#of course rhaenyra loves her bastard children because she birthed them raised them loved them but still passes them off as legitimate and

[alicentflorent]

People are unironically saying the Targaryen’s are pro bastard rights (citing Rhaenyra, Jace and Rhaenys as prime examples) Honeys, have you not heard of the dornish? House Martell?

[nastyslug]

anyway just wanna write down why i think there's no way dany is azor ahai your feminist savor hero queen is a man who killed his wife? be so fucking for real

jk no i dont want to argue i just gotta write it all down somewhere

The bloodstone emperor gets his hands on some black stone from space and abandons worship of the gods in favor of this stone, and well of course you'd make a weapon out of the magic rock you found but the weapon needs a blood sacrifice. So he pierces his blade through the chest of the Amethyst Empress, and she lets out a cry so powerful it cracks the moon and outpours dragons that drink the fire of the sun. Her soul is absorbed into the sword, consumed. In an act of kin slaying so upsetting asshai is cursed. He usurps her throne, ending an era of peace. His sword is Lightbringer as it brings light in the dark. He is probably the first dragon rider, the first "dragon" but more importantly, this makes the amethyst empress THE mother of dragons. Who dies in childbirth. "The maiden made of light turns her back on the world" and the long night begins.

He enslaves his people, practices necromancy and cannabalism but as evil and awful as he is I'm sure he had supporters, first hands, children ect, and some of these people would learn the same fire and blood magic and would found valyria, creating the next empire knowing the same blood magic necessay to bind them dragons and how to forge valyrian steel using the blood sacrafice of slaves.

But a power hungry god tyrant isn't just gonna settle, so the bloodstone emperor manifests destinys his way over to westeros/lands of always winter, I believe with interest in the heart of winter/the weirwoods and assumably does some blood magic with them and creates The Others, his living dead army and that's why the trees look like their bleeding and crying.

THis is where we get crazy, the bloodstone emperor then becomes the Night's King, who takes the corpse queen as his bride, "chased and caught and loved her" Interesting order?? Who enslaves the other night's watch through sorcery for 13 years.

Now, perhaps, what if, the last hero is the child of the corpse queen and the night's king. The child of an Ice Queen and a Dragon. And he was snuck away to the first men, in mirror of jon, in mirror of gilly and her baby. What if the name stark was his bastard name and the first men were house dayne, what if the corpse queen was a dayne. or maybe hes only the corpse queens and thats why he survived the cold idk idk

The bloodstone emperor, the Night's King, is killed by the last hero wielding not lightbringer but Dawn, described to be Just Like valyrian steel but white rather than black, it's "alive with light" and forged from a fallen star, wielded only by a knight worthy, named Dawn because it was used at the Battle for the Dawn. And it's present at Jon's birth.

But the bloodstone emperor is basically like a god surely he is no easy kill, but being of the same blood could help but still he's this crazy powerful sorcerer and I don't believe the last hero was that. Maybe the bloodstone emperor did a ritual so he could not be fully killed, or maybe the last hero and children couldn't kill him so they did a ritual, probably with the weirwoods, and knowing he is not "fully" dead people immediately warn of his, and the long night's eventual return.

Regardless of How specifically I believe the bloodstone emperor in death, becomes R'hllor, the lord of light (hey, what happened to the maiden). R'hllor, worshiped in Asshai, whos servants practice blood and fire magic, whos servants are children bought as slaves. Who prophecizes Azor Ahai's return.

and history often rhymes

Rhaenyra usurped and killed by her younger brother, by sunfyre. "Sunfyre, it is said, did not seem at first to take any interest in the offering, until Broome pricked the queen’s breast with his dagger. The smell of blood roused the dragon" "Rhaenyra Targaryen had time to raise her head toward the sky and shriek out one last curse upon her half-brother before Sunfyre’s jaws closed round her" Aegon's weapon Consumed her. And the dragons went extinct.

Aemond takes Alys Rivers, a sorcerer "the witch queen" as a prize of war, who looks surprisingly young for her age and carries the "dragon's bastard." It seems really implied that she charmed aemond.

Daemon challenges Aemond and waits 13 days and they have the battle above the gods eye, Daemon killing Aemond.

