#Jaehaerys was really careful on who got a dragon

[problemswithbooks]

Look, Alicent is one of my favorite characters and I'm generally more team Green then Black but some of the stuff you claim is just not correct. Mostly the stuff about Viserys.

His conscience pained him badly afterward, and he decided to name Rhaenyra his heir. Nevertheless, he wanted a young woman to sleep with; he didn’t want a wife, he didn’t want more kids, and he had already named his heir. But he married Alicent and had those kids anyway.

Where are you getting this from? Viserys, book or show is not portrayed as a sexual/horny character. He is not Daemon who is often shown with whores or flirting constantly with young Rhaenyra. If he just wanted a young woman to fuck he could have easily scores of them, just like Robert did on the OG series. He didn't marry Alicent because it was his only way to have sex with teenager.

No, he didn't necessarily want to re-marry. He tells Rhaenyra as much when she's mad at him. But that doesn't mean he only married Alicent because he wanted no-strings attached sex. He marries her because his council is pressuring him to do so, and he knows they're right.

She does the bare minimum whenever they are together: the bare minimum of eye contact and conversation. Viserys was SO PERVERSE that even with the minimum attention from a teenager he wanted to fuck her. Not even make her his wife because he didn’t want another wife.

Again, what are you talking about? He didn't pick Alicent because he just wanted an easy lay. We see that he genuinely seems to enjoy her company. That doesn't mean she's trying to seduce him or anything, but it also doesn't mean Viserys is a sex crazed perv. He doesn't flirt with her and the scenes are not shot in a way where they are implying he is driven by his lust for her. If you want scenes like that look at the ones between Daemon and young Rhaenyra.

No, Viserys instead is shown as having actually grown fond of her and appreciative of her kind words. No, he did not want a new wife, but if he needs to re-marry he seems to want to marry someone who he has a connection with. Is he reading to much into Alicent's kindness? Yes, but that doesn't mean he's some old man whose sole motivation is fucking a teenager.

And I’m saying that he didn’t want a wife because of what he’d done before to Aemma. He had already made up his mind that (to console his own conscience and to honor Aemma’s memory) he would make Rhaenyra his heir. SO HE DIDN'T NEED ANY MORE HEIRS. Then why does he get married and have some more?? BECAUSE HE IS AN IDIOT and because he just wanted a young bride.

Yes, he needed more heirs. It doesn't matter that he picked Rhaenyra as his heir. Daemon was the only spare he had if something happened to her, something his council would not be okay with. Heck, the only reason Viserys is King as it is, is because every heir Jaehaerys picked died. This happened even though he and his wife had thirteen children.

So to say that Viserys was and idiot who only took a second wife because he wanted to bang a teenager (despite being able to fuck however many teenage sex workers he wanted, like Daemon did) is ridiculous. He needed to have more kids just in case Rhaenyra did expectantly. I think this is even pretty easily backed up by the fact that he stopped having kids as soon as Rhaenyra had a child of her own despite the fact that Alicent was defiantly still able to have more at the time.

This isn't me saying Viserys didn't make mistakes or you can't hate him, but at least get the facts straight. He did ignore his kids with Alicent (at least in the show, in the book he at least seemed to spend a lot of time with Helaena). He didn't find them suitable positions that would better integrate them into Rhaenyra's court when he passed away. He wasn't a good husband to Alicent, especially later on in their marriage.

But to reduce his character down into lecherous, evil, old pedo man is just not correct. The anon was wrong to boil Alicent down into someone who should have just been a better friend or implying she had any ability to not marry Viserys. Yet, that doesn't mean Viserys is just a horny old man either. It's not supposed to be so black and white and even if the show favors the Blacks, everyone is supposed to be multifaceted characters. Portraying Viserys as just a horny old dude looking for a way to get some sex even if leads to unwanted kids is really shallow and just not what we see in either the book or show. That doesn't take away from Alicent--it was still awful for her. Viserys's intent doesn't change that she was miserable or that he made mistakes that doomed everyone. It just means he's not a cartoonishly one-dimensional character.

I know u won't get my point, but Alicent should have paid more attention to Rhaenyra and respected her and her father's wishes and not have installed her fucking son on the throne. Things started going south when she married Viserys and when she wanted to strip Rhaenyra off her birthright

How about, no?

*Long Rant Incoming:*

1) Viserys didn't talk about "birthright." In the eyes of the smallfolk, Aegon has the "birthright" to rule simply because he is a male Targaryen heir. Alicent's position was vulnerable because Viserys never actually promised Alicent that Aegon would be king but neither did he specify exactly what his role would be and that was the point… all his children wanted his attention and love, and a place to belong. Viserys didn’t know what he wanted. Before naming Rhaenyra his heir, he wanted a son so desperately that he killed his wife for it. His conscience pained him badly afterward, and he decided to name Rhaenyra his heir. Nevertheless, he wanted a young woman to sleep with; he didn’t want a wife, he didn’t want more kids, and he had already named his heir. But he married Alicent and had those kids anyway. He really was so irresponsible and on top of that, he tells Alicent in episode 3 that he thinks he probably was wrong in making Rhaenyra his heir because of his dream/prophecy, so ofc Alicent was worried. Honestly, he could have made his mind up about Rhaenyra and shut up about it. Or he could have actually thought of his other kids and given them some work to do and trained them for some position if he truly cared for them. From the moment they existed, they were his responsibility. And for sure it makes sense why his kids by Alicent, not having known any special love from their father, would want to finally claim a position for themselves.

So, Viserys set the Dance in motion by his choices. If he had supported his Targtower kids and ensured they wouldn’t be threatened by their mad uncle (Daemon; who hated them just because they were Otto's and Alicent's blood) in the succession, then Alicent would have fewer reasons to establish Aegon on the throne.

2) Alicent spent time with Viserys because she had always considered her own self in reference to the Targaryens. What was she if not Rhaenyra’s childhood companion? When Otto compels her to visit Viserys she doesn’t want to. She brings along the book of histories she used to read to Rhaenyra. What else can she offer to the Targaryens? This is what they like: to talk about their legacies and their histories. So she might as well read to him, right? There’s no harm done. And she went. She does the bare minimum whenever they are together: the bare minimum of eye contact and conversation. Viserys was SO PERVERSE that even with the minimum attention from a teenager he wanted to fuck her. Not even make her his wife because he didn’t want another wife. And you see how surprised Alicent is when he declares so matter-of-factly that he will wed Alicent, no questions asked. Because she was the easiest bride-but-no-wife choice of them all. She already had her father in court who was a megalomaniac, and Viserys thought that by marrying Alicent he was giving Otto what he always wanted: greater opportunities for social climbing. So he’d stay out of his way, right? That’s what he wanted all along, right? So I can have your daughter any way I like, right? (Because had he married Laena, can you imagine being so chill with Corlys as a father-in-law? Ofc he wouldn’t desire anything potentially restrictive for him.) And I’m saying that he didn’t want a wife because of what he’d done before to Aemma. He had already made up his mind that (to console his own conscience and to honor Aemma’s memory) he would make Rhaenyra his heir. SO HE DIDN'T NEED ANY MORE HEIRS. Then why does he get married and have some more?? BECAUSE HE IS AN IDIOT and because he just wanted a young bride. He is the reason the war began, and his reckless choices, not Alicent wanting some compensation for her years of mistreatment and suffering. Because even after he got married and had those kids he still had time to make things right but he didn’t.

So Alicent didn’t marry Viserys, it was the other way around. He lusted after her and wed and bed her. Teenage Alicent couldn’t and wouldn't go against the will of the King.

3) Regarding the friendship between Alicent and Rhaenyra it was actually the opposite: Alicent many times tried to defend her and had her back even when Viserys and Otto believed the rumors of her losing her maidenhood (which as an unmarried heir was an insult to the crown). Alicent didn’t want to believe it and she supported her! However, even earlier than that, Rhaenyra cast Alicent off without understanding or offering consolation for the predicament she found herself in. She never tried to understand Alicent and never really paid enough attention to what her friend was going through even before she married Viserys. Alicent was alone and without a friend and Rhaenyra should have paid more attention to her.

4) Things really started to go south when Rhaenyra betrayed Alicent's trust by lying to her and continuing to flout her freedom, special treatment, and life without consequences to Alicent's face. The reason Rhaenyra had bastards and married Laenor was her own fault in the first place. Alicent tried to encourage Viserys to look for any potential suitors for her, and Rhaenyra had every opportunity to make the right choice but no, she messed it up by seeking out Daemon and then sleeping with Criston, so she brought it to herself. After what she did, there was no suitor available apart from Laenor, and her father forced her to marry him because no one else would. And then she had three Strong kids, making every mistake after the other (although I understand her completely: she had to have those kids because she wanted heirs and because that’s her body her choice, you know? She can sleep with whomever she wants) but at the same time, the game they all play is political and during the time and age we’re discussing, it was a big deal if you had bastard kids, especially since there already were THREE legitimate male Targaryen heirs whose fate was unsure and further endangered by Rhaenyra's actions. But it wasn’t Alicent’s fault that Rhaenyra had those kids, it was her own choice and she had to live up to the consequences of her actions. (She did this once by taking her children away from KL because she, too, recognized that they were being pointed at too much and it was getting too obvious).

5) Alicent knew that Rhaenyra wasn’t going to hurt her kids but the system they were born in would. In case she became heir, for Rhaenyra to secure her succession and have no challengers, Alicent’s kids had to die. Those displeased by Rhaenyra could easily dethrone her if there was an active male heir free to roam around Westeros. Alicent's sons would always be a challenge to Rhaenyra. And maybe Rhaenyra hadn’t thought about it per se and I trust that she never had vile intentions towards the kids (despite the deleted scenes where she gives death stares to Aegon) and despite never calling them by their names or developing a relationship with her siblings. Her own council and her uncle-husband would advise her to kill them. Their position wasn’t safe. Viserys could have secured it by giving them land and titles instead of the throne and by having them bend the knee to Rhaenyra but he didn’t. So their position was very much vulnerable because again, he didn’t care at all what happened to them, but Alicent, claiming the throne for her son, and saving his life the only way she knew how, DID.

[dragondream-ing]

If someone defends Rhaenyra’s usurpation because of tRaDiTiOn, they better be waving a Maegor banner proudly.

I’m being serious.

So many people in this fandom care about the tradition of Westerosi inheritance and act like yelling about it justifies team green’s actions. They never seem to take into consideration what it means.

This post is inspired by my allergy to inconsistency and hypocrisy. Here we go.

The only consistent tradition of Targaryen succession is the ruler choosing their own heir. Sometimes that aligned with Westerosi tradition, often it did not. And it started with the very first heir. So either you admit Maegor was the rightful heir over Aenys, or you admit he wasn’t because Aegon the Conqueror said so.

Let me explain.

Visenya was Aegon’s first wife. In Westerosi tradition, Rhaenys would be considered at best a mistress and her children out of the succession or, at the least, behind Visenya’s children. The lords accepted the validity of Aegon’s plural marriage because they didn’t have the power to oppose the Conquerors, simple as. Tradition didn’t matter in the face of dragons. It is not a genuine argument and hasn’t been since the creation of the Crown itself. House Targaryen’s exceptionalism went beyond incest and dragons from the start, and accepting Aenys as king shows the nobles accepted this when it was convenient.

