#SHE PLAYS A BIG PART IN RHAENYRAS STORY

[bumblesimagines]

Please I beg of you update when fire meets 😭 I want y/n to get Revenge soooo bad 😔

2 more episodes y'all we got this ✊

[presidenthades]

I wrote 1800 words for Compromise today, and now I’m taking a break by posting behind-the-scenes commentary for Lavender’s Blue Chapter 2.

Usual disclaimer that these thoughts aren’t necessarily canonical to the fic verse until/unless I write them into the actual story.

Considering the rumors about Aegon, it’s a miracle Jace didn’t try to run away at some point. New idea: AU where Aegon and Jace both run away to avoid marriage, and somehow they team up in Essos while at least one of them remains ignorant of the other’s identity.

Rhaenyra is exceptionally jaded in this verse, and for good reason. Daemon ditching everyone after Laena’s funeral was probably the final straw that snuffed a lot of Rhaenyra’s fire. 😢

As the eldest, Jace always has to suffer through the World’s Most Uncomfortable Sex Talk with her mother. 🥲 Rhaenyra probably chills a bit by the time it’s the other girls’ turn.

Rhaenys and Corlys are a love match, but she knows how to manipulate her husband. 👀

“You’ll be happy! You always are when you’re together.” Helaena and her ability to see the multiverse 🔥.

I love dropping references to Jace treating her appearance as a form of armor. If court is a metaphorical battlefield, dressing the part is her basic means of defense. In the bedroom scene, she also treats bedding Aegon as a form of battle where she has to make a calculated sacrifice for long-term victory/peace. But she quickly realizes it’s not as bad as she feared.

Jace is so defensive over her books. Can’t blame her. Books are expensive AF in this era, and she can’t just pop down to Ye Olde Barnes & Noble for a new copy.

It hurts that Rhaenyra thinks so little of Aegon (and men in general) that she assumes Aegon would rough up Jace on the first night. 😢 If only she would actually talk to her siblings.

“I’ll be careful.” This was an intentional juxtaposition with Jace immediately getting railed by Aegon in the next scene. 😙

“She might be getting married soon herself.” Aegon knows Aemond has his eye on Luce. It’s a shame he and Jace don’t yet have a level of familiarity where they gossip about their siblings.

Luce suspiciously eyes the furniture because she suspects it has witnessed sexual acts. 💀

In every universe, Aegon manages to knock up Jace on the first try. 🤭

I kinda want to write scenes of Otto being a Lucemond shipper in this verse LMAO.

Jace has already started correspondence with other powerful ladies in the realm, because she knows the value of that kind of soft power. If Lady Lannister genuinely likes Jace, she’s more likely to convince Jason to play nice with Aegon.

Jace just wants to be in 🎶the room where it happens🎶. Aegon will make it happen one day.

Jace and Aegon have spent the majority of their time together having sex. She knows he likes her in that regard, but this chapter is when they have their first actual heart-to-heart. Big turning point for Jace as she realizes she might be valued for more than sex and making heirs, which has been ingrained into her as her primary life purpose.

Jace figures out very quickly that Aegon prefers the carrot over the stick. She also knows he is very motivated by sex. Obviously, the solution is striptease. 🧠

GRRM writes in the books that the Reach sends grain to KL via the roseroad, but that doesn’t make logistical sense. If you ship by road, you have to feed the pack animals, which eats up a lot of the grain being delivered. Delivering by waterway is more sensible. Just a pet peeve that I decided to correct in my writing. 😛

Aegon is always looking for opportunities to have sex with his wife, so it takes him only 10 seconds to deduce that Jace is strip teasing. 🤣

“I’m never giving you back.” Imagine: AU where the moon tea plot is calculated to succeed rather than purposely fail, and there is growing pressure for Aegon to set aside his seemingly barren wife. 🥺

Jace is feeling very sus about the secret tunnels, and she’s RIGHT. I imagine Larys hiding in the tunnels while he’s a fugitive later in the fic.

“Otto Hightower likes to shove quills up his arse.” Daemon 100% wrote this graffiti while spying on a Small Council session.

When Jace laughs, Larys hears it and is suspicious but doesn’t show it. It’s why he doubles back to the room later, to see if he’s right about someone hiding.

In the real world, sidewalks date back to the ancient Greeks and Romans, but they fizzled out by the medieval era. In the world of ASOIAF, I imagine the Free Cities (which have ties to Valyria) having the raised walkways that Aegon mentions, but they’re not common in Westeros. It’s a free-for-all between pedestrians and vehicles. Also, streets are gross because people throw their literal shit out the window.

Jace and Aegon Pavloved themselves into becoming horny when Aegon acts smart. 🤭 Aegon picks the part of the table in front of the king’s chair as a sort of “fuck you” to Viserys.

When they return to Jace’s chambers, Aegon kinda treats her like a security blanket, as he does in every universe. Sex is great, but he really wants proximity and assurance.

Once again, when she goes to have tea with Alicent, Jace treats her appearance as part of necessary preparations. She dresses modestly to ensure she doesn’t offend Alicent, and she picks red and silver fabric that Alicent gifted her to show a) Jace appreciates her MIL’s gift and b) she is now a Targ by marriage but still has Velaryon roots.

The fact that Alicent has observed the tea is late is the sign of a bad servant…and it’s because Myranda is not good at pretending to be a maid.

Jace reminisces about Rhaenyra wearing mostly blue, because Rhaenyra has thrown in her lot with the Velaryons now that Viserys disinherited her. But Rhaenyra still keeps the red dress she wore on her suitor tour, because it was one of the last times she felt like she had autonomy.

Alicent has no reason to be angry at Rhaenyra in this universe. If anything, Alicent feels guilty for her part in taking away Rhaenyra’s status as heir, even though Alicent believes Aegon is the rightful heir. When the Velaryons were at court for the wedding, Alicent tried to make amends but Rhaenyra wasn’t having it. 🤷🏻‍♀️

After the way Rhaenys, Laena, and Rhaenyra were treated by the Targs, Corlys is pretty fed up with sending his womenfolk to court and getting screwed every time. He agrees to Jace and Aegon’s betrothal because he feels like they deserve a Velaryon queen, but he’s not entirely happy about it.

Myranda immediately demonstrates all the ways she sucks as a maid. 🥲 Even Criston is like “wtf is wrong with you.”

Aegon was very excited to introduce Jace to his kinks. 😂 I feel like he got up that first day after the wedding and ran to the nearest jeweler to get started on the gold manacles.

If Myranda had poured the tea and handed it directly to Jace, Jace would’ve drunk it cold just to be polite. 👀 Elenar had a close call there. Thanks, Granny Alicent!

Although Jace has realized Aegon values her, she still has the lifelong belief that an heir is more important than a wife, hence her reaction and words to Aegon about the baby being safe.

The extra protections around Jace are part of Larys’s plan to gradually isolate her so he can slither in as a confidante. It begins with her not socializing outside of the Holdfast, which prevents her from making friends at court. It’s also kinda depressing when your food intake becomes more limited.

Larys needs a scapegoat for the moon tea plot, and he already has beef with Mysaria because of Vizzy’s notebook. His plan is to frame her, capture her, and swiftly dispose of her, but Mysaria worms away (pun intended). Throwing Daemon into the supposed plot is also a nice distraction from Larys. Picking Myranda as the catspaw also throws Aegon off the trail.

Even when Aegon is trying to convince himself he doesn’t care about Jace, he thinks her scrunching her nose is adorable. 😭

Jace thinks Aegon wants her to shut up about her conspiracy theories, but actually he’s just really upset about the idea of her being poisoned. 😭

Last paragraph of the chapter made me realize I really love sun metaphors for Aegon’s smiles. ☀️

See Chapter 3 commentary here.

[drakaripykiros130ac]

do you expect TG to be even more whitewashed in next seasons? I certainly do. And I think I've already got an idea how Condal will do it. 1. Alicunt goes to Rhaenyra to beg for ceasing the war and/or dividing the realm so both Rhaenyra and Aegon can be rulers. Alicunt will imploringly beseech Rhaenyra with tears in her Big Doe Eyes™ and Rhaenyra harshly answers "no". They'll make Rhaenyra look like a power hungry, vicious tyrant just to get their point across 2. Aemond. Most (if not all) of his actions will be excused as "he didn't know better/he's just hot blooded, young and naive". Just like with accidently murdering Luke. And how will they do it? Two words: Alys Rivers. Yes, I fully expect them to make her the mastermind behind Strongs house annihilation and nuking Riverlands. She'll whisper into Aemond's ear that Strongs are traitors (her own personal revenge bc they treated her oh so bad) that he should show Riverlands his might etc.