The dragon has three heads; The Bloodstone Emperor = Azor Ahai = Night's King = Aegon and Aemond = Euron The Last Hero = brandon the breaker? = Daemon =Jon Snow The Amethyst Empress =Nissa Nissa = Rhaenyra = Daenerys stressing I don't think the dance was literally them reincarnated just symbolically

AND DAENERYS she's not azor ahai she's not the bloodstone emperor SHES NOT A MAN. She's the amethyst empress, she's The Mother of Dragons, whos death caused the long night, and whos life will end it.

and I mean like thats just the start

[scratchtovoid]

THIS!

Especially since having bastard children is something uniquely different to men and women at this time. That’s the whole reason the book made sure to include that Aegon has bastards.

If we choose to believe Rhaenyra’s sons are not Laenor’s than both of these rulers had children that were biologically not their spouse’s. Yet Rhaenyra loved and cared for those children while Aegon ignored them. Aegon can have as many bastards as he wants and leave them in fighting pits and it doesn’t matter because somehow that is more morally right in some people’s eyes than a bastard being raised to be a prince.

And why did he have that option? Because he could. Because he did not give birth in court for all to see.

Rhaenyra, like all women, never had that option.

And it’s amazing to me when I see people specifically bring up the argument that she could have legitimized them. That suddenly that would be different because it was proper!

Why exactly? If the end result not the same? Why does it bother people that Laenor accepted his children as his own? Reminder no one can prove these children aren’t Laenor’s sons. No one. Not even the Green Council used this when they lay out their actual legal argument to the throne.

Because it’s a political tool. It’s just a way to undermine Rhaenyra.

And if the people who get very fixated on this do see being a bastard as a moral failing why would they accept her sons if they were legitimized? Because surely nothing about these boys would actually change.

I think because it avoids the humiliation factor. Some people need Rhaenyra to be humbled. To confess her “sins” of sleeping with a man she wasn’t married to.

Of course Aegon doesn’t need to do this. Because in their eyes these acts themselves are not a sin. Just the acts when done by a woman.

“Bastard” and “Legitimate” are legal terms. People will deny this. They will say: “Oh no actually it’s not legality! Bastards are all children born out of wedlock! It’s not just some legal definition!”

No actually it is.

And if you really think it’s not. If you really think people born to unmarried parents are inherently evil. Maybe it’s time to just put the book down and get some air.

It's wild how many people on "Team Black" need to hear this incredibly basic fact, but bastardphobia is bad, you guys. It's not only its own form of bigotry based around the 'nature of one's birth,' but also a product of and vessel for misogyny.

HOTD really did a disservice to the message the source material was trying to tell by overemphasizing the importance of 'legitimate' birth — allowing so much of the misogyny directed at Rhaenyra to be masked by a deceitful, 'objective' truth against her. Stop falling into that trap.

This is your reminder that when Matilda's (Rhaenyra's historical counterpart) claim was brought before the Pope, her cousin's faction, while of course benefitting from misogyny, did not use her womanhood in their argument; they used the justification of 'illegitimacy.' That her mother had spent so much time at a convent in her youth that she was "essentially a nun". Basically saying: okay, if being a woman isn't bad enough, we'll also say she's a bastard. Because you can turn anyone into a 'bastard' if you try hard enough.

This is your other reminder that the stalemate and dispute over succession was resolved with an adoption. I repeat. Her son's claim to the throne was solidified by adoption. The warring factions consolidated their rival claims not by blood and marriage, but by a shared understanding.

[iris-sistibly]

The Targ Talk (a review series): House of the Dragon episode 6

[🔥]

I remember in previous episodes when Rhaenyra expressed how much she disliked the idea of childbirth (which killed her mother), and the opening scene is her giving birth to her third son. Love how that smile was painted on her face the moment Joffrey came out, and how excited she was to hold him.

The relationship between Rhaenyra, Harwin and Laenor is definitely unconventional. They may not be a typical family but they have come to find and settle on an arrangement that they are all comfortable with, and at the same time, they have also found a way for the three of them to be present in their children's lives and raise them together.

Speaking of Ser Harwin Strong, isn't he an amazing dad? I love how he doted on the boys, how soft he is towards them and will not hesitate to beat the shit out of any asshole who dares lay a hand on any of them.