So I’d like team green to be consistent. Is the king’s word law, a la Aegon choosing Aenys as his heir? Or is this a break from tradition that was only corrected when Maegor killed his nephew and took the throne?

It gets messy from here. Maegor, as we know, didn’t have a child, so he chose his great-niece, Aerea as his heir. Jaehaerys was still alive, he could’ve chosen him. Heck, that might’ve eased like a drop of the tension between him, Jaehaerys and Alyssa Velaryon. So if you’re a tradition truther, Maegor was the proper king but then chose an untraditional heir. Hmm.

Then we get to Jaehaerys, and a tradition truther might think YES, THAT’S OUR GUY. But he’s really not.

Yes, he stopped considering his eldest living child, Daenerys, as his heir after Aemon was born. But then Aemon died.

Aemon did, however, die with an heir. Her name was Rhaenys. In Westerosi tradition, she’d inherit after him, because a daughter inherits before a brother. Now, I know the lords do all sorts of things to circumvent this (see Alys Karstark), but that *is* Westerosi tradition.

Did Jaehaerys follow tradition? Nope. He picked his second oldest son, Baelon.

Some might say there are logical reasons for this. Baelon was a warrior, older, and had grown sons. Rhaenys was like 18, married to an ambitious lord not named Targaryen, and at risk of dying in childbirth (Baelon was named heir in 92, Rhaenys had her first child in 92). HOWEVER, we see with Jeyne Arryn becoming Lady of the Vale while still a *toddler* that Westerosi tradition doesn’t set aside claims merely because such concerns exist. In fact, in ASOIAF, some Lannister married an f-ing BABY to lay claim to her lands because *she* is the acknowledged inheritor.

You could argue that it matters more when it’s the Crown, and I’ll concede that while pointing out you’ve made my argument for me: isn’t that a good reason for the Crown to do what it wants instead of following traditions that hamstring it?

If you’re a tradition truther, however, you should be in a rage and insisting Rhaenys inherit, and you should be outraged by what was done to her at the Council of 101 after Baelon dies. Her claim wasn’t even considered, Laenor’s was—ya know, her toddler son who got his claim *through* her.

So then Viserys takes the throne and continues the Targaryen custom of choosing his heir. And the tradition truthers of the fandom rise up and boo, and they cry “duty and sacrifice! What about tradition!?”

Just admit that the lords of Westeros, Alicent, her merry band of greens, and the fans that make excuses for them didn’t and don’t care about tradition unless it suits them, and they only become vocal about it when a woman stands a good chance of inheriting over a man.

Viserys never wavered in his choice, the realm knew it and so did the greens. This is precisely why Rhaenyra had far more support than her brother, and why the argument that the realm wouldn’t accept her is bs. The realm DID accept her. Because they understood something many in this fandom struggle to

There was only one consistent tradition of royal succession between the Conquest and the Dance: the ruler chooses their heir.

[undertheorangetree]

How to Improve HOTD S2

This is truly just me feeling frustrated with the second season and screaming into the void. Feel free to ignore it I wrote it at 10pm in a hater spiral and probably have some information wrong

1. Shift away from the Alicent vs Rhaenyra thing and highlight Aegon vs Rhaenyra. It would be hard when zero relationship had been established in season 1 but after Jaehaerys’s murder it would have been SOOO easy to shift the focus of Team Green on to Aegon and make him really want to take Nyra down.

2. Speaking of Nyra I’m begging them to give her some agency. Her son was MURDERED. She spent TEN DAYS SEARCHING FOR HIS BODY. She should’ve been ready and raring to go to war at the end of episode one!! She should be doing everything she can to destroy those who took her baby boy from her!! Instead they had her crying about going to war and no one taking her seriously for 5 episodes. Let her be morally grey I’m begging you she is not a saint nor should she be

3. Introduce Ulf and Hugh WHEN they claimed their dragons. No one cares about their lives yet. Regular viewers don’t know who they are. They can talk backstory once you’ve shown why they’re important

4. While we’re introducing characters GIVE US SOME TIME WITH DAERON. Non book readers have no idea who he is. Establishing his place in Oldtown, the fact that he has a dragon, the dichotomy between himself and his brothers all would have been GREAT to see before they started throwing his name around.

5. More screentime for the younger generation! Helaena lost so much of her arc due to them removing her fall into madness (which I’m not mad at btw) but showing her grief would’ve still been nice. Baela is ride or die for house targaryen and that’s about all we’ve seen from her, plz give my girl some agency. Rhaena is angry about being cast aside and that’s got so much meat for character motivations but EVEN THE WRITERS ARE IGNORING HER AND GIVING HER ONE 30 SECOND SCENE EVERY OTHER EPISODE. Jace is also being done dirty, they should be establishing reasons why we should care about him and why he’s such a good heir before the battle of the gullet (which in an ideal world would’ve been where we ended season 2 but).

6. ENOUGH WITH THE HARRENHAL ARC!! The first few scenes were fine but now it’s just repetitive. Daemon wanting to be king in his own right came out of nowhere and will have zero consequences when we all know Nyra is just going to take him back when he’s done pouting. He’s literally just wandering around Harrenhal like a freak. That arc needed 3 episodes at the absolute max to establish the castle and Alys and the river lords and then he should’ve come back. I hate him but they’re wasting his character.

7. Aemond turning into a super villain?? After we established he regretted what he did to Luke?? Trying to take out his own brother for power is fine and I support you if that’s what you want king but maybe give us some more context other than “brother bullies you in front of his friends”?? Maybe my sister was just mean but that’s an average sibling experience as far as I’m concerned. It would have made more sense with the characterization they had already given him if Aemond had been given no choice but to burn Aegon in order to save him and take out Rhaneys and Meleys. The 180 into anime villain felt way too abrupt (like dany going mad sorry)

8. Alicent and Cole………… as much as I fly the Alicent is gay flag it could’ve made sense if they didn’t just immediately beat us over the head with it. We were immediately thrown in the deep end of them having a sexual relationship with zero context other than “everything you feel for me… as your queen” PERHAPS GIVE US SOMETHING MORE. I actually would have loved Alicent reclaiming her sexuality after 20+ years of having to fuck her rotting old husband but they went about it the wrong way.

9. Speaking of Alicent, I feel like they truly do not know what to do with Alicent. They took away every ounce of agency she could have had in order to make her a victim and now they don’t have anything for her to do. They just keep taking everything from her in a way that just shoves her character in a box while also trying to maintain her as one of the main characters?? It’s just all very odd to me

10. In that same vein, I feel like they don’t really know what to do with ANYONE honestly. Game of Thrones also had a big cast following multiple locations but somehow juggling between them all felt much cleaner than it does here. It’s as if they lose track of their characters and forget about them so they throw in a quick 30 second scene to be like “btw they’re still here!!”

11. I need more character interactions. Aegon/Helaena. Daemon with his children. Just people you expect to have some kind of relationship. I don’t think any of those characters have ever actually had a significant interaction with each other which feels absolutely WILD to me but

12. STOP WITH THE TEAMS!!! STOP IT!!! There is no good guy and bad guy here and there shouldn’t be. It’s a monarchy, a whole ass empire that has its roots in an even worse empire. None of the Targaryens are good. They aren’t gods. Rhaenyra has been completely screwed over due to the patriarchy but being a victim doesn’t make you a good person. She’s still sacrificing the country for her birthright. Let her be evil, morally grey, ANYTHING is better than her pushing against common sense in order to seem like a good guy. Aegon and co as well shouldn’t be portrayed entirely of super villains and victims. They’ve also done a shitty thing but at the very least give us some nuance no one is entirely good or bad.

13. This is nitpicky so it’s at the end but it’s called house of the DRAGON. I wanna see more rider/dragon interaction. I shouldn’t be introduced to a dragon the same episode it’s maimed (Sunfyre). You shouldn’t be telling me one of the main characters has a dragon when we haven’t so much as heard her speak about it (Dreamfyre). If a bond is so important between a dragon and it’s rider I want to see that bond

• IN THAY SAME VEIN why was vermithor letting nyra and daemon get all up in his grill?? They’re bonded dragonriders they’ve got their bestie, he doesn’t. Shouldn’t he have lit them up for that?? What makes them so special?? He’s barbecuing Targaryen bastards left and right but these two get a pass?? Why??

And now for some general overall complaints🫶🏼

1. Fix your pacing I’m begging you. They could have made 8 episodes work if they had let us move through the plots faster but instead there’s so much dead air. After Jaehaerys was killed we should’ve been FLYING through plot points. Two child murders are enough to declare a war started, but we still hadn’t seen any battle until episode 4 and then it stalled out again. Harrenhal doesn’t need this much screentime. You don’t need to hint at Rhaena claiming Sheepstealer for 3+ episodes. We don’t need to hum and ha about going to war for 4 episodes. There should be fewer long shots of the actors faces simply reacting and more SPEAKING. More PLOT. MORE OF ANYTHING TO MOVE THE STORY FORWARD

2. Stop repeating information. Characters constantly beat you over the head with the same information over and over again. One character will tell a person something then a second character tells that same person almost the exact same thing an episode later it’s like no one proofread the script.

3. Why are you having your actors use giant words in order to sound more period accurate?? You don’t need to repeat lickspittle every five seconds. You don’t need to use gainsay or comportment. I promise your audience knows it’s a medieval setting, put the thesaurus down you sound like an idiot

4. It’s almost totally inaccessible for non book readers. I watch with my mom and sister, neither of whom have done any research about ASOIAF but have seen GOT, and I’m constantly explaining shit to them. The showrunners rely too much on people having read them that they don’t explain anything. I know Helaena has a dragon, but they don’t because NO ONE HAS MENTIONED IT BEFORE!! BY THE SECOND SEASON!!

5. This is just a me thing but I would’ve LOVED more regional costuming. We got a hint of it with Sabitha Frey wearing a headpiece when treating with Jace and I love the idea of each region having their own specific fashion trends. The costumes are fine, some are even great, but most are lacklustre and feel too fantasy to me. I’m a history girly I want to see more hoods and headpieces and different shapes in the dresses etc etc.

Despite all this there are still some great scenes!! Aspects of this season were awesome and I think the first two episodes in particular were really strong, there is just so much lost potential this season and it has been really disappointing. I’m still gonna be sat for the finale this week but I hope that they really up their game in season three

[bietrofastimoff23]

Here's the thing that really gets me. Objectively speaking, Aegon in the original story is not a good person stretch of the imagination. He's unfaithful to his wife, he's a lazy drunk, he's spiteful to his nephews, and he becomes a crueler person as the civil war spirals out of control. And he is kind of a fucking loser if we're being totally honest. He's clearly out of his depth when it comes to military planning, and happily goes along with ideas by Criston Cole that he perceives to be "manly" ways of fighting a war. With even his victories being pyrrhic ones that see him receive crippling injuries.

