#aegon gets be king consort as a treat

[alyrie-targaryen]

The True Heir | Rhaenyra's Daughter OC x Aegon Targaryen

Visenya Targaryen, who resembles her grandmother so strongly, refuses to marry her bastard half-brothers or surrender her throne to them when her grandfather calls Jacaerys the "future king". Beloved by her grandparents and her father, she doesn't realize the real truth of her origins, and will defend her right to be queen. No matter what it takes to take it.

[redrosesandcharmingsouls]

I don’t want to enter in the discourse of “who’s the most oppressed one in a royal family with fictional nuclear weapons” but there is something to be said about the fact that Aegon had all the privilege and that privilege is used to abuse others ,and that this is a big reason him and his family have problems .Aemond was a disabled second son who has to try harder because of his disability ,Helaena is autistic and almost no one treats her seriously ,Otto was a second son whose wealth depended entirely on the Targaryens dynasty ,Alicent is the abused and gaslighted queen consort whose entire position depends on Viserys’s decisions ,and if we want to add Criston ,well,he’s a lowborn dornish man who did get screwed by an authority figure he owed his position .Of course they’re all pissed with Aegon ,he literally is the king firstborn son and probably future king ,and he never tries to be enough for the family or his position.He actually becomes worse ,because he’s not only a lazy drunk no now he’s a rapist who watches child pits .Especially for someone like Alicent who believes in kindness and in fairness and is a rape victim seeing her son use his privilege to abuse people makes her completely disgusted by him ,especially when he acts like he was the trying to be enough and was still treated badly in episode nine .

[sunfeyre]

corlys being a shit father isn't talked about enough

like even Daemon and Viserys who are both beloved characters get flack(rightfully so) for not treating their children well, but all of Corlys' actions are swept under the rug like???

first of all he tried to marry off his 12 year old daughter to a man she probably cant count up to his age, I understand it was a good opportunity to secure power to house Valeryon but that's a fucking baby??? they knew she was too young and told her that Viserys would have to wait for her to turn 14 before he beds her.

then he marries his gay son to a girl for the same reason knowing that his son will either "grow out of it" or just cheat on Rhaenyra and that with both scenarios he'd be unhappy. I'd run away too, bro was TIRED

then he just left his daughter to be groomed by a man known for being impulsive and violent who is also mind you around double her age which is an upgrade from Viserys but is it tho? like that dude legit took her to Essos with their children and refused to let her comeback to Westeros to visit her family, to be back in her homeland, and Corlys knew about this because Rhaenys mentioned it after Laena's death, so Laena must've expressed this to her parents through letters or something. (also I've seen someone legit argue that Laena A 15-16 YEAR OLD GIRL was not groomed by Daemon A 30-SOMETHING YEAR OLD because she initiated their first interaction and flirted with him first? how mental do you have to be bro...)

not only that but he also tried to pass off Rhaenyra's obvious bastards as Laenor's despite the fact that it was obvious disrespect to not only house Valeryon but to the Valyrian linage as a whole when he has two perfectly looking Valeryons (Baela and Rhaena) for bastards that look neither Valeryon or Targaryen. if he was as smart as the show runners are trying to tell us he is, he would know that Rhaenyra's bastards would cause another civil war in the future, that people would want a Targaryen looking heir to the throne (Aegon III, Viserys II or Jaehaera ) and a Valeryon looking heir to DriftMark (Baela, Rhaena or even Alyn)

he mentions that he is not suspicious but that he KNOWS Rhaenyra had a major hand in Laenor's "death" yet he jumps to her every beck and call like a lapdog ??? do you actually give a shit about your kids bro??? your son, your first born child, your heir to DriftMark, your legacy that you cant seem to shut the FUCK up about, the son that was used to legitimize Rhaenys' case as an heir to the iron throne in the first episode? your legacy was publicly disrespected by this woman and you're still on her side with little to no hesitation?

also I'm sick and tired of this "Corlys is an iconic male feminist icon, he wanted to be Rhaenys' king consort" bullshit, we all know damn well Corlys only wanted Rhaenys to take the iron throne so that he can have more power and boost up his legacy, if he was a feminist icon he could've named Baela heir to DriftMark instead of taking that bastard shit to his face, he wanted Lucerys to be DriftMark's heir because Luke is a male heir to Corlys' male heir. "but naming baela heir would mean that he'd publicly admit to the strong boys' illegitimacy" so? it would've been better than letting a bastard be your heir when he looks nothing like you. but Corlys doesn't care about his blood being his heir.

don't even get me started on Alyn and Adam

[pessimisticpigeonsworld]

"https://www.tumblr.com/tbos-main/738719535451013120/for-the-scene-you-posted-that-is-from-the-other?source=share"

"I don't dislike Rhaenyra, I really don't. But it is BAFFLING to me that her struggles are 'I'm just a princess, I'm not even queen :(((( My life SUCKS :((('

Alicent's fans have the most mediocre opinions about Rhaenyra because they are only capable of victimizing Alicent. Also, during episode 7, when the eye incident occurs, Alicent and Rhaenyra haven't been friends for over 9 years. Alicent's only actions after the time jump are to pick on Rhaenyra and her children. Why should Rhaenyra care about Alicent? Alicent's speech in that episode is pure hypocrisy; she had already let Larys get away with murdering two people and stayed silent because it benefited her. Justice and duty can be forgotten as long as it benefits Alicent.

Alicent is also not the eternal victim that OP believes she is..

People who think Rhaenyra's struggles are "but I wanna be queen :(" really don't have good media comprehension. If we look at everyone else in HOTD the same way op is looking at Rhaenyra, then literally all of their struggles are "but I want that privilege!"

Rhaenys and Corlys want the throne or their blood to be on the throne. Viserys wants to be able to chill in his room with his figurines with no responsibility. Daemon wants to be Hand, the heir, or the prince consort. Alicent wants to chill with privilege and no responsibility at first, then wants her blood to be on the throne. Aegon wants to be prince with no responsibility or consequences. Helaena wants to chill alone with bugs and her kids. Aemond wants to be king.

Literally every person in this show wants to stay privileged but on their terms. That's not actually their issues and struggles, but if we're dumbing down Rhaenyra's story, everyone gets dumbed down too.

Rhaenyra has been demeaned and treated as less than because of her gender her entire life. She was forced into a marriage with a gay man who couldn't give her children while a majority of her worth still lay in her ability to give birth. Viserys never actually went out of his way to support her until his literal last day, he does the bare minimum to protect her or her children in court. She was abused by Alicent for a decade at least until she was driven from the capital. She was usurped, her children murdered, and was murdered by her brother. She is so much more than wanting to be queen, TG stans just hate to see that.

As for Alicent, she only cares about "duty and sacrifice" when it benefits her and/or her family. She clings to the morals of the Seven until it's her faction going against them. She's obsessed with her and Rhaenyra's former friendship until she can use it to try guilting/manipulating Rhaenyra.

In Driftmark, Rhaenyra was right on about Alicent. Alicent has been far from the saint her fans view her as and far from the martyr she thinks she herself is. She has abused Rhaenyra and supported Larys, allowed Aegon's bullying of Aemond and Criston's of the Velaryon boys.

Alicent should be asking herself where duty is and asking her faction where their sacrifice is. Rhaenyra has done her duty, she married who her father told her, she had children to be her heirs and Laenor claimed as his own as well (even though she had a lot of trauma surrounding childbirth). She has served on the small council despite how the men on the council don't respect her and Alicent constantly undermines her. Rhaenyra's only crime is refusing to sacrifice herself to serve the men around her.

