the Dragon nut, I mean it. And when I say that I am a Targaryen, I mean it. I have been completely obsessed with their house and their lore and their history and EVERYTHING to do with them since I first seen Emilia Clarke show up on my screen like the ethereal goddess that she is. I know A LOT (both show AND book canon), which is why I have no qualms when I say that if I were to write about ANY in the fandom, it would be the Greens, regardless of the fact that I am TECHNICALLY for Rhaenyra and the Blacks.

In my opinion, there is a lot that was missed when it came to the Greens and their situation. Where was the turmoil that Alicent went through giving birth to her first son when she was a child, the product of a marriage that she was thrust into by her father? And before any of you stans come at me and say 'she should've told Rhaenyra, that's where the betrayal started' when in reality all the problems started with Viserys and his innate desire for a son that ended up killing Aemma. And ALSO his decision to NOT betroth Rhaenyra and Daemon YEARS BEFORE when he knew damn well that it would've stopped a lot of the issues, but ya'll ain't ready for that yet apparently.

And coming back to Aegon and the whole 'usurpur' angle. Did he or didn't he? When you break it down, it's both a yes and a no. He is the FIRST BORN SON of the King and has a very good claim to the Throne. It isn't like in GoT with Robert's Rebellion and Kingslaying for Baratheons and Lannisters to take it; this is a TARGARYEN PRINCE. Viserys named Rhaenyra his Heir and all the Lords of the Seven Kingdoms swore an oath, BUT Otto (ugh, sorry can't stand him, but Rhys SLAYED his portrayal) was smart enough to know that when it came down to it, if Aegon were to be put on the Throne instead, it would still be accepted to a point DESPITE those oaths because Aegon is male AND is BLOOD RELATED TO THE KING. So really? Why is everyone reaching so hard? This is the entire POINT of the show and the whole ASOIAF universe. There are LAYERS to EVERYTHING, but there are so many that refuse to see the grey areas and instead resort to making it all black and white, which just doesn't make sense to me.

So in conclusion, don't flood my ask and messages with comments about a FANFIC when there is so much to consider when you get down to the nitty gritty of it all. What I choose to create isn't affecting anything and if you think that it does, well, I'm sorry to hear that and I hope you take the time to actually research things before being rude.

[noodles-doodles01]

HOTD EP 1 Rewrite

Ep 5 is giving heavy season 8 of GoT vibes so I'm saving myself the pain and just rewriting all the mistakes they made so far so I dont go insane in the coming weeks. I will reblog this post with each episode rewrite as they come, but heres ep 1:

*Disclaimer* I am making sure most of the plot points are still included in the rewrite whether I like them or not.

As much as I love the north opening, we save that for a bit later. Instead, we get a rainy shot of King's Landing. Its dark out and there i thunder and rain etc. We see a pair of boots walking through the halls, rushed and hasty and the music matches as well. The person's breath is also huffy and puffed, and we get shots of the water on their coat, and then a shot of Aemond's eyes as he rushes to a room.

The door barges open and Aemond comes into a room where Aegon is being lectured by Alicent and Otto. They become quiet and Alicent gets up to see what's wrong. Aemond admits what he did and Alicent slaps him, crying out "Mother help us all". We get a quick shot of Aegon witnessing the slap (yk, for character parallel reasons), and Otto begins yelling at him "my grandson is a fool" style. The camera focuses on Aegon a while and we see him almost sympathizing with his brother, so he puts on this fake act and laughs, saying that they should hold a feast, celebrating their first victory.

Back at Dragonstone, we watch as Rhaenyra rides Syrax out to find Luke in the sea, and follow Daemon and Rhaenys as they leave the dragonpit to discuss with the team. Daemon has his dialogue with Rhaenys about Laena and they make their way to the council. Team Black is all there minus Jace, and they discuss how to set up the best defence in the time they need to raise an army and attack again, since Aemond's move is OFFENSIVE. They mention how Dragonstone is unsafe, they mention how another threat is Daeron in Oldtown with his dragon, and they mention what good the North can realistically provide and how they can strategize with their travels south. Daemon then suggests using Harrenhall as a fort, since it is the crux of the Riverlands and would give them the best land defence. When contested that Harrenhall is in ruin, Daemon will explain that they have the advantage with dragon numbers and the sea with the blockade, they have some leverage that can be spent on the necessities that Harrenhall requires.

We are taken back to Rhaenyra where the sun is beginning to set, and the fishermen find a wing. Rhaenyra flies in on Syrax, finds Arrax's wing and we get the fantastic performance by Emma D'arcy that brought us all to tears. The sounds of Rhaenyra's sobs are manipulated by the audio to transition into the laughter and fun that the Greens are having at KL during the feast. Alicent is PISSED and leaves early, meanwhile Helaena and Aemond sit next to one another in discomfort. Maybe some dialogue here but idk what, but these two need more interactions.

Aegon ofc is the only one having fun, he's drunk off his mind and laughing with his idiot kingsguard friends. During this, Aegon drunkenly makes a toast and jokes about Aemond being a kinslayer, Aemond does not like the title and it comes off as Aegon's weird form of bullying (since we have to transition this kinda buildup and not bring it out of nowhere between the 2 years of s1 and s2) At Dragonstone again, Rhaenyra is coming back and Daemon is facing the fireplace holding a scroll. When he looks at her, he slams the scroll into the table and tells her that he will bring Aemond to his knees. Rhae is confused but its comforting bc she's in shambles. Daemon storms out and Rhaenyra reads the note, which gives word about the feast.

(Insert something here about Daemon and Mysaria setting up B&C)

(Insert Aemond brothel scene #1 here, and he reveals he regrets killing Luke etc etc)

When Daemon meets B&C, he tells them a son for a son, find Aemond Targaryen. if not, slay Aegon's heir. The men share a weird glance but they agree. We get the montage ofthe pair going into the castle as ratcatchers, with Aegon drunk and Helaena and Alicent putting the kids to bed. BnC burst into the room, blood binds Alicent whilst Cheese grabs the twins (who are still awake). Since the kids are so young, they cannot tell which is the son, so they force Helaena to pick. Helaena, dazed, begins to cry and says to kill her instead. Cheese tells her they only want the boy, so she lies and points at Jahaera. Cheese laughs and says the line, "Do you hear that little girl? Your mommy wants you dead", revealing that they know she's lying. At that, they shove Jahaera at Helaena and go to kill Jahaerys. Helaena starts screaming and freaking out. Bc of how gruesome the scene is I wouldn’t have the the acc death shown, but rather how her screams echo in the halls. Aegons reaction to the sound, the guards rushing towards her room.

Aegon bursts through the doors and sees Helaena on the ground crying and screaming saying “they killed my boy”

A final shot of Aegon having it dawn on him that the war is in full swing and absorbing the first “consequence”.

*end*

lmk if you have any questions about any decisions I made!

