#and there is actual daemyra interaction

[captainswanapproved]

The Queen's Gambit- Chapter 2

A03, Chapter 1

Daemon x Rhaenyra Multi Chapter AU: Rhaenyra is now 18 and eager to prove herself. Having never been forced to marry Rhea Royce, Daemon has matured and given up his gallivanting through the Street of Silk. Queen Aemma survives her final birth but the baby does not.

Queen Aemma knows of Daemon's devotion to Rhaenyra. She also knows that this devotion is not unrequited. Aemma goes to Viserys with a proposition: one that will ensure the future and legacy of House Targaryen.

“I, Viserys Targaryen, First of His Name, King of the Andals, and the Rhoynar, and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms, and Protector of the Realm, do hereby name, Rhaenyra Targaryen, Princess of Dragonstone and Heir to the Iron Throne.”

The room erupted into applause. Rhaenyra stood and surveyed the assembled high lords and ladies of Westeros. Each of them would take their turn to swear fealty to her as the new heir. One after another, the lords of Westeros knelt and made their vows. Rhaenyra stood with her spine straight and her head held high, and expression of haughty pride on her face.

Inside, she was trembling, worried that she would be a disservice to her family and to the realm. Rhaenyra looked around the throne room, her eyes seeking the beloved face of her uncle. He stood in line with the lords, waiting for his turn to kneel before her.

Many members of court watched him with anticipation. It was expected that the Rogue Prince would do something rash and offensive to ruin the ceremony. But Rhaenyra knew that Daemon’s pledge of fealty to her would be genuine.

At long last, he appeared before her. His voice rang out through the room, strong and even. “I, Prince Daemon of House Targaryen, promise to be faithful to King Viserys and his named heir, Princess Rhaenyra. I pledge fealty to them and shall defend them against all enemies, in good faith and without deceit. I swear this, by the Old Gods and the New.”

There were several sharp intakes of breath as Daemon took Rhaenyra’s hand and kissed it, in a gesture that would be impermissible to anyone else. Rhaenyra almost smiled. The Rogue Prince, indeed.

After the ceremony ended, Rhaenyra walked out of the hall on the arm of her father. “You did very well, Rhaenyra. You will make a strong ruling queen.”

“Thank you, Father,” Rhaenyra said.

Her ladies awaited her  near the door of the throne room, Alicent Hightower among them. Rhaenyra smiled as she joined them. Once she was in her chambers, Alicent helped her undress. “You looked beautiful today, Princess. You will make the realm proud, of this I have no doubts.”

“Thank you, Alicent,” Rhaenyra said. “I will do my best. Do you think the Lords of Westeros have truly accepted me in their hearts? It is one thing to swear a vow, it is another thing entirely to mean the words.”

“You will win them over,” Alicent said.

“Even your father?” Rhaenyra asked.

“He agreed with the king’s decision,” Alicent said, only she fidgeted with her hands as she said it, idly picking at the skin of her fingernails.

Rhaenyra raised a brow. “What do you know, Alicent?”

“Nothing,” Alicent said, a little too quickly.

Rhaenyra continued to press her friend until Alicent revealed what she was hiding. “Suitors will start arriving to beg for your hand. My father has summoned Gwayne from Oldtown.”

It was not unexpected, but Rhaenyra felt a pang of frustration toward her father. She would have to sit and listen to the ridiculous pleas of the sons of the highborn lords, even though she already knew whom she wanted to wed.

“I am sorry, Princess. I should not have tried to hide anything from you.”

“You have done nothing wrong, Alicent. I did not expect to remain unwed. The Seven Kingdoms will not accept a Queen without a King Consort.” Her tone was bitter, but mostly because she was thinking of Daemon, and how she wished to call him ‘Husband’. No matter what her mother had told her, she could not believe her father would change his opinion on the matter.

Rhaenyra bade Alicent to leave her before making her way to the Godswood. It was the most peaceful place in the Red Keep, and she longed for a few moments to herself. When she arrived, though, she did not find it uninhabited.

Daemon was leaning against the tree. He turned his head when he heard her approach. A smile crossed his handsome features, and Rhaenyra felt a frisson of excitement race through her veins.

Daemon rose to his feet, only to give her a sweeping bow. He spoke in High Valyrian. “All hail our future queen.”

Rhaenyra wrinkled he nose. “There is no need for such formality, Uncle. I will always be your little dragon.”

Daemon dug in his pocket and removed a dark steel chain. The pendant was a large ruby mounted on a pendant of the same steel. “I have a gift for my little dragon then. Though it is worthy of the next Targaryen Queen.”

“Is it Valyrian steel, like Dark Sister?”

“Yes, so you will always have a piece of Old Valyria with you.”

Rhaenyra turned and allowed Daemon to drape the pendant around her neck. “Thank you.”

“Beautiful,” Daemon said, his voice soft, almost reverent. “Now you will have a piece of me as the sons of the lords of Westeros bend over backwards for your hand in marriage.”

“I do not want to wed any of them,” Rhaenyra said.

“Careful, Princess. You know you must have a husband. You cannot take the throne without one. Marriage is only a political arrangement. Once you are wed you will be free to find your pleasures elsewhere.”

Rhaenyra scowled at him. “What if my choice does not align with my father’s choice of husband.”

“My brother is a fair man. I am certain he will give you the freedom to choose, within limits.”

They were dancing around the heart of the matter, but Rhaenyra would not directly tell Daemon what she wished for. If he were to reject her, it would crush her heart.

Daemon took her hand in his and kissed it lightly. “Princess,” he said in the common tongue, “your lady mother is doing what she can.”

“It may not be enough,” Rhaenyra said, her tone petulant and unbefitting of the future queen.

“Do not fret, my little dragon,” Daemon said, kissing her forehead. “May I escort you back to your chambers?”

Rhaenyra reluctantly took his arm and allowed him to lead her back inside. The day was quickly growing dark.

***

Aemma sat beside the fire with her husband. “Rhaenyra was ethereal today, my love.”

“Yes, she was. She will be a beloved queen, just as you are.”

Aemma smiled in spite of herself. Her husband wanted the best for their daughter. It was only that his Hand and other council members were trying to steer him in directions to their benefit, rather than Rhaenyra’s.”