Op purposefully twisting the events of the show to support their view that Alicent "always defended Rhaenyra" and "only did what she was told" is so frustrating. That view deliberately ignores that Alicent stopped defending Rhaenyra in episode five, the same episode where she chose to declare war on Rhaenyra. The ten year gap was her acting entirely independently from Otto. It also ignores how Alicent raised her children to hate Rhaenyra and her children, that's not defending Rhaenyra or doing what she's told, since Alicent had the most control over her children's lives.

Alicent isn't a perpetual victim, she's victimized by the patriarchy (show only), but quickly becomes a perpetrator of abuse and a constant supporter of the patriarchy. She sacrifices her own daughter in the name of Aegon's ascension. She hates Rhaenyra for not bending to the men around her and punishes her for it. Alicent benefits from bending to the patriarchy by second half of the season, and doesn't stop until she causes the Dance. She may work for the betterment of the men around her, but she does it of her own freewill after marrying Viserys.

[presidenthades]

We already talked about the Targbros being Daemon's sons but what would happen if the girls were Alicent's daughters? Rhaenyra and Daemon get married from the beginning and have the Targbros but Alicent marries Viserys and has the girls, how would that change things?

Oh what a fun question!

This basically ensures Rhaenyra has smooth sailing to the Iron Throne. She has all very Valyrian-looking legitimate children, three of whom are boys, and Daemon is now Viserys-approved as her consort. But more importantly, all her younger siblings are girls. As the eldest, Rhaenyra’s claim is undeniably superior to her sisters’.

Is it possible Viserys never disinherits Daemon? The main reason he names Rhaenyra heir is to keep Daemon from the throne, so it would be counterproductive to betroth Daemon and Rhaenyra while also naming Rhaenyra heir. Maybe in this AU, Daemon never makes the “heir for a day” joke so he stays on Viserys’s good side. Or maybe Viserys decides to codify “daughters before uncles” for the Iron Throne. Either way, Daemon and Rhaenyra’s line is pretty solidly on the throne.

If Daemon and Rhaenyra marry earlier in the timeline, there’s less pressure for Viserys to remarry straight away, though he’s probably still expected to remarry at some point. So he could marry Alicent, but maybe a few years later than in canon. Rhaenyra still probably isn’t super happy about her best friend marrying her dad, but since Rhaenyra herself is happily married and it’s been years (rather than just a few months) since her mother died, she and Alicent probably don’t have as bad a falling-out. Also, Alicent being a bit older before she becomes a wife and mother is better for her mental health.

Aegon is the most spoiled kid in all of Westeros with an adoring mom, dad, and grandpa/uncle who all tell him he’ll be king one day. I think he’s still a frat boy and brat in this universe, but he has way fewer emotional issues so he turns out better…although Daemon might be a bad influence. 😅

It’s Aemond who’s actually Daemon’s favorite. Aemond continues to have a second son complex, but Daemon very much loves his older brother so that affects how Aemond views Aegon. Daemon also is probably coaching Aegon to make Aemond his Hand one day, which is what Daemon wanted to be for Viserys. Daeron is, as always, the beloved baby of the family.

Daemon doesn’t really know what to do with Helaena (like how he treats Rhaena) who is Very Weird, but Rhaenyra would dote on her only girl. Also, oddly, Viserys might actually pay attention to Helaena’s dragon dreams now that she’s Rhaenyra’s kid instead of Alicent’s.

On the girls’ side: they probably don’t suffer as much from shitty parenting as the Targbros and Helaena did in canon. Alicent is a bit older in this AU so she is more prepared to have kids. Also, with all girls, she isn’t worried about them being in danger as potential threats to Rhaenyra’s claim. TBH I think Alicent would prefer being a girl-mom over a boy-mom. It helps that Jace is very similar to her. Luce is wilder but reminds her of younger Rhaenyra. Joff is also Very Weird, so Alicent probably treats her like Helaena: “oh yes honey, very interesting facts about the occult…I guess…”

Viserys never blows up about Otto and Alicent wanting to put Aegon on the throne, so he continues to be an indulgent but distant father. He’ll have the girls presented to him for daily paternal interaction where they tell him about their studies etc etc, and then they part ways. Still not Father of the Year, just Average Westerosi Lord Father.

Otto is definitely disappointed that Alicent has no sons, but he can adapt. He remains the Number One Jacegon Shipper because this is the best and only way he can really get his blood on the throne. Viserys favors the match because it’s good old wholesome Targcest. Alicent gets over her qualms about Targaryen “queer ways” so her favorite daughter (Jace is definitely her favorite) can become queen after her. Rhaenyra, who is closer to Alicent in this AU, likes the idea of their children marrying. Daemon is the only one who might object because Otto Hightower DNA, but everyone else in the royal family overrules him.

Velaryons might bring some interesting drama. Laenor was rejected as Rhaenyra’s husband and Laena rejected as Viserys’s wife, so Corlys definitely wants to get in the game somehow. Assuming Laenor doesn’t have kids in this AU, then his heirs end up being Laena’s kids, Baela and Rhaena, whose father could be the son of the Sealord of Braavos. If Baela is slated to be the heir to Driftmark, there might be some people pushing for her to marry Aemond so they can join the two families for another generation. (They would hate each other, especially if Aemond claims Vhagar after Laena dies.) Corlys might try to slip Rhaena in as a potential bride for Aegon.

Overall, this AU works out pretty well for the Targ family as a whole, but the Velaryons might throw a wrench in things.

[horizon-verizon]

What's your opinion on Jace and Rhaenyra's strained relationship? I feel like she's treating him more like a partner than a son, that's why she keeps insisting they don't need Daemon.

She's adamant about them excluding Daemon not bc she wants to exclusively partner up with her son but because she doesn't feel all that secure or assured Daemon will have her back the way she thinks he should. She interprets his non-requesting (doing what he thinks is best without talking with her or asking first, esp in close connection to her as her husband & consort) to do things she thinks will disable her from gaining respect/support from others. And show!her sees that as his using her position to act out his own desires more than helping her out, which is scary bec she sees that as a dangerous extension of his seeing her as more a device than a person he loves & owes ordinary allegiance to. Which also means that it is so much the easier for him to abandon her...and we know she has a fear of abandonment/people thinking she is not good enough. And so she wants to "make it" without him so that any wins she gets will not be immediately attributed to solely him. Which would be fair, except this was never Rhaenyra and that character change is solely bec the writers didn't themselves like bk!Rhaenyra nor thought she'd be as easily marketable to as many people as they wanted.

And like the other two times show!Daemon has abandoned her (brothel, wedding) & left her with yearning (most often emotional intimacy that's intertwined with sexual intimacy) and esp after he looked like he was about to fulfill that unspoken promise, here Rhaenyra looks for such things in others. Mysaria, Criston, Harwin.

Of course she does not have that kind of relationship with her own son--do not listen to those who are confused about Targ incestuous boundaries or claim there are none simply bc they have sibling marriages--but similarly to all these people she can expect some level of competence (whether by experience or having a particularly ability she can apply towards different things like diplomacy or scouting from a dragon), loyalty, devotion, and personal interest from Jacaerys.

Jacaerys is also her heir and you see many kings in the ASoIaF Westeros who have worked closely with their own heirs. For safety, also for their education as well as having that person who can and likely will level with you and bring up their opinions without much fear. There is Aenys and Aegon I. Jaehaerys I and Aemon PLUS Baelon. Viserys and Rhaenyra of F&B had something-something that could have burgeoned into more if Alicent had not been in the way; once Rhaenyra was brought up as a possible Hand choice until he reconsidered, as Alicent and Rhaenyra's rivalry was still hot (Baelon was also Jaehaerys' Hand aop):

"A Question of Succession"

Of course, we may try to argue for the writers of HotD not really thinking about Targ monarchs and their heirs as their right hands. However, within the context of Rhaenyra fighting to reclaim her seat and having less resources in her immediate vicinity than previous monarchs/heirs (like Aegon the Uncrowned or Daeron II) to defend her, she of course is going to lean more on her son-heir and those council members.