Edit; I removed Alicole entirely, bc as much as I’ve tried to rationalize it I hate it. FnB has Alicent calling Cole out for being a creep when Rhaenyra is young, so if the show has Alicent experiencing years of this kind of experience, why would she choose to be with someone like him once she gets fo leave the relation with Viserys? Plus, Alicent experiencing this moves her character forward in fully dealing with the fact that her push for the throne doesn’t go without major pushback.

[amaltheas-garden]

What costumes did you like in s2? I thought only Rhaenyra’s really improved. Alicent was already very slay. Helaena got more dresses which is nice. The “dragon twins” are meh, like they’re recycling Dany’s outfits. I’m still side eyeing them for giving the male characters late outfits

Oh boy this is gonna be a long one...

First off my fave costumes this season were Alicent's embroidered thistle dress, Helaena's funeral dress, and Rhaenyra's gold dragon shoulders!!! Each one was embroidered by the iconic Michelle Carragher, who did most of the embroidery on GoT as well. Highly recommend checking out her instagram (as well as Claire Kitchener and Rie Winham) for up close shots of the embroidery. The show truly does not do their work justice!

Rhaenyra definitely improved the most this season, her s1 dresses were truly awful. They either looked frumpy, too basic, or just didn't fit right (the only exceptions being her off shoulder black and red dress, and final coronation dress... everything else was so blah). Alicent... I have mixed feelings on. She definitely looked more fashionable than Rhaenyra, but a lot of the dresses felt too modern or just had some weird details thrown on (the metallic side panels on her dinner dress come to mind). There was also very little continuity between outfits (ex: they styled Alicent's green robe-dress combo with the slit sleeves after young Rhaenyra's red and gold dress even though it takes place a good decade or so later and that silhouette should have seemed out of fashion by then). I also hated most of the fabric choices.

S2 succeeds because they established a clear-cut silhouette to model all the gowns off of, which makes it feel way more cohesive. There are three types of sleeves, all fitted to the elbow, then either flair out in a wide cuff, are cut as a circle, or open and fall straight down (+ some are just a regular long sleeve with a pointed cuff).

And there are two necklines: the round green/Andal cut, and the pointed black/Targaryen cut. The Targs also wear a kimono inspired wrap style compared to the more European medieval inspired Westerosi style. We see the dragon keepers wear it, suggesting it's from old Valyria, and Mysaria adopts it to signal her switch in loyalties to Rhaenyra. Cosplayers have nicknamed the pointed shoulders the "Targaryen dart". Helaena's dresses are interesting since they exist between the two styles, alluding to her status as a Targaryen while being on the green side/connecting her to Alicent. Rhaena also favors a more "Andal" silhouette to signify her as the black sheep of the family.

The dragon twins were kinda disappointing this season, and I understand the complaint about being too Dany inspired. Most of Baela's riding outfits were good, but the asymmetrical red cape-silver chain combo was a bit too on the nose. I loved Rhaena's travel coat, I just wish her dresses had more sparkle. They were too plain for a Targ princess imo.

The worst offender by far in terms of Dany copying was Rhaenyra's Harrenhal look. They weren't even trying to hide it.

Unfortunately, the male characters were still very basic 😔. For the record, I think the only men who come close to looking like wealthy aristocrats are Viserys I and Otto. Corlys is supposed to be the richest man alive, but dresses in such drab styles. No drama, no embellishment, muted colors :(((. Daemon gets a pass since he's just hanging out at Harrenhall and doesn't have to look like a proper King Consort. Aegon's outfits are more obviously embellished than Daemon's, but for the KING I still don't think it's enough. I hate that Aemond's looks are so basic; Ewan Mitchell's aura, eyepatch, and fabulous hair are doing all the heavy lifting. Would it kill them to do something non-leather?? Most of the male background characters looked better than the mains lol. I get that they want to reserve the pointed shoulders for the blacks, but Aegon's outfits still need something to add that grandiosity. I did loveeee Oscar Tully's fishscale armor probably the best men's look for the season. Jace also looked fine but that's more to do with his hair upgrade.

The layers, length, and extended shoulders give Vis a much more regal and imposing look, and I wish Aegon had gotten something similar. Most of my issues with him and Aemond could be solved by just making the costumes longer and adding some structure to the top portion of the silhouette.

This but make it floor length or add a cape or some pointy shoulders.

So close to perfection but the top needed that structure so the cape wouldn't be saggy and could actually give the ✨drama✨ it needed. Idc that Aegon isn't that into being king, he's still THE Alicent Hightower's son and would def be dressed to impress.

Loved this Daemon look. Lots of detail and the shoulders really do add so much 🤌

Only good Aemond look. He still should have had a non-dragon rider regal Prince look (WITHOUT LEATHER!!!).

OMG I ALMOST FORGOT ABOUT GWAYNE!!!!!!

Hands DOWN thee best dressed!!!! Beautiful, majestic, i luv him so much 💚💚💚

I've run out of space for pictures so I'll just say the s2 costumes feel like they were designed with much more care in how they connect to each other while feeling like they belong in the setting. Everything looks way more cohesive on top of me just preferring the new designs.

[goji-pilled]

and since i already mentioned granny vhagar, here's opinions i have on hotd as someone who has never watched this show or game of thrones and has never read the books but was pushed into the fandom by tiktok probably because i liked one video about the cool dragons:

- reiterating: vhagar's design is great and you guys are just mean

- rip alicent hightower you would've loved lgbt rights and chappell roan (specifically casual)

- i don't care what crimes rhaenyra commits, i don't care she let those people die with vermithor, i don't care if she burns a city down (shoutout to daenerys, i'm stanning girl), she could punch an orphan in the face for all i care. i want this woman so fucking bad, she could spit in my mouth and i would thank her, ma'am i could be another sidepiece 🙏🙏🙏

- aemond shouldn't be going to war, he should be in a hair&shoulders commercial

- everytime i see daemon i inevitably end up having luigi's mansion at the back of my mind

- caraxes may as well be the best design in this whole show i fucking adore him

- FUCK otto hightower

- idk what the deal with crispy cole is but given the fact they keep calling him that i'm assuming it's FUCK crispy cole

- the kiss between rhaenyra and mysaria was absolutely necessary. (alicent was probably screaming and crying and throwing up over it) so necessary in fact they should add another one. please,,,

- someone PLEASE get helaena or however you spelled it out of there and let her live in a little cottage far, FAR away from her family together with her dragon and bugs omfg

- alicent is lowkey a bitch but like in a complex way but also i get it. if rhaenyra targaryen was my failed situationship i'd also start a war

- syrax is a cutie patootie and honestly? deserved. love a spoiled queen.