“Suitors will begin arriving tomorrow, those who could not join their fathers. Ser Harwin Strong, Gwayne Hightower, and Laenor Valeryon will be among them.”

“Ser Laenor may not favor young ladies, my love.” Rumors about the heir to Driftmark had been circulating for years.

“Rhaenyra is no mere young lady. She is the Realm’s Delight and the future queen. If Rhaenyra favors any of the young lads, a betrothal will swiftly be announced.”

“And what of my candidate for Rhaenyra’s hand,” Aemma asked. Surely if she kept pressing the matter, her dear husband would surrender.

Viserys shook his head. “Daemon is not a potential suitor, though he surprised me by bending the knee. Otto assured me he would make a spectacle. Though he should not have taken her hand. It was an affront to decorum.”

“Rhaenyra was not offended by the liberty he took,” Aemma said.

“Her infatuation will pass,” Viserys said. “And when it does, she will be happier to wed someone closer to her in age.”

“I am sure the Hand wishes for it to be Gwayne,” Aemma said, frowning. Of course Otto Hightower would support the decision if he thought he could convince Viserys to wed Rhaenyra to Gwayne.

“I have made him no promises, but we have a close bond with House Hightower. The match would be entirely appropriate. Let us not argue the point further, my love. I am tired.”

Aemma sighed. “As you wish, my lord husband. I will not retire yet. I intend to walk in the gardens.”

“Take a guard with you,” Viserys said.

Aemma nodded and left. But she dismissed the member of the Kingsguard who tried to follow her, pressing a gold dragon into his hand.

Daemon was waiting for her in the Godswood as planned. “Brother, you proved Hightower wrong today. I was proud of you.”

“Even though I took liberties with your daughter?” Daemon asked, his eyes twinkling.

“If Rhaenyra does not take offense then neither do I,” Aemma said.

“You are most gracious, Your Grace,” Daemon said.

“How fares my daughter? You were seen with her in Godswood after the ceremony.”

“She is safe in her chambers, tired from the events of the day.”

Aemma nodded. She trusted Daemon with Rhaenyra, but if her maid had spotted them together, she was certain someone loyal to the Hand had as well. “Viserys has not reconsidered,” Aemma said.

“I did not expect him to. Rhaenyra will have to tolerate the parade of suitors. She will be bored senseless.”

“You will join our family party, and stay by her side as she meets with them,” Aemma said. It was not a request.

“If that is what you wish, my queen. Viserys will not approve.”

“He will not deny you a place at his side during the proceedings. The Hand may be your greatest rival, but as the Queen, I outrank him. Viserys may not see the merits of a match between you and Rhaenyra at this juncture, but he witnessed your loyalty today. Continue to show him that you can comport yourself in a proper manner.”

Daemon nodded. “You have my word. In any case, if a suitor falls short, I may need to feed him to Caraxes.”

Aemma gave him an indulgent smile. “You are not unbiased in the matter, Daemon.”

“No.” He agreed. “I certainly am not.”

[darklinaforever]

When I see people saying that the Cat King is gross I always wonder... why ? Because he's flirting with Edwin ? Like... is that all it takes for these people to feel triggered ? That an eccentric guy flirts with Edwin (while doing absolutely nothing to him without his consent) ?!

Same with saying he's sneaky... Why ? Because he punished Edwin the same way Edwin put a curse on one of his cats ? So the punishment is actually pretty fair karma-wise.

Because he keeps an eye on him after casting a spell on him and giving him a task to do? Which is completely logical, beyond the fact that the Cat King has a crush on Edwin.

And once again... Because he flirt with him the rare times they interact together ? That without ever trying to force or manipulate him into agreeing to anything sexual to do with him ?

Really, people who hate the Cat King never seem to have any real valid reasons.

Because in itself, the Cat King doesn't do anything really bad during the show that could cause him to be hated, and in fact story-wise serves as a positive development for Edwin.

So I will never understand this hatred he receives. Is beyond me.

The worst thing he did in my eyes was take on Charles' appearance. That was really not cool. But still important to the development of Edwin's arc in realizing and accepting his feelings for Charles.

Once again, without Cat King, no big statement from Edwin to Charles.

Once again, I don't understand people who are so triggered by the Cat King. It seems particularly ridiculous to me, but everyone is free to have their own feelings.

On the other hand, stop putting your personal feelings on Edwin who clearly does not feel the same way as you. And don't try to transform the meaning of this character to give yourself reason to feel triggered.

Sorry to say it, but sometimes, even if the personal opinion seems to imply something pretty important, it doesn't mean that it's the reality of what is being told in the story.

It's like those people who cling to the words pedophile and grooming for certain fictional relationships like Darklina or Daemyra, when that has absolutely no place in these relationships.

[darksvster]

extended faq for #hotds1script

i thought i’d make a post generally answering some of the questions that i keep getting about ships. if i’m not specific i either don’t have an answer or i am trying not to spoil something.

are there larycent posts?

just a couple, but yes there are. i wouldn’t call them positive but i have the whole scene with two of them in episode 9.

is there any helaemond?

to be honest, there are only crumbs. there isn’t much of helaena in general but there are little crumbs. i know, im disappointed too. i will say that there are some episodes that are very overtly daemyra that aren’t reflected in the script. a LOT of work goes into filming and actors’ performances. don’t take it as confirmation or rejection!

how much daemyra is there?

a LOT. i would say the majority of what i have is daemyra, but the writers didn’t cut much! there are lines here and there that were cut that i think you guys will enjoy reading. but fear not, i know it’s been a lot of non-daemyra coming from me but there is a lot on the way!

any aegon and helaena?

yes but i wouldn’t say it’s positive.

do you have additional criston scenes?

yes! surprisingly he appears in a lot more of the script and his relationship with alicent actually explains a lot of his motivations, including killing beesbury.

any rhaena and baela?

there is some, but they are crumbs. still there’s a big crumb that i really like and it’s one of the few scenes i wish they actually kept.

any positive rhaewin and laemon?

to the first, lol not that you’ll ever see. there were some that i’m not posting anymore and some of him with jace, though id say on the whole jace’s interactions are primarily with daemon and rhaenyra. to the second, not really. even some scenes i interpreted as laemon ended up being not about them.

does the script imply alicent/criston?

i keep getting asked this despite answering it a bunch but it does more than imply it. in the script it is fully canon, im surprised her kids don’t have dark hair.

what other ships do you have?

i made a little pie chart of all my remaining posts while waiting for my uber. keep in mind the “other” is all single posts. so anyone or ship that only had one post.