[where-dreams-dwell]

Daemon's Wrong Wraith-visions (2/2)

Harrenhal and the visions or illusions therein should be a great narrative device to explore the newly discovered shortcomings of Daemon as a husband and leader, and it would make sense to address them now; after taking Harrenhal Daemon isn't said to have done much for a while in Fire and Blood so it makes sense to fill out the plot. There are also some hugely tough and tragic events on the horizon, and having Daemon recommitted to Rhaenyra is essential for the Black Faction to remain as a challenger for the throne. Additionally in the final arc of the Dance, Daemon being firmly and assuredly devoted to Rhaenyra will add tragedy to both his and her actions. To have the impact of those events and actions truly land, the audience's faith in Daemon as a husband to Rhaenyra and as a King-Consort to his Queen need to be unshakable. So it makes sense to devote time now to addressing any cracks in him.

But they picked the wrong wraiths to do it.

The first vision should have been of Viserys, allowing Daemon the chance to lash out at him properly; for never treating him as the true heir, and for not realizing Daemons devotion to him as a brother and a ruler. A lot of this was Ottos HighTower's poisoning of Viserys against him, but Dream-Viserys should also bring up all the instances in which Daemons selfish and short sighted actions not only undermined his own cause but harmed those he proclaimed to love.

Case in point; Rhaenyra and the brothel. Riding high on the step stones victory Daemon could have used that leverage and well thought out arguments and petitioned for her hand; It would quieten those people who didn't like a woman as the next ruler, as they may feel he would rule through her, which was incorrect but it would mean they didn't act against her rule; it would have stopped those who were whispering that Aegon should be the heir as he was a son, as now the kings brother would be the next King(in a way); it wouldn't have been out of character for the family, and Daemon had always treated her well (even if Viserys didn't believe he truly loved her); Rhaenyra hadn't found any men on her tour she liked but after such a procession she needed to announce a betrothal. And Viserys could annul the marriage to Rhea and allow her to marry again - another female 'ruler' of her house, which would lend support to Rhaenyra's claim to rule as a woman and a daughter of the former Lord.

But instead Daemon tries to 'force' Viserys to give him what he wants, and looses out on all of it. Not only that, Rhaenyra's reaction to his abandonment is sleeping with Sir Criston and then rejecting him which creates an enemy for life, one who is now in command of her bothers Kingsguard and Army; An enemy she would not have if not for that night. Additionally a key part of Daemon trying to force the marriage relied upon Rhaenyra's reputation being sullied, which would have carried over to her as Queen. She would have started her rule with people whispering that she was a whore in the same way they currently whisper that her sons are bastards. In trying to get what he wanted Daemon actively harmed Rhaenyra, something he claimed in his next breath he would ever do; why on earth should Viserys trust that he loved her when his first act when back home was to harm her?

These discussions and scenes would be compared to Daemons actions with Blood and Cheese; anther instance of Daemon acting selfishly because he was frustrated but which harmed Rhaenyra's reputation and position as Queen. He needs to stop acting this way, or no one he loves will ever trust him to act without supervision.

The second vision should have been Jaehaerys, for Daemon to work through his reaction to having to manage both the duty as a ruler and that of a husband. Jaehaerys is seen in Fire and Blood and GOT as probably the greatest Targaryen King, however his actions as a father and grandfather were terrible and caused untold issues within the Targaryen family which Daemon is still dealing with. His disregard of his children left them feeling like pawns in his plans, his lack of care for his daughters and forcing them to not only marry but marry young lead of 4 of them dying before the age of 20 and 1 fleeing the continent, his decision to change the succession from Aemon's line (i.e. Rheneys) to his second son Baelon (who was alive with two sons - Viserys and Daemon) caused his wife to leave him and live apart for ~2 years, and his refusal to betroth Daemon to his youngest daughter instead of Rhea Royce caused Daemon years of anguish and didn't prevent his daughter Geal from dying a few years later.

Jaehaerys also put the succession to the vote in The Great Council, instead of deciding the succession for himself; he had already declared Baelon as his heir over Rhaenys when her father Amon died, he could have done the same again when Baelon died and simply stated that the succession stood unchanged and Viserys would continue to be his heir. Instead he called all the great houses and asked their opinions; not only did this fracture the relationships between Rhaenys and Viserys/Daemon as they stood as challengers to one another, it established a male heir as 'better' than a female one and it gave the houses the impression that their opinion on the succession could and should be asked for. Now The Greens are exploiting these precedents to argue that the houses (who follow Andal succession rules) should champion Aegon and ignore the previous Kings wishes. Jaehaerys acted as a ruler by soliciting his lords opinions, and not as a head of the family to prevent fracturing relationships.

As a result of or at least partially because of Jaehaerys' actions the Targaryen family at the time of his death had only 4 members (if you count Rhaenys as a Velaryon due to her marriage) and was fundamentally fractured, and now a succession is able to be challenged.

A Dream-Jaehaerys who praised Daemon for prioritizing the realm over his laboring wife would likely horrify Daemon. To be told that he was on the course to be that kind of ruler would be a great opportunity for Daemon to work through what kind of father and grandfather he wants to be within the context of also being a King. Daemon was shown to be quite a loving husband to those partners he loved and respected, so having him reaffirm that he doesn't want to be a great ruler at the expense of his family would be an amazing character moment.

The final vision should be of Aemma, his mother Alyssa, and his first wife Leana, to make Daemon realize that his 'role' is one traditionally held by women and yeah, news flash, it sucks. Oh your opinions and views, which are informed and intelligent, aren't being listened to? You can only advise the ruler and not just have your advice acted upon? Your power is dependent upon the person you married, and all your decisions, advice and suggestions must be run past them before they can be actioned? Wow, truly shocking, how horrible for you.

This is the reality of those married to the ruler and while that has up until now been a women you are seeking to change that and so it will be the role you occupy; Your duty is to advise and aid them, you will not be able to act in your own interest unless it aligns with theirs. Daemon would struggle with this, both as a man who has never needed to defer to his wife or to any woman to be 'allowed' to do anything, and also as a person who has never liked answering to others or having to have approval for his actions. When we see Leana and Daemon in Pentos it is clear that Daemon is in control of their life and decisions as a couple and a family; Leana wishes to return to Driftmark and needs to petition Daemon for permission to return. Daemon is not used to being the one needing to petition. This position is hard to navigate and so those who occupy it, and up until this point that was been women, have learned to work by influencing others and controlling those who are able to act without oversight or restriction.

It wouldn't be 100% the same for Daemon of course as he still is both a man in a world that values that and a proven leader, so his opinion will be sought out and heard. But he will need to come to terms with the reality of his role and the world in which he will operate.

If he wishes to be given greater freedoms to act independently then he must earn that trust, and to do so he needs to stop acting selfishly and re-prioritize his role as a husband and father over that of a leader and ruler. Then the actual ruler will trust in the decisions he makes enough that they will not need to constantly limit or review them.

And if he can make peace with the reality of his role within his family, in that he was never supposed to be King and will always be second to his wife, then he can finally be the support and comfort that he claims he wants to be to the woman he loves. He can stop judging her actions by the yardstick of his own perspective (i.e I would have handled that differently, and by not doing it my way you are doing it wrong) and truly help his family heal and reestablish themselves as the gods-amongst-men which he views them to be.

[lya-dustin]

A Coward Kills With a Kiss

Cw: murder, incest, infidelity, trauma, blood, period accurate behaviors regarding marriage, infidelity and lower class people and Aemond being book!Aemond.