- FUCK aegon

- i don't even go here actually but i'm sad over rhaenys and meleys like. i will defend granny vhagar's design but also. i cannot defend you on this one granny. (also who the fuck thought parading meleys' head around the common folk was a good idea??? like yasssss show off how you can just kill the symbol of your power!!! good job!!! fucking dumbass omfg)

- the whole exchange that went like:

"and what would you call the husband of the queen?"

"the king"

"there you have it."

"-consort."

was wild like he ate daemon up so bad omfg....

- on the other hand: daemon cutting that guy's head of for calling rhaenyra's kids bastards and her a whore was so slay of him (literally) like that, and the "we fight for our queen" part? i'm afraid he ate with that, he really did.

okay that's all byeeeee

[telltalesonline]

House of the Dragon: 10 Best Scenes We’ll Never Forget

First Game of Thrones and now House of the Dragon. 

These hit TV shows are filled to the brim with memorable scenes showcasing thrilling combat, shocking twists, and in some cases just breathtaking performances or special effects. 

This show brings the drama and the action, but what more do you expect from a bunch of Targaryens? From scenes including Alicent’s shocking knife attack to Lucerys’ one last dragon ride, it’s these individual moments of high drama that keep us coming back for more. 

With that in mind, and with Season 2 nearly upon us, we’re taking a look back at House of the Dragon’s best scenes. Relive every greatest moment by scrolling down — in no particular order!

1. Daemon vs. Criston

Season 1, The Heirs of the Dragon

The “Heir’s Tournament” takes place to celebrate the looming birth of King Viserys’s heir. It’s a remarkable scene, but the climactic clash between Daemon Targaryen and Ser Criston Cole has to be singled out. 

It’s all very back-and-forth in which Cole wins the joust, Daemon basically wins an ensuing melee, but Cole technically triumphs because Daemon –– true to his character –– gets a bit cocky before he seals the deal. 

The scene proves both characters are formidable forces and endears Criston Cole to the royals. But it’s also just a ton of fun to watch. If only Oberyn took notes about this fight before he battled The Mountain, eh?

2. Viserys Tells Rhaenyra About the Song of Ice and Fire

Season 1, The Heirs of the Dragon

Episode 1 includes a wonderful scene where King Viserys names Princess Rhaenyra his heir and the lords of Westeros pledge their fealty to her. Within this moment, though, is perhaps the most intriguing mini-scene in the whole show so far. 

Viserys tells Rhaenyra of a vision their ancestor, Aegon the Conqueror had, foretelling the coming of the White Walkers we witnessed in Game of Thrones. Viserys adds that to fend off the doom, Westeros must be under Targaryen rule. 

This is ranked as one of the best moments in House of the Dragon simply because it pieces together Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon for the first time. We’d like to imagine the look of disappointment on Viserys’ face though, had he’d known how the Long Night really ended. Sigh…

3. Rhaenyra Surprises Otto on Dragonback

Season 1, The Rogue Prince

This is a show packed with tension. But not many moments are more anxiety-inducing than when Daemon and Otto Hightower face off on a Dragonstone bridge. Otto is there to retrieve a stolen dragon egg which Daemon has no intention of surrendering.

What kicks the scene up a notch, though, is that both sides are stilled by the arrival of Rhaenyra, riding her dragon, Syrax.

A Targaryen with a dragon versus useless men with swords? Yeah, we all know how that one ends. But Rhaenyra talks her Uncle Daemon into surrendering the egg, and that’s that. The princess’ intervention is a clever twist on a would-be battle scene. 

The hazy light and stunning dragons also make this one of the most visually beautiful scenes in HotD.

4. Rhaenyra Sees The White Stag

Season 1, Second of His Name

There’s a lot to dig into in the royal hunt throughout Episode 3. Viserys’ strength is declining, while a budding relationship between Rhaenyra and Ser Criston Cole is forming. But one of the most compelling moments comes in a small scene in which Rhaenyra spares the semi-mythical white stag. 

The stag basically appears to her as a symbolic representation of her status as the rightful ruler of Westeros.

Rhaenyra’s response, though –– whispering, “no,” when Cole prepares to slay the beast –– is very telling. It’s a moment that proves there is good in the princess, as well as respect for the greater story she is a part of. 

5. Daemon Kills the Crabfeeder

Season 1, Second of His Name

Prince Daemon’s war with Craghas Crabfeeder is a random side plot, not to mention it’s little more than a footnote in Fire and Blood. Still, the end of this war gives us one of the most awesome battle scenes in GoT or HotD history. 

Basically, Daemon pulls an Achilles-from-Troy and charges the beach by himself. He proves himself as the best warrior we’ve yet seen in Westeros.

In the end, his solo siege sets the stage for a larger charge during which the Targaryen/Velaryon forces take the Stepstones and Daemon kills the Crabfeeder. Spectacular.

Continue reading at Tell Tales Online.

[just-some-random-blogger]

His rolls his eyes toward the ceiling. "Do you mind?"You rest a forearm atop his shoulder, leaning in even closer. "Not particularly."

BANTER WITH OTTO HIGHTOWER????

He dips his quill. "I do not." Then, "You are distracting me."

🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😄

He sets his materials down then, glaring at you. "You will either behave yourself, or I will instruct you how."

Try me, Beyoncé

He returns to his work, leaning forward. "We have broken our fast. You are free to leave, Y/N."

AWIE WHY DOES THIS HURT MY HEART FUCK YOU NOT YOU MAKING ME LEAVE

As you walk quietly back to your chambers, its with tears stinging your eyes, which only causes you to feel frustrated with yourself.

ME AT ANY MINOR INCONVENIENCE BUT NAH FR FUCK THAT SHIT DIE OTTO

What're you in comparison? A bastard, base-born girl. The daughter of a dead prostitute.

???? OMG WHO IS SHEEEEE GOTTA CHECK OUT UR OTHER WORK TO SEE

"Get up."

YOU WANNA TRY ME

He returns, wrapping it around your shoulders. "You may rest once you have supped. Come."

SUP ON DEEZ

A muscle in his jaw feathers, his eyes slowly closing for only a brief moment before he looks at you again.

Wow this was beautifully written.

Instead, he now realizes you had done it simply to spend time with him.

You interrupt him yet again. "I know very-well of your intentions, Ser," you say with vehemence. "I know you would rather see me dead. But, as I am the King's daughter, I must, instead, be kept alive in my cage, ready to be auctioned off to the highest bidder when I finally come to be of use. That is my value to you. To him. To—"

😭😭😭😭 no cuz my heart hurts for herrrrrr. ALSO I KNOW WHO SHE IS NOE SLAY BASTARD TARG 🫶

He sighs. "Perhaps I saw you as mine alone to torment."

You thought you ate with that but you didn't. Eto sayo

10/10 incredible writing. I loved this (if it wasn't clear don't get me wrong). Would bash a rock on Otto's skull

i do it for you.

