#i like the post where is alicent with viserys in the second part of the quote but i also think alicent is the angry man...

[corporalicent]

Catherine Lacey, Cut

[ewanmitchelll]

Imagine you can fix him. No, really, you can.

Warnings: drama, angst and (explicit) smut; long post; some canon divergence…

***

You’ve been raised at court as part of Princess Helaena’s retinue. Due to your noble status, this isn’t different any other lady of your station might’ve expected.

You have grown close to the princess, and the two of you are very good friends—more like sisters, truthfully. Due to your similar nature, both of you found yourselves reading, sewing and dancing when possible.

But as you grew, you eventually found another companion to spend your time at court with. The second wayward son of King Viserys, Lord Aemond.

Here’s how all it began…

***

• (I) Broken infancy.

Right after the mess where the Queen confronted her stepdaughter about what had happened between Rhaenyra’s offspring and Aemond, you opt to go after him.

It’s dark. It’s late and you should be elsewhere, but you pay little mind to these rules. You find Aemond outdoors, sitting in the stairs as if he’s contemplating quietly the price paid for losing an eye.

You think you hear a sniff, but you’re not sure. You wait until silence is absolute before making yourself announced.

“L-Lord Prince.”

Aemond turns abruptly, completely out of guard. He hates the vulnerability, but before he can come out with a snark response, you step forward and say:

“I do not mean to intrude. But… may I offer you company?”

The boy looks at you with distrust.

“What are your business here, Lady Y/LN? You should be with my sister.”

“I was worried about you…”

“I don’t need your pity”, and saying so he spits out.

“You don’t”, you agree calmly even if you’re shaken inside. “But everyone needs a friend.”

There is a small pause where you anxiously wait for him to give you some space. Eventually he does since there’s no one around.

“Well. Helaena doesn’t like many people, but here you are, the only one she actually spends time with”, mumbles Aemond.

You smile before taking a seat by his side.

“It appears so.”

Neither of you speak for a while. You know Aemond is still getting used to your company, so you speak nothing.

“I’m sorry”, you tell him.

The prince casts a look at this y/c haired lady of the house y/c dressed in the manner of the Hightower. Despite the remaining distrust in his eyes, you know he reads you.

What a process to forge a bond, and yet here you are.

“For what? You did nothing wrong.”

“No. But I lament for the loss you went through.”

“Well…”, and here he inclines his head towards the great shadow flying over the dark skies. “It was worth the dragon I reclaimed.”

“Like every Targaryen before you.”

Something about you said seems to knock his defenses down. However this isn’t something Aemond is prepared to admit. Yet.

***

• (II) Darkness & Light.

Aemond keeps an eye on you as much as you keep an eye on him. You’ve grown to a handsome woman, wearing gowns that reinforce your curves even though nothing in your actions deem other than innocence.

You and Helaena are almost twins. Could be so had you been birthed by Queen Alicent. Perhaps this is why Aegon looks down on you as much as he does to his sister-wife.

But the wayward, gloomy Prince, who at times opts to find his path towards his… whore, cannot divert away of you.

In fact, he is rather surprised to see you gravitating towards him just as he leaves the room.

“Y/N”, Aemond whispers your name, hands behind his back, not turning his head to welcome you… and because he hopes you don’t spot a slight, timid smirk that forms on his lips due to your presence.

“My dear Aem. Going to practice with Ser Criston again?”

You purposely link your arm to his, nudging his side playfully to tease him the way you know he doesn’t like.

But the prince can’t get rid of you, can he?

“Like always.”

“May I watch it?”

“If you want to.”

Aemond knows silence is not your best trait, something that he, in fact, appreciates.

“I’ve noticed you’ve been out of my sight again”, you muse, eyeing him closely.

He avoids your gaze, aware of what you talk about. But why does he feel a hint of shame knock his pride?

“Hum”, it’s all he says.

You sigh heavily. By how you breathe heavily, Aemond knows you are about to lose your temper.

“Don’t “hum” at me, Aemond Targaryen. You’ve been whoring again, haven’t you?”

To your surprise, he stops abruptly, turning at you in such a way that makes you blush. Aemond reads you, him too baffled when discovering you might actually have feelings for him.

How else would you feel so possessive towards me, Y/Nickname?

Today, your hair is tied in two perfectly braids. They are long enough to fall over your waist, Aemond notices. Your eyes are livid, he can tell the amount of repressed feelings that are behind the colour that paints them—and he is intrigued to know what these are.

You are chewing your bottom lip, a sign of nervousness—he never took you for an insecure person.

Are you afraid of losing me?

And then there’s something about the gown, green like always, that makes him want to rip it. He can tell your breasts are tied… and he wants to release the pressure this gown is making on them. Suddenly, comes to his mind a scene where he is sucking your nipples, rubbing one with his thumb all the whilst using his tongue to play with the other.

Perhaps you’d like that, Y/N. To be treated well. Perhaps you’d be a better replacement than my whore.

Indecent thoughts that he cannot sweep off his mind, but that his mind plays a good effort to it because you are a good precious damsel who doesn’t serve to be part of his dark, sinful self.

And yet… what he sees in you is the light that blinds him. Another sight he cannot lose. So he does what’s best of him to do: push people away.

“How does this concern you, Lady Y/N? You’ve been a good friend, but you are nothing more to me.”

Words that shouldn’t have come out this way. But they do. When seeing the hurt in your eyes, Aemond knows the weight of his lies. Suddenly, he realizes he wishes he could be saved.

And you, as his savior, have been pushed away.

“I am not quitting on you”, you wear your prideful mask, which intrigues him. “Still going to watch your practice though. Besides, I was only asking… because of your mother.”

Aemond cannot amend the awkwardness, but his mind screams at him for not bothering in doing so.

“I know.”

So he turns his back on you. And to his consternation, you stay.

*

Whilst Aemond practices with his sword, you shut yourself in your world. Your eyes are carefully down whenever a courtier passes by—you detest to get the male attention, not when you wish for more on Aemond’s part.

But you little foolish thing, he doesn’t want you. The prince sees you as a friend, is all. An extension of Helaena.

You struggle with your tears as this thought occurs you, but perhaps this isn’t so bad, is it? Duty often sacrifices sentiments. Perhaps you should tell your sister, Queen to be, that you are ready to marry and then… stay away of him for good.

But the courage in this decision soon dissipates the moment you raise your eyes and find Aemond staring at you.

And you know you’ve been trapped.

***

• (III) Scars.

You are about to slip under your blankets when the door of your bedchambers are abruptly opened. You are frightened when hearing the sound due to your exposed state: your line nightgown poorly covers your nipples and you still have no time to throw robes to cover yourself when he stands before you.

Distressed, anguished. In who he really is. In one broken state you’ve only seen once.

You forget yourself when you run to hold Aemond Targaryen in your arms.

“My love”, you whisper, letting him sob. “My prince”.

You pull him to yourself, the only one Aemond trusts with his being. The only one he knows he can be himself, with his scars and open vices. He clings onto you, he digs his fingers onto your waist, letting him be guided to your bed before burying his head against your belly.

You can only imagine what had struck him like this. A feast of demons over his head, each fighting for his flesh. And yet you are here, battling against them.

When he finally stops sobbing, he looks up at him. You’ve never seen him so fragile, so famine for affection. And here you are. Providing what he needs.

“Tell me all”, you whisper.

“I do not want to. You’ll find a monster in me”, and yet he holds onto your hips, fearful you’d let go of him.

“You are not a monster, Aemond. You may have some vices, but you are a human being like anyone else”, you tell him gently. “Come here.”

Aemond obeys you, sitting in front of you.

“Let me tend you”, you whisper. “I’ll prepare your bath.”

“Y/Nickname…”, he holds your wrist firmly.

“I won’t leave you. I won’t abandon you”, you assure him. “Do you trust in me?”

Aemond nods his head.

“My boy, then let me bath you. Besides”, and here you dress your best smile. “You smell like old dragon.”

Finally something that pulls out a smile of him. As he sits there, you are quick to fetch servants to prepare him a good bath. When you go back at him, Aemond gives you that intense look which gives you shivers.

And wets you in between your legs too.

But this isn’t the moment nor the time.

“Come. It’s ready.”

You lean against the wall of the privy quarters as Aemond starts to undress. Even though he is damaged for what he’s done, he likes to feel the weight of your gaze on him. And he smirks when he stands nude before you.

“I don’t think you’ve seen me like this”, he muses.

You don’t look away when he says so. Aemond feels a heat growing inside him.

“No, I don’t. Not physically anyway”, you point out.

“Don’t look away”, he asks.

You dare to scan his body with your discreet gaze, eyeing his well build muscles, attentive to his scars and… his manhood, which is now erected. And quickly you look away, blushing, as he chuckles.

“You’ve never seen one up before, my lady?”, he asks, sliding into the tub.

You gently knee behind him and get to rub his back with a sponge.

“Do not take me to your whore, Aemond”, you snap at him.

The prince smiles at it. He lets you clean him before he dives into the water. When coming back to the surface, the prince is disappointed for not seeing you there.

A moment later, though, when he’s dressed in clean clothes, says Aemond with a subtle accusation tone:

“You left me there for one moment…”

“You surely can handle yourself as you finished you bath. I am only your friend, wasn’t that what you called me?”

Aemond sighs.

“Y/Nickname, I shouldn’t have said that.”

He comes at you and rests his arms around your waist, his chin on your shoulder. When you side look at him, you spot that old fragility rarely seen.

It’s what melts you down.

“Very well. Come here. Let me tend you”, and now back to your bed, you and him lace your fingers together, his head in between your breasts. “What did you do, Aemond?”

You stroke his hair with your loose hand, aware that he’d done something bad. But where others see him ruthless, you see a broken boy trying to find his worth in this misadjusted world.

“I…”, his embargoed voice has your attention.

“Yes?”, you lift his chin, now cupping his face; removing his eyepatch, you gently force him to look at you.

And here comes a tear.

“I killed him. But I didn’t mean to.”

“Who?”

But you know the answer.

“…Lucerys.”

Old wounds that never close… bleed endlessly. You sigh heavily, but rest your forehead against his.

“You shouldn’t have done that, my dear”, you speak softly.

“I understand.”

“But I won’t abandon you, you know that, do you?”, you hope to transmit him that, regardless of this sinful secret he shared with you, together you two are stronger.

“You are the only one who knows my weakness”, he buries his head against your neck, needy of you, weak and feeble. Fragile. “Do not dare to leave me.”

“You have always been sacred to me to be profaned now, Aemond”, you whisper.

He leans his body close to yours, transfixed by your irradiating beauty… and your unending loyalty.

The prince touches your face and you tilt your head, letting his slander fingers brush over your face and then going down to your neck. You partly wish that he goes below… a perception he sees evident in your eyes.

Aemond knows he’s as vulnerable as you. And yet his hand moves to your collarbone, unlacing your nightgown.

“So beautiful. You look as if I can be redeemed.”

“You can”, you lean closer, not minding how purposely your breasts slip out of the line. Your eyes remain locked with his all the whilst you take his face with your hands. “You can be redeemed.”

Aemond waits no further: his dragon fire awakes and he is about to burn you. You welcome his hungry lips thus, sighing in content as he crawls over your body, ripping impatiently your gown, promptly reclaiming you the same way he did Vhagar.

You subdue easily to him, letting him have his way to you. That his lips make his kiss ache every part of you gets a moan out of you, which in turn makes Aemond smirk.

You are mine and mine alone. I possess you, I take you as who you are, my lady Y/N.

Such are his thoughts, which you need naught to have the ability to read them; for they are readable in his tight grip of you, in how his tongue dominates yours along with his body.

Trapped under his dominance, you are found breathless and a puddle of mess when he parts the kiss to let slid his tongue over your jawline and neck, his fingers now pulling your hair gently, tangled in your curls.

Then he stops what he’s doing to contemplate your state under candlelight. And here he smirks.

“Divine you are, my lady. How can a man like me be worthy of a woman like you?”

You sensually lift your legs to pull him by his hips as you adjust your body so his can mould better in it. You like the lust in his eyes, one of the kind that doesn’t conceal his vices nor his virtues… one that shows his genuine feelings to you.

“You deserve all the love in the world, my dear Aemond. Let me heal you”, you stroke his cheeks, smiling gently.