[snowblack-charcoalwhite]

I've said it many times and I'll say it again. I don't understand why so many people claim that Aemond is somehow Ryan's favourite or even self insert. I guess it would be obvious now that he hates him as much as the rest of the greens, but some still insist on this. Like, here is the character that actually was one of the most popular in s1 despite the fact that he barely had any screentime and is tg, yet we are halfway through s2 and look what they've done with him?? 5 minutes of screentime, half of it the unnecessary brothel scenes to show him naked and to destroy his relationship with Aegon for good. Zero interactions with Alicent, Helaena, Otto...No reaction to Jaehaerys (but yes to luke).. And he's somehow Ryan's pet? Yeah, no. I think that Ryan is staunchly tb who loves Rhaenyra and Daemon (and Rhaenys) and just watch him give Daemyra an intense and emotional reunion to confirm Daemon's loyalty to her. All these harrenhal scenes are just devices to make the moment more impact full and to subvert expectations™, I'm 100% certain this will be the case. And what the greens got? Mutual hatred, a nonexistent cause, Aegon who still bullies and humiliates his brother and only sees him as a weapon, Aemond who tries to get rid of his brother in the middle of the battle and is completely detached from his family, Helaena who barely exists and don't even get me started on Alicent and Criston. Therefore, if Ryan, Hess or anyone in the writing team "loves" the greens, they sure have a strange way of showing that lmao.

Anyway, I would love to hear your opinion on this.

Hello!

To be honest, at this point I have trouble telling which HotD characters are actually loved by the writers. I am really tempted to say that none of them are because no writer treats a character they love like Condal&Co treat the majority of HotD folks, even TB ones, the supposed faves. Rhaenyra (post S1E5), the protagonist - meek and boring. Rhaenys a.k.a "the voice of wisdom" - a hypocritical woman (who is also basically a mass murderer). Daemon - I don't even know what to say about him, his characterization has been all over the place.

However, IMO we need to take into account two things: 1) HotD writers apparently have received a commission to create a show with a clear as day feminist agenda to regain the audience's favor lost after Daenerys business in S8 of GoT; 2) the most important - they are fucking incompetent, and so they could ruin the characters they "love" just as effortlessly as they do with those they "hate" (sometimes they even fail with the latter - because they are kind of supposed to ruin them but, once again, are incompetent).

So, I really don't know whether Condal and the rest of HotD team are ruining Aemond on purpose - or are just trying to legit create a compelling arc for him by presenting him as a bullied kid with a fuckton of issues who one day just snapped and fully went into a psycho killer mode. Both options are possible - and actually both of them might be true because (and here goes yet another HotD problem) it really feels like the writers who work on the show have trouble communicating and coordinating their ideas. One pushes for one thing, another - for another, and as a result we have characters who act like they get a personality/brain transplant every episode (Daemon and Alicent in S1 are the prime examples of that).

As for the "Aemond is Condal's self insert" -everything is possible. To comment on that properly I would have to get into speculations about the latter's personality and mental state, and I'd rather not do this. As much as I despise him, he is still a real person; and I am neither a psychologist nor a psychiatrist (neither do I know him personally), so it's not my place to do that.

Thank you for the ask!

[wulfhalls]

daemyra vs your ideal alicent/gwayne…who wins?

girl. be so fr rn. I made gwaynicent up in my head 2.4 days ago based on one interaction. meanwhile real actual canon s1 daemyra served so severely it had me moving like rooney mara 14 min one take eating cake on the kitchen floor in a ghost story.jpeg if so much as a new picture of them dropped and now we're doing gothic nightmare descend into madness a christmas carol from hell how to lose your twin flame doppelgänger mirror images two sides of the same coin half of your soul queenwife in 10 days like.

[sshireens]

2, 6, 8, 12 👉👈?

THANK YOU YINNIE 💓💓💓

2. a compelling argument for why your fave would never top or bottom

this requires me to narrow down my favs, which is so much more difficult than i ever could have expected. yin if i don’t answer the ask quickly this was why. catelyn tully would never top because ned lays pipe and she’s a freak like that. saw a ss of a reddit post that was like ‘my wife likes to get blitzed and then come home and have me fuck her brains out’ and thats her. brienne is never bottoming and jaime is never topping because jaime has some kind of reversed gender thing going on that makes him want to be a girl but not to another man. and brienne lives to serve. she literally is a sword. and thats a penis metaphor as we all know. margaery is never topping men because despite being the first ally in westeros she thinks thats weird. these are compelling arguments to me! daenerys stormborn is NEVER. NEVER NEVER NEVER. never bottoming because A). thats the prince that was promised B). jon likes to get dicked down C). i personally believe that being sold and traded will lees her to discover (amidst her several trysts with irri jhiqui and doreah (bc u cant tell me otherwise. irri is canon first of all)) that she, as the breaker of chains and mother of dragons and khaleesi of the great grass sea, is not inclined to experience things at the whim of others but rather the opposite. is that appropriate to say.

6. which ship fans are the most annoying?

oh god. SORRY PLEASE DONT SHOOT ME EVERYONE! daemyra (this might be biased bc i just dont like daemyra) some sansan ppl really get under my skin…. LUCEMOND JESUS CHRIST. almost forgot about them (was almost free). wow sorry lucemond shippers first place for annoying. its not that im an omegaverse toxic incest yaoi anti its just. Its the people it truly is i cannot even enter that circle. there is a blog on here though i can’t remember the url of that makes cute sfw art that doesnt frighten me and ive been known to browse, even hit like once or twice. lucemond still stay away from me please

8. common fandom opinion that everyone is wrong about

daenerys is not going to be queen of the seven kingdoms NOR SHOULD SHE BE. if daenerys takes the iron throne the whole series is pointless