— pairing: otto hightower x fem!reader

— type: ficlet (part of a series)

— summary: you & otto have a brief interaction after breaking your fast, which sends you retreating to your chambers & once again further inside yourself. he comes to you that evening when you fail to do so with him, so as to try & get you to eat. instead, the two of you have an argument & an ugly truth is shared.

— tw: mentions of blood, implied depression

— word count: 2,243

— a/n: oh, they are so made for each other, i swear it. i have the vision.

— tagging list: @ohsnapitzmarvelficrec

You lean over his shoulder, squinting at the bit of parchment in his hand.

His rolls his eyes toward the ceiling. "Do you mind?"

You rest a forearm atop his shoulder, leaning in even closer. "Not particularly."

"Well, I do," he states, turning his head infinitesimally to the left, toward you, his hair brushing against the top of your arm.

"You're the one who insists on sharing all our meals together. It's been over a sennight, so you should be accustomed to my irritating presence by now."

"I had expected you to act with a modicum of respect toward me when we are in one another's company. You don't behave in such a manner anywhere else but when we are alone. If you do not—"

You point to a word you can't quite make out, interrupting him. "What's that?"

He bites back a groan of irritation. "I am beginning to regret this arrangement."

You glare at the back of his head. "I'm perfectly content to leave."

He nods to the chair across from him, on the opposite side of the desk. "Sit."

"You never answered."

He feels his patience growing shorter by the second. "Craghas. It is a name for one of the admirals of the Triarchy. Now, would you please—"

You swiftly walk around, seating yourself, crossing your legs and folding your hands overtop your knee while looking at him with a faux smile.

He shakes his head, setting the scroll aside, then grabbing a fresh sheet of parchment and a quill.

You watch silently as he begins to write. "Your room is a disaster."

He shakes his head slowly. "As you have informed me time and again."

You glance to his made bed. "Did you not sleep last night?"

He doesn't respond.

You frown.

You would never admit as much to him, but it saddens you to think of him staying up all night worrying, working, stressing about this important matter, or that one. You cannot explain why, however.

Mayhaps it is because, for over the last week, you've begun to see past the stony exterior he showcases to the rest of the Keep—the Seven Kingdoms as a whole—and have thus learned more of his true nature.

He cares. Deeply. About a great many things. He just...does not know how best to show it. He certainly does not talk about it: that which troubles him.

Men.

As if you are much different...

"If...you want to talk—"

He dips his quill. "I do not." Then, "You are distracting me."

You quickly crumple a sheet of parchment into a ball and toss it at his face.

He sets his materials down then, glaring at you. "You will either behave yourself, or I will instruct you how."

"I doubt it."

"Young Lady—" He begins, tone quite stern, a hand being rested flat upon the surface before him.

"Gods-forbid I show any amount of concern for you in return," you say, studying your hands in your lap.

He stills, merely staring at you across the way, before leaning back, resting his arms on either side of himself. "You needn't."

You roll your eyes.

He returns to his work, leaning forward. "We have broken our fast. You are free to leave, Y/N."

You glance up to him, suddenly feeling hurt.

You stand silently then, walking to the door of his room and he watches you go.

As you walk quietly back to your chambers, its with tears stinging your eyes, which only causes you to feel frustrated with yourself.

The truth is, that you are trying. Trying to forgive. Trying to...connect. Even if it is only through shared playful banter.

The harder truth is, is that you do not know how to be like the rest of the court. Like Rhaenyra, your father, Otto, Princess Rhaenys, Lady Alicent, and all the rest.

You have always felt as if you are on the outside looking in, merely pretending as if you belong. To think he mayhaps enjoyed you in his company even slightly... Stupid girl.

You had told yourself from that first night that his concern was not about you at all. Had told yourself he did not truly care. But, for the last sennight, you had allowed yourself to begin believing otherwise.

It's just that you are so...lonely. You've been desperate for so long to have someone to spend your time with, but you fear none will have you, so you instead sequester yourself away in your chambers, the library, down among the shoreline where he had found you that day.

And none seem to care that that is how you opt to spend your time. Then again, why should they, when their own is so much more valuable. When they are in general.

What're you in comparison? A bastard, base-born girl. The daughter of a dead prostitute.

Your chin wobbles.

You miss them both so much. Your birth mother, as well as Aemma.

You've never felt so adrift.

You do not rise for lunch. Instead, you sleep.

Nor do you get up for supper—sending your handmaid away when she attempts to rouse you—preferring the peace of slumber instead of the niceties of dining with a monster of a man who cares for naught else but himself.

A deep voice bellows through the darkness.

"Get up."

You pull the blankets tighter, squeezing your eyes shut.

There is a frustrated sigh. "Indolence is most unbecoming for a lady of your station."

"Get out," you whisper, refusing to so much as open your eyes.

"You have not eaten since this morn. So, you will either rise or—"

You begin to slowly sit up then, your hair in tangles, only dressed in your shift as you stare up at him from under your lashes with a loathsome glare.

"I'm not hungry. I want to sleep."

Just then, servants enter the room, placing cloches upon your dining table, as well as glasses, and a decanter of wine, before leaving just as quickly as they had come.

You look back to Otto, watching as he walks over to a cushioned seat which has a shawl draped across the back and he retrieves it.

He returns, wrapping it around your shoulders. "You may rest once you have supped. Come."

He offers you his hand and you glance to it momentarily before finally standing, padding across the room and seating yourself at the dining table, merely staring at the dishes set before you, wholly uninterested in even discovering what is beneath each lid.

Otto seats himself near you, lifting each of them, inviting scents wafting into the air, but you do not move.

"Eat," he commands gently.

"I don't want to." You are quickly tiring of being ordered about by him.

He grinds his jaw. "This pouting is quickly growing tiresome. Perhaps—"

You pick up a glass, standing then, and chuck it against a wall, watching as it shatters before you look back at Otto, who displays no reaction to your violent outburst.

He sighs wearily.

And then your chin wobbles.

"Now they'll have to pick it up," you say, shaking your head. You drop your shawl to the floor, walking over to the mess you've created and Otto stands then.

"My Lady, leave it for the servants."

You bend down.

"Y/N, you will cut your—"

"Ow," you mutter, dropping a shard of glass, blood now dripping from your hand.

He quickly comes over to you, kneeling with a groan.

You go to reach for it again, until his large hand firmly takes your own within it. "Stop this at once."

You look to him with tears shimmering in your eyes. "I caused this. I should be the one responsible for cleaning it."

He nods toward the table. "Sit. I will take care of it, then see to your wound."

You consider him for only a moment, then do as you're told.

Once the mess has been tended to, Otto pours water into a basin across the room, then carries it, along with a hand-towel, back to the table.

He takes your hand within his own, gingerly wiping blood from what turns out to be no more than a small cut on your palm.

Your eyes sting with tears. "I want you to leave."

It does not phase him. "I shall have a servant retrieve clean cloth for—"

You wrench your hand away from his. "Go!"

