#rhaenyra doesn't have it that bad if there aren't other male heirs bothering her

[allyriadayne]

Is there a scenario where you see Rhaenyra peacefully taking the throne, rulling successfully and able to pass the throne to one of her children?

Many, many things would have to change in the story, so no? but if we are making up an scenario then the first is that Viserys cannot have more children because with Daemon and the Velaryons, the realm already has too many heirs to split themselves over. It does not mean they would try to take the throne but the optics of having living male relatives (daemon & laenor) is enough for the lords to consider them over Rhaenyra. She would have to marry one of them to at least unite two claims and face the third together.

I would say marry Daemon and deal with the Velaryons with a betrothal with Laena's children but it also would mean going above and beyond to please Corlys for denying not one but two royal marriages. Giving him a reduction on taxes, more offices for him and his children like Laenor captain of the guards or something and Laena & Rhaenys a place of honor in Rhaenyra's household, a bigger cut on the Stepstone's treasure, idk thing that would make him see he's still appreciated as kin of the royal fam. If Rhaenyra marries Laenor, well.....what happens in canon would definitely happen again lol and the threat of bastardy would hang very heavily above the child's life. Or maybe not! If Rhaenyra doesn't marry again and bears more children, and if Corlys has the same attitude to her children as he does in canon then maybe it could go well.

If we are trying to smooth Rhaenyra's way, the first one is the best for her. Yes, she would alienate many by marrying Daemon but I think the lords would prefer two Targaryens (better the devil you know...) rather than the Sea Snake on the throne, and would fix a little the optics of a ruling queen if they think it's actually Daemon who is ruling.

Another thing is that she would have to be married during Viserys' time to avoid the question of heirs. People trust their rulers more when they see them have a family, if Rhaenyra is married with children then the line is secured to their eyes. As for a better ruling I wouldn't know because Rhaenyra barely got time to do it in between grieving for her children and the war. Listen to her advisors? Avoid war? Just generic Good Monarch things: Make connections with the lords, go on tours, try not to be a tyrant I guess.

Of course all this is all a "what if I Mariana allyriadayne were a god who could move these dolls as i pleased" scenario and I'm not accounting to other human reactions that could happen in between, only what I would make the characters do knowing how it could all end up. Or if I were writing fic lol

[ladymorghul]

I know how this might sound, but I feel like the writing sort of validated takes like: her children were never in any real danger, it was all manufactured by Otto, or that Alicent has been unreasonable this whole time. Others have said this but the reconciliation was not a good writing choice. From my understanding, the last time the Greens and Blacks see each other is after Driftmark, after Aemond is permanently disfigured and disabled, after Viserys made it very clear that he would cover for Rhaenyra's treason, going so far as to yell at Aegon (who had nothing to do with the fight, but he couldn't even bother to reprimand Luc or Jace), after Rhaenyra herself suggested Aemond be tortured and pushed Alicent until she snapped. During those ten years Rhaenyra married Daemon, who was Public Enemy #1 (it wasn't just Otto who suggested Viserys make Rhaeneyra heir, it was the entire council because they didn't want Daemon near the throne), and Viserys slowly dying, basically a countdown to the inevitable war. 

When they reunite Vaemond is executed for voicing the exact same concerns (having him call Rhaenyra a whore was to soften Daemon's reaction, I refuse to believe that Vaemond is that stupid when he saw how far Viserys is willing to go to protect Rhaenyra at Driftmark) Alicent has had since Otto's dismissal and no one is punished, instead there's a big happy meal and wait, it turns out that Alicent has been unreasonable this whole time. That it was all in her head, her paranoia created and fed by Otto. So about 20 years worth of terror, Alicent pushing and punishing Aegon for not assuming his responsibility as heir...were all for nothing, smoothed over by a toast? Good queen? Girl, where, when??

The prophecy was dumb. It feels like that was just inserted to 1) keep the plot going because no, Alient's fears aren't valid, all she has to do is accept Rhaenyra as queen and everything's going to be okay (making Alicent more sympathetic to audiences because again, there's no other reason Alicent would want to crown Aegon, even though the prophecy makes her look dumb instead), and 2) it takes away from Aegon's storyline and the family tragedy as a whole. Before episodes 8-10, it felt like the Green family tragedy is that they all step into roles to protect one another: Alicent may not want to crown her son (imo Alicent comes off as someone who doesn't want power) but has to protect him and his siblings, Aegon doesn't want to be king but does so to protect his family, Aemond probably doesn't like Aegon but he'll fight and defend him to the end (it all goes horribly wrong but still). Now the dance is all about a prophecy, about men stealing the crown from the rightful heir, erasing the socio-political implications of Rhaenyra's ascension??? This isn't Shakespearian smh. 

This is getting long but lastly, Otto scheming to kill Rhaenyra was dumb. He's never really had a problem with Rhaenyra, his problem has always been with Daemon. Killing her, Daemon's wife and mother of his children, is basically unleashing him. The Green Council should have been the council talking about the politics, why the realm, if they accept a woman on the throne, would not accept bastards inheriting over true-born children and Aegon & his family. No gross feet scene (why, why do that to both actors?), no trying to force this "men = bad, women = good" shallow depiction of the patriarchy, and no Rhaenys. 

i agree with almsot everything you said here except for the depiction of patriarchy.

it is important to show that while rhaenyra may be spoiled, may be politically struggling, may lack this skill or that skill (which has happened with plenty of ruling male monarchs), a huge reason why she's being fought against is because she is a woman.

it's why viserys is chosen over rhaenys, why corlys gives driftmark to laenor, etc.

i don't think the green council should necessarily have sounded like some pompous sociopolitical class on why they're better for putting aegon on the throne, but i do wish the writers would understand that alicent had every right to push for what she believed is her own best interest, regardless of whether that would be wrong or right.

by that point in the story alicent had every reason to fear rhaenyra and daemon and if the weird reconcilliation at the dinner scene would be deleted, just those few minutes, all the greens should be scared of what daemon and rhaenyra might do.

and yeah i agree about the prophecy... they could have worked it into a story without it seeming like that's the only reason alicent pushes aegon to be king. they should have given her more agency.

i bet she will go down as one of the most hated female characters just for how they decided to shape her for rhaenyra's story.