12. the unpopular character that you actually like and why more people should like them

what qualifies as unpopular. also what do we consider like. because i consider like as in ‘this is a fun character to see interact with the world’ and NOT!!!!!!!!! ‘i support this guy’. just to clarify for any other viewers at home. a character ive seen a lot of people Dislike but i think deserves to be heard out is criston because he’s funny and thats it thats why everyone should like him. but i dont consider him unpopular? hmm tough tough …… will i get flayed if i say larys like i mean he’s just sick i love wondering what is going on in that head. in regards to characters i think are not given enough attention: jaehaera targaryen. ‘she’s a little girl shes a non-character’ SHUT UP. she’s a little girl exactly. she didn’t get the chance to be her own person she is alicent’s pain helaena’s pain and her own. GOD MY BABY GIRL….. she names her dragon death…… AUGH DONT EVEN TALK TO ME DOONNTTT EVEN. um also rhaella, daughter of rhaena the lesbian AND! mother of daenerys. bc first of all rhaella and aerea switches thats true. so like. rhaella septa rhaella wondering if that was meant to be her. wondering if maybe it would have never happened if she hadn’t traded places. is it kinder to force her twin into the faith or to let her die? Augh. also daenerys’ mommy just… why dont we know about her i need more people on here like me willing to band together to make up canon. i guess thats not really a reason why people should like them. ALSO SHIREEN BARATHEON I DONT KNOW IF YOU CAN TELL BUT IM THE BIGGEST SHOOTER FOR SHIREEN THATS BABY THATS MOTHER THATS THE PRINCESS THATS MY DAUGHTER THATS ME I LOVE HER SO BAD OH NY GOD SHIREEN PEASE COME HOME THE PEOPLE MISS YOU. and i know everyone dgaf about baby boy bowl cut brown boba eyed broken bran. but i gave birth to him. and thats why you should like him.

i don’t consider myself a targ girlie and then it comes to questions abt asoiaf and i can only answer in reference to them 😔 tried to be diverse 🤞

[maryonaccross]

Hello, love your blog. I was wondering what are the things you would like to see in the next season(s) of HotD? Honestly, I'm not really hopeful and was quite disappointed how they handled some important characters and storylines in season 1, but I'll give a chance to season 2. If it disappoints me, well, at least I tried. The thing that worries me the most is the fact that it will only have 8 episodes because I think that could only harm the pacing. Anyway, here are some of the things I would like to see:

1. First of all, I want Alicent to stop being so apologetic and finally show some teeth. Team blank already hates her with passion and I want to see her acting for real like they were pretending she was acting in season 1. Let her be decisive, resentful of Rhaenyra, unconditionally supporting and protective of her children. I don't want to see any of "my old childhood friend" bullshit anymore. It was a good idea to start the story, but that is also something that should have been dead and buried long ago, especially after Driftmark. How could she actually approach Rhaenyra after the dinner and act all apologetic and humble again, even after that same "friend" asked for her maimed son to be "sharply questioned". No mother should get over it and I don't want to see "Rhaenyra is actually the most important to Alicent" narrative again. It would also be interesting to see the development of her relationship with Criston, not necessarily in a romantic way.

2. More Helaena screentime and her dreams/visions. I would like them to give her more importance and agency than she had in the book, especially after B&C. Explore her relationship with her family, make her an actual character, not just a "weird bug girl," "an innocent victim",...Same goes for Aemond and Aegon. I want to see Aegon as a complex character struggling with his new position, but also learning how to be more responsible and perceptive. Give me some intense scene between him and Aemond where they actually confront each other and finally express the way they see their place in the Targaryen family, how they cope(d) with their father's neglect, maybe discussion about Helaena and her abilities. I would really like to see some scenes between the green kids like the ones the Lannisters had in GoT, especially in the early seasons. This show needs something like that because it lacks depth when it comes to certain relationships. And yes, they better finally give Dreamfyre and Sunfyre the attention they deserve.

3. As for Aemond, I must say I'm not looking forward to his Harrenhal storyline, I prefer him in KL and interacting with his family. Furthermore, I'm not an Alys fan, when it comes to Aemond ships I'm more Rhaemond (will never become canon, I know) and Helaemond (might become canon, but not very likely) so I believe this Alysmond relationship will probably be something like Daemyra, deeply problematic and toxic, but quite popular among the fans. I just hope they won't make it some great love story because it won't make much sense imho. And of course, more scenes between him and Vhagar to show their bond and similarities. I'll never forgive them not including her roar when he lost an eye.

4. Give Baela and Rhaena more agency. Maybe some confrontation with their father and/or stepmother wouldn't hurt. If they really intend to depict Baela as Daemon no2 I'll probably hate her lol, but three is still hope for Rhaena. I've always imagined that she would be disgusted with B&C.

5. Include Sara Snow storyline. Regardless of what some people say, there are no romantic feelings between Jace and Baela imo and she will probably have another romantic interest, so why not give something to Jace to make his story more interesting? I don't believe in Cregan xJace and the way some TB fans defend that relationship as more acceptable and less harmful to his betrothal to Baela is ridiculous. Cheating is cheating, so why Sara isn't acceptable, but Cregan is? And anyway, that betrothal was forced upon them to cover for Rhaenyra's mistakes, so let Jace be rebellious for once, not just meek and dutiful. We've seen his darker side so they could explore that a bit more.

6. Please, don't make Nettles Daemon's daughter. Honestly, this is a tough one since their relationship was strange in the book too, but whatever they do, I hope they won't make her his daughter.

7. Don't make B&C a botched kidnapping or something. That would be too much and could actually make me stop watching

8. Show more cases of the dragons acting on their own, like Vhagar and Arax at Shipbreaker's Bay. Explore more "the idea that we control the dragons is an illusion". I want to see that on both sides, it would especially be interesting with the more experienced riders.

9. A good Rhaenyra vs Alicent confrontation scene. At least one.

10. No more Larys/Alicent scenes like the one in episode 9. Please.

Hey, thanks so much for the ask!

To be honest, you perfectly summarized everything I’d like to see in season two although my hopes are extremely low. The first season was a complete disaster with characters changing personalities every five seconds I don’t even want to know what they’ll turn season two into.

I think the only things I have to add are that I don’t want them giving all of Aegon’s storylines to Aemond. The writers have really gone out of their way to make Aegon as unlikable as possible and if it wasn’t for TGC’s efforts the character would be entirely unlikable. Aegon’s main redeeming quality in the books was his love for his family and his siblings so I’ll probably stop watching if they show him being in a brothel while blood and cheese happens, or if they’ll have Aemond executing them instead of Aegon.