He sits straight then. "Once you have finished your supper." A pause. "That is our agreement."

You ball your hand into a fist, fresh blood seeping forth. "Yes, I am aware. Once we have finished dining, we can then be rid of one another. You have made that plain."

A muscle in his jaw feathers, his eyes slowly closing for only a brief moment before he looks at you again. He had hurt your feelings.

He is surprised in this. Had been even more-so that you had remained in his room—his company—well after the two of you had finished eating. It was beginning to become a habit of yours; staying at his side, even when not dining.

He'd thought, at first, that, perhaps, it had been your way of trying to get out of this arrangement. Thinking if you managed to vex him day after day, he would eventually give in and give up.

Instead, he now realizes you had done it simply to spend time with him.

It is not as if you have many others to do so with.

None at all, really.

One in the same, indeed.

He reaches forward, gently taking your hand again in his. "Forgive me, Y/N. It was not my intentions to—"

You interrupt him yet again. "I know very-well of your intentions, Ser," you say with vehemence. "I know you would rather see me dead. But, as I am the King's daughter, I must, instead, be kept alive in my cage, ready to be auctioned off to the highest bidder when I finally come to be of use. That is my value to you. To him. To—"

He flinches at the accusation—to wish for your death—a grievous implication to make. "You have misjudged me, Y/N."

"Have I?" You say, laughing without humor. "I think I see you for exactly who you are. A man must be capable of a certain degree of...of... Manipulation and...having a silver tongue to retain such a position of authority over all the Realm. I know you once tried diligently to council him against it: having me legitimized. I am shocked you did not try to persuade him to not have me claimed at all. I know you would prefer my having never been born."

You think him a monster. He supposes, though, that is the very thing he has always been to you all your life.

From the outside, at the very least.

What if he finally told you, then? Measure after measure he has taken to ensure your safety. He then thinks of further courses of action he has performed over the years to assure your solitude as well.

He had caused this: your current state of melancholy. He has himself alone to blame for it.

"I hate you," you state, trying to pull away, but his grip remains firm.

"Y/N, that is quite enough. Let me make a few things clear to you. I have never desired to see you cold and lifeless. That is the very reason I am here now. It has nothing to do with the prospect of handing you off to a lord, so he may take you to wife and be pleased with what he is given. I do it for you. You, who has—"

"You care naught for anyone but yourself."

He raises a brow, temper nearly at its limit. "Is that what you think?"

You raise your chin in defiance. "That is what I know."

He squeezes your hand painfully. "You think you know so much, do you? Tell me then, what was the reason for the change of guard outside your door so many moons ago?"

You clench your jaw for a moment. "Another spy set in place by yourself, I'm sure."

He leans in closer. "Guess. Again."

You stare at him, brows slightly furrowing.

"I had him executed. Ser Alen. He was overheard making crude comments about the same young woman he had been sworn to protect. Mercy was not even a consideration of mine when I had his tongue cut out before then taking his head."

Your eyes grow wide. What...what had he done? He'd had him murdered, simply for a few offensive words? You are surprised he had not used the opportunity to his advantage—instead paying the young man handsomely to make vile accusations against you, or even offering you to him for a wife, since he had been so clearly interested.

You open your mouth. "I—" You shut it.

He speaks again, eyes dark. "There is no measure I will not take to ensure your well-being. My Lady."

He leans back, releasing you. "Though, I suppose I was the one who needed chastened for abhorrent behavior toward yourself for all these years. Perhaps..." He looks away then, staring into the fire.

You remain silent. Heart pounding, feeling faintly nauseous. You'd never known him at all.

He sighs. "Perhaps I saw you as mine alone to torment."

[herodrowned]

[[ the duality of o.tto o.ctavius in my replies rn ( cc: @arandomnerdsrp578​ / @herographed​ ) ]]

[mllemarianne]

Ook quick thoughts about episode 10 (SPOILERS, OBVS)

I’ve just finished watching and I have to say things. I’ve read the book.

Daemon and Rhaenyra reacting to Viserys’s death was sad. And obviously, they would think the greens slayed him now that they’ve gone.

Why would Daemon be so absent early in the episode. Woudn’t loosing Laena to childbirth be some sort of a trigger when he is finaly with Rhaenyra?

They cut so much shots from the break down on the beach. I feel like they wanted to bring back the Daemon we had in episode 1-2. To me, it doesn’t make any sens after episode 7 and 8. I thought he would be mourning Visenya as well…. Oh well.

Errik with the crown! And Daemon crowning his queen. Finally! 🙌

Daemon being sooo protective of his queen while Otto speaks to her ❤️ Loved seeing him toying with his sword and knife desperately looking at Rhaenyra for a signal. Chefs kiss.

And evrything went to shit

Don’t even get me started on the chocking. I get that he was upset. It was the last nail in the coffin. Viserys never gave Daemon the attention/love he was craving. In that moment, I also believe Rhaenyra reminded him of Viserys being a weak king (blindly preaching peace when war was inevitable). Yet it feels so out of character of him to fucking chocke her after the growth we have seen this season. They made it seem like they are fucking soul mates, afterall. My guess is that they needed to remind us who he is, deep down.

Regardless, I would say that when he tells Rhaenyra that Luce died, at least they seemed ok (?) I don’t know.

Lucerys and Jaecerys being so brave, my babies

I hate to say this (ecause Im a Daemon babe till the end) but Aemond looked so fucking good in this episode.

Loved the interaction between Luce and Aemond.

I have to question his intent while chasing Luce with Vaghar tho. What did you expect dude.

I’ve read the book and I hated Aemond with a fiery passion. Making it look like he didn’t intend to kill Luce is a nice touch, not gonna lie. It shows that even though he has the biggest dragon, he is not yet the best of dragon riders.

So they did make the greens less evil in the show, more nuanced. They made Alicent a victim in all of this. And now, Aemond accidently killed Lucerys.

But really, WHAT WAS YOUR INTENT, AEMOND? You were about to rip out his eye a moment before. Then you are chasing him in the storm FOR WHAT? Just to scare him? I need some explanation behind the thought process, dude.

That battle was great. I knew what was coming but then end still caught me off guard.

I wished…. I so wished that the season would end with Daemon’s famous line « an eye for an eye, a son for a son. Lucerys will be avenged. » Since they made Daemon so cold and war hungry this episode, I thought they would end it on that note.

And that my friend, is the beginning of the rise (and fall) of Rhaenyra Targaryen.

Overall I liked it, even tho Daemon seemed out of character quite a bit.

I bet they will begin Season 2 with the blacks being more evil than they are in the book. We’ll see.