Rated M

This isn't done with any hate towards Alys or Alysmond, this is just me exploring the Aemond cheats trope in an dark and angsty way.

The war wasn’t kind to anyone, least of all to her.

Her brother had been murdered by her husband when his resentment and anger led Vhagar to attack Luke, Aemma had learned that no matter how her visions plague her no one fucking listens and worst of all, that you cannot expect people to give you the loyalty you give them in return.

Aemond had promised eternal love to her, wed her despite his mother’s intent to drive them apart and she’d given him a son hoping that blood would be enough to stay the swords that came flying out after his father’s death.

Aemond who was made for her as she was made for him, who loved her since they were small children and wed her with fire and blood so that if they die in the war they reincarnate as lovers in their next lifetime.

But it was not enough.

She was not enough.

Harwin’s bastard sister, Alys, had become his paramour, impregnated her and worse still, he treated her as if he loved her.

That night Aemma wished he’d die in his duel with Daemon as she cried into her pillow.

But he did not die.

Vhagar died from her wounds, but Aemond managed to get himself loose and toss Daemon off him as their dragons fell into the Gods’ Eye.

Silverwing was the last of the castle dragons unless you counted Rhaena’s hatchling, and the egg little Aemon had been given by his father before he was even born.

They marched to Kingslanding expecting a hero’s welcome, thinking she’d be foolish enough to allow him inside with his whore and his bastard in tow.

But he was wrong, everyone who believed her a foolish little girl would be proven wrong.

“Have Prince Aemond allowed inside the city, but not his whore.” Aemma ordered and eschewed Queen Alysanne’s crown in favor of the one Queen Visenya wore.

She had Aegon the Conqueror’s Crown, but it was not meant for her as was the one her mother and grandsire inherited from Jaehaerys.

This was a new dynasty, after all Aemma was born a Velaryon with dark eyes and dark skin of the Merlin King’s daughter, Melusine and the silvery hair of Raemond the Valyrian, the first King of Driftmark.

She was as much a dragon as she was a sea horse, something even her husband forgot.

Aemma supposed they were all long overdue a reminder.

While he has come to love Alys and owes his life to her, the sight of Kingslanding is enough to remind him where his priorities stand.

And when the orders came that Alys be forbidden to enter the city, Aemond didn’t hesitate to obey knowing his true family was the one inside the walls not outside of it.

The witch knew he would never marry her and the babe ---if it’s born at all given her age and history--- would be a bastard sent to the Wall, to the Faith or the Citadel where he wouldn’t be seen nor cause trouble. Alys would be provided for as long as she remembers his place and their affair over.

Aemma could order her death if she pleased as it was her legal right as his wife and queen.

There was no use to Alys now that the war was over and he was king consort, besides he would have many more children with Aemma who would be of the right blood anyways.

It was a cruel fate for Alys, but she was his lover not his wife and she knew how the world works.

The ruins of the Dragonpit loom over as a testament of the war’s cruelty as he rides through with no parade or anything to show who he was.

People had lost their fear of him even after he defeated Daemon because unlike his wife, he no longer had a dragon nor an army. People had lost their respect for him when they learned the rumors of Alys being true.

They sneered at him, pelted him with rotten food and called him every name under the sun.

Even his mother wasn’t spared in the smallfolk’s insults.

But Aemma was adored, seen as the beautiful princess who avenged her mother by killing his brother with her dragon as mother was forced to watch.

Seen as the rightful ruler, as the savior of the realms and their family.

Aemond supposed he deserved some of it, but really, they act as if he was the first man to take a whore during wartime.

No matter, after he swears fealty to his wife ---who will forgive him for sure--- and is instated in his rightful place by her side he will make them all pay for this disrespect.

“I promised you I wouldn’t die, my queen.” The prince cannot help but smile when he sees her on the Throne.

His beautiful wife with thick slivery ringlets and lilac eyes wearing the red and black of House Targaryen.

Aemond almost forgives her for having him presented to her court as Prince Aemond the Kinslayer.

“That was the one promise you kept, husband.” She replied with a steely look in her eyes.

So his infidelity had hurt more than he had assumed it would. Aemond cared deeply for his wife, but he had spent an entire year without her, and he wasn’t made of stone.

Alys had been there to fill in the blank and help him cheat the Stranger if he kept her as his paramour. He came to care for her too, but never as much as he did for the girl he wed twice.

“And for that I intend to apologize for till the end of my days, my love.”

Aemma had always been the one he would love until his last breath and the only person Aemond would grovel at her feet for her forgiveness.

“Shall I prove it to you by swearing my oath to you, my wife and queen?” he asked taking Dark Sister, the sword he had claimed the night he survived the God’s Eye.

His own sword, the one Aemma had her grandsire find in Essos, had been lost in the water along with Vhagar, but Visenya’s Blade was more than adequate to replace it.

“You may.” The queen does not appear to have been moved, her dragon’s blood had shone through and provided the armor that led her to survive all their family.

But underneath the steel lies the soft beating heart of the girl he loved; all he must do was crack its hardened shell.

For all her claims of being strong, Aemma feels herself pathetically weak.

He speaks as if nothing had changed, as if he didn’t break her heart a thousand times even before he took the whore for his lover.

She doesn’t want to forgive him, even if the remaining greens demand he remain her husband and consort as part of their surrender.

There are no feasts, no sign of celebration about his return to her.

They are to have a quiet reunion and he will see the babe on who’s life he had sworn on when he promised her he wouldn’t kill her little brother.

She hates him.

She loved the boy he was but hates the man who stands before her thinking she would forgive him.

It pains Aemma to know their love was never meant to be anything but a tragedy, even as Aemond holds his son in his arms and the sapphire eye cries just as it would if it had been a real one.

Their son sleeps in the cradle they shared as babes, and it is the fact that he looks and even sounds like the boy she wed that has her hand shaking.

It is a wonder his dagger has not fallen from her hands.

“I am sorry for waking him, Aemee, I just couldn’t resist holding him after so long.” He apologized as he had tried to do earlier before she left the room claiming to have a meeting with the new stewards.

But the truth is she left because she cannot forgive him.

His touch revolted her, his mouth had tasted of the blood he spilled and made her spill and the mere idea of having to live with the man who trampled everything she gave him under his foot had made her realize what she had to do.

She was never meant to rule with her true love beside her, she was never meant to be happy, and he was never meant to live while her brothers are dead.

“Kill him!” Luke’s voice hissed in her ears.

“Avenge me and yourself, sister!” the ghost was joined by others who died because Aemond wasn’t man enough to stand against his fucking mother.

She doesn’t know when she raised the knife, Aemma barely registered what she had done when she plunged it into Aemond’s back.

“Aemma, what are you doing?!” He is shocked and bleeding and yet not fast enough to stop her from plunging it a second time as he tries to stop her.

“Aemee, please, this isn’t you!” He tries as the blood comes out of his wounds and yet she manages to stab and slash his torso as he fought her.

He tries not to use force, fearing he might hurt her, and she gives into her hysteria as she takes advantage of his pain and injuries to kill him.

“Aemma, I’m sorry!” he cries out before she dealt the final blow.

Aemma sobs violently and finally lets the knife fall from her hands.

The guards find her cradling his bloody corpse as she cries like she has never done so before. Her baby son echoes her cries as bloody as his parents on the nursery's floor.

The queen only hears the guards send for her grandfather and the maesters as she grieves for herself and Aemond and all they could have been if it hadn’t been for the fucking war.

“I love you, I’m sorry!” she begs the corpse with his face frozen in horror at knowing what she did.

“I killed him, I killed him, I killed him!” she sobs violently as her grandfather tries to pry her off Aemond’s body.