So like...this is not a character who you should be able to do dirty, right? But somehow they keep finding a way! The writers are so insecure about their affection for Rhaenyra that they go out of their way to invent new scenes and flaws to add extra humiliation to a character that already got pretty brutally humiliated in the original story. Taking the one account for Mushroom that we're pretty much told outright was likely bullshit (since he literally wasn't even in King's Landing), and somehow making it even worse. And making up that nonsensical dragon pit scene for his coronation just to have Rhaenyra's side make him look impotent. People try to defend these changes with the excuse that the historical records might have missed subtle details, and I'm just like fuck right off with that bullshit. People would remember a fucking dragon bursting out of the ground and killing a hundred civilians (something that gets completely glossed over, while the Ratcatcher mass execution is dwelled upon as an atrocity).

I thought at first that maybe they were slowly improving things a bit with his depiction in Episode 2. Because bless the actor, he's fucking trying with what he's got to work with. He nailed the raw emotions of a parent that's just had their child get brutally murdered. But no, they're regressing yet again. And rewriting Criston's plan just to make Aegon look like a moron who derails everything for his own side. A rewrite that when you think about it for literally 5 seconds actually makes Criston and Aemond look like idiots. A 2v1 ambush plan is objectively a smarter and safer strategy for taking out Meleys than a 1v1 ambush plan.

Sorry to keep you waiting. I agree with everything!

The writers' favoritism is so obvious in the parallels between Rhaenyra and Aegon, where they can both do stupid things, but in Rhaenyra's case it is presented as heroism and sacrifice, and in Aegon's case he is exposed as a worthless idiot. Rhaenyra can order the torture of her mutilated brother and the murder of an innocent servant in order to legally have fuck with her uncle, and it will never be mentioned again. but when Aegon hangs the rat catchers because they can't identify his son's killer, they talk about it in a negative way in every episode and even include it in the opening.

In fact, Aegon didn't even mess up the plan in RR. Aemond could easily have joined him and their victory would have been quick, but the writers decided to spoil that for the sake of unnecessary drama.

They could easily make Aegon the bad guy of this story without trying to make him look pathetic in every damn scene. We don't have a single triumphant moment for Aegon. Even his coronation was not only depicted as gloomy and dark, but it was also spoiled for the sake of Rhaenys' girlboss moment (a mass murder that the fandom prefers to ignore). No one respects Aegon, does not appreciate him, everyone tries to manipulate him, his own council does not tell him about the plans, his mother does not care about him, his brother betrays him. And the few good things he had that made him happy (Jaehaerys, Sunfyre), he loses on the same day when hotd bothers to show them as an important part of Aegon's life.

They just can't let Aegon have anything good, because even when his character is at the very bottom, he remains one of the most interesting.

[duchess-of-oldtown]

House of the Dragon Season 2, Episode 1 Thoughts

Just clarifying, these are my own thoughts, you don't like them, don't bother telling me so. Also, I'm not a book purist, I like adaptions taking putting their own spin on things - if it makes sense to do so. So, here were my thoughts. Obvs, this post is dark and full of spoilers.

I loved the opening, the whole callback to the White Walkers which cements the true arc of ASOIAF (and feels a fuck you to s8)

THEY CALLED VHAGAR THAT HOARY OLD BITCH, ONE OF MY FAVOURITE BOOK QUOTES

Rhaenys ate, she fucking ate, that's it girl you remind Daemon of your daughter and his place (you know that Daemon loved that shit)

And Daemon? The whole mother vs the Queen speech? What do you think YOUR mother would have done? Alyssa Targaryen would have done exactly the same if it were you torn apart and you goddamn know it.

Yes, Corlys mourning Luke. Everyone mourning Luke 😭😭😭

Alyn of Hull, slay.

Am I the only one who kinda thinks that the Hightower Sigil looks a little clip-arty? It's just not it 😬

I really wish they made the scorpions look better. I just always thought that the weapons would be more advanced because they actually know dragons.

Aegon and Helaena, you can sort of see that Aegon does care about her but he just doesn't know what to do with her.

Alicent ALICENT WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK. GET THAT MAN AWAY FROM THERE

Also Criston? Giving head? Yeah, I'd think the sharks are real before I believed that.

Where was the build up to... That?

I actually fucking shuddered. SHUDDERED.

Tyland don't fucking annoy that little boy.

Terms? You killed her little boy and you sent terms?

Yes, Aegon you humiliate that Lannister bitch.

Why is Jaehaerys so sweet? 😭😭😭😭

Dalton Greyjoy mention!!

Mine are Bigger - Actual Aegon II energy

Why is Aemond sitting there like 🥺🥺🥺? You fucked up my guy.

Emma is heartbreaking.

Syrax never grew? Why she so tiny?

Arrax was so beautiful.

The actual stab of grief I got watching Rhaenyra on the beach. That was her baby. That was her little boy.

Aegon the Magnamious?

Aegon being nice on the throne? Being kind to the shepherd?

Your goats? No, sheep even better. 🙂 Aegon, I am meant to hate you.

Otto get fucked, Aegon was doing his best.

Hugh? Hugh Hammer? Girl,get the fuck out of here, asking for money and shit.

I can see a lot of ppl going to whine about them humanising Aegon but it's necessary? Complex characters and our relationships with them is GRRM's greatest skill.

Larys get away from that boy.

This is a green heavy episode. I know why but still, give us some Joffrey maybe? Some House Baratheon shitting themselves? The Great Houses getting the news and going oh fuck?

Daemon is lowkey right, Mysaria did help place Aegon on the throne but she is also right, he's only that angry with her because nobody else around.

Matt's acting is top tier because you can really see the grief, the anger and the insecurity when he's snarking.

Rhaenyra's return. Her silence, it's fucking gold.

Jace and Rhaenyra 😭😭😭😭 His lil voice. 😭😭😭

Where was Jeyne Arryn? Why no Jeyne??

The funeral 😭 lil Joffrey is too lil. Jace holding him *raptor screams*

Alicent, the fit ate but what good are prayers? Go smack that son of yours.

Somebody hug Rhaenyra. Right now. Rhaenys? Elinda? Baela? Rhaena? Hold that woman.

The CRIME HOODIE is back.

I still hate the gold cloaks' cloaks. They look like piss rags. Does nobody on the staff know what gold is? Look at Sunfyre.

The actual book quotes 🙂🙂🙂🙂

The War of Quills and Ravens, yes, yes

Aemond don't sit with Ser Incelot, he hast done thy mother

Y'know what, Aemond is a lil right, he's getting the blame for starting the war but Alicent and Otto literally laid the foundations?

Why is Criston standing for Otto? He's not a member of the royal family.

Aemond, sitting in that chair is very Daemon of you

Otto, showing off his slutty lil wrist, your pour yourself a lil drinky girl

Blood and Cheese have a lil dog with them. Please don't let anything happen to the dog.

There's something always so eerie about all those tunnels under the Red Keep. It absolutely terrifies me.

Aegon and his buddies sitting on the throne gives off fuck boi vibes and the Strong joke was actually pretty funny.

That Viserys statue is not it.

Why is Blood so fucking massive?

Cheese, did you just fucking kick that dog? I will kill what you love you absolutely bastard.

Oh, those locks. The world building, oh the worldBuilding

The atmosphere is very well captured. The music is on point.

I love the detailing of the interiors of the Red Keep, it's so much better than the OG series.

Oh Helaena.

Helaena, my love. Why Helaena, why her.

Why didn't they just check themselves?

How the fuck did the writers make Blood and Cheese that lack lustre? How the actual fuck do you fumble that?

Alicent, my fucking eyes, MY FUCKING EYES

I'm giving this a 7.5/10. Everyone else was great but HOW DO YOU FUCK UP BLOOD AND CHEESE? HOW? HOW? I DEMAND A TRIAL BY COMBAT

Also I must say, the Biblically accurate Hand of the King chain in the trailer is very good.

[lipgloss05]

I think that the scene of Daemon sneaking into King’s Landing to hire Blood and Cheese shows the audience Daemon’s true feelings and intentions regarding the events that took place since the usurpation.

On one hand, there’s Rhaenyra who wants Aemond’s head. This is reasonable. She wants revenge on the man who murdered her son. In this moment of the story Rhaenyra wants specifically Aemond’s head, not Aegon’s, not Otto’s, not Alicent’s. She wants Aemond’s head, because right now she is a grieving mother who wants revenge for the death of her child.

On the other hand, there’s Daemon who went to exact this revenge. Now, in the show, when Daemon hires Blood and Cheese he initially orders them to kill Aemond. However, Daemon is not dumb. He knows that there’s a great possibility that these two idiots are not going to be able to complete the job, so when they asked him what to do if they didn’t find Aemond (which most likely was a question they asked because they had no intention of finding him out of fear) Daemon doesn’t get angry, he simply stares at them and even though they don’t show us his answer, we know that he told them that if they couldn’t find Aemond then they should bring him the head of any other royal male (a son for a son).

What I’m trying to say with this is that Daemon did not really care about whose head Blood and Cheese would deliver him, as long as it was the head of a green royal male. While Rhaenyra wanted Aemond’s head specifically, Daemon did not care if he got Aemond’s, Aegon’s or Jaehaerys’ head. He just wanted revenge on the greens in general. He wanted to get even and to let them know that they also had a lot to lose. He wanted the greens to experience the consequences of their actions and to remind them who they were up against. Blood and Cheese was more than revenge, it was Daemon’s message to the greens that they are not as safe as they think they are and that even though they are holding King’s Landing, they are not in complete control of the city and that he (The Prince of the City) can reach them in the very place they thought they were protected without having to come on dragon back.

Up till this point, the greens had not yet experienced the consequences of their actions. Up till this point, the blacks were the only ones who were enduring the losses and pain of war. While the blacks mourned their losses, the greens were just nonchalantly strutting around the Red Keep without an ounce of remorse for what they did, thinking themselves invincible and victorious before the war actually started.

Blood and Cheese was a wake up call for the greens. And a clear message directly from the Rogue Prince himself.

[drakaripykiros130ac]

How tired I am to hear about how “romantic” and so “in love” Daemon must have been to fight that duel for Laena’s hand. Those same people are the ones who claim that Daemon never loved Rhaenyra. Seriously???

The truth is that Daemon didn’t fight that duel for Laena. He fought it for himself.

After over a decade of marriage to an Andal woman he despised, Daemon was finally free. He was mid-thirties and had the chance to take what he had always wanted: a Valyrian spouse.

The main reason why Daemon has always hated Rhea so much was because he was the only grandchild of Jaehaerys and Alysanne who was stuck with an Andal wife for the sake of an unnecessary alliance with the Vale (Viserys already consolidated that through his marriage to Aemma. She was a Targaryen by blood and an Arryn as well - two birds, one stone).

Daemon has always seen himself as the new Conqueror, so to speak, and because of his talents, he has always believed that he deserves a Valyrian wife, and Valyrian children.