I'm 100% sure it will happen

I agree with absolutely everything you mentioned.

Alicent gets a pass for everything because she is played by Olivia Cooke and the showrunners are absolutely obsessed with her (and when I say that, I mean her looks). And because Emma D’Arcy is not considered a conventional beauty in comparison, Rhaenyra, as a character, has to suffer.

Yes, I am 100% convinced they will make Alicent all holly and desperate to end the war (after she started it) by trying to convince Rhaenyra to divide the Realm and have both her and Aegon rule different parts of it (which is book canon, but the real Alicent’s intentions were far from noble at that point). They will certainly ignore how in canon, Alicent said terrible things about Rhaenyra’s children, like how bastard blood doesn’t matter and all that.

The showrunners also have an obsession with Aemond, as you pointed out. And in order to make him look good, they have to make Daemon look bad.

They invented the “bullying” storyline and how he just “accidently” killed Lucerys. In book canon, Aemond was a bloodthirsty psychopath with zero redeeming qualities (unlike Daemon), he committed numerous war crimes as a result of his rage and turned Alys Rivers into his sex slave after he murdered her whole family. But true, I’m not going to be surprised if they make Alys the mastermind behind all of Aemond’s actions in this war, just to make him look like a “poor innocent baby”.

Basically, everything the Greens do is a misunderstanding or an accident. Everything the Blacks do is intentional and cruel: that’s the showrunners’ whole play (and I can’t believe GRRM is letting them do whatever they want and turning this whole Dance into their personal Wattpad story).

[daenerystargaryen06]

Heya! I wanted to ask you, did you see the end of HotD S2? Daemon’s vision? Doesn’t it prove that Dany always has been the one who was promised? They showed her. Not Jon. Not Bran. Dany’s the one who was promised. I have seen a lot of sexist Jon stans denying reality and claiming it’s Jon simply because of who his parents are and some of the nastier ones saying Dany is nothing, but fuck them. That scene really gives me a lot of hopes for her real ending in the books. She’s obviously the hero. One of them at least. She’s the Fire of the Song of Ice and Fire as GRRM confirmed. And he associates Fire with love and passion and life. I think it is so clear that George was never going to give Dany a stupid villain turn like the hacks did. Does this scene give you any hopes for Dany in the books? I still stand by my conviction. I will accept Bran being King of Westeros, however much I think it’s just really not logically possible, as long as Dany and Arya and Jon all survive and can live peaceful lives. But… I really want Dany to be Queen. I mean why have her learn how to be a ruler and a leader for it to not pay off? Besides how many fantasy stories end with a Queen being crowned instead of a King? That would be a great subversion of the typical fantasy story

Hello! So sorry for the delayed response... but here we go! Yes! I did see the vision Daemon had at the end of season 2, I even made an edit including the scene of Daenerys (if you want to check it out it's on my tik tok page- Divi_Chan). In my opinion the vision scene and Daemon's reunion with Rhaenyra in Harrenhal were the only good scenes from that episode overall. I really did enjoy how they included Daenerys into the vision and I nearly screamed out of joy when I first saw it, haha.

I also do believe that, yes, the scene was included to hint at Daenerys being TPTWP/Azor Ahai. But the show has been sprinkling these hints in ever since the first episode of the first season. The opening credits display the words "172 years before Daenerys Targaryen", reminding the audience of her and her importance to the story, and when Viserys is speaking to Rhaenyra about the Song of Ice and Fire and Aegon's dream, Daenerys' theme is the musical score. The vision was the scene to piece it all in cohesively and confirm overall that yes, Daenerys is Azor Ahai, and that she is the one most integral to the Targaryen legacy and the war against the Others. Rhaenyra was set as a beginning stone for what Daenerys will eventually carry out centuries later.

And they indeed did not show ANYONE else from GoT for the vision/scene. They showed Bloodraven, the White Walkers, the death of the dragons in the Dragon Pit (a future scene from the books), bodies from war, Daemon sinking into water (his end from his battle against Aemond in the books), the red comet, Daenerys' three dragon eggs, and then Daenerys herself sitting with her three newly hatched dragons. And honestly, if you think about it... this is mostly connected, and perhaps leans into to Daenerys' role as Azor Ahai in segments.

Bloodraven is a Targaryen bastard, yet he is a greenseer; he knows about the White Walkers, and is speculated to have Targaryen items of value with him for this battle (Dark Sister, for example). He likely knows the role Daenerys and Bran will play in the Long Night and is preparing them (mainly Bran for now) for it.

The White Walkers obviously are the 'big bad', the ultimate enemy to vanquish for Daenerys and others that will play roles in the Long Night.

The death of the dragons led into their extinction... yet centuries later, Daenerys brings them back into the world, and they will play their parts as Lightbringer.

The red comet and Daenerys' eggs and her hatching dragons into the world again is her fulfilling the prophecy to be Azor Ahai.

Daemon knows very little of the prophecy from Rhaenyra, but he was shown it in his visions, yet due to that little knowledge he holds I doubt he thinks/knows this vision is showing him who Azor Ahai truly is. I believe it was stated by the director's that he might think Daenerys is his future daughter with Rhaenyra and she will be the one to be important in some manner, since he saw her with her three dragons (I THINK the director's stated this, I'm not 100% sure, it could also just be a fan theory my brain registered as confirmation haha).

I have also seen Jon stans deny the vision confirms this and insist he is Azor Ahai on many platforms, but the truth of the matter is that Jon is not Azor Ahai; he is likely connected to the prophecy and will play a major role in it, but he is not the main focus/center piece of the prophecy. Daenerys is. They can continue to whine and bitch about it all they want- they'll never really know who it truly is unless the last two books are finished and released.

Of course, G.R.R.M would never base his story like how D&D did it. He outright denied their ending to be in line with his, stating the books would be very much different from the show. He also was open about his frustration with how GoT ended and what D&D had done with his works/story. His writing overall portrays Daenerys as a hero and Azor Ahai, very integral to his plot, and he has stated in many interviews how she would be a good leader, and that she is one of his favorites. Not to mention one of the key five main characters in his books. I've always held out hope that G.R.R.M would finish his works and give Daenerys the true arc she deserves and delve into her role as Azor Ahai. However- G.R.R.M also doesn't like how the director's are changing his story yet again for HOTD, he stated his anger and frustration with them on his blog in a post he made... it is likely that he told the director's some hidden points like he did with D&D- such as Aegon's dream, Daenerys being Azor Ahai, etc. but the director's likely turned this into their own work yet again and carried it out in a way he didn't agree with.

Daenerys' arc and what she learns and experiences definitely should pay off with her winding up as Queen of the 7k and creating a peaceful, new rule in Westeros... likely acting alike to both Aegon I and Jaehaerys I. And I do agree it would definitely be a subversion to the usual fantasy stereotype plotlines. But I also believe that IF D&D were correct about G.R.R.M informing them that Bran would be King, that G.R.R.M also thinks that would be a subversion as well. The cripple, the broken boy everyone thinks is dead- becomes King. It is also unheard of in fantasy for that play and I think G.R.R.M also considers it a subversion of the usual fantasy stories such as that one... but Daenerys would fit just as well if he made her Queen. Even the entirety of the Dance of the Dragons and their story seems to have been made as a leading stone for Daenerys to be Queen and fulfill what her ancestors from the Dance couldn't before- becoming the Queen of Westeros, bringing dragons back, holding a peaceful rule, defeating the Others for good, etc. So it all is complicated to think about and truthfully I think G.R.R.M has set up much more foreshadowing for Daenerys to be Queen than making Bran king. But who knows... this is his story, and he will ultimately do whatever he likes with it for his vision of the storyline/plot, so whoever winds up as ruler is up for him to decide overall and we can't change that. I personally believe Bran would be better as King in the North. All we can do for now is speculate and hope.

Thanks for the message! :)

[tessarionbestgirl]

What will happen to Daemon’s story since Nettles is gone?

Well, different than everyone else, I think will happen but will happen in different way, Nettles is cut out, but similar to Young Griffin, they are giving parts of her arc to different characters.

