#you think aemond and daemon has anger issue

[farity]

Longing

Pairing: Aemond Targaryen x you

Summary:  A ward of Rhaenyra’s, you are present on that fateful night when Luke’s being a little shit.

Warnings: Smut.

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“Luke, no.”

You whispered to your half-brother.  He had been smirking and laughing at his uncle across the table, and the longer it went on, the more you could feel Aemond Targaryen’s anger radiate off of him.  

You knew the story well, even though you hadn’t been around when it had happened.  Your father, Ser Harwin Strong, had never known of your existence, but when your mother became gravely ill, she went to the Princess Rhaenyra, begging her to take you in.  Rhaenyra could see Harwin’s eyes in yours, the same unruly hair, the same determined demeanor.  She promised the dying woman to care for you and in exchange, you tutored her children.

You had found Rhaenyra to be kind, her husband Daemon to be unpredictable, and the children to be close.  You also knew well what had happened just before you joined the household.  The fight that culminated in Aemond losing an eye.

Once again, Luke made a small sound, amused at his own private joke, and again, you walked up to the table from where you stood a few feet away, kicked his chair and whispered.  “Stop it.”

Too late.

Aemond struck the table with his fist and rose, and your heart sank.

“Final tribute,” he said.  You saw Rhaenyra look up at him, and even though you didn’t yet know what else the prince would say, you felt nothing good would come of this.

* * * * * 

“All of you, go to your chambers, go now.”

Rhaenyra sent her sons and Daemon’s daughters to their rooms.  She didn’t oversee how you spent your free time, trusting you enough to let you manage your day as long as the children’s lessons took place as scheduled.  You nodded at her and followed, catching up with Luke.  

“You’re an idiot.”

He turned, ready to argue, but you kept going.  “Why the hell would you provoke him like that, Luke?  Do you never think beyond the next three seconds?”

You rushed past him and went into the chamber you’d been given, closing the door.  

At least the dying king had already left before the evening went to shreds.  Poor soul, he didn’t even realize most of the family problems were of his making.  In wanting everyone to tolerate the simmering issues, he had only created a cauldron full of roiling hatred, and it was about to spill over.

Stupid, stupid Luke.

Restless, you paced from hearth to bed over and over until you realized you would never fall asleep like this.  Some reading might help settle you down.  You had finished the small volume you had brought with you, but you knew where the library was here.

You opened the door as quietly as you could, looking around before slipping out and taking the hallway that led to the library.  There was no sound and you hoped everyone had settled down in their rooms.  

In the library, several candles were lit on the main table, and you walked towards the closest bookcase to look at some of the titles.

“Here to apologize for the whelp?”

“Mother save me!” you slapped a hand to your mouth, your heart jumping into your throat.

Prince Aemond sat on the far corner, fading into the surrounding darkness.  Now that your eyes had adjusted, you saw him more clearly, long silver hair, a book in his elegant fingers, long legs extended in front of him.  Were he anyone else, you would be besotted.  Were he not someone who hated your family, you would allow yourself improper thoughts.  Were he not who he was, you would admit to yourself that the tall man in the dreams that tormented your nights was the same man sitting in the library with you.

“I doubt the Mother has the time for the likes of us, my lady.”

Heartbeat going back to normal, you grabbed a candle.  “I am not a lady, as you well know, Prince Aemond.�� And no, I am not apologizing for Luke, although I did tell him he was an idiot.”  You turned to examine the titles on the shelf, and to escape his stare.  Mostly history books, it seemed.

“Are you seeking something in particular?”

“Travel stories, anything on Essos?” you turned to find he was not ten feel from you.  

“Do you wish to see the world, then?” he asked, taking another step towards you.  

You wanted to run, to lock yourself in your room and avoid talking to him.  Avoid longing for those hands to be on you, for that hair to be wrapped around your fingers, for that mouth, usually so severe unless curved into a cruel smirk, to be on yours.

Steeling yourself, you met his gaze.  “Someday, yes.  I must make my own way sooner or later.”  His eye bore into yours, the pale blue shimmering in the candlelight.  He said nothing, and the seconds stretched between you.

You’d heard Daemon say once that silence was the best way to get someone else to speak.  That people were unused to silence and rushed to fill in the void with careless words. That when he wanted to find out something, he simply waited for the other person to speak.

Aemond said nothing and you became more and more uncomfortable.  You would not speak.  You would not move.  You would not look away from that intense scrutiny.

He took another step toward you.

You could smell the leather of his jacket, the soap used on his shirt, and some kind of earthy scent you couldn’t quite pinpoint.

You bit down on the inside of your lip to force yourself to remain quiet, and you saw his usual smirk appear.  He was so close.  He reached up past you, never breaking eye contact with you, and brought down a book, holding it up for you to see.  

You took it, not bothering to look at the title, curtsied, and as casually as you could manage, turned and walked out of the library.  Every step seemed to take an eternity but you would not give him the satisfaction of hearing you run from him.

Then you heard it.

One step, two.  Leaving the library.  

Following you.

Forcing yourself to keep your steps slow and steady, you headed to your rooms.  The steps behind you matched your pace, and your heartbeat picked up.  

What was this torment?  What was he doing?

Blessedly, you reached your rooms, opening the door with shaking hands.  Stepping inside, you turned, finding yourself almost nose-to-nose with him.

“Lost your way, Prince Aemond?”

“I am exactly where I wish to be.”  He watched you closely.  “Well, maybe not exactly where I wish to be just yet.”

“Then I wish you luck in finding your way, good eve-”

He took your arm, pushing you inside and closing the door smoothly before taking your face in his hands.  “I find myself craving your company, my lady.”

You couldn’t make yourself push him away.  It was difficult enough to remain impassive when those hands you’d dreamed of were cradling your face so gently.  “Your memory seems to be failing as well as your sense of direction, Your Highness, as I must repeat that I bear not the title of lady.”

His breath was warm on your lips as he pulled you closer.  “And yet there are those who bear noble titles who are not entitled to them,” he mused, his eye roving over your mouth.

“I am sure I have no idea who you could possibly be referring to,” you replied, tired of the never-ending talk about your half brothers.  In response, he smiled, almost gently, surprising you.  Gentle was not a word you associated with Aemond.  He was fire and fury wound tightly, ready to unleash, as he had earlier after Luke’s provocation.  “Would you unhand me, I wish to go to bed.”

“A delightful suggestion.”  He didn’t move.  If anything, his fingertips had started to rub tiny circles high on your cheeks.  You wondered if he was aware he was doing it.

“Alone.”  

When he still didn’t remove his hands, you reached up to take them off your face, realizing too late that touching him was a dangerous idea.  You placed your hands on top of his larger ones, and he immediately took your fingers in his, bringing them to his lips.  You watched as that cruel mouth kissed the back of your fingers, taking each one in turn.  “What is this, I wonder,” he murmured, switching to your other hand, “retribution? Punishment?  I despise your brothers, their very existence is an insult to the realm, but the thought of you occupies my thoughts to distraction.”

“Prince Aemond, this is most improper,” you whispered, clinging to the last of your sanity.  You had to stop this, stop him, and you nearly laughed at the thought of anyone, let alone you, stopping Aemond Targaryen.

“You know not the meaning of the word.”  

“Please, Your Highness.”

He’d turned one of your hands over, and was now kissing the sensitive pads of your fingers.  “Please . . . what?”

Each brush of his lips against your fingertips made fire spark inside you, and there was a heaviness low in your belly that was becoming impossible to ignore.

“Stop?” he asked, switching to the other hand, “or continue?”

“Please,” you managed, but could not make yourself say another word.

He stilled, and looked at you.  “There are signs,” he said quietly, “when a woman’s desires are awakened.  The breathing speeds up, the lips become redder,” he smirked, and brushed his thumb over your lower lip, “the skin warms and the pulse quickens.”

You became acutely aware of your breathing, of how overheated you felt, and summoned your will.  “And what about men?”

His eyebrow rose at your question.  “Much the same, except for one or two differences.”  He brought your hand down until you felt your palm brush against something impossibly hard and warm.

You gasped, trying to pull your hand away, to no avail.  

“Undeniable, hmm, the effect you have on me.”  His eye was icy fire and you felt the smallest sliver of power begin to thread to you.

Foolish girl.

Ignoring your quickly disappearing sense of self-preservation, you flexed your  fingertips, the tiniest movement, and felt him pulse against you.  Aemond gasped, hips jerking against your hand.  

More.

You squeezed gently, and this time he moaned, his free hand still cupping your face.  

“Stop now, or I shall have my turn,” he whispered harshly.  “Choose.”

You raised your chin, your eyes meeting his gaze, and slowly moved the backs of your fingers up and down his leather-covered length.  Aemond made a low noise deep in his throat and pressed his forehead against yours.  Before you could do it again, he swiftly grabbed your wrist and began walking you back toward the bed.

You stopped when you felt the edge of the bed hit the back of your legs.  Still looking at him, you found the ties to his breeches, tugged on one.  

“You will be my ruination.”

You grabbed the other tie.  “Someone should be,” you replied, and tugged, letting the breeches become loose on his slim waist.  Emboldened, you slipped your fingers into the waistband, feeling the muscles in his stomach tense at your touch.  His skin was so warm and smooth, and you began to slide your palm up beneath the tunic he wore, fingertips tracing a map as you explored.

“The skin warms,” you murmured, and pressing your palm against his chest, felt the fast beating of his heart.  “And the pulse quickens.”

A muscle twitched in his jaw and he pulled you in, mouth on yours, tongue demanding entrance.  You gasped and he took advantage, deepening the kiss, and you wrapped your arms around his neck.  The taste of him was unexpectedly sweet, with some dark spice you could not name. He placed a knee on the bed, pulling you with him to lay down in the center.  

“Tell me,” he whispered, “tell me you want this.  I will not have you unwilling.”

“I am not unwilling,” you managed, dizzy from his kiss.  “I want, I-”

“Name it, and you shall have it.”

“I don’t know,” you said quietly, “I don’t know what I’m asking for.”

“Then I shall spend all night finding out.”

[crimsonbastard]

Alright, might as well adress the elephant in the room:

- The absolute desecration of Alicent's Character is infuriating. Her straight up surrendering to Rhaneyra and throwing her sons to the wolves?? And betraying her own Father? Alicent HAS her issues with her family but there's no way that she's going to stoop as low as straight up giving them up. And oh, her saying that she was "fond" of Viserys?? Like what?? You mean the man who groomed you?? Put his rot in you and neglected you and your children??? What the actual fuck??? Was this the same woman who attacked Rhaenyra when her son got mutilated?? All of that for what?? Nothing! And what of your Grandson Alicent?? The little boy who was butchered?? Does his death mean nothing??

- Helaena's complete 180. Seriously?? Her guiding Daemon? The man who orchestrated her son's death? I understand Helaena not wanting to fight, and as Queen she has every right to deny Aemond, but her guiding Daemon towards his path?? Seriously?? And since when did her Visions get Lucid enough to pinpoint Aemond's grave?? Atleast Condom and Hiss had the courtesy of Helaena feel something towards her husband when she confronts Aemond about what he did.

- Oh Aemond, literally the only Green who (besides Cole & Daeron) who's fighting for his family. Him trying to force Helaena felt out of character, as, besides his mother it's her he cherishes the most. We see him lash out, that cold calculated mask finally dropping as he starts getting desperate when he lashes out on Sharp Point and it's innocent citizens as well as his sister. He still is that angry boy who lost his eye.

- We've got Rhaenyra openly admitting what Team Black had been denying all along. That for her to ascend, Aegon must be put to the sword.

- Cole finally being vulnerable and showing what's going through that head of his. How he thinks that this war is for nothing, and that whatever ideals he held onto before, have been let go of and that the only thing that keeps him going is Alicent. He knows that chances of him making out of this war are slim but he goes along with it, for her. Him admitting his hypocrisy, and that he has no shame was the cherry on top. A Jaime Parallel.

- Ah yes the Weirwood vision that conveniently removes any daemyra angst later on. Daemon realising how serious the upcoming horrors from beyond the north are, and that Daeneryes cameo is nothing but a cheap attempt by Condom and Hiss, just to:

a) Shoehorn Daenerys to appease Dany Stans

b) Remind the audience of the "divine right" of the Targaryens to rule westeros as only they can "unite" the realm.

c) Completely absolve all the future atrocities comitted by Rhaenyra and Daemon, as it is for the "Greater Good"

d) By doing so, they gave Daemon a convenient excuse to go on his "murder suicide" battle with Aemond other than abandoning his wife for one last girl he groomed, her being Nettles who is cut from the show, so as to not anger the Daemyra stans.

e) It doesn't even matter in the end, as it's Arya who kills the Night King.

- Alyn verbally decimating Corlys for abandoning him and his brother until his legitimate heirs were gone was satisfying to see.

- Aegon wanting to fashion himself as "The Realms Delight" Is interesting. Considering he will go down into the history books as the Rightful King whereas Rhaenyra goes from being "The Realm's Delight" to "Maegor with Teats". Aegon being negatively viewed by the smallfolk this season despite wanting to do good by them (to get their love and approval) whereas Rhaenyra leading innocent people to their deaths (by dragonfire) and watching from atop, and also sending a few "gifts" to the starving smallfolk, she herself being the cause of their starvation, via the blockade. If the writer's don't further fuck up, we might hopefully see the smallfolk shift their perception towards both rulers, with Rhaenyra being finally called "Maegor with Teats" and Aegon being somwhat looked at positively.

- Sunfyre cannot be dead. He's too important. I hope they made Larys mention that just to subvert our expectations.

- We finally get to see Tessarion, and she looks like a recolored Arrax. Hopefully with a bigger budget they'll give her a more fitting look.

[atopvisenyashill]

Do Aegon and Aemond show/have any personal interest in Rhaenyra because she exudes a nurturing presence, given that both seem to seek that type of comfort in their lives?

hmmmmmmmm.

For Aemond, in both books and show, i think the answer is no. I think Aemond is very just massively bogged down in this very black and white view of the world and unwilling to see shades of gray. Things that are part of the natural order and tradition are right and you must do anything and everything to keep things right; any wrong you do is forgiven because you are attempting to get back to The Correct Order. Any deviance from that order should be swiftly punished. And of course, he sees himself as the sole arbitrator of what is good and what is bad. This is why he's so fixated on Daemon; I think he sees Daemon's ability to be confident, to rise high, to remain influential despite being second born as incredibly impressive and wants to emulate it, but in The Good Way because Daemon Is Bad.

Aemond is play-acting at a story where he's the hero and Daemon is his shadow self and has tunnel vision; I genuinely don't think he thinks about Rhaenyra much at all beyond thinking of her as the Whore to his mother (and helaena's) Madonna. He doesn't think her of a mother any more than he thinks of her as a woman, really. She's simply The Enemy, simply Rhaenyra the Whore, the Cunny Queen.

For Aegon that's a bit more complicated. In the books, I think there's an implication there that Aegon has a bit of a latent fascination there. Most of his ire is directed at her sons and not Rhaenyra himself - he takes issue with Jacaerys dancing with Helaena, he fights with the boys during practice, etc - and the few bits of dialogue we get are often Aegon speaking about Rhaenyra:

Moreover, the prince at first refused to be a part of his mother’s plans. “My sister is the heir, not me,” he says in Eustace’s account. “What sort of brother steals his sister’s birthright?” Only when Ser Criston convinced him that the princess must surely execute him and his brothers should she don the crown did Aegon waver. “Whilst any trueborn Targaryen yet lives, no Strong can ever hope to sit the Iron Throne,” Cole said. “Rhaenyra has no choice but to take your heads if she wishes her bastards to rule after her.” It was this, and only this, that persuaded Aegon to accept the crown that the small council was offering him, insists our gentle septon.

Aegon II was two-and-twenty, quick to anger and slow to forgive. Rhaenyra’s refusal to accept his rule enraged him. “I offered her an honorable peace, and the whore spat in my face,” he declared. “What happens next is on her own head.”

��Sister,” he called down from a balcony. Unable to walk, or even stand, he had been carried there in a chair. The hip shattered at Rook’s Rest had left Aegon bent and twisted, his once-handsome features had grown puffy from milk of the poppy, and burn scars covered half his body. Yet Rhaenyra knew him at once, and said, “Dear brother. I had hoped that you were dead.” “After you,” Aegon answered. “You are the elder.” “I am pleased to know that you remember that,” Rhaenyra answered.

There's something here I think. An even more twisted version of Daemon's issues with Viserys, a sort of mirror to Viserys III and Dany. A fascination with her, at what might have been between them if they were a bit closer in age, if Viserys had been less stubborn and short sighted. There's a hatred here that I think is rooted in the fact that they could have married, that she could have been his. I suppose it's more of an implication than anything, but I do think that yes, Aegon is fascinated with Rhaenyra, drawn to her a bit, and some of his hostility towards her sons is this sort of "if she had married me they'd be trueborn and we wouldn't have this problem" idea, as a bit of a mirror to Daemon and Viserys being very aware that if Daemon was a girl they could have married.

The show is where, imo, you get into Aegon being attracted to her because Rhaenyra very much identifies herself as a Loving Mother to the outside world; she even specifically points to the rumors about her sons when she's talking to Mysaria as one of the points against her. The whole show is very focused on motherhood, especially (imo) on mothers and their sons; and again while Aemond's story is more preoccupied with his own mother, there's this implication between Rhaenyra and Aegon here. He feels like he can never measure up to Rhaenyra, who is perfect in every way - Viserys loved her more and of course he did because Rhaenyra is a kind mother to all her children, has a loyal husband willing to go batshit insane for her at a moment's notice, has this sort of easiness about her that he is incapable of emulating. During the dinner scene in season 1, there's several points where you can see Aegon clearly staring at her and Daemon. In the carriage scene with Alicent, he is very fixated on the fact that Viserys never liked him. Then, in season 2, a lot of his crumbling comes when he is unable to measure up to that Kingly Ideal (while Rhaenyra is in the middle of rising to it). There's that conversation with Larys where Aegon calls himself the realm's delight, which was what Rhaenyra is called.

I think not dissimilar to Daemon, Aegon has an incredibly hard time sorting through his feelings and drawing lines between different sorts of emotions. Married to one sister and deeply aware that he almost married the other. Constantly reaching out emotionally to a mother that is incapable of connecting to him despite her clear connection to Helaena (the sister he didn't want to marry) and her fondness for Rhaenyra (the sister he almost married). I think he looks at the way Rhaenyra's children and stepchildren all seemingly get along and support each other and feels like That Should Have Been Him. His longing is not for power but emotional intimacy, yet he is incapable of connecting to and understanding the vulnerabilities of the people he wants to be emotionally intimate with; he doesn't understand why his mother hates him for raping Dyana, he doesn't understand why Aemond hates him for all the teasing, he can't bring himself to connect to Helaena because he resents their marriage, he can barely bring himself to connect to his own kids! I think this deep longing for love really manifests itself as hatred towards Rhaenyra; the line between passion and hate is very thin after all!

[haziwritesstuff]

My little rose, part 3

"You are meant to be the love of my next life."

Pairing | Aemond and Aegon x reader Wordcount | 4.2k Warnings | Medieval misogyny, Aegon isn't the nicest Previous chapters | Part 1, part 2

You make your way to Dragonstone, landing on the stone steps of the castle. Your family isn't there yet. It's quiet as you approach alone. You feel like you're walking into an empty castle, with nothing but your own footsteps echoing in the vast halls. The air is still and you feel like you're walking through a desert of stone and silence. You find it oddly peaceful and tranquil in a way, despite the solitude. The change in environment was refreshing and cleansing, after the tense atmosphere that you've just exited. You feel like a weight has been lifted off of your shoulders, a sense of calm and contentment wash over you as you look around at the vast halls and empty rooms.

You find yourself wandering through the gardens, your attention being drawn to the roses as the vivid colors and sweet smells fill the air. You feel your heart skip a beat as you take in the sight of the lush foliage and vibrant petals, and you can't help but feel a jolt of nostalgia. These were the roