#daeron the war criminal

[starry-eyer]

forever annoyed by daeron the war criminal and his unearned moniker. cause what exactly did he do that was so special to earn him ‘the daring’ nickname? the answer is nothing. imo, it’s a classic case of medieval nepotism—he was given something he didn’t truly earn. though he at least showed some self-awareness based on his retort to being dubbed ‘ser daeron the daring’. but tbh, i think the fact that he was given that moniker shows how terrible the green princes PR was at the time. so it seems likely that this was a political ploy to make daeron stand out favorably compared to his brothers and to help the greens better compete with the blacks, who had the more favorable reputation at that point. so while dubbing daeron ‘the daring’ was certainly a smart move, i still find annoying af, especially since some parts of the fandom act like the moniker is deserved.

[nikosdaydreams]

I actually feel for Alicent and her kids. Don't get me wrong, because the Greens did horrible and inexcusable things, but if you do think about it from a fraction of her perspective it makes sense.

If Aegon doesn't sit that throne, then it means she survived at least four pregnancies, years of an unhappy and borderline abusive marriage, losing the love and trust of her closest friend, being used as a pawn of her father - all for nothing.

She will have gone through a lifetime of loss, heartbreak and trauma and none of it will have mattered in the end.

And it still stays a theme throughout the Dance, the sacrifices Alicent had made to put Aegon on the Iron Throne:

She lost Viserys. Of course, he was horrid to her and her children, but he was still her husband, and her King, who she had looked after in his ailing years. Regardless of how he had treated her, there would have been some element of grief - considering she had been the one caring for him.

She lost Jaehaerys. Her son's heir, her daughter's baby, right in front of her very eyes, murdered cruelly. And in the wake of her grandson's murder, came Aegon's rage and drunkeness and Helaena's madness - the things that led to their downfall.

She lost Maelor. She must have felt even a whisper of responsibility towards him, having become his de facto carer. To lose not one, but two grandsons, in such a violent and brutal manner, would be a heavy weight on Alicent's heart.

She lost Helaena. Her only daughter. She could see herself in Helaena, and she must’ve wondered - had she subjected her daughter to the same fate as her own? After so much suffering and torture and trauma of watching Jaehaerys die and hearing of the death of Maelor, still a young child, the child she had named. Meant that her beloved, sweet Helaena, no matter how quick her death, would have died in agony.

She lost Aemond. The boy who wished for a dragon, the boy who hugged her as he bled from his empty eye socket, the boy who calmed her by saying that in losing an eye he had gained a dragon. Was no more. She would have known about his rampages in the Riverlands, surely, but losing one's own child is still a harsh blow to any mother.

She lost Daeron. Her youngest child, who won vengeance for his nephew, and fought alongside his kin, her son, only sixteen when he died.

She lost Rhaenyra. Once her best friend, then her stepdaughter, then her enemy. No matter how long it had been or what they had done to one another, I still wonder if Alicent felt a pang of grief after Aegon had ordered his half-sister killed by Sunfyre.

All this death, all this suffering, all this bloodshed, just to put her eldest son, her last standing child, firmly on the Iron Throne, so that she can justify the years of suffering she endured at the hands of her father and Viserys.

And then he just. dies. Poisoned by his own men. He had only managed a two year reign.

And all that suffering.

All that sacrifice.

All the loss that she endured to make him King.

Was all for nothing.

Her final child. Her last son. The man she had given everything to keep in power. Poisoned like a rat.

And all Alicent had left

was her traumatised, orphaned granddaughter Jaehaera

and her own grief, madness, and self-pity.

This was all she had to show for the years of suffering she endured.

No wonder she died so alone, sat in her chambers, wanting nothing more than to see her sons and her sweet Helaena one last time.

[drahg0]

ok but if your name is daeron targaryen you're gay ok. I don't make the rules

[nonconstories]

Today. I had a root canal. And then had my temp crown put on. AND, while I was getting the temporary crown for my DRILLED INTO AND NOW NERVELESS TOOTH, the dentist said "Oh hey, that's a cavity on the other side of your mouth. Let's go ahead and fill that too."

Guys. I have never, IN MY LIFE, had a SINGLE FILLING, EVER, and I got my first one on the day of my FIRST EVER FUCKING ROOT CANAL.

My tooth hurts. I am grumpy. I have to take antibiotics.

All of this was to lead up to an invitation to send me asks. I miss you guys (and yes, I'm writing things that aren't fanfic, you'll see some of them soon).

[maekarlargenaturals]

I’m a fan of every Daeron Targaryen except for Daeron the Daring and I think that entitles me to financial compensation.