First they making Mysaria and Rhaenyra a romantic relationship,therefore, it gives Mysaria motivation for feeding Rhaenyra's paranoia regarding Daemon, making more about jealousy and attempts to end this relationship than her grasping for power. So this part is happening.

So I think they can go with two options, first she could feed Rhaenyra's paranoia by implying that Daemon is having something with Baela or Rhaena. And again I think is possible and I do believe Daemon will come back showing more support for his daughters. But there is problems with that because Rhaena and Baela, don't have Nettles anti-war message, they are to much of supports of Rhaenyra to make that plot work.

It need to be someone that is a outsider to Rheanyra become really paranoid about it and even send people to kill her. It needs be someone that that make Daemon question his own acts about war and that is not Rhaena and Baela because they are so pro-war characters and supporters of Rhaenyra for that.

And the only character that fits this is Alys, until now. And I just connected this possibility last episode. But the changes they made with her character kind makes her fits in this place and how their dinamic plays out also fits too, because they do look closer and closer, and that as well was a big change if they did that change is for some reason.

We saw how they set up Rhaena claiming a dragon last season. And I don't think they would spend so much time with Alys and Daemon if they aren't cooking something more.

And if the leaks are real about Heleana and Aemond this just add even more but making they constantly parallels between Daemon and Aemond. And narrative foils.

So it adds to much up for me this last option. But I don't know. Is just my theory, I could be wrong.

[snowblack-charcoalwhite]

Thoughts on HotD Ep1 Season 2

What I liked:

Scenes with Aegon. It's so great to finally see him as a father who tries his best to be there for his children and as someone who is starting to assume responsibilities he evaded before. Big kudos to Tom for his performance.

Aemond and his vibes. I was fully aware we would not get that much of him in the first few episodes (the focus is supposed to be on Aegon at the moment) so I did not expect a lot of character development for him. But the vibes were immaculate, as usual. So glad to see Ewan hasn't lost (if anything, only perfected) the ability to portray an emotion without moving a single muscle:)

Plus I really loved the subtle power play between the Targtowers - and the way it was portrayed without them actually communicating on screen. The reluctant "Gods, I hate it, but you really are my King now so I have to and I will" pledge of loyalty from Aemond vs some mix of deprecation and appreciation as in "you are a twat but you are my twat" from Aegon. A weird love, indeed. I am quite afraid to see where their relationship goes next with these writers in charge of it - but let's take one step at a time.

Phia's acting. For me her performance was the most powerful of the whole episode. Shame it wasn't enough to fix the mess the writers made.

Honorable mentions: Otto and Larys (huge respect for Rhys and Matthew), Ser Erryk (the only Black character who didn't make me either yawn or roll my eyes even once) and the way Emma portrayed Rhaenyra's grief when she found Arrax's wing with a bit of Luke's cape and during the funeral.

What I didn't like (very much so):

It's going to be short and not very specific.

The script is a mess. The story jumps from one scene to the other pretty much at random, and the entirety of it felt so very rushed. The way they skipped the Greens actual reactions to Aemond killing Luke? The way they treated B&C as if it was a filler and not one of the most important parts of the beginning of the Dance? The way sexual aspect of Alicole was presented (can't say it was entirely random but it definitely was underdeveloped)? The way Daemon was turned into some kind of pathetic boy who literally no one takes seriously (God knows I am very far from being a Daemon fan but have at least some respect for the character, even if only for the story's sake)?

And 90% of TB scenes were just plain boring.

In conclusion, if it keeps going on like this, the show is doomed. No matter how talented and dedicated the actors are, they can't save the story if it doesn't save itself. After all, acting is a tool of storytelling and not the other way around.

[horizon-verizon]

Lucerys went to Storm’s End to deliver Rhaenyra’s message, he insisted he would bring Borros’ reply to the QUEEN, Lucerys basically died for his mother’s claim and she repays him by trying to make up with his murderers ? That’s sociopathic.

Rhaenyra agreed to send her son as an envoy for the sake of her throne which she apparently doesn’t want and then she begs his murderers for peace ? Why did she let him go then ? Did she sacrifice him ? For what exactly ? She spat into her dead son’s face, she worries about her PR but not her son's sacrifice.

This ask accusing Rhaenrya as being sociopathic is part of why I simply don't emotionally/morally engage at face value (as in these are "real" or well realized character) with this show as much as a lot of other people in the asoiaf fandom do. I do engage as critically (analytically) as I can AND use some scenes as evidence against fandom sexism. The clear misunderstanding and trying to fix characters into roles that don't make sense for their arcs in this story of the Dance undermines too much of the HotD story for me to remain Watsonian about it.

Bec it is not "Rhaenyra" that is sociopathic. It is the sexist writing breeding inconsistency after inconsistency for the character as well as the entire list of circumstances--how kinslaying seems no big deal and how it seems no big deal that Aemond commits this taboo and thus removing a critical layer to why the blacks go to war to answer such a tragedy (this layer that is already on top of how they usurped her).

Though she'd be a valid character if she had been adapted/created for some other appropriate story, FOR THIS ONE and for the relationship she has w/Daemon, she simply doesn't make any sense (the reasoning for war, her kids dying and little response or exploration of that versus her trying to do what Viserys thinks...the guy who ruled pretty poorly, etc.) and is horribly, sexistly written so that they can get as many people--who are not really weighing what the point of her character was in the Dance story or truly care to understand the very basics of misogyny--to like her character. Which itself tells us something abt our world--women over male characters of fiction and perhaps real life need to be morally upright in order for the sexist violence to matter or even be defined as sexist. (Catelyn Stark of ASoIaF is a character who has her flaws but also her valid reasons for how she acts. Margarey of GoT is not sincere to smallfolk, but we can't count her as evil for it. ETC.)

That the motive behind her usurpation and eventual murder was greedy sexism. Then entire reason why Viserys is king is bc of sexism and the Targs succession rules not having been solofoed in terms of which royal has a superseding claim than the other since Aenys and Maegor. Many Targ men actively blocked their female counterparts or children or others' children to strengthen their own claim in the eyes of the Andal-Westerosi descents they were ruling and assimilating into for the ease of said rule.

Therefore yes, the Dance happened bc of misogyny/you can never remain that misogyny played a small role in it happening.

Part of the reason--but not the only reason--she fights for the throne is bc she wants payback for her sons' deaths/punish the greens/not have Luke-Jace die from nothing at all.

This is the same woman who marries Daemon Targaryen bc she is like him in the ferocity, prideful way as well as wanted him for his loyalty and willingness to go that far for her, their family/kids, and her crown. It was actually rather cheap for HotD to portray a Rhaenyra who is conflicted over: some sort of payback for Luke's death thru Blood & Cheese vs the horror of Helaena's grief and pain as a mother herself. A sort of reckoning that she may or may not accept and how far does she actually "accept"? THIS, I argue, would have been far more interesting bc of the layers to it all that reminds me of ebing close to any other Gothic narrative...and this is more of a Gothic couple than they aren't.

This also goes into how the focus of her distrust of him is somehow whether he's trying to rule through her instead of self control. It appears a fine line--bc some might think if she actually cared to follow directions or lead, he wouldn't fly off the handle or go behind their backs or do stuff like "heir for a day", so it has to be him wanting the throne for himself sincerely, and that is all...no love. Again, that is what she was arguing he was trying to do in the actual S2 E2 episode, when she says that he is just trying to use her name to do what he wanted against the Hightowers/Otto/his enemies.

When we have already hashed this bit out AND Rhaenyra (if we say she is very careful and deliberate when it comes to her kids' safety) would not have endangered her 3 boys if it were obviously true Daemon was gunning for them for himself...also, his daughters were marrying those boys so he does have stake in the line even with Jacaerys ruling bc he'd have ruling grandkids through him. So no, it didn't make sense, her concerns.