[where-theres-smoak-2]

Rhaenys Thoughts

(HOTD EP 9 SPOILERS)

I keep thinking about this scene at the end with Rhaenys and Meleys bursting through the floor and confronting the greens:

and why she didn’t just dracarys them all then and there. But thinking on it I don’t think it is as simple as lets just kill all the greens in one go. I think part of the reason she doesn’t kill them is because if she did she would be a kin slayer and that is definitely frowned upon. Correct me if I am wrong but I think in Westeros they even say that those who are kin slayers are forever cursed. So it would make sense to me that Rhaenys would be hesitant to kill members of her own blood considering this taboo that exits around kin slaying. I think Rhaenys meant this as a warning. Killing them here might be considered taboo, might mark her as a kin slayer but I think it is different when fighting in battle where its considered fair game, I think this is a show of strength, I may not kill you here but wait until we are on the battlefield together and see what I will do.

Also as much as we would like to think it would be as simple as Rhaenys burns them all and then Rhaenyra takes the throne and everyone lives in peace, in reality I don’t think it would work that way. I don’t think her just killing them all here would have brought peace or that it would have been the end of it. Otto and Alicent are not the only Hightowers, there is also Otto’s older brother. Meaning if Rhaenys had killed Otto, Alicent and her children then that would give cause for the rest of House Hightower to rise up and seek revenge. This could be a huge problem for both Rhaenys and the Velaryons as well as Rhaenyra and the Blacks because they would assume Rhaenys had been acting on behalf of Rhaenyra. The reason why the Hightowers rising up against them would be a problem is because they have strong connections with the Faith. We saw in GOT what can happen when the Faith rise up against the Crown. Also the Faith had already raised arms against the Targaryen’s in the past. Jaehaerys was called the Conciliator because he brought peace between the Faith and the Crown. If Rhaenys had killed the Greens in this moment then that could have led to the Faith taking up arms against the Blacks. 

I think Rhaenys priorities here were to give the Greens a warning but to then get the hell out of there so that she could warn Rhaenyra of what had happened. The Greens went to alot of effort to make sure Rhaenyra didn’t receive word of her father’s death and Aegon’s coronation. This was to give them more time to gather support to Aegon. Rhaenys is smart enough to know all this and so she needs to get to Rhaenyra and inform her of the King’s Death so that Rhaenyra can start gathering support to herself.   

[dragon-queensguard]

I'm so happy to hear that you don't think Daemon killed Harwin and Laenor either. Actually, I believe none of the listed suspect murderers killed Harwin. My theory is Otto Hightower did it, and here is why;

It wasn't just Harwin that was murdered. It was his father who died as well. Why kill him? Neither Daemon, Corlys nor King Viserys had a motive to do this. It could be Larys since he would gain control of House Strong, though there is nothing to indicate him being this hideous to slay both his old father and brother. However, someone else gains too. The Greens gain another powerful house by eliminating both Rhaenyra supporters. Also, Otto Hightower gain his position of being Hand of the King back from Lyonel's death. So, Otto had a lot to gain by getting rid of them.

If Laenor's murder had been planned, it wouldn't have been Daemon. It would have been more likely Rhaenyra. Remember though Daemon had ordered Blood and Cheese to avenge Luke's death, it was Mysaria who actually hired the men and arranged it all. She would be the one to arrange such a matter again. As Daemon's longtime lover, it's doubtful she would willing do it for Daemon to get Rhaenyra, but she would do it to gain Rhaenyra as an ally. Honestly, how many mistresses are great friends with the wives? Rhaenyra made Mysaria her unofficial Mistress of Whispers. I wonder what she did to earn the queen's trust and ear? Maybe get rid of man who wouldn't sleep with her?

Lol these are my picks for murderers. What do you think?

Wow, you know what? I was so focused on Harwin’s death at Harrenhal that I didn’t even think that his father might’ve been the main target to begin with! I’d always assumed it was Larys, simply because he was so mysterious and I could never figure out his deal, so it was entirely plausible to me that he could kill his father and older brother. Now granted if the Greens were behind it to free up the position of Hand, it would be a bit of a gamble, as Viserys would ultimately make the choice as who would replace Lyonel. But I’m sure there were plenty of Greens at court (especially Alicent) to be reminding Viserys that Otto did a good job (debatable, but book Viserys was easily swayed on a lot of things).

I would disagree on the Rhaenyra killing Laenor and using Mysaria as a middleman. Rhaenyra was never shy to express her discontent with people, and people on the sidelines were quick to note rocky relationships within the court, but by and by there’s no indication Rhaenyra disliked or resented Laenor. I think she was quite content with her relationship with him, and her other relationships with Harwin, Laena, and Daemon. Additionally, it’s noted that Laenor was by her side as she gave birth (something that wasn’t even expected of men who definitely sired the child being born), and Rhaenyra had to give the okay for Laenor to name their third child Joffrey. And Rhaenyra’s greatest defense against the claim of her children being bastards was probably the fact that Laenor fully embraced them as his, so killing him off would put her sons that she loves at a disadvantage. At worst, Rhaenyra and Laenor were polite acquaintances working together to fool the court. At best, and my personal favorite interpretation, they were very close friends, with Rhaenyra being genuinely saddened by his death. I still believe that Qarl killed Laenor in a spur of the moment fight since he did it in public where he could’ve easily been caught, but he lucked out and managed to escape. Daemon just caught the blame for it thanks to his notorious reputation and the fact that he did ultimately benefit greatly from Laenor’s death.

Mysaria is, like Larys, really hard for me to figure out. I always kind of pictured her and Daemon as being like “we’re not in love, but we’re certainly in this together.” Scheme partners with benefits, as it were. I don’t think Mysaria had to really work for Rhaenyra’s trust because Daemon had Rhaenyra’s trust, and he is certainly the one who vouched for Mysaria and introduced them. Something must have happened between Mysaria and Daemon after they took King’s Landing, since I think her aim was to hurt Daemon by telling Rhaenyra that Nettles needed to be killed.

[roseofithaca]

(More liveblog thoughts)

Ser Criston is still writing Taylor Swift songs ten years on. Get over it, dude!

I do not need to see this with Aegon. Ew.

"You may cuff him about as you wish at home." Omg Alicent you are just the worst now, aren't you!

Ceraxis! Missed you buddy!

YOU DIDNT SHOW US HOW LAENOR FOUND AND MOUNTED VHAEGAR?! SON OF A BENCH!

Daemon teaching his girls High Valyrian 😍

Lifelong bond? Sure...Grandpa, go back to your legos.

You can spell it with a Q but "Carl" is still funny to hear in this world.

The Rhaenyra x Laenor brotp was fun while it lasted. :(

Daemon ignores his youngest because she's not a dragonrider? Deckhead.

Does Viserys have anymore blood to cough up after ten years?

Rhaenyra is trying!! My heart!!

FORK OFF ALICENT.

Ha, Viserys throwing shade at Otto in front of his daughter. Slay.

Partial to you? He pimped you out to the King, dummy.

AND NOW TIME TO LOOK THE FORK AWAY.

