#but the difference is that otto has been there from the beginning

[lemonhemlock]

I didn't think about him being a knight and having endangered himself before, you're right!

I was mostly thinking along the lines of one of the kids being directly attacked and him probably not jumping at the opportunity to get between that (I feel like he would/could but he'd probably think about whether it's the smartest decision/in favour of his goals whereas Aemond would act rather rash).

Maybe he would protect Alicent without further thought tho (but I am not knowledgeable, I just base my opinions on vibes).

What do you think?

Hi there!

I think Otto gets a little bit of a bad rep in general. He doesn't talk the talk without walking the walk, if you think about it. As I've said, he has already put himself twice in harms' way on the same bridge on Dragonstone - once against Daemon, once against Daemon & Rhaenyra, both times facing dragons, both times ready to throw hands if necessary. He's not hiding somewhere in the background, he's the first to fall if things go awry. Tywin Lannister, another Hand of the King, would have simply sent an envoy, for example, and it's not for lack of courage, as he fights in battle himself to save his family from Stannis.

Which is why I think it's the more notable that Otto went himself, on behalf of the Crown. If he is willing to do that for the institution, to perform what essentially is a ceremonial, albeit (unnecessarily, for him) dangerous act, why wouldn't he protect Alicent and his grandchildren if they were in the way of direct harm?

It's also important to note that he never intentionally placed his daughter in harm's way. In his mind, Viserys is a good man who would never mistreat her (in a way he understands as being significant).

Similarly, I think a lot of this confusion stems from the political climate not being relayed properly to the viewers. Otto fully expects Viserys to change his heir once he has a son. Fandom likes to believe this is evil machination from his part, plotting Rhaenyra's murder years in advance, but most other noble lords think the same thing. Does anyone think Corlys and Rhaenys were trying to get Laena and her future children killed by putting her forward as a potential bride? Does anyone think Rhaenys was secretly plotting to defenestrate Rhaenyra while they were sassing off on that balcony? Jason Lannister shows up from way out west and fully expects Aegon to be named heir as well. People are very confused when Viserys doesn't budge.

Otto is not so unfeeling as to reduce his daughter and grandchildren to canon fodder for his personal ambition. He wasn't expecting this problem in the first place. He is taken aback and has to recalculate and re-calibrate his strategy. That is why he starts insisting to Alicent in private that she also join him in pushing for Aegon as heir. That is why he suggests betrothing Rhaenyra to Aegon. That is why he tells Alicent her children will be in danger if Viserys doesn't switch. He wasn't tricking or trapping her in a future bloody war over succession when he sent her to comfort/distract the king. Viserys is the rogue element here, someone that we in the field of international relations would say is not behaving like a rational actor.

Which is what I think Otto was doing in the eye-gouging trial as well. Taking in information and making a cost-benefit analysis. Aemond's eye was already lost by that point and perhaps he thought there was nothing to be gained politically by further antagonizing Rhaenyra. Alicent was also the one with the knife; she had the upper hand in that moment. Don't get me wrong, I don't think Otto is flawless here - he is not Westeros' no 1 hugger and comforter. For example, he could have interjected himself in support of his daughter, instead of her slowly losing her mind. To further the Tywin comparison, for all his faults, he would have been raging there at the King alongside Cersei. Otto has a different personality - he works more behind the scenes. Nevertheless, I don't think he would have stood idly by if Viserys suddenly decided to start removing the tongues of his family members.

[novaursa]

Chains of the Crown

- Summary: Gwayne promised to marry you. A promise he couldn't keep.

- Paring: targ!reader/Gwayne Hightower

- Note: reader is referred to as Y/N, is younger sister of Rhaenyra and bonded with Silverwing. This is a continuation of Echoes of a Promise. If you want to read all parts in chronological order, you can find a list of my works on my blog. The list is pinned to the top.

- Rating: Explicit 18+

- Word count: 4 936

- Tag(s): @deniixlovezelda @duck-duck-goose2 @aadu2173 @sachaa-ff

The room is heavy with the scent of burning logs and the rich, musky aroma of wine. And one can almost feel the warmth of the flames as they crackle and dance in the hearth, casting flickering shadows across the opulent chamber. King Viserys sits slouched in his seat, fingers wrapped around a goblet, his gaze distant and clouded. The grief that settled into his bones since the loss of his beloved wife, Aemma, and their newborn son, Baelon, has yet to lift. It clings to him like a shroud, dulling his once vibrant spirit.

Across from him stands Otto Hightower, a figure of stoic persistence, his expression carefully composed as he watches the king. This is not the first time Otto has approached Viserys with this proposal, but with each rejection, his frustration has grown more difficult to conceal. He knows the King well enough to see through the surface—the grief that clouds Viserys’s mind is also a barrier Otto has yet to penetrate. But today, Otto tells himself, today might be different.

"Your Grace," Otto begins, his voice measured, the tone he has honed over years of courtly service. "It has been nearly a month since we laid Queen Aemma and Prince Baelon to rest. The realm mourns with you, but the duties of the Crown must continue."

Viserys takes a long, slow sip from his goblet, not lifting his gaze to meet the Hand’s. The silence stretches, taut as a bowstring, and Otto presses on.

"The Princess Y/N," Otto says, his voice firm, though he takes care to soften it when mentioning you. "She, too, bears this loss, but she is young, Your Grace. She has her whole life ahead of her. It would be wise to consider her future now, before others do."

Viserys exhales, a deep and weary sigh. "She is still a child, Otto. Her mother’s blood is barely cold in the ground, and you come to me with talk of marriage? I will not hear it."

Otto bows his head slightly, as though accepting the rebuke, but his persistence does not falter. "Your Grace, the Princess will have to marry eventually. It is the duty of all royal blood, especially one so close to the throne. Gwayne is of noble stock, a knight of the realm, and a Hightower—a house known for its loyalty to the Crown. He would make a fitting match."

Finally, Viserys looks up, his eyes narrowing as they meet Otto’s. There is a flicker of something—annoyance, perhaps, or a deeper anger that the King has kept at bay. "Gwayne," he says, the name dripping with distaste, "is a good knight. But you seem to forget, Otto, that Y/N is my daughter. My young daughter. She will not be bartered off like some trinket to further your family’s ambitions."

The words hang heavy in the air, but Otto does not waver. "Your Grace, I seek only what is best for the realm and for the Princess. She is of age where betrothals are often considered, and Gwayne could provide her with protection, stability. A marriage into House Hightower would strengthen—"

Viserys’s hand slams down on the armrest of his chair, the force of it cutting Otto off mid-sentence. The King’s face is flushed, his eyes blazing with barely contained fury. "Enough, Otto! I will not hear of it again!"

For the first time, Otto’s composure falters. His brow furrows as he searches Viserys’s face, looking for some sign of the man who once valued his counsel above all others. "Your Grace," he says, more carefully now, "it is not only about what is best for House Hightower, but for the Crown. The Princess is a dragonrider, yes, but she needs a husband who can stand by her side, who can—"

Viserys cuts him off with a sharp gesture. "No more! There will be no more talk of this. Y/N will marry when I say she is ready, and to whom I see fit. This discussion is over, Otto."

The finality in the King’s tone leaves no room for argument, but the tension in the room is palpable. Otto bows his head again, lower this time, hiding the frustration that threatens to show on his face. "As you wish, Your Grace," he says, though the words taste bitter on his tongue.

Viserys watches as Otto retreats, the Hand’s footsteps echoing softly in the chamber as he leaves. The King takes another deep draught from his goblet, the firelight reflecting in his weary eyes. 

As the door closes behind Otto, Viserys slumps back in his chair, closing his eyes. He can still hear the words echoing in his mind—duty, marriage, protection. But all he can see is your face, so young and innocent, still shadowed with grief for the mother you lost, the brother who never drew breath.

"No more," he whispers to the empty room, as if saying it aloud could make it true. "There will be no more talks of this." 

And as the flames continue to dance, casting their flickering light across the stone walls, the King remains there, a man adrift in a sea of sorrow, holding on to the only thing he has left—his love for his daughters, and his desperate need to protect you from a world that seems intent on taking all that he holds dear.

The corridors of the Red Keep are cold, despite the summer warmth that clings to the air outside. The stone walls seem to absorb the chill that emanates from Otto Hightower as he makes his way down the winding hallways. His face is a mask of restrained anger, each step he takes resonating with the frustration that has been building inside him for weeks, months even. His hands are clasped behind his back, knuckles white as he fights to maintain his composure.

Gwayne is waiting, as he was instructed to do, in one of the smaller antechambers. The room is sparsely decorated, the only source of light coming from a single window where the sun is beginning to set, casting long shadows across the floor. He paces back and forth, the soles of his boots scuffing against the stone, his anxiety barely contained. The seconds feel like hours as he waits for his father’s return, each one dragging on with the weight of expectation and hope.

When the door finally creaks open and Otto steps inside, Gwayne's pacing comes to an abrupt halt. He turns to face his father, a question already on his lips, but the words die in his throat as he takes in Otto’s expression. The older man’s face is stony, his lips pressed into a thin line, and Gwayne feels a cold knot of dread form in his stomach.

“Father?” Gwayne’s voice is tentative, uncertain. “What happened?”

Otto meets his son’s eyes, and for a moment, there is nothing but silence between them. Then, with a heavy sigh, Otto shakes his head. The gesture is small, almost imperceptible, but it sends Gwayne’s world tilting on its axis. His mouth goes dry, and he feels a strange hollowness in his chest, as though the breath has been knocked out of him.

“The King has refused,” Otto says, his voice tight, betraying the frustration he feels. “He will not entertain the idea of a match between you and the Princess Y/N.”

Gwayne’s expression falters, confusion and disbelief warring on his face. “But why?” he asks, his voice rough with the desperation that he can barely keep at bay. “I was certain… I thought surely he would see the wisdom in such a union. I—”

Otto cuts him off with a sharp gesture, his patience fraying. “Viserys is blinded by grief. He sees only a child in the Princess, and he will not hear reason on the matter. He is determined to keep her close, to protect her from the very world she was born into.”

Gwayne stands there, stunned, as his father’s words sink in. His mind races, trying to make sense of it, to find some way to fight against this reality that he cannot accept. The room feels as though it’s closing in around him, the air growing thin, and he has to force himself to breathe.

“There will be other matches,” Otto continues, his tone softening as he tries to temper the blow. “You are a Hightower, and there will be other opportunities, other noblewomen who would be honored to—”

“No.” The word slips out before Gwayne can stop it, and his father looks at him sharply. Gwayne’s face twists in pain, his heart aching with a deep, agonizing sense of loss that he cannot explain to Otto, cannot share with anyone. He swallows hard, trying to regain control of himself, to bury the emotions that threaten to overwhelm him. But it is no use; the pain is too great, too raw.

“I came to care for her, Father,” Gwayne says quietly, his voice strained, barely above a whisper. “I… I care for her more than I ever thought possible.”

Otto regards his son with a mixture of surprise and something akin to pity. He had known Gwayne to be earnest in his pursuit of the match, but this… this depth of feeling is unexpected. And yet, Otto is no stranger to the game of thrones, to the sacrifices and compromises it demands. He does not allow himself to indulge in sentimentality.

“Feelings can be dangerous in matters such as these,” Otto says, his voice gentler now, though it carries the weight of experience. “I understand your disappointment, but you must learn to control your heart. The Princess is not the only path forward.”

But Gwayne is not listening. His thoughts have already drifted away, back to the nights he spent with you, the whispered promises, the stolen moments. He can still feel the warmth of your skin against his, the way you looked at him with trust and affection, the way you both believed—if only for a moment—that the future was yours to shape.

He promised you. He promised that he would make you his wife, that you would be together. It was not supposed to be like this.

He clenches his fists at his sides, nails digging into his palms as he struggles to keep his composure in front of his father. He cannot tell Otto the truth of what happened between you, of how you gave yourselves to each other, of the love that blossomed between you in secret. He cannot bear to see the disappointment in his father’s eyes, the judgment that would surely follow.

Instead, he nods stiffly, forcing himself to speak, though the words taste like ash in his mouth. “I understand, Father. But…” He hesitates, searching for the right words, for some way to convey the depth of his pain without revealing too much. “But she is different. Y/N… she is unlike anyone else. I thought I could make her happy. I thought I could protect her.”

Otto’s expression softens, just a fraction, as he places a hand on Gwayne’s shoulder. “I know you did, my son,” he says quietly. “But the King’s will is clear. We must respect it. The Princess’s future is not in your hands, and you must accept that.”

Gwayne closes his eyes, fighting back the tears that threaten to spill over. He cannot show weakness, not now. But the ache in his chest is unbearable, the sense of loss overwhelming. How can he accept it when everything inside him screams to fight, to hold on to the one thing that brought him true joy?

But he says nothing, only nods again, his silence speaking volumes. Otto squeezes his shoulder before stepping back, his expression once more composed, though a flicker of concern lingers in his eyes.

“Come,” Otto says, turning toward the door. “There are other matters that require our attention.”

Gwayne follows his father out of the room, his steps heavy, his heart even heavier. As they walk through the corridors, he cannot help but feel as though he is leaving something vital behind, something he may never reclaim.

And as the sun sets over King’s Landing, casting the world in shadows, Gwayne Hightower battles silently with the pain of a rejection that cuts deeper than any sword, knowing that the promises he made to you are now broken, scattered to the winds like so many ashes.

The moon hangs high in the night sky, its pale light filtering through the narrow windows of your chambers, casting the room in a soft, ethereal glow. The fire in the hearth has burned low, the embers crackling quietly, filling the room with a gentle warmth that is at odds with the cold ache in your heart. You sit on the edge of your bed, your mind heavy with the weight of the day’s events, the tear tracks still fresh on your cheeks.

You had gone to your father earlier, determined to speak with him, to plead your case. But Viserys had refused to listen, his grief a wall that neither words nor love could penetrate. His rejection had left you hollow, the last hope you clung to slipping away like sand through your fingers.

A soft knock at the door pulls you from your thoughts, and you quickly wipe at your cheeks, trying to compose yourself. You know who it is before the door even opens. You can feel him, the pull between you both as strong as ever, a connection that refuses to be severed by mere words or decrees.

The Kingsguard stationed outside your chambers nods to Gwayne as he approaches, recognizing the unspoken permission that exists between the two of you. Without a word, the knight steps aside, allowing Gwayne to enter. The door closes softly behind him, and for a moment, the world outside ceases to exist. It is just the two of you, alone in the stillness of the night.