Not unless we reason that:

this Rhaenyra is simply not the same Rhaenyra as the book canon, and thus her relationship with Daemon simply makes no sense on screen as the writers wrote her/them

we recognize that the writers contradict epi 2, epi 7, epi 8 (all where she obviously understands him and puts trusts him not try to get the throne from/through her or harm her again NOT abt his emotional control) while remembering Daemon suddenly choke her out in epi 10 (which didn't make sense itself bc of those episodes I listed)

*7/14/24* I guess we could argue that Rhaenyra was more trying to address his tendency to leave her when things get too hard by accusing him of cold ambition (as an expression from the fear that he only wants her for power since he didn't bother to help her out at least 2x before, so this is her taking an opportunity to draw him into it and express that fear)...again, this doesn't make much sense when this show has made us believe that they had rather very peaceful and happy and fulfilled days on Dragonstone from S1 E8! This is a pre-marriage argument or at least an argument had either before Rhaenyra proposes to him--thus the argument is her confronting him before she ties herself to him--OR it's had in the first two years when he does something nasty or sus and she confronts him. It's not an argument that one has 6 years after marriage and raising 6 children and seemingly completely satisfied with one's partner WITHOUT HAVING ALREADY WRITTEN MULTIPLE SCENES SHOWING/ESTABLISHING SOMETHING LIKE A MISUNDERSTANDING THAT HOLDS A LOT OF TENSION BETWEEN THEM BEFORE THIS ARGUMENT! It should have been built into to make any modicum of sense. *END*

So yeah, even though I liked the acting and energy of the fight, I didn't care for Rhaenyra's argument w/Daemon. and it isn't actually Rhaenyra nor does their Rhaenyra make any sense, so I don't care to actually engage with this show that much or take it as a serious project. It's their cluster fuck of a character they made to draw in people who can't handle dark or morally questionable female character OR genuinely don't grasp what an unreliable narrator is:

[lunarmoonanons]

A sequel or maybe part 2 to the cursed dragon story where when allicent goes to attack Rhaenyra the reader attacks them instead

🌕 🌖 🌗 🌘 🌑 🌒 🌓 🌔 🌕 Part 1: The Cursed Dragon

The Dragon Defender

Disclaimer: Let's say Aemma died giving birth to reader instead of living like in the last post. Can we vibe with that? So dragon hybrid reader is a year or two older than Aegon the usurper.

Cool? Cool.

🌕 🌖 🌗 🌘 🌑 🌒 🌓 🌔 🌕

Masterlist

YN never liked Aegon or Aemond. She was never close with her half brothers, but she was close-ish to Helaena. She didn’t know what it was about them but she knew she didn’t like them. But they were family so she tolerated them. The same could not be said for her brothers who seemed weirdly obsessed with her. Aemond was for some reason obsessed with her dragon-like appearance and how she was a true dragon blooded Targaryen. Aegon was always talking about how she was beautiful, which she was but she didn’t want Aegon saying anything about her supposed beauty. 

YN really resented her step mother Alicent. She blamed her for not being her dead mother, for marrying her father, and for betraying her favorite sibling Rhaenyra. No matter how close Alicent tried to get with YN, YN resisted and bit back. She hated how Alicent abused Rhaenyra and whispered against her nephews. She very much counted Alicent and her sons as her enemies and would always mention how her half brothers were not true Targaryens as they had Hightower blood. 

All of the tension was building up to the fateful day of Lady Laena’s funeral. YN had not seen her uncle Daemon in years, having only met him when she was five. Him leaving a big impression on her. YN didn’t know Laena, but funerals and death usually made her sad. 

As Vaemond made his speech to Laena, YN stood by her sister Rhaenyra instead of by her father and his wife. YN couldn’t help but make her eyes wander around the gathering. She ignored Vaemond’s speech and found herself watching her uncle as he laughed at the speech. All of it was making YN uncomfortable, as she had to fold her scaly wings behind her back harshly so they lay flat against her back. Then her eyes found their way to her oldest nephew Jace. She caught onto Vaemond “subtle” jabs at something to do with trueborn children. YN never had to deal with accusations of illegitimacy. She was always seen as Aemma’s daughter. Even more so with her dragon appearance, as she was seen as the most true born dragon blooded Targaryen. 

When it was all over YN wandered around the gathering of people. Not interested in talking to anyone. She overheard many conversations, people making small talk and pleasantries. But No one caught her eye to talk to. Eventually she found her way to her sister. 

“I hate funerals.” YN sighed. “I hate death.” 

“You’ve not been to many funerals my love.” Rhaenyra smiled and played with a strand of YN’s silver hair. She was distracted and could feel the stare of Alicent and her dog Cole. 

“What occupies your attention away from your favorite sister?” YN laughed and tilted her head, following her sister’s gaze to her step mother. “Oh. Them.”

“Be kind, YN. You still have to live with her.” Rhaenyra said. 

“No I don’t. I could live with you in Dragonstone. I won’t live without you.” 

“Don’t do anything rash, YN. I’d love to have you with me, but I don’t want you to fall out with father.” Rhaenyra warned. 

YN sighed and kissed her sister on the cheek, then slinked away to find someone else to talk to. She could feel eyes on her. One of the pair being her uncle Daemon. She gave a small wave then found herself in front of her cousins, Baela and Rhaena. Both were younger and had never met her. So she knelt in front of them. Rhaena and Baela both wide eyed at the hybrid’s appearance. YN clocked Rhaena’s gaze on her horns.

So she grabbed the young girl’s hand and brought it to one horn. “You can touch. I don’t mind.”

“I thought you had freckles but they don’t look like freckles.” Baela said, reaching forward to touch the scales that spattered across the teenagers cheeks.

“Nope. They’re scales.”

“Can you fly?” Rhaena asked quietly. 

“I can go as high as any dragon. I breathe steam too. Maybe one day I’ll breathe fire.” YN grabbed a hand from each of them. “I lost my mother too. I never knew her like you knew yours so your pain is greater than mine. But I understand how you feel. If you need anyone I’m here.” 

YN kissed their foreheads and stood up to go. She noticed Jace coming over so she knew the girls would be in good hands. YN really wanted to lie down, but she had to make one more stop. So she found her father and started to walk over to him, but she found herself in the path of Aegon. He was so obviously drunk, YN couldn't help but sneer. 

“Get it together. Sod.” YN bit. 

“I’m to be married off. I’ll be married to Heleana. You’ll be rid of me just like you want.” Aegon whined to her, but YN couldn’t care and just pushed past him. 

Finally she found her father and gave him a tight hug. “I’m sorry.”

“Whatever for dearest?” He asked, rubbing his hand up and down her back.

“I’m tired father. I want to go lie down.” YN said avoiding the question. 

“Go ahead my dear, I will make your excuses.” He dismissed her. 

Finally YN made her way to a bed and fell asleep for a quick nap. It was nighttime when she awoke and started to wander around the large castle. It was quiet and she couldn’t find her nephews and cousins. Then she heard shouting and commotion, sounds of pain from the great hall so she entered and found the room divided. People were shouting at each other, well her nephews and cousins were shouting at Aemond, who YN saw had a jagged stitch across his face. His eye was missing. 

“Rhaenyra what is happening? What happened to Aemond and Luke?” YN asked. Standing by her sister. She didn’t know what was happening, but she knew her sister’s side was the right one. 

“Her devil children attacked me!” Aemond shouted, causing the boys and girls to shout back. YN glared at Aemond. A glare that said “you deserved it.”

“SILENCE!” Viserys shouted and calmed the room down again. 

“Aemond, I will have the truth of what happened.” The king walked to his injured son. “Now.”

“What else is there to hear?” Alicent asked, her frustration at the scene evident. “Your son has been maimed. Her son is responsible.” 

“It was a regrettable accident.” Rhaenyra interjected, placing her hand on YN’s shoulder. 

“Accident? The prince Lucerys brought a blade to the ambush. He meant to kill my son.” Alicent defended.

“It was my children who were attacked. My sons who had to defend themselves. Vile insults were levied against them.” Rhaenyra countered. YN started to push Luke away from the front.

She ignored the two and asked Luke Quietly if he was okay. 

“He called us Bastards.” Luke said loud enough for Viserys to hear. YN meanwhile turned her head immediately to Aemond and sent a harsh glare that made him almost shrink back into his chair. 

When Viserys questioned his son, YN kept that glare going. It became even harder when Aemond pointed the finger at Aegon. How YN hated them at the moment. She knew that she was going to kill them one day, or burn them harshly. She knew Aemond was lying and she knew Aegon still called her nephews bastards. 

“There is a debt to be paid.” Alicent said. “I shall have one of her son’s eyes in return.” 

YN pushed Luke behind everyone as Alicent commanded Cole to take one of his eyes. The room was alight in mutters saying the queen had gone mad. And how she couldn’t just take one of the prince’s eyes. It seemed though that her father would have none of it. Rhaenyra took Luke’s hand in her own and held him close. 