Daemon refuses to do what Viserys did to Aemma. This is why he has the fangirls. Also the leprosy.

Laena commanding Vhaegar to kill her and Vhaegar doesn’t want to. 😭😭 Love the subtitles; "deep, gentle growl".

The kids are not bastards! By Westeros law, Laenor legitimised both of them and they have their mothers name!

Ugh if this is the last time Rhaenyra and her kids see Viserys then I don't like how they're speedrunning this part of the books.

And we don't even get a final goodbye between Rhaenyra and her dad, that's very lame, show.

Ha the show teased us at the start making us think Daemon was a good dad. Nope. "Mom's dead, girls, see ya."

Very angry about Laena. 😡 The show cut out her close friendship with Rhaenyra. And in the books she tries to reach Vhaegar to ride her again, not to commit suicide.

[thorofasgard007]

Casting my WIP:  “Blade of Penance Volume I:  Bore of Great Sacrifice”

Haven’t posted anything in a while thought I would put up a fun game for us aspiring authors out there.  My first draft nears completion.  Just a the final fight, “mop-up” and a couple appendices to write.  Hoping to be done this week while I am on vacation. *fingers crossed*

Anyway, I saw a YouTube video posted by an authortuber I follow named Kim Chance where she went through the dream casting of her newest book Seeker (soon to be released here is the video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5Rmhm8HhE8).  I was thinking while I was running some errands earlier today I should do something similar.  If my novel(s) ever get made into a movie whom would I cast as each character?  So I decided to post that here and see what other authors/aspiring authors would cast as their characters.  Name the character, a brief description of them, then the actor/actress and why you would cast them.  

Here are the rules:  #1)  You have to use the actors/actresses as they are TODAY.  No using “Early 80′s Arnold” or Clint Eastwood like he was when he played Dirty Harry.  It also goes without saying you can’t use actors that have retired from acting or passed away.  #2)  If there is a seminal movie/tv show in your genre you cannot use actors from that franchise.  Since this rule can really make things difficult you can use up to TWO exceptions to rule #2.  Since my WIP is epic fantasy both actors from Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings movies and Game of Thrones are disqualified.

Okay here we go.

Dorath:

The father of my hero Kaaldor.  A former general and hero of the Battle of Gos.  The last scion of the House of Dranus who’s progenitor alongside Ka’Reyus The Elven Warrior King lead the Great Liberation against the Dragon Rule of Rab Yangin 500 years ago.  Few either human or elf could match his skill with the blade save maybe one.

At first I thought of The Most Electrifying Man in Sports Entertainment:  Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.  I even used his physique as a bit of a template when I was doing up his character model.  However in the end I thought he should be cast a bit younger (Don’t hit me with the People’s Elbow Rock.)

Therefore I will use one of my exceptions early and go with Aquaman, aka Kahl Drogo, Mr. Jason Mamoa.

Ka’Reyus:

The Elven Warrior King and Grandfather to my hero.  Unquestionably the greatest warrior alive.  Has gone unmatched in swordsmanship for over 500 years.  Single headedly fought and slew three dragons at once.  Him and Dranus (Dorath’s ancestor) tag-teamed to slay the corrupted dragon lord Rab Yangin to free the continent of Kalis from drake rule.  Is Dorath his equal as a warrior??? SPOILERS :)

For him I batted around a few choices including Liam Neeson and Russel Crowe of course cgi would have to be used to size them down because as an elf Ka’Reyus was only 5 feet tall.

I finally decided on Wolverine himself (aka Jean ValJean, aka PT Barnum) Hugh Jackman.

(Yes this is an older pic... but I wanted one of him as Wolverine :) )

Princess Almelphia:

Mother of Kaaldor.  Only child of Ka’Reyus.  The unchallenged beauty of Elvendom.  All the nobility compete for her attention not only for her beauty but that whomever she chose as her husband would be the likely successor to the elven throne.  She is also is the only member of the royal house with any magical ability, even though it is just limited to reading the memories left behind on things/people that she touches.  While my hero was growing up she always called him her “little champion” and he did everything he could to live up to that title.

She was a tough choice.  If I wanted to use my second exception I would have chosen The Khalessi herself Emilia Clarke but considering Jason Mamoa is Dorath… that may be a little much.  I also considered Miranda Otto (aka Eowyn) but again didn’t want to use my second exception.  Therefore I decided to go with Jenna Coleman aka Clara Oswald from Dr. Who, and Queen Victoria on Victoria.

Here she is from the “Robin Hood Episode” of Dr. Who so you could see how she would look in a fantasy setting.

Ka’Vatch:

Lifelong friend of Ka’Reyus and Elvul Ka’s(the elven nation’s) foremost smith.  Him and Ka’Reyus both learned their weaponry by working his father’s forge.  Growing up Kaaldor learned from Ka’Vatch at the same forge.  To be a great warrior you must both know your weapons and then know yourself.  The weapons part started with Ka’Vatch after an 8 year old Kaaldor hid in his smith from bullies that didn’t like that he was half human.

For him I thought about Michael Ironside.  Granted you usually see him as a bad guy (and he plays a great villain, especially with his voice work... if they ever do a live action version of Darkseid they should have him reprise the role from his voice work on Superman: TAS etc).  However age is a factor.  Therefor I chose Josh Brolin aka Thanos… aka Cable.

Ka’Draoi: (pronounced Ka’ DREE, gotta love Gaelic)

Grand Thaumaturge of Elvul Ka’ and one of the world’s most powerful wizards.  He draws his power from the Blue Flame like all elves and fought along side Ka’Reyus and Dranus in The Great Liberation.  Being such a long time friend of the king he can often get away with breaches of proper decorum and has been known to have a bit of a ...shall we say “unique” sense of humour.

My original choice for this role was of course Sean Connery... but he has been retired from acting for some time.  I thought about Terrance Stamp (aka General Zod from Superman II, my all time favourite movie villain) but decided against it.  I didn’t want to use another exception or to be seen as him being a Gandalf clone so no Sir Ian McKellan.

In the end I chose another James Bond Pierce Brosnan, he can command the regal presence and wisdom Ka’Draoi needs, plus have the comic timing to pull off the sense of humour needed.

Ok.  That covers Kaaldor’s family and the elves.  Now lets move on to some more human characters.

Admiral Jagaran:

He is the Admiral of the Palan fleet (the main villain nation of the story) and in command of its new flagship The Jorgmundr (a ship completely made of dragonbone).  He is a very skilled warrior, especially at see and a cunning strategist.  He always takes the most straightforward path to victory whether it is an honourable choice or not.  However he has been known to let his ego get the better of him.

My first choice was Peter Wingfield.  Highlander fans will recognise him as Methos from the 90′s Highlander TV series.  (As a point of trivia I watched some of Methos’ sword fights on the series to map out some of this character’s move sets).  However he has apparently retired from acting and at last report was pursuing a career in medicine.

