#he knows that his entire little plan would be ruined if rhaenyra and alicent just got half an hour to themselves in a room right now

[rackartyg]

[alicent approaches rhaenyra with friendly intentions]

[immediate shot of otto looking worried]

[darkpoisonouslove]

HotD S02E04

I watched this at 6 in the morning and I have to say that I'm glad I took the risk of ruining my entire day because I loved this episode. It flew by so fast and had me chanting the dragons' names several times. That is not to say that some things weren't questionable or just plain irritating despite actually making sense so lets review:

Daemon was tripping so. hard. These hallucinations are fucking him up real bad and I love it. He's sososososo pathetic. The fucking nerve to just go "Hey, won't you kill your grandfather? It would really help me out." Have fun losing your mind, asshole!

So Alyn and his brother are Corlys' bastards. Corlys gets so little screen time, especially in this second season, and he's still so hateable. At least Otto is funny and a great politician. What does Corlys have? A stubborn refusal to acknowledge his granddaughters despite his wife being denied her inheritance? Anyway, he should have been the one to die instead of Rhaenys.

Alicent, bestie, what the fuck? Not her going around and trying to assuage her guilt by still clinging to the delusion that Viserys might have wanted Aegon to be king. What even is this behavior at this point? Her grandson's death should have confirmed what Otto told her so many years ago - that Rhaenyra pursuing her claim to the throne would kill her children in one way or another. We should be past this by now, my god!

The disrespect to Baela is so unreal. I love that she snapped back. "We StIlL kNoW vErY lItTlE" And without Baela you'd know fucking nothing! The fact that even Rhaenys has to deal with this bullshit and Corlys had to come in after her for everyone to remember their place is just an insult.

Criston haters must be so mad at how he's succeeding despite everyone thinking the odds are against him.

Larys not giving a fuck about Harrenhal is so funny. If he thinks it's useless to them outside of the possibility of it driving Daemon mad, then you know it really is. (I am curious about Larys' feelings on Alys, however.) And the way he bragged about controlling all the finances of Harrenhal. He really drained it and the whole situation back in 1x06 to the fullest, got everything he could and then left the castle and everyone in it to rot.

Aegon at that Small Council meeting, the poor soul! No one gives a shit about him, only enough so to steer him away from messing up their plans. And his brother bullying him back (deservedly so tbh) but I have big question marks about that part. Why would Aegon not know how to speak High Valyrian? This doesn't make sense considering how they later show him being so close and affectionate with Sunfyre. High Valyrian is the only way to control the dragons. Unless Aegon and Sunfyre's bond is so strong that he doesn't even need words to direct his dragon, which is actually such a great implication that I could relinquish my anger about this choice otherwise. For the umpteenth time the writers make choices to make Aegon look bad but the implications just decimate the effect.

Alicent has certainly grown less bothered by Larys or at least learned to hide it better. To be fair it seemed like he'd lost interest in her lately but at the same time, she has been evading him pretty successfully for the last few episodes. Not to the point where he doesn't know everything that's been going on with her but at least enough so that she hasn't had to deal with him. And this conversation was more a veiled communication of the truths they've uncovered rather than her depending on him. I am enthralled with how their dynamic evolves and hope we see a lot more from it. He did run to her first chance he had, though I find it interesting that this conversation is only happening now with Criston out of the way. Alicent's relationship with him is certainly reflecting on the dynamic she has with Larys, much to his chagrin, I'm sure. His behavior towards Alicent is fascinating. He was certainly attacking her, digging into every weakness he noticed, and yet, he validated her "indulgence" and seemed pleased with the conclusions she's reached. It's so obvious he wants to wrest her from her faith and conscience because he identifies with the woman he believes she would be without them. And for the purpose of accomplishing that he's not moving in to decimate her relationship with Criston (tbh they're doing that well enough on their own). He said "It's important that she has sex. Doesn't have to be with me. It just needs to happen to draw her away from clinging to her morals." His obsession with her is so insane and deeply twisted. I can only watch mesmerized. Next they should make him run around trying to fix Alicole, make sure that they're having all the sex. That would be the funniest direction to take this love triangle.

