#because he doesn't understand the Westermarck effect

[travllingbunny]

While House of the Dragon is an adaptation that presents a version of a portion of Targaryen history that is, in th source material, presented through multiple unreliable narrators in the form of questionable historical sources and rumors, with multiple versions of almost any event, relationship, characterization or character motivation, there are moments when the show puts the viewers into the roles of Mushroom and the various maesters from Fire and Blood and letting them project their interpretations on the text.

Nowhere has that been as obvious as with the way the show has been portraying the dynamic between Aegon II, Helaena and Aemond and playing with parallels to the (for the characters in HotD) future Targaryen history and the dynamic that George R.R. Martin wrote between Aegon IV the Unworthy, Naerys and Aemon the Dragonknight, or rather the perceived dynamic we hear about through various mentions in the main series and the accounts The World of Ice and Fire.

It's those parallels that are used in the fandom as an argument for supposed subtextual romantic connection or even a full blown affair between Helaena and Aemond... Which I find funny, because the story of Naerys and the Dragonknight is actually very ambiguous and a matter of perception, since we have no real insight into the real dynamic between the characters other than the rumors, stories and songs.

There are 3 diffrent ways to read the 'triangle' between Aegon the Unworthy, Naerys and the Dragonknight.

According to Aegon the Unworthy, they were having an affair. Some people believe that to be true, but the majority in-universe think that Aegon the Unworthy was simply a massive asshole who was being purposefully spiteful and politically disruptive by legitimizing his bastards while also trying to undermine his son and heir Daeron II, and the rumor of Daeron's supposed bastardy would be exploited by the Blackfyre supporters.

While some discordant voices in the ASOIAF fandom argue that Naerys and the Dragonknight did indeed have an affair which produced Daeron, because that would be 'more interesting', the popular view of Naerys and the Dragonknight's relationship in Westeros - and in the majority of the fandom - is that it was a tragic unconsummated romance, because the Dragonknight and Naerys were just too good and honorable people to give in to their desires. which is how the popular Westerosi courtly love songs portray it. (Which has also been used as an argument in the HotD fandom: since Aemond is not remembered in history as a good person - to put it mildly - it simply follows that he must have had an affair with his sister, if there's even a slightest thing that may be interpreted as a clue about that! - Right? Meanwhile Helaena's characterization isn't given much thought.)

But there is a third possibility, one that strangely gets ignored both in-universe and in the fandom, but I consider to be the most likely: that Dragonknight was simply a good brother who loved his sister in a normal brother-sister way, was upset that Aegon was treating her so badly and wanted to protect her. Which, I would say, are perfectly normal things for a sibling relationship. Call me crazy, but I would think that a brother and a sister being close and loving each other is what most people would consider normal, rather than the complete disinterest, indifference and disdain that we see between Aegon II and Helaena in the show or that Aegon the Unworthy was showing to Naerys. However, since they are Targaryens (and in everyone's view, Targaryens cannot possibly have a normal sibling relationships), and because of the rumors started by Aegon the Unworthy, everyone became convinced Naerys and Aemon the Dragonknight were in love, without any real evidence.

...Which is an amazing parallel to the HotD fandom right now and how it sees Aemond and Helaena in the show. Any sign of closeness and love, which should be normal for siblings, is romanticized. Some do it because they genuinely want to read a romance into it (with little other alternative as of season 1) and because they ship them, and others because they want to another story of a secret adulterous affair and royal bastards in orderto fit a certain narrative and serve an agenda.

It's funny HotD has ended up being so incredibly meta.

[brooklynislandgirl]

@tangleweave {{xx}}

She watches him as he makes a somewhat reasonable imitation of the sign of the cross as he double checks to make sure he hasn't forgotten anything; maybe he doesn't believe her, though that's because he tends to overthink himself time and time again. And while thinking that might fall under Pot & Kettle, she at least understands the behaviour and the thoughts come from. Just one more reason why she has no idea why she will be spending the very same night on the couch, surrounded by MCAT practice tests and a bowl of hurricane popcorn within reach. These are the sorts of moments where Andy should be the one standing in front of Peter. Be the one giving him advice because he's got more experience in the last week than she and Peter have had in their entire lives. And her brother isn't feeling his heart breaking by the minute. Peter is like a little brother. Part of the problem, she supposes. Maybe it's proof that the Westermarck Effect isn't simply a psychological hypothesis. And she looks away, taking a step back so he can't hear the things she can't bring herself to say. "It's because yours are bigger than others." She doesn't notice the innuendo as she answers him as if the question is a serious one. "Proportionate to how nervous you are. Don't see why. She already said yes…an' asking is the hardest part of the social contract. That is when you don't what the other person's thinking, and the restlessness, the irritability, only makes things worse. Like Ouroboros eating its own tail. Can't concentrate cause your brain strays to the other person and the waiting. Then when you try to sleep, it's unsatisfying which in turn makes you tired." She shrugs and in order to occupy her hands rather than give into the desire to arrange his hair for the third time, she makes her way over to her bed, and flops down onto it, picking up her patchwork sea-turtle. She worries on it and doesn't lift her face. "What are you afraid is gonna happen? You're gonna say something wrong? That she's gonna realise you're a nerd? I mean… clue; she already knows, and with the school we go to? We all are."

[hello-nichya-here]

Do think Jon and Sansa could ever have, or already have, feelings for each other since there was no westermarck effect?

I really mean no disrespect to Jonsa shippers here (at least not to the ones that aren't obnoxious as fuck and constantly harrass others) but no. Absolutely no. They're NOT into each other.

We know they don't have romantic feelings - or even platonic feelings - for each other because they rarely thought of each other in five books. This isn't evidence that there is no westermarck effect (and even if there wasn't, that doesn't automatically mean they'd feel attracted to each other), this shows that there is an ABSURD lack of connection between them despite the fact they grew up in the same home, which understandable since Sansa wanted to please her mother, and Catelyn was horrible to Jon. They didn't have the opportunity to truly form any kind of bond, so no, they are not interested in each.

But could they eventually develop an interest in each other after they're reuinited? Also no.

Jon fell in love with Ygritte because she was a woman of the free-folk, a warrior, and didn't put up with bullshit from anyone. He feels attracted to Val, a warrior princess who has killed people, and he thinks to himself on how much better that is than a pretty little lady that stays in a tower waiting to be rescued. Both women remind him of Arya, the younger sister he was actually close to growing up, was originally going to be his love interest, and who is the polar opposite of Sansa - who was held hostage and is still in need of being rescued, and who main survival tactic is summed up in the motto "Courtesy is a woman's armor." She is not Jon's type. At all.

As for Sansa's type? She has two kinds of men she's attracted to. The first is Loras Tyrell, a knight in shinning armor, who is all polite and charming, and the traditional idea of a girl's dream lover. The second is Sandor Clegane, a tough, deeply troubled, crass, rude, and often violent and scary man, but that has a softer side he very much wished he could kill so he'd no longer feel guilty and ashamed of the bad things he did. Neither men has much in common with Jon (though I can totally imagine Jon being "good friends" with Satin just like Loras was "good friends" with Renly).

And there's also the final nail on the Jonsa coffin: Martin has confirmed Jon and Dany will eventually develop romantic feelings for each other, he has a Sansan art inspired by a Beauty and Beast poster - a story he loves so much he directed a show about it.

So yeah, if you want a Jonsa happy ending, or even for it to happen at all regardless of it being endgame or not, you're gonna have to stick to fanworks, because Martin isn't taking his story that direction when/if he finishes those books in next the 84 years.