“A flower soon to be deflowered by a rogue”, he sneers under his breath, but there’s no despise in his eyes, only the same old scars.

“I am your woman”, you tell him, and he’s surprised to find in you the same possessiveness there is in him. “I am not any flower, though.”

Aemond smirks. Whatever insecurities laid behind his good eye, now they are no more.

“You shall be more than that, darling”, he brushes his lips against yours, biting your bottom lip not long after. “My consort, mother of my heirs.”

As if to assure you he means every word, he not only kisses your neck and gets a few moans out of you, but leaves some bruises there. You’ve been marked.

Aemond, however, cannot take out of his thought the idea of corrupting you. Though it flings him with some guilt, the way your legs are wrapped around him, your bodies so perfectly moulded that leaves no doubt that it is hardly sinful what’s to be done.

You may spot some of it, so to assure him there’s no question of the legitimacy of the deed, you put yourself under him properly so he looks down at you… and yet your hand takes hold of his erect manhood.

“Y/N!”, he gasps in surprise.

You give him a malicious smirk at the same time there is nothing to encounter in your gaze that is not innocence itself. Inexperience you may be, but you have ears that long heard of maids doing so with their partners.

But to feel his cock responding well to your moves is a positive indicator that you are doing it well.

“My lady!”, he wants to stop you, but fuck it it’s so damn good. Aemond rolls his eye, almost falling over you. “You should not…”

“I want you”, you whisper in the back of his ear as you caress his face and hair with your free hand. “Carnally, emotionally, all that is between. I want my prince Aemond Targaryen the way he really is.”

It’s enough to wipe out any reasonable thought he may have in regarding preserving you of such naughtiness. Aemond lets out the repressed lust for you, his sentiments towards his lady—of the kind only his whore knew about—, and bloody seven hells… you know how to make him feel good!

All the whilst you enjoy feeling his precum getting your hand soaked, and twirling your thumb around the tip like he instructs you to—the very fact he’s the one teaching you also arouses him quite.

“Fuck”, and he growls against your skin, burying himself into your breasts, biting your nipples and sucking each ardently with the devotion of a lover.

So you too welcome a different sensation of bliss, a pleasure never before felt, hitting on your in waves of heat that get your body out of control. It does “worsen”, though, the moment he does to you what you do to him.

Aemond captures the surprise that flashes behind your eyes when he finds you soaked to the core. And then… not deeming to waste his seed, he takes your hands and pins over your head.

As his thighs are over yours, you see this handsome man towering over you. His well build muscles, his handsome manhood…

“Do you like the view, Princess?” Aemond asks gently, though the way he looks at you there’s nothing innocent or gentle.

And he sees how your body reacts. Which only arouses him further.

“Yes”, you are almost breathless. “Please, do not make me beg.”

Aemond chuckles low, hands wrapping around your neck.

“Oh, but aren’t you begging already, my love?”

And then he releases the pressure by inserting another finger in your womanhood.

“Mm. You like that, do you not?”, Aemond groans as you deliberately give yourself to him, a complete mess. He likes the view, to know he ruined you too.

And then he bends over… only to slowly insert his manhood into you.

“Oh Gods!”

Aemond side smirks at you.

“It’s going to be a long night, Princess Y/N.”

And to seal his promise, he pursuits your lips in a passionate kiss.

***

• (IV) The Great Escape.

As you stand quietly in the royal chambers, you detect grey clouds rumbling in the sky. You furrow your eyebrows at the sight, perceiving it as a bad omen.

It’s when Helaena comes at you, so suddenly and silently that you are almost startled by her presence.

“I see the boy”, she whispers at you, the only one who understands her. “He will conquer all.”

“Do you mean any of your brothers?”, you ask in the same tone.

Helaena smiles quietly, though in her eyes you detect a mix of apprehension and concern. You know she hesitates, so you hope to transmit calmness.

“Laena, do not fear. I shall keep your secret with me”, and you point to your heart.

She looks at your hands before giving a look at the horizon. You give her time. Then she turns her head and says:

“He shall not be king until other dies”, another pause. “You should not be here when Aegon becomes king.”

You are more than aware that Aegon is not really fond of you.

“Is war coming, dear Laena?”, you ask.

“No”, and here she smiles. “Not for you nor Aemond.”

You have the decency to blush. You’d think your secret encounters with Aemond remained a secret, but didn’t you underestimate your closest friend?

“I…”

“Do not apologize. You’ve brought him the light out of him.”

And in her own way of saying thanks, Helaena rests her head against your shoulder. So suddenly the announce of storm is dissipated… and your fears, likewise.

*

But before this light prevails, it is yet the time to cross the dark. Therefore, you are not entirely surprised to find Aemond vulnerable again. It’s late night and he comes for you in seek of solace. The one kind he’s been refused by his family.

Aemond slides through the half open door, already suspicious in not finding your privy chambers completely close. Hearing voices, a fang of jealousy threatens to bring out his worse when he comes to find out you and Helaena have been spending time together.

It is a relief, somewhat one that makes him smirk, to seeing you getting along with his family. Not that he cares about it, but…

He waits until Helaena is gone to surprise you. You are wearing a pink gown with details in pink and are just untying your braid, completely unaware of his silent presence.

Aemond is reclining against the wall, watching you remove the courtly garments that you wear daily, noticing in your distracted face different expressions he is used to see in you.

“You look exhausted”, his voice comes out as a single whisper right as you are caught off guard and almost crying out as a result. “What’s wrong?”

“Aemond!”, you yell. “Are you out of your mind? Always like a rat, aren’t you?”

He chuckles at your reaction, moving to where you stand so he can have you all to himself. You melt instantly in his arms, but then quickly recompose when noticing that vulnerability only you spot on.

“Wait. What happened?”

“You didn’t answer my question”.

You know it’s pointless to argue with him so you shrug your shoulders and say:

“Just tired, is all.”

You don’t think wise to tell that lately you’ve been having strange morning sickness, so you motion to fetch yourselves some wine before getting at him.

“Now your turn.”

Aemond doesn’t buy your lie, though. But taking the wine offered, he opts to keep that in his mind for a moment later.

“I’ve met the Strong boys.”

“Oh.”

And here comes the thunder…

“What do you mean by “oh”? I’ve been teased out and about, Y/N”, says a very moody Aemond. “Jacaerys and Joffrey think they can have their way out?”

And here he comes to burst in tears. That broken boy hasn’t been healed nor taken care of. You put your glass aside and move to embrace him. Like a needy child, he comes for support which you give him without second thoughts.

“What happened then?”

“A fight was only prevented because of my mother. She welcomed Rhaenyra and her bastards here.”

You let him burst out his anger, silent and pained, as you hold him. In moments like this is when he undress the rogue mask he often wore to public; -and it’s here his fragility is seen, which leads to a more intimate moment.

“You don’t feel at peace here.”

“No”, Aemond admits. “Not here not anywhere. But I aim to reclaim Harrenhal.”

A stranger shiver crosses your spine and even the prince feels it. He looks up at you, quizzically so.

“What was that?”

“Oh, the shiver? You felt it too?”, you try to make a joke about it. “So tight you felt it as if it were you, uh?”

But Aemond is serious.

“I am not joking, Y/N.”

“I had a bad feeling about this. You know the stories of Harrenhal.”

Now the silver haired man chuckles.

“You can’t be serious.”

“Dragons could be a myth, and were treated as such before the Conquest by the Westerosi. And yet here they are”, you tell him firmly. “Stories contain a degree of truth. I did my homework.”

“I can tell.” And softening, he rises to cup your face and kiss your nose and lips. “I did not wish to distress you. But I cannot stay here any longer,Y/N.”

“Well…”, and you smile as you rest your forehead against his. “Let us runaway, Aemond. Together.”

“To where?”, Aemond isn’t sure about the idea, but this possibility does bring some relief to him.

“The Free Cities”, you decide. “You aren’t the first Targaryen who flees King’s Landing to locate somewhere there. Essos is one of those who traditionally welcomes these Valyrian kind.”

Aemond chuckles, pleasantly surprised by your wit.

“We need little convincing, don’t we?”

“It is what you need most, my beloved. Some peace of mind and spirit will do you well.”

So the plan is architected. And the promised consolation shall come.

*

Yet, night arises and with it, demons that come to dispute over royal flesh. Aemond is tormented by his nightmares. As he watches you sleep peacefully, he envies your serenity.

Part of him riots against the idea of being with you. Running away sounds coward-ish and the ilidic paradise is an idea fit for poets and story tellers.

Reclining against the wind, naked, he is vulnerable and to feel it only makes him feel irc about it.

It’s when you notice the bed getting colder. As you turn around, you see you are alone once again. You almost panic at the idea of him leaving you, but this is wiped out of your mind when seeing the state he is.

“Aemond”, you don’t mind the clothes. “Come to bed”, you rest your chin over his shoulder. Suddenly you notice how tall he is.

He tries to avoid your gaze, but it is difficult to ignore you when you recline your body, so warmt, against his. In a stark contrast of fire and cold, he is like an ice berg to you.

“Please”, you ask him.

Aemond turns at you at last and acquiesces with your request. Silently he follows you, but he doesn’t sleep straight away.

“You are worthy of love”, you tell him, cuddling him. “You cannot ignore the wounds that hurt you.”

“I fear I am incapable of healing”, Aemond whispers, a tear rolling down his cheek. “How can you conceive the idea of us together, Y/N?”

“You can be saved.”

He snorts, eyes closing as he slowly drifts to sleep under your tenderness.

“Maybe I do not want to be saved.”

“To be saved or to be redeemed. Is there any difference? Sleep my life. The night may be long and full of terrors, but light always comes to win over it.”

You’d think Aemond had fallen asleep as you take the blankets and cover yourselves, but as you too lie down, your hear him say:

“I love you, Y/N.”

You smile warmly because this is the first time he admits it out loud. Wiping away your happy tears, you lean to kiss his forehead.

“I love you too, Aemond Targaryen.”

*

Indeed, funny as it is, you are now officially part of the House Targaryen. Daeron and Helaena had been the only witnesses of the ceremony that made you officially Lord Aemond’s wife.

“Welcome to our family”, greets Daeron. “Just hope one does not notice the mess we are.”

“Oh, nothing too different of my own family, my lord.”

“Lord?”, Daeron scoffs. “We are family now, sister. There is little need to use formalities.”

Aemond smiles quietly when spotting a blush turning your cheeks into crimson. And speaking of informalities, Helaena welcomes you in her own way. To a general surprise, she in fact hugs you close before saying:

“Never forget. A king will come soon. To conquer all. The line must carry on.”

And then she takes Daeron away, leaving you baffled.

“What did she say?”, asks Aemond, curious.

“I’m afraid this time I didn’t understand what she meant, husband.”

“Well”, he shrugs his shoulders. “Not many of us do. Ready, my lady?”

You smile warmly and the sight makes Aemond content. Sun is rising in the horizon when he helps you mount old Vhagar.

And when she is ready to fly, you cling tight in your husband like a monkey.

“Oh my Gods!”

He laughs away. Never before he laughed so unpreocuppied, so carelessly, so free.

You know it. You feel it too. For when you look at him, you could tell how successfully you fixed him. Didn’t you?

***

• (V) Essos.

You may think you are brave for riding Vhagar, but braver so for mounting your husband. Now that you have enough trust to do so, you come to find out that is a lot better than in your wildest dreams.

“Oh Gods!”, and like any other day you are louder,a sound the servants are already used by now. “Aemond!”

It’s been three months since you and Aemond settled in Essos, and ever since the city not only welcomed you two properly like the royalty both of you are, but is also becoming the stage to Aemond’s ambitions—to which you turned a blind side to.

“So good, my wife!”, Aemond groans, pleased like always to see your boobs bouncing and how synced his body and yours are in one single move.

But domineering he is, so in a matter of seconds you are under his power again, a “victim” of his intense thrusts. And as he seeds you, it’s only then he comes to notice the changes of your body. Your breasts are bigger, you are curvier and your appetites… are different too.

As he collapses against your side, Aemond holds you close to him, though. Stroking your hair and helping to straighten it after messing you good, he smiles.

“I cannot believe myself when I recall the enormous quantity of years that took for us to get married.”

“You are slower than I’d assumed to be, husband”, you tease him, earning a few tickles.

“Life here isn’t as bad as it seems, though”, Aemond contemplates after kissing your forehead. “I think we can rebuild our life here in the manner of Westeros.”