I love how Alys is just toying with Daemon like he's her food. Harrenhal is really not agreeing with him. He is haunted as fuck and it's so funny. Him seeing himself as Aemond especially was 10/10. The implications! Aemond is a kinslayer, who's hurt Rhaenyra the most by taking her child away and the fact that Daemon sees himself as a reflection of that says so much!

Aegon is also having the worst time. The fact that Alicent instantly assumed he's destroyed the books says how much faith she has in his ability to actually consider the consequences of his actions. Unfortunately, I can't defend him because he instantly proved her right about that. However, I believe we're seeing the alternate version of that scene where Alicent found him crying and left play out. This is what would have happened if she'd tried to comfort him back then. She's been angry with him her whole life and it's really been brought to the forefront now when his rash actions have hurt them and she has to face the guilt over her own actions. She's not capable of comforting when she's so angry but while in 2x02 she was looking to avoid hurting him, here she just doesn't care after the realizations of last episode. She's viewing Aegon and his impulsiveness as obstacles (and his temper and recklessness certainly are) but she doesn't care about approaching with care to cultivate the behavior she wants. And I doubt that would work regardless when Aegon has his whole life as proof that whatever he does will never be enough for her but he can't understand the why. He just wants her to love him and he doesn't have all the context of how he - most of all her children - is the embodiment of her pain and suffering. They really are a tragedy and it's heartbreaking. Though, this scene wasn't as bad as I feared. It makes sense for Alicent to act this way despite how frustrating her refusal to deal with her own feelings is. Not to mention the fact that she brought up her own reign with pride and self-confidence. That was more than I could have hoped for!

Jace being so angry with Rhaenyra is the first interesting thing he's ever done but, of course, they refuse to linger more on these feelings and instead give us a bonding moment where Rhaenyra passes down her father's legacy on to Jace. They could have focused a little more on why she waited so long and why he was so angry but I guess we can't have even a little trouble in paradise. I mean, for someone who wasn't sure she believed the prophecy, she sure made it out to be her whole reason to fight for her claim. It's almost like she's in denial about the fact that she's not doing this out of noble intent but because she wants the crown and the vindication of being queen when so many are against it (which doesn't at all mesh with the sense and wisdom they've tried to imbue her with). Her and Alicent are such mirrors when it comes to that.

Rhaenyra wanting to go into battle herself is legit on the same level of bullshit that Aegon is pulling, regardless of motivations. It's almost like she was hoping to get killed so she won't have to bear the consequences of engaging in this war. Again, I know what they intended for this scene to accomplish but it doesn't really do her any favors. If anything, she should have sent more than one dragon to ensure victory. You know Aemond has Vhagar and you're willing to walk into that alone and later send someone else alone? Girl, be serious! It's just bad strategy.

Sunfyre being so playful with Aegon is the cutest thing we've seen on this show. He's like a big puppy. I was, however, literally yelling at Aegon to stop drinking and he did... only to go driving while fucking wasted. What was he thinking? (I know what he was thinking but, god, he's never beating those reckless fool allegations.)

Aegon being grounded both figuratively and literally so fast was just painful to watch. The way that Sunfyre was screaming in pain hurt me personally and Aegon's attitude changed from "I'll show them all. Fuck Aemond in particular!" to "Thank the Seven, my bro is here to bail my ass out of trouble" to "Fuck, I'm cooked!" so swiftly that you know he was regretting probably all of his life choices. He really doesn't use High Valyrian to communicate with Sunfyre, though. The only word in High Valyrian he used was "dracarys". His part in the battle wasn't long but I sure am living for these implications like I said above.

I do hate what they've done with Aemond. If he'd joined sooner, Aegon probably wouldn't have gotten so badly injured. He certainly had it coming but that makes it practically three times Aemond was looking to have him killed in the span of about as many minutes. But the last scene in the woods with his sword drawn? Wow, okay! They decided to really go in full force on that kinslayer title and I just don't think it makes sense. Not after the way Aemond felt guilty even for killing Luke. Aegon bullying him for a minute surely wouldn't have set him off that badly if he felt regret over killing the boy that slashed out his eye. They're just trying to make you hate Aegon by making everyone around him hate him.