[percentstardust]

love how i added rhaenyra first as a muse after hotd started airing but she’s now probably my least active hotd muse besides caraxes and vhagar. 🫣

[screamsfromla]

Baela and Rhaena should kick u in the head

it’s been two years since season one came out and i am still not seeing enough people acknowledge that every adult targaryen is a bad person except helaena, jacaerys, and MAYBE daeron if you tilt your head to the left and squint a little

[lscullzthegreat]

Maglor Headcanons Because he's my second favorite war criminal

Horse Girl... that is all

he doesn't miss anything, an underhanded insult, a backhanded compliment, absolutely nothing, he has gut feelings that almost always turn out to be correct, and Maedhros trusts his opinions when it comes to his perceptions of people implicitly.

In the same vein he's also never forgotten a slight, he can forgive them, but he will not forget.

He has zero volume control, his voice will be the loudest in the room, if you tell him about it he'll start whispering and his voice will gradually return to its original pitch.

He never forgave himself for not being able to save Maedhros at Angband, he stood by Mae for the rest of his life especially towards the end less out of devotion and more out of guilt.

he absolutely sent Daeron a letter that just said "fuck off" at one point.

He was closer with Elrond than Elros, he used to tell him every story he could think of about his ancestors, over and over and over, he needed them to know that they were loved but his and Maedhros' blood and pain was not theirs to suffer.

He shared a room with Celegorm, when they were very very small, they argue in a way that only siblings who have shared a room can.

Where Maedhros' reaction to the Luthien incident, was largely yelling and threats, Maglor fully punched Celegorm in the face, and then immediately threw his lyre at Curufin's head,

Elrond DID FIND HIM AND CONVINCE HIM TO SAIL BACK TO VALINOR IN THE END. I am adamant about this you cannot convince me otherwise.

There was always a part of him that was bitter that Fingon was brave enough and defiant enough to rescue Maedhros from Angband, he was grateful he just couldn't quite let it go.

[starry-eyer]

i think most people would hate him if the showrunners decided to stick with canon

let’s not forget Bitterbridge and Tumbleton

daeron the war criminal deserved his pathetic death

[pessimisticpigeonsworld]

On the "Choose a Side" Discourse

With HBO leaning veryyyy heavily into "pick a side" for their promos, the "no team" people are crawling out of the woodwork. I want to preface this post by saying that I'm not saying people shouldn't have favorite characters who aren't mine, nor that people should just be totally invested in fandom discourse.

I already made a post about the issues with the arguments of the "no team" people, so I'll just summarize my thoughts from that real quick. A majority of their arguments and metas are thinly veiled anti Rhaenyra thoughts. That's still true of this new wave of this group.

Now, one thing I will agree with them on is: GRRM did not write this story to be one of choose a side. However, that is not because the Blacks and the Greens are equally bad or the Targaryens are all evil. No, it's because the Greens were always in the wrong and GRRM makes this abundantly clear to us in F&B.

Let's look at some facts from the Dance. While male primogeniture is tradition, it's not the law; the king's word is law, something ASOIAF has established time and again. The Greens took the throne through underhanded ways. They left Viserys' body to rot for days while they prepared for Aegon's coronation to prevent Rhaenyra from learning and coming to KL. They forced the smallfolk to attend and most didn't cheer for Aegon, with some even calling for Rhaenyra while most were confused and angry.

Aemond drew first blood by killing the unarmed thirteen year old envoy, Lucerys Velaryon. A majority of the realm declared for Rhaenyra; 53 houses supported her, while only 28 supported Aegon. The Greens committed the greatest atrocities of the Dance: Aemond burning the Riverlands and Daeron massacring Tumbleton. They also committed the greater number of atrocities.

The Greens also lost the war. The Blacks weren't just fighting for Rhaenyra, they fought for her heirs as well. This is why they swore to her and Jacaerys; later for Aegon III after the deaths of his older brothers. The Black forces continued to fight after Rhaenyra's murder and took KL. Aegon was murdered by his own men when the Blacks were marching on KL; in other words, the Greens knew they were beat, so they killed Aegon in an attempt to save themselves. Since Aegon left no heirs aside from Jaehaera, Aegon III was crowned and married to Jaehaera. The Blacks won the war.

Aegon the Usurper's bloodline is destroyed with the deaths of Jaehaera and Gaemon Palehair. This is the final affirmation of the Greens being in the wrong. GRRM's books punish usurpers by wiping out their bloodlines; Maegor and Robert Baratheon being the most obvious examples. Aegon and all the Greens have no descendants, their bloodline is dead.

Rhaenyra's bloodline, on the other hand, continues all the way through to the main series. Daenerys Targaryen, the most powerful character in the series, is her descendant, as is Jon Snow (unconfirmed as of now in the books) who is another of the key five. Rhaenyra may have died, but her faction won the war and her bloodline will save the world through her two greatest descendants (alongside the rest of the key five).