As soon as he steps into the room, you rise from the bed, your heart leaping at the sight of him, but the pain still lingers. You cross the room quickly, meeting him halfway, and as soon as he’s within reach, you throw your arms around him, holding him tightly, as if letting go would mean losing him forever. Gwayne’s arms wrap around you in return, his embrace warm and comforting, but you can feel the tension in his muscles, the same sorrow that grips you mirrored in him.

“I’m so sorry, Y/N,” he whispers into your hair, his voice rough with emotion. You can feel the tremor in his breath, the way he clings to you as if you are his anchor in a storm.

You shake your head against his chest, your tears dampening the fabric of his tunic. “It’s not your fault, Gwayne,” you murmur, your voice trembling. “I spoke with him too… He wouldn’t listen. He’s so lost in his grief. He can’t see what’s right in front of him.”

Gwayne pulls back slightly, just enough to look down at you, his blue eyes dark and filled with a sorrow that reflects your own. “If I could do anything… anything at all to change his mind, I would,” he says, his hand coming up to cradle your face, his thumb brushing away a stray tear. “I would give anything to be with you, Y/N. To make you my wife, as we both wanted.”

Your heart aches at his words, the love you feel for him so deep, so overwhelming, that it’s almost too much to bear. “I know,” you whisper, leaning into his touch, your eyes searching his. “But what we want… it doesn’t matter to him. Not now.”

He leans down, pressing his forehead to yours, his breath mingling with yours in the small space between you. “It matters to me,” he says softly, his voice a vow. “It matters to us.”

Your breath hitches, the weight of his words sinking into you, grounding you. You close the small distance between you, pressing your lips to his in a kiss that is filled with all the love, all the desperation that you both feel. It’s soft at first, tentative, as if testing the waters, but soon it deepens, becoming more intense, more urgent.

As your lips move against his, you pour all your emotions into the kiss—your love, your fear, your sorrow. You kiss him like it’s the last time, like the world outside your chambers no longer exists, and for a moment, it doesn’t. There is only you and Gwayne, your hearts beating as one, the connection between you too strong to be denied.

His hands move to your waist, pulling you closer, and you let out a soft gasp as his lips leave yours to trail along your jaw, down the column of your neck. You tilt your head back, giving him more access, your fingers threading through his hair as you hold him to you.

“Gwayne,” you whisper, his name a plea on your lips, and he responds by capturing your mouth again in a searing kiss, one that leaves you breathless and yearning for more.

As your lips part, you both stare at each other for a moment, your breaths mingling, your hearts racing. Without a word, you begin to undress each other, your fingers trembling slightly as you untie the laces of his tunic, as he loosens the ties of your gown. The fabric falls away, forgotten on the floor, and soon you are both bare before each other, the cool night air brushing against your heated skin.

Gwayne’s eyes darken as he takes in the sight of you, his gaze reverent, filled with a love that makes your heart swell. “You’re so beautiful,” he murmurs, his hands skimming over your skin, leaving a trail of warmth in their wake.

You reach out, your hands resting on his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart beneath your palm. “So are you,” you whisper, your voice filled with awe, as if you can’t quite believe that he’s here, that this moment is real.

He leans down, capturing your lips once more as he guides you toward the bed. You move together in a dance that is both familiar and new, your bodies fitting together perfectly as he lowers you onto the soft sheets. The mattress dips under your weight, and Gwayne hovers over you, his gaze locking with yours, the intensity of his emotions mirrored in your own.

As he lowers himself onto you, you feel his warmth, his weight, grounding you in the moment, and when he enters you, it’s with a tenderness that brings tears to your eyes. He moves slowly, savoring every second, every inch, as if committing this moment to memory, as if this is all that matters in the world.

You wrap your arms around his back, holding him close as he begins to move within you, your breaths mingling, your bodies entwined. The world outside fades away, leaving only the two of you, connected in a way that is deeper than words, deeper than any bond you have ever known.

“I love you,” you whisper against his lips, your voice catching with emotion, and he responds with a kiss that steals your breath, his movements growing more urgent, more passionate.

“I love you too,” he murmurs back, his voice rough with the weight of his feelings. “More than anything. More than life itself.”

The room is filled with the sounds of your lovemaking, soft gasps and murmured words of love as you move together, your bodies seeking solace in one another. Each touch, each kiss, is a promise, a vow that even if the world outside seeks to tear you apart, nothing can break the bond that you share.

Gwayne’s hands move over your body, memorizing the feel of your skin, the curve of your waist, the way you shiver under his touch. He kisses you deeply, his lips worshipping every part of you, as if trying to make up for the time that will be lost, for the future that has been denied.

You match his fervor, your hands clutching at his shoulders, your legs wrapping around his waist as you pull him closer, wanting to feel every part of him, to imprint this moment into your very soul. There is no rush, no hurry to reach the peak of pleasure, only the desire to be with each other, to savor every second of this connection.

When the release finally comes, it’s with a wave of emotion that leaves you both breathless, your bodies trembling in each other’s arms. Gwayne collapses against you, his head buried in the crook of your neck, his breath warm against your skin as he holds you tightly, as if afraid to let go.

You run your fingers through his hair, your touch soothing, your heart filled with a bittersweet mixture of love and sorrow. You know that this moment cannot last, that the morning will come too soon, and with it, the reality of your separation. But for now, in this quiet, sacred space, you allow yourself to simply be with him, to hold onto this love that you share, even if only for a little while longer.

As the night wears on, you lay together, your bodies still entwined, your hearts beating in time with one another. The world outside is forgotten, and all that remains is the love that binds you, the connection that refuses to be broken.

The dawn breaks gently over King’s Landing. The air is crisp with the promise of a new day, but the weight in your heart makes it difficult to appreciate the beauty of the morning. You dress carefully, your hands trembling slightly as you fasten the laces of your gown, each movement deliberate, each breath a reminder of the moment you have been dreading.

The courtyard is already bustling with activity by the time you make your way down from your chambers. The clatter of hooves on cobblestone, the low murmur of voices, and the occasional bark of a command from one of the guards fill the air. The preparations for Gwayne’s departure are well underway, but your mind barely registers the sounds around you. Your focus is entirely on the figure standing by the stables, his back turned as he oversees the squire who is readying his horse.

Gwayne is dressed in traveling gear, his tunic a deep shade of green, the Hightower crest embroidered on his cloak. His hair catches the early morning light, and for a moment, you can almost forget that this is a farewell. Almost.

You take a deep breath, steadying yourself before you approach. Each step feels heavier than the last, as if the very earth is conspiring to keep you from reaching him. But you force yourself to move forward, to do what must be done, even as your heart aches with every step.

As you draw nearer, Gwayne turns, sensing your presence before you even speak. His eyes meet yours, and for a moment, the world stands still. You both pause, your gazes locking, and in that brief moment, the emotions that you have tried so hard to keep in check threaten to overwhelm you. But then you remember where you are, who might be watching, and you force a smile to your lips, though it doesn’t reach your eyes.

“Princess Y/N,” Gwayne greets you formally, inclining his head slightly, though there is a warmth in his voice that belies the stiffness of his words. “You honor me with your presence this morning.”

You curtsy in response, your heart clenching at the formality between you, a sharp contrast to the intimacy you shared just hours ago. “Ser Gwayne,” you reply, your voice steady despite the turmoil inside you. “I couldn’t let you leave without saying goodbye.”

There is a flicker of something in his eyes—sadness, perhaps, or regret—but it is gone almost as quickly as it appears. He nods, his expression carefully composed, though you can see the tension in his jaw, the way his hands clench at his sides as if he is fighting the same battle you are.

“It is kind of you,” he says, his voice measured. “I will carry the memory of your kindness with me on my journey.”

Before you can respond, you hear the rustle of fabric behind you, and you turn to see Alicent approaching. She moves with a quiet grace, her face serene, but there is a sharpness in her eyes as she looks between you and Gwayne. You can tell that she has noticed the tension, the unspoken words that hang in the air, but to her credit, she does not mention it.

“Brother,” Alicent greets Gwayne with a warm smile, stepping forward to embrace him. “I was hoping to catch you before you left.”

Gwayne returns the embrace, a small smile softening his features. “You always find a way, Alicent,” he replies, his voice lighter now, though you can hear the strain beneath it. “I’m glad you’re here.”

Alicent steps back, her eyes lingering on Gwayne’s face before she turns to you, her expression kind but curious. “Princess,” she says, inclining her head slightly. “It’s good to see you this morning.”

You nod, managing a small smile in return. “And you, Lady Alicent,” you reply, your voice polite, though your thoughts are elsewhere, focused on the man who stands beside you.

The squire finishes adjusting the saddle on Gwayne’s horse and steps back, giving a respectful nod to both you and Alicent. Gwayne acknowledges him with a word of thanks before turning his attention back to you.

“I must take my leave soon,” he says quietly, his eyes searching yours as if he is trying to memorize every detail of your face. “The road to Oldtown is long, and I shouldn’t delay.”

The reality of his departure hits you like a blow to the chest, but you force yourself to remain composed, to keep your emotions in check. “Of course,” you say, your voice betraying none of the turmoil inside you. “I wish you a safe journey, Ser Gwayne. May the gods watch over you.”

Gwayne’s lips press into a thin line, and for a moment, you think he might say something more, something that would break the carefully constructed facade you both wear. But then he simply nods, his eyes filled with an unspoken understanding. “Thank you, Princess. Your words mean more to me than you know.”

Alicent watches the exchange silently, her gaze flicking between the two of you with a subtle curiosity. She is perceptive, and you know she senses the deeper emotions that lie beneath the surface, but she says nothing, allowing the moment to pass unchallenged.

Gwayne steps closer, his hand brushing against yours briefly—too brief, but enough to send a jolt through you. The touch is a secret, a promise, and you have to fight the urge to hold onto him, to beg him to stay. But you know you cannot, and so you let him go, your hand falling back to your side as he steps away.

He moves to his horse, swinging up into the saddle with the practiced ease of a seasoned knight. He looks down at you, his expression solemn, and for a moment, you see the man you love, not the knight, not the lord, but the man who shared your bed, your heart. You want to say something, anything, to keep him here, but the words die on your lips.

“Farewell, Your Grace,” he says, the formality returning, though his voice is soft, almost reverent. “I shall pray for your happiness and health.”

You nod, unable to trust your voice, and watch as he turns his horse toward the gates. The clatter of hooves echoes in the courtyard, each step taking him further away from you, until finally, he disappears from sight, leaving you standing there with a hollow ache in your chest.

Alicent steps closer, her hand resting gently on your arm, her eyes filled with a sympathy that cuts through the fog of your emotions. “He will return,” she says softly, her voice kind, though you can hear the undercurrent of something else—curiosity, perhaps, or concern.

You manage a small smile, though it feels brittle, fragile. “I know,” you reply, though the words feel empty. “But things will be different when he does.”

Alicent studies you for a moment, as if trying to decipher the meaning behind your words, but she does not press. Instead, she gives your arm a reassuring squeeze, her smile warm and genuine. “Come, Princess,” she says gently. “Let’s walk together. It’s a beautiful morning.”

You nod, grateful for the distraction, and allow her to lead you away from the courtyard, away from the emptiness that Gwayne’s departure has left behind. As you walk, you force yourself to focus on the present, on the sun rising higher in the sky, on the gentle breeze that carries the scent of blooming flowers. But no matter how hard you try, you cannot shake the feeling that a part of you has been left behind, carried away on the road to Oldtown, along with the man you love.

As you and Alicent walk through the gardens, the sounds of the castle fading into the distance, you find solace in her presence, in the shared silence that speaks louder than words. But deep down, you know that this day will be etched into your memory, a reminder of the love you have lost, and the future that has been denied.

[hotdaemondtargaryen]

TOM GLYNN-CARNEY INTERVIEWED BY VANITY FAIR MAGAZINE.

KING AEGON COULD BE A VERY ONE-NOTE VILLAIN CHARACTER, BUT IN YOUR HANDS IS NOT. HOW DID YOU APPROACH CALIBRATING AEGON?

"I think anybody who has the darker side to them as the more prominent side — the side that people see first —there’s always a reason for that."

"I dug into that and found a lot of his boyish vulnerability, insecurities, and self-hatred — stuff that he’d been drip-fed his entire life."

"He wasn’t even a spare, you know? He was just completely ignored."

"He was invisible to most people, which is why he behaved in such a way — to numb himself."

But also to say: "Hey, I’m here as well."

"Any attention was good attention for Aegon."

"I find him less of a villain and more of a tragic case."

CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHY AEGON DECIDED TO FLY TO ROOK'S REST AT ALL?

"It was that moment — well, it’s an accumulation of moments — but that one in particular where Alicent says, 'Do exactly what is required of you: nothing'."

"That was the final dagger in the heart."

"A real cold reminder that he really is seen as being useless."

"A pawn for Alicent and Otto [Rhys Ifans] to use as a puppet."

"But at the end of the day, the law of the land states that he’s the monarch."

"He’s the king."

"He’s the person to call the shots."

"And no one’s gonna fucking stop him from getting on that dragon if he wants to."

"So he got absolutely obliterated drunk and thought, I’m gonna show them."

WHAT WAS YOUR EXPERIENCE LIKE SHOOTING THE BIG DRAGON FIGHT SCENE?

"Cool, man."

"It’s kind of a little boy’s dream."

"It’s just something that you think of when you’re a child as being the coolest thing in the world."

"And it really was."

"They basically build a screen around you so you know where to look: what’s expected, what’s coming at you, what’s leaving you."

"Your entire perspective is quite clear."

"And then amongst that, you’re clad in all this armor that has been expertly crafted by some amazing workmanship."

"But then again, you’re crouched over this big saddle, strapped in, feeling like you can’t move."

"That crane has really got a lot of work to do to make it look like you’re moving."

AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SEASON, AEGON SAYS THAT AEMOND IS HIS CLOSEST CONFIDANT, AND BY EPISODE FOUR, AEMOND HAS BASICALLY TRIED TO KILL HIM. WHERE DO THEY STAND NOW? AND WHAT'S YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH EWAN MITCHELL, WHO PLAYS AEMOND?

"Oh, Aegon and Aemond’s relationship is very different to Tom and Ewan’s relationship."

"Let’s put that out there." [laughs]

"Look, that is sibling rivalry on a very intense scale, isn’t it? It’s the flip of the switch that can happen when somebody feels pushed out or somebody feels like there’s been injustice."

"I always felt like Aemond saw himself being in that position of power and dealing with it better than Aegon would deal with it."

"But then again, his birth certificate states otherwise."

"It was bound to happen at some point, wasn’t it?"