“You didn’t, the whore did, she wanted to kill the three of you because he discarded her as all men do.” The Seasnake takes control as any Hand would do and before evening the nursery is spotlessly clean and Aemond’s body wrapped in linen atop a pyre.

As far as anyone knows, Alys Rivers had snuck into the nursery with her so called magic and murdered the prince consort when she couldn’t kill her.

As far as anyone knows the queen was his loving wife until the end and no one mourns him as much as she does as she pressed her lips to his one last time.

[strangedreamings]

S2E2 (spoilers abound)

They found Blood but not Cheese, just like the book.

Otto is being completely callous about using Jaehaerys as propaganda, Aegon II looks ready to chop his damn head off, and Alicent just fucking stands there, doing nothing. Shut your father up! Comfort your son!

At least Aegon II called out Criston for not doing his duty. Worst kingsguard commander ever.

Oh God. Not only are they going through with this heartless funeral procession, Otto wants Alicent and Helaena to follow the body. Fuck you, Otto. I hope you have the most painful GoT franchise death since Oberyn Martell.

Hug your daughter, Alicent! Fuck, she truly is a shit mother.

Oh dear fucking God, someone had Jaehaerys' head sewn back onto his body and they're making Helaena look at it this whole procession. Where's the silver shroud we've seen at every other Targ funeral?

Oh God, the carriage with the body is stuck and they're having to rock it back and forth to free it. Jaehaerys' head is going to roll a second time, I just know it.

Thank God that didn't happen, Helaena would've fainted, I'm sure.

Now Rhaenyra's getting blamed, Daemon's denying the "son for a son" thing, and there goes their marriage.

Hi, Baela! The writers are finally giving you something to do, yay!!! Now if they could just do the same for your sister.

There goes Daemon and Caraxes. All hail Ramin, the music this episode has been top-notch.

At least fucking say something to your wife, Aegon.

Servants are taking Jaehaerys' bed apart as Criston looks on all sad. Fuck you, Cole. This is on you. (And Daemon, mostly Daemon, but Criston is definitely not completely innocent in this, fuck any TG fans who say otherwise.)

Rhaenyra playing with her two youngest. The boys are so cute!

"There is none for what I've done." Ah, so you do have a brain, Criston. I was beginning to wonder. I saw a bingo card in the show tags that included "Catholic guilt" as a square. That person called it beautifully.

Criston, go fuck Alicent again because you obviously need a fix if you're being this surly. Let the man eat. Again, treating people badly is how you turn them into turncloaks.

"The white cloak is a symbol of our purity, our fidelity." Then your cloak should be fucking black, Criston. "Where were you when Jaehaerys was murdered?" WHERE WERE YOU, COLE? Oh yeah -- FUCKING THE KID'S GRANDMOTHER.

"Where were you, Lord Commander?' I want to capture Criston's "deer in the headlights" expression and make it my lockscreen until the end of time.

"and then the young prince is murdered on your watch." You are so full of shit, Cole, that I'm surprised people aren't complaining about the smell.

"You are mad." He truly does look fucking unhinged. Cole, you've lost your damn mind. (Fabien is fucking KILLING IT this season.)

(God, the Butcher's Ball cannot come soon enough. I believe this is still 129 AC, so next season, then.)

"Or to triumph. And glory." Arryk, don't listen to him, he's clearly insane, you can see it in his eyes.

Jace and Baela. At least he doesn't get offended when she brings up Harwin.

Great, Aemond's ego has gotten bigger, just what we needed. Lord, he's skinny. Just muscle and bone, no fat on him.

Can I just be shallow for a moment? The Hull Brothers are HOT.

Why is Daemon's title "king consort" and not "prince consort"? (Matt Smith is making a career out of playing the husbands of queens.)

I do love Corlys and Rhaenys flirting in the middle of this serious talk. They're so good together. (I just have a suspicion Rook's Rest is at this season's halfway point.)

Emma is also killing it this season. I hope that their next role is something other than a grieving mother, they're a little too good at it, it's heartbreaking.

SEASMOKE?!

"... and curse your name." I fucking hate it when Otto has a point. Aegon II doesn't consider any consequences at all. But then, look who's guiding him -- Cole.

"And what has Ser Criston Cole done?" Nothing good, that's for sure.

Why do the highborn men's and women's costumes look like they're from different centuries?

"Fuck dignity!" That's it, that's the show.

(Tom's killing it too. Can someone please put him in a rom-com? I want to see him play a sweet guy in love.)

"Give it to Cole." Criston looks at him like, "The fuck you say?" Don't do it, Otto.

"My new Hand will be a steel fist." We all know what he can do with those steel fists.

Criston has been in over his head from the moment he met Rhaenyra, this is nothing new.

Good on you, Mysaria, for being able to tell the Cargyll twins apart. Hey, if she can keep them from killing each other, more power to her.

Oh great, we've got the Cargyll twins' fight in the middle of Rhaenyra's bedchamber with Rhaenyra and Elinda Massey caught in the middle. I'm pretty sure this isn't how this scene goes in the book.

Oh good, nobody dies but the twins, that's in the book. (Elinda's ultimate fate isn't happy but that's still coming.)

It's about FUCKING TIME that somebody mentioned Daeron. This child has literally not existed until this moment, I swear.

"I have sinned." Alicent, Otto a self-righteous ass but he is nowhere near a priest.

"I do not wish to hear of it." Otto says, "Leave me out of your drama, girl, I've got enough messes to deal with."

COMFORT YOUR SON, ALICENT! You are an absolute shit mother, especially compared to Rhaenyra.

Must we waste screentime on Alicole? They deserve each other, sure, but only because they are both UTTER FAILURES!

The preview makes it look like Rook's Rest is next week, I was expect the week after. Interesting.

[fromtheboundlesssea]

HOTD Season 2 Episode 4 Live Watch Thoughts

I would love if they redid the opening credits of Game of Thrones in this tapestry style of HotD. Love it so much.

Wish Laena and Rhea would haunt Daemon too. They deserve to haunt him.

Oooo Milly should have been wearing dresses like this instead of that awful yellow dress.

Young Alicent should have haunted Viserys.

OH MY GOSH!!!!! He just beheaded her!!!!! I AM IN SHOCK

BLOOD ON HIS HANDS!

“Sad news about the usurper’s son” HE WAS MURDERED

Black goat was ominous.

Oscar! Baby!

King consort? Don’t think that’s the right title.

Aw! Little Oscar looks a little like Rickon’s actor.

Daemon asking a child to kinslay his grandfather. Good lord.

Why is House Tully heads always sickly during a time of war.

DOGS! I think those are Scottish dogs.

Oooooo Alyn and Rhaenys are going to talk!

OH SHE KNOWS?!?!?? She knows now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!

“Your mother must have been very beautiful.” 🫥

WASN’T RELEVANT!!!!!!??????

Let women be more angry!!!!!!!!

No! I wanted Alicent to break it purposefully!

Oh? So Alicent is going to have moontea?

Grand maester is hot, not gonna lie.

Man this is probably the first time Alicent has had autonomy over her womb for the entirety of the show.

Note how the women of color are the only ones who are allowed to want violence for more than a single scene.

Why could you not have at least focused on Jace’s hand on Baela’s that would have been nice.

Why isn’t Jace placed more in charge? He is the crown prince?

How fast are these ships or did Corlys ride with Rhaenys?

Rhaenyra’s council is honestly doing pretty much the exact thing Viserys’ did.

Asking for people to bend the knee without a dragon really does feel less threatening.

And ooooooo Criston being called Kingmaker.

And Criston listening to the man’s last words while taking the head himself. Very Northern of him.

“That castle is more crippled than I am” is kind of funny tbh.

I hate that the Greens can’t be united. Why can’t they be united after the death of Jaehaerys.