Rhaenyra was the only woman Daemon desired for himself. She ticked all the boxes: Valyrian, Targaryen Princess, a dragon rider, the most beautiful girl in the Realm. And above all that, they had always been enamored with one another, their personalities matched and they greatly enjoyed each other’s company. Daemon wanted her, and with Rhea gone, he was determined to have her as the ideal wife he had always dreamed of.

Unfortunately, regardless of how much Rhaenyra herself wanted Daemon, Viserys denied them their long desired union.

With Rhaenyra set to marry Laenor, Daemon, as much as he wanted her, didn’t really have the time to wait around for her to become available again. He had an opportunity here to make his own choices. His dreaded wife was dead, and he was mid-thirties. He had no children and no fortune of his own. He couldn’t wait.

So, he moved on to the next best thing, the only other available Valyrian girl in Westeros, Laena Velaryon. She was beautiful, a dragon rider, Valyrian and heiress to the great Velaryon fortune.

Laena represented the perfect solution to all of Daemon’s problems. He could finally have a Valyrian wife (though not the one he initially wanted) who could give him Valyrian children, as well as a fortune he needed, because as a second son, he only had Caraxes and Dark Sister to his name. And there’s a bonus there as well: Laena was the sister of Rhaenyra’s husband, which would give Daemon access to Rhaenyra and an excuse to remain close to her.

So that duel he fought with the Braavosi lord was not for Laena, but for himself, to secure his future. He was not getting any younger, he wanted children and a fortune of his own. He didn’t fight that duel because he was in love with Laena. He fought it because this was his only chance to get a wife of his choosing, the only remaining Valyrian girl who fit his criteria.

Laena was his Rhaenyra replacement. Proof of that is how he married Rhaenyra not long after she was gone. He did care for her, I am sure, but he never truly loved her as he did Rhaenyra.

Seriously, if during the duel, word came that Rhaenyra was once again available and wanted him for a husband, Daemon would have instantly dropped that sword, got on Caraxes, and left Laena and the Braavosi lord with their mouths hanging open.

[alleyskywalker]

I finally got to writing down my thoughts/feelings/notes/reactions on S2E1 of HOTD. Under cut because spoilers.

Thie episode – but really just this show – had pacing issues, which was one of its biggest problems, very reminiscent of what entirely killed of the seeds of good or at least decent plot points in GoT S8. IDK what genius decided to cut the number of eps to 8 – or why, given that this show is very popular – but then they had this issue somewhat last season too. We are also starting to see how recklessly cutting characters comes back to bite you in the ass, at it’s just the start here.

With the episode/season paced as it is, there was no time to spend on Jace’s diplomatic endeavors. Were they strictly necessary? No, I guess, but they could have been…interesting? And helped him grow/develop/showcase to the audience as a character. Like, I actually want Jace to be a character this season, yk?

So given that, as much as I am sad that they cut my girl Sara Snow, I can’t be too mad about it because they just kinda…cut all of it for the most part.

The North intro was kinda funny tho. For a second I was so confused because I was like “is the KIT narrating this?” Cregan is very Northy-North lol. Is that sword Ice? “You, at least, have the mercy not to threaten me with your dragon.” – lol, I’m glad Cregan got this little snipe in at Jace for his Targ revisionism. Like, yea, sure “treated” aha. Also, I liked the little Decimation reference, complete with the white/black stones.

The Daemon and Rhaenys scene was good. I like that she takes no shit from his ass. Also liked her little monologue about how hearing of Laena’s death made her go into denial and she couldn’t start grieving until she actually saw her body. It feels very realistic.

This is not what I ever envisioned Alyn to look like lmao. He feels kinda too old? But on the other hand, I guess it maybe makes sense if he’s meant to be Corly’s son. Another question though: why are we getting introduced to him and not Addam first, given who the dragonrider will be? Are they…for some reason…merging the two brothers but keeping Alyn of the two???

AEGON this ep/season! Wow, this show is truly bipolar. First, they character assassinate him in S1 and now he’s so…idk, likeable isn’t really the word. But, compounded by TGC’s charm, he really, really has the potential to be a kind of sympathetic or at least fascinating character here. Excited to see this develop.

Loved seeing him as a father. Really, we needed more interaction between Aegon, Heleana and the twins, but you know. Pacing issues. The council scene with  Jaehaerys was adorable – that Aegon cares to bring his son into council, even if he’s a bit young for it now, but you can really see him trying to be the father he never got to have in Viserys. And you can see how much he adores this kid.

Really, Aegon, for all his impatience and lack of true competence is so clearly trying. He’s impatient to go to war, but brashness of youth of course, plus it’s not like Aemond is not chomping at the bit as well. But Aegon can be restrained (for now) and does listen to his councilors. You can say that’s a sign of his weak will, and yea in part it probably is, but it’s not a terrible trait really? For a young, inexperienced king to listen to more seasoned counsel.

AND THE PETITIONS SCENE. He genuinely wants to be a good king to the smallfolk, acknowledges them as a necessary backbone. No, he has no idea what he’s doing, but really who’s fault was that? (Looking at you, Vizzy.) It was a great bit of comic relief, especially with TGC’s acting, but also just a great portrayal of what an idealistic but really inexperienced, naïve, and not naturally-suited young king might be like. “He came all this way.” Awww. He tried lol.

Aegon and his buddies! I love seeing him have friends. Will be interested if they play any more significant roles (like during the war) than just background chatter. The banter was cute. Very dumbass teenage boys vibes.

Dalton Greyjoy mention!

Fuck Larys. That’s all I’m gonna say on that.

Aegon and Helaena’s conversation njglgjls. He really has not way how to communicate with her and she doesn’t really know how to convey her thoughts/feelings in general. But of course she’s afraid, poor girl :( But as estranged/kinda awkward their relationship is it doesn’t seem…terrible, yk?

The Alicent and Otta scene was nice. It felt like they found some understanding and a way to work together. But I do get the sense that yea, Otto is not completely satisfied with it (maybe Alicent’s definition of “victory” seemed lacking to him, which he’s not…entirely wrong there).

Luke’s funeral montage was very touching – the music was gorgeous. (I can only hope they allow Jae the same respect next ep…) Speaking of that montage, ahhhh Alicent in the sept praying for the dead… The fact this girl prays for Vizzy ffs. And also Luke. She recognizes that he was just a teenager and even though it pains her, she affords him his respect. As Criston says, “she has a gentle heart.”

Criston and Aemond’s conversation was so great on several levels!

First, of course, Aemond and his father-that-stepped-up making battle plans was great! They really do just have such a great camaraderie and dynamic of trust. Aemond believes in Criston’s excellence; they trust each other with secretive plans and vulnerable conversation. Loved the bit of Criston putting his hand on Aemond’s shoulder briefly before leaving the room.

The “that makes her a fool” line actually comes across better in context than it did in the tailer. (Although, still, who calls their mother by her name??) For one, Aemond’s frustration is understandable, he feels misunderstood and unfairly so (given that Alicent and the small council did start this whole thing, as he points out) but also he’s probably hurt, given his history with Luke. Remember how he had wanted to make a present of Luke’s eye to Alicent? He thought she was on the same page with him on this and she’s…not. Second, Aemond actually doesn’t realize this is what might be going on with Alicent – he seems kind of surprised after Criston’s explanation, the way that line is delivered. He’s having his realization out loud but he’s also not had time to digest it yet.

Ok SO I am in no way one of those weirdos who thinks that Alicent and Criston’s relationship is all about Rhaenyra (lol). BUT she is a point of common trauma for them. What Criston describes – Rhaenyra being a “cunning spider” and having an emotional influence over Alicent and Alicent capitulating to her because of her “gentle heart” is, yes, a description of Alicent, but it’s also a description of his own relationship with Rhaenyra, at least how it had felt from his POV. He understands Alicent’s feelings here so well and can empathize with her and defend her to Aemond because he loves her, yes, but also because he’s been there too.

OK, now ALICOLE.

I mean…Am I glad it’s canon? Well, yea, I’ve been shipping it super hard. Do they deserve to have consensual sex that brings them joy? Yes! Do I think it’s “hypocrisy”? Nope, lol, not matter now much TB screech that it is, it just isn’t. I’m pretty sure I’ve rebloged posts explaining why not.

That all said…man did they not handle this well, or at least certainly not in the best, most compelling way they could have. Now, I understand that my love for asexual/courtly love romance is not something most people share, so this relationship was going get physical if it was to be canon at all. Also, this show isn’t really the right genre for a drawn out slow burn romance, necessarily. But. It IS quite a big leap to suddenly go from “implied” and “romantic tension” to…fucking on a regular basis, just because Vizzy has finally kicked the bucket. Especially with these two characters.

Now, Alicent, I can get. She’s a widow, her marital vows no longer bind her. She has also completed her duty as a wife, mother and queen (re: providing heirs). Social interest in her private life is as low as it could ever be for a woman in that society. (So, not low enough really lol but historically, widows had a lot of freedom, compared to unmarried girls and wives.) But Criston? How does this work for him? His vows are still in place and he had been so heartbroken about having broken them the first time. I mean, yes, this is a very different situation and relationship. He’s older, he’s already broken those vows once so it’s like…how much he got to lose there? He can’t go back ever to NOT being an oathbreaker. But I really would have wanted to see some more set up. We should have seen them fight their irresistible pull toward each other, until they finally broke.

I did love her putting the cloak back on him afterward. A nice little anti-parallel to how he takes it off during the sex scene with Rhaenyra.

There really, really was no need to have Helaena walk in on them having sex after B&C. There had to be better ways to establish that this was a regular thing for them now and that the whole “we can’t do this again” is just Alicent/them being in denial. A way that didn’t take away from a moment that is/was supposed to be so horrific and impactful.

I do love the contrast of Alicent and Viserys always doing it missionary style and now with Criston she’s on top!

Blood & Cheese. Oh god. I have spent the last few days so angry about this. I’ve rebloged do many posts about this that I’m not sure I want to spend to much time on it. It’s just depressing at this point. But I will say a couple of things:

Helaena’s reaction does make sense to me. I’ve seen a lot of people, including TG people, saying that it was bad, and she should have been more frantic. But, frankly, she did seem pretty panicked and frantic to me. It’s just this Helaena does not emote/externalize much. At some point it seems like she almost dissociates from the situation. It’s understandable that she picks up her daughter and runs – she can’t save her son but while the assassins are distracted, of course she takes the chance to try to save her daughter. Even the necklace thing kind of makes sense. In the books, she asks them to kill her in part because she can’t stand to make the awful choice between her two boys – she’s rather die than choose. But here she hears them talk about her being a son; when they reject her necklace they also repeat how “that’s not a son.” Only a son will do, so offering her life is pointless, but trying to outbid the person who hired them might not be.

 The people (TB, lbr) shrieking about how this was Alicent and Criston’s fault are just willfully dense. If Alicent wasn’t having sex, she might have been sleeping or reading in her room or preying. There is literally nothing that implies that she would have been with Helaena if she wasn’t having sex, ffs. Also, Criston is not the only fucking kingsguard or guard. Wtf were there like no other guards idk. That’s just a plot hole/devise that looks ridiculous. But nonetheless, he 1) isn’t on duty 24/7, that’s unrealistic, and 2) is Alicent’s sworn shield, so he wouldn’t have been guarding Helaena or the kids anyway.