Fun fact: In Fire and Blood, the issue about who Jacaerys, Lucerys and Joffrey's father is (whether it is Ser Laenor or Ser Harwin) remains a mystery. Though, based on the boys' description of how they look like in the novel is pretty much a Strong's, one would be stupid to belive that they have even an ounce of Velaryon blood in them, duh. It's just that no one dared to talk about it (even Queen Alicent herself) for they feared of the king's punishment.

I also like the fact that Laenor acknowledges the boys as his children and gives them his surname. In the modern world, we can say that he basically adopted all three of them which makes them [STILL] his sons, therefore, they are Velaryons by law and they are technically not bastards. Though in the books, I don't think there was a part in both accounts that told Laenor's relationship with the kids, but the fact that he named their third-born after his dead ex-boyfriend (with Rhaenyra's permission of course in Fire & Blood) says a lot about how he connected with the boys.

VERMAX CUTIE!!! 🥰🥰 He is such an adorable dragon, I appreciate how this episode showed how Jace built a bond with his dragon.

So Vhagar finally made her debut in the show. She looks really old, fucking gigantic, terrifying and magnificent. Damn I really wish they started with the conquest (or…Aenar Targaryen and his family leaving Old Valyria before the doom?) I would love to see Balerion and Meraxes too.

Laena Velaryon is one of my favorite characters in both the show and the book! She's beautiful, graceful, an amazing wife, a good mother, and a badass dragonrider! It's so sad that she died early. I wish they'd given her and Rhaenyra more time together.

Fun fact: In Fire & Blood, Laena and Rhaenyra actually have a good relationship with each other, when the former gave birth to her and Daemon's child (after Baela and Rhaena), Rhaenyra was with her in the birthing bed. Lady Laena birthed a son but he was twisted and malformed. He died an hour later. Whilst the mother on the other hand was left weak, grief-stricken, and later on suffered from childbed fever. She passed away three days later, but it was said that she attempted to ride Vhagar one last time but she collapsed and died.

That moment when Laena pointed out how much Daemon misses home. No matter how much our Rouge prince denies it, Laena can see through him. As much as I ship Daemyra, it did hurt when she said that she wasn't the wife Daemon would have wanted because she was good to him. I believe he did love her, but Laena also acknowledges that someone else holds a special place in Daemon's heart and she respects that, she respects his boundaries as well.

I don't know about you guys but Daemon seem to be another person when he's with Laena, the dude was always chaotic as fuck, but since marrying her he seems to be more…tamed (maybe because he got older and he became a father). But the difference between his relationship with Laena and Rhaenyra is night and day, with Rhaenyra he would bend backwards, and do some crazy shit for her (uh…I'll discuss more about this in the later episodes or once they get married and shit gets real). But with Laena he's not the Daemon I'm used to seeing, but she does bring out his calmer side, and I'd say that their marriage was rather harmonious.

Until her death, Laena has proven to be such a badass woman. During that birthing scene, she would either die with the child still in her womb or die from excessive bleeding once the maester cuts her open, and the baby has a low chance of survival. Either way, she's gonna end up dead so might as well choose how she wants to die, that shit was fucking morbid. Vhagar on the other hand hesitating when Laena commanded her to burn her, but in the end respected her master's decision and gave her what she wanted.

My heart also aches for Daemon, I mean come on! That look on his face says a lot about what Laena meant to him.

If there is anything I like about Viserys, it's him being such a loving and protective father towards Rhaenyra. With what Rhaenyra did, he could have easily disinherited and disowned his daughter (*coughs*, hi King Jaehaerys I!) but he did not. His love for her is unconditional, and he would not hesitate to punish anyone who dares to question his grandchildren's true parentage. I do not think he is stupid to not realize that the boys were not Laenor's, but at the end of the day, they are still Rhaenyra's children and his own blood. He still accepted them wholeheartedly and I really appreciate him for that. Also find that scene where Rhaenyra told him that she called the midwife a cunt really cute.

Rhaenyra's sons and Daemon's daughters are adorable! I especially like that scene where Rhaena was humming a song to her dragon egg while holding it near the fireplace 🥺. Spoiler alert: She will have a dragon named Morning, but it will take some time.