Ooooo does Aegon not speak Valyrian?

Also, not Aemond saying something similar to Daemon in the first episode of season 1

So he can speak a little? Just not well?

STAY AWAY FROM HER LARYS!

OH HE NOTICED! STAY AWAY FROM HER!

I am going to reach through the screen and strangle Larys myself.

No you may not be bold, Larys!

Oh, interesting, she’s saying this to Larys. The trailers made it seem she was talking to Otto.

Is Rhaenyra suited? Literally neither of his children showed any suitability for the throne.

“The significance of Viserys’ intentions died with him.” YES IT DID

Man, Daemon is not having a good time right now.

Oh? Aemond?

Oh? Daemon as Aemond? The heck?

Oh, so it wasn’t an American accent?

“Do you now try to make your own claim?” Yes he is.

“A girl child you bounced on your knee.” 🫥

Oh? Is Alys going for him because he looks like Aemond and isn’t sure who she is supposed to be projecting into?

Daemon really is not having a good time. Good lord. This man is getting drugged.

OH THIS IS THE GUY THAT MURDERED SOMEONE ON THE TOUR!

LAENA!!!!!!!

Laena serving as a cupbearer!!!!! I AM SCREAMING!!!

What were the dragons doing before to be fed?

Why isn’t Aemond on the council?

Why isn’t Alicent and Helaena on the council? Didn’t the book say Aegon listened to them?

Is this the same day?

Also, again, this is how Viserys was treated. He didn’t really do much either.

VISERYS WAS HARDLY A KING

RAT CATCHERS THAT KILLED YOUR GRANDSON!

I like that Aegon still called Alicent his mother. I noticed that Jace seemed to stop calling Rhaenyra that.

Why have I seen Gwayne’s actor? Was he in Witcher? He looks so familiar. I’ll have to look it up later.

And now Rhaenyra is back. That took forever.

And yep, Jace is no longer calling her “mother”

Jace is really channeling his inner Daemon.

Was it necessary?

Alicent isn’t queen anymore? She’s the queen mother? Helaena is the queen?

Your caution isn’t weakness, you have literally just not been doing anything.

JACE LACKS THE EXPERIENCE????? SO DO YOU RHAENYRA!

Emma channeling their inner Elsa with that braid though.

Ooooo it’s rather symbolic of Aegon pushing aside his wine thing. Honestly Rhaenyra and Aegon should have been better parallels.

Oh? So Rhaenyra is going to tell Jace the stupid prophecy.

SUNFYRE! Aw, Sundyre loves his rider! That’s so cute!

Jace learning the prophecy (which is about an enemy to the NORTH) would have been great to know before he went there.

The prophecy really is stupid.

Like, it’s stupid. It’s pointless. It’s lazy storytelling at its finest. And we know that it went nowhere because in the show Arya, without a drop of Targ blood, is what destroys the enemy to the North.

Did Meleys’ design change?

Old lady Vhagar about to wake! She is so done with people waking her from her nap.

And I hate that that Aegon going to fight wasn’t planned. Rather him acting on his own decision.

Dang Sunfyre is a sure shot with fire.

I hate that this is the one and only time we will get a Sunfyre. I know that Sunfyre was Martin’s favorite.

And ah, Aemond is doing this so that he gets glory and proves himself more worthy than Aegon. *sigh*

Also, props to Aegon for holding on.

Ugh. So they’re having Aemond be the reason his brother is scarred. *sigh*

This is the battle that was being hyped up? This is the battle? Didn’t people say it was going to be like Battle of the Bastards level? Because…. Yeah no. No it’s not. This is our second “battle” with dragons fighting and it’s not great.

The Field of Fire was also better.

They were hyping up this battle far too much.

I feel sad that Rhaenys died, do not get me wrong, but the whole battle just didn’t feel climactic. I didn’t feel like I was on the edge of my seat in the way I was for GoT battles.

That was a cool shot though, of Criston tapping the soldier on the shoulder and him crumbling.

How they are treating the Greens is what they did with “Dark” Sansa and the stupid Starkbowl, pointless. Utterly pointless.

That was another disappointing episode.

Promo Thoughts

I don’t even know.

I don’t understand what they are doing. And I feel like a lot of people will be leaving after this season. Half of it is over and I feel like we’ve covered very little time at all despite covering so much time last season. It all feels disjointed.

[catofadifferentcolor]

Terrible Fic Ideas #43: Jon Snow, but make him Aegon son of Elia

I do not know why, but I absolutely adore the idea of Jon Snow being Rhaegar's son - the rightful heir of the Iron Throne hidden right beneath Robert Baratheon's nose. Perhaps it is because such a lie makes Ned Stark one of the most interesting character's in ASOIAF - a man for whom honor and duty is everything willing to stain that honor to do his duty by his sister's son.

But then I thought: why stop there? What if it wasn't Lyanna's son that Ned was sheltering, but Elia's? Or: what if Jon Snow was the son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Elia Martell?

Aka: The Aegon the Adopted Fic

Just imagine it:

Robert's Rebellion goes according to canon - until we get to poor Elia and Aegon's deaths. Maybe Ned is able to intervene before Aegon is killed and Elia dies of her injuries regardless; maybe a maid is able to spirit Aegon away and deliver him to Ned because she knows Northerners to be trustworthy. Regardless of the exact means, Ned ends up spiriting Aegon son of Elia out of the Red Keep.

Ned means to deliver Prince Aegon to the Martells after he finds his sister, but he has no proof that Aegon is Aegon. The prince is small and sickly and Lyanna has been gone for months - what if they think he's trying to pass Lyanna's son with Rhaegar off as Elia's to get Stark blood on the throne? They might kill the boy. It's better to take him back to Winterfell.

And so Ned brings home the bones of his sister (and her stillborn son) and Targaryen prince disguised as his bastard son with a dragonseed.

Canon proceeds apace - only Jon's feelings of not belonging are heightened to such a degree it's astounding he doesn't choke on them. With his fair hair and purple eyes, he doesn't even look Stark. Oh, there's some resemblance from the Blackwood blood the Starks and Targaryens share, but one has to look for it.

Shortly before Robert Baratheon decides to head North, Jon decides to leave. Robb helps him gather the coin necessary to sail to Essos, where he can join a mercenary company...

...only Jon sails to Dorne instead, where he plans to try to find his mother or her nearest relation living.

He succeeds, for a given value of succeeding - because before he can get too far he encounters his sister Rhaenys, who has spent the last 14 years disguised as their Uncle Oberyn's bastard daughter, Nerys.

Jon isn't taken prisoner, but he's asked to remain as a guest of House Martell. It's a surprise to everyone - Jon included - just how easily he finds his place in Dorne.

Rhaenys starts out loathing Jon for the role Ned Stark played in the fall of her house, but try as she might it's a hard facade to keep up as they have quite complimentary personalities and interests. By the time Bobby B dies, Jon has fallen unknowingly into a relationship with his older sister.

Ned, rather than be beheaded, is sentenced to take the black.

The War of Five Kings proceeds as in canon - though Dorne does nothing but encourage its enemies to destroy each other. Only after the Battle of the Blackwater does House Martell put forward Rhaenys' claim. After Stannis sails North, they take Dragonstone and declare Rhaenys Queen of the Seven Kingdoms.

Meanwhile, Ned has a lot of Jon's canon plotline beyond the Wall regarding the White Walkers and after his death and resurrection retakes Winterfell from the Boltons before going to treat with the new queen.

Imagine his surprise when he arrives at Dragonstone to find his adoptive son is has become his biological sister's lover. He's so surprised, in fact, that he immediately assumes that Jon has learned the truth and wed his sister in the tradition of their house.

Much awkward info dumping follows.

