#criston voice: its YOUR fault i ate the chicken!!!!

[kingcunny]

I think rhaenyra and criston cole relationship is meant to be like lolita. Rhaenyra and Dolores are both victims of these men's fantasies, in the minds of Criston cole and Humbert, the girls are the seducers.

What do you think?

i know basically about lolita but i havent read it myself so i cant really make any comparisons between them. but i do think criston blames rhaenyra for *whatever* (depending on whos versions of events you believe) happened between them

ill admit this is kinda a hard question for me to answer. so much of my thoughts about rhaenyras sexual abuse is based on my own experiences, which i dont necessarily mind talking about, but im not sure if i should be trauma dumping on a fandom blog lol.

criston had become rhaenyras sworn protector when she was 7, (hes 23) she had an obvious crush on him, literally calling him her “white knight”. this is fine. kids do this. the problem is it seems criston indulges this crush. to the point that even alicent brings it up - “ser criston protects the princess from her enemies, but who protects the princess from ser criston?”.

(like sure devils advocate you could read this as alicent slutshaming rhaenyra or -as i do- as criston having an inappropriately close relationship with rhaenyra)

i imagine rhaenyra was very sexualized as a child, as girls often are. especially being a princess. “the realms delight” the constant mentioning of her beauty and marriage proposals. being groomed by her uncle*. one way to cope with this sexualization is to ‘own’ it. for rhaenyra to start acting out sexually herself.

(*devils advocate again, ‘daemon was just being a good uncle spoiling his neice!’ he eventually gets married to her making all his interactions with her as a child suspicious)

children exploring their sexuality is normal and healthy, the problem arises when there are adults around taking advantage of that curiosity. which is exactly what daemon and criston did.

rhaenyra wouldve been around 14 when that first *something* happened. (16 when something happens again between criston and rhaenyra, causing him to turn on her) my own belief being that daemon molested her and criston statutory rapes her. i think rhaenyra even initiated these things. no one involved thinks they did anything wrong. rhaenyra *wanted* this. but shes still a child, and doesnt understand the consequences of what shes asking for. but her *sworn protector* should have.

criston blames rhaenyra for ‘seducing’ him and ‘making’ him break his vows, and then resents her for rejecting him.