This is where we see that cutting Maelor was a BAD IDEA. It’s going to potentially create even more problems down the line. Who would have thought that cutting characters left and right might be an issue? /s It really diminishes the horror of Helaen’s situation and sets up this kind of unrealistic replacement choice which makes no sense because like…why would they even need her to tell them which one is the boy? It’s not that hard to feel the kids up and see which one has the right genitals, yk? I’ve seen people try to do some interesting analysis for how this scene is Thematically Relevant but nah. That’s just cope the way I used to cope with things in GoT that went wrong in the last seasons by doing metal gymnastics to try to spin them in a more palatable way for me.

But even if they fucked up on the foresight and found themselves with a situation where they needed to play this without Maelor…They could have still tried harder. For example: framing it less from the assassins’ POV and more from Helena’s, having the scene be longer, maybe in these circumstances have her try to offer her life/emote more like in the book, have Alicent actually be present too, have the rape threat against Jaehaera, have Daemon actually order Jae’s murder or at fucking least have him say “a son for a son” on screen because you KNOW the rabid part of this fanbase will act willfully blind and dumb to pretend he’s not at fault. I really think it’s that last one that makes me the most angry in the end, as the murder of a toddler is awful and horrific even without the Sophie’s choice.

And to piggy-back off that last, it’s the diminishing of the horror for TG and the whitewashing of TB as much as possible that gets to me the most, I think. They made this horrific, impactful event almost a par for the course (for the GoT/ASOIAF universe) sort of thing and with as little responsibility and plausible deniability given to TB as they could. The blatant bias (that they then have the audacity to pretend isn’t there) is infuriating.

In conclusion: there were plenty of nice things, but the disappointments really overshadowed them.

[blackcat419]

Hotd S2 E1 A Son for a Son review

It's here. Two years weight and I'm more disappointed than a vegan at Outback Stake House. Lets get into this then.

Predictions for Season 2 and if they came true

My predictions for the reactions towards Blood and Cheese were pretty damn on. People justify Jaehaery's death, missing the irony of an eye for an eye, a son for a son, when Aemond didn't get Luke's eye and Jaehaerys isn't Aemonds son, Alicent being blamed for it.

Blood and Cheese was an accident, meant to go in for Aemond, stumbled upon Helaena, and just got told who the son is, at least they didn't accidentally trip and stab Jaehaerys.

White walkers are alluded to even though we now know they're so easy to take care of, just need one episode and POOF!

No Dyana mention so we'll see if she shows up.

Where we left each character and where they are now

For TB its very consistent. Rhaenyra is mourning Luke, Daemon is pushing for war, Rhaenys is pushing for no war, and Corlys is pushing to be relevant.

For TG its all over the place. Our consistent characters include Otto pushing for war and control, Alicent pushing for control but less war, and Larys pushing to hold the most secrets any person can. Our characters that have changed are Aegon now wanting to be king and trying to prepare Jaehaerys, Aemond deciding he totally did mean to kill Luke, Alicent changing from rule follower to now rule breaker, and Cole deciding he does like sex actually.

Aegon and Aemond's transitions make sense, they were set up in last season and it works for them. Alicent and Cristin are in a full-blown sexual relationship that's been going on long enough for them to feel comfortable doing it in mid-day. That was not set up. We miss an entire character arc for both where they 1. decide they don't want to follow the rules society tells them to and 2. decide they want to bone. This was not set up in season 1, it comes out of nowhere, there is no explanation for why these two are boning now, how they justify it to themselves, if they justify it to themselves, nothing. So instead of an interesting character arc where we see change, we just get the end with no idea how they go here. Thanks, I hate it.

Conflicts

Again, for TB the conflict is consistent from season 1 and makes sense. Rhaenyra is being pulled by her duty to the realm for peace but by her grief for war. Daemon is pushing for war, Rhaenys is pushing to not start the fight, and Corlys is there too.

But for TG it's all over the place. We still have the dumb conflict between Alicent and Otto over how much war we'll have. Not between peace and war but just, should we have more or less? it's not even really about involving the dragons as that's Aegon and Aemond's position. Overall, Alicent and Otto's conflict is poorly thought out and their positions hold so little difference that it borders on meaningless.

The conflict between the two groups is who will strike the first blow. We already have one kid dead and a blockade but we are still waiting for someone to act. wow, so intense much drama.

Adaptation from the Book

The main parts of the book being adapted are Jace's visits to the Vale, the sisterlands, White Harbor, and his stay in the north. Rhaenyrs finds out about Luke's death, and blood and Cheese.

The only part done well is Rhaenyra's grief over Luke's death. It is so powerful and Rhaenys saying that she can't properly grieve until she knows Luke is dead is very powerful. Jace has an amazing trying to talk while he cries scene, the funeral pyre is so emotional, and very well done in showing how much losing Luke affects these characters.

I am very disappointed that Jace's whole storyline going north is turned into exposition about Stark customs and the wall being so sexy and cool. No Jace and Cregan being friends, no Jace trying to convert Cregan, not even Jace hooking up with Cregan or Sara Snow. just nothing.

Blood and Cheese has to be the worst thing I've seen in a while. We have Daemon telling them to kill Aemond but it is ~ ambiguous ~ whether he said to kill Jaehaerys. We have Rhaenyra saying she wants Aemond dead but it is ~ ambiguous ~ if she knows Daemon is doing this. Blood and Cheese literally walk past Aegon in the throne room? No secret passageways into the queen's chambers, no plan, no nothing! they just happen to find Helaena. We also lose the character development of Helaena where in the books she offers up herself to be killed and only after Blood and Cheese say they'll rape Jaehaera and kill all of them, does she give in and choose Maelor to die. We don't get their cruelty of telling Maelor his mom wants him dead and then killing Jaehaerys. No, Helaena just offers up her necklace, they take it, then AFTER she knows they're going to kill her son (one of them says they need a head and a son for a son), she just walks out and runs into Alicent riding Cristin? Why? Where is the tension of Helaena being forced to choose a child to die only for that child to know their mom chose them, the drama of Helaena offering up herself to try and save her kids, the horror at what these monsters are willing to do for coin? Nothing. It was emotionless, I only felt shock at how poorly it was done.

Overall Enjoyment

I did not enjoy myself. This was not fun or interesting to watch. The showrunners are scribbling over a beautiful sketch with crayons.

What I hope for the next episode

NO MORE ACCIDENTS! I swear this show is the house of accidental war crimes.

I want to see Nettles, Daeron, and Maelor.

I want actual character development instead of character teleportation.

I predict that Alicent's character will continue to be massacred and put in scenes where Ryan Condal can see Olivia Cooke naked.

[importantchaosgiver]

Where Loyalties Lie:

Blood Stains The Saint

Summary: Now she is a Kingsguard, (Y/N) encounters her first problem. A problem that would only further proved Jaehaerys's suspicions...

Warnings: Fighting, descriptive battle wounds, blood, death and canon typical swearing

P.S: Okay, so I did the math and Viserys was fifteen when Aemon died and Baelon fought in Tarth. But, I'm just going to push it forward a couple of years just to fit in with the plot.

******

(Y/N) POV

I gently rubbed Rhaenys's back as she let out silent tears as Jaehaerys looked down with grief. All of the Targaryens felt the weight. Of what? Prince Aemon had just been slain on Tarth by Myrish exiles. We had only just got the news. With this caused an issue for succession as Rhaenys was a woman. So, the line of succession went to Prince Baelon. Unfortunately, he took this loss the hardest. We were told Aemon died to an arrow in the neck, drowning in his own blood. And I had a feeling, the Myrish pirates would feel his wrath. I looked at Viserys who glanced at me. Daemon also noticed my look. "Damn them," Baelon muttered underneath his breath. He stood up abruptly and left. I noticed how he clutched the handle of Dark Sister too. Glancing at Jaehaerys, I jogged to catch up with the prince. As I came out of the Red Keep, I noticed where he was heading. The Dragonpit...

Quickly, I ran down, grabbing Baelon's wrist. He rounded upon me, towering over me with fire in his eyes. Vhagar stirred and lifted her head. "Don't you try and stop me, girl," he said with a low hiss. "I'm not going to, my prince. And I know what you're going to do. I do not fault you for such," I stated, letting go of him. He frowned. "Then, why are you here if you aren't trying to stop me?" Baelon asked. "I want to come with you. To help and to protect," I explained with all the courage I could muster up. Baelon blinked before letting out a disbelieving snort. "You are not serious. Blood will stain the land once I am through with them. This isn't for a girl," he said, crossing his arms. A slight twinge of annoyance nagged at my mind. "Being a knight was supposedly 'not for a girl'. Being a Kingsguard is supposedly 'not for a girl'. Even wielding a sword is supposedly 'not for a girl'. I do not care! I want to help you! I want to protect you! And I can fight, damnit!" I shouted. I was sick and tired of the patronising comments I heard around the court. Until, just then, I realised what I said and gulped, looking at him and expecting a verbal lashing back.

But, Baelon just stood there with a look of indifference. Then, a small smile cracked upon his face. "You really are something new, aren't you lass?" he said with a soft chuckle. "Alright then, I'll admit you may be a girl but you've got balls. But I'll tell you this once. You will walk into this a girl, but emerge a woman. You will not be the same after you take a life," he warned. I just held my head up high. This wasn't up for discussion, I was going with him. "Alright then. Come," he said, walking up to Vhagar who leant down. "Pardon?" I asked nervously as he climbed atop the might beast, getting into the saddle. "Come. There's only one way we're getting to Tarth without taking so long," Baelon said, holding out a hand. I gulped softly and looked at Vhagar's eyes. Then, I slowly and carefully began climbing onto the dragon's back, swinging a leg onto the saddle, settling behind Baelon. "Hopefully you don't hurl," he said as he secured the riding chains. Before I could ask why, Vhagar began flapping her wings and took off in flight. Quickly, I wrapped my arms around Baelon's midsection as to not get flung back.