Also, concerning blood and cheese, I have heard rumors/theories about how Dyana is supposedly going to be involved in it which I find absolutely atrocious. What are you trying to achieve at this point?? First you have to make him a rapist for some reason, and now you want to make his rape victim look like a terrible person by making her an accomplice to child murder.

I hate what they did to Beala in Rhaela, their inheritance was stolen and apparently they’re completely thrilled being the cupbearers of the woman their father married days after their mothers death and who is rumored to have killed their uncle. I hate how they took away all their agency and made them happy being married to Rhaenyra sons.

Most of all, I want the show to stop picking sides and nitpicking what they want to present as abuse and what they’re going to ignore (you can’t say anyone who supports Aegon is a rape apologist, while giving pedo wifekiller Daemon a free pass)

The only way to make the next season interesting is by depicting both sides as nuanced and morally Grey instead of making it into a good vs evil shit show 

[hargitays]

had to delete my post about incest & grooming being inherently abusive because daemyra stans found it & genuinely were arguing that "uhhh actually daemon isn't technically a pedophile, he's an ephebophile, learn definitions of words 😕" and then another person reposted and said "and also, some incestuous relationships are consensual, that's not a fair thing to say"

i don't care too much for online arguments but if you have to get "technical" about someone's attraction to minors, or argue that incest is not harmful in all scenarios, you're most likely a weirdo & i will block u bc why are u interacting w me?

[atopvisenyashill]

Book Daemon, at least, appeared to have genuine feelings for both Laena and Rhaenyra. If she said she would marry him after winning the throne, I don't think he would have left her. Show Daemon though seems to care less for anyone except Viserys.

WEll.......while I do agree it's very obvious in the books that Daemon loved both Laena and Rhaenyra, and I kinda roll my eyes when people insist he only loved one of them, and yeah, I definitely agree book Daemon would agree to hold off on marrying if she promised a Specific Date (ie after I get the throne/after Jace and Baela have a kid). BUT. I don't agree he doesn't care about anyone but Viserys in the show. I think a) erasing his love for Laena is just point blank nonsensical and stupid and i will fight and die on that hill against anyone who wants to argue that stupid ass "well what relationship does it make sense to make the emotional base of the show, rhaenicent and daemyra or laenyra and daemyra" because none of those things are actually in opposition to each other but also b) again, like most of the blacks in the second half of the show, daemon seems to not have many very close relationships outside of Viserys and Rhaenyra because they just cut all the relevant scenes. We barely see him interact with Baela, Rhaena, or Jacaerys, and they don't really make Steffon Darklyn stand out, he doesn't live on Driftmark with Laenor, Rhaenys, Laena, and Corlys, so Daemon is just like, being a weirdo all over Westeros without any real emotional ties.

BUT. I do think the fact that Daemon doesn't have as many clear cut emotional ties also does make his more erratic or goofy ass behavior in show canon make more sense. Because he's constantly waiting for (imo) Viserys or Rhaenyra to make the first move here, he isolates himself, but he also never quite explains that he feels discarded/jerked around outside of moments where he's just straight up arguing with Viserys. I also think show Daemon has a few more....scruples? shall we say? When it comes to his seductions of both Rhaenyra and Laena than book Daemon does. Book Daemon clearly does not care about the age differences between him and the women he's involved with (or, well, if he does care, he doesn't show it very much) whereas show Daemon is (rightly) wrestling with the appropriateness of eloping with a teenager. IMO, that's why he stays in Pentos instead of writing to come home to Viserys; he can't really tell Rhaenyra "you were too young" when he's shacked up with someone even younger than her, whereas in the book, he never "abandons" Rhaenyra nor does he keep Laena from her home for very long, so he just doesn't have that emotional issue with them.

So like yes, while I do think his attraction to Rhaenyra is completely tied up in his attraction to Viserys, I think it's also very clear he is attracted to Rhaenyra, and he craves emotional validation from her in the exact same way he does from Viserys. It's why he's so weird at Driftmark with the both of them when he first comes back; he's once again panicking, feeling both that they don't want him there, they're just placating him and they'll reject him again soon, he's third wheeling this dynamic, etc., while also feeling extremely guilty over not fulfilling his "role" of protecting them, of once again taking advantage of Rhaenyra when she's emotionally vulnerable, of being able to ~see clearly~ that Viserys is surrounded by vipers and doing nothing to stop it, etc etc.

[tell-them-the-north-remembers]

Every single time I think a TB stan will actually make an unbiased critique of Alicent that I can respect even if not necessarily agree with on here they start spewing the most misogynistic bullshit ever instead that involves calling her deragotary and sexist terms, victimblaming her for the middle-aged Viserys wanting to bed his daughter's 15 year old bestfriend that he saw grow up and claiming that she is the worst mother to ever live who hates her own children. Bonus points if they blame her for Viserys' neglect too.

It is insane the way I have yet to meet an Alicent critiquer that doesn't immediately slip into blatant misogyny. Every time I see a cool-looking TB blog interacting with me or my mutuals the first thing I do out of reflex is to look at their posts about Alicent. If I see the word "Alicunt" once it is over. Like don't get me wrong, some of y'all TB stans are lovely but the majority I have had the displeasure of meeting so far are Alicent-haters who attack anybody who respectfully critiques Rhaenyra, Daemon or Daemyra. Like I said, not saying everybody is like this but I have met very few people that aren't.