Alicent then grabbed a dagger and charged toward Rhaenyra and Luke intent on doing something terrible. Rhaenyra was ready to defend her son, but YN was quicker. YN jumped forth, one hand on Alicent’s wrist and the other dangerously close to her neck. Though YN was a few inches shorter she still held a strong front against Alicent. Alicent, who tried to say something to Rhaenyra. But got shot down by YN who dug her nails into Alicent, steam escaping her nostrils. 

“You’re no mother. You’re a pathetic woman hiding behind righteousness, now it’s all gone. Now people see you as you are. Dear mother.” YN whispered and shoved her off. 

Viserys watched solemnly. He knew what this would truly mean. That his daughter would stay on Dragonstone and be away from him. He could never say no to her, so he could never tell her to stay. Rhaenyra had a new defender now. A dragon. 

[navree]

okay, i don't mean to bring up drama (i really don't want to 😓😓😓) but since you're one of the few non-crazy hotd-adjacent blogs i follow, i gotta ask...where did the whole #teamfeminism thing come from?

You're too sweet, thank you <3

It's basically what I call Team Black fans, because their whole justification for feeling morally superior is that they support Rhaenyra, the female claimant in the Dance. And yes, Rhaenyra's usurpation is steeped in misogyny, it is predicated on that favoritism towards male-dominated primogeniture in Westeros and the disbelief in the ability of a woman to rule at all, let alone her specifically, that's undeniable and a big part of the story as a whole and her arc specifically in the show. But it's hard for me to view fans supporting Rhaenyra for fictional queen as an inherently feminist act when that apparently also means absolutely no appreciation for any other female characters (they despise Alicent for having the audacity to be a forced child bride, and they clearly don't care about Laena at all) and uncritical support for Daemon the Rogue Literal Pedophile. And it's certainly not very Feminist to take your issues with fictional characters and start harassing actual real women, calling Olivia horrible names not just in general but also to her face, making fun of Phia Saban's looks under the guise of mocking Helaena (another female character they dislike because she's not Rhaenyra), being so nasty about the child actress playing Jaehaera that she had to be recast when her mom pulled her from production, saying vile shit about Sara Hess because you don't approve of her creative decisions, saying that Olivia was having an affair with Ryan Condal to get Alicent more screentime, and in general being incredibly nasty towards female Team Green/Alicent fans (and my personal favorite, implying that queer fans of Olivia Cooke aren't actually queer and just being performative, because what's more feminist than denying women's sexualities just to seem cool on Twitter dot com?). Like, pardon me but your feminism isn't really feminism, it's a performative activism where you claim that, because you support one female fictional character's claim to a fictional throne, you're a feminist and then proceed to be incredibly anti-feminist and misogynistic in your actual actions in your actual life against actual women.

So it's mostly just an irony/mockery thing from me, given that members of Team Feminism seem to be the most anti-feminist and in general anti-woman people in this entire family, except for when they decide they want Rhaenyra to win and say they like two character traits of her's (cuz it's not like they see Rhaenyra as a full character either, but shrug dot emoji).

[thegildedblogger]

House of the dragon is a badly written show

I excuse most of the first season but I truly shouldn't have.

The show is unwatchable unless you have spoiled yourself or read the book which is just a part of Fire and Blood.

They have no timeline and they have developed no timeline mainly to queerbait and make Alicent and Rhaenyra friends, for no reason, them being friends doesn't add any emotional weight to the story and they have no chemistry.

in fact, young Alicent and Rhaenyra feel extremely sexualized, while the older versions seem extremely depressed. But apart from that, it doesn't seem as if they had any other development . Like sure Alicent became more resentful but not more aware and Rhaenyra became more deluded that no one would object to her rise to the throne but not more involved in the ruling of the kingdom. Like how did she not realize that Alicent was objecting to her by loudly calling her children bastards and how did Alicent really believe this was all gonna be peaceful when she has been scaring Aegon into believing Rhaenyra would kill him.

My main problem is them treating the audience that probably watched Got as babies. WE CAN HANDLE AND EVIL STEPMOTHER AS ALICENT, WE CAN TAKE A MAEGOR WITH TITS AS RHAENYRA, UNFIT BUT AWARE VISERYS, WE CAN TAKE PDF DAEMON.

They wrote this show so badly that the chronically online audience truly believes Alicent and Rhaenyra are in love, that Viserys was a good person after what he did to Aemma, that Daemon loved Rhaenyra and/or Laena, that Rhaenyra wasn't happy to get rid of Laenor, that Rhaenys would've been a good queen, that the Hightowers took the throne just because they were scared of Daemon and were pious ????

It's giving fanfic and badly written at that.

AND THE BIGGEST ELEPHANT ON THE SHOW is that they don't have any breakthrough actors like Got had. There's no Lena Headey, no Peter Dinklage, no Sophie, no Maisie.....

It feels like a theater play run by very pretentious people who don't wanna seem like copying D&D but lowkey copying them

They youngest actors are good but not good enough to override what they were given.

The show creators want to have their cake and eat it, too.

Because it's obvious Ep4 will be Rook's Nest, only reason they gave us Aegon humiliating Aemond and Rhaenys talking about the future as if that's the reason that scene unfolds the way it does .

Say what you will about Got but when it followed the books between season 1 and 4, it was really good. And it didnt need big dragon fights, it was always a journey that HOTD is not living up to it.

[silverystrings]

whether for good or ill

i think that there is so much tension and hatred towards house of the dragon and has been since the beginning, that hating on the writers and everyone involved has become too much. i just don’t think that sara and ryan are d&d. d&d and everyone involved in game of thrones were arrogants and misogynists and thought that they were better. i mean by the end they didn’t give a fuck that much.

but with ryan and sara, i think they aren’t those arrogants and misogynists despite the contrary beliefs. i think they geniunely enjoy the world and they tried a different approach. they are the not like the other girls. jk jk unless..

no but this particular history was difficult to do either way. we are talking about the targaryens; the incest made them mad blood purist “perception” of the audience//general/local audience. and they do start with “they are their own enemy/downfall”. so i don’t think they have forgotten that. they have “themes”. and yes they have tried to do a character arc for everyone in big and small ways. and yes hbo crossing two other episodes probably damaged this second season a lot. i mean season 1 was also like this until the last two episodes where shit it’s at its peak. and the second season probably could have ended up too in that way.

as some reactor said, it felt like in this finale everyone kind of found themselves, even more setting up to do for season three.

daemon in the finale of season 1 wasn’t really loyal to rhaenyra in the complete sense. the way he was looking at her at visenya’s funeral, the clashing in the council, the choking, the way he said “dreams didn’t make us kings, dragons did” ????????? and the scene in the second season with rhaenyra, the way she says my throne, and he throws it in her face what he thought all along, that viserys chose her because of daemon.. and then he goes to harrenhal alone, tries to be a king, gets haunted by all these “dreams” and finally understands and supports Rhaenyra fully, that she is the rightful queen, and the part they play in the greater story. we know that season 3 and potentially 4 are just deaths after deaths. and as a lot have predicted, they probably will be estranged again. but it won’t be for the throne, for the heir, for this thing that has been between them since the beginning of the show. it will be because of his daughters. (laena;have you looked after our girls)

alicent—i don’t think the writers did nothing with her. i mean they love liv and what she brings to the table and alicent. they never wouldn’t have a plan for her character. she is a character that is the only one who survives and dies the last. as i said i don’t define her character as her being a mother. in fact that’s why ryan and sara are better at bringing something different. constantly in game of thrones we have all the women or the contraversial ones like cersei or catelyn but especially cersei: have being a mother define her character. “your love for your children is the only redeeming quality. if it wasn’t for my kids i would have thrown myself off the red keep a long time ago.” there are so many scenes and quotes about cersei and her loving her children and doing everything for her children. and yes that’s great. but in the books, she wants to rule for herself because her time has come, and she doesn’t want tommen to rule or learn or anything. yes she cares deeply and is constantly concerned for their well being. but still in the show it was very exaggerated. because they loved cersei but the audience didn’t. so her one quality was her motherhood. and that’s great. but as i said sara and ryan don’t make motherhood their only quality. alicent is a child bride and she has a veeeery complicated relationship with her kids. and her crowning aegon is definitely moreso because her and otto truly believed in keeping the peace of the realm. having a female heir, war was gonna follow. so that’s why alicent did it. yes the viserys part it’s oopsies but i mean dreams and tragedy are a targaryen thing and not far fetched. so she did that. and she completely lost. and by the end she sees that this isn’t “right” and wanting war to end. she is at last herself. she did what she was supposed to do, the mission of her life, and now she is free. i am so curious to how her arc is gonna go from now. is she gonna go and meet up with daeron? maybe she will try to put him on the throne when the people turn against rhaenyra and she thinks he is the best of them?!?! i know people think her story was over in s1. i think those are very misogynistic fans. alicent isn’t a villain and it’s not gonna be one. the writers have said this since the beginning. and i for one love that. she is the most normal character in the whole show. i said what i said. otto for making her be a child bride was the worst. the targaryens and rhaenyra and daemon were always gonna be a problem for her. and she making male heirs was always gonna be a problem for them. she is free. is she gonna be like arya? idk.