You know there are certain ambitions that do not die, no matter the efforts in healing scars. It’s a side of his character that you’ve always accepted. Then you are reminded of Helaena’s prophecy and somehow you made your peace with it.

“Indeed, I…”

Oh no. Not that nauseous morning again! In a matter of seconds you are running to your privy quarters and throw all that you’ve ingested earlier the day… out.

When Aemond rushes after you, though, he doesn’t take too long to realize that an heir is coming. At last.

“My dearest wife”, he kneels after you. “Let me help you. The way you help me.”

For the first time in years he sees your vulnerability, your fragility. You try to conceal it, but he doesn’t allow you to shy away.

“Y/N… Do not be stubborn”, he helps you clean. “There is nothing wrong with it. Do you not realize what does this mean?”

When you give him a quizzical look, the prince chuckles.

“I cannot believe that I am the one to tell you… but you are carrying our child, my love.”

News that would come to change your lives…. But others too.

***

• Epilogue.

Three years later.

You are giving birth again—the price you pay for delighting yourself by engaging in marital affairs with your handsome prince—when news come from King’s Landing.

Aemond is holding baby Rhaella in his arms all the whilst watching his son, Aegon, practice sword ship. He’s very prideful over his eldest son taking so much after him where brain matters are concerned—and abilities too—, but the sweet temper is something the boy takes after you.

“See, Rhae? Your brother is going to protect you just fine”, Aemond smiles before kissing his daughter’s head.

She giggles, a sight he adores to behold, but every smile dies when a messenger dressed in green comes in.

“My lord Prince”, this young lad greets Aemond, sounding somewhat nervous.

“Who is this? Sent by mother, I presume.”

The lad delivers him an old parchment. When opening it carefully, the prince frowns.

“What does this mean?”

“There is war in Westeros, Ser. And King Aegon has summoned you.”

[ladythornofrivia]

Lady with Teal Eyes || Aemond x Aunt!Hightower Reader (Part One)

word count: 2,733

author’s note: i’m sorry that i didn’t post much stories, as I’ve been reblogging and changing themes in my profile. i’m trying my best, but I’ll make up for it.

warnings: incest, cockwarming, teasing, sucking, p in v, rough play, flirting, wholesome moment, jealous aemond, possessive, roughness, mild manhandling, mild degradation, unprotected vaginal sex, oral sex, second hand embarrassment, dark content, mentions of su*cide, Aemond being too touchy with his aunt, degradation, humiliation.

summary: Aemond meets his aunt for the first time, and there’s more than meets the eye. (there will be three parts).

There hasn’t been a day that you never left your homeland. All in prosperity. All in solitude, all in mindful thoughts that even the castle walls were unable to perceive. Oldtown is known for the oldest kingdom within Westeros.

We light the way, those are the words from House Hightower, a tall, silver tower with a green light of flames atop. Members of the Hightower court are known to be proud and resilience. Perhaps too greedy to your taste. Less fickle to their needs, their desires, their secrets, their ambition.

All minds think alike, as they said. But your mind is unalike from theirs.

There hasn’t been a single day where your life change—steady as it goes. But when your older sister, Alicent, sent a letter to you from a raven fled from miles, you instantly ripped the seal and unveiled her letters, written in neat cursive. In the days where you can recall that Alicent taught you to read and write, before accompanying your father, Otto Hightower, to aid the ailing king and his throne.

In King’s Landing, where Aegon has set and had trees felled after his conquest in Westeros. The stories of dragonlords and ladies has caught you into a slighted dot of peculiarity. But with your father, you knew that your father wanted more than being as the Hand of the King. Like any folk in Oldtown, he’s all in the same cloak of mind and heart as the rest. The only difference is he has resided in King’s Landing with the Targaryens, warming the throne with Alicent’s political stead.

With you, as Alicent’s half-sister, one thing you adored about her is her resilience, no matter how the power struggle may have been, Alicent held her head high, it inspired you to do the same cause, not for the greater good, but for you to steady your heart. With Alicent’s brown eyes, anyone would be easily swayed at her beauty. With your eyes like glowing water, the subjects were to assume that you’re either a sea creature in the ocean, or have been reincarnated as a woman. Common folks assumed that you’re a goddess sent by Maiden herself. But others theorized you’re born in the sacred pond within the forest.

Despite the nonsensical rumors, you carried out your duties dulled within life, but with your brother, Gwayne Hightower, entered in your chambers without a warning.

“Sister!”

“Good heavens, you gave me a fright,” you screeched, hand clutching over your chest.

“A word from the raven,” he resumed, pulling out the letter. “It’s from our dear sister.”

She hasn’t written you a letter for months. Understanding of her high authoritative position, thankfully enough you aren’t the queen. You couldn’t bear to think about gifting children into the world from your maidenhood.

“Alicent!” Departing from the chair, you snatched the letter from Gwayne’s hand and ripped the letter open, straightening the scrolled paper.

My dearest sister,

I regret to inform you that I cannot visit in the Oldtown due to personal circumstances that our father has been trifled with the matters in King’s Landing. As queen, I must fully prioritize my duties and smite the inconsiderate undutiful thought of others. My dear husband, King Viserys, has been unwell as of late, growing slower day by day, but still the same man who loves his histories and shed upon endless favoritism on his daughter and her plain-featured sons, as well his miniatures he rarely finished. As of this moment, we are preparing the feast for the upcoming celebration. Misery and dread and politics has been my company, and I’d be happy if you come to King’s Landing and stay here for more than a month. I also send Gwayne and his men to escort you back. I hope you still have the new dresses and jewels the seamstress sorted to your taste; I always know that you hated attire that itched your flesh or suffocating. Words cannot expressed about how I miss the sweetness of your smile and laughter. We shall meet soon.

Signed,

Alicent Hightower

Jumping with joy, your body lunged at Gwayne, locking him into a tight hug, slightly hopping in place with a big grin stretched onto your lips.

“Have my things ready, brother,” you said, hasting, forgetting about the silks and fabrics in your hands.

“But you need more time. You’ll stay in King’s Landing as our queenly sister instructed.”

“Send the maids, then. I can’t do this alone.”

“You mustn’t make haste!” Gwayne shouted as you ran off, never minding the silks on the ground only for him to pick up.

“The sooner the better,” you shouted back.

~~~

The trailed ship took no more than three days to reach King’s Landing. Alicent hasn’t mentioned anything particular to the celebration. But you have come to acknowledge that Alicent lessened the details.

By the time the ships rested at the shore, you rushed down to the clear path and greeted your father, who was rather cold and emotionless. Nevertheless, you gave the courtesy of shallow inclination of your neck bent down. Though your heart shattered at the motionless greeting; a chilled wind spiraled on your thickened sleeves.

“Father,” you said, grinning ear to ear.

“Queen Alicent awaits,” is all he said, then left without abiding on you.

“But—”

“Ser Gwayne, escort this lady in the Red Keep,” he wasn’t saying it with care.

This lady.

Months without communication and souvenirs, you’d ought it’ll soften your father’s resolve regarding onto the estrangement.

Another clash of heartbreak has struck again. But it comes as no surprise.

Both of you hadn’t spoke since of his second wife—your mother’s—passing.

As numb as it may be, the small pang in your heart resolved again as Gwayne Hightower escorted you to the high steeps close, reaching the royal grounds of Red Keep.

~~~

Infiltrating from climbing the steps until reaching the indoors, the green queen appeared.

Your sister.

“Alicent,” you rushed and clung her to embrace.

“Sister, how good of you to come,” Alicent replied.

The halls greeted you in cold and dreaded air clinging onto your sleeves, goosebumps flooded over your skin, the thick air of candles and torches has impaled your stomach. You didn’t like this feeling. These halls, darkened in heralds of statues and stars that your pupils recognizant.

Faith of the Seven.

Hightowers held their religion in the highest regard, while you, don’t cherish the ideologies of the religion, filled with fanaticism and hypocrisy. Even Targaryens have the queerest customs, of marrying brother to sister, relative to relative since Aegon I. It dire consequences of genetics and birth, and the fruition of a child birth into an unshakable world of politics and desires. According to the Citadel, in secret debate, those who are born of incest are nothing but sort of monsters lurking, a defect to a bloodline.

The Targaryens disagree—couldn’t care less, of course. As you often heard of keeping the bloodline pure.

Bloodline pure. People speculated that the Targaryens are closer to gods than men. Thus their words ‘Fire and Blood’ is in order. In Valyria, their source is magic and dragons, long before volcanic eruptions swept the lands and dragons into ashes. The last Targaryens resided in Westeros, and thus, their last kind is dwindling, hence creating pure bloodline. As theatrically hysterical as it is, you trudged along the halls.

“It has been so long since I saw you last,” Alicent began.

“It has, but we rarely sent letters as of late.”

“Being a queen is no simple task. Our father’s ambition has gotten stronger.”

“Your father,” you said bitterly.

“My dear sister,” Alicent resumed, her voice soothed. “Father is doing his best to stabilize the realm.”

“Cold, cruel and calculated,” you answered. “Your strength and dutiful as queen is one of the things I admire about you. But, sister, it feels as if my existence is no longer needed. I feel as if I’m useless. My mother received no love from your father.”

The doe-eyed look in Alicent’s eyes protruding. “Sister, I—“”

“Half-sisters,” you reminded. “Everyone thought I was some sort of creature that shouldn’t belong in the realm. I’m no fool; I could hear everyone whisper, even closed doors.”

“Creature or not, you’re still a Hightower. We share the same blood. Nothing will ever change between you and I.”

“But your father will never accept me,” you replied.

Alicent clasped her hands onto yours. “The next time we see each other, I’ll be visiting the Oldtown.”

“You said that the last time on our previous letters,” you chimed. “Let him stabilize the realm alone.”

“That is why you’re here. I needed time apart from the council and subjects,” Alicent reasoned. “Men are often ambitious with their politics and trifling over gold than their wives.”

“It appears so,” you agreed, huffing.

Ironically, Alicent served men, and still is. First Jahaerys, then Otto, then Viserys. Though you wouldn’t so recklessly give your personal opinion away to Alicent.

“We have yet to explore the grounds. We must rest at the gardens. I know how much you love staying in the gardens.”

Your cheeky smile was showing. “I do.”

Alicent squeezed your hand. “Let us be off. It’s considered bad luck if we let our food grow cold.”

“Never knew that it involves bad luck.”

“I’ve been told.”

“By who?”

Not once, Alicent answered.

~~~

“Make yourself comfortable,” Alicent said, indicating the spare chair, and watched you sat with ease, eyeing the lavish outdoors where the Weirwood stood as main view.

“Quite nice out,” you complimented.

This was Alicent meant when she said gardens.

“I chose this spot for a reason,” Alicent said as the servants settled the meal over the table—bowed and left. And the last servant entered, placing a stacked candied almonds and candied plums on a gold platter, alongside of Dornish wine.

Alicent watched your eyes lit up.

“I took the liberty of having the kitchen staff ready for your sweet-tooth,” she clarified.

“You know me well, sister.” You grinned.

“My lady,” a soothing masculine voice said behind you.

“Ser Criston,” Alicent addressed, glancing. “I’m occupied as of this moment.”

“There has been urgent matters regarding to your son.”

Puzzled, Alicent spoke with, “Which son?”

Appalled, your eyes darted at her. On the other hand, you never retain information from Alicent.

“Aegon,” Criston answered, eyes turning away. “I’m afraid his excursions have rather been…” Then his dark brown eyes flicked to yours, his mouth opened, choosing his words carefully.

“We’ll speak no more of it,” Alicent pleaded. “I’m under the liberty of entertaining my sister at the moment. Do ignore Aegon’s excursions for now.”

Somewhere in between the lines, you knew Alicent’s calm demeanor struck hard when the excursions take place, wrath kept within, as you read between Alicent’s lines furrowed on her forehead. Ser Criston glimpsed at you and bowed before withdrawing from the outdoors.

“My apologies,” Alicent said to you in a dreaded voice. “The excursions in the daylight hour upon King’s Landing hasn’t ended.”

“I never knew you had a son,” you said, munching on the candied almonds.

Alicent swallowed the contents of the food. “I mentioned it once before in the letter. That I was having a babe in my belly.”

You pondered for a moment. It was back when Alicent married Viserys and carried a child in her.

“But you never mentioned that it’s a son,” you commented.

“But I’m sure you heard Aegon’s name the moment he arrived into the world.”

Your teeth clenched. “I can assure you I did.” The Oldtown spoke of Aegon in high regards, but as you grew older, you never hear much of Aegon’s doings, hoping to meet your nephew, you waited, but as usual, you sister never once sent letters to offer you an invite.

“Things have been hectic for the past years, and I doubt that’ll cease. With the Iron Throne empty and with all that it stands, we’re keeping the place intact with politics and debate,” Alicent reasoned.

You stayed in silence.

“If you would like,” Alicent continued, “I would be happy to take you to the gallery. The Red Keep has been nothing but a dread. I shall escort you and give you a tour to the Red Keep unless you want someone else to—”

“No, I’d be thrilled if you were to accompany me,” you paused, then said, “sister.”

Alicent gently beamed at that.