[howyouloveyourdragon]

thea's fic recs <3

hi everyone i'm going to be away for awhile so i won't be able to post after wednesday at all on this account until i'm back :( however, i will suggest you read from these amazing writers in my absence. if there is anything you want to ask me or just interact then i'm happy to do so on my personal account @simp-aholic so just send through an ask on there and i'll be happy to talk with you, my masterlist is also still up of course with any fic updates you might have missed or to reread from &lt;3

i'm sure that you've already heard of or read from them but i would still highly recommend that you check them out if you haven't already, these are just some of my favourites that i re-read <33 i can't wait to see you all when i get back :)

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from @valeskafics (everytime a new update comes out its like mwah my love is back from war) masterlist

✨ A Game of Proms (modern au, robb stark x oc) (also pretty sure this was the first ever ASOIAF fanfic i ever read so it'll always have a high position in my mental court) completed ✨ Blood Of My Blood (jacaerys, aemond, aegon x reader) ongoing ✨ Wolves and Dragons and Seahorses, Oh My! (modern au, aegon, aemond, jacaerys x reader) ongoing ✨ Party in your bedroom (almost everyone got & hotd x camgirl!reader) ongoing (nyra and ali for the win, fight me) ✨ Far Longer Than Forever (swan princess au, jacaerys x reader) completed

from @syzrina masterlist

✨ Roomates (modern au, aegon x reader x aemond) ongoing ✨ Fool's Gold (modern au, aemond x reader) completed ✨ Dress (modern au, aemond x reader) completed ✨ All I ask (modern au aemond x reader) completed

from @f4ll-for-you masterlist

✨ The Project (modern au, aegon x reader) ✨ Aegons Summer/The Intern (modern au, aegon x reader)

from @starkskeep

✨ When the Dragon Howls (cregan stark x reader) ongoing

from @hotdapologist masterlist

✨ As You Wish (aemond targaryen x reader) ✨I Know Places (lannister oc x martell reader x aegon targaryen)

literally everything from @its-actually-minicika (pls my wife is so talented but i'll link my top faves i guess 🙄) masterlist

✨The Yule Ball (gryffindor jacaerys, slytherin aemond, hufflepuff aegon x reader) ✨ I See You (aemond x reader) ✨The Harshest Winters (for my followers with darker tastes, book-canon aemond x reader x deceased jacaerys) ongoing

from @shruie masterlist

✨Yours To Take (daemyra x martell!reader)

AO3

✨ ride the dragon (do it quickly) by molter (alicent x rhaenyra) ✨ in paper rings, in picture frames, (in dirty dreams) by angstigone (aemond x oc) ✨ One Step Forward, Two Steps Back by Dulcewritess (aegon ii x oc) ✨ right where you left me by 14xn (alicent x rhaenyra) ✨ Nocturnal Sunshine by queenslayer (alicent x rhaenyra) ✨ oh and i wonder by barbiewrites (alicent x rhaenyra) ✨ through the mis, only sky by thedevilsgarden (alicent x rhaenyra) ✨ on the mend by thedevilsgarden (alicent x rhaenyra) ✨ HOTD PTA meetings by Pie_pie

[captainswanapproved]

The Queen's Gambit- Chapter 1

A03

Daemon x Rhaenyra Multi Chapter AU: Rhaenyra is now 18 and eager to prove herself. Having never been forced to marry Rhea Royce, Daemon has matured and given up his gallivanting through the Street of Silk. Queen Aemma survives her final birth but the baby does not.

Queen Aemma knows of Daemon's devotion to Rhaenyra. She also knows that this devotion is not unrequited. Aemma goes to Viserys with a proposition: one that will ensure the future and legacy of House Targaryen.

Chapter 1

“Your grace, you must choose. The babe or the mother?”

Viserys winced as his beloved Aemma screamed again.

“Save them both,” Viserys said, “By the order of your king, save them both.”

“Your Grace—”

But Viserys did not remain to argue the point. Instead, he went to the weirwood tree to pray.

***

By the grace of the gods, Queen Aemma Targaryen survived her labors. Alas the gods gave and took away. Prince Baelon Targaryen was stillborn and burned on a pyre the following day.

Aemma watched as her son’s pyre was burned by Syrax. Rhaenyra had barely been able to utter the command. She watched as Rhaenyra, now a woman grown at one and eight, clung to her uncle Daemon as she wept. Daemon held her tightly, running one hand through her hair and idly kissing her brow. It did not seem to matter to him that his actions had an audience.

Aemma knew she would be unable to carry another child. Her body had been irreparably torn and scarred by this final birth. Daemon was the heir, but Aemma suspected that he wanted something else. She would confirm her suspicions in the godswood the next day.

Aemma sent a summons to Daemon’s apartments the following morning. She paced the peaceful godswood as she waited for her brother by law.

When he arrived, he bowed deeply. “I am at your service, my queen.” Aemma was tempted to smile. His formalities always had an heir of mockery with herself and Viserys. Daemon loved them both, she knew, but the games and politicking of court seemed to have little appeal.

“What do you want, Daemon, truly.”

“Your Grace summoned me. I expect you wanted something of me.”

Aemma nodded. “I want your honesty, Brother. Do you want to sit the iron throne, or does your heart and ambition lay elsewhere.”

Daemon did not immediately speak. He appeared wary as he formed his next words. “Viserys would never allow me to have what I truly want. I suppose I must settle for the throne, but I hope it may be many years before I take that mantel.”

It was the answer Aemma wanted to hear. “Does the title King Consort have more appeal? And before you deny it, remember that I, unlike my husband, have yet to deny you anything.”

Daemon swallowed thickly. “Your lord husband would never permit it.”

“That is not an answer to my question. Do you want Rhaenyra? Would you treat her as she deserves? Would you do everything in your power to protect her?”

“Yes,” Daemon said, at last without hesitation.

Aemma smiled and moved to embrace her brother. Daemon seemed tempted to withdraw, wary still. But eventually his forehead was on her shoulder, and arms were around her waist. “I will make my husband see sense, Daemon.”

***

Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen had spent the night weeping for her brother, for her parents. For eighteen years, and very likely more, they had been trying to conceive an heir to the throne, and all the gods had granted them was her.

Rhaenyra knew her father loved her, but she would never be a son. She would never be able to sit the iron throne. Uncle Daemon would be the next in line for that dubious honor. Yet, Rhaenyra wondered if she could ever convince her father to allow her to follow her heart.

Rhaenyra had kept her desire for Daemon locked away in the deepest chambers of her heart, knowing that her father was unlikely to approve the match. He would expect her to wed the son of some other highborn lord. Perhaps a Lannister or a Tyrell.

But in the last three years, Rhaenyra had begun to imagine what it would be to wed her uncle, to bind their blood in the tradition of Old Valyria.

Rhaenyra was startled from her reveries when her mother entered her chambers. “Mother, you should be resting.”

Aemma smiled. “Perhaps I should, sweetling, but there is much work to be done. Tell me true, my love, do you wish to become your father’s heir.”

Rhaenyra’s heart leapt, but she schooled her features. “I am only a girl.”