They are saved from equally awkward politicking regarding who should claim the throne by Jon pointing out that Rhaenys is older and better trained for it, she should have it, and that they can join their claims with him as prince consort if she'll still have him.

A Targaryen restoration follows the War for the Dawn, with Jon and Rhaenys being crowned together as Aegon VI and Rhaenys I.

There's some ruffled feathers when Daenerys arrives in Westeros with Young Griff claiming he's Aegon VI. Young Griff takes the revelation that he's a Blackfyre surprisingly well and ends up serving as Rhaenys' Hand for the rest of his life. Dany is named Lady of Summerhall and brings more dragons into the world - and a single daughter late in life who goes on to marry Jon and Rhaenys' eldest grandson.

Bonuses include: 1) Doran and Oberyn both seeing much of Elia in Jon but dismissing it as wishful thinking; 2) Ned Stark having the worst time possible, being forced to live through all the terrible things which happen to his family and unable to interfere until after his resurrection, but finding purpose in rebuilding the North; and 3) Jon claiming a dragon only after Dany hatches one of the eggs she finds at Summerhall - a pure white dragon which eventually gains the nickname The White Dread when used to put down pirates in the Stepstones and rebellions in the Iron Islands.

As always, feel free to adopt this bun, just link back if you do anything with it.

Other Jon Snow Headcanons: Aegon the Adopted | Aegon the Undying | Aegon the Unyielding | Aemon the Adventurous | Baelor the Brave | Daeron the Desired | Dyanna the Defiant | King of the Ashes | Lady Arryn | Lady Baratheon | Lady Lannister | Lady Stark | Lord of the Dance | Prince Consort | Prince of Summerhall | Queen Mother | Rhaegar the Righteous

More Terrible Fic Ideas

[hello-nichya-here]

Is Daemon in love with Rhaenyra or just using her? Why did he not go all the way with her in episode 4? Was it just guilt over using her or was there something more?

He IS in love and he IS using her. She's a way to get closer to the throne, and Daemon doesn't mind exploiting that, plus he wants to be Aegon the Conqueror and to him that includes marrying "in the tradition of their house" aka an incestuos marriage, and naturally the first choice for someone that arrogant is the princess/future queen.

But their genuine bond cannot just be ignored. Daemon is clearly attracted to her, and he tends to be less of a dick to her than he is to everyone else (still awful by the standards of any reasonable person, but it counts, and luckly for him Rhaenyra can be a bit unhinged too).

He gives her a necklace made of the steal of his sword as symbol of their shared heritage, comforts her during her mother's funeral, stops trying to act all threatening when she calls his bluff in episode 2, shows her the harsh truth that plenty of people STILL see Aegon II as the true heir despite Viserys choosing her (can also count as him trying to undermine her confidence, so it's both "tough love" AND "you're worthless, feel bad and sleep with me") and he listens to her about her fears regarding marriage/sex/pregnancy and full on encourages her to just do whatever the fuck she pleases (though this one also counts as him using her since he did to try to force Viserys to accept them gettting married, aka Daemon getting to at least be king consort).

He accepts to be part of a (fake) murder plot so she'll be rid of her husband and then marry her so her claim to the throne will be more solid (again, counts as both selflessness and selfishness), they are VERY physically affectionate during their marriage, he is clearly super happy when she's pregnant with yet another child of his (and in a deleted scene he mourns said child after the miscarriage/stillbirth), baits Vaemond Velaryon into calling her a whore in front of Viserys so he has an excuse to cut his head off in front of everyone and thus assuring Rhaenyra's son will get Driftmark despite being a bastard, and he is being very gentle when letting her know of Lucerys's death - that last one is important as it happens in episode 10, aka the one in which he treats her worse than ever.

For fuck's sake, they're CONSTANTLY speaking high valyrian to each other as that is the show's very deliberate way of setting their conversations with each other apart from the ones they have with everyone else.

Even when he was happily married with Laena, a wife he CHOSE because they had genuine chemistry and affection for each other, he was still thinking of Rhaenyra constantly, being aware of everything that was going on in her life even from afar.

As for him not going all the way with Rhaenyra in episode 4, I believe that happened for two reasons:

1 - Daemon wasn't as fully in control of that situation as he thought he'd be. He WANTED to have sex with her, sure, but he is an arrogant, volatile guy, and Rhaenyra, despite being a virgin, was not at all acting shy, scared or even hesitant. She wasn't letting him fully take charge, turning around to face him, toy with him after he had just pressed her against the wall, her back turned to him.

Denying her suddenly, without explanation, and just leaving her there by herself, was a way to take back control - especially since this whole thing was also about making Rhaenyra get caught with him, and that had already happened, so he already "got what he wanted from her" but she didn't get the same from him. He IS still a potential candidate for the throne, so disgracing the princess AND disregarding her once her reputation is in the dirt, but his isn't because rules are different for men, is a way to prove, either to her or to himself, that he holds more power in their relationship and always will.

2 - Guilt. Daemon KNOWS what he is doing is not right. He knows Rhaenyra is very young, he knows he's manipulating her, he knows he is using and exposing her, and he knows that's an awful thing to do to his own dear niece, the daughter of the king and brother he does sincerely love (in his own way). That's why he isn't gloating like a villain after his evil plan was a success, but is instead looking all miserable and drinking all night - he is WILLING to be an utter bastard to get what he wants, but that doesn't mean it doesn't take a toll on him.

Not going all the way with Rhaenyra gives her the chance to have a "proper" first time, with her husband (be it Daemon himself or not) instead of in a brothel, in front of a bunch of people, with a married man. It lets her still keep ver "virtue" even if nobody else will believe she's still a virgin.

It's also why he leaves once she's married. Now that his one path to become king no longer exists, he isn't caught up between what he wants and what's right, as leaving Rhaenyra the fuck alone is the only option - and Daemon himself confirms in episode 7 that he did genuinely believe his niece would be better off without him, even though she clearly disagrees (and they both have VERY good reasons to feel the way they do).

So yeah, Daemon is one hell of a complicated character, and even when he is being awful, that doesn't mean he isn't also showing some humanity - and vice versa.

[ladystarksneedle]

So I've been reading Fire and Blood and one of the things that seems very interesting to me is the role of Targaryen Queen consorts or regents in ruling the Realm.

Visenya and Rhaenys are always referred to as Aegon's sister wives or consorts despite the fact that they had been doing much of the governing on their own. Similarly when Alyssa Velaryon assumes the role as Jaehaerys' regent she's publicly undermined by her own husband Rogar Baratheon, who in my opinion married her out of lust and desire to get closer to the throne and to try and rule de facto.

The way these women are treated by the people around them and by history despite occupying some of the most powerful and important positions in the Realm at the time is disheartening and then we have Rhaenyra.

( I haven't reached her part in Fire and Blood so I'll only be commenting on show Rhaenyra here)

She was the first woman to be named "heir". Not consort or relagated a title subservient to yet another man, but heir in her own right and young Rhaenyra initially, in my opinion, was suited for it. She was bold, fiery, not afraid to voice her opinions (her ideas to send dragonriders to the stepstones, electing Criston Cole based on his merit as a warrior to the kingsguard etc..) and she put forth some pretty decent points.

We also see her studying in the godswood and from her many conversations with Ser Criston earlier on, her innate desire to be accepted by the people, even if she unknowingly pisses many off along the way (Lady Redwyne and her dog)

Older Rhaenyra however is in stark contrast to her younger counterpart. Leaving aside the outward question regarding her children's paternity, she appears passive. She leaves king's landing because of the rumors surrounding her children yet in the next episode marries Daemon with the reasoning that he'll strengthen her claim and wants the realm to whisper about both of their supposed involvement in Laenor's death. Then she proceeds to stay in Dragonstone for six years with him without even trying to go back to KL and try and integrate herself back into the state of affairs. We don't see an ounce of her attempting to "rule" ie make decisions on bhelaf of the realm, challenge Alicent and Otto with legitimate concerns (and no her back and forth with Alicent in episode 6 doesn't really count, where her ideas though sensible to an extent were opposed by even one of her staunchest supporters, Lord Beesbury).