~~~

When you and Alicent both went inside the Red Keep, the royal subjects and guards bowed before the green queen as their eyes lingered onto yours, and an incoherent of whispers were passed to your ears.

The sister of the green queen.

And as you ascended the staircases, from there, you saw the shaded eyes of violet and curled hair—a young girl, a few years younger than you.

“Mother, have you seen my—” The girl’s youthful stare darted to yours, backing away gradually.

“This is my sister, (y/n), your aunt,” Alicent introduced. “This is Princess Helaena, my daughter,” Alicent said to you.

“A pleasure.” As you made an inclination to your neck, smiling to the princess as you hadn’t realized that the others accompanied none other by two young men behind Helaena, both with Targaryen features.

Your heart stopped—leapt with warmth—when you first glanced at the tall prince with gold, lithe hair as his other eye covered with eyepatch.

“These are my other sons…” Alicent said, searching for the third son with a slight frown on her features. “Where is Aegon?”

“Drunk as usual,” Daeron rolled his eyes, crossing his arms.

“That blasted fool…” Alicent hissed, then smiled merrily in a way to appease herself. “I hope you and Lady (y/n) would get along.”

“Yes, I remember now! You’re that boy—that cupbearer in the council!” you said to Daeron.

Daeron beamed. “I am proud to serve my mother’s family in Oldtown. Ashamed we never met circumstances in the Reach, yet here we are!” he chuckled. “For my dear father’s name day contained in private ceremony, I’m glad you came.”

You sensed the sarcasm in the word “father”, but shrugged it off.

The dread of unwanted unwelcome washed away with glee. “Indeed. I shall look forward to the festivities.”

Aemond lifted and placed his kiss upon the back of your hand. A kiss placed with gentle fire ignited your dulled soul, envision with flames of blush blaring your dewy cheeks. “A pleasure to meet you, my lady.”

Breath caught in your throat, eyeing on his hand still lingering his intertwine fingers to your skin. “Likewise, my prince…”

For the first time in your life, the gentleness of a dragon has captured your heart and soul.

As for Aemond, with the slighted news of your presence, there’s nothing more than mere maiden who needs to be soiled with his perversions trapped and coiled and enflamed in between his legs. When he first laid his gaze on you, he pictured your flushed skin wrapped with his own, his lips captured yours as his presence trapped into your mind for eternity. But alas, with a wandering thought just now, it wasn’t like him. He mustn’t be capricious and avarice on the spot.

With your grand arrival, Aemond had already decided you’ll become his.

One day at the time, he reminded himself.

“It’s unusual for you to be courteous to someone,” Alicent commented.

“I never wish to scare anyone with my presence, mother,” Aemond said. “It is my duty as a prince to make our special guest comfortable.”

A hot tingle between your legs stirred as you eyed on him—on his lips—how rolled off words with his tongue, finding yourself imagining at the thought of your nephew tasting your folds as you ride him, warming the bed—riding him whilst lace and corset of your precious dress torn apart by his own rugged and young hands.

“He’s only being courteous like Prince Daeron,” you noted, clearing your throat. “Everyone must fulfill their role to the realm. We mustn’t decay our customs to rudeness.”

Aemond’s eye gleamed at your flushing features whilst you looked at Alicent in the eye, you speak with assurance yet your body wavered, dying for your hungered coil in you—the scorch caged within your dress to be set free.

You cannot fool me, my princess, he thought.

In the end, nobody can fool a dragon like him.

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[whateverthought]

rhaenyra (and other characters like alicent, laenor, viserys, etc.) feature love versus duty as an internal conflict throughout their stories in the show. rhaenyra does tend to shirk duty in the beginning, sure, but i think marrying laenor is a step toward embracing duty (i.e., a fallen domino in the series of events that propel her toward where she ends up in 2x08, completely swallowed up by duty). all i meant to say is that rhaenyra is trying to balance love and duty (harwin and laenor), but doing so unsuccessfully because love and duty cannot simultaneously exist (laenor says as much during his conversation with rhaenyra in 1x07). i think rhaenyra doesn’t marry harwin because by the time their relationship develops, it’s too late. the way i imagine it is that harwin and rhaenyra’s relationship quickly developed after criston left her for alicent on the night of the wedding. rhaenyra basically has no one at this point, considering criston abandoned her, and alicent calls rhaenyra “stepdaughter,” rejecting her as a friend. then, once rhaenyra realized she and laenor couldn’t produce heirs, she looked to harwin for comfort and coincidentally he could also give her children. i think rhaenyra’s relationship to harwin was complex, shrouded in secrecy and compensation for what rhaenyra actually wants, but he did give her her sons, so i think she did love him as much as she could. basically, yes, rhaenyra is shirking duty, but in a way that is forcing her more toward it. also, i think we’re giving these characters a little too much credit; rhaenyra doesn’t know she exists in the story she exists in, she doesn’t have the foresight to understand the consequences of her impulsive actions. i love rhaenyra but a part of her character is that she is impulsive and entitled and viserys didn’t properly prepare her for her role

continued from this post

I... don't want to fight. You've been very polite but I feel like I'm going to get annoyed and/or sound rude just in general.

I don't agree with you on most of what you said. In fact, I feel like you're purposely misconstruing or misrepresenting the facts/scenes.

I dont think Rhaenyra is having any fight between Duty vs Love. In fact, out of all the characters, Rhaenyra is second in the scale on the side of, Fuck Duty, It Doesn't Affect ME or It Shouldn't. Second only to Daemon but he has little to none anyway. As the show has decided, its Rhaenyra vs Alicent and Alicent is Duty while Rhaenyra is not. She's 'Love' in this scenario, she's Privilege, She's Liberation. In our eyes, the Modern Lens, we see her as Liberated, but at the cost of everyone else around her, and to her own detriment at times.

Marrying Laenor wasn't her choice! I feel like you keep saying that even though its not true. She was forced into it by Viserys, and thats where her Liberation ends, at her father's favor. She gets to do what she likes, because Viserys is indulgent and a bad father. And he had to do that because she was pushing the limits of her freedom, refused to pick a husband on her Marriage Tour and then that Brothel Scandal forced his hand. Because before, as frustrated as he was, he was letting her stew on the decision. Its the fact that no one would want her now that she 'debased' herself that forced his hand. The Velaryons were a great choice! But she didn't make it. She even tried to get Daemon to run off with her! The only thing she could do was run, but if not with Daemon than what's the point?

And I think I've figured out the answer to my question, she was still so infatuated with Daemon that she wasn't thinking about Harwin. It's only after Daemon leaves her to her fate, one he led her down by purposely ruining her reputation but he was too late or underestimated how much Viserys didn't want him on the Throne. So he runs off, in the show they have Laena, actress aged up, run after him and make her a second choice/lesser. In the books he runs to her (Laena) defense against marrying a Braavosi Sealord. But it's after she loses Daemon and runs off Criston that she finds a new 'love'.

And on the subject of Cole, he didn't 'leave her' like this is a simple situation. She took advantage of his infatuation, urged him to break his Oath, and then told him he was just something fun. She could have explained to him running off was so stupid and breaking the Chastity Oath was not the end, but she laughed at him! Its how she spoke to him, proving he and his sacrifices were worthless that destroyed the relationship. Let's not forget he was about to kill himself During That Wedding! Alicent convincing him his life and Knighthood was more than Chasity isn't really 'leaving her at the Wedding'. It feels like you're minimizing his pain and his whole situation.

Not to mention Alicent's! Alicent didn't reject Rhaenyra as a friend, this did not start at the Wedding. Alicent standing up for herself shouldn't be diminished like this. Lets not forget, Rhaenyra ended it when Alicent was forced to marry Viserys, because of Duty. Rhaenyra has a large tendency of not understanding or empathizing with others' struggles, sacrifices or problems. Alicent married her father because of Duty, she is crying and Rhaenyra puts the blame at her feet. Alicent hears horrible rumors and asks Rhaenyra directly, not just believing others, and asks if she needs help. Is your Uncle, a man grown, hurting you? And Rhaenyra lies! And it takes Alicent's father away! And after that Viserys still sends Rhaenyra Moontea! He doesn't believe her, and yet he sends Otto away! For telling the truth! And Alicent knows. Her father is gone, her husband will shut the mouths of people telling the truth and her friend will unflinchingly lie to her and sacrifice her, Alicent, for her own impulsive wants. Alicent is alone.

Rhaenyra wasn't alone, but I understand why she would feel betrayed in that moment. But Viserys has always chosen Rhaenyra and hidden her misconduct, Laenor and her have an agreement - her husband is good to her, he listens, he holds her as an equal or superior- his family is on her side now, cold as it may have been, she didn't want Alicent, she didn't care about Criston Cole and Daemon might be the only thing she lost. But in the books she didn't, in the books she gained a female conspirer. Her and Laena loved each other! In the books I'd argue marrying Laenor gave her more.

But implying Laenor and her were 'really' trying for a child is kinda laughable to me. Jacaerys was born that year, and in ye olden days you would just have to wait to see if you missed your period so how long did they even wait before running into Harwin's arms? My question was never about their relationship per se, I'm not really positive about it, personally.

And on Rhaenyra in 2xo8, it doesn't feel like she's falling into Duty, it feels like she's falling into Religious Fanaticism. Fanaticism that's painting her as a Saint. The Prince That Was Promised actually, the Uniter of a Split Realm. Which isn't too far from 'Valyrians are better than Common Man, Dragonlords are Gods' something that's pushed Daemon and Her to acting even more recklessly and indulgently and offensively. She's better than this, Better than Duty, She can't be Wrong.

And you're last point, no she doesn't know she's part of a story but she knows she's part of a Society. She knows what the Realm wants, what every women goes through. At least every noble women who does no labor outside the birthing bed. I'm actually unsure what you mean by that. What part of knowing the story changes her actions? Or what am I saying thats giving her too much credit?

She's a princess, who she marries is important, it needs thought. She has to know how easy it is to be labeled a 'whore' in their society, and how that destroys her reputation, something that is important in their society. And when she's named Heir, she has to know the world will fight her on it, but she has a consistent belief that if Viserys Says So than its fine. She has the same belief as an Adult but even Rhaenys tries to tell her she has a Steep Uphill Climb. If nothing, she knows having bastards is a 'Sin'. But she doesn't follow that religion, sure but Society hates them. It looks bad on her and again, reputation matters so much to them. Its the prevailing idea that she's above that, that her reputation doesn't matter, that the thoughts of others don't matter because they'll just fall in line. But how true is that, and how much does she believe that? She runs after her son mutilates her brother. She hides away after her and Daemon marry like a week after their spouses die, her's suspiciously. But why? Viserys is on her side, and he forgives them for eloping, doesn't annul their marriage. If she's not scared of her reputation, why run?

I agree with your last statement, "part of her character is that she is impulsive and entitled and viserys didn’t properly prepare her for her role" but that wasn't my question, none of this was. I hope I didn't offend you, but I think we're on two different sides on some of these debates

[hotd-brainrot]

I think I figured out what personally bothered me sm in this season of HOTD. And it wasn't (only) the fact that it didn't align with F&B.

I feel like the writers forgot, if not completely disregarded almost everything they established in the second part of seasons 1?

I expected Aemond's entire arc of becoming a villian, but not against his own faction? And the thing is, if they truly wanted to go for it, it was doable, but they went way too fast with it and in ways that made no sense? In season 1, yes, we see Aegon bullying Aemond when they were kids, but then during the dinner scene we clearly see they bonded since then and have each others' back. If anyone from the green kids is isolated in that scene, it's Helaena.