The Dance of the Dragons is, ultimately, a story of the damage the patriarchy does and how misogyny is destructive to the world. The Dance caused the death of the dragons and a great loss of power for women in the realm. Queen consorts after Rhaenyra had markedly less power and there was a drop in female leaders of the great houses. The loss of the dragons caused the weakening of magic in the world as a whole.

The Dance isn't about who your favorite war criminal is, nor is it about the evil of the Targaryens. It's about misogyny; something HOTD seems to have forgotten. Even before they started pushing TB vs TG so hard, they still missed the point.

It doesn't matter that Rhaenyra isn't a perfect, or even a good, person. It doesn't matter that Rhaenyra is non-conforming, plays the political game, and exploits her father's favor. Rhaenyra could have been as pious and well-behaved as Naerys and the Greens still would have usurped her. Rhaenyra could have had children with Laenor, and still the Greens would have usurped her. HOTD tries to paint the usurpation as partially being on Rhaenyra and her choices, but nothing Rhaenyra could have done would have been good enough.

The Blacks are the protagonists of the Dance. Are they perfect? No. Are they heroes? No. GRRM loves his gray characters, the Blacks are no exception. If you people want a story with black and white morality and perfect protagonists, go read another book. Just because people aren't perfect and don't operate exclusively in what's right according to our modern standards doesn't mean they aren't the protagonists.

In conclusion: there isn't a TB vs TG discourse in the Dance because the Greens are the antagonists and completely in the wrong. The point of the Dance is that the misogyny of the Greens damaged the realm. Rhaenyra is the rightful queen, there is no actual argument for Aegon or any of his allies.

Rhaenyra is the rightful queen to Westeros, go cry to George if you don't like it.

[nogoodsheepstealing-greatgrandma]

Some interesting takes here from OP, but I think this claim in the tags to 'war criminal by inaction' (not OP) is, to put it lightly, a bit of a stretch.

Yes, Ormund is certainly presented as ultimately the one in command, both at Tumbleton and at Bitterbridge:

When Lady Caswell appeared on the ramparts of her castle to ask for the same terms Lady Merryweather had received, Hightower let Prince Daeron give the answer: “You shall receive the same terms you gave my nephew Maelor.” Her ladyship could only watch as Bitterbridge was sacked. The Hogs Head was the first building put to the torch. Inns, guild halls, storehouses, the homes of the mean and the mighty, dragonflame consumed them all. Even the sept was burned, with hundreds of wounded still within. Only the bridge remained untouched, as it was required to cross the Mander. The people of the town were put to the sword if they tried to fight or flee, or were driven into the river to drown. Lady Caswell watched from her walls, then commanded that her gates be thrown open. “No castle can be held against a dragon,” she told her garrison. When Lord Hightower rode up, he found her standing atop the gatehouse with a noose about her neck. “Have mercy on my children, lord,” she begged, before throwing herself down to hang. Mayhaps that moved Lord Ormund, for her ladyship’s young sons and daughter were spared and sent in chains to Oldtown. The men of the castle garrison received no mercy but the sword.

You can read 'Hightower let Prince Daeron give the answer' as either

Ormund let Daeron make the decision

Daeron was doing what his uncle told him

Since Ormund is the one ultimately deciding the fate of Lady Caswell's children and the garrison, that could imply the latter. You could interpret Daeron's words and actions at Bitterbridge has him following Ormund's orders. There's no indication that Daeron was consulted on the fate of Lady Caswell's children - though perhaps like Ormund he saw the lives of highborn children as more worthy of mercy than the smallfolk of Bitterbridge.

Because Daeron did still... burn a town to the ground. Not an army (of conscripts) - shops, homes, septs full of the wounded. He burnt people who had nothing to do with Maelor's death - who had already executed those responsible. He burnt civilians. He burnt children. He did it at Bitterbridge, and frankly he was doing so at Tumbleton without the Dragonseeds aid.

Plus while the presence of two larger dragons at Tumbleton is arguably relevant to his inability to intervene with the on the ground violence, it has zero bearing on his previous actions at Bitterbridge, where he was the only dragonrider.

No one had the power to force him to do that.

We can talk about the psychological difference between seeing the carnage at Tumbleton on the ground vs burning people from the air - how easy it is to slaughter from a distance. I am willing to read Daeron as someone who only started to confront the reality of war when he was witnessing it up close - and yeah got upset over it.

But my sympathy for that is... limited to the point of non-existence. Daeron wasn't so sheltered that he didn't know he was burning civilians. Even if he was 'just following orders'... well do I even need to elaborate on that? He burned hundreds of people alive.