Criston scrambling to do PR and fix their image was so funny, though. You know his inner monologue is just "Shit shit fuck shit" but externally he's giving a motivational speech. XD This is what I wanted to see from him being Hand - having to deal with Aegon's whims. While I'd say he failed there, it wasn't like he could do anything once Aegon was on his dragon, and otherwise his plan was pretty good so... Criston keeps winning, I guess.

I love the way that it was shown how Rhaenys is more experienced than both Aegon and Aemond. Vhagar also took some damage in that fight that would have been more fatal if she just wasn't a whole, entire mountain. But at the same time, it wasn't just Vhagar's size that won this for Aemond (though that certainly did most of the heavy lifting). This man rides the largest dragon in the world and he managed to hide it in the midst of battle and ambush his opponent. That certainly took a little strategical thought if nothing else. And then Vhagar's size did all the rest. The boys certainly are not experts in dragon battle and it will be interesting to see them proceed from here on out, see if they've learned anything from this or not. I'm sad to see Rhaenys go so soon. She should have gone back to Dragonstone when she could. Rhaenyra certainly took a big loss with that.

The way I just knew Criston would get knocked out. I was yelling at him to watch where he's going... and he didn't. He survived AND won the battle but at what cost? The way that soldier crumbled to dust under his touch was bloodcurdling. And Criston's prominent worry for Aegon might be the first time it occurred to him that this war could take away the people he loves.

P.S. Why was Aegon wearing his crown on top of his helm? Unless that's another crown that's specifically designed to go with the armor, it shouldn't fit him both with and without the helm.

[shebeafancyflapjack]

Fire and Frost

Shameless Rhaenicent fluff! Happy Christmas / Wintertimes! Rated T for sexual implications but nothing explicit.

Do not be alarmed, I will be back to writing angst and horrific whump soon, was just in the festive mood and wanted my girls to be happy in this other timeline. ^_^

*

She’s shaken roughly from a serene, cosy sleep.

“Alicent! Wake up, you have to see this!” At first the voice takes her back to being awoken by her brother when they were small and he wanted them to sneak into the kitchens for a midnight snack.

Both brought the same reaction which she gives to the princess, grabbing the nearest pillow and hurling it hurling it in their direction, without even opening her eyes.

“It’s not even daybreak yet, go back to sleep.” she mumbles, exhausted from the journey it had taken them to reach this part of the country, and having only arrived six hours, collapsing immediately into the beds provided for them.

The pillow is deflected back onto her.

“There’s a chance it might have gone once the sun is up. Please, my love, just look out the window with me, pleeeease.” 

With the mother of grunts leaving her lips, Alicent pushes herself up to appease her obnoxious companion. She rubs her eyes and turns to the large window of their room in the Eyrie, her sleepy vision clearing to see the white flakes swirling down, covering their large balcony that looked out onto a glorious view of the Vale in all its splendour. 

Rhaenyra, still in her night clothes, is already wrapping a thicker fur coat around herself, her entire body wound up like a toy ready to spring out in chaos.

“Is that truly snow?” Alicent can’t hide the wonder in her voice.

In all her travels to the colder parts of the Realm, with the exception of the North which she’d yet to see any further than White Harbour, she had never seen snow, let alone be but a layer of glass from it.

“It hasn’t snowed on Midwinter’s Day since my mother was seven! And I’ve never seen it this heavy up here whenever we visited.” Rhaenyra roots underneath the bed for a pair of boots; “C’mon, we have to go to the courtyard before my cousins wake up and ruin it.”

“Ruin it by playing, you mean? Because they’re...children?” Alicent squints. And they’re both three-and-twenty.

The princess sits up, rolling her eyes; “I was here first! And we’re the guests! And their future Queens so, as far as I see, that gives us first rights to enjoy it!”

Alicent blushed, as she always did when Rhaenyra brought up their planned ‘future’. She was still set on making the declaration after her coronation, when she weilded more power, to announce that she would be taking no lord to be her husband and king consort. That, instead, it would be another woman at her side. Her childhood companion, the Hand’s daughter.

It all still felt like a fairy tale, a dream of two girls, one that Rhaenyra refused to grow out of realising would never come to pass, and one that Alicent was too lovestruck to tell her otherwise. We’ll deal with that when it comes to pass, she always told herself, though it did little to quell her anxiety.

Right now, however, she is far too captivated by the sheer joy in her love’s eyes to worry about such matters. She doesn’t know how to feel about snow, yet, but she knows above anything else how much she wishes to freeze this moment of happiness for Rhaenyra as long as possible.

Smiling, she gets off the bed and looks for her boots.

Shortly after, they walk through the near-empty hallways of the great castle, arm-in-arm. Rhaenyra’s grandfather, the Lord Arryn, and his second wife are still asleep, as are her other relatives. It feels as though they have the mountain to themselves. The servants bow or cutsy when passing, saying nothing about the crown princess and the Lady Hightower striding down the halls clearly not having been properly dressed, both their hairs unbound and falling free down their shoulders.

“Go on. Step on it.” Rhaenyra encourages Alicent once they’ve reached the courtyard.

Alicent had been satisfied by the sight of the garden, which had been impressive enough the day before, even with many of the flowers having wilted in the colder months, now covered under a blanket of white while further snow continued to fall, so delicate, from the opaline sky. 

Her toes curled at the thought of stepping onto it, even in these boots.

“Won’t I fall through it?” She realises how dumb she sounds once the question is out.

“No, you pretty idiot. It’s like a crunchy pillow, just step onto it like-.”

Alicent let out the smallest scream as Rhaenyra shoved her forward and the next thing she knew she was landing face-first onto the ground. Just as her gods damn brat of a lover had described, her fall was cushioned by the coldest, wettest pillow. A brief shock passed into irritation, so she quickly turned and threw a fist-full of the substance at the princess - well worth the risk of treason.

She spluttered as it hit her mouth, then she continued to laugh; “Oh I don’t think you’re experienced enough to challenge me to a snowball fight yet, sweetling.”

“I am soaked! You’re going to make me catch the Shivers!” Alicent’s anger could not compete with the humor, or how smitten she was with the silver-haired menace.

“Oh please, I’m a dragon and even I can handle snow!” 

She proceeded to prove her point by putting her arms out and falling backward into the pile, landing beside Alicent. Snow sprays her in the fallout, so she gives a soft kick to Rhaenyra’s leg.

“You’re far too jovial on today of all days.” Alicent chastises, playfully.

“What are you talking about?”

“It’s the Stranger’s Day! It’s supposed to be a day of quiet contemplation and being humble, if you have any idea what that word means-.”

“No I don’t.”

“Thought so. There’s little to no official ceremonies on this day,” with the exception of the Silent Sisters who were said to have their own private services; “and few people even mark it, but it’s definitely frowned upon to be giggling and frolocking like this!”

“Your gods frown on all the fun things.” 

She stiffens a bit at that; “They’re your gods too.”

Rhaenyra doesn’t deny that, nor does she really confirm. They’ve had this rather awkward conversation enough times for Alicent to know that religion, one way or another, doesn’t mean all that much to the princess. She might pay lip service to the Seven at the Sept but she knows her heart lies in studying what remains of the gods of Old Valyria, the legends she idolises more than the true gods of noble morals. The only reason that Alicent doesn’t let it come between them is because Rhaenyra has never been anything but supportive of what faith means to her.

“The Faith of the Seven is the only religion in the known world that doesn’t mark the seasons in some way or another.” Because they followed a lunar calander, Alicent doesn’t bother to point out; “I’ve read up on the religions of the east and west, even the fucking Lamb people have seasonal holidays. My mother’s family are devoted to the Seven, but we would always come visit here every winter solstice, and sometimes the summer, to celebrate in a way the south frowned upon.”

Alicent bites her lip. She hadn’t meant to cast any shadows on something as important as a family tradition.

The princess smiles; “Believe me, the farther north you go, the more exciting it gets. They still worship the Old Gods in Winterfell, Father took me there one Midwinter Feast, it was a mad party that lasted past sun-up. Our old Septa would have a heart attack at the ‘jovial’ things they got up too there.”

She had always wondered why the royal family chose to plan their tour around the continent during that particular time of year. 

“You’ll be telling me the Starks, of all families, engage in some sort of depraved heathen orgies with their people.” Alicent japes, rolling over closer to the princess, becoming less bothered by the chill of the ground.

Now Rhaenyra is the one whose eyes glint, thrilled though shocked; “And you accuse me of having a filthy mind. But sadly, if they did have any such practices, my parents made sure I was in bed before being aware of them.”

Velvet gloves grab at Alicent’s waist as the princess tugs her near. It can’t be denied that she feels a lot warmer. She glances down at the woman holding her, silver hair streaming into the snow, the lightest of white dusting her cheeks, which Alicent wipes off with her fingers.

Both following the same instinct, their lips meet, a rush of heat brewing as fingers cling to each others cloaks.

“I would have you take me right here, at the top of the world with the gods themselves.” Rhaenyra whispers to her.

“Down, my princess. Your cousins could walk in and the scandal would have your grandfather exiling you from your own ancestrial home.” Alicent warns, nose tips rubbing.

A spoiled ‘hmpff’ is her reply, along with a pout that just makes Alicent want to taste that lip again.

Later that night, after one of the biggest feasts she had ever attended, while still feeling cosy and intimate among the Arryn side of Rhaenyra’s family, the two of them curl by the fireplace in the guest chambers. They’ve both missed the sofa, Rhaenyra sat on the bear-skin rug with Alicent laid across her lap, struggling to keep her eyes open.

“I did warn you about the food.” The princess teases, rubbing at her companion’s stomach.

“Ugh, I wasn’t aware it was possible to consume so much gravy. I’ll never eat again.” Alicent moans, curling into her. “When I get back to the capital, if Father complains about my weight gain, I’m blaming you.”

“Mmm, let him grumble. I’d desire you if you were as large as the Toad Queen of Dorne.”

“I’ll hold you to that.” Alicent pokes her, preening as Rhaenyra’s fingers run through her hair. “You also forgot to mention the gifts. I felt so foolish, just sitting there!”

Rhaenyra tuts; “You don’t know my mother’s family, stupid, they don’t expect anything from you, they didn’t even know who I was bringing!” It had been a rather last minute decision when the King and Queen had been unable to attend due to Viserys’ poor health.

Sighing, Alicent makes the impossible struggle to sit up, battling against the rocks weighing down her gut. 

“I would have had a gift for you!” She frowns before looking down at the necklance that now hung around her neck. She reaches to lovingly touch it again.

A perfectly cut emerald in the shape of a dragon, attached to a Valyrian steel chain. The way that Rhaenyra had knelt down to hand the beautifully wrapped box to her had almost felt like a proposal, chaste and pure as it may have appeared to their hosts.

Rhaenyra’s fingers reach to curl around hers.

“I may have resisted the urge to tell you so it would be more of a surprise.”

“Sneak.” Alicent mutters before kissing her knuckles.

“You don’t need to give me anything, my love.” Rhaenyra lowers her voice, leaning in; “The promise you swore to be my true consort, no matter what comes, is the greatest gift I’ve ever received.”

“More than Syrax’ egg in your crib when you were born?”

“Fine, second best.” 

Alicent knows that nothing comes before a dragon when it comes to these Targaryens. If it were any other beast, she might take offense, but that big, pampered lizard had managed to steal Alicent’s heart as much as her rider had.

Beside the glow of the flames, she kisses Rhaenyra again, the princess moving her hand around to cup the back of her head.

“There is one gift I know I can give you tonight.” She murmurs, nuzzling her; “I may not be as full from dinner as I thought.”

Rhaenyra giggles; “Alicent Hightower. By the gods, I’ll make a depraved heathen of you yet.”