rhaenyra— ooof. i think this season was her finally getting assurance that she is the “chosen” one for the prophecy and that she is the heir, not because viserys spurns daemon. and i think as daemon finally understands the dreams importance, rhaenyra also understands the dragons’s importance. i mean they completely turn the tide for her in this season. and i know how much criticized rhaenyra’s and alicent’s relationship is. but alicent coming to her at last and essentially confirming and wanting her to take the throne it’s like the last thing to come full circle. her father truly believed on her and not because of daemon, daemon finally accepts that she is the heir too and is firmly done with the “pursuit” of it. and alicent, her best friend, the mother of viserys’s other kids, her enemy, her best friend, finally “supports her”. it was a rollercoaster it’s true. but she came on top. and i think now she will not be stoping herself in blooding her hands or doing necessary things for keeping herself on that throne. i think others have done thinkpieces on how she was like sacrificing the people to claim the dragons. all those scenes. and how she will truly believe that she is that one for the prophecy and will do anything now. i think dragons dying is gonna be her weakness just as how she started to feeling powerful with the dragons. i have seen theories of fisherman lucerys. and this is exactly the type of thing that sara and ryan could do. we won’t even know what started the war in the first place. luke dying is sad, but not defining. i know it sounds crazy. but even if he died or not, the war was always gonna get ugly.

i think these are the big characters of the show. and others are all also in personal journeys. rhaena finally having a dragon and being “useful”, criston accepting his faults (i mean alicent’s brother questioned him in front of everyone, pissing in his honour as a knight, the thing he was obsessed with, almost killed himself over, killed joffrey over, is now accepting his faults and accepting his death, he fought in wars before but wanted something more for his name, and he lost all of it to the dragons. he is defeated in every sense. his only arc is fighting as he was before the kingsguard. we have helaena who again isn’t defined only by a tragedy as sick as b&cheese. she still touches jahaera after. she is a dragon dreamer. and i don’t want her to just kill herself because of sadness. i know that we criticize the show for the grief and how quickly it’s over. i do agree too. but again i m not gonna define them by it. helaena speaking to daemon and aemond knowing how their fates are intertwined or rather their deaths. why did they do this? i guess helaena never being heard for her dreams and she now herself reaches out at the end to speak her “wisdom” and is actually listened and believed by both of them. it’s some sort of progress. but doesn’t she see herself is the question? possibly the same day too?!? hmm. aegon and aemond. i think everyone has said a lot abt them. tragedy is always gonna be present in this show. shakespearean tragedy. and also everyone is grey. we see the tragedy of both of them bc they never were suited for the throne. and that power.. absolute power as otto says.. especially in this family period and in this war.. it was gonna be poisonous..

idk i get all the complaints.. but as i said i could never treat them as d&d. especially for the female characters. they are actual characters. and yes i was mad too, at the “women peace and men bad bc war”.. but that is present in the book too. it’s the women who bind the wounds. and i did want to see mother playing this game for her son, rhaenyra wanting the throne for herself and being vengeful. and i think we will see that. but in different ways. not in obvious ways, in caricature like ways. and men did want war and were thirsting for war. so much peace that the last “war” was with maegor. so everyone jumped at the chance to write songs for them without knowing the cost of war especially with dragons. this isn’t a theme only in hotd but in asoiaf too.

i think they and the adaptation has flaws.. but i can’t call all of it shit or soulless. it was always gonna be a hard story to do. especially in the pov of the targaryens. they are their own downfall and so are the dragons. that’s how it’s gonna end hotd and same with every adaptation.

i m almost excited for a knight of the seven kingdoms, but man not for aegon the conqueror one. i genuinely think we don’t need it. and everything post dance is so much more interesting so i won’t be mad at those adaptations. but again grrm is never finishing those books. and so sometimes the question does arise of what’s even the point of these adaptations. i guess we just can enjoy them but even that is a crime. however picking the story where all the dragons die isn’t a bad idea for a show. especially with the events of asoiaf and game of thrones. it’s just that the “heroes” are not obviously targaryens and so it’s kind of hard and depressive to enjoy them. idk idk idk and just thinking abt the years its gonna take to make these other seasons it’s insane. insane for the fandoms and not normal people obviously 😭

[witheredoffherwitch]

Have you seen the theories about Alys possibly appearing as both Alicent and Rhaenyra in the trailer? I have mixed feelings about Alysmond, but I do find Alys interesting. What are your thoughts on these theories and how do you think Alysmond would evolve if they turned out to be true?

Hi nonnie,

Yes, I have looked through some of the theories floating around - and if someone's not sure what this question is alluding to, here's a Twitter thread for reference. Please note that this post will delve into leaks and potential spoilers, so proceed at your own risk!

Now this speculation is based on the leaks which hinted at Alys using glamor magic to take Rhaenyra's form in her attempts to seduce Daemon. In theory, this would make sense because that one shot of both Rhaenyra and Alicent's look completely misplaced in the trailer. In Rhaenyra's case, she is obviously broken after learning about Luke's death.. and the trailer for most part shows her character in mourning except for that one scene in crown. Some have pointed out that the background looks different from the Black council room at Dragonstone. As for Alicent, her scene by the lake raises questions. As someone familiar with the books, I can't help but wonder if this lake is the infamous God's Eye. If so, what could Alicent be doing there? I must admit, when I first saw the shot from behind, my mind went to Alys...but then they revealed it was Alicent and I became even more confused!

I am not a big fan of this theory because this seems to be heading in the same old formulaic 'femme fatale' trope that we Alys fans were dreading for a while. Many fans believe that the accounts of Alys from the books reek of common misogyny, and we were hoping for the show to avoid falling into that trap. The idea of Alys "bewitching" Aemond comes from their surprise at a Targaryen prince being smitten with an older woman who is seen as nothing more than a baseborn bastard. But, let's wait and see how this plays out in the show. Also as @richardsthirdnipple pointed out to me earlier, both Aemond and Criston hold devotion towards Alicent.. which could potentially contribute to the rift between them over Alys.

Talking about how this might affect Alysmond's story, I am not going to speculate much because the story may still evolve even if they have questionable origins. That being said, most of us Alysmond shippers will still stan these two characters regardless of how their story pans out. While I am still maintaining a healthy caution, I hope that the showrunners will avoid turning her character into Melissandre 2.0.

If any of you have thoughts to contribute, please chime in! I am eager to hear your perspectives on these emerging theories.

That's all! 🤗

[molter-writes]

- I see Richard II as an opener, and I’m pouring myself a stiff one because we’re starting by setting the thermostat at insane.

- fuck, the timing of the pregnancy just hit with the “we’ll have to relocate to the palace soon.” The fact that they both decided to have a family before they knew Rhaenyra would be saddled with the crown is really devastating.

- of course baby Daeron has baby silver curls like the widdle renaissance angel he is, of course

- (Married woman, taken woman, wanted woman.)

(Loved woman, cherished woman, someone’s woman.)

Safe woman.

Okay but the way you encapsulate canon Alicent’s deep desire to conform to the kind of doe-eyed womanhood her society expects of her, and at the same time somehow make it wholesome? This should be illegal. It’s definitely some sort of dangerous mind-altering witchcraft. Please never work in government. Or, you know, given the givens, do.