Even if we go by fantasy pseudo-medieval standards regarding conduct in war - this was a town that had fucking surrendered. Lady Caswell was in negotiations to yield to the Greens. There was literally no fantasy pseudo-medieval military 'justification' - just bloodshed for the sake of bloodshed.

You know how many towns Jace burnt when his brother was murdered? Zero.

Meanwhile the only dragonriders who burned towns were on Team Green - Aemond, Daeron, Hugh and Ulf. I mean, when Benioff & Weiss assassinated Dany's character by having her burn King's Landing, they literally compared her to hitler.

Daeron cried when his father died? Daeron was gentle? Daeron was upset to see the carnage up close? Daeron wasn't ultimately in charge of the situation (dragon aside)?

Plenty of people who commit monstrous acts cry. Plenty can be gentle, or 'soft'. Plenty can be upset to see carnage up close. They can not be in charge of the situation. They can have PTSD, they can commit suicide. They can hate other war criminals who commit 'worse' war crimes. They can rationalise why their war crimes are different. They can be 'just following orders. They are still war criminals - and certainly not by inaction.

Sure, Daeron may be more 'complicated' than simply being a twisted little psycho revelling in bloodshed. On one level his young age does grant him some consideration as a victim of his upbringing, of the influences and pressures of the adults around him, of their normalisation of war crimes. There is a point to which we can read his story as a tragedy - an otherwise gentle kid who could have been a good person.

As OP rightly said, he has a demonstrated capacity for empathy. Maybe his personal opposition to Hugh and Ulf was even his way of coping with what he did - refusing to confront his own actions by displacing his disgust to two notably lower class war criminals (and not to Ormund). There is something psychologically fascinating about that, even a little bit tragic.

But he is tragic only to a very limited point.

Even at the most charitable reading of his character, he's no more the cutey patootie his stans make him out to be than the most 'inactive' 'guilt-stricken' war criminal currently claiming they have ptsd/feel suicidal from the war crimes they put up on social media.

To stress very fucking clearly - I am just working out my own understanding of Daeron's psychology here, and who he reminds me of. I have zero interest in using a real ongoing monstrosity to condemn or score points against people who like (or in any way want to have a nuanced conversation about) a fictional dragonrider on a pretty blue dragon. The characters we like and find interesting in fantasy fiction is not a reflection of our actual real life values - go ahead and have fun.

At the same time I do find it valuable to critically engage with why certain characters do draw interest and sympathy - especially pretty white male characters. Again, consider how many Dany antis afford sympathy to Aegon, Aemond and Daeron without a trace of irony. While this isn't a reflection of everyone who finds Daeron interesting, it is a frequent enough pattern to warrant discussion.

Because while the characters we afford sympathy to in fiction is not necessarily a reflection of our actual real life values... at the same time it is! No character is written or responded to in a vacuum.

On one level, I do think it's important to understand the capacity for evil by otherwise 'gentle' or 'soft' people, especially teenagers. How those who consider themselves 'good people', who can be sympathetic, and who even perform good acts, are capable of being monsters in certain circumstances. How capacity for empathy isn't enough to stop you from crossing many fucking lines.

That being said, Daeron falls into a very common trope. A trope that is part a tendency in broader media and pop culture to be selectively charitable and sympathetic, that is worth addressing:

At what point does treating a fictional war criminal with nuance and sympathy turn from engaging with our capacity for evil... towards opening a space for people to downplay responsibility. Or to displace responsibility. Or to deny altogether. To hand out excuses and forgiveness that is completely undeserved and unearned. To grant them some perverse victimhood that overshadows their victims.

Remember, he joins the Caltrops in condemning Hugh and Ulf. He doesn't condemn Ormund or the other lords assembled for committing exactly the same butchery. He doesn't condemn himself. He displaces responsibility.

Perhaps if he lived then the part of Daeron that could have been a good person had the potential to one day take responsibility, to one day actively atone. But again, this is a trope. A trope that is very much present in our cultural tendency to offer forgiveness and excuses to certain people, with certain victims, before they've even hinted at taking responsibility, or atoning. Contributing to the likelihood that they never will. Because we don't demand it of them.

Perhaps Daeron dying pathetically in a collapsed tent is the best thematic statement GRRM could have made. Who cares how sad or tortured he was? Who cares how gentle he was? Who cares what he could have been? What about his victims, what about what they could have been? Go ahead and join the rest of the TG war criminals in meeting a pathetic end:

“I’ll have no songs about how brave you died, Kingmaker,” declared Longleaf. “There’s tens o’ thousands dead on your account.”