In the beginning of s2, they seem to go along with that, have Aegon implicitly trust Aemond, inviting him to his council, not believe Larys when he says it's Aemond plotting with Alicent to rule in his stead. Then there is a brothel scene which is on all accounts awful, but fine. Let's say for a moment Aegon is grieveing and reverts back to his old habits of humiliating Aemond as a way to cope.

Why don't we see more of Aemond's reaction when he is alone? He humiliates him at the council, which makes sense to make them even. Shows he is more in control.

But trying to kill him? And doing so in a way that's clearly pre-planned since he tells Vhagar to wait? It feels like such a jump with no build-up, especially since we have his express regret over killing Lucerys! He shows, Lucerys, who cut out his eye more grace then he does his own brother who we see him support on multiple occasions? What?

And again! If they really wanted to go with this route, why not show Aegon taunting him and embarrassing him on more occasions? Show Aegon distrusts him or undermining him? It would have been so easy.

Also. If they truly wanted to go for "oh, Aemond burned his bully and abuser" then why tf did they have Helaena suddenly defend Aegon? She says he ignores her except for when he is drunk. We get exactly one scene of them together (I am not counting them passing each other on the stairs bc that was...something) where they disagree on if Jaehaerys should go to a small council or not. Despite the fact they lose a child, we don't see them interact at all, and I am supposed to think Helaena is meant to care for him enough to wish death upon Aemond because he burned him? From what they have showed us, I didn't get the feeling Helaena particularly cared for either of her brothers.

Perhaps she does, but we are never shown this??? Like, at all?? Insanity.

But so we don't say I only talk about the Greens, I think the Blacks have a similar issue? Rhaenyra is the only one we see(kind of) care for her family. What about Daemon? Baela? Rhaena?

Listen, I am not saying Daemon, similarly to Aemond is a great person, but I genuinely despise how they made his whole character about Rhaenyra? Did they forget he has two daughters from his marriage to Laena and two sons with Rhaenyra? The only interaction he has with Baela is in episode two and he ignores her!

Rhaenyra sends Rhaena away without a word from Daemon. Rhaena doesn't even bring him up! It's not even "What did my father say to this idea?" Type of situation. Hello??

Even if they wanted to go with "Daemon is a bad father" we see him face pretty much no consequences for it? He hallucinates Laena asking him if he took care of their girls before it's swept up under a rug again. Baela says she sometimes thinks she hates him, but then it turns into another conversation about Jace's parentage.

I also have no idea how we are meant to care for Aegon iii and Viserys later on bc they are A) aged down and B) so irrelevant and unnmentioned I almost forgot they were there at all while making this post.

I could write another essay on Alicent and Rhaenyra but I feel like there have been much better posts on them already but just...what is going on??

Did the writers forget the core of the story was meant to be Targaryen family? Fucked up family, yes, absolutely, but the point was that the war of ravens started because they all wished for power, but the war of fire and blood started because they started killing each other. If they don't care for one another, if they are not family, what IS the point? Why do they keep fighting? For power and revenge? No, no, for feminism and peace!

Give me a break. Genuinely. It's not even about it being inaccurate to the book anymore, it's about the characters losing their central motivations and only letting the plot happen to them, instead of being actuve participants. That's why everyone loved side characters more than main ones! At least they are making active choices!

[snowblack-charcoalwhite]

why do you think alicent loves aemond so much? why she doesn't love aegon as much as she loves aemond? alicent appears to have misconceptions about her children. just like dumbledore said to snape about harry. you see what you want to see. the thing is alicent overlooks aegon good traits like cunning (he convinced people living for years at dragonstone to follow him without bloodshed so it means he convinced them. it means aegon is far more diplomatic than aemond even though aemond brags about studying history and philosophy so one can expect aemond to be more polished snd diplomatic but all his knowledge goes out of the window when he's angry) and resourceful while she is too preoccupied with aemond not causing problems compared to aegon that she paints aemond as unproblematic golden child. this and aemond actually never comes back. aegon does. alicent was so wrong about both of her children. had alicent really understood aemond she would have never loved him that much because he represents everything she despises thirst for blood, war and violence. she just likes her men strong, not self-pitying like aegon because he reminds her of herself. had she really understood aegon she would have loved him more because they are very similar doing their duty and fighting till the end. she hated parts of aegon she hated in herself and loved parts of aemond she loved in herself.

this is very funny old joke that the child who rebels the most often ends up as the one more successful than obedient dutiful one.

Hello, thank you for the ask! And I`m awfully sorry for the delay with answering:(

Well, in a way you answered your own question. "she hated parts of aegon she hated in herself and loved parts of aemond she loved in herself" - there is quite a lot of truth to it, I think. However, I do not agree with the premise that Alicent doesn`t love Aegon (or, more precisely, that she loves him less than she does Aemond).

In fact I find it quite difficult to say which one of her sons, in my opinion, Alicent loves more - because she loves them in different ways.

She sees Aemond as a pillar she could lean on (just like she views Criston), as a shield she could grab to protect herself and the rest of her family (not in a sense that she`s ready to sacrifice Aemond but meaning that shes sure he can take it). There IS a part of Alicent that lives in her second son (in one of my posts I called him the voice of her bitterness and rage) but overall they are quite different people. She might not understand Aemond as well as she would like to; she might love him less if she did - but we will never know. As it is, Aemond is her brave and fierce baby boy who went through a horrible traumatic experience (that started with him fighting alone) and still was strong enough to be the one to stand by her side when pretty much everyone else turned against her.

Aegon indeed too strongly reminds Alicent of herself. She feels it - and since she is often too harsh and demanding (sometimes even resentful) towards herself, she projects these feelings onto her child that resembles her the most. She might feel like she is not enough (screw you, Viserys, by the way) - so Aegon does not feel enough as well. There might be some apprehension about the way Aegon deals with his suffering: drinking, whoring, lazing around - trying to drown out the voice of his suffering with other powerful sensations and feelings where Alicent (almost) always chooses to suppress them. But that doesn`t mean she doesn`t love Aegon. In a way thinking about him - about his lot, his duty-bound fate, the neglect he suffers where the support should be given to him - hurts her too much, so she can`t fully process the love she feels for her eldest son, and neither she can express her properly. So here go slapping, shouting and saying the words that she knows will hurt a lot - but she can`t stop herself from saying them.

Her love for Aemond makes her feel stronger. Her love for Aegon makes her bleed. So no wonder Alicent feels more ready to embrace the former. And yet, when she takes a stand between Aegon and Meleys none of it matters.

[nrilliree]

https://www.tumblr.com/princessyuue/746324718985035776/you-know-what-pissed-me-offeveryone-saying-that?source=share

There's no denying that the Green stans live in a parallel universe. Rhaenyra did not propose marriage to Helaena to make her son more legitimate, but simply out of a desire to make peace with Alicent.

Secondly, Rhaenyra did not want the attention to be on her during Aegon II's birthday, or for people to care about her particularly at that time. She simply feared that people would be wanted Aegon II in his place on the throne. Not to mention that Viserys was putting pressure on her to find a husband. And what do we see in this episode ? Suitors who clearly piss off Rhaenyra and look disgusting, and that there are really people wanting his brother in his place on the throne, that Viserys changes heirs and is already plotting for that. (Also, there was a cut scene of Rhaenyra trying to teach her little brother how to say his name, so she was being nice to him, but obviously the writers needed to remove that...)

Oh and yes, what a shame that Rhaenyra wants Viserys to question Aemond more harshly to find out where he got the accusation of bastardy on his children, an accusation so serious that it would risk the DEATH of his Velaryon boys. How dare a mother put her children first ?!

The people on team greens really love transforming what happens in this series to prove themselves right, specifically about the character of Rhaenyra. That's crazy. And it will always come back to the fact that she had children out of wedlock (while ignoring why she had them in the canon of the show) at one point or another. They are so predictable.

Some anonymous had previously sent me part of this post without adding that it was part of the post, so I deleted the reply to avoid mess again, but I'll say the same thing again:

Does anyone really expect Rhaenyra to be happy at Aegon's birthday when she heard chants of "Aegon the Second of His Name" everywhere? Aegon was not the second Aegon in the family, not even the second since the Conquest, but the fourth. So there was no room for stupid explanations. This was a title reserved for a king, so the people made it clear that they expected Rhaenhra to be replaced. And she, cruel, was mad! How could she!

It is also obvious to me why Rhaenyra mentioned "torture" - because she knew well where Aemond heard it from and wanted Alicent to confess under pressure. No one would torture anyone (that's Viserys 🙄). But Alicent didn't confess even when her son faced potential torture, because she preferred to shout that Rhaenyra was evil rather than face consequences for her actions. And the children had to defend her.

Not entirely related to the post:

People like to prove that Rhaenyra is evil and mad. They do not take into account why her rule was the way it was, because "the loss of her children does not justify her" and she should be fully mentally stable. I wonder if this doesn't justify Helaena's behavior as well? After all, how could she break down instead of fighting? Rhaenyra lost five children (she didn't know Viserys was alive) in a short period of time. Of course it affected her! She was mentally broken, deprived of any funds in the treasury, and made bad decisions. She was not a good queen. But she could be if she was given the chance to rule as she deserved.

And people still sometimes add rumors (about throwing a party) and nonsense written by Mushroom (about the rape of Alicent and Helana) to show how bad she is 🙄

[dragonworshippersblog]

Let's discuss some topic that I frequently read on tumblr about house of the dragon (if u do not agree then u can express ur opinion by comment, but always be educate. And if you want another topic to be discussed let me know and i will make a post)

“Aegon is the rightful king of the seven kingdoms by law”

GRRM in an interview said this “ Well, the short answer is that the laws of inheritance in the Seven Kingdoms are modeled on those in real medieval history… which is to say, they were vague, uncodified, subject to varying interpretations, and often contradictory” so we can say that male primogeniture is based on traditions, not law. King Jaehaerys with the great council of 101 at harrenal let the lords decide who should succeeded him, so he gave them a choice. But this is not the same about king viserys, he named rhaenyra as his heir and alway defended her, so viserys did not give them a choice. By usurping rhaenyra’s throne the green imply that the king’s word means nothing, and this is the thing that causes war and crisis. As we see in the book fire and blood most of the houses support rhaenyra’s cause, so otto’s word “the realm will not accept her” are revealed to be false. Again the war come from the fact that otto and alicent decide to crown aegon, so houses actually have a choice to decide who they wanted to support, if aegon hadn’t been present as an option the few houses that didn't agree with viserys choice will bent the knee alike.

“Alicent always defended rhaenyra before she lied to her about her purity”

In episode three the show let us see a conversation between otto and alicent where he said “aegon has been robbed of his own inheritance because he is the king’s first born son” and after he said that is alicent’s aim to guide the king in his decision, the second after she went to viserys’ chamber claim that there is something she want to discuss with him (viserys stopped her and they start talking about the stepstones). How do you know that she did not raise this matter anymore? In episode six when older alicent was question rhaenyra’s children she say she already talk about this before but the show didn't let us saw it, so its completely possible that she proposed aegon as heir even before rhaenyra’s lie when they were still friend

“Alicent always defend rhaenyra and yet rhaenyra send otto away when she had the possibility leaving alicent alone”

Let’s go deep into it. Queen Aemma, rhaenyra’s mother, died in order to gave the king a son, she was literally open without any kind of anesthesia so she felt every cut the maester were doing to her (and in the original script rhaenyra saw her body so she is aware that the death of her mother wasn’t a miscarriages like the other). After all of it viserys named rhaenyra his heir and married alicent, and at the time they had two children together, aegon and haelena. In this scenario otto was the second most powerful man in the realm, he ruled when viserys can’t, and he had great influence as he had great ambitions. So, rhaenyra had the chance to demonstrate that her mother’s death was not vain, and all of her miscarriages and pain had an aim now that her daughter is heir, but then there is otto and he will always be an obstacles in her rise to the throne; you, in her position, had the chance to get him go away, you choose to let him stay at court so your best friend is not alone or you choose to let him go so your rise will be more easy? Because if I were in rhaenyra’s position I would have not hesitate a second

“Alicent did not knew the council were plotting to crown aegon”

You all act like she had not the huge part in rhaenyra’s usurpation. First of all she tormented rhaenyra for a lot of years in king's landing, she moved to dragonstone (which is however the seat of the heir to the throne, rhae is the princess of dragonstone) because she couldn't take it anymore to be targeted by alicent and it was her aim in my opinion because rhaenyra not set the council would let Alicent have all the power to influence everyone about how her son is more worthy. Then she said to aegon “everyone in the realm know that one day you will be our king” so also if aegon was not meant to have the crown alicent let him believe that, and he was a boy at the time so he was easily manipulated. Then there is the petition about driftmark, you are really claim that alicent was willing to do so because she care so much to vaemond to have driftmark because its his blood rights and not because when the war she and otto create will follow she will have the velaryon flee support her? And when she said that viserys whisper to her about how aegon should succeed him? You can be team green or team black, but everyone can agree about how pathetic she was claiming that after viserys defend rhae for 20 years, and he suddenly change his mind where only her was here to listen him

[bbygirl-aemond]

All the Laws Viserys Violated by Making Rhaenyra His Heir

Hi hi! I'm in the midst of writing a post about Otto's motivations throughout HotD and the portion about why Otto was so sure Alicent's sons would end up as heir when he pushed her to marry Viserys got wayyy too long so I'm just going to write it here.