So instead I went with Rome’s Ray Stevenson, he has been in many other things but I mostly know him as Titus Pullo on Rome, Volstagg from the MCU and as Frank Castle in Punisher: War Zone (I should dust that one off I haven’t watched it in a while)

Anonyus:

The Mage assigned to the Jorgmundr.  Although he technically outranks Jagaran as he is a mage his role on the ship is similar to that of a “political officer” on the old Soviet ships.  He is your classic sadist that makes King Joffrey and Reese Bolton look like boy scouts.  He prefers to invoke fear in his adversaries of what he may do than to actually inflict the pain.

For him I went back to the MCU and chose Tom Hiddleston, aka Loki.  I just love him as a villain.

(Point of trivia... he originally auditioned for the part of Thor... go fig because he was so good as Loki.)

Armorton:

The chief slave-driver on The Jorgmundr, and a sadist son of a... gun (trying to keep this PG) in his own right.  He takes perverse pleasure in publicly and brutally executing slaves that can no longer work in the bowels of the ship... or just make an example of.  As he is more a hand to hand brute than a swordsman I went with a wrestler/actor for him.  Dave Bautista from Guardians of the Galaxy (gee I am pulling a lot from the MCU) and Spectre, also a former WWE Champion.

Ok... let’s get away from the villains for a bit.

Dex:

The classic dashing rogue.  Thinks he is “the pyres” gift to women and even names his lockpicks after his conquests.  Never met a maiden he didn’t want to hit on.  Or a full coin-purse he didn’t want to cut.  Always ready with a witty retort but also willing to help when he sees something unjust.  Kaaldor sometimes sees him as his best friend... and other times wants to punch him.  But they somehow make it work as they defend the village of Belieret from the warlord Tyv.

This character needs the comic timing that only Ryan Reynolds can provide.  I have been a fan of his since he was in Blade: Trinity (not as bad as everybody says) and he was dead on casting as Deadpool.

Klok:

A Baegian merchant that is one of the few in Belieret willing to learn how to fight to protect his new home.  His own brother betrayed him when the Baegian King became a vassal for Q’Rab The Sorcerer King of Palis and Klok began to speak ill of the new regime.  He couldn’t let hit happen again with Tyv.

I have chosen a bit of an odd choice.  A TV actor named Alimi Ballard.  He has been on many TV shows but I mostly remember him as David Sinclair on Numb3rs.

Ok lets do some more villains then we will go for the Hero and Heroine.

Tyv:

The warlord that is pulling the old extortion racket on the village of Belieret.  He blames Ka’Reyus for ***SPOILERS***.  Little do the villagers know he is just a cog in the machinery of one of Q’Rab’s plans.  In the meantime he plans to take his revenge on Ka’Reyus by sending him Kaaldor’s head.

For this I am going cast Clancy Brown, mostly because he played my #2 all time favourite movie villain The Kurgan in Highlander.  You would also recognise him from The Shawshank Redemption and Starship Troopers.  He as also done a lot of voice work, including Lex Luthor for Superman: TAS, Savage Oppress on Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Mr. Krabs on SpongeBob SquarePants (lol).

Hespera:

Apprentice to the Sorcerer Q’Rab and Master/Mistress to Anonyus.  She suffers no failure and many of her apprentices have felt her wrath.  None have lived to tell the tale.  Her vanity is her weakness and although devoted to Q’Rab for centuries she has been known to have her own machinations to undermine his plans.  You only briefly see her in the first book... but I plan to have her take a much larger role in book 2.

For her... if she is willing to be a redhead my first choice is Wonder Woman herself Gal Gadot.  She can be both regal, the flirt to ensnare men but then switch gears to be something menacing all at once.

(come on I had to choose a Wonder Woman pic... all the world is waiting for you... and the powers you possess :) )

Q’Rab:

Sorcerer King of Palis and has ruled for over 200 years.  He draws his power from the Black Flame and rarely gets his hands dirty himself but is always a Master of Puppets pulling strings from afar.  All under his rule are fanatically devoted to him.  Whenever he is mentioned they finish the sentence with “May his reign be eternal”.   It has yet to be determined who is the more powerful wizard if him and Ka’Draoi were to meet in a duel, and the true goal of his plans while he is at war with the nation of Corlot are ****SPOILERS****.  His origins are ***SPOILERS***.

For him I went with a bit of an odd choice, I needed a classical type of actor but one that wasn’t your standard English baddie.  I went with Alexander Siddig.  While best known as Dr. Bashir on Star Trek:  Deep Space Nine, he also has a long movie and TV career including 24, Gotham on the small screen and Kingdom of Heaven and The Nativity Story on the big screen.  If he can pull off both The Angel Gabriel and Ra’s Al Ghul he can pull of Q’Rab.  (Note:  As he was also Doran Tyrell on Game of Thrones... he is my second exception)

Ok... you are saying enough with the villains.  Fine lets get to the main event.  My hero and heroine.  First the Heroine:

Renna:

Daughter of the captain of The Divine Lady, the ship that Kaaldor is a passenger on when The Jorgmundr strikes.  While able to fight for herself knows when she is out of her depth and instead fits into the facilitator role to get Kaaldor what he needs to win.  She can also act as the diplomat to Kaaldor’s brute force as she knows not every problem can best be solved by the right amount of smashing.  She is not the damsel in distress like Lois Lane that always needs a Superman to rescue her, but she also knows she doesn’t have to be Xena to be strong either.

This one was a hard choice... The aforementioned Jenna Coleman was a strong contender at one point.  I also considered Rosa Salazar (loved her in Alita Battle Angel) however in the end (maybe because I just did a binge watch of Cobra Kai over the Labour Day Weekend) I chose Mary Mouser (Samantha LaRusso on Cobra Kai).  Her look is the right combo of innocence, beauty and strength which is what you need to play Renna.

Finally.

Kaaldor:

The hero of the story.  Half-elf and half human.  Trained by his grandfather since he was eight years old to be a warrior without equal.  He was even able to fight Ka’Reyus to a draw.  Though of the elvish royal family very few fully accept him as part of elvish society.  He can never let an injustice stand and sometimes gets himself deep in a bad situation by acting without thinking.  But still is the one willing to act when others are too scared to.  In the end he must complete his quest to ***SPOILERS***

For him I originally thought of Daniel Cudmore, I best remember him as Colossus in X-Men 2 and X-Men 3 (boy did three SUCK).  However in the end thought a Hemsworth was a better fit.  Not Chris (Thor)… but Liam (Expendables 2, The Hunger Games).  (Note:  He will probably have to bulk up a bit as when I wrote the character I was thinking “Early 80′s Arnold”)

Well There you go... It was a lot of fun going through this.  For all you authors/aspiring authors out there... lets see your own lists.  Use the Tag below. :)