Aemma sighed. “You are as stubborn as Daemon, child. I have been unable to provide a male heir for two decades. Your father must learn to accept that he already has a capable heir. Would you take up the responsibility?”

“I would not wish to supplant my uncle,” Rhaenyra said truthfully.

Apparently this was what her mother wished to hear. She kissed Rhaenyra’s forehead. “Supplanting your uncle is not precisely what I had in mind, my dear. Would you be opposed to him taking a different title one day, that of King Consort?”

Rhaenyra’s heart skipped a beat. Surely her mother was not serious. “Father would never allow it.”

“All I want for you is happiness, my dear. The crown is a heavy burden. To bear it, you must have the right person at your side. Do you wish to wed Daemon?”

“Yes,” Rhaenyra said, still not believing it would ever come to pass.

***

The council meeting was supposed to end an hour ago. Yet her husband had not returned from the council chambers.

Aemma decided that this was not only a matter of the heart, but a matter of state. So she climbed the stairs that led to the small council chamber. When she entered, she found her husband alone with his Hand, Otto Hightower. “Prince Daemon is not a worthy heir, Your Grace. If he ever sits the iron throne, he would be another Maegor the Cruel. He would ruin the peace you have worked your whole reign to maintain.”

Her lip curled. Already, Otto Hightower was trying to supplant his old rival. The man was a snake, and her husband refused to see it. She cleared her throat, and both men looked up.

Hightower had the good sense to appear embarrassed. “My Queen, you should be resting,” he said. “Allow me to express my sincere condolences for your loss.”

“Thank you, my lord. I need to speak to the king in private. Leave us now.”

Hightower bowed low and left the room.

Viserys watched her with concern. “My love, truly you should be resting. You endured a great ordeal.” He withdrew a chair for her and she sat beside him.

“I am well, husband. But we must think of the future. The gods have denied us a male heir. We have both been guilty of overlooking the greatest hope for the realm. My King, you must make Rhaenyra your heir. She will uphold your legacy and the Targaryen dynasty. She is wise and capable beyond her years. Name her the heir.”

“You would have me supplant Daemon?” Viserys asked.

“As would your Hand, my lord husband, but my motivations are different. I have spoken with Daemon. He has no wish to sit the throne himself. But he would gladly take a different title. Wed Rhaenyra to Daemon, and they will secure our family legacy and rule the realm with grace and honor.”

To her great surprise, Viserys laughed. “My love, that is nonsense. I do not doubt that Rhaenyra would be a capable heir. My Hand has even encouraged me to name her heir, but to wed Rhaenyra to Daemon? That is ridiculous.”

“Why? There is nothing Daemon loves more than our family and its legacy. He would treat Rhaenyra as she deserves, and defend her claim with his last breath.”

“He lusts for my throne, not for our daughter, Aemma. I will name Rhaenyra my heir, but she will marry someone more deserving of her. I love my brother, but he has proven time and time again that he is unworthy of a high position.”

Aemma frowned. “Is this your belief, or that of your Hand?”

“It is the undisputed truth. He is careless, reckless, and brash. In regards to a possible match with Rhaenyra, Daemon is incapable of being a faithful husband. I know of his reputation with the small folk. He has fucked his way up and down the Street of Silk for years.”

“People change, Viserys. Give him a chance. Give him a place on your small council. I believe you have no current Master of Coin.”

Viserys kissed her cheek. “My Queen, your faith in Daemon is admirable, if not questionable. Out of respect for you, I will ponder your advice. But in no uncertain terms will I wed my daughter to my brother. Please, let us speak of this no longer.”

Aemma wanted to argue, but she heard the finality in her husband’s tone. It was enough for now that he had agreed to name Rhaenyra the heir. What was somewhat disturbing though was that Hightower had suggested the very same. Aemma was certain that Hightower’s suggestion was self-serving, but she did not know the details of what the Hand may be planning.

What Aemma did know was that she would have to find a way to convince her husband to see reason. Daemon was the only man in the realm who would serve Rhaenyra with unfailing devotion.

[darklinaforever]

If we are all idiots who don't know what grooming means i guess idiot is also Emma D'arcy since they literally said that. Gonna cry? Yall reaching again cause GRRM never ever stated once Daemon loved Rhaenyra. Neither Matt, they called the relationship odds, weird, strange, never love. GRRM only said it's the way to see his sides cause obviously in S1 besides Viserys, there's Rhaenyra who interacts with Daemon who has actually some kind of weird bond,also toxic, but it's not love, girl. Wait till Daemon's horizons will extrnd lmao Im going to check your blog to see your meltdown and laugh my ass off. Bye for now 😘

I literally did an article explaining why Emma D'Arcy was talking shit when she called this relationship grooming back in the day. As far as I know, Emma is a human being, right ? Isn't Emma D'Arcy a god who is right about everything ? In fact, in this same article where Emma was talking about grooming, also claimed that Rhaenyra was 16 years old (it seems to me) in episode 4, when in reality her character was canonically 19. Rather funny to take the word of an actor as gospel when the latter is immediately deceived about the age of his character. Also, Emma D'Arcy literally already said he would read Daemyra fanfictions... Crying about it ?

Also, I don't know what cave you lived in, but the daemyra relationship was definitely described as love by Matt Smith. He literally said that Daemon would give his life for Viserys and Rhaenyra. And also, it seems to me, designated Daemon as definitely loving Rhaenyra, even if yes, it's strange, except it's another world with other morals, not to judge with our modern vision what you stop acting like the idiots you are. Also, I don't have to justify over and over why Daemyra isn't in the grooming book or show. I literally made a huge post about this, as others have. It's not my place to educate you and in any case you are someone who voluntarily wishes to remain in ignorance on this subject in order to boast of a two-franc moral superiority.

Also, small compilation of moments where the writers / the HOTD team talked about love / romantic aspect / or something more powerful than tat, for Dameyra that I found. Hey, it's free :

[Sara Hess] does believe that Daemon and Rhaenyra are meant for each other, although of course, it's complicated. “Saying they 'love’ each other seems almost too simple,” Hess says, “it’s more that they have a profound, primal connection that nobody else understands.”