So to conclude... 'war criminal by inaction' is far too charitable to Daeron. I mean, never underestimate the evil of inaction, but Daeron was very much active.

Specifically, active in the fiery collective punishment of a civilian population for the death of a life he valued above theirs. Coming from a family that had condemned thousands as reasonable collateral damage in a civil war for their own selfish personal gain, that they tried to reframe as pre-emptive 'self-defense' despite being the source of the violence.

Hi! I immediately apologize for my bad English...

What do you think about Daeron's role in Tumbleton? Many people in fandom accuse him of not stopping the army. As far as I remember, the actions of the soldiers horrified him and he wanted to stop them, but he failed. People often say: he is a prince, he had a dragon, these are his people and his responsibility, he could stop the army

(I thought I answered this already but apparently this ask has been sitting in my drafts for a while.)

Your English is fine. ^^

I see Daeron’s story as being about the horrors of war, and one of the reasons for that is the change in Daeron’s personality. At the beginning, he is described as “the gentlest” of his siblings. By the time of his last moments, he is called “once-gentle”, letting the readers know he is no longer the same boy he used to be. In the original published version of The Princess and the Queen, he's even the one who cries when he hears about his father's death. So he is characterized as an emphatic figure. However, Daeron is clearly a sheltered child being directly exposed to a great deal of unfiltered violence which is bound to affect him in negative ways. He will be changed as a person, becoming more comfortable with violence over time. While I don’t think he lost his gentle nature entirely, it was clearly warped by the war.

When it comes to Tumbleton, Daeron takes part in the 'Field of Fire writ small', but is not said to be involved with any of the other atrocities that occurred:

It was the Field of Fire writ small, Grand Maester Munkun wrote. Tumbleton went up in flame: shops, homes, septs, people, all. Men fell burning from gatehouse and battlements, or stumbled shrieking through the streets like so many living torches. Outside the walls, Prince Daeron swooped down upon Tessarion. Pate of Longleaf was unhorsed and trampled, Ser Garibald Grey pierced by a crossbow bolt, then engulfed by dragonflame. The Two Betrayers scourged the town with whips of flame from one end to the other.

— Fire & Blood, The Dying of the Dragons

The sack that followed was as savage as any in the history of Westeros. Tumbleton, that prosperous market town, was reduced to ash and embers. Thousands burned, and as many died by drowning as they tried to swim the river. Some would later say they were the fortunate ones, for no mercy was shown the survivors. Lord Footly’s men threw down their swords and yielded, only to be bound and beheaded. Such townswomen as survived the fires were raped repeatedly, even girls as young as eight and ten. Old men and boys were put to the sword, whilst the dragons fed upon the twisted, smoking carcasses of their victims. Tumbleton was never to recover; though later Footlys would attempt to rebuild atop the ruins, their “new town” would never be a tenth the size of the old, for the smallfolk said the very ground was haunted.

— Fire & Blood, The Dying of the Dragons

The horrors of those days cannot be gainsaid. Seldom has any town or city in the history of the Seven Kingdoms been subject to as long or as cruel or as savage a sack as Tumbleton after the Treasons. Without a strong lord to restrain them, even good men can turn to beasts. So was it here. Bands of soldiers wandered drunkenly through the streets robbing every home and shop, and slaying any man who tried to stay their hands. Every woman was fair prey for their lust, even crones and little girls. Wealthy men were tortured unto death to force them to reveal where they had hidden their gold and gems. Babes were torn from their mothers’ arms and impaled upon the points of spears. Holy septas were chased naked through the streets and raped, not by one man but by a hundred; silent sisters were violated. Even the dead were not spared. Instead of being given honorable burial, their corpses were left to rot, fodder for carrion crows and wild dogs. Septon Eustace and Grand Maester Munkun both assert that Prince Daeron was sickened by all he saw and commanded Ser Hobert Hightower to put a stop to it, but Hightower’s efforts proved as ineffectual as the man himself.

— Fire & Blood, The Dying of the Dragons

Two important things to note here: (1) Based on how Daeron's actions are depicted, he appears okay with raining fire down upon any enemies, but opposed to taking the violence any further. (2) He hands over authority to other men rather than solving the problem himself.

I think a pre-war Daeron would not have been okay with even burning people but the exposure to the battlefield made him much more comfortable with violence.