She could have done so much with the power she was given but we see nothing. Daemon and her are both shown in separate occasions to be avid learners of history, Daemon when he's confronted by Laena in pentos as to why he's whiling away his time with his nose in various tomes and Rhaenyra when she was younger, poring over histories both times in the godswood. Yet both of them never embark on a royal procession, not even once like almost all their ancestors did to garner support and show the might and strength of house Targaryen.

For a duo that claim to want to restore glory back to their house, they do nothing to actually ensure that happens and thereby nothing to lay the foundation for her upcoming rule. Their attitude to me in the show comes of as callous and entitled despite the threat of a very legitimate opposing claim looming in the background.

[writingsofwesteros]

Okay so it started out only like 10 years after Joanna died, around the time Jaime joined the kingsguard. Tywin freaked about needing heirs, refusing to even consider Tyrion. He marries young Alicent in an arrangement he made with Otto, she's around 18, and not that much younger than him. Alicents mother was a Targaryen, the mad kings cousin, thus why the kids still have the targ names, Alicent is more cunty like her book self and names all the kids she bears him, holding fast to that rule because they're all going to be of house Lannister anyway. Then I don't remember much but it like fast forwarded to after Aegon, Helaena, Aemond, and Daeron were born. Tywin finally stopped being his cunty self after Daeron was born, because Alicent nearly died and it hit him that seeing her in the birthing bed, drenched in blood, maesters and maides constantly running in and out with more blood soaked sheets, it brought him back to when Joanna died and kinda hit him that he'd grown to care for Ali. After that, he acted almost like a normal husband, pretty much treating Alicent how he does Stev in her au. Then fast forward again to got era timeline, they're older, and for some reason older Alicent has morphed from Olivia Cooke into Catherine Zeta-Jones. They have more kids, as much as Jaehaerys and Alysanne. But it all starts going downhill when, during all the wars and time apart and fighting amongst themselves, Alicent follows her step-son Tyrion, whom cares for her very much on account of her being a good step-mother to him and treating him kinda like Jaime did, and she chooses to go to her blood, Daenerys. Tyrion doesn't kill Tywin in this au, cause he never sleeps with Shae. Tywin and Alicent have like a 20 chapter lovers to enemies to allies to hesitant reconciliation to lovers trope. Alicent and Cersei never get along rip, and that is another factor that leads to her choosing her young cousin Daenerys, because maybe Cersei killed one of her kids. Tywin, being the stubborn fool he is, never believed that Cersei was unhinged enough to kill her half-sibling and thought Alicent betrayed him just because. Eventually he stops protecting Cersei when Jaime gives him the proof. Somehow Daenerys is not barren in this au and doesn't go all mad king ii in the end because Alicent has married her son Aegon Lannister to her, with Aegon being the future Prince Consort to Daenerys' Queen. By the time they reconnect, Aegon and Daenerys have a few children, so Tywin has to choose between protecting Cersei or Aegon, and he chooses his and Alicent's bloodline. Then I woke up lol. The end.

We so need to write books on our dreams, like damn, that is perfection!!

I can't even add to this perfection !

Poor sweet Ali loosing one of her children :( Helaena and Tywin having a soft relationship whilst Aemond is a mommy's boy once more

[bbygirl-aemond]

Hi Bella and Bella's bf

If Rhaenys was made queen do you think Corlys would be prince or king-consort?

Ooh I think it could go either way, since there's no precedent for this sort of thing. It would be in Corlys's (and House Velaryon's) interest to be a King rather than a Prince since it would give him more power and status. Corlys in canon seems to enjoy being able to have the final say in his marriage when he and his wife disagree on things (pimping Laena out to Viserys, marrying Laenor to Rhaenyra, etc.) so I have no doubt he'd want to be as close to Rhaenys's station as possible since already he'd probably not be psyched about no longer being the boss in their relationship.

It would however be in Rhaenys's best interests to keep him as a Prince, especially if she anticipated him trying to undermine her in order to get his way over hers. Westeros is super sexist, so a lot of people would already want to treat Corlys like THE King and Rhaenys as his consort, and keeping Corlys as a prince would help to mitigate that immensely.

So I guess it would come down to how much Rhaenys would stand up for herself when she isn't forced into concession by a power imbalance. I'd like to hope that she'd preserve her own power as much as possible, especially since in Episode 9 of HotD she seems to be angry at her own powerlessness, indicating she isn't super happy with the dynamics in her marriage that force her into a more subservient role.

(As an aside, I'd like to point out that the possibility of Rhaenys becoming queen wasn't as much of a thing in Fire and Blood. The Great Council was pretty much choosing between Viserys and Rhaenys's unborn baby if it was male. It wasn't so much deciding if Rhaenys could inherit, but whether a claim to the Iron Throne could pass through a woman to her male descendants. This precedent is later part of why Aegon III inherited the Iron Throne because he was Aegon II's heir, not because he was Rhaenyra's son.)

[goddessofroyalty]

I have to know does Blood for Blood end up avoiding the fight between the two parts of the family or does Rhaenyra's side just gain another dragon (or perhaps Luke convinced/kidnapped to Aegons)?

It does avoid the fight but it's not a neat road there.

Everything comes to a head when the king dies obviously. But I do think he hangs on a bit longer (long enough for Aemond and Luke to have a kid). Only because that adds the layer of Luke is technically no longer needed by that side (they can kill him and his grandparents off and put Aemond in charge of the place until he kid is old enough to rule). But on the flipside it also has allowed Aemond to get a bit more used to his new life as... Lord consort(?). And probably more importantly had it pointed out to him in a way that actually would sink in that the only way to kill a dragon is... other dragons (and that dead dragons is something Rhaenyra's side really wants to avoid and honestly he probably should as well).

But the concern of "Will Rhaenyra's side start killing us as soon as she's queen?" is a valid one. Aegon and his kids, at least, are a Real Threat to her claim (Aemond less so because... he's got a Title now but that Title requires either Luke or their kid to Inherit and it's kind of stupid to kill Luke seeing it would bring the wrath of his family down on Aemond and he then probably won't live to get to enjoy that Title). Helena and the kids I feel like gets resolved by Aemond (well technically Luke... well technically Luke's grandfather initially, but Aemond) taking them into his house and then marrying the kids off to either Rhaenyra's kids or grandkids (because, sure, let's keep this family tree a fucking circle). Sure, technically they might be considered political prisoners but they're not really treated that way and it's not like the rest of the family isn't also intermarrying all over the place (and Helena is honestly pretty happy with this resolution).

I have no idea what to do with Aegon after the immediately "he just keeps himself hidden long enough for Rhaenyra to find out about her father's death and arrive to declare herself Queen". Alicient can at least just live out the rest of her days as Queen Dowager (probably forever fearing a knife in her back that never comes and instead awkward reconnection between her and Rhaenyra). But Aegon will forever be a Threat to Rhaenyra even if he has no interest in actually challenging her (especially seeing both his brother and sister are very much of the opinion he is not to ruin this good thing they have going) and it would be kind of stupid to ignore that threat but also killing him would ruin the tense peace going on.

Within a generation or two it's completely resolved and the Targeryans are still an Untouchable Dynasty With Dragons. But in the immediate it's a complicated poitical mess that everyone is trying to navigate without accidently kicking off a bloodbath.