-okay so minor detail but I do love the constant of Rhaenyra’s Home Renovation Antics in The Molterverse™️

-“anything not making intuitive sense to me must be ipso-facto preposterous” okay but the way I HOLLERED, because *yes, absolutely Rhaenyra* but also me, because of course I’m soooo smart 😂🙄

-Secretary of State for Defence, the Rt. Hon. Jason Lannister, Earl of Lincoln.—Well, pack your bags everyone, country’s *fucked*

-I think it’s quite inspired to show how Alicent’s satisfaction at being a *good* caretaker (while of course done out of love and duty both canonically and here) is in large part due to the sense of control and power that she derives from the act. She times the medicine, she presides over Rhaenyra’s recovery, she finally has all of Rhaenyra’s time and attention again in some capacity—and fuck the engagements and country and staff. Possibly in that order.

- Can I say, one of the things I’m really enjoying about this story is the…diegetic? Way you’ve incorporated the news as organism and organization giving voice to The People in counterpoint to the Crown, much like Alicent just wants to go back to being a normal person and Rhaenyra is slowly consumed by the shackles of the throne.

- Her fingers making Michelangelo indents on Rhaenyra’s skin—oh we’re pulling out the art history? We’re bringing out the big guns? It’s going to be like that? Alright. Talk dirty to me.

- “a donkey trot to Valhalla” her poor cervix (she’s loving it), I don’t think I’ve laughed this much at a 5 word sentence IN MY LIFE. Valhalla is correct because I AM BATTLING DEMONS HERE AND THEYRE WINNING

- Also it should go without saying, but sometimes it’s nice to hear it, so: HOT

- OH MY FUCKING GOD, is Alicent totally masterminding the absolute fucking tanking of this fucking tour? WE LOVE TO SEE IT.

- Oh god, the way Rhaenyra just needs Alicent to believe she can be a good Prince of Dragonstone, the way Alicent just needs Rhaenyra to leave it all behind and pay attention only to her and their baby, the way THEYRE THE ONES WHO SHOULD BE GOING TO SPEECH THERAPY BECAUSE THEY CANT FUCKING COMMUNICATE. 🥺😫😤😍😍😍

- “I’m sorry that you still live with bread, Rhaenyra.” Her voice wavers. “Feel want. Taste grief. I don’t find it pathetic at all. I love the mortal bones of you, Rhaenyra.” She opens the door, then, to the light. “But I know how badly you’d wish it otherwise.”

Praying and hoping and begging that Ryan Condal and Sarah Hess read this before season 3. Behold, a perfect thesis statement.

-“He’s done the work for us tonight, hasn’t he,” she croons. “Give him his due.”

fuck Rhaenyra is going to *murder her* when she realizes how beautifully she’s been played.

-Rhaenyra stares back at it. Her lips are wet. “Gods,” she murmurs. Turns it in the light. “That really is a beautiful green.”

Yes drink the poison, Rhaenyra, the poison from your wife, your wife’s poison, bc she loves you so.

-oh my god it was ACTUALLY FUCKING POISON? I was JOKING! I am a god of narrative. Actually, I think that’s you. Holy Jesus mother of fuck.

-“she draws her closer, and sees movement, on the horizon—a van—and tugs her closer, closer still.”

Christ I can see the headlines already, Feckless Princess of Dragonstone feigns ilness to abandon tour, captured frolicking with Princess Consort as thousands die abroad.

-re: headline, ah, well your was more concise!

-I need a 10000 word fic where Daemon chokes on his own blood slowly while everyone and everything he loves, which is very little, mocks and ridicules him. It’s the least he deserves.

-Anyway, to recap the most important thing: RIP Alicent’s Cervix, you have been Witnessed™️

i wish i could mainline these and then post them as the official commentary to the chapter i swear to god it's like you are in my mind

[nrilliree]

https://www.tumblr.com/spacerockfloater/745120064183943168/oh-i-absolutely-sympathise-with-alicent-criston?source=share

Favoritism isn't the issue; the problem is that he is negligent and petty towards innocent children who haven't done anything to him.

2. Alicent demanding the baby immediately after birth was purely out of pettiness and as a power play. Joffrey's hair color won't change in an hour. Allowing Rhaenyra to spend time with Joffrey and letting the baby be bathed and changed wouldn't magically change his hair color.

3. It's funny how fans of the TG always say Rhaenyra taking Joffrey to Alicent was her decision, but Alicent showing her feet to Larys in exchange for information is coercion, even though he never blackmails her and she has much more power than him.

4. Criston is just a big hypocrite who believes himself morally superior to judge and insult others when he has gotten away with killing a nobleman, hitting the future king consort and son of a Targaryen princess, as well as causing a disturbance that endangered several nobles during the party and still getting away with it.

Criston insults Rhaenyra, but never shows any kind of disgust towards Aegon, who harasses the maids and enjoys watching children tearing each other apart; that should tell you something about him. The man was even quite proud to call him the true heir to the throne and put a crown on his head. That's a big demonstration that he doesn't really care much about morals and justice.

5. The first thing Aegon did as King in the book was literally fire Otto, and in the show, he's heading down the same path. 😭

6. If Daemon is a pedophile, then Criston is too. Why do people act like Criston is a teenager and the same age as Rhaenyra?

7. It's ironic that he says Daemon massacred people when Team Green has a bunch of murderers (including Criston himself), and Alicent ordered Larys to get rid of Mysaria, causing him to burn down a brothel full of innocent women and possibly children...

This is why I use the teacher argument, because I can bet my left arm that if these people were in Rhaenyra's position and some person they hurt in the past took it out on the children they have power over, he wouldn't be so keen support such situations. Criston is in a position where this shouldn't happen.

Especially since Alicent knew Aemma's story very well and knew that giving birth could also have consequences for Rhaenyra. She knew well that Rhaenyra would bring the baby herself (because it wasn't the first time), but she demanded it anyway.

Of course. Because Alicent is more the victim. Rhaenyra is a spoiled cunt and deserves what Alicent did to her, and Alicent is a poor thing who was forced to do everything.

Criston is justified (like Alicent) for everything he has done, because he is a pawn of the system oppressed by the monarchy, and it is very good that he decided to stand up. That's right. And I can bet that if the situation at the tournament were reversed and Criston won and then Daemon attacked him FROM BEHIND, they would not call Daemon an honorable winner, but an asshole who cheats and plays without honor. And for me, Criston doesn't have even an ounce of pure honor after everything he's done.

To this day I still don't know why Aegon thought Criston would be a good replacement for Otto. Just…why him? Criston has never even led anything on his own, so where did you get the idea that he would be a good Hand :P?

It seems to me that Criston's fans: a) like a large part of TG, do not know the definition of pedophilia, b) have no idea how old Criston is. AND HE IS FOUR YEARS YOUNGER THAN VISERYS. He's Daemon's age! But he's more handsome, so we forgive him :P?

You know what? I really think that this person is either a troll or is so detached from reality in own belief that everyone is stupider and less educated that a discussion with him is pointless :P

[xx--ofmanythoughts--xx]

Rant and spoilers of Season 2, Episode 2

Again, I am NOT a fan of Sara Hess’ writing for this show because she is quite biased and has shown many sides of her that do not make sense or she likes scenes that are just disturbing, even for this series. 

I did watch this episode a second time like I did episode 1 and the following are my opinions and mine alone.  It is how I feel about the episode, both good and bad. 

The cons of the episode:

The first thing I am going to say here is this:  The scene with Aemond finding solace in the arms of the woman that r*ped him at the age of 13; and the pouring of the warm milk was a complete ICK moment for me.  It was a scene that I cannot deal with because to me, I find it sickening and one that was not needed as in the book, he did not regret what he did BUT as how they are writing how Alicent has no clue as to how to console her own children; I can see why it was done.  But Sara Hess is a sick writer, and I am not a fan of hers.   ** Now this is something that needs to be said **  After that scene I have read and heard of those body shaming Ewan Mitchell. STOP!   Stop judging people for what they look like!  I will admit I said mentally that I thought he was too thin, but I quickly moved on and said what I normally say.  “Be you, boo!”  but the shaming and the judgement has been harsh.  Stay in YOUR lane! 

Also I will NOT write my Aemond in the brothel! Sorry! I won't do it... I will add certain show items with the book canon and my head-canons but not that one.

I still do not like the fact that they did not go with how Rhaenyra did love her siblings in the book and offered them clemency stating that it was the evils of the small council that were turning them toward the path of war.  (Yes, I paraphrased that from the book, but I hope you get the gist.) 

I do not like how they are making Alicent try to be some sort of redeemed saint or whatever it is.  I would take the “Lady MacBeth” road over this one any day.  She is not pious, and she is not the ‘holier than thou’ woman they wish her to be and as Rhaenyra said in season one “it must be exhausting” as Alicent still tries to hide that piety.    