WAS THERE A PARTICULAR SCENE THAT YOU FELT EXTRA CHALLENGED BY OR INVIGORATED BY?

"He’s never in the same frame of mind twice in one day."

"He’s all over the place."

"Keeping up with his erratic mood swings was the hard part, and was this thing that I was having to stay really focused on."

"There wasn’t particularly one scene that I thought, Oh God, not this one, because all of them are challenging in different ways."

"Even the ones where he’s still and more focused are difficult, because you’ve got that sort of inner Aegon rhythm that is rapid."

"It’s very different to mine."

"It’s maintaining that, but still keeping the tension of the scene."

"I relished the opportunity to play someone with such range and creative potential from an acting point of view."

OLIVIA COOKE, WHO PLAYS ALICENT, HAS NOTED THAT YOU TWO ARE NOT VERY FAR APART IN AGE AT ALL, AND YET ARE PLAYING MOTHER AND SON. HOW DID YOU GUYS WORK TOGETHER TO CREATE THAT FILIAL DYNAMIC?

"Every scene that I’ve had with Olivia, there is never a moment that isn’t filled."

"Everything is just so complex and deeply entrenched in her."

"She means everything she says."

"It’s a rare skill to have."

"As an actor, she has that in truckloads."

"It’s a gift to be able to work with her, to play her son."

"Yeah, [it’s] hilarious."

"She’s only a year older than me."

"I think we manage it because we get on so well."

"We’re pals as well, you know."

"I love Olivia to bits."

"Trust her wholeheartedly."

"We have a laugh. We don’t take it too seriously."

"We have common ground on that."

"But then in the moments where the work is happening, it’s all we care about."

"We care immensely."

"It’s one of those things where in the downtime, after we wrap, we can go for a drink."

"We can have a laugh."

"We connect on a personal level as well as a professional level."

"I think that’s what sort of breeds a healthy and believable performance thing relationship-wise."

THERE'S AN AMUSING SCENE WHERE AEGON IS SITTING AROUND WITH THE LADS AND TALKING ABOUT WHAT HIS SOBRIQUET SHOULD BE. SHOULD HE BE 'AEGON THE BRAVE,' 'AEGON THE WHATEVER,' ETC. WHAT DO YOU THINK HE SHOULD BE CALLED?

"Aegon Toast, probably."

[lilspooky-doll]

True Happiness Headcanons

pairing — Aegon II Targaryen x Handmaid! Reader

themes — canon targcest, fluff, aegon is a soft boi, au! aegon, one bad word (that's it, just the one), female! reader, mentions of pregnancy and childbirth, children (warning in and of itself), some healing for Alicent, one mention of child death, just very fluffy headcanons

author's note — hello again, lovelies! this was going to be a two-parter but i decided to condense it down into one post. it wasn't realy as long as i though it was lol but, it involves the different headcanons of their lives from when they first met all the way into the bits of their lives that i didn't really touch on in the original parts. i have plans for a more canon version of aegon soon and it will be a very dark fic overall. so i hope you enjoy these little fluffy tidbits!!

ADOLESCENCE

Once Aegon trusted her, he started teaching her Valyrian in attempt to be able to speak to one another throughout the Keep without word getting back to Otto or his mother

Sure, his siblings could slightly understand what they spoke of but, there was no need to eavesdrop on something that was working

Aegon loves his hair being played with whether it’s just fingers combing through the strands or braids being plaited into small sections before gently being pulled apart

There has been a few times that he has fallen asleep with his head in her lap in the early days of them being close to one another

More open to one another, she taught Aegon how to braid hair so at the end of the day when they debrief about their days, she would play with his hair as he talked and he would braid her hair as she spoke

On rough days, she would read aloud or recite stories that her mother and father would tell her when she was young

Aegon would hoard his snacks that he would collect throughout his scheduled day and have her try some when they are together

When Aegon began to develop feelings for her, he would leave little bundles of dragon’s breath he picked throughout his day on her bed

She started reciprocating by leaving notes and poems in Valyrian under his pillow for him to find when he would rest for the night

Sporadically during the week, Aegon would take his supper in his chambers as a way of innocently courting her despite the differences in their statuses

She was the one to help Aegon with cutting his hair when the length began to bother him; the braided strands of cut hair are hidden away as a souvenir in her bedroom chambers

ADULTHOOD

Aegon is a giver in every sense of the word

He always tries to take care of her like how she takes care of him

He enjoys the warm feeling in his belly every time he saw her smile or laugh

Every few nights, Aegon would sneak them away to the pit for an evening ride on Sunfyre

The older they get, the more everyone began to notice how much he’s changed

He stopped picking on Aemond; 

He was able to maneuver things around for Helaena to marry Aemond; 

She would help him in her free time to catch insects to deliver to Helaena at the end of the day

They all begin to appreciate each other more

On days where there isn’t anything scheduled for them, picnics were organized for all of them in the Godswood and when Daeron is visiting from Oldtown, he is along for the trip

It’s the smallest things he does for them and they love how much he’s matured 

Aemond has thanked aegon for helping his betrothal

Alicent has walked in on them on multiple occasions

 She found them cuddled up on the couch him asleep and her playing with his hair; 

During a festival in the streets, she’s witnessed them dancing to the music and cheers that could be heard from the windows

Aegon has talking to Rhaenyra not long before their marriage as a way to bridge the gap between them

Rhaenyra’s shock receiving his letters wore off when she read that he had fallen in love with his handmaid and he planned to wed her much like she and daemon did

He offers Rhaenyra’s children sanctuary if Alicent or Otto ever tried to change the succession; this was his way of trying to ensure that he has no ill will towards her and her family anymore

She has them do their  wedding at Dragonstone under Valyrian tradition

Aegon uses a refitted ring of his for her to wear as a sign of marriage and he purposefully wears only one ring on his left hand

After the fight in her solar, Alicent still tries to force a betrothal upon Aegon

It immediately fails as every one of the betrothal letters Alicent sent out are either met with no response or word of outrage that she would try to arrange a second marriage; worried about another Maegor situation

Eventually, Alicent starts to love and respected Aegon the way that she does with her other children

Aegon didn’t instigate the nephews during that family dinner

Otto has tried to manipulate her but she’s far too aware of his games for his liking (gaslight, gatekeep, girlboss)

FAMILY

She became pregnant not long after their wedding and Aegon quietly announces the news to a select few people; in person: Aemond, Helaena and Alicent, by letter: Rhaenyra during a regular correspondence he has with her

After learning the news, Alicent starts to make an effort to know her and help her with what she needs as a way to make amends

Aegon handling her pregnancy like a pro 

Constantly he was catering to her every need and trying to make her comfortable

He always tried to make sure she didn’t get hurt while doing the few chores that she wanted to do (she comes from a long line of headstrong women who will not let a pregnancy stop them from doing what needs to be done)

He usually ended up just helping her with what she needed to do 

When it came time for their first born, Baelon, to make his appearance, she kicked out all of the maids and Maesters demanding only for Aegon to stay

Of course, he was well out of his depths but she tried to prep him the best she could the last several days leading up to the birth

Baelon was born with no complications with only his parents in the room and was never away from his mother despite the disgruntled protests that she used a nursemaid for the baby boy

Shortly after his birth, they set up a more secure and secretive correspondence between them and her family in hopes that if the time comes and Otto does something stupid, they could safely flee to hid away

Alicent is definitely a better grandmother than she was a mother

She routinely sets up for long relaxing midday activities for all her grandchildren so, she can spend time with them and the little cousins can grow together while their parents can relax worry-free

There’s 2 children who were born before they fled: Baelon & Alysanne. Once they settle on the homestead, they have twin girls: Laera and Rhaela with one more boy, Aerion

The children are raised with equal love from their parents and are raised under the belief that although they are technically royalty, they will learn to be kind and considerate of those around them

Raised to put the work into what they want just like their mother was raised before she left to work at the Red Keep

The Boys are strong but not emotionally stunted. They are taught that emotions are okay to have and apart of who they are

No toxic masculinity bullshit

The girls are taught to defend and protect themselves. They are physically strong and can use any weapon they can get their hands on if they need to

THE DANCE OF THE DRAGONS

The second they get to the Dornish marshlands, Aegon dyes his hair brown to hide better (brunette! Aegon all the way)

Once they settled on the family homestead, it didn’t take long for Aegon to fit in with her family

He actually quite likes the hard work that the family does everyday to make sure that everything runs smoothly

Aegon still keeps in regular contact with his family whether it be his siblings or even Rhaenyra; he always tries to maintain some semblance of what is happening with them as he escapes the plan that was to be forced upon him

When the plan Otto sets in place happens with Aemond as the usurper, they coordinate for all of the children from both his full siblings and half sibling to be safely hidden away on the homestead to prevent any possible bloodshed of the innocent

The plan went into effect too late as Lucerys was brutally killed on accident

As much as it pained Rhaenyra that she lost her children, she is happy that she can now safely know that they are away from this disaster

As a sign of thanks, Rhaenyra sent some of Syrax’s eggs so that Aegon’s children had a chance at being a dragon rider like their cousins

The Dance did not last long with Aemond as the usurper since he had no real standing like Aegon, first born son, or Rhaenyra, first born and declared heir

The Dance was more of a fight between councils and not nearly as bloody as canon

Once Otto was found to be the one pulling the strings, he was sentenced to death and the Targaryen children by Alicent bent their knee at Rhaenyra being the true Targaryen heir after Viserys

[drakaripykiros130ac]

“Rhaenyra and Alicent are the same. They are both greedy, selfish women who fight for the throne.”

No, they’re not. They are not the same.

Rhaenyra Targaryen was a very happy child (up until her mother died, at least).

All she ever wanted was to live her princess life, marry the love of her life and ride her dragon, Syrax.

Rhaenyra never cared about the Iron Throne. She was more than okay with her mother giving her a little brother who would shoulder the responsibility.

But everything changed when Viserys chose her as his heir. That meant the world to Rhaenyra. Imagine being the first princess in history chosen by your father to succeed him. That has never happened before. It gave her a sense of worth, of purpose, which she adored.

And then for the first time in history, the lords of the Realm presented themselves in front of a princess and swore to uphold her claim.

In that moment, it was as if Rhaenyra herself had sworn an oath to the Realm, to be their future Queen. She took on the responsibility, and sat beside her father at Court, learning everything about politicking. She then moved to Dragonstone when she was sixteen and learned to govern.

Rhaenyra was willing to give up on her dreams so she could make her father proud, so she could take on the responsibility and lead her House. And that’s just what she did. She spent years preparing to rule. She had to endure a marriage to someone like Laenor Velaryon (the ultimate challenge: have children with a man of a different sexual preference, and who is also unwilling to bed you, at a time when the whole Realm expects you to produce heirs).

And then…to have all that she was promised taken away from her.

I would rage.

To have sacrificed all these years of my life, to have endured childbirth for the sake of the Realm despite knowing that my own mother died in childbirth, to have to deal with greedy and backstabbing people all on my own…all that for nothing.

Rhaenyra didn’t covet the throne. She never wanted it, but it was promised to her. And for all she had sacrificed, she would be damned if she let her abusive stepmother and her worthless, lazy spawns take away what she worked hard for.

Alicent Hightower, on the other hand, was an upstart from the beginning. Being the daughter of a second son who had no fortune of his own, she couldn’t have expected to have too many prospects. She therefore slithered her way in Court life with the help of her father, became a lady in waiting and bid her time until the moment came to seduce the King and take the crown. She became the most powerful woman in the Seven Kingdoms, the Queen. She was given privileges which she abused, her children were well taken care of and lacked for nothing (and they rarely appreciated it).

But this was not enough for Alicent (or Otto). She wanted more. She was greedy. She wouldn’t settle for anything less than having her own blood on the throne, and she committed high treason to make that happen. A decision which destroyed her family.

So, no, the stories of these two women are not the same.

Rhaenyra fought for the oaths which had been sworn to her, for her father’s wish.

Alicent fought for her own selfish desires.

[icarusignite]

For Whom the Bell Tolls Masterlist

Pairing: Aemond Targaryen x Strong! Reader

Tropes: World War 2 HOTD AU, nurse x soldier, trauma bonding, childhood sweethearts, star-crossed lovers

Wattpad / AO3

Summary:

"The tragic hero is complete. You can call him unhappy (miserable, utterly broken) even before he is dead. For an instant, he is something divine, and then he dies, because there's nothing else left to do. The center of every tragedy is the image of a human being who has already died but keeps talking, someone whose face is a mask."

In the years preceding the inferno of the Second World War, the world dances precariously on the edge of destruction, teetering between disintegrating old empires and the looming dawn of new ones. In the heart of this volatile era, the Targaryen family rises to power through the might of their ironclad empire, the Targaryen Ammunitions Conglomerate. The story is set against a backdrop of a world torn between tradition and modernity, where the echoes of old wars linger in the corridors of power, and the spectre of new conflicts casts long shadows across the lives of those entangled in its web.

Viserys Targaryen, the Chief Executive Officer of Targaryen Ammunitions, is a man haunted by the ghosts of his past. Decades before the world would be set ablaze, he cements his legacy, but at the cost of his own soul. The death of his first wife leaves him shattered, clinging to the last vestiges of humanity through the love he bears for his only daughter, Rhaenyra, his chosen heir. 

But even Viserys cannot escape the machinations of those around him. Drawn into a marriage with Alicent Hightower, his daughter's former college classmate, he finds himself ensnared in a web of deceit spun by her father. Otto Hightower's ambitions reach far beyond the bounds of mere familial ties; he seeks to control the empire itself, and the Targaryen family, once bound by blood and loyalty, begins to fracture as ambition and betrayal take root.

Rhaenyra, a woman of fierce independence and unyielding spirit, is forced into a life she never wanted. Pressured by her father and the demands of his legacy, she is coerced into a marriage of convenience with Laenor Velaryon, a man whose own struggles mirror her own. Their union is one of necessity, where neither partner truly belongs to the other, yet, in their shared discomfort and understanding, they find solace, forging a partnership that defies the world's expectations. Laenor, hiding his true nature in a society that would cast him out, finds safety in the match, while she, in turn, secures the power and stability she needs to maintain her position as her father's heir.

Years pass, and the couple's inability to have children leads them down a different path—a path that brings them to the doors of Harrenhall, where the recently deceased Harwin Strong leaves behind four orphaned children who have been disowned by his brother Larys in his greed for their fortune. Rhaenyra, with a heart as relentless as it is kind, cannot bring herself to separate the siblings, despite the dangers it may pose to her own ambitions. She adopts them all, bringing the Strong children into the fold of the Targaryen family.