I cannot emphasize enough how crazy it was that Viserys kept Rhaenyra as his heir. He has literally no law or precedent to back him up; every single possible precedent actually works against him. Full disclaimer, I genuinely think Rhae would make a good queen and support her over Aegon, but I don't think Viserys made her heir for the right reasons and I think because of the following he was setting her up for failure.

First, Westerosi laws of inheritance say that a woman cannot inherit if she has a trueborn brother. This has always been the case. Remember that as of right now Dorne is NOT a part of the Seven Kingdoms, so the Seven Kingdoms unanimous in its institution of male-based primogeniture. There is literally no region under Viserys's domain where a woman is allowed to inherit if she has any trueborn brothers. You'll never find any instances of a woman being made heir when she has surviving trueborn brothers. When we see women in power, like Jeyne Arryn or even Sansa Stark, it's always because they either have no brothers or their brother is occupied with another title. And honestly, in like half of these cases the title gets passed to a woman's uncle rather than going to her if she's the sole child.

Second, the Great Council of 101 set the precedent that even if a woman is the rightful heir to the Iron Throne, she should be passed over for a male. Rhaenys was Jaehaerys's heir according to Westerosi laws of inheritance as the only child of his previous heir, so she was even backed by the actual law and precedent. And the threat of war was dangerous enough that it forced the literal King of Westeros to concede matters of his personal inheritance and violate precedent just to pass over a woman. That's how sexist they are!!! They literally broke the law so that they could be MORE sexist!!

Third, Widow's Law specifically stipulates that it is not meant to be used to allow a woman to inherit over her trueborn brother. I know a lot of people think this law can actually be used to support Rhaenyra, but I think this ignores the context of the time. Remember, even though Alysanne wrote the law, Jaehaerys is the one who implemented it and is the only one who had the final say in its wording. And, as mentioned above, Jaehaerys straight up does not have the power to allow women to inherit, even when the law is backing him up. He's also a super misogynist and has proven unwilling to listen to Alysanne on feminist matters. So I'm not sure why people think he'd have the desire or the power to instate a law that says a daughter from a first marriage gets to inherit over a son from a second marriage. The lords would never allow something like that, because most of them use and discard their wives for the sole purpose of gaining male heirs and I guarantee there would be a moral panic about women getting too much power the same way there eventually was with Rhaenys and Rhaenyra. And not just the lords, but Jaehaerys would never allow something like that: They're all grade A misogynists, remember? That's why Widow's Law specifically placates the lords by assuring them that their precious eldest son can still inherit before even introducing the new law. Because Jaehaerys knew he wouldn't be supported if he said that women could inherit when they have trueborn brothers, so he made sure everyone knew he wasn't trying to do that.

So Viserys has 0 laws and precedents backing his decision, and 3 laws and precedents that his decision outright violates. And he keeps Rhaenyra as his heir anyways, out of guilt to Aemma. This is why I think Otto was genuinely flabbergasted by Viserys's decision; because he demonstrates remarkable awareness of the misogyny in Westeros and is fully aware that this WILL incite rebellion. He says it himself: It doesn't matter to the lords of Westeros how good or kind Rhaenyra is. They've demonstrated, time and time again, that they will not allow a woman to inherit a title, including the Iron Throne, if there are ANY trueborn male relatives available--AND that they have the power to force the King to let them decide his inheritance!

TLDR: Viserys really did Rhaenyra dirty. He made and kept her his heir out of guilt about Aemma, not out of love for Rhaenyra. And he did this knowing that it violated every single precedent or law relating to inheritance out there, and knowing that previous kings weren't able to uphold their female heirs, even when they had a stronger claim than Rhaenyra would have, because the lords threatened to start a war over it. And that's not even getting into how he completely failed to teach her about politics and did nothing to prepare her to become Queen.

This is also part of why people say it's not just about Rhaenyra's bastards. I fully agree that having them weakened her claim even further, but what you need to understand is that Rhaenyra was doomed from the start. She was doomed by the misogynistic laws, and by the misogynistic precedent, and by the misogynistic lords who never tried to hide that they'd start a war if a woman inherited the throne. And Viserys put that burden on her anyways, and put her and her children's lives in genuine danger, all so he could feel better about his decision to butcher his wife.

[greenqueenhightower]

Maybe this is something that just bothers me but every time a TB stan says that Rhaenyra (the heir) has more power than Alicent (the queen) I want to rip my hair out. I hope I'm making sense here. Like, Alicent is the QUEEN, she's the second or third most powerful person in the realm. Asking for Viserys to kill her as punishment for giving Rhaenyra a cut is absurd. I don't think I explained what I mean quite well and I'm sorry for that.

Hi anon, sorry it took me forever to respond!

I think I get what you mean, and in Olivia Cooke’s words, Alicent has every right to say “I’m the f*cking Queen actually” because she is. But at the same time, even when she has certain power being Queen Consort of Viserys she is not ruling in her own right. She sure is worthy of respect and Rhaenyra is expected to show this respect (even resentfully) when Viserys and Alicent are married (e.g. she goes to the hunt because it’s Alicent’s command etc) as well as post-Driftmark, when Rhaenyra refers to Alicent as “Your Grace” and there are many more instances like this.

HOWEVER the throne is never Alicent’s, and while she rules to some degree, she never has absolute power. She never can have the power that Rhaenyra would have if she becomes Queen in her own right. So yes, technically Rhaenyra is supposed to listen to Queen (Consort) Alicent and show respect as long as she’s an heir but she can very well do whatever the hell she wants when she becomes Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen because she’d have absolute power and control.

This is why I say their relationship is complex. As to who makes a better Queen, this is another long argument as per the books. At the same time, hotd Alicent has displayed a natural inkling toward ruling the kingdom, she’s interested in the smallfolk’s peace and wellbeing whereas Rhaenyra (and Daemon) like to be ostracized and feared “for what they are capable of.” That tells a lot, in my opinion about where their interests and ambitions lie.

As for the second part of your ask, it is absurd to ask Viserys to kill her, when he knows that he would anger half the lords in his kingdom as well as his Hand and house Hightower and his children and god knows who else. As much as I hate Viserys, he would never get rid of Alicent because he wanted someone to stand by him in his illness and weakness as a ruler, father, human being, you name it. Alicent was the only one who could cope with his sh*t so he knows he has literally won the jackpot and that no other woman would be as compliant. He’d never give the word to execute her in my opinion.

In many ways Alicent was for Viserys a collectible, so he’d keep her with him for as long as possible.

[rynnthefangirl]

I hate the jaehaera and Aegon pairing mostly because of the shippers. If you ship it fine but you don’t have to include Daenaera in your fics as some harlot who try’s to seduce him. If she’s not that she’s a miserable second wife because Aegon loved jaehaera so much. I’m glad canon showed that he liked his second wife and thought nothing of his first.

I find most things I hate about TG is from the fans themselves, and their delusional attempts to baby TG and demonize TB. It’s the same thing with Daenaera, I haven’t seen the tropes that you refer to bc I don’t read Aegon x Jaehaera fanfic, but I believe it.

I think what bothers me the most about the shippers is them insisting that Aegon x Jaehaera is this deep and powerful ship while Daenaera is a shallow and unrealistically perfect character. Like reducing Dae to being “the sexy 6 year old”. Obviously we don’t have that much info about them, but Aegon x Daenaera has the potential to be such a fascinating dynamic, and an excellent exploration of the themes of Fire and Blood (namely the way in which Westeros’ exploitative and patriarchal political system restricts individual choice and identity, but in a much more complex relationship where neither person is truly at fault, and there is also genuine love and care there). I’ll probably write a longer post about my thoughts on them some time, but the point is TG dismisses all of that potential because “oh opposing character to Alicent’s granddaughter = dull and awful”.

Though I will disagree with the notion that Aegon thought nothing of his first wife. While I think this was true while Jaehaera was alive, a very central part of Aegon III’s character is his survivors guilt. He carries the weight of everything that happens around him, whether it was his fault or not (and it usually was not). I think he would have felt he failed Jaehaera just as he did Viserys and Rhaenyra, and would have mourned her and felt bitter regret at her fate. But that’s just my take on them.

[justdillydally]

Will You Still Love Me? (Gwayne Hightower x OFC) 4

Chapter Summary: Rhaella received an unexpected invitation from none other the Queen herself.

Chapter Rating/Trigger Warning for the chapter:  Teen and up audiences

Note: This chapter is shorter compared to the previous one and I thought I should post this because it will take much longer I stick with the original plan. The song I posted in here is originally from ASOIAF and take no credit to it. We have Queen Alicent and a sneak peek of Otto scheming hehe. Let me know your thoughts! Thank you for the likes from the previous chapter. Hope you enjoy this one.

@deniixlovezelda @loverslikeghosts

“Ser.” She bowed to Gwayne, her voice steady despite the tumultuous emotions churning within her, before she walked toward the King who had called for her to perform. As she moved away, she felt the lingering sensation of Gwayne’s gaze on her back, a reminder that their dance was far from over.

A lump formed on her throat with each step she took towards the king. Rhaella held her head high, ignoring Gwayne’s piercing gaze. Taking the space just beside the royal table, she had her hands clasped tightly together. Once the familiar melody was played, she took a deep breath and began to sing.

“Look how the light of the town,

Tlights of the town are shining now,

Tonight I'll be dancing around,

I'm off on the road to Galway now.

Look how she's off on the town,

She's off on a search for sailors though,

There's fine fellas here to be found,

She's never been one to stay at home.

Home you'll go and it's there you'll stay,

And you've work to do in the morning.

Give up your dream of going away,

Forget your sailors in Galway.

Come now and follow me down,

Down to the lights of Galway where,

There's fine sailors walking the town,

And waiting to meet the ladies there.

Watch now he'll soon be along,

He's finer than any sailor so,

Come on now pick up your spoons,

He's waiting to hear you play them.

Here today and she's gone tomorrow,

And next she's going to Galway,

Jiggin' around and off to town,

And won't be back until morning.”

Her voice smooth and melodious capturing all the eyes in the crowd. She bowed once the song was finished; the crowd cheered and gave her a round of applause.

“Thank you Rhaella.”King Viserys clasped a hand on her shoulder.

“ It’s my pleasure, your Grace.” She beamed a smile at him. “The tourney is a success. I’m pleased to be part of it although I’m afraid, I must head to my chambers. I might have drunk more wine than my stomach can carry.”

Viserys laughed merrily. “I bid you good night, niece.”

“Enjoy the rest of the festivities, Your Grace.” She curtsied to the King then to Queen Alicent whose eyes seemed like ready to bore a hole in her head.

She rushed to Qarl’s side, not wasting any second. Walking in haste with her escort to her chamber, she deliberately avoided the crowd, not giving Gwayne a chance to continue their dance.

=x=x=x=x=x=x==x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x==x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=

My Dearest Daughter,

After receiving the news particularly your brother and Rhaella, I commend you for raising this concern to me. Gwayne crowning Rhaella as Queen of Love and Beauty may be born of admiration and I shall be surprised if it has not reached Daemon’s ears. You are aware of Gwayne’s lack of interest with politics but with his actions, he is placing himself at the very center of it.