“Daemon and Rhaenyra — they're together at the beginning of my episode. Part of the thing that we felt was important was to believe that they were in love with each other. And not just believe it, but feel the electricity. I mean, I don't know about you guys, but I am very much in love with my husband, and I still have a crush on him. And when I see him, I still get chills. And I wanted to see that, I wanted to feel that from them. Because this was a delicate fleeting moment, as you know having seen the episode. We needed to feel the realism of that. And so the two of them [Matt and Emma] had a lot of conversations — even without me — where they were building their relationship, and building the chemistry. So I was really pleased when we got to shooting their first scene together, where Rhaenyra says 'I need to go back home’ — just the way he looked at her… I just love that.” - Geeta Patel.

[bbygirl-aemond]

I love your story so much. It’s really the only story I’ve read that has such a balanced view of both the blacks and the greens.

I have one question:

I know Daemon loves Aemond, but Daemon is a hardcore Valyrian supremacist and he’s always despised the Hightowers and the Faith of the Seven. I can’t see him ever truly liking Alicent, Aemond’s mother even when the whole family is (hopefully) reunited again.

In the show Daemon seemed very pissed off about Alicent taking down the Targaryen heraldry and literally called her a whore of a queen when he learned of the usurpation. I can’t see him ever truly liking or forgiving her but only really tolerating her for Aemond’s sake. What do you think?

aww thank you! yes, i am a firm team black AND team green apologist haha. all of these characters are very near and dear to me!

this isn't something that's been much of a sticking point so far, namely because aemond hasn't really had to deal with daemon and the greens interacting with each other. but it'll come more to the forefront once daemyra & co are settled into king's landing and we actually have the blended family situation going on.

daemon's blood supremacy originates from four different areas within his psyche: (1) his duty to keep his culture alive, (2) his idolization of viserys, (3) his desire to protect his family, and (4) his genuine belief that you are stronger/more magical if you have more targaryen blood. we're going to rip points 2 and 4 out from under him entirely in this fic.

how will daemon reconcile his beliefs with the fact that it's alicent's children, who technically have weaker blood, who seem the most magical? aemond, helaena, and jaehaera all exhibit dreaming abilities, and ofc now aemond has a second dragon. compare this to the fact that zero (0) members of team black are dreamers. how does this fit in with his belief system? hint: it doesn't, and it's going to complicate things for him. he won't be able to hate the greens just because he thinks they're lesser from a valyrian standpoint.

and how will he reconcile his belief that the greens mistreated viserys with reality once he's faced with daily reminders of the ways in which viserys ruined his family's lives? certain someones (cough cough aegon cough cough) are going to be very outspoken about the ways in which viserys fucked all of the greens over. of course, daemon's going to try to ignore this, but once aemond gets involved it'll be much harder for him to, because he does genuinely respect and believe aemond. a big part of why daemon hates alicent in particular is because he sees viserys as her victim, and realizing it's always been the other way around will make it harder to hate her for it.

so i think the destabilization of daemon's valyrian supremacy and of his worship of viserys will make him much more receptive to the greens. you're right that he's always going to have a certain level of disdain for the faith of the seven and for house hightower in general, but i genuinely think that only represents like 5% of his hatred for alicent. the other 95% will be dealt with!

[darksvster]

When you said "i think you can piece together where i'd be getting harassment from the most as a daemyra and those are the scenes i removed", are you referring to another ship or team green?

no, i am referring to a pretty specific ship. one that i actually ship but am not a part of the fandom for. the nastiest messages i've ever gotten normally belong to those shippers and they normally like to block me and then go back and look at my posts about their ship. as a result, i've quietly just removed some of these posts. every interaction i've had with that corner of the fandom has always been negative, i rarely have ever met someone from there that is nice to me and doesn't immediately start calling me names when they realize i ship daemyra.

i did try to play nice and find stuff for everyone and post it. but i'd rather just not post it and get the attention from them. on the upside, my blocklist has become quite robust on twitter as a result. but simply removing the post prevents a lot of problems, including them talking shit about me and then coming somewhere like tumblr or using a side account to still benefit from my posts.

[modernchillthings]

Another HotD rant

I hate going on tiktok and seeing ppl complain about Emma and Matt's chemistry. Their dynamic has changed so therefore their interaction would feel different and new.

Idk why people expect Rhaenyra to be the same fiery teen she was back then when it's literally been 10 years. Older Rhae has gone through so much over the years like, she witnessed a death at her own wedding, shes a mother now and just recently lost her lover of 10 years, everyone in King's landing probably talk shit behind her back especially about her children. Plus Emma even said that Rhaenyra tried to conform to what society wants from her which is why she appears more subdued the past two eps until the end of ep 7 where she finds her fire again with Daemon by her side.

Basically, their interaction this ep wasn't meant to be passionate and full of lust but more mature even a bit hesitant because they haven't seen each other in so long along w the fact that they both lost someone they cared about. Additionally, you can see their fire spark again during their wedding scene and hopefully in the episodes to come.

Like I get it, when I first watched it, I wasnt feeling it either. But it was mostly cuz I couldn't see shit. However, after rewatching where I could actually see their facial expressions, I could feel their emotions.

I also have to add that, according to the behind the scenes thingy, ep 7 was the first ep they ever shot of the show so therefore the actors aren't used to each other, they haven't had time to be their characters yet. Plus, Milly and Matt's Daemyra had 5 episode of build-up whereas this is Emma and Matt's first time together.

Also, idk if it's a hot take or not, but while I do love Milly and Matt's chemistry and the whole reason why I like Daemyra in the first place, it just feels weird seeing her who looks so young with someone who is obviously older. Maybe people are more gravitated towards that but it just doesn't sit right with me that ppl would rather see an younger actress be paired up with a 40 year old-man. Like Emma is still 10 years younger than Matt and their characters would still have that age gap but it just wouldnt be physically visible. I like that their characters now don't seem to have the same power imbalance. They're both more mature, toxic as hell, but seemingly more equal now.

I do place the blame mostly on the director cuz those night scenes were ass. There are so many innovative ways to make night scenes where it's obviously night time but it isn't dark as hell. Of course ppl wont feel their chemistry bc no one can see anything!! Facial expressions are so important to an actor. It's such a disservice to both Matt and Emma's performances.

Next two eps will be directed by women so if I notice the difference then I know what the problem was for sure! I really do hope we get to see more of Daemyra next ep and their changed dynamic. I know we'll have another time skip (which is another thing!!!) so I'm kind of worried but looking forward to it nonetheless.