As the eldest of these children, you are burdened by the weight of the world. At just ten years old, you have been forced to grow up far too quickly, stepping into the role of mother and protector to your younger siblings in the absence of your own. Your heart is a fortress, built stone by stone, your mistrust of the world as deep as the abyss. When you and your brothers are taken in by the Targaryens, your siblings find joy in the luxuries and love showered upon them by their new family, but you cannot let yourself believe in the comfort being offered, waiting for the moment when it will all be torn away.

Your fears are only compounded by the cold reception you receive from Rhaenyra's half-siblings, the children of Alicent Hightower. The second of these, Aemond Targaryen, is a boy who has grown up in the long shadow cast by his half-sister. Neglected by his father, who lavishes affection upon his new adoptive grandchildren, he harbours a deep resentment toward the Strong siblings. In his eyes, you are all usurpers, interlopers who have stolen all that should have been his and his alone. 

Nevertheless, the two of you find an unlikely ally in each other. Aemond, who despises the hollow privilege of his lineage, finds in you a kindred spirit, someone who understands the bitterness that festers in his heart. You, in turn, see in him a mirror of your own disillusionment, a boy lost in a world that seems intent on breaking him.

As the world outside your gilded cage hurtles toward cataclysm, your connection blossoms into something deeper, something tender, but just as your hearts begin to entwine, calamity, as it always does, intervenes.

Tragedy strikes the family, one blow after another, as the winds of war begin to howl across the continent. The fragile alliances that Rhaenyra has built start to crumble, and as Viserys struggles to hold his empire together, the rifts within his own family threaten to destroy everything he has worked for.

It is all made worse when a terrible accident steals away two precious loved ones, and in the aftermath, guilt weaves its thorny tendrils around Aemond's heart. At the tender age of eighteen, burdened by the weight of his own self-reproach, he severs all ties with his family, abandoning the name that has become a symbol of his anguish. He takes up his mother's maiden name, hoping to cast off the shackles of his past and live free from the burdens that have haunted him.

But in his flight from the wraiths of his former life, he leaves behind the only person who has ever understood him, to pick up the fractured remnants of their family. You are left all alone, as you have been for so much of your life, to mourn in silence, and the grief that once bound the two of you together now festers into a simmering resentment. Aemond does not write, nor does he respond to the countless letters you send, each one a plea for reconciliation, a desperate attempt to reach him across the chasm that has opened between you. 

Eventually, you receive word that he has been drafted into the conflict. The news shatters the fragile remnants of your dreams, the ambitions you once held of becoming a historian now buried beneath the rubble of a world on fire. You abandon everything and follow him into the inferno, earning the nursing certifications that place you at the very heart of the battlefield, where life and death are decided with every breath.

In this vast and chaotic landscape, the young lovers keep missing each other, like ships passing in the night, always just out of reach. Time and again, they come within moments of reunion, but never actually do. Until, at last, they are thrown together once more when a severely wounded and half-blind Aemond Hightower is brought into the makeshift clinic where you have been stationed.

The reunion is a storm of tears and apologies, a raw and unfiltered outpouring of the pain that has been carried for so long. For a few precious months, you have each other once more, as you tend to his injuries, nursing him back to some semblance of health. In those fleeting moments, the two of you cling to each other like drowning souls.

But fate is a fickle mistress, and there is nothing she loves more than to slit the throats of young lovers, and you are not spared the annihilation that has been written for you in the very stars, centuries before you were even born, a destiny that neither of you can escape, no matter how hard you try.

"You're going to die in your best friend's arms. And you play along because it's funny, because it's written down, you've memorized it, it's all you know."

CHAPTERS: (coming soon)

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter3

Chapter 4

A/N: This isn't going to be a full-length fic. It's going to be a collection of one-shots almost, or snippets jumping around the timeline to tell the most important parts of the story, so maybe 10-12 chapters at most. This way I won't bore yall with unnecessary filler chapters and still get to tell the story I want. The summary is about as much as you'll on the background tbh, this is meant to be an AemondxReader centric story. It's inspired by Atonement and every other WW2 movie I've ever watched.

Comment to lemme know if this is something you would be interested in and if you'd like to be added to the taglist.

Alternatively, add yourself to the taglist!

[pochiperpe90]

[ENG] PARDO - Interview with Luca Marinelli

“Luca Marinelli is a true phenomenon!” This is how Paolo Virzì, who directed him in Tutti i santi giorni in 2012, defined the actor a few years ago. He was absolutely right. Throwing himself body and soul into each of his roles, Luca Marinelli does not limit himself to playing a part, but manages to transform himself completely, creating intense, charismatic, unique characters. From the young introverted mathematician in La solitudine dei numeri primi (2010) by Saverio Costanzo, to Roberta in L’ultimo terrestre (2011) by Gipi; from the criminal in Non essere cattivo (2015) by Claudio Caligari to the cult character of the Zingaro in Lo chiamavano Jeeg Robot (2015) by Gabriele Mainetti; from the proletarian intellectual in Martin Eden (2019) by Pietro Marcello, to the King of Terror in Diabolik (2021) by Manetti Bros; from Nicky, the immortal warrior, in The Old Guard (2020) by Gina Prince-Bythewood, to Pietro, a fervent mountain enthusiast in Le otto montagne (2022) by Felix Van Groeningen and Charlotte Vandermeersch; Luca Marinelli has been able to give life, thanks to his prodigious versatility, to an extraordinary range of characters who all bear the unmistakable sign of his talent.

Maria Giovanna Vagenas: In your current career as an actor there are two important works coming out soon: the television series M. Son of the Century by Joe Wright and The Old Guard 2, by Victoria Mahoney. While waiting to be able to see them, I would like to start by addressing a perhaps less well-known but equally essential side of your work: your debut as a theater director in 2023 with Kafka's Una relazione per un’accademia, for the Festival dei Due Mondi of Spoleto. How did this project, on which you collaborated with the German actor Fabian Jung, come about?

Luca Marinelli: The first idea for this project dates back to ten years ago when I saw Fabian at his graduation performance at the Ernst Busch Academy of Dramatic Art in Berlin. I found it extraordinary, and on that occasion I had already told him: "In my opinion you should recite this text!" Then there was a ten year gap. Towards the end of the pandemic, I proposed to him that we work together on Una relazione per un’accademia. At the beginning we had to be both on stage a bit, later I understood that it would have been more sensible to mount this piece with just one actor and I asked him if he would like to be directed by me.

MGV: What was your approach as a director? 

LM: At the beginning of this project I was more of a kind of acting coach - Fabian acts in Italian, even though he doesn't speak it - then I began to understand what it meant to be a director, to take responsibility for everything the public will come to see, to make many decisions and to take care of an entire team. In this context, the exchange of ideas with Fabiana Piccioli, who deals with the light design of the show, was essential: the theatrical piece is in fact a kind of dialogue between the actor and the light, the space and the audience. Being a theater director is also a question of trust. In the cinema the director is very present until the end of the production process, but in the theater you get up to a certain point and then that's it, because the real work, evening after evening, falls to the actors and technicians, that is, to those who are in the scene and around it. The director is no longer part of the performance, he’s almost the first spectator of his own work. It was a very beautiful experience for me, because being "outside", that is, not being on the scene but in front of it, is truly something completely different! In February-March 2025, we will take this show on tour around Italy.

MGV: Do you plan to continue along this path in the future? Is it an experience that has opened up new perspectives for you?

LM: It's a road I'd like to explore, that of theater. I would like to return to the stage as an actor-director, a bit like a master, let's say. I feel that theater is much more accessible to me, while I know very little about the technical side of cinema and for which I have great respect, so for now I don't feel like it.

MGV: You come from a family close to the world of entertainment. It seems that as a kid you watched a lot of movies with your grandmother. I would be curious to know how your desire to become an actor was born in this context. 

LM: My father is first and foremost an actor who is also dedicated to dubbing and my grandmother, as you said - a great cinephile. I owe a lot to every member of my family, whether they work in the arts or not. However, I cannot tell you where this desire comes from, each of us has a drive within us, and is attracted by something. Indeed, I grew up watching many films and, thanks to my father, I happened to know this work in various forms. But when you are very young it is difficult to say: I want to do this! I felt very attracted by the world of theater and cinema, by the idea of ​​expressing myself in a way that went beyond words, which approached images, sounds, the body. I wasn't fully aware of it from the beginning, but now I feel that it's exactly this: I love observing an interpreter's body, listening to their voice. I love seeing a group working together and I love teamwork. The profession of actor contained within itself a bit of everything that nourished my curiosity. This desire has been growing more and more. My family has always been very supportive and has never hindered me in anything. Rather, I was the one who hindered myself, until, at a certain moment, I gave myself permission to approach this profession and entered the Silvio D'Amico National Academy of Dramatic Art. They were three wonderful years during which I gave free rein to all my curiosity and desire for expression. The relationship with my class was fundamental and magical. From there, little by little, I moved forward. Almost immediately, cinema arrived with Saverio Costanzo who hired me for La solitudine dei numeri primi together with Alba Rohrwacher. I auditioned while I was still at the Academy and was acting in the final recital Dream of a Summer Night directed by Carlo Cecchi. I finished the Academy and immediately went on set for the first time.

MGV: You found Carlo Cecchi again as an actor on the set of Martin Eden (2019) by Pietro Marcello many years later. 

LM: Of course, and it was wonderful to meet again! I consider Carlo my teacher, he is the first who truly made me understand the importance and urgency of this profession. 2012 was the last time I was on the boards of a stage and was with him. Carlo Cecchi had become very fond of us all and with this graduation essay he managed to take us on tour. Basically we did two theater seasons from 2010 until February 2012.

MGV: Are there other directors, among all those you have collaborated with, that you consider to be your teachers?

LM: I met some great directors during my journey, each had their own vision of art, so it's as if I had many different teachers along a single professional journey. I would practically name them all, but I would also name the actors I simply observed in films.

MGV: Between the actors who inspired and influenced you, who would you quote?

LM: For the sake of equality, I only mention the actors of the past. There are many who have struck me but I always evoke Anna Magnani, Silvana Mangano, Marlon Brando and Massimo Troisi. These are the first huge names that come to mind. When I 'met' them on the screen I immediately realized I was faced with something unique and great. I like to mention these four names also because they belong to a moment in my life in which I still didn't know what I would do, but I was drawn towards them.

MGV: Non essere cattivo (2015) was Claudio Caligari's last, poignant and wonderful film, released posthumously. What are your memories of him?

LM: Claudio Caligari was a gigantic meeting for me, from him I learned how important expression and communication, sharing and respect are. I understood how much this profession is life and how much life can be put into it. I witnessed enormous courage and a great knowledge of filmmaking. I also learned the dedication and immense respect that one must have for the public, for what is proposed, for how one interacts with those who come to see a film, without ever putting oneself on a pedestal but being all together. Caligari taught me to never judge myself, nor others, nor the stories one tells nor the characters one plays but that one must stay with them, inhabit them. These are the few things, fundamental for me, that come to mind. Beyond this, every single memory is a source of inspiration and guidance for me. And then the certainty that love and passion are the only things that really keep us here and now, alive.

MGV: In 2019 you played the complex character of Martin Eden in the film of the same name directed by Pietro Marcello, and you won the Volpi Cup at the Venice Film Festival. What did this role mean to you? And what was it like working with Pietro Marcello? 

LM: The collaboration with Pietro arose from a secular prayer which has been fulfilled over the years. I was a great observer of his work and his art and finally being able to work together was a great gift, a true exchange based on trust. We all found ourselves in a moment of grace, in a state that allowed us to work with great concentration and dedication together. As for the role, I think Martin Eden is one of the most beautiful male characters of the last century, in one of the most powerful novels ever written. I owe a lot to this character, not only a very prestigious award, but also important artistic and personal growth.

MGV: You have played an extremely wide range of roles, spanning from one film genre to another. Beyond your exuberant talent and the extreme versatility of your performances, what is striking about your acting is the generosity with which you embrace each character, offering your all. How do you prepare your roles? 

LM: It's like a kind of love at first sight; I fall in love with the story, with the character and from that moment on I begin to see everything in that direction. It is an almost routine behavior that I have never schematised. If someone were to ask me, "How do you approach a character?" I would answer that I have no idea, but every time I do it more or less in the same way. There is certainly a certain affinity with the director and an involvement in the script and the character. Little by little I'm starting to eat all the information I can find. I am often offered films to watch, and then I discuss them with the director. I love working with imagination and thinking about every element of the character. I like being with the costume designer, working on the costume and then creating the look of my character with makeup and hair. I'm very happy when I can have my say too. As I said before, I fall in love with the character and I begin to see everything in that light. My wife always tells me: "You've already started!" I don't notice but she does! "You've already started!" it means that everything has started to take on that colour, but I don't do it on purpose, I believe that there is a more intelligent, unconscious part inside me that organizes my work. It's a bit like this!

MGV: A few years ago Paolo Virzì, who directed you in Tutti i santi giorni, said of you: "Luca is a phenomenon, he's intelligent, witty, but at the same time he's crazy, he becomes what he's doing. All the great actors have a kind of lack, a defect, they know who they are and therefore they are enthusiastic about becoming the one who proposes to them!" What do you think? 

LM: I agree with him, all this is said with deep love and therefore I accept everything he says about me. I love Paolo so much and I think he understood me more than I understood myself. In fact I think none of us really have a clear focus on who we are and what we can be. Of course this is an interview from a few years ago, perhaps now I know slightly more - but only slightly [laughs] - who I am because I am closing, so to speak, the first act of my life, given that this year I will be turning 40!

MGV: Being an actor is a collective profession. Over the course of your career, a very significant bond has been created between you and Alessandro Borghi, with whom you collaborated for the first time in Non essere cattivo and who you met again on the set of Le otto montagne of Felix Van Groeningen and Charlotte Vandermeersch, Jury Prize at Cannes. Could you tell me about your working relationship and your friendship?