The wind whipped past us as we flew, blowing my hair back, my cheeks and nose stinging a little at the cold. I didn't dare look down in fear I'd panic and fall off. But with Vhagar's impressive size, she was fast too and we reached Tarth in what felt like no time at all. We saw the Myrish exiles down below as Vhagar's shadow passed over them. As we got lower, Baelon looked over his shoulder at me. Okay, deep breaths. I unsheathed my sword, standing up on the saddle and looking down. I'll survive this. "Leave some for me, lass," Baelon said over the noise of rushing wind. With that, I leapt from Vhagar's back. At the same time, I heard Baelon shout, "Dracarys!" and from Vhagar's scaly lips and jagged teeth, she breathed her dragonfire. I felt the heat illuminate my left side as I fell. With a battle cry, I descended upon the Myrish pirates. With a single swipe, three lost their heads instantly. I felt the blood splatter across my cheek and I could feel the bile rise in my throat. But this wasn't a time to be squirmish, this was a time to fight. I could hear the screams and the crackling fire. For Aemon, I thought as I readied by bloodied sword and looked at the masses of pirates before running forward and into battle...

~~~

"Lass?! Girl, where are you?!" Baelon shouted as I looked upon the masses that laid at my boots. He wasn't wrong... the soil was stained with blood and small fires. "Here," I said. He emerged through the thin smoke and saw me. "Thank the seven," he whispered, putting a hand on my shoulder. "Lass, are you alright?" he asked. I nodded soundlessly. "If you're sure. Come, let's go home," Baelon said gently, pulling me over to Vhagar. He was right. I went into this a girl... and emerged a woman...

No One's POV

When Vhagar landed back in the Dragonpit, the cheering of the people in King's Landing was heard loud and clear. Jaehaerys, Viserys, Daemon and the others came outside upon seeing the dragon return. Baelon dismounted Vhagar and was given a firm pat on the shoulder by Jaehaerys as Baelon's sons hugged their father each. But then, (Y/N) came down and stood before them, the end of her white cloak splotched in blood, a splatter of the red substance was on her cheek as her sword dripped the thick liquid. Everyone paused as they looked upon the young woman. "Ser (Y/N)?" Rhaenys said softly, stepping forward. "I think, after today, that sword deserves a name," Jaehaerys said gently, putting a hand on (Y/N)'s shoulder. She looked at her king and then downwards at her bloody blade. Then, after a few moments of contemplation... she had an answer. "Red Saint. That is what I will call it," she said. That name gave everyone goosebumps. "A fine name," Viserys muttered, giving his knight a smile. Jaehaerys gave a soft smile to her. His dream... it was coming into fruition. And whilst he may not live to see her truly become the White Saviour, he could die knowing it is her destiny. But, of course, there is a fine line between destiny... and fate...

******

Two parts in one day! I hope it's alright. I'm still trying to get the whole thing lined up chronologically. Next part will be a series of events as (Y/N)'s time as a knight until we come to the main event. Enjoy!

[godswood-girl]

I am overcome with the sudden need to know about Daena's relationship with Baela and Rhaena. How does she feel about them?

Does she care about them or does she feel no kinship at all towards her half-sisters?

so i'm a bit insane about the relationships between daemon's children in and though i burn. daena's relationship with her younger siblings is quite complicted and i love thinking about it.

so to set the scene for daena's relationship with the twins, it's important to remember that daena is a year older than laena velaryon. even if daena and daemon were closer, and rhea's death wasn't so suspicious, daena would not be comfortable with her father's second marriage, which has knock on effects on her relationships with her sisters. but daena's issues with the marriage aren't just related to the age of his new wife. by the point of the dance really by the point of his marriage to rhaenyra their relationship had completely deteriorated, but when daemon married laena, daena still wanted his approval on some level. and when he remarried to a very valyrian second wife, a dragon rider no less, daena's 'i'm not good/varlyrian enough for my dad to love me' complex reared it's ugly head and she went to claim vermithor just to spite it. it was probably the closest daena and daemon ever got because he was legitmately proud of her for pulling it off.

but then daemon goes off to pentos and his valyrian twins and they get dragon eggs and even if they never hatch, daena was forbidden to cradle an egg and it strikes her as painfully unfair. she doesn't know the twins very well as they grow up. she's got all her responsibilites in runestone and at court and to her own marriage and children and tells herself that that's why she never goes, and not that she doesn't know how to be around her father and the family he wanted.

after laena dies she and the twins start to get to know each a little more. daena knows what it's like to lose her mother, and she can't imagine daemon is being particularly supportive, especially with the speed that he remarried. they're more like cousins than sisters, but daena tries to be supportive where she can, even though they are on opposite sides of the growing conflict. daena does grow a lot closer to baela during the velaryon inheritance conflict, as she strongly supports baela's claim to driftmark, using her influence at court to sway things in her favour. when rhaenys sides with rhaenyra, daena is very angry on baela's behalf. as far as she's concerned being queen consort is nothing compared to being the ruling lady of her own lands.

daena's never as close to rhaena, who spent far more time with rhaenyra. their first proper meeting is marred by conflict, as daena sides with aemond over the claiming of vhagar. while daena does think that aemond's timing could have been better, she cannot fault his dreams to fly, nor his bravery in claiming vhagar. she and rhaena do fight about it, which daena feels absurd about, since she's so much older, but she's got strong opinions about the idea that one can inherit a dragon, and says as much. when she claimed vermithor, it was as much about spiting jaehaerys targaryen, who denied her any connection to the dragons, as it was about a sense of respect and kinship with vermithor itself. she thinks rhaena deserves to claim a dragon, just as much as daena and laena did, but she thinks her views on the matter are somewhat skewed.

daena would love to love her sisters better, but daemon's influence on all their lives has ruined any chance of this family being in any way cohesive.

[alannybunnue]

Daemon x Baratheon!reader

So Rhea ends up dying only a couple years after they married in an honest to gods accident around the time of the Great Council.

A year later, Daemon is married to baratheon!reader, who is Rhaenys cousin, to mend the relationship between the two houses. (House Baratheon supported Rhaenys as her mother was a Baratheon)

Daemon treats her slightly better than Rhea, if only due to the threatening of Rhaenys, but he still whores and refuses to bed her or sire children with her as he doesn't see her 1/4 Valyrian blood as being enough. (Alyssa Velaryon, mother of Jaehaerys, married into House Baratheon and was Rhaenys grandmother & great-grandmother)

It's not till a few years later, but long before Aemma dies, that things kinda change. During another council meeting where Viserys is urging Daemon to have heirs with his wife (prompted by Aemma having another fail pregnancy) that Otto makes a comment that 'perhaps the issue lies with the Prince as women from her mother's line are of know fertility (or whatever)' implying that Daemon is impotent. Viserys doesn't disagree, sitting an accident in Daemon's youth as a possibility.

Out of spite, Daemon goes to Dragonstone, where he more or less abandoned his wife and beds her. He doesn't leave until her pregnancy is confirmed before leaving again, returning to old habits and only returning when she gives birth to name the child, and later once the maesters inform him she is healed enough to be bed again.

It becomes a routine of Daemon only coming to Dragonstone to either name their child or impregnant her with a new one. Even when he is exiled there, he rarely interacts with any of his kids (there are a few as he has a new one each year, and there is at least one set of twins) or his wife.

Really, he treats his baratheon!wife as a broodmare, and their children only exist to show off his virility to Viserys. He'll rarely acknowledge their existence, especially the ones who have their mothers' non valyrian features.

After Aemma dies, Viserys decides that Daemon has one chance of proving to him that he should be named heir officially.

He just has to prove himself as a father and husband first, and if he fails, then Viserys will name Rhaenyra heir and betroth her to his eldest son, while also permanently exileing him.

Now Daemon has to try to be a husband to the wife he humilated and ignored outside of when he used her as a broodmare, and be a father to children he doesn't know and never fully views as his.

(Extra angsty, the kids never got eggs or claimed dragons because Daemon didn't give them any, and they barely know any High Valyrian as they had no real teacher.)

First, how dare you make me have imagination for a story with Daemon?

Second, are you saying my baratheon girl is incompetent?? She would do everything so her kids learn everything they need. Also her children, since they live in fucking Dragonstone, they can claim the wild dragons. Now, she asks for Rhaenys and Viserys' help in the High Valyrian part.

Some aspects with the information given, if he waits until she is healed (40 days after she gave birth) then it would mean that her children have 11 to 12 months of difference. And her first child could be born in the first/second year of Viserys reign, so the boy would be 9-10 years old.

Now...let me work here

->

"You can't go to King's Landing, Baelon"

Lady ... Baratheon of Dragonstone, wife of Daemon Targaryen and the mother of 7 of his children, looks with sadness in her eyes at her eldest son, Baelon.

"I won't be there and you can't take care of Aegon and Aerea by yourself" - She says while carrying for her newborn daughter, Rhaenys.

"They don't need to go, i can go by myself on Viserion and return by night, also i know how to take care of myself" - The boy protested - "Please mother, this would be the first tournament that i get to watch and i haven't seen my uncle and my cousin in a while"

"Is this really about your uncle and Rhaenyra? Or you're just making excuses to see him?" - once the mother asked, the boy immediately tensed at the mention of his father.

"I am not 6 anymore, mother...i understand that my only value to Prince Daemon is as heir." - Baelon affirmed - "I just want to watch the tourney and go home."

Lady Baratheon looked at her son again, her little boy grew up to quickly due to his father's absence and had to endure years trying to prove himself to gain some recognition from the Rogue Prince. But was always dismissed, and now the boy made a vow to never wish for his father's approval.

Soon, Prince Baelon dismissed his mother and younger siblings to fly to King's Landing. In the sky, he encountered a familiar and smaller dragon with a girl of silver hair.

Both spotted each other and a race began, both flying to see who would get on the Dragon pit first.

The Winner was the Princess Rhaenyra, who got off Syrax with a proud smile as her cousin landed.

"Nicely done cousin" - Baelon greets the girl with a small smile - "Now i wasn't expecting you to accept this so easily, Baelon" - the princess says as the get closer to the carriage.

"Unlike others, i do accept when i am defeated. Which consequently makes me more mature than many" - He rubs it on her face.

Both soon greet the Lady Alicent Hightower and take the carriage to go to the Red Keep. Even with their difference in age, Rhaenyra and Baelon kept a good friendship over the years, with the Princess being like an older sister to him, although he couldn't deny one thing.

He hated how much his father preferred her over him and his siblings.

Once in the Keep, Baelon met with his aunt, the Queen Aemma, who was again heavily pregnant. That reminded him of his own mother, who was always pregnant countless of times, but unlike the Queen, she was alone.

The rest of the day was uneventful, he met with some other relatives of his, including Princess Rhaenys, who asked about his mother and siblings more out of worried than others.

By the morning of the next, the little prince, who was looking for his cousin, found himself in the doors of the small council, where a meeting was being settled, and his father was there.

As the guards stopped the boy from going any futher, they hear Prince Daemon say:

"I would gladly give Lady ... to you, Lord Hightower, if you are in need of a woman to warm your bed-"

The boy paralyzed at the mention of his mother's name, looking back at everything that he did, the Rogue prince had the audacity to proposed such a thing.

Baelon left without saying a word.

Walking around the halls with no where to go, he kept listening to those words over and over again, until his attention change once he stumbled on someone.

Lady Alicent.

"My apologies, my prince!" - She immediately apologized, while the boy shook his head - "No, i apologize, i wasn't paying attention to where i was going, my Lady"

"Where...Where you looking for prince Daemon? I think-" - the girl started - "No" - and the prince finished.

"...Are you alright? Rhaenyra has been worried about you, she said you've changed..." - Alicent questioned

"If she says that because i no longer run after my father like a small duck, then i am fine" - the boy answered, the Lady could see in his eyes that he was lying, but didn't question any futher as the boy left.

The tournament soon started in the next day, Baelon sat beside Alicent during the whole thing, as men would thrown each other out of their horses...like children.

And one of these children was Daemon, who seemed smug about it after almost killing the son of the Lord hand.

But by the end of it, Baelon felt satisfied by this, once his father lost to a mere knight from a smaller house, Criston Cole.

The boy kinda wished he was the one who did it, but he's still young to fight in tourneys.

Then tragedy came, the queen was dead after failing to give birth to her son, who also didn't make it. The whole situation bothered Baelon to his core, imagining that soon it could be his dear mother.

During the funeral, he stayed close to his cousin, noticing his father talking to her.

"I will never be a son" - She said in High Valyrian

"But you are all he has now" - Baelon answered in the same language- "You both need eachother"

The boy dismissed his father looking at him curiously.

He left that same day back to Dragonstone, where he told the unfortunate news to his mother, which also made him express his worry.

"I won't die of this Baelon" - His mother reassured him - "I have survived 9 pregnancies so far"

"Barely survived, you lost 2 siblings of mine, Rhaenys was a lucky star." - Baelon reminded her while sitting by the fire.

"But you know your father won't stop..." - She also reminded him

He didn't answer, he knew it was true, if Daemon wanted to make more children, he would, it didn't mattered if it risked his wife's life, he never loved Lady Baratheon.

Baelon returned to his daily tasks, his days returned to normal, until one afternoon, when he returned from training with his brother Aegon, to find Prince Daemon in one of the rooms together with a woman in a white dress and some members of the City Watch.

The young prince looked at the guard escorting him and his brother, Sir Edrik, and Aegon.

"Sir Edrik, please take my brother to our mother and the maester, i twisted his arm during training and he needs care." - He said, his brother looked at him confused for a second before understanding that he needed to be hurt to distract Lady Baratheon.

Once both were gone, Baelon looked back at the man he should call his father.

"My mother isn't fully healed yet, she should be in a few weeks." - The boy explained, hoping the man would go away.

"I am not here for that" - The Prince answered

"Then why are you here?" - Baelon asked

"I am the Prince of Dragonstone, and this is my home...with my family" - Daemon said, although his son heard a tone of mockery in his words.

"What family? You only have the King and princess Rhaenyra as family, the rest are just the offsprings that you made in the Baratheon girl..." - The boy said - "Or so the court said"

"Do you really care those cunts have to say?" - His father mocked - "No, but they only repeated what you said, isn't it?" - the boy replied

"It doesn't matter, you are still my son" - Daemon looked at boy, again, analyzing his appearance, he was the only one of his children with all the Valyrian features.

"Hah, you never acknowledged me in 9 years of my life, why now? Did the King threatened you or something?" - The answer to the boy's question was written on his father's face - "He did?...Now everything makes sense...Well, you are right, this is your home, so stay as much as you and that woman wish- Who is she? My mother's replacement?"

Baelon took this small moment to mock his father.

"Did you gave my mother to Lord Hightower, by the way? Do we need to move to Oldtown?" - Boy taunted him for final - "Welcome home, Prince Daemon."

The little prince left without another word.

[selfproclaimedunicorn]

I SHALL BITE!

Daemon is surely aware of his grandchildren by now. How did he first hear about Rhea the Younger and Stannis and Griffith and what were his feelings and reactions to those?

It's really easy to find out what's going on in the lives of your kids who cut you off when you're married to your son's best friend's older sister. Like, what's Laenor gonna do? Not write letters home to tell his parents & sister (& his BIL since he's there too, but he isn't the priority tbh) to tell them what's going on in his life? Not tell his mommy that his best friend has 2 kids & "I gave them dragon eggs?" Not tell Laena that Ella had a kid because he knows she still cares about Ella & wants to be friends again after she's less hurt? I don't think so. So Daemon knows about his grandkids existing by way of it just sorta being rude to not tell your son-in-law/husband that the letter you just got from your son/brother contains details about his family. "Hey Daemon, you've got a(nother) grandkid."

I'm not gonna lie, he probably made Rhea being born about himself. "Oh of course my dumb oldest son, who I totally don't love at all & I'm not saying this as copium stop looking at me, named his kid after his mom. He always liked her more than me & he's doing it to piss me off." By the time Stannis & Griffith came around though he had gotten making it about himself out of his system, but I'm gonna say for all 3 he is very much telling people that he doesn't care.

Daemon is 38 when Griffith is born. He's not old, he's definitely appropriate Westeros!age to be a grandparent, but also Jaehaerys was older when he was born & so in his mind he isn't a grandpa. He's still young, there's still life in him, he just got remarried, he's spry! So, in a way, having grandkids kind of doesn't feel real to him? Like, his kids having kids feels like a very abstract thing separate from himself, particularly because he hasn't (& as far as he knows, never will) seen them. So I think that, because of that, it's easy to separate himself from the concept of being Peepaw Daemon & just say "I don't care what they're doing because they kicked me out & very directly rejected me." So the reactions with Stannis & Griffith (& subsequent grandkids) is very much a put-on "this effects me in zero ways, why are we talking about it?" type thing. Because grandkids aren't real & they're a concept he doesn't interact with or see, he can do massive amount of copium about it just really easily say that he feels nothing & move on.

I do think there's probably, like, a little hollow aching for what could be: like, "here's 3 kids who could potentially love me & think I'm dope as hell," but he shot himself in the foot with that. So we push that down & just say it doesn't matter while we keep on trucking, because Daemon wants to be loved & needed, he just sucks at maintaining relationships. And, y'know, truthfully, I don't think being a grandpa & how he feels like he's missing out on that & his deep feelings of loss in regards to how he sabotaged his first family are gonna hit him until he does see those kids & realizes they've been growing up without him in their lives but they don't trust him anyway. "You've been a grandpa for 13 years, your oldest granddaughter is an age you so vividly remember your son being & you literally only just met her. She makes the same faces you do, & she fucking hates you because her dad does."

[horizon-verizon]

The fact that absolutely no one ships Aegon III and Jaehaera besides TG tells you everything you need to know. This is such an unnatural relationship, you know that everytime Aegon III looked at Jaehaera, he just saw her father.

I couldn’t care less about reconciling and uniting the two fighting branches House Targaryen; traditionalist misogynists deserve to be punished. Aegon III getting a second chance at life, having a a bold and vivacious daughter who worship him despite his quietness and allowing his other daughter to keep a dragon egg despite his trauma and hatred for dragons is infinitely more compelling than him constantly distancing himself from the living reminder of his mother’s death.

Aegon III and Jaehaera were married for three years but they never became close. Why “it seemed like the king was fonder of Myrielle than he ever was of Jaehaera” ? Why did he spend his time with Gaemon Palehair instead of her ? Why did GRRM emphasizes how much Daenaera make Aegon happier and more alive ? Why did Aegon gave Jaehaera’s doll to another girl as soon as she died ? He literally cared more about Larys Strong and Tyland Lannister than he ever did about Jaehaera.

I should hope Daenaera is not either metaphorically nor literally "worshipping" Aegon; I'm assuming you meant that Aegon was given necessary personal attentive care. And Larys Strong? why?

Yeah though, agreed. Problem is that fans expect Jaehaera and Aegon to eventually "get over what's happened to them" bc their supposed inspirations (Elizabeth York and Henry VII Tudor) had a seemingly harmonious marriage despite Henry having been, technically, on the Lancastrian side. However, as I noted in this post, Henry actually got rid of one of Elizabeth's family's biggest opps: ther own uncle, Richard III, who people suspected/suspect either killed or somehow rid of her her two younger brothers. And the Yorks are responsible for Henry Tudor's father's early demise when while he was in Wales, the Henry VI deposed Richard York. In retaliation, Richard sent 2,000 men under a William Herbert to take South Wales. When they arrived at its castle, they took the stronghold and captured Edmund Tudor. As those troops moved on, Edmund was left behind & imprisoned in a Castle, where he eventually got infected with the bubonic plague and died.

However, that was also 3 months before Henry Tudor/Henry VII was born and we don't really know how close Elizabeth ever was with richard III, whereas Aegon personally witnessed his own mother get eaten by a dragon at the too-understanding-and-vulnerable age of 10 & Jaehaera very likely witnessed her own brother get murdered by Blood & Cheese. These things would definitely help in both of these two accepting each other aside form just wanting the war to end; they had much more room to. (I cite a few more reasons in that linked post above.) Though there is an aspect coming from this marriage in how that marriage--like Aegon/Jaehaera's--was supposed to "heal" the rivalry/prevent more wars.

More in Aegon's case he was directly, nearly mutilated by Alicent's suggestion and further threatened by her very hostile presence before and after their marriage. Esp after she tried to get Jaehaera to kill him. The likelihood of Aegon ever being close to Jaehaera and vice versa is so low there's no point in contemplating it.

Really, after Jaehaera's death the greens were no longer a true issue and their supporters no longer could use them for their own ends. Unwin Peake notably does what Otto did, but he didn't use Jaehaera or any green when he pushed his daughter Myrielle forward. even though Jaehaera was a girl and it'd be self-contradictory for a supposed green supporter to try to use a marriage with her against Aegon, we also saw Rogar Baratheon try to use not only a female child-Targ against Jaehaerys but a female child who already took her religious vows. Or, they could decide to do as Unwin did: plot to bring Aegon/the crown more under his power through replacing/killing Jaehaera for their own female relative. Or marry Jaehaera herself. There's the potential that even if she didn't marry Aegon, Jaehaera wouldn't be left alone. Or if kept to the Red Keep, she's be taken and kept elsewhere until she's forcibly married. But even still this is speaking to the potential for futile chaos; I still think that bc the greens' whole thing was that the succession can't come from the female line, if anyone were to try to use Jaehaera in these ways, they wouldn't get very far. At the same time, they were all just weary of any more bloodshed, so marriage to Aegon it was.

So this idea that for there to be true peace Jaehaera had to marry Aegon for political "peace" is partly salient; but otherwise, was she all that "necessary" for Aegon's long term and short term, personal or political peace of mind and safety? Eh. He certainly wasn't for hers by the end.

[fromtheboundlesssea]