CRISTON COLE!   Mr. “I won’t be your whore!” to being just that to Alicent and now sending Arryk to kill the “Bitch Queen”!  He needs therapy!   And he needs to get over the fact of being the “woman scorned”!  I will be happy when his fate comes to him because he is one that deserves it! 

I am not fond of not seeing Rhaenys that much so far as she does have a big part in this war.  I do not understand her lack of screen time. 

The pros of the episode:

TOM GLYNN-CARNEY!  He is KILLING it as Aegon!  The writers have done well with his story!  And Tom plays him perfectly!  He has Aegon’s personality perfected and the way that he is acting with his fun side last week and now his anger and rage this week; so perfect.  *chef’s kiss*   

MATT SMITH!   He was born to play Daemon and even though Sara Hess does not like the Daemon character, this episode was a very good one as it showed Daemon is still dealing with the same demons he was when his brother was alive.  Daemon never wanted the throne but his way of protecting the family or showing love or showing loyalty get skewed because he is chaos, and he can’t control it.  When Rhaenyra called him ‘pathetic’; it was a jab into his armor, and it hurt…just when his brother would be disappointed in him; he would feel that pain as he just wanted to be the best or on the same level as the two but never quite can get there. He tries so hard and believes he is doing something right when it comes back to him, and it isn’t as it seemed, and people are disappointed in him.  He is doing everything in Rhaenyra’s name but some actions, he believes are right… end up being wrong.  

Baela and Jace!  It was a short scene, but it was a nice loving scene and the mention of Harwin was quite lovely.  It showed why Jace would have made a wonderful King. 

I have to say this and it kind of stings but OTTO HIGHTOWER when he put Aegon in place about Viserys putting him on the throne.  Even though he lost his position, and, in the book, he lost it not for that but for the fact that the blockade had not been dealt with in time but for him to burn Aegon like that; it was brilliant…Then calling his grandsons PEACOCKS!  I was smiling because it is so true. 

The battle between brothers!  I loved this even though the book was quite different, but they did a wonderful job of this, and it was a love story of twins.  They loved each other and could not live without the other so I imagine being on opposite sides had to be hard for them.  In the books, the kill each other as Arryk, died almost immediately and it was Erryk who took four days to die, screaming in horrible pain and cursing his brother…the show did quite well with this scene, and it did break my heart to see it played out.

Emma d’Arcy!  They are amazing as Rhaenyra!  They have embodied the character and I love it! 

Now…the scenes with Helaena not being consoled by anyone, Aegon crying alone and his mother walking out to go to have her fun with Crispy and for Aeond to go where he did.  As you can see, I did not like the solace in the arms of the abuser but since we do see that Alicent has no clue how to console her children; these scenes make sense.  Do I like them?!  NO!   It was part of the reason why Aemond was the dark, psycho and why Aegon did what he did…Helaena has always been the innocent one.  But I am trying to get used to what they are doing to these characters, but I will admit it is hard. 

The funeral procession, I was on Aegon’s and Helaena’s side for this one and I must admit I was waiting for the child’s head to fall off the carriage when it became stuck.  Which I think would have destroyed Helaena sooner.  I know she will become more and more isolated and such in episodes to come, hopefully they will follow that but I think we will see how Alicent is losing control of her children more so. 

[tessarionbestgirl]

The topic of "Whitewashed" Green and Blacks my honest opinion.

This something that I have been thinking since watch the show, and it have been a topic discussed from both sides that I saw in the fandom.

But there is majority difference is how is done on TB and TG.

For exemple Alicent is a complete different character from the books. She is less a stereotype evil stepmom and more like a protagonist of Dostoevsky story. And we see in the show part of her book characterization showing up. Still I feel like her character is way more complex and add to the over all tragic aspect of the big narrative. And even her more controversial moment, like the infamous last scene with Viserys, it fits her character from what we see before, to have confirmation bias moment so she could do what she already deeply wished, because is part of Alicent characterization even though some aspects is contrived and I don't took away from people that found out that scene dumb. And that goes in a similar fashion to Aemond, it have base on things they already have stablish way before.

"The idea that we control dragons is an illusion " - Visery

" A dragon is not a slave". - Daenerys Targaryen

But when comes to TB whitewash it doesn't add to story and sometimes is even contradictory what they even stablish before. The most clearly exemple of this is Daemon and Rhaenyra.

The first episode of the show we have Daemon giving Rhaenyra neckless what is a nod to part of the book that heavy implied the grooming aspect of their relationship. And is very important aspect for understand his political motivations behind his actions, arguably some even could say he himself play a part on creating the family feud. It doesn't mean he doesn't have feelings for her. But in the show? Is very romantized and underplayed and is contradictory.

Daemon took her to the brothel, took her hat off exactly for everyone to see her white hair, he wanted to expose her. And then He left her there, because it was supposed the moment of " I spared you" that Daemon talks to Rhaenyra on the beach years later. Whatever it doesn't work, because at this point he already got what he wanted. Ruined her reputation so they could married. But we as the audience should see this redeeming quality.

Whatever this is small compared to Rhaenyra that in the process of making her more sympathetic and "Not like other girls" they make her incredible dumb and inconsistent.

House of the Dragon has a lot time jumps, and in between young and old transition for Young Alicent to Old Alicent is well done and make sense for her character. But Rhaenyra? Well is so hard to connect her young self and old self.

What we know about Young Rhaenyra?

She likes to ride on her dragon.

She is bold and reckless. She has "the blood of the dragon".

She have been part of the small council for a time.

She doesn't want kids.

And she even says to Alicent, she can't think of anything worse than be trap in castle giving birth to children.

And what is the first scene of old Rhaenyra? She is giving birth. There is some sad irony here if was made on porpoise. But a lot of what she was, isn't a thing anymore. A lot of her characteristics are wash out.

Alicent ask to bring her baby to her. And Rhaenyra, as political move decides to go there and take her own child. It shows how much power in a small time Alicent gain over.

What is not something she already had so much in the book. Even so, in the book is Alicent that suggested a marriage between Helaena and Jace. Because at this point in the history, Rhaenyra still holds the power.

But in the show. Even despite Rhaenyra being part of the small council longer and the legitimate heiress. She lost political power agaist Alicent.

And that has nothing to do with Rhaenyra being a woman, because Alicent as well is one, and even someone that has way less cards on the game. That is all because of the incredible bad choices she done.

First she decided to bear children outside a marital union. Generating bastards that according to the law, this is treason and only for that her and her children would be kill. And you could say she doesn't have that much choice since her husband won't sleep with her and she need to produce an heir for her lineage to continue and because of the prophecy.

Whatever how she goes on about this is what genuinely sink her down in a level of delusional. Because instead of going to summer Islands and have a baby with black man, and the only difference would be a black hair, and so what would be more on pair with the level of book suspicions about the legitimacy, she decides to try to have white children and wants to pass them off as the children of a biracial man. 😭

And she does that in front of everyone. And then she decides to leave in the worse possible moment. Doing so the greens took over.

And that is the funniest part about the Dance in the show. Because the greens, they don't create the situations that lead them to power. But actually they just explore the incompetence of the TB.

Whatever at same time we supposed to feel bad of Rhaenyra because she bled out and her humiliated herself when she started to lactation in the small council ( even though is logical because this medieval times, people don't care about this, even game of thrones we have a woman breastfeeding a boy Infront everyone).

All her acts from now on is done exclusively out desperation so the audience feel bad for her. We supposedly to see her a victim of bad propaganda and that is why her fans like her. I think this tweet make a good exemple of what I mean and how her fans see her:

Rhaenyra that once was bald and reckless act out of despair. She fake her husband death because she needs to marry Daemon because otherwise she feels powerless and lost. She begs for her father's support after being away from him for years. And then different from the books when she her sons are promised to Varyans since their childhood, she suggested a marriage out desperation.

Because that way her acts feel less part of responsibility, even though she was the one that got herself in this position.

Whatever there is a part of her character that continued since her young age. When her and Daemon stop and saw people making fun of her, she showed a lack of interest on what the small folk think of her. And in the same episode she seduce Cole to go to bad with her, even know this could cost his life. And when adult she kill a man without thinking. She doesn't care for the people she should reign over if that enters in the middle of her self interests.

She doesn't want war, and supposedly care about the prophecy, but put almost no effort to it when clashes with her own interests.