LM: I'll start from the beginning of what you said; for me this isn’t a job we do by ourselves. This art doesn’t exist without the other. Even a monologue is not done alone but with the audience. Acting is always a way of expressing oneself and communicating. I adore, as I said before, teamwork, over the years I have happened to work with many wonderful colleagues who have become important friends and then there was this magnificent meeting with Alessandro during Non essere cattivo, a film that carries within itself something sacred due to how it was approached, and due to the strength of the great Claudio Caligari who created it. The two of us found ourselves actors in this extraordinary work which united us so much, creating a deep bond between us which at that moment was needed, let's say, for the film but which the film then gave us for life. Since then this friendship has continued and gone forward, without interruption. After Non essere cattivo for six years we were no longer able to work together, then suddenly another wonderful film arrived, full of love: Le otto montagne and thanks to two fantastic directors, Felix and Charlotte, we managed to make this friendship coincide again on the screen too. Alessandro and I are good together. At work, to put it in a football metaphor, for me it's like I always know where the other guy is so I can make a cross almost with my eyes closed because I know he gets the ball, stops it and shoots it towards goal! We have great chemistry and on set, we don't need to worry too much. I hope we can work together again soon. I happened to see an interview where we said that we promised ourselves not to wait another seven years to do it, but now it's been almost three years already so we have to hurry!

MGV: For a few years now you have also started an important international career by participating in important productions such as The Old Guard by Gina Prince-Bythewood with Charlize Theron which was a huge success on Netflix, the series Trust (2018) by Danny Boyle, written by Simon Beaufoy and starring, among others, Donald Sutherland, and a production for German television: Die Pfeiler der Macht (A Dangerous Fortune, 2016), by Christian Schwochow. How did you experience dealing with all these new production realities?

LM: In every latitude there is a slightly different type of approach but essentially the work is always the same. The thing that always excites me is that, ultimately, we all find ourselves in the common language of acting, of art. I was lucky enough to work with some wonderful international casts, not only every single actor but also the technical departments and directors were wonderful people. Ultimately, the place changes geographically, but the work remains the same.

MGV: As a member of the Jury of the International Competition, what will your evaluation criteria be?

LM: I was just looking at the list of films in competition and judging by the images that accompany them I already like them all, so maybe I'm off to a bad start! [laughs] I don't actually have any specific parameters. I certainly won't judge only the performers, but I will look at the film as a whole. However, for me it is essential to start from the assumption of great respect for the film itself, because every film is a work that requires great efforts from many people and for this reason must be evaluated with consideration. Having said that, I would like to have a good dialogue with the film, an intelligent dialogue on an intellectual and emotional level. In short, I hope that a film leaves me with a thought, a sensation, an emotion.

As usual, sorry for any mistake and my English

[desireofthestage]

rhaenicent parallels are going absolutely insane this season like they always have. god i love them so much.

from the very beginning we’re shown that alicent is perpetually trapped, while rhaenyra has a false sense of freedom; and that, despite their differing viewpoints on the world, they both suffer due to the patriarchy that oppresses them. the season 1 scene that stuck out to me the most is also the one that i found the most uncomfortable to watch. in 1x04 when it flashes between rhaenyra with daemon in the brothel and alicent getting maritaly r4p3d by viserys, completely blank faced, you see rhaenyra feel empowered, a strength that viserys has been denying her, even, when in reality, she is being groomed by daemon. like alicent, she is also a victim, even if she doesn’t realize it.

and throughout season 2, we see this idea of the patriarchy being enforced on both of them ring true. alicent, despite ruling while viserys was sick, despite quite literally being the most qualified person to rule in the entire small council (especially now that otto is gone), is constantly belittled and ignored. she craves power. she wants her sacrifices to be worth something. rhaenyra, on the other hand - despite being queen by name, despite having an entire army of people fighting for her, does not actually have power, something she is slowly realizing. this is why the whole team black/team green argument is so dumb. team black is not team feminism, because team black is not team rhaenyra.

if the leaks are true (rhaenyra and mysaria kissing?!?!) then rhaesaria can parallel alicole very well. mysaria and criston have sex with rhaenyra and alicent respectively as a way to attain power and potentially appropriate control. alicent uses criston and has sex with him as a form of self punishment. it is quite literally self-harm, something we’ve seen her do several times throughout the show. on the other hand, rhaenyra kisses mysaria to unbound herself, maybe? she has realized that daemon does not have the best interests for her at all... either way, neither of them are getting what they really want: liberation, and each other.

[adarkandmagicalforest]

An Irritation Ch 6

pairing: Otto Hightower/Original Female Character (Aella Targaryen, twin to Daemon)

warnings: cockwarming but make it hurt/comfort, smut, mood swings, unsexy lashing out

next: Part Seven, Part Eight, Part Nine, Epilogue

Aemma was a few months younger than Aella was, but it was difficult to tell - after the multiple pregnancies, both failed and not, had taken it's toll on the Queen, making her much slower and more strained than her sister by-law as she'd attempted to waddle away from the shocking seen. The princess though easily hurried after the Queen, the Hand only three steps behind her after he'd realized she hadn't kicked him away without reason.

"Aemma!" Aella called after the other woman once she realized with relief that she wasn't headed back to the dinner to immediately oust her to Viserys and the rest of the family.

But the Queen didn't acknowledge the call - she didn't say anything nor did she stop walking until they reached an open terrace where she immediately went to lean against the railing.

"Your Grace - " Otto attempted once they paused, his rasp touched with something tense.

Which became considerably worse when Aemma whirled on them, her eyes flashing as she threw her hand out at them in exasperation, her only word being, "No." 

"Sister, let me - " Aella 

"No." Aemma repeated firmly.

The Queen was a softer type of woman. She was not as Alysanne had been, who had given orders to men as confidently as Jaehaerys has, serving as a ruling Queen like that of the Conquerors. But it seemed as if Aemma had just been shocked into such a role, as her words now contained some hidden steel. It took several minutes for her to actually begin addressing them with more than just 'no.' And she began with Aella.

"You despise him." 

The princess wasn't sure what she could say to that. So she remained quiet.

But that seemed to suit Aemma fine, because she turned to the Hand then.

"And you. I've heard you rant about her and Daemon a hundred different times in a hundred different ways... Viserys says you once wanted them exiled to Dorne." 

Aella couldn't help it. She scoffed, glancing at Otto with her lips curled with bemusement. "Dorne?" She asked wryly.

The Queen immediately held a hand out, a wordless instruction to stop. Then, her eyes widened, and her small hand turned to a fist which she shook. "Daemon is going to kill him."

Aella swallowed. "He will not know." She replied.

"He will." Aemma said, making her guts churn uncomfortably. "If I tell Viserys he will tell Daemon, he will. And then - oh gods, he's going to kill you, Otto, and then he will force us to eat your body. I don't want to eat you - Aella I cannot eat him, what if he is gamy? I could not keep it down, and it would make me a cannibal! Oh - oh, but what if I do, what if the babe makes me begin to crave it, forcing me into a man-eating cannibal?!" The Queen exclaimed, looking more and more mortified the longer she spoke about this so called future she had just imagined.

"Perhaps we should discuss this at a - " Otto's words were stiff and disjointed, and he was standing as if a lance had been stuck down the back of his doublet. "At a later date." He completed the sentence dryly, his eyes looking between them with wariness.

"No, no, I cannot - " Aemma muttered in distress.

And then the sound of footsteps came, clicking against the stone of the terrace.

But to their luck, it was only little Rhaenyra, peering up at them from behind the loose curtains.

"What're you all doing out here?" She asked, her eyes full of curiosity.

"Nothing hatchling." Aella assured immediately, taking care to remain flippant. "We were just planning your nameday celebration." 

Rhaenyra's little blonde brows bobbed up her forehead before narrowing them, unimpressed at the lie. "I want a lemon cake the size of Cannibal then. Also, Father's wondering where you've gone." 

The Queen nodded her agreement and told her that they'd return promptly. It was only then did her niece left them did she look cautiously to the Aemma, whose alarm seemed to have subsided, at least for now. 

"Aemma?" She said slowly, now that the air had grown tenser with the other woman's silence.

"I'll say nothing." Her sister by-law finally said, reaching her hands down to press against her belly, round with child. "In fact - I never saw this. Any of it. I never saw either of you." She decided, turning to face the two of them with a decision in her expression. She rose one dainty hand, pointing it at them. "I'm going to the privy now - and when I return, none of us will ever speak of this again." 

"Yes, Your Grace." Otto replied, coarse and grave. He seemed to still be affected, he would not even look at her. He hadn't looked at her once since they had been seen.

Aella rubbed her palms together, attempting to stop the crawling chill from coming up over her arms. When her sister by-law looked at her, she found that couldn't quite speak yet, so she nodded instead, earnestly meeting Aemma's eye, hoping beyond reason that this would well and truly 'never be spoken of again'.

The two of them seemed to both be glued in place while Aemma left the terrace. They were there in silence, dead silence, as the flickering candles grew lower and the evening sky darker. Dinner would be done with soon.

And then, after several mountainous heartbeats rattled from within her ribcage, her dry lips parting as she forced herself to speak - speak anything. "Shall we continue where we left, Otto?" Was what came out.

The Hand though, did not appear in the mood for these words. In fact, this seemed to spark something in him, but not one for pleasure. He was incandescent now, and his very breath seemed to exude distaste.

She heard his steps but could not look at him. She only saw him vaguely, the shape of him and the color of his trousers.

"Have you lost your mind?" That voice demanded coldly.

Aella did not blanch. She did not. The princess took a half step forward, without thinking, to prove as such - but Otto took a large step away, as if revolted.

"Do you know what we have done?" He doubled down, low and deep. The evening was a spring one, but winter still whispered in the air. "What has just happened? Do you not understand the gravity that has taken its hold, what we both might face if Her Grace decides to speak of this?" With every word, he appeared to shake, though his words were quiet in his seething. But her throat had closed up, like a hand had reached up from her stomach and clenched down on it tight. So she stood there. His steps came back, but this time she wanted to back away.

"Our affair - this sin. This mistake could cost more than just your reputation, but my life could very well be forfeit! But a princess with the blood of the dragon could never hope to know such a thing, could she?" 

And then he turned away. He left her there. 

Her whole body seemed to be made of wood now. Wooden arms and wooden legs. A wooden head and wooden feet. If only she was on fire. She would be warmed then.

Aella was unsure of how long she was left alone - it must have only been minutes, because footsteps, short ones, from leather boots, came from her right. She could not see.

She thought maybe it would've been Viserys - he had been looking for them.

But it was not her brother's voice she heard.

"Was my Father horribly cruel to you, Princess?" Gwayne Hightower inquired, a hesitant smile in his voice.

Aella turned to look at him, reminding herself that she was not made of wood, no matter how her head felt on a dowel on her neck. 

"No more than usual, ser." She replied stiffly.

The knight bobbed his head shortly in a nod, straightening his back as he approached her boldly, stopping only a foot away from her. He wanted to touch her. He'd been eager to touch her from their first encounter, when he'd dropped to his knees and placed his tongue between her legs. "I'm sorry, anyway. He can be - well I'm sure you know. You've lived with him almost longer than I have."

"True." The princess said. She reached a cold hand up to her ivory hair. It felt too long. It clung to the back of her neck in a way that felt so uncomfortable. 

"So - What did he say?" Gwayne asked nosily, his voice nothing alike his Lord Fathers. He was boyish and arrogant and could be very obnoxious. She'd never be able to stand being married to him.

"How much he didn't want me to marry you." Aella half-lied softly. She needed - Daemon, Mother, Father - 

He touched her arm without leave, his hand encompassing her bicep lightly with his bare, warm hand. "Do not listen to him, Princess. I will marry who I decide. And if the King commands it, who is he to refuse your hand?" The lad then smirked - smirked? Could it be a smirk if his teeth were showing?

Gwayne's fingers gently squeezed her arm, one he meant to be comforting perhaps. It wasn't - but there was heat in his touch, and that was enough for her to slowly ask:

"Would you escort me back to my chambers, ser?"

/~/

The moment Otto stepped within the Tower, he knew he could not stay.

That most horrid flurry of emotions, violent and whirling and alarming had ruled him from the moment they had been caught until he'd seen the inside of his chamberdoor. It was once his boots touched the stone did the fury seemed to drop like a stone, as if expelled.

Lashing out at Aella had been - unworthy of him. 

He had been shaken after being caught. It had been lingering on the back of his mind, should they be seen it would have been a maid or serving girl. Easily paid or dismissed, he'd thought. But when it had been the Queen - 

Looking upon the encounter, Otto felt a deep rooted shame. Upon return to the memory he could now recognize Aella's increasing decline. She'd been merely uncomfortable at dinner, but once they had been seen? Every moment that passed drove her deeper and deeper within herself, her gaze stony and unseeing, just as she'd been when he'd found her resting on the Iron Throne. And he'd lashed out, snapped at her. She'd even stepped to him and he'd moved away... He'd called her a sin.

She enjoyed his fury most days. Aella would take pleasure in rising it up, toying and infuriating him with the simplest of smirks to her lips.

But this had not been that fury this had been wrong. He'd actions were poor and unseemly and they shamed him.

Otto turned back.

He went back to the terrace he'd left her in, not knowing if she would still be there. She was not. If she had been, he was certain he would not have been able to recover from the sight.

But it was empty, and the dining hall as well. 

So her chambers, he'd thought, swiftly turning away and ignoring the chirping of a maid whom he'd nearly bowed over with his quick turn. It had taken the good part of the day and evening to pull her from her reverie that day on the Throne. Her fires were burning low, she'd said. Then blood, she'd wanted. Otto had no idea of what to give her, how to soothe this strange melancholy that had cast itself over his lover. 

So he'd set the fires larger and he'd sat with her. For hours until the fires brought her back.

Aella's chambers were further away from the rest of the royal families - hers and Daemon's both. But with the strides he was taking, it did not take him long to reach her doors, not when the staff and maids, upon seeing the way he was storming through, were ducking out of his way. 

He didn't knock. It was unlocked.

The Hand took large steps inside and sent his eyes gazing across every surface, looking for that spot of pale hair and ivory skin. He found her - but Aella was not there alone. 

His son was seated there with her, touching her. Gwayne's lips were against her neck while his hands were pushed up her loosened silk shift, groping her pert breasts while she sat there still, her eyes closed. But Otto knew without knowing what was behind them. Because she was unnaturally placed. She was pale. She was doing nothing more than silently allowing his son to do as he wished. Her fire was not low, it was gone. He had extinguished her, he had wounded her and this was the result.

Otto's hand grasped the back of his son's neck harder than he'd intended. And he'd thrown him down on the floor harder too, than he'd meant to. 

Though the sound had been satisfying. 

"What - " He said dangerously to his boy, staring down at him as if he could vanish him from the very room with look alone. "Do you think you are doing?" 

"Father." Gwayne gasped, clearly shocked. His clothes were in a disarray and his pupils blown. "I was - "

"I will not hear of it." Otto stated, stepping over him to prevent him from getting up onto his feet. His son tried to back away, extremely unsettled, clearly looking for some words he could find that would prevent him from being punished. "You will go. Now. Leave this room or I will summon a white cloak myself to serve your discipline of taking such advantage of the princess' virtue." 

