#i actually think harwin dying was a huge influence for rhaenyra jumping to marry daemon so soon. she got used to that love and support

[allyriadayne]

what do you think would have happend if harwin was still alive when daemon came back into the picture?

the same.

the problem here is not harwin, it's laenor. laenor is the one who is legally married to rhaenyra and the one who has not done the necessary work to protect & support her. harwin can only do this behind close doors if he doesn't want to endanger the children.

the thing about harwin and rhaenyra's relationship is that it's based on mutual attraction and love for their children, but it's not a real one nor there's any kind of future for them. we see in ep 6 that harwin is willing (more or less) to leave king's landing to help protect his family. he can't keep endangering the children's claim with his presence and casting doubts on their paternity, he must leave for everyone's good, esp after his fight with criston cole. lyonel was right! it's time to go! when he entered into that relationship he must have known he could never be anything more than rhaenyra and the children's guard and i think harwin being so selfless would've give it all up if rhaenyra ever asked.

if, let's say, driftmark happens as it does because laena velaryon still dies, and harwin never went to harrenhal (rip lyonel?), i don't think for one second rhaenyra would not have sex with daemon on the beach. harwin might be the baby daddy but she doesn't owe her fidelity to him, she owes it to laenor and /they/ have an arrangement. to me, while rhaenyra loves harwin, he seems to be more of another part of her support system and well......he's not daemon. if he had stayed those ten years, those kids would be 100% his. this is a bit more controversial but rhaenyra has been in love with daemon since she was a child, she wanted to marry him, he's the only person who ever understood her. those feelings never went away.

so they have sex of course and the air clears between them. if the children's fight happens then it's clear to rhaenyra that she needs someone that will support her publicly. as i've said, laenor is not it, and she can never marry harwin for obvious reasons, even if they have a good relationship and he can give her men and a foothold on the riverlands, it will automatically put the succession in trouble (more than it is). it's daemon for her, she's choosing someone who she wants AND can be with her in the open. and i think this is a /huge/ pro for her, it must've been hard for her and harwin to keep it quiet and to never be able to show proper affection for the other.

they kill laenor and they marry. that doesn't change. i see rhaenyra having an honest talk with harwin about this, that much she owes to him at least. love and politics are separated in this world. i see two things that could happen: 1) harwin leaves. he accepts the marriage (because how can't he?) and says goodbye. when the war comes (if larys hasn't killed him....) he's one of the first to support rhaenyra or 2) he stays. he accepts the marriage (bc lbr nothing has actually changed, rhaenyra has always been married) and retains his role as sworn shield to her and the children. he might even form a deeper relationship with them bc dragonstone is theirs. 3) threesome?

so yeah. thanks for the question!