Targaryens are not completely immune to affection and should Gwayne pursue his feelings to Rhaella, it could be turned to our advantage. It is essential to keep Rhaella close keep her away from undue influence that could ruin her. Should she develop fondness to your brother, her allegiance may shift, and we may find an ally to her. She will be better off with his influence than her own father.

Your brother is stubborn and will refuse to play the games in the court of King’s Landing. Do not bid him against his will. You may help foster their relationship in the shadows, mend ways for them to spend time with one another without them realizing they are guided by us.

Though I am far from King’s Landing, know that I am with you in spirit, and I will continue to provide counsel as best I can.

With all my love,

Your father

Alicent threw the parchment onto the fireplace. The fire engulfed the letter, joining the pieces of darkened wood. “Has Lady Rhaella arrived from her morning ride?” She asked her ladies-in-waiting, eyes laid on the parchment that was turning into ash.

 “Yes, your Grace.” A reply came from one of her servants.

Once the Queen was certain that the letter was beyond recovery, she turned around to face her servants. “Have some tea prepared in the gardens and tell Lady Rhaella that I wish to have tea with her this afternoon.”

=x=x=x=x==x=x=x==x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x==x=x=x=x=x=x==x=

After dedicating the entire morning to her training, Rhaella was more than ready for a moment of rest. Her pillows and sheets were neatly arranged, and without hesitation, she threw herself onto the bed. Exhaustion was beginning to take over, but she knew she couldn't stay long. Soon, she would have to leave her chamber to visit Princess Rhaenyra, whose babe was due any day now.

Her eyes had just closed when a knock on the door jolted her awake. A frustrated groan escaped her as she forced herself to sit up. “Who is it?” she called, rubbing her temples.

“Lady Genna, my lady. I serve as a lady-in-waiting to the Queen,” a familiar voice replied from behind the door.

Standing up, Rhaella quickly straightened her clothes and ran her fingers through her hair, attempting to tame the mess. She glanced at her reflection in the mirror but sighed in defeat; her efforts barely made a difference. "Please come in," she called, resigned.

The door creaked open, and a blonde woman in a blue dress entered. Lady Genna, who looked about the same age as Queen Alicent, curtsied. “Lady Rhaella,” she greeted formally.

Rhaella mirrored the gesture. “Lady Genna.”

“The Queen wishes to have tea with you in the gardens,” Genna announced.

Wishes? Rhaella knew better than to believe it was merely a request. Ser Qarl, who stood near the door, gave Lady Genna a wary glance before turning his gaze to Rhaella. “Tea we shall have, then,” Rhaella said, smiling faintly. “But I will need a moment to prepare. I doubt the Queen would appreciate me arriving in such a state.”

Genna’s lips curled into a polite, tight-lipped smile. “I shall inform Her Majesty.”

“Thank you, Lady Genna,” Rhaella replied, watching as the woman departed. She exchanged a brief, concerned look with Qarl. No words were necessary—they both knew this sudden invitation was more than it seemed.

“Fetch my ladies, Ser Qarl. I’ll need some assistance,” Rhaella instructed with a grimace.

Without a word, Qarl left to fulfill her command. Alone, Rhaella stared at her reflection in the mirror, her brow furrowed in thought. What could the Queen want? What did she know? When her ladies arrived, they helped her dress, braiding her hair and ensuring she looked presentable in the Queen’s presence, knowing full well how much Alicent valued decorum.

When she entered the gardens in her red and black gown, Rhaella carried herself with poise and elegance. A small table and chairs were set up in the corner, and Queen Alicent was already seated, nibbling on a piece of cheese, her green dress blending with the garden’s lush surroundings. Lemon cakes and cheese adorned the table, alongside a teapot and two empty cups.

“Your Grace, thank you for the invitation,” Rhaella said, bending her knee in a respectful curtsy.

Alicent rose, her smile practiced but cordial. “Lady Rhaella, thank you for joining me. I thought it might be pleasant to enjoy the gardens, especially with the weather so fair.”

A servant poured tea as the two women sat. Rhaella clasped her hands together tightly, unsure of how to begin the conversation. Did Gwayne say something to her? Had Rhaella unwittingly angered him? Was she about to be punished?

The Queen broke the silence, to Rhaella’s relief. “It must have been quite the surprise yesterday—my brother crowning you the Queen of Love and Beauty.” Her tone was soft, gentle.

“It was, Your Grace. I am honored that Ser Gwayne bestowed the title upon me,” Rhaella replied, a polite smile matching the Queen’s.

She stirred her tea, avoiding Alicent’s gaze. “I grew up far from Gwayne, but I know he does not play false courtesy like many at court. His actions have garnered attention, along with your name. I hope the attention isn’t overwhelming,” the Queen added, her words seemingly kind, but with an undertone of curiosity.

Does the Queen worry about her brother's attachment? Rhaella chose her words carefully. “Rumors and whispers are part of court life. I appreciate your concern, Your Grace, and I understand if you are worried for Ser Gwayne.” Her violet eyes met the Queen’s, unblinking.

Alicent’s expression softened. “I know how difficult it is to have eyes on your every move, to have people judge your every action.” She sipped her tea, eyeing Rhaella over the rim. “I care for my brother deeply, as I care for you, Rhaella. Navigating the Red Keep without proper guidance can be dangerous, and I would hate for either of you to be caught in rumors that do neither of you justice.”

Rhaella took a slow sip of tea, buying herself time. Her spine straightened as she considered her response. “I assure you, Your Grace, Ser Gwayne and I… we are merely acquaintances. There is nothing more between us.” There could be nothing between us, she thought, forcing the idea away.

Silence lingered again as Rhaella picked up a piece of lemon cake, while the Queen finished her tea. Rhaella knew it would be difficult for Alicent to trust her. After all, she was the daughter of the Rogue Prince, and many at court believed she would follow in his footsteps.

Alicent set her cup down with a gentle clink, breaking the quiet. “I hope you do not find my words too overscrupulous. You are still young, Rhaella, and you have many challenges ahead. I can only imagine what it must be like to be Prince Daemon’s daughter.”

Rhaella smiled, this time more genuinely. “My father is often away, fighting wars or in exile. He may not always be at my side, but he cares for me in his own way. His letters give me strength.” She couldn’t help but notice how Alicent’s eyes narrowed slightly at the mention of her father’s letters.

“I understand the importance of fathers, even from afar,” Alicent replied, her tone softer now. “My own father is in Oldtown, but we remain in close contact despite the distance.”

The Queen’s words struck a chord. “Daughters often bear a heavy burden, don’t we?” Rhaella said, her shoulders relaxing a bit. It was something her mother had always told her—that daughters were expected to appear strong, especially those in positions of power. Alicent’s father had moved mountains to place her as Queen, while Rhaella’s mother had always instilled in her the importance of duty as Runestone’s heir.

Alicent nodded, a touch of sadness in her smile. “I speak only from experience. Our duties are paramount, and we must tread carefully.”

For the first time since her arrival in King’s Landing, Rhaella glimpsed the woman behind the Queen’s mask. She finished the last of her now-cold tea and set her cup down. “I will take your words to heart, Your Grace.”

Alicent reached out, gently placing her hand over Rhaella’s. “That is all I ask.”

Rhaella met her gaze, unsure whether the Queen’s concern had truly reached her or if this was a subtle warning to stay away from Gwayne. Either way, the message was clear. “Thank you, Your Grace.

=x=x=x==x=x=x=x=x==x=x==x=x=x==x=x=x=x=x=x=x==x=x=x=x

Walking briskly through the corridors of the Red Keep, Rhaella had no time to waste. Word had just reached her that Princess Rhaenyra was in labor. Yet, her thoughts lingered on the Queen’s sudden interest in her, concern clouding her mind. Did the Queen view her as a threat to her brother?

“Lady Rhaella.” If not for the auburn-haired knight blocking her path, she might have missed him.

“S-Ser Gwayne,” she stammered, her eyes flicking to his, drawn to the familiar blue.

“Is something troubling you?” he asked, his voice laced with worry as he bowed his head slightly.

“I—no.” Rhaella shook her head, unwilling to disclose her unsettling conversation with his sister.

Gwayne raised an eyebrow, studying her closely. “Your body is here, but your mind seems elsewhere. Either that, or you’ve been ignoring me.”

Had he been calling for her? Rhaella averted her gaze, scrambling for a response. “You need not worry, Ser. I’m merely concerned for the Princess’ wellbeing. She’s about to give birth.”

The knight sighed, stepping aside to lean against the stone wall. “I didn’t have the chance to bid you farewell last night. You left the festivities in such a rush, I wasn’t able to say goodbye.”

She clasped her hands tightly, summoning the courage to meet his eyes. “My apologies, Ser Gwayne. I had too much wine and couldn’t stay.”

Gwayne scoffed lightly, shaking his head. “You danced quite well for someone claiming to be drunk.”

Biting her tongue, Rhaella resisted the urge to retort, mindful of the secret Gwayne still held over her. She forced a polite smile. “My apologies if I caused any offense.”

“Lady Rhaella—” Gwayne began, but both turned toward the sound of boisterous laughter coming from around the corner. Rhaella’s brow furrowed at the noise.

“You should’ve heard her sing,” a deep voice said. “Doesn’t matter if she doesn’t have silver hair, she’s pretty enough.”

“Don’t forget, dragonless,” added another voice, higher-pitched than the first.

“A Targaryen without a dragon is like a cat without claws. Might be easier to tame her. But who knows?” More laughter followed, and Rhaella’s fists clenched at her sides. They didn’t need to name her; it was obvious who they were talking about.

Gwayne tensed, his hand instinctively reaching for his sword’s pommel.

“No.” Rhaella gently placed a hand on his arm.

“They are—” Gwayne started, his voice tight with restrained anger.

“They’re only speaking the truth,” she cut him off, her voice soft and tinged with sorrow. “I am a Targaryen without a dragon.” Tears welled in her violet eyes.

Gwayne’s posture slackened, his anger giving way to concern. “Lady Rhaella…”

She released his arm, quickly wiping away the tears. “I must go. The Princess needs me,” she whispered, her voice trembling as she hurried toward Maegor’s Keep.

Without another word, they parted in silence.

[dirtytransmasc]

The threat you are referring in alicent protect rhaenyra's post is a lie?

I think your talking about this post, specifically this - "until she made herself a threat to her children" - line, which, I will now explain, cause it isn't a lie.

I'm gonna tackle this in two parts, one where I give Rhaenyra and TB the benefit of the doubt and focus solely on the perspective Alicent had, as she's not an omniscient being like we as the viewer are (which honestly more than TB deserves but I digress). the second part is gonna be my hoenst opinion of Rhaanyra and TB and their actions.

firstly, Alicent's perspective; Alicent was in a tough position. she is the wife of a king who did not love her or her children, they went ignored by him, no matter what happened. she was also being manipulated by her father (and also larys, to a certain point, we don't see a lot of the two until later on, but you can't tell me he didn't have his own goals as well), who was feeding her the "lies" (debatable, I don't think they were, but I do think he told her to further himself, so like... exaggerated truths? misconstrued truths? truths with more to gain than just the truth? call them what you want) about the safety of her children, especially when it came to Rhaenyra.

now, Alicent denied these statements, she never saw Rhaenyra as a true threat to her children despite it all, despite her being favorited by Viserys, despite what her father said, despite how Rhaenyra treated her (lying to her face, using her forgiveness and optimism against her, etc.), she never believed it. sure she was pissed that Rhaenyra had 3 bastards, but even then, she didn't see her as a threat.

but when her child was maimed and was then the one who was sought to face punishment instead of Luke over an insult (Rhaenyra calling for him to sharply questioned, Viserys pointing his anger towards Aemond and then Aegon, etc.) and Viserys backing this, then calling for the situation to be essentially ignored, while Aemond was given a life altering, potentially mortal if not fatal wound (cause any wound back then was no joke, especially an eye wound, the chance of him dying to infection can't be ignored).

the way they (Alicent and her children) where treated that night made all those claims from her father seem way more true, it brought them to life. Rhaenyra and her children could seemingly do whatever they wanted and Viserys would protect her. Rhaenyra lived on a high horse and would most likely not hold back once it came to her taking the throne after her fathers death.

this is only futhered by the suspicious/odd deaths of Laena and Laenor (Laena being denied her home, Laenor's "death" being shrouded in conspiracy, followed directly by Rhaenyra and Daemon being married and rushing off to dragonstone in less than a months time. it rightfully smelled fishy as all hell) and the murder of Ser Vaemond at the petition. it just didn't help Rhaenyra and TB's image.

this is all Alicent can see, she isn't like us viewers, she only knows what Rhaenyra showed her, and she never showed herself to be caring for her siblings, that she could be true to her word, that she could be anything other than self serving.

is this objectively true, no, sorta, if I'm to be as unbiased as possible. maybe she would have spared them, maybe she would find ways to keep them from endangering her claim. but Alicent was never shown that, not once, she had every right to worry for her children's safety after everything she saw and went through at Rhaenyra's hands.

now in my opinion, I think all of the above is justification enough for her distrust, but I think my distrust in Alicent's children being safe when Rhaenyra ascends comes much less from Rhaenyra herself, but in her inability to keep Daemon on a leash. now, is this less rhaenyra's fault, yes, though she's not completely off the hook in my mind, but again, from Alicent's perspective, she can't know that what Daemon is and isn't ordered to do, she has no idea how the inner workings of TB works.