The color drained from Gwayne's face - his mouth opened, closed, and then opened again. He might've thought to claim her hand, or her virtue, it mattered not to his Lord Father. He would leave this room with nothing but his damaged senses if he had any of his own. So he slunked back - though he had, with his final motion, sent one last pleading look at the princess just as the door of her chambers closed behind him. 

Otto locked it. Tightly. 

And he returned to her.

"Why did you do that?" Aella's voice was dull. 

So he hurried. He removed his doublet swiftly and did what he could to remove his boots before he knelt before her. It was times such as these that he was reminded of how small she was. Often Aella took up such a large space in his mind, a larger than life figure whose every breath and action took hold of him and kept his attention hostage. But she was a small girl. She stood shorter than most, teetering between Queen Aemma and the Princess Rhaenyra in height, making her appear all the more delicate when compared to her brothers. And especially to himself.

In their encounters he was able to take her in his arms and pin her wherever pleased them, against a bed yes, but also against stone walls, pillars and just from the his own force keeping her up. But even then she had never seemed small. 

Not like now.

Otto was face to face with her even on his knee, which was helpful in this moment as he reached a gentle hand to cup her pale cheek, leaning down and pressing his forehead against hers, not allowing her to refuse.

"You're not answering me." Aella complained, squirming. He held her regardless.

"Because it is not worth answering." He replied. He knew what she needed in this moment was physicality. He'd thought it queer in the beginning, but he appreciated it all the more now. It made more sense to him as their encounters increased. When her mood swung low, heavy like a pendulum, she needed touch, sexual, intimate or sensual. The heat, the grounding sensation of another focused her attention, it brought her back down from wherever it had taken her.

"Damn all, Otto I needed - " The princess twisted in his grip, trying to push herself free, but he didn't allow it. 

"I know what you need." Otto promised her gently. His hand raked up from her cheek then up through her pale blonde hair, letting his fingers lightly scratch along her scalp until she shivered. "But first you must listen - no, Aella listen to me!" Her restarted squirming stopped once as she withered beneath his snap. 

His guilt resurfaced in earnest then, and it forced his hand.

Near all Targaryens were born with the purple eyes of Old Valyria. And Aellas, he found, were especially beautiful. A shade between violet and lilac, made more startling under the gleam of candlelight or when flashing with her own fire. But now, he found that as they looked upon him now, soft and vulnerable in a way he rarely ever saw in her -

They caused a strong wash of tenderness to bloom within him. And he was not able, or willing, to shake himself free of it. 

"I must offer you my deepest apologies." Otto said to her. Her lashes fluttered slightly and her eyes finally met his properly. A lovely purple to plain brown. He leaned closer, brushing the bridge of his long nose brushed along her smaller one. The tip of her nose was cool. There was no fire burning in her chambers. "It was wrong of me to say such things to you. The dire circumstances were ours both, and to suggest you were not affected by the same consequences was unfeeling and unfair to you. I apologize, sincerely, Aella." 

His princess swallowed. She did not prefer her intimacies to be spoken allowed, but that was no matter to him. He needed to speak aloud his regrets, and needed her to listen and understand it.

So it wasn't until Aella nodded shortly did he do as she needed.

Otto took her by her waist, lifting her into his arms as he took her place on her featherbed. He wasn't hard, and he was certain she wasn't wet, but he would do what he could. He pulled up her silks, reaching his hand between her thighs. She wasn't even damp, but he patiently began petting her anyway, rubbing the pads of his fingers in circles around her pussy.

In his arms, she rocked and lowered her forehead to rest against his shoulder. He kissed her when she did, first her cheek and then along her jaw while his hand slowly moved. Romantic touches, things she normally would never abide. But she let them now, as she held to him weakly. 

Soon, only once he felt his fingers moving more easily against her as she dampened from the attention, did his cock properly begin to stir, growing to half-mast, but enough for his purposes. He dragged his hand lower, grinding his palm against her until her breathing had hitched in his ear and he knew his princess was prepared enough.

"Up now, Aella." Otto commanded softly of her, his free hand lowering to his lap as he freed himself from his trousers, pumping it idly. His lover did, rising up further onto her knees, placing her weight onto his shoulders as she did, not yet wishing to remove herself from his neck. He did not mind it.

He positioned himself against her, the sensation of pleasure of the sensitive tip rubbing along her wet core enough to make him fully stand at attention for Aella who immediately began to sink herself upon him. She did so not not as prepared as she should have been, but she would not allow such a thing to hold her back. Every inch of himself was claimed, from every part of his cock to his flesh and bone and what remained to his thoughts as he was once again forced to fight against the rapture that was being inside of her - 'riding a dragon,' she'd once said to him with a wry smile, nude and glorious to behold. 

But now was the time for her physical comforts, not his own pleasure. But the half smothered, "Seven," that escaped him could not be helped. 

Only once Otto was kept tight and warmly inside of her, did Aella relax even slightly. Once inside of her she slackened, settling into his lap as her hands slowly moved up his head to then wrap around his shoulders in a closer embrace. 

His hands rose up as she clung to him, running them beneath he shift and along the delicate curve of her back, letting his own heat warm her as he stroked her, petted her. He'd seen her do much the same to the wild dragon she rode, the connection of dragon and rider ran deep, perhaps even deeper than he suspected. Targaryens were otherworldly - closer to Gods than man. This he'd resented, often, even during the time of Jaehaerys, back when the old King rode Vermithor. 

All of the greatest Targaryens rode dragons. First Aegon and the Black Dread, Visenya and Vhagar, Rhaenys and Meraxes. Every child knew this, the stories of the dragon riders who began it all. But Cannibal, vicious creature it was to all who could ever hope to approach, had been nested in Dragonstone even before the settling of the Conquerors. And he belonged to Aella. A wild dragon, older than the conquest.

And he liked to be petted. As she liked to be petted. 

Otto pressed his fingers deeper against her back, allowing his claws to roam up and down her back as she absorbed his warmth and affection.

He enjoyed her fighting. He enjoyed her arguments, her snips and digs and the way her voice became so silky when it dropped into High Valyrian. 

But her in his arms, vulnerable - this was a cherished thing.

Otto shifted. His cock, warm inside of her, was going to grow soft soon without more friction. So he rocked very slowly, just enough to keep himself hard while he warmed her. He did not count how long he held her. There was just her quiet, her flame not even flickering - and then, minutes, ten, twenty, however many later, did she speak.

"Do you believe me a sin, Otto?" She asked, only a hair above a whisper. Her head had risen up from his shoulder, parting only far away enough so she might meet his eye.

"You could never be a sin." He promised, his words deep and full of truth.

Aella's arms slackened slightly then from around his shoulders, and soon her hips were beginning to move on their own, slow and purposeful. 

Otto slipped his hand between them, pressing his fingers there against her pleasure, just firmly enough that her rosy lips parted.

Her rocking began growing steadier, sturdier as she held onto his body to arch herself in the way she liked best. But her grip was still uneasy, her fires not yet aflame, and her needs were still difficult to grasp at.

"Otto - I need," Aella muttered, her breathing deeper and more frustrated as she was now becoming wet, truly wet on his cock.

His arms wrapped around her, his hand reaching up and cradling the back of her head as he turned them, letting her lay back upon her bedding as he recaptured her lips. Their kisses were often full of clashing teeth and battles for dominance, but he would not accept that here. Here he tasted her, her kiss sweet and tart in equal measure as she accepted him, her legs drawing up and pulling against his hips. But the Hand paused in his capture and looked down upon his lover, his hand drawing down over her body, his eyes trailing over the motion until he was able to devour the sight of where her pussy kept him wetted and warm inside - and then her face, stunning especially when drawn in frustration and pleasure...

He could do nothing else but make love to her. 

[the-ferocious-kittyrose]

Stuff I wish we could’ve seen in HOTD

1. Alicent comforting Rhaenyra after her mother’s death

There’s a deleted scene that shows Rhaenyra returning to her room after her mother’s funeral, to find Alicent there waiting for her. As soon as she sees Alicent her strong facade breaks and she bursts into tears. She falls into Alicent's arms, and they sink to the floor together.

Rhaenyra has a tendency to mask her emotions when upset, and Alicent seems to be one of the few people she feels safe being vulnerable around.

2. Rhaenyra confronting Alicent about the engagement.

There’s a somewhat infamous deleted scene that shows Rhaenyra confronting Alicent about her engagement to Viserys.

She asks how long Alicent has been meeting with her father without her knowing. When Alicent says it’s been going on ever since the queen died, she is furious and calls her a whore, accusing her of seducing him.

A lot of people shit on Rhaenyra for this, saying she’s victim blaming, which, yeah, she is, but it’s also a very realistic reaction. She’s not only dealing with the fact that her father is remarrying, she’s now dealing with the fact that her best friend is gonna be her new step mom and their relationship will never be the same again. She’s probably also afraid of the possibility that her friendship with Alicent was never real and that Alicent was just using her to get power.

Alicent immediately denies it, saying they never talked about marriage, and Rhaenyra responds, saying she should’ve known it was leading to marriage since she was visiting him alone in his chambers. She asks what she expected to happen, and Alicent doesn’t answer.

Because she did know. From the moment her father told her to where her mother’s dress she knew. But their conversations were so casual and non sexual that she convinced herself that it was purely platonic, as a way of protecting herself from the horrible truth of the situation.

Instead of answering the question, she deflects, and says that she did it at her father’s command, and when Rhaenyra says she should’ve just refused him, she snaps back that not everyone can get away with doing whatever they want like she does.

This seems to be the moment Rhaenyra accepts that this isn’t Alicent’s fault and that she’s lashing out at the wrong person.

Rhaenyra says they (Otto and Visarys) can’t do this. That she is the princess and she will have it annulled.

Rhaenyra obviously doesn’t have the power to do that, and she knows it, but she’s not used to having problems that she can’t snap her fingers and have fixed. She’s also putting on a strong confident facade, saying, “don’t worry, I’ll fix it,” partly to comfort Alicent, and partly to comfort herself.

But when Alicent doesn’t seem comforted by this, Rhaenyra begins to realize that Alicent hasn’t protested the marriage. So she asks her if this is what she wants, and Alicent, who’s resigned to her role as a woman, says it doesn’t matter what she wants.

This is the key difference in their characters. Rhaenyra wants to fight against the restrictions imposed on her as a woman, while Alicent accepts them. Alicent has been groomed her entire life by a misogynistic society to view this unfair patriarchal system as the natural order of things, and to believe that her submission to it is a virtue.

3. Alicent and Viserys’s wedding

There is a deleted wedding scene that we don’t know a ton about, but it would’ve been nice to see. And by nice, I mean incredibly depressing and uncomfortable.

There are pictures of Rhaenyra helping dress Alicent for the wedding, mirroring Alicent dressing Rhaenyra for her heir announcement ceremony thing. It’s a reflection of their respective positions in the kingdom. Rhaenyra is destined to rule, while Alicent is destined to marry.

Also the sad finality of it. This is the last time they will get to be just friends. After this is done, they will be step mother and step daughter.

Also, disturbingly, in the book, Rhaenyra was at the bedding ceremony and was one of the ones who undressed Viserys. I can’t imagine how disgusting that would be. Not only having to undress your father so he can have sex with your best friend who clearly doesn’t want him, but also having to stand and watch him rape her, knowing that there’s nothing you can do to stop it.

4. Rhaenyra and Harwin Strong’s relationship

I’m not the only person devastated that we didn’t get to see Rhaenyra and Harwin’s relationship begin. We saw him eyeing her up when she was covered in blood, but that was about it.

Was they’re relationship a purely sexual fwb situation, or were they in love? I like to believe they fell in love, but the show doesn’t tell us. How did Harwin feel about not being allowed to openly claim his sons? That shit has to eat away at you after a while.

How many times did he want to tell them? When he was killed in the fire at Harrenhal, did he think of his boys? That he would never get the chance to tell them the truth? That he could never tell them he loved them?

Harwin’s sisters also become Rhaenyra’s ladies-in-waiting in the book. It would’ve been nice to see her befriending them and them being aunts to the boys.

5. Rhaenyra trying to have a good relationship with her half siblings

There is a deleted scene of Rhaenyra holding baby Aegon on her lap and trying to teach him to say her name.

Not only would Rhaenyra trying to bond with her siblings make what ends up happening even more tragic, but it also makes since politically. She doesn’t want her siblings to see her as an enemy and be tempted to usurp her in the future. So she tries to win their affection through gifts and teaching them how to ride their dragons. In the book, Aegon even says, “what kind of brother steals his sister’s throne?” But that could’ve just been sarcasm.

And Rhaenyra always wanted a sister, so you can’t convince me she didn’t try to have a relationship with Helaena. Even if she grew to be less than fond of Aegon and Aemond as they grew older, I believe she loved her sweet sister.

Of course on the opposite side you have Alicent who has Otto trying to convince her that Rhaenyra is untrustworthy and is a threat to her children. At first Alicent doesn’t buy it, but as time goes on she begins to believe it more and more, and her subtly mounting paranoia leads her to isolate her children from their half sister.

Then you have the whole thing with the fight at Driftmark, and I could go on and on about that. It was so needlessly cruel and stupid of Rhaenyra to order Aemond be interrogated about where he heard a rumor that everyone and their mother knows about. I know that’s what they say happened in the book, but I feel like it could’ve been done better.

Like, Alicent gives Rhaenyra grief about the pig incident, so she lectures the boys about how just because Aegon is allowed to bully Aemond, that doesn’t mean they can too. Aegon is not a person they should emulate. She may not be overly fond of Aemond herself, but it doesn’t matter if he’s mean and mopey, he is their uncle and they’ll treat him with respect because that’s what’s expected of them, and them acting out makes her look bad.

So at Driftmark tensions between the kids and Rhaenyra and Alicent are high, so she tries to do some damage control by going to Viserys and Alicent and suggesting that, because there are so many dragons and eggs here, they should try and get Aemond a dragon, and of course Visarys agrees.

But Aemond doesn’t want just any dragon or a lousy egg. He wants the biggest dragon in the world. He sneaks away to claim Vhagar in secret, but Rhaena (who wants to claim her mother’s dragon just like her dad wanted to claim Meleys) try’s to stop him only to be shoved by this much larger boy into a pile of dragon dung (like Joffrey in the book.) Aemond claims Vhegar, and Rhaena goes to get Baela and the boys. When Aemond lands, the fight happens like it did in the show.