HotD Season 2 Episode 5 Live Watch Thoughts

I feel like if we find out parts of this season was written by AI, I would not be surprised.

Lannister soldiers I can use for edits later. ✌🏻

Ooooo LIONS

Are those men from Tarth?

The actor does a decent job of mimicking season 1 Jaime’s slight tone.

Love how we have Aegon actively seeking and even listening to Alicent’s advice while Aegon instantly silences and ignores her.

“Your father knew this” the man IGNORED them until YOU asked him to, Alicent.

“As you well know.” Yeah, Aemond, why didn’t you stop that.

Aemond, Criston is the only person there to have actually fought Daemon, and actually win.

I like that her children still refer to her as “mother” even in public.

I like that we are blocked from Aemond’s emotion when he is in side profile with the eyepatch.

I wish we had Aemond actually feeling bad about Jaehaerys, because we got nothing of that in the show.

I personally feel they have been avenged and he still does not feel like he has enough to the point where he does not mourn his trueborn nephew.

Are we going to have Corlys call Rhaenyra out like he does in the book? Apparently not he put on the pin.

Did the actor who played Corlys loose weight or are his clothes less bulky?

Here is Lord Commander Westerling? Wouldn’t it have made more sense to have Rhaenyra lean on him rather than this random Kingsguard that has only really shown up as a major-ish character this season.

Are they making up Targaryen offspring? Making up a Targaryen princess? Would this man’s grandmother’s grandmother have even been a princess? They weren’t crowned, what, six generations ago?

Honestly, the Dragonseed stuff was risky anyway, but they are making it sound truly stupid.

Onto Daemon’s A24 movie? Will we see Rhea? Anyone want to bet?

Oh? He’s going to see Viserys?

“You can’t possibly still be angry about this.” HIS SON DIED AND HE HAD MURDERED HIS WIFE! MY DUDE?!?!?!?

Vague Rhea mention at least?

And don’t what? Name Rhaenyra heir or send you away?

Saving Hodor flashbacks tbh

Daemon is truly losing it.

And why is he not blaming Alys? Who is arguably the weirdest person in the keep besides him?

And Simon Strong is so freaking chill.

Is Daemon leaving? Oh? Oh?

Ah. The weirwood tree.

Alys is the most consistently written character and it is so ridiculous.

“She never even wanted it.” She didn’t care to learn either.

“Viserys never wanted it himself” really? He could have thrown his lot with Rhaenys then and not set his claim forward.

Also, not gonna lie, I have never pronounced Alys as *Alice* in my head.

So dragon singing or something is a thing? Why can’t we hear Tom sing in the show? He has a band doesn’t he?

Also, we never knew why Daemon was doing what he was doing last season when he was singing?

Are they going to make up Dragonseed like they did Targaryen family members?

Also, why isn’t the woman dragonkeeper bald too? Wouldn’t bring bald be wise or did Ryan & Co also not like the idea of bald women.

Seasmoke is gorgeous btw.

Ah, so she lost a very loyal Kingsguard for this. Great. I would have ended the search for Dragonseed there tbh. It’s not wise to lose allies.

Corlys, did you ever think that perhaps your bastard kid you have ignored for years would be happy to serve beside you? Wow. You’re as bad as Viserys when it comes to thinking your kids you’ve ignored would be happy to follow your orders.

Addam is so freaking fine.

And Dyanna. Someone theorized that’s where we get Gaemon Palehair with the brothel woman.

Feasts? Ah. It’s the stupid rumors. Love that the woman turned so quickly on Aemond.

“Never while our smallfolk went without.” Ummmmm. He had a whole hunt when there was the possibility of invasion.

Oh? So you want to be feared Rhaenyra? Where was this after your son died? Where was this when you had a chance to take Alicent?

The characterization is so slow.

MEN? Did more happen?

Is the riot when Rhaenyra has King’s Landing? Or was that Green propaganda?

“This becomes you.”

Darksister was a woman’s sword and would work better for a woman.

Why are we getting more Hugh and his family getting all this characterization when you can have Nettles or even give Addam more characterization. You know, someone who was actually loyal to their precious Rhaenyra even when SHE turned on them.

And who cares about the Gullet? Have the Lannisters bring in food from the Reach? Do Ryan & Co not realize the Hightowers are in the Reach?

AEGON WAKES!

I love how relieved Orwyl is about Aegon.

UGH. I DON’T LIKE BODY HORROR STUFF.

Tom still good looking despite the scars.

Wouldn’t it be nice to have Helaena or Alicent to step in?

And F you Aemond. His characterization is becoming so cartoonish and 1-dimensional.

RHAENA

*sigh* so they will replace nettles. Can’t they just have it be Morning instead?

And that baby dragon’s CGI blending into the real background is not great.

And Rhaena holding a dragon toy 😭

That shot of Rhaena is beautiful.

Is Jeyne Arryn actually going to have more to do? Can’t she teach Rhaena about being a lady of a grand keep?

Will they have Rhaena be at fault for Aegon and Viserys being lost?

And so Alyn dies/cuts his hair?

How ironic that Alyn will become lord eventually.

I really do wish Addam had silver hair.

Also, couldn’t people assume they are another Velaryon’s bastards?

Only half-way done and I am still bored.

“I am tired of being protected.” And what about your protection of your son?

*sigh* are they going to allow Helaena to fight too?

Will Rhaenyra still be sorry that Alicent and Helaena were caught in the crosshairs this time when she is the one to do it or no?

Oh, so they are going to have Rhaenyra sending aide to King’s Landing 🙄 Will they turn on her faster when she can’t give them food anymore and SHE is the one to throw lavish parties, or is that going to be Green propaganda as well. Meaning it will be propaganda the Blacks used on the Greens as an uno reverse?

And Alicent sitting beside Aegon. 🥲

“What will he be if he lives?” Alive?

So they do remember the Reach.

Maester Orwyle is the VIP.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” 🥲

Love the hair up look!

Lol Gwayne clocks it. Lol

“You were always his favorite.” Interesting.

Daeron mentioned!

I love the mix of joy and sadness in Alicent’s eyes when she hears about Daeron 😭

Gwayne telling Alicent she did her best! 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 Not denying her faults, but not blaming her entirely. 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

And Criston waiting to leave until she acknowledges him.

Helaena!!!!

The stupid dog 🙄

Also???? I thought the gates would have been closed to the water? Why couldn’t people have left through the water then?

HOW ARE WE STILL AT 26 MINUTES LEFT?!?!?

“The Queens” 🥲

You just got food. And now you’re flinging it.

Oh? Alicent had a cut like Rhaenyra now?

And Larys denying Aegon his pain meds.

I really do wish that Larys wasn’t so obviously a bad guy because this conversation could be viewed as more genuine.

So was Alys blamed for Larys?

Goodwill version of the Tyrion/Jon conversation in season 1 of GoT 😒

So they could get Aemma’s actress back for this?

Honestly, this whole thing feels like an Anime arc where Daemon gets a redemption. Or Daemon going through the Bad Place to get to the Good Place.

Did Alys kill Glover?

I guess so.

Again, instead of Hugh and the other Dragonseed, I would have preferred to spend time focusing on Alyn.

Also hate they didn’t just kill Laenor in season 1. It would have added to Rhaenyra’s character tbh and would have given her an interesting dynamic between herself and her elder 3 children.

He questions them because Daemon is the only one seemingly doing anything after HIS BROTHER WAS MURDERED.

I heard rumors that Mysaria and Rhaenyra would have a romantic plot line and I hope the heck not. Because imagine getting together with the girl whose lookalikes you gave to Daemon to bed.

I think Mysaria is being honest or deceitful to gain Rhaenyra’s favor, which does not do well for the writers because she truly is not a well written character. She is just there and does not actually have any impact unless the story needs it.

My eyes are ROLLING in the back of my head.

Rhaenyra, a woman just told you about her sexual trauma and you start making it sexual.

This is because fans were pissed about Missandei not taking over the bedfellow role of D I am sure of it. And I absolutely hate it. It makes it seem like Rhaenyra is incapable of having adult relationships unless they are parental or sexual/romantic. 🙄

This was, once more a bad episode.

Promo Thoughts

So Jace is changing his opinion now?

Again. The show is just… bad.

[reignof-fyre]

House of the Dragon really dropped the ball on the changes they made. They could have kept Alicent as ambitious as her book counterpart. She could have befriended Rhaenyra for the power being the Princess' bestie and daughter of the Hand brought her. She could have been Otto's spy or hidden dagger and still be used for Otto's goals of having his blood on the throne.

Making Alicent who, in the books, is a Cersei-level female antagonist, a victim just...fell completely flat and made me despise her so much more than I do Book!Alicent. Book Alicent is a woman in a man's world who knows how to grasp for power not usually afforded to women. In the show, she's pathetic and annoying.

Rhaenyra, too, in the books is a woman who knows what she wants. She wants her birthright. She wants to fight for it. She has loyal followers. In the show they made her a bratty, annoying little girl.

The common denominator? The writers wanted these girls to not be the badass women they are in Fire and Blood and completely destroy their agency and nuance.

It's the same with Viserys, who wasn't blind to Alicent and Otto's treason. He knew they wanted Aegon on the throne. Otto was fired as Hand for bothering Viserys about it constantly.

Daemon's morally grey character was completely wiped and replaced with "this man is a villain only and he is a bad guy." In the books he's both good and bad, doing villainous things for reasons he sees as good. He loves his family, he never wanted the throne in the book; he had so many chances to usurp Viserys and never took them. He never killed Rhea Royce, he was at war; he begged Viserys to annul the marriage. Otto convinced Viserys to fire him from his positions as Master of Coin and Law, he didn't do a bad job, he was shunted from those potions because of Otto's dislike of him and Viserys' people pleasure nature.

Rhea Royce was also older than Daemon when they got married. Daemon was a boy of 16 and forced to marry her, literally dragged to the Sept against his will; but no one is complaining that he was a child groom, which he was, but because he was a boy it's okay? No. Rhea was older than him and gladly married him. That's fucking gross.

Y'all complain about Daemon grooming Rhaenyra - that never happened. Grooming is how Viserys II (son of Rhaenyra and Daemon) was forced to marry Larra Rogare and she, a TWENTY YEAR OLD WOMAN, fell pregnant with his child when he was THIRTEEN YEARS OF AGE. He was also held captive by her family in Lys for years. He likely had Stockholm syndrome.

Also, Rhaenyra adores Laena in the books. They're best friends. Daemon loves Laena in the books, and is utterly gutted by her death. Laenor is killed by Qarl with WITNESSES in Spicetown and Rhaenyra and Daemon wait a YEAR to marry, the acceptable mourning period. They then had years of happiness on Dragonstone, and they ADORED their children.

Rhaenys isn't a robot bitch queen, and her claim to the throne was dismissed by JAEHAERYS not the council. The council was between Viserys and Laenor, a boy of seven. Corlys wanted his son named King, not his wife. In the books, he's in his 30's and Rhaenys is SIXTEEN when they marry and he's a misogynistic POS.

It's also likely that Jace, at least, is Laenor's son with the Baratheon features because Rhaenys has black hair because her mother was a Baratheon.

Aegon isn't a rapist chad boy in the book. Aemond didn't "accidently" kill Lucerys. He meant to actually kill him. He demanded Luke's eye or his life at Storms End. He's an actual psychopath and commits genocide in the Riverlands and likely didn't care much for Alys Rivers. She was just his mistress/whore. AEMOND IS EVERYTHING OTTO SAID DAEMON WAS = A MONSTER. that's the whole fucking point of them being compared to one another. Daemon isn't Maegor come again, AEMOND IS. THAT IS WHAT IS IRONIC.

It's like the writers looked at the book and went "no thanks" and wrote their own really fucking bad Fire & Blood fanfic because they're green sympathisers.

Greens = antagonists in the Dance

Blacks = protagonists in the Dance.

And Ryan Condal saying we're gonna change to green sympathisers? He really wants the fandom to be RAPE APOLOGISTS? fuck no. The greens can fucking choke. Ryan can fucking choke.

The show completely obliterated these characters in the worst ways, removing most of their agency and nuance.