Part of the reason why the war situation grew so dire is because Daeron obviously failed to put a stop to the horror occurring at Tumbleton:

A different sort of chaos reigned in Tumbleton, sixty leagues to the southwest. Whilst King’s Landing quailed in terror, the foes they feared had yet to advance a foot toward the city, for King Aegon’s loyalists found themselves leaderless, beset by division, conflict, and doubt. Ormund Hightower lay dead, along with his cousin Ser Bryndon, the foremost knight of Oldtown. His sons remained back at the Hightower a thousand leagues away, and were green boys besides. And whilst Lord Ormund had dubbed Daeron Targaryen “Daeron the Daring” and praised his courage in battle, the prince was still a boy. The youngest of Queen Alicent’s sons, he had grown up in the shadow of his elder brothers, and was more used to following commands than giving them.

— Fire & Blood, The Dying of the Dragons

Being the youngest in his family (he has older siblings and nephews all ahead of him in the line of succession), means he would've been taught to follow orders from a young age. Daeron's role in the war was primarily serving as a scout in his uncle's army. At no point has Daeron ever been in charge of anything. So someone like Daeron suddenly finding himself in a leadership position out of the blue is not going to be very successful. When it comes to stopping the sack of Tumbleton, Daeron didn’t even attempt to do that himself. Instead, he went to one of his uncles, to get him to put a stop to it.

There's also the fact that the two people leading the sack had much larger dragons, and Daeron would've been acutely aware of this:

The Two Betrayers felt the need of a king as well…but Daeron Targaryen was not the king they wanted. “We need a strong man to lead us, not a boy,” declared Hard Hugh Hammer. “The throne should be mine.” When Bold Jon Roxton demanded to know by what right he presumed to name himself a king, Lord Hammer answered, “The same right as the Conqueror. A dragon.” And truly, with Vhagar dead at last, the oldest and largest living dragon in all Westeros was Vermithor, once the mount of the Old King, now that of Hard Hugh the bastard. Vermithor was thrice the size of Prince Daeron’s she-dragon Tessarion. No man who glimpsed them together could fail to see that Vermithor was a far more fearsome beast.

— Fire & Blood, The Dying of the Dragons

I think there is something to be said about Daeron, as a member of the ruling family, holding a responsibility to protect the people. Someone else in his position probably would've made a greater effort to oppose what was happening at Tumbleton. But considering Daeron's upbringing, he is not really acclimated to ordering around large armies of men. Even at Bitterbridge, Daeron only came to the forefront after his uncle permitted him to do so.

Just look at what happens when Daeron & the Caltrops decide to finally rid themselves of the dragonseeds:

Lord Unwin Peake and a somewhat reluctant Hobert Hightower summoned eleven other lords and landed knights to a secret council in the cellar of a Tumbleton inn, to discuss what might be done to curb the arrogance of the baseborn dragonriders. [...] Though Prince Daeron was not present at the council, the Caltrops (as the conspirators became known) were loath to proceed without his consent and blessing. Owen Fossoway, Lord of Cider Hall, was dispatched under cover of darkness to wake the prince and bring him to the cellar, that the plotters might inform him of their plans. Nor did the once-gentle prince hesitate when Lord Unwin Peake presented him with warrants for the execution of Hard Hugh Hammer and Ulf White, but eagerly affixed his seal.

— Fire & Blood, The Dying of the Dragons

Note how the other lords do all the planning themselves, and when they finally invite Daeron, it's only to get royal authority from the Prince so they can proceed with their actions in a legally justifiable manner. Unlike his two older brothers who would've absolutely made their voices heard at that council, Daeron just listens and follows orders.

I definitely don't agree with the people who claim Daeron is some malicious individual who reveled in the carnage at Tumbleton. Something like that doesn't fit the type of soft personality he has. At the same time, it's because of his personality that he would be unable to take charge in the midst of a war, and therefore prove inadequate in stopping the multitude of war crimes taking place.

[silmarillaure]

Don't pit THE MEN of House Targaryen against each other!!!

Aenar is SMART FOR LISTENING TO HIS DAUGHTER

Aegon I is...

Aenys TRIED

Maegor is...

Aegon the Uncrowned MARRIED A LESBIAN ICON & IS AEREA'S FATHER

Jaehaerys I is...

Aemon the Pale Prince is THE MOST BEAUTIFUL TARG MAN

Baelon is HUBBY MATIRIAL

Vaegon is A NERDY ACE ICON

V*serys I is...

D@emon is...

Aegon II is...

Aemond is...

Daeron the Daring is A WAR CRIMINAL WHO GET'S A PASS FOR BEING A MINOR

Aegon III DESERVED BETTER!!!

Viserys II is...

Daeron I is...

Baelor I is...

@*g0n !V is...

Aemon the Dragonknight is THE FATHER DAERON II DESERVED

Daeron II is THE BEST KING OF WESTEROS

Baelor Breakspear is THE BEST TARGARYEN MAN EVER

Aerys I is AN AROACE BOOKISH KING

Rhaegel is A DANCER WHO HATES CLOTHES

Maekar is AEGON V'S FATHER

Daeron the Drunken is...