I'd like to point out how Rhaenyra swallowed her pride and proposed a marriage between Jace and Helaena. After the incident between Harwin and Criston, she knew it was only a matter of time before the truth came out, and y'all know what will happen next. The only way to protect her children is to secure Jace's claim to the throne through marriage. When she sensed that Alicent wasn't going to agree, she left King's Landing to spare her children from humiliation even if it meant Alicent having more chances to sabotage her and make Aegon heir. Rhaenyra is one hell of a proud woman, but just like any other parent, her weakness are her children.

Fun fact: According to the novel, Rhaenyra was a doting mother. With the King's blessing, she announced the betrothal of Jace and Luke to Baela and Rhaena (they were much younger btw), and she never proposed a marriage between her son and Alicent's daughter. It was King Viserys who wed Aegon to Helaena.

Oh my gosh! I was blown away with Emma D'Arcy and Olivia Cooke's performances as Rhaenyra and Alicent! Aside from them looking so similar with Milly and Emily respectively, they also nailed their characters, I cannot wait to see more of them.

[Meh]

It's kinda nice to know that Aegon's relationship with Jace and Luke wasn't that bad. He was lazy af, lustful but initially have no desire to challenge her sister's claim. But being young, he was easily influenced by the people around him and it brought out his inner Joffrey Baratheon. I also think that Aemond is not that bad, but he felt terrible about him not having a dragon while his older brother and nephews have their own (and they were making fun of him for it). Helaena reminds me a bit of the younger Alicent, and I feel like in the show she will be a mirror of who her mother was in the past.

Fun fact: Alicent and Rhaenyra's children has always been bitter rivals. Aegon and Aemond were fucking spoiled brats and bullies.

Where is Daeron btw? As far as I know, he is closest with Joffrey in age and even shared the same wetnurse. I'm not sure if he's already been born or perhaps later on idk, but he has to exist bc he is the only one out of all of Alicent's kids that I like, and I love his dragon (Tessarion) as well.

[WTF]

I feel like Alicent is going to be worse than her father as far as being a parent is concerned. Unlike Rhaenyra, there was no warmth in her eyes everytime she looked at her children. She was awkward with Helaena, she was pressuring Aegon about the succession issue. And with Aemond, although she took his side after Aegon, Jace and Luke pulled a prank on him doesn't say much. I don't feel her motherly instincts, I mean sure she protects her kids but I don't know she has always been so off even when her kids were still babies.

The way Rhaenyra was humiliated in the middle of their meeting. It was bad enough that the princess was already putting aside her personal issues with her ex-bff, and Alicent low-key embarrassing her was just…wtf? (I mean she could just have acted normally because it's fucking normal, Rhaenyra just gave birth and she's lactating. It's not like she didn't go through that herself). It's a good thing Viserys saved her once more by commending his daughter with her proposal.

See? This is why I never liked Ser Criston. He is a fucking asshole, did y'all see the way he harshly grabbed Jace? And the way he "coached" Aegon to beat the shit out of the poor boy so he could lash out all of his bitterness towards Rhaenyra? That's some fucked up shit. I get why he's so angry at Rhaenyra, but why punish her son? Harwin beating him up was so satisfying though.

Larys Clubfoot is another one of those characters in Fire and Blood that I hate and like. He's Petyr Baelish with [for me] a hint of Varys, if you haven't the book, my advice would be to watch out for his character. I won't divulge anything about him yet but I would say that he is one of the key players in the dance of the dragons. He is definitely not a fighter, but he is one of those characters who is not only clever but also dangerous imo.

Fun fact: Larys' brother, Harwin and their father Lyonel did die when a fire broke out in Harrenhal. Some say it was an accident, others say that it was the curse of Harrenhal. But rumors say that it was Lord Corlys who ordered to murder them as revenge to the man who cuckolded his son, there were also those who said that it was Prince Daemon because Harwin was his rival for Rhaenyra's affection. There were also claims that it was Larys Clubfoot so he could have Harrenhal for himself, AND Viserys was also rumored to be behind all of these. He apparently wanted to punish Harwin for dishonoring his daughter.

I forgot to include this on the rant list but I kinda find it weird that Alicent "didn't ask for the deaths of Lyonel and Harwin Strong." Well she didn't order it herself but still, as a player in the dance, she should have expected or at least know that blood will definitely be spilled. She was the one who "waged war," duh.