I think Rhaenyra herself was a threat to those kids, she could never ascend with other male heirs alive (this has nothing to do with my belief as to whether or not she deserved to sit the throne, thats just a fact of the world they lived in), those heirs being Aegon, Aemond, Jaehaerys, and Maelor (not in that order, but succession politics make my head hurt, so I'm not gonna bother trying to put them in line order). for her to successfully ascend, they would have to be dealt with, in one way or another, and I can't see any of them taking the knee after how they were treated by her and their father (they are angry at her, like any neglected child, for being the favorite. Aegon might have, prior to B&C, but only if Aemond took it as well, and their was no chance in hell he would after having his eye taken by her child and then receiving no compensation for it. Aegon would have stayed loyal to his brother and Helaena would follow).

whether she killed them or not is another thing, I don't think Rhaenyra is entirely cold blooded enough to do that, I do think she would potentially ask Daemon to handle it, and whether she meant to have them killed or not, he would take pleasure in killing the Hightower kids, out of pure hatred for them. but I doubt he'd have to be told, hell, I think he would go against a direct order not to.

so whether or not Rhaenyra was a threat or not, if TB was the threat or not, etc. Alicent had no way to see them as anything but. Rhaenyra made an image and impression of herself to the kingdoms, to the court, and to Alicent herself, and she had to protect her children. like any mother, she would rather label Rhaenyra a threat and be over cautious, then be wrong and have harm come to her children.

[horizon-verizon]

https://www.tumblr.com/thephantomcasebook/716821484228706304/dyana-returning-for-s2-and-possibly-being-involved?source=share I would like to read your thoughts on this post. Is it true that viserys ii put a taboo on the name of her parents? Besides Luke was sending as a messenger, Aemond was not to kill him, and Luke's dragon had no chance against Aemond's dragon. And in what part does Martin establish that blacks are the villains?

*EDITED POST* 10/23/23

I'm just going to be rude (not targeting you, though). Everything this user says, ignore it, it's bullshit. Not just in this post, I mean, everything.

For how Aegon III and Viserys II, why didn't declare Rhaenyra to be a legitimate monarch to be historically called "Rhaenyra I" (despite the multiple times she's called "Queen" or "the queen" in Fire and Blood-vol 1, esp after she takes KL), look to this POST. There was no damn "taboo", this is a gross exaggeration, no, a LIE about the situation. Possibly a self-delusion born from an inability to use deductive reasoning.

Being a villain or antagonist is a position that doesn't change, and I'm not referring to plot twists...twists does not shake off the reality of a smart villain or antagonists working against the protagonist or MCs in the shadows. All villains are antagonists, not all antagonists are morally bankrupt or "too far gone" like a villain.

First, protagonist =/= "good person". It just means "who's fighting for something against them/who is this story about". The antagonist(s) is the force/figures set against the protagonist, and thus they do not have to be "good" nor "bad". However, the Dance's protagonist is Rhaenyra. It is written about her rise, endurance, and fall.

Second, while a character can be dark, turn dark, or be an anti-hero, for a writer to try to actually make THE protagonist THE villain or the antagonist, the actual antagonist would have to also become the protagonist and the entire story will have become entirely different in themes, etc. Thus, you cannot establish the greens as protagonists or the "good guys" bc they are neither the winner, the person in the morally superior position, NOR who the Dance of the Dragons is about or whose struggle the Dance narrates.

The villains AND antagonists of the Dance are the greens. While the blacks have members who are not good people (classist, misogynist, etc.), they are leagues better than the greens and are meant to be their foils where one highlights the other's qualities to reveal the differing qualities between them. An example is how Daemon, while having beaten an adult messenger, AEMOND is the one to kill a young boy acting as an envoy who never reached Westerosi majority (16) because he felt like it. The same boy also happened to be Aemond's nephew, which includes kin slaying, something Daemon didn't do until Lucerys was murdered.

Even though I am sure Daemon would have no trouble killing Aemond and the rest of his green Targ family if he could get away with it before any green tried for him and Rhaenyra or their own, the point I am making is that the greens are misogynist, classist, etc x100. And they (aside from Jaehaerys I, he's long term and Viserys I, he made many stupid decisions for his daughter) short term caused the Dance.

Finally, yes, Lucerys had absolutely no chance of surviving Vhagar nor Aemond, since:

Aemond has a deep grudge not just about the eye, but bc he sincerely believed that the Velaryon boys had no right over him to the throne and thinks them inherently lesser, so their being heirs and ahead of him in the succession line troubles his identity/aristocratic masculinity -> this fueled him to pursue Luke when he absolutely didn't have to, and to the detriment and horror of Alicent/Otto/the green cause

Vhagar is the biggest living dragon at this point in time and is battle-hardened/experienced

Luke went out expecting to be safe bc his envoy/status, so he was totally unprepared

Luke was 14 when he did and didn;t seem trained in fighting w/a dragon -- unprepared

This wasn't a fight, it was an execution.

[unusual-raccoon]

Hey so a few days ago I saw this post about how Rhaenyra not telling Alicent that she lost her v card is not the same as Alicent meeting Viserys in the middle of the night and not telling Rhaenyra. And it occurred to me, did anyone question why Viserys would choose the daughter of a second son from a family that doesn't even bring that much into prestige into the Royal Family. Like many could argue it was because of the Hightowers connection to the Faith and the Citadel but House Targaryen has two daughters as members of the faith (Rhaella daughter of Rhaena and Aegon the Uncrowned and Maegelle daughter of Alyssanne and Jaehaerys as septas) and a son in the citadel( Vaegon son of Alyssanne andJaehaerys) so that argument wouldn't really work.

I just wanted to know your thoughts on it as many people tend to gloss over this part when talking Viserys choosing Alicent over literally any other available female in his court(not counting his daughter).

This is a really interesting point! Honestly, I think Viserys was choosing what he believed was the lesser of two evils, someone that he thought would be a decent fit with him (she took an "interest" in his model of Valyria 🥺) and potentially the bigger concern was someone he thought could get along with Rhaenyra.

It feels like a dad move, he's trying his best in the midst of his grief and still thinks his 15-year-old wants a doll or something... The analogy isn't perfect, but I think you understand. The decision was two-fold. He was trying to make a choice that he thought would be beneficial to them both, without considering the way Rhaenyra would be hurt by the decision. This is why their dinner together (Rhaenyra & Viserys) where they discuss the expectation for him to remarry is so interesting, because Rhaenyra is fine with Viserys marrying for duty, and Viseyrs is like great!! Because he thinks marrying Alicent is dutiful to Rhaenyra. He's raising her best friend tremendously in station and has found a wife that is in her childbearing years (he wouldn't have to wait like with Laena) and she is ok with his hobbies - it feels like the best of a bad situation.

Except it backfired so hard because, from Rhaenyra's perspective, her dad just married her best friend for no reason. She had no clue that Alicent was visiting her father and nurturing some sort of affection there with the intention of being his queen.

Realistically House Hightower added nothing. They brought nothing to the table, unlike House Baratheon, Velaryon, etc.

Laena was easily the better choice for him, and the show completely glosses over her close relationship with Rhaenyra, simply to make the Rhaenicent besties angle work.

IDK, it's interesting, but also ppl will make the argument that if Viserys and Laena had gotten married, Corlys would've pushed for any sons through that marriage to be named as heir above Rhaenyra...

Even though, really, its a win-win, if Rhaenyra married Laenor as well... like

I've gone completely off-topic, I'm sorry.

I don't think the late-night visits and the v-card are on the same level in terms of what they're lying about. Alicent never admitted to visiting Viserys because it would've made Rhaenyra aware much sooner that Otto was vying for power, whereas Rhaenyra lied about the v-card because she knew it would be used to ruin her reputation/undermine her position as heir.

It's honestly "You lied for power, I lied to protect myself - we are not the same."

Anyway, I hope this gave you some insight into my thoughts on the matter!

Thank you for the ask 💕🫶

[likecassandra-ao3]

I decided to do a little background info-thingy on a few of the Kingsguard members in my fic "Drunken Gods of Slaughter", mostly because I'm orientating myself more on book-canon than show-canon with that part, and also because Alyssa honestly won't give y'all much useable information as narrator. For one, since she's the third child and second daughter, she's about as removed from these decisions as a child of the King can be, and for two, to be honest, she's a) ten and b) just got her eye gauged out. She's got other things to worry about than what's going on with the knights around her.

(There will be mild spoilers below for the deaths of some of the knights of the Kingsguard involved - mostly Ser Arryk&Erryk, and also Ser Harrold in F&B canon without going into much detail about what really happens.)

First and foremost: Ser Harrold Westerling is dead (RIP).

I know he's alive in the show, but honestly - it doesn't fit into the plot so he died some time before chapter five (which is the one I'm writing as I make this post). He's not gonna die as soon as he does in F&B but, he's dead by that chapter. Does Alyssa know this? Yeah. But, again, she's not exactly going to make a big thing out of it, especially since Harrold to me always seemed more Viserys/Rhaenyra focused in terms of his duties than Alicent/the kids.

This means that Ser Criston is also now the Commander! He's still going to be Alicent's sworn protector, so he'll hang mostly with her, and the Hightower/Targaryen siblings but he's got some new responsibilities in there as well now.

On the twins: We already know from canon that Ser Erryk sided with the Blacks while Ser Arryk sided with the Greens. I've never been quite satisfied with the way that the show framed it as "Oh one has morals! the other not ig :/" in their decision-making around this. Honestly, to me there is sooo much potential with this dynamic. We're reminded how the bond of these two brothers is so special there are songs written about it? And yet they STILL ended up on different sides? To a point where they kill each other for their respective monarch's cause? Yeah, that's soo much more than "ser erryk is decent <3 ser arryk vibes with the immoral </3". While their decisions will not exactly be explored (as this is not a big part of Alyssa's narrative) I'm still trying to give it some more depth - at least in an indirect behind-the-scenes way where stuff affecting Alyssa is concerned.

In F&B, Harwin Strong became Rhaenyra's sworn protector and after he died, Ser Erryk took over and went to Dragonstone. This is also the narrative we're following. After Harwin's death, Rhaenyra did not have her sworn shield anymore and so, some time after the return from Driftmark, while Alyssa is still recovering, Ser Erryk becomes her sworn shield and leaves for Dragonstone.

On the other hand, Ser Arryk becomes Alyssa's sworn protector for the time being. While rationally a third child/second daughter would not be given an entire kingsguard member to look after her, I think that with Criston in charge now, it's not out of the realm of possibilities that they assigned him to Alyssa to keep an eye on her; even if it's just to reassure Alicent that she'll be fine. This is very much intended to be a temorary thing, and I honestly don't think Viserys would even so much as care.

Does Alyssa know this? Well, she'll figure it out on her own... eventually. For now it's mostly "oh! Ser Arryk is guarding me a lot" in her thoughts - or at least who she ASSUMES is Arryk until she hears that Ser Erryk isn't in the city anymore, considering her "one has other gloves and she likes his vibe more" reasoning of keeping the twins apart is at best... unreliable. But, in short: Ser Arryk is in King's Landing, guarding Alyssa, while Erryk is on Dragonstone, guarding Rhaenyra.

That's it for now!