Aerion is...

Maester Aemon is FLAWLESS

Aegon V is THE MOST ICONIC MALE TARG

Duncan LOVES HIS WIFE

Jaehaerys II is...

Daeron the Gay MARRIED HIS BF FOR LOVE

Aerys II is...

Rhaegar is...

Viserys III is...

[nrilliree]

I wonder why exactly people call Daeron the only good, responsible, worthy or whatever child of Alicent? Just…why?

Daeron, after Aemond, is the main war criminal of the Dance. He burned Bitterbridge, killed the townpeople, and those who survived the fire were finished off by soldiers or drowned. He ordered the murder of the entire city for the death of his nephew, instead of convicting the guilty. Even Daemon, considered the greatest villain by TG, didn't do such things.

Under his mediocre command, Tumbleton was plundered. "Seldom has any town or city in the history of the Seven Kingdoms been subject to as long or as cruel or as savage a sack as Tumbleton after the Treasons."("W całej historii Siedmiu Królestw rzadko się zdarzało, by jakieś miasto albo miasteczko splądrowano równie brutalnie, jak Tumbleton po Zdradach. ") He didn't stop his men from doing this, because either he didn't care or these people didn't care about him and his orders.

Just…why?

[alicentflorent]

why did you become anti rhaenicent? I remember you used to reblog gifs and posts about them not too long ago. No hate I'm just curious since you've been posting anti rhaenicent stuff lately

It wasn't until after season two started airing. First, the fact that the writers wrote them meeting in the sept while ignoring the pain and loss they both went through at the hands of each other's loved ones. It felt like queerbaiting, because rhaenicent will never happen and while the childhood romance is implied they resented each other for a long time. That scene could have been written to show to mothers grieving the loss of their innocent children, let them be vulnerable with each other but also let them hate each other and hate themselves over the fact they feel anything for each other that isn't just hatred.

What really ruined rhaenicent for me though was the dragonstone scene. We watched alicent get "punished" all season, constantly humiliated, her sex life being tied to her grandsons murder, not being respected by anyone because she chose her children over Rhaenyra. Then of course the only way she can redeem herself is to sacrifice her sons and she isn't just giving up on her rapist and war criminal sons but Daeron too, and her lover, her brother, her father basically everyone she loves aside from her daughter who might be spared. Alicent is the one who has to become humbled who has to listen to Rhaenyra insulting her without saying anything back, without even bringing up her murdered grandson killed by Daemon, who Rhaenyra brings back into the fold. Alicent reverted back to her teenage self and has to put Rhaenyra before everyone else but no one would ever expect Rhaenyra to give anything up for Alicent. Imagine the outrage if Rhaenyra had offered to give Aegon the throne to make peace with Alicent over Aemond's maiming? After Alicent treated her like shit for years? The fandom would absolutely lose it.

It boils down to hate it when one half of a ship even if I ship it is put down in favour of the other half of the ship. One half of the ship needs to humble themselves and jump through hoops to prove their worthiness to the other half of the ship. I hate that trope especially when it is a woman or poc or anyone with less power that has to prove their worthiness.

I enjoyed young rhaenicent, the childhood lovers who are fated to be enemies and the AU fics where Alicent isn't married to Rhaenyra's father against her will but right now after Alicent's treatment I'm struggling to engage with this ship in any capacity.

[echos-muses]

we should talk about alicent some more.

y’know, just a bunch of hateful shit. alicent is just purely lucky her children look valyrian. if she had “plain-featured” children, she would have the same rumors said about her.

let’s move to aegon, shall we?

i think this speaks for itself.

let’s also take a look at aemond in the next reblog so i can show you all the screenshots of the book.

Even the timeline of Harwin Strong's death was changed to benefit Rhaenyra and team black in the TV show... In book-canon Harwin is alive at the time of LAENOR's death, he's at the funeral, he is there when his biological children maim their uncle. Funny enough, book!Aemond does not use the word 'bastard' he does not call Jacaerys 'Lord Strong', they are fighting and it's not even because Aemond 'stole' Vhagar but because while 'stealing' Vhagar he pushed Joffrey in dragon's dunk, and Jacaerys and Lucerys show up to BEAT him with their training swords, and Jace deliberately, knowing who was there, brought with him his knife, during the fight, three to one, Aemond call them 'Strong', and this is it. Harwin was there when this all come to light, can you imagine this in the show? Harwin by Rhaenyra's side, their bastards around them, and everyone else looking at them, taking note of how much the boys look like their mother's sworn protector...out of all that happens, from the whole ordeal, Viserys only real attitude is to dismiss Harwin from his daughter's service and send him back to Harrenhall...in the books Daemon, Viserys, Corlys and Lary's are all rumored to be the supposed responsible for the fires that kills Lyonel and Harwin, but in the show, somehow, it is Alicent who unwittingly order the arson?? Really?? Daemon would be more believable honestly, more in character...