When Rhaenyra finds out what happened, she’s not focused on the bastard thing, the kids care more about that stuff, instead she’s focused on the fact that Aemond, her half brother who she was just trying to help claim a dragon, threatened to kill her sons with dragonfire, and tried to bash their heads in with a rock.

Alicent demands Luke’s eye be cut out, and Rhaenyra and Viserys both refuse, with Rhaenyra angrily insisting that her sons will not be punished for defending themselves and their betrothed. Instead, she blames Aemond, saying, “Words of war become acts of war. Better he learns that now before he loses more than his eye.”

And that’s when Alicent grabs the dagger.

Idk, I’m not a writer, I’m just spitballing.

6. Laena and Rhaenyra’s friendship

In the book, after Baela and Rhaena are born, Daemon writes to Viserys and asks if he may bring them and Laena back to Kingslanding, and, of course, Viserys accepts them with open arms.

When Laena comes to Kingslanding, she and Rhaenyra become close friends. Laena and Daemon choose to live at Driftmark, but Laena and Rhaenyra still fly to visit eachother often, and would race their dragons from castle to castle.

When Rhaenyra heard Laena was in labor, she flew to Driftmark and stayed with her through her three day labor. In the show, when it becomes clear Laena won’t survive the birth, the maester overseeing the birth suggests a forced caesarean. The same thing done to Queen Aemma. I can only imagine the hell Rhaenyra would’ve raised to prevent her friend from suffering the same horrible fate her mother did.

After Laena’s death, Rhaenyra and Daemon mourn together. It’s not romantic, it’s not sexual, it’s just two people who just lost someone they both loved.

[dreaming-of-the-reality]

The last couple of days, I have been rewatching House of the Dragon Season 1 in preparation for Season 2 which begins next month. There have been small details I have begun to notice this time round watching. So I just wanted to share some.

In this post, I would like to mention a few details regarding the bond between Aemond and Vhagar.

——————————

Some people view this bond as a weak one. They use evidence from episode 10 where Aemond “loses control” over Vhagar and she kills Lucerys. Claiming that Aemond does not have a clear strong bond with his dragon in comparison to Daemon and Caraxes, or Rhaenyra and Syrax.

I disagree

To explain what I mean, I need to give some context regarding the shows timelines (please disregard the books timelines which are different to the ones of the show)

In episode 2, 12 year old Laena Velaryon and Viserys are walking through the gardens as Laena has been offered up as Viserys potential bride by her parents. To make conversation, she asks Viserys about Vhagar and where she is - Viserys mentions that no one had seen Vhagar and the dragon keepers believe she rests somewhere far away.

Vhagars rider before this was Baelon and it is assumed that she left after his death and has not been seen since.

Episode 3 starts with Aegons second name day celebration. This implies it’s been atleast 3 and a bit years since episode 2. We can assume the royal wedding happened very quickly and Alicent got pregnant shortly after with Aegon. Once born, Alicent would’ve gotten pregnant with Helaena as she is heavily pregnant during this episode.

Laena would now be around 15 years old based on this timeline.

In episode 4, only 2-3 months have passed as Alicent has now given birth, and Rhaenyra is returning from her tour. This episode ends with Otto being fired.

Episode 5 picks up right after as we see Alicent in the same outfit as the end of episode 4, and Otto readying his horse to leave. Rhaenyra and Viserys have sailed to Driftmark, and return shortly after with the Velaryons for the royal wedding.

When arriving, Rhaenys and Laenor fly their dragons Meleys and Seasmoke, together towards the red keep. This implies that Laena (15) has yet to claim a dragon - as we know she claims Vhagar and we would have very obviously seen her if she were there.

I believe that at the wedding, Alicent is already pregnant with Aemond, conceived during that awkward and gross sex scene in episode 4. We know that Helaena and Aemonds age difference is about a year or two, so this would line up.

In episode 6, Laena is speaking with her daughter about how she did not have a dragon even when she was 15, but then claimed Vhagar. By my timeline, Laena would’ve claimed Vhagar, who had suddenly come back after years, in the same year as the wedding of Rhaenyra and Laenor. Aemond would’ve also been born in the same year.

——

Here’s my theory:

Vhagar only returned when Aemond was born because she knew that he would be her last true rider.

We can assume that Vhagar had her strongest bond with her first rider Visenya - a bold warrior and a brave fighter. Aemond, Vhagars last rider, grows to become a brave and bold warrior too, appealing to Vhagar as he was bold enough to claim her, one of the largest dragons left, in the middle of the night, alone as a young boy.

So what if Vhagar only returned to Westeros from wherever she was hiding all those years, specifically for Aemond? Symbolic of the dragon egg in the cradle, Vhagar was bound to become Aemonds dragon from his birth.

We know Aemond felt very embarrassed about the fact he was the only one who hadn’t claimed nor hatched a dragon, which only encouraged him to continuously attempt to claim one over and over again. But wouldn’t it be a twist if he did in fact have a dragon all along but never knew it? It was more of a spiritual bond before it was a physical one?

——

Laena and Vhagars bond was never demonstrated in the show. It was portrayed subtly as weak in comparison to Rhaenyra’s and Syrax’s bond or Daemon and Caraxes’ bond.

When Daemon gets shot with an arrow in the step stones, we can hear Caraxes let out a roar in pain. When Rhaenyra is having a miscarriage and attempting to give birth, we see Syrax roaring in pain reflecting Rhaenyra’s.

When Laena is trying to give birth, and clearly in pain, struggling to walk, we see Vhagar… having a nap. She only wakes up when Laena is standing right in front of her. Vhagar did not sense Laena’s pain or distress like other dragons have sensed their riders.

It reminds me of Jon and Rhaegal in Game of Thrones - Jon may have ridden him, but he did not bond with him like Danaerys bonded with Drogon.

In this post thus far, I have not mentioned or referenced any differing events and timelines from the books as I have only used examples from the show, but in the books, it is written that when Aemond loses his eye, Vhagar roars in pain - thus demonstrating their strong physical bond.

You can choose to discard that if you want, but it is a little crumb of context taken from the book as in the show, it is not shown when we cut straight to everyone gathered in the Driftmark hall.

In episode 10, when Aemond is chasing Lucerys through the skies above Storms end, I believe Vhagar could sense Aemonds anger towards Lucerys, and acted upon it as an instinct of revenge. She understands Aemonds pain and suffering at the hands of Lucerys, and in return kills him.

People look at this as being disobedience and a weak bond, I see it as such a strong bond that Vhagar didn’t even need to be told by her rider, because she could sense it. Just like Arrax, sensing Lucerys’ fear, defended him by blowing fire at Vhagar without being told. This also would’ve been an act that would’ve triggered Vhagar to attack - wanting to defend her rider from a dragon and boy who wished to harm him.

——

I believe there is reason to believe that Vhagar only returned to Westeros for Aemond. It would be the biggest coincidence that just before the dance, after so many years, Vhagar returns for no reason around the same time that Aemond, her soon to be rider, is born.

Vhagar could’ve left again after Laena died, but she didn’t. She flew to Driftmark where Aemond was, and waited. Roaring out to him when she landed.

Helaena foreshadowing Aemonds claim by saying he would have to close an eye, means that this was something already destined to happen. This wasn’t a random event.

I don’t believe the writers would add something in about Vhagar not being spotted for YEARS, if it were not important to the plot in some way.

——————

This take is certainly an interesting one, and is one to think about. The timeline matches, the foreshadowing matches, there are small hints that match, there is evidence to similar cases already in the show that imply this.

I think Vhagar knew that Aemond would be her last true rider, and that she would die with him as well. She is a war dragon, she would die a war dragon.

[phoenix-is-the-hottest-thing]

What is the 'captainverse' shit? I always just ignored it tbh but I have seen many incels justify shipping the canon lesbians with men because 'captain is canonically male so all valks are bi' when as far as I can tell captain is canonically not fucking real as the only captain of the hyperion ever mentioned is Himeko.

Hmmm so I'd like to avoid being overly negative. I'll answer you, but watch your tone in the future.

Captainverse was a storyline that spanned a ton of events over multiple years. It concluded last year or so with one final fluffy event after all the drama. The Captainverse storyline isn't relevant to the main story of Hi3 but happens in the Sea of Quanta, so it would be "real" in that sense.

Bronie AKA Haxxor Bunny (has an expy in Honkai Star Rail named Silver Wolf, which you may be familiar with) appears briefly in the Moon Arc, and one of Misteln's Stigmata children seemed to hail from her world. There's also suspicious wish-granting devices in the sea that may or may not link back to Sa's shenanigans, but we don't have proof of that (plus those were written long before Sa was).

The main character of the Captainverse is an ex high-ranking Schicksal captain hailing from an alternate world to the Main Story's, referred to only as... "Captain". There's also another recurring person named "Ferryman" who turned out to be a hopeless version of Captain due to some time shenanigans. He has his own Hyperion, separate from the one in canon. I think his original backstory was being sent on some mission by Otto in the Sea? He was originally designed as a self-insert but later became his own character.

Captainverse has ship tease with some girls, but there's also plenty of girls who show zero romantic interest in the Captain, so you've been told a generalization. The main "ships" with the Captain are two Theresas who aren't actually called Theresa: the vampire Luna and the immortal tactician Kongming. Captain saved their lives at great cost to himself... the fireworks...

Many of these stories are quite well-told and may bring you to tears TuT

Oh, Captainverse actually has its fair share of sapphics. If you like that, it's a shame you never gave it a chance. For example, Kasumi (amnesiac Sakura with extra steps) and a Kallen from a different world found each other in Captainverse and seem well on their way to find the happy ending they never got in the main story due to things such as "dying". Kasumi's origin story event was also a direct result of Kallen being in love with Sakura...

@sacron1143 knows the most about actual Captainverse lore, so best to ask there if you're genuinely curious. Don't bother if you're gonna be a hater though. There's also this document but I'm not sure it's fully up to date.

I hope that gave you sufficient context! That said, I think you're better off just ignoring what the people you don't agree with do for fun. Clearly, neither of you are arguing in good faith to begin with.

[bl00dlight]

THOUGHTS ON S2 ALICENT AND HOW EVERYONE IS WRONG ABOUT HER.

Now that I've had some time to process and review. Here are my final thoughts/ hot takes. Some of these will probs conflict with my initial reactions to thing.

It wasn't a mischaracterisation of Alicent to abandon Aegon and Aemond, considering she never liked them to begin with. Which is literally the reason behind Aegon and Aemond being dysfunctional; her love was given conditionally. She only ever defended them against Rhaenyra, meaning she didn't bother to actually form loving relationships with her sons outside of projecting Otto's ambitions onto them.

She was ALWAYS a hypocrite. Her fucking Cole, even though yes it was annoying as fuck - is pretty in line with her characterisation. She literally let Larys wank to her feet in exchange for his loyalty/ her having more subliminal power. Remember how...she ostensibly gave Larys the green light to like murder Ser Harwin... and then attempt to murder Mysaria... yea...

Her idea of virtue was literally only ever used to maintain the idea of superiority over Rhaenyra/a justification to usurp the throne. It was never a real value of hers. It makes sense she'd abandon it when she is rendered powerless. Because it makes no difference either way to her.

Alicent may be a victim of the Patriarchy, but equally she is 100000% an abuser and an enforcer of Patriarchy. I won't elaborate. It's clear.

It also isn't out of character for her to not give a fuck about Jaehaerys either. Considering she massively projects her own trauma onto Helaena, and in general projects herself onto Helaena. She hasn't spent much time at all with the kid... like ever. And hardly even spends time with Helaena? She also like... willingly ignores Daeron.

It makes sense that Alicent probably feels little connection to Jaehaerys by virtue of the fact she seems to struggle with connecting to her sons. And Jaehaerys is an extension of Aegon and also of the crown.

Alicent has to an extent been traumatised by Targaryen men. All of which lean in to their "Targaryenness".

Helaena who, doesn't ride Dreamfyre (which annoys the fuck outta me that they made this choice). Seems to have little interest in her own House, thus is the most removed from being a Targaryen and to Alicent, is more aligned with herself.

So all in all, it makes sense why Alicent would basically be like "fuck them all but Helaena."

I think Alicent is deeply traumatised by the male dominated world. And in order to survive she had to adopt the qualities she knows men expect of women in order to maintain a level of power/control she had. Her entire life has been gaining power through the proximity of men and being used by them. She used virtue as a way to protect herself and maintain a level of power. That's why she opposes Rhaenyra, because Alicent has convinced herself that this is the reason she has cultivated her position. Because she is righteous. And Rhaenyra (whom is not righteous or virtuous) does not deserve to rule because of it.

However, once Aegon is on the throne, she realised that it was never her virtue which gave her power but her PROXIMITY TO POWERFUL MEN, WHICH DID - this entire farce collapses. She realises that the mask she wore means nothing. The entire identity she built herself around means nothing. She was never a good mother and she knows it. That's why she can turn around and abandon Aegon and Aemond. She made monsters who she can't control and she doesn't even want to. She'd rather abandon the Targaryens altogether and dissociate herself then face the fact SHE FUCKED UP. And... she legit did that throughout season 1 to... so....

Remember how Helaena said she didn't want Jaehaerys to be King? It's because even Helaena is aware of the dangers being on the throne causes. She knows her son would constantly be under threat and also living a life of despair. She just wants him to be happy because she loves him.

Alicent? On the other hand, literally hears Aegon SAY he doesn't want the crown. Literally hears how miserable he is once he has it. And basically doesn't give a fuck because her ambitions come before his wellbeing. She literally has never been a loving mother. She may have loved Aemond and Aegon deep down. But she wasn't loving. People for some reason think the two are mutually exclusive and they aren't. Abusive people can love you. But they can only love to the capacity they know how.

To Alicent, abandoning her sons is probably the most loving thing she can do. That way they can be free of her, and she can be free of them.

Think about it this way, if your sons were like... genuinely lowkey diabolical, would you stand by them without question?

If the first was a known rapist, enjoyed watching kids being beaten, treated his wife like shit, neglected his kids, spent most of his time drunk and having sex with prostitutes, tormented his younger brother etc; how positive would you feel about him?

If the second was a known maniacal edgelord who killed his own nephew, then tried to kill his brother, then also killed his cousin and then..... also lowkey committed genocide, etc; how positive would you feel about him?

Oh and they were both kinda misogynists?

In the real world, the mothers of fucked up men won't stand by their sons. Some do, but society has agreed those mothers are fucked up for being enablers.

Why do we expect Alicent to love her sons unconditionally, when she literally never did?

The problem isn't her arc, the problem is that the writers didn't actually explore the Green properly this season in order to allow us to understand Alicent. We saw so little of the Greens interacting with each other and so little of their dynamics that... in contrast to S1 Alicent, yea it does feel like they fucked up her character. But they didn't. They just sped run through her arc.

People comparing Ceresi to Alicent are greatly missing the point of Ceresi too. Whom was a raging narcissist - though yes she loved her children. She loved them because they were an extension of her and Jamie entirely. And her love for them meant she enabled Joffrey to become a fucking psychopath. Which again, is what the Patriarchy expects of women. It expects them to stand by men regardless of what they do. It expects them to be good and loyal. But Alicent is neither of those things and she never really was. Alicent is ALLOWED to be a bad mother. And she is ALLOWED to subvert our expectations of what a good mother should be. It's not anti feminist to let Alicent

I don't think it's a bad choice to have Alicent slowly start to develop reservations about the war. The only person who shouldn't of had those reservations is Rhaenyra.

The problem truly was, everything was so rushed, we didn't get the time to spend to see Alicent's arc develop properly. But all in all, like... I think people just be mad because, they are projecting their own ideals of womanhood and motherhood onto her. She is a victim, but she is also the abuser. And that's pretty much standard with the Greens. Both Aegon and Aemonds are both both victims and abusers too. That's legit what makes the Greens SOOOOO interesting.

[towriteloveontheirarms]

The other woman (I could protect you part 2)

part 2 of 4 || series masterlist || previous part || next part

pairing: Aemond Targaryen x maid!reader

synopsis: King Viserys is finally gone, but with his passing the troubles for Aemond and you have only begun.

warnings: mentions of performing sexual acts, period typical mysoginy, secrert marriage

word count: 1.4k

The night Aemond leads you down to the sept of Baelor, long after everyone had gone to sleep ironically enough is the night of Viserys´ death. The only person beside the two of you there is an intimidated looking Septon, that swears he would not tell anyone of what they were about to do. You can see in his eyes that he thinks this is wrong nonetheless, but what does it matter. If the seven wanted to judge you for the things you had done, so be it. You were not scared of them. The ceremony is held short. Only the necessary words are exchanged as to decrease the danger of a guard or anyone else catching you. Aemond holds your hand the entire time. His single lilac eye glassy and wet with unshed tears of happiness over the fact that you had agreed to wed him. Overjoyed in fact. When he leads you up to his chambers, that you now share, you are surprised to see all your things there already.

Through your surprise, you feel his trembling fingers undoing the laces of your dress. The dark blue satin slides down your body to pool at your feet. You step out of the fabric and turn towards him. Your lips capture his in the first kiss you share as newlyweds, while your hands make quick work of his clothing. The leather is cool underneath your finger pads.

“I must admit I am not as experienced as other men my age.” Aemond whispers his confession into the dimly, candle lit room.

“I will teach you.” She replies in a low rasp. From then on make sure to take it slow.

Aemond is different from Viserys, you can´t help but notice. All Viserys did was take. Even things that you never would have wanted him to take under any other circumstance, without any regard for your pleasure, let alone your well-being. The only care you received from him were the gifts he sent the following day. Alongside a tea, that as the maid told you, was brewed with the most care by a maester. Aemond on the other hand was gentle and sweet, yet passionate. He asked if what he was doing made you feel good and let you guide him to were you wanted him. He beckons words of praise from your lips continuously and once you had both finished, he holds you close until you both drift off to sleep. Still the image of Viserys doing unspeakable to you haunted you in your dreams that night.

It is a wonder that your marriage stays a secret for as long as it does, which is not very long at all.

However the day of Aegon´s coronation everything goes south fast. The day had been a mess from the moment it started. Beginning with the common folk being rushed into the sept almost forcibly, to Rhaenys hurting gods know how many during her escape on Meleys and now this. Your new husband and you had been called to Alicent right after the end of the ceremony, where she questioned your place at his side for everyone to see. The queen dowager was pacing furiously in front of you and Aemond, trying to process what her son had just told her, while Otto Hightower´s face was expressing only one readable emotion. A very clear distaste pulled the corners of his mouth downwards.

“I cannot believe this. This level of defiance is unheard of. Truly, this is something I would have expected from your brother, not you. And to think of the shame. First Viserys parades her around, bringing shame and humiliation to our family. Your father willingly put my reputation at risk. And now you wish to do the same. Despite seeing how her presence has affected us for years.” Alicent´s words are broken up by unbelieving chuckles. To say she wasn´t happy about what the two of you had done was a harsh understatement. Not that either of you had expected her to be.

“Mother…” Aemond tries to get a word in to calm her down, but it is to no use as she continues to speak in a frenzy.

“Not to speak of the fact that it was entirely improper for her to be alone in a room with any man. We thought more of you, Aemond.” Otto finally gets a word in between Alicent´s enraged rant. His voice is equally as cold as the look in his blue eyes and it sends a shiver down your spine, where one of Aemond´s protective hands rests.

“I have heard enough. Did you stop to think once that she might have done this solely to keep her non existing claim on our money? That she does not truly love you, but the power that is attached to your position as a prince of the seven kingdoms?” She massages her temples, as the crease between her eyebrows deepens in exasperation.

“With all due respect, your majesty, but I fail to see how you are able to speak about my feelings towards your son. As you have never truly looked inside my mind. Or spend a day in my body. I admit that what I did with the late king was wrong, however he decided to treat me the way he did himself. I did not ask to be given gifts or be paraded around.” You finally find your words again to defend yourself.

The newfound courage is met by an outraged look on both the Queen dowagers and the hands face and surprise by Aemond.

“The love I hold for prince Aemond is much bigger than the love the two of you could ever be capable of feeling for anything.” Your voice raises and for a moment you aren´t even sure if all you did this for is your own selfish gain. For as the words leave your mouth you feel your heart beat higher and a warmth spread throughout your entire body.

You realize you had felt like this for the past days. Ever since Aemond and you had consummated your marriage you felt your cheeks heat up whenever he so much as laid his eyes upon you.

“She is right, mother. Whatever I do with my life is none of your concern. I am a man grown now and I love her. That is all that matters.” Aemond speaks up as well now. Judging by the reaction it gets him, it is the first time he has spoken up against his mother and grandsire.

“Aemond…” Alicent tries to say something though she has to cut herself short due to still bring speechless at the whole situation. Otto however does not.

“You will stop with this nonsense this instant. On the morrow we will get this marriage annulled. You will get married to Floris Baratheon as you have promised Lord Borros and you better make sure we will never have to see this… harlots face in the keep or in King´s landing ever again. Have I made myself understood?”

The way the hand towered over you from his height alone would be impressive enough to shut you up under any other circumstance, but right now is not the time to stand down. If you aren´t sure of it before, Aemond´s headstrong gaze further assures you of it. Even though his hands tremble even worse than they had in your first night together, the palm of his hand that holds yours starts to sweat and he swallows heavily.

“I will do no such thing. I understand you are angry, mother. I know you cannot understand me for the choices I made, but I do not care. For the first time in my life I am happy. Truly happy and understood. And you can say or do naught to change this. I will stay with my wife.”

You squeeze Aemond´s hand reassuringly while he speaks. The look you give him is filled to the brim with gratitude. You let your husband lead you out of the room. Your gaze hardening consistently as a realization strikes you.

No matter your or Aemonds true feelings, all of them would only ever see you for your mistakes. To the whole of the red keep you would always be the woman that king Viserys used to embarrass Alicent Hightower and now to break the promise towards Borros Baratheon. You would always be the other woman.

[syndrossi]

So instead of Dany or Arya coming through with the twins, what about Sansa? Her trauma and overall skittishness towards men could lead to Daemon assuming the worst about what Cryane could have done to the children, plus her political knowledge how would be an interesting foil to Rhaegar. Also Jon would be Uber protective of her to make up for not being there the first time around. Sidebar, would she have red, silver or brown hair with Daemons genes thrown in the mix?

The Summerhall doorway is only interested in TPTWP candidates, so it's mostly an academic exercise when we talk about Starks tagging along, but I'm happy to do so!

Sansa's traumas are quite unique relative to Jon's, Dany's, Arya's, and Rhaegar's. I assume we'd be taking Sansa from the same point in time as Jon, so when she's being held by Littlefinger in the Vale as his "bastard daughter." What's rough about Sansa is how scarred she is. Rhaegar was born in the intrigues of the Red Keep; he has been dealing with Aerys since the beginning. He was trained in how to play the game, to guard himself, to trust few. He is a bit of a romantic, like Sansa, but was never an idealist, like she was. I think he's best equipped to understand the horror and pain she's dealt with, between the betrayals, backstabbing and Joffrey (who certain has some Aerys vibes in terms of cruelty/toying with "his" people).

So both he and Jon would provide different kinds of comfort for her. Rhaegar, she would feel, understands her. She feels safest confessing things to him, including her guilt over treating Jon like he wasn't true family. Whereas Jon is that fierce flame of protection. She almost feels like she doesn't deserve it, but she remembers that Jon has always been like that toward his family, toward Arya, and that he feels that way about her despite everything is another comfort. Jon makes her feel safe.

Sansa would hate Aegon. I think he would ping her Joffrey-dar super hard, between his entitlement and bullying behavior. Aemond she might feel a little sympathy for, perhaps seeing her own behavior in Aegon's and Jon in Aemond. Helaena is the kind of strange girl Sansa would have mistrusted and teased for not conforming to her idea of a lady, the way she did Arya, and again, that guilt and self-reflection means she approaches Helaena much more gently. Arya is gone, but here is another girl who feels that she does not belong, who is lonely, even.

Alicent would make her uncomfortable, since there's a twist of Cersei vibes to her. Larys would terrify her. Otto she would mistrust.

Daemon, meanwhile is a very different father to Ned, so there would be some adjustment there (and some resistance, given how much guilt and grief is tied up in Ned's death; that was her father, not this imposter). On the other hand, I can't think of a specific figure who harmed Sansa that Daemon would remind her of. If you're being uncharitable, maybe there's a little Cersei to him as well? But she'd be less likely to make the female-to-male comparison leap, I would wager. Rhaenys would remind her some of Olenna, so I could see her feeling a wary respect for her. Viserys doesn't have a real analog, but her experience with kings has been such that she is wary of anyone with that much power.

I have to think that Daemon would ask the boys if Crayne touched Sansa in any way, so he would know quickly whether she was traumatized in that way. But if the answer is no, then he has to conclude that she was mistreated in such a way in the Vale as to make her wary of some men.

Since Sansa's getting a smaller splash of Targaryen genes, I could see her looking more like the Royce/Stark side. Actually, it would be kinda poignant if she ended up with coloring like Arya's, matching Jon. The strangeness of looking into a mirror and seeing her sister instead. Maybe her hair is slightly lighter, just slightly redder than Arya's had been. Her eyes might be more Targaryen in hue, given her original eye color.

[fae-only-reblogs]

My Little Nightmares headcanons

This is probably messy to read I apologize! Remember these headcanons are just for fun & while some of them might have roots in canon they are ONLY headcanons! ❤️

The sound of Nightmares 🎧 (TSON)

- Sisi & Otto were foster kids adopted by the same family (no biological relation)

- I don't personally think Sisi/Cici is Six but I lean of her being the RCG from VLN

- Sisi could be an entirely different character to begin with

- Noone is blonde

- Children in the Waking world are still super small just as in the games

Very Little Nightmares (VLN)

- the pretender has parents

- IF the pretender & RCG do have a time loop situation it's of the easiest to be broken

- RCG & The pretender are friends! Then eventually they'll become friends who are also girls and beyond that who knows!

- The pretender is porcelain but can still grow

- The pretender gave RCG the name Rain because children who enter the Nowhere eventually lose their memories from the Waking world.

- The pretender's parents are out on business, somewhere. Either in the pale city or some location from TSON 🎧

LN comics

- The long haired girl & the boy in green are siblings

- The hunched back girl has powers of some kind (shown off in the comics but unsure what kind of powers they are exactly)

- ⭐ refugee boy & his sister as well as the hunched back girl were born in the Nowhere (More on this in a bit)

Little Nightmares (LN)

- The Lady & Six are the same person (time loop)

- There were four previous ladies before the current one (Lady Six). But these four were different individuals filling a title rather than the same person completing a loop four different times!

- Lady 1 passed her powers to lady 2, from her to Lady 3, and I believe Lady 4 wasn't killed but sent to the flooded parts of the Maw to become the granny by Lady 5 (or the 1st version of her anyways)

- Lady 5/Adult Six & Six have been in their own time loop for quite awhile. Maybe it's because the Nowhere finds their time loop particularly entertaining or the supply of (misery/souls/meat/whatever else the Nowhere sustains itself off of) has been significantly more than what those past four ladies could provide it. Time loop = entertaining & or Time loop = efficiency.

- The Lady is close with the doctor, the teacher, the hunter, and the barber due to having their portraits hung around the Maw.

- Children can't permanently die & we'll just essentially respond unless 1 of 3 events occur: 1) The soul reaches a breaking point/corruption & just can't continue. 2) They get taken out by a power strong enough to perma kill them - the pretender's ability to just evaporate you completely as in VLN. 3) The Nowhere consumes them in one way or another

- The flashlight girl is the daughter of the Lady (Adoptive or biological)

- The flashlight girl's model is taller than Six & Seven's models so I think she's closer to her teenage years 13 years old

- Not many HCs on Runaway kid other than his 'name' is Seven & he's 9 years old

Little Nightmares 2 (LN2)

- Mono & the thin man are the same person (Time Loop)

- The Thin man is one individual rather than a role to be filled (like the Lady)

- The thin man is a TV show/Radio host

- Thin man & The lady still keep in contact somehow (I like the idea of messaging birds)

- The hunter is Six's adoptive parent

- Spoon girl & Lollipop kid are friends! She 100% protects him from the monster's every time

- Mono came from an orphanage that caught fire (based off the LN2 comics)

Misc

- ⭐ Non hostile adults exist in the Nowhere (Refugee boy comes from a village after all) These villages were probably formed by children who were able to grow up without becoming monsters or puppets to the Nowhere (The Lady/Thin man)

- The Nowhere probably isn't fond of anything that isn't misery so I think these villages could make deals with powerful entities or the Nowhere itself so that the entity gains something for protection (probably a child sacrifice- yeah....)

There's still more I can put here but that can come later once I've posted all my drawings I've been doing for my main blog! Thank you for reading!