[icarusignite]

Master Post

˚₊�� ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Hey, Ace here, hope you have a good time on my page!

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ (she/her), Ravenclaw, INTJ, fanfic writer of many fandoms, self-taught artist, kpop/anime enthusiast, feminist, procrastinator extraordinaire.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Tiktok/wattpad/AO3/instagram: ace_asterisk

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ AO3 | Wattpad | Carrd

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Join the taglist

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Fandoms I write for

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ All completed series and longer stories are uploaded fully on wp/ao3. Oneshots are Tumblr/AO3 exclusive.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ for writing updates: @icarusignite-fics

(all fics are reblogged onto there)

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ DMs and asks are always open! Drop by and chat <3

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Requests: OPEN

House of the Dragon

Series

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ An Eye for an Eye Masterlist (Aemond Targaryen x OC)

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Before the Sky Falls Masterlist (Aemond Targaryen x OC)

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ For Whom the Bell Tolls | HOTD World War 2 AU

(Soldier! Aemond Targaryen x Nurse! Reader)

Oneshots

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ I hate you I love you (Cregan Stark x Fem! Reader)

The five times you told Cregan Stark you hated him, and the one time you actually meant it.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ I want to fly with you on dragonback (and eat only cake) (Alicent x Rhaenyra)

Basically the title. Rhaenyra finally gets to take Alicent on that dragon ride and eat cake....and maybe kiss the girl she loves.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Like an old melody, my heart resumes (Daeron x Fem! Reader)

Parts: 1 / 2  / 3

After years apart and with several misunderstandings between them, you meet Prince Daeron at what is meant to be his betrothal feast. When secrets and unspoken desires come to light, you and Daeron are faced with a choice: to let go of the past and embrace a love that has always burned between them or allow your tumultuous history to keep you apart.

The Last Kingdom

Oneshots

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ The only heaven I'll be sent to is when I'm alone with you

(King Alfred x POC! Fem! Reader)

Parts: 1 / 2

You are a prominent scholar from Baghdad, visiting Wessex to learn more about English culture and try to help its ailing monarch with your medical expertise. However, conflict arises when you find yourself falling for the Catholic king, knowing he cannot give you what you deserve.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Valhalla Bound  (Finan x GN! Reader)

During the ransacking of Rumcofa, you save Osferth thus exchanging his fate for yours. aka you die and Finan's reaction to that

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Night Terrors (Sihtric x GN! Reader) 

Sihtric has a nightmare, and he accidentally snaps at you. What comes after is the most awkward confession of his life and you are oblivious af.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Praying's just a poor man's way of begging 

(Sihtric x Fem! Reader) 

You are Earl Ragnar's youngest daughter and the boy you've spent many pleasant afternoons with as a child was none other than Sihtric Kjartansson. Reunited after years apart, will the two of you be able to face the truth of your feelings or will it all end in heartache?

In this labyrinth of time, our souls entwined

(Modern AU Finan x Fem! Reader)

Finan and his friends witness a bar fight during their night out and Finan feels a magnetic connection to the hero of the fight. This can be read on its own but it can also be seen as a continuation of my earlier fic Valhalla Bound where you died and now your reincarnation meets Finan's in another world and that's why you seem so familiar.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Go ahead and cry, little girl (Aethelstan x Fem! Reader)

You are Sihtric’s daughter from his first wife. Your mother dies after he leaves her for his current wife and you blame him for his death. Aethelstan is yoiur dearest childhood friend.

Ateez

Series

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Danse Macabre Masterlist (Jeong Yunho x OC)

Oneshots

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Pirate Ateez Masterlist

Percy Jackson & the Olympians

Oneshots

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ I don't want your sympathy (i just want myself back)

(Luke Castellan x GN! Child of Hypnos Reader)

Terribly injured after returning from his quest to the Garden of Hesperides, Luke Castellan turns to the only person who can help him sleep.

Criminal Minds

Oneshots

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Steady Your Heart in Mine (Spencer Reid x GN! Reader)

Exam season brings you a lot of stress and Spencer Reid is there to walk you through it. Established relationship, descriptions of anxiety and panic attacks.

Lockwood & Co.

Oneshots

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ I thought I dreamed her (Lucy x Lockkwood)

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ I love you forever, I'm not a dreamer (Lucy x Lockwood)

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes:

Series

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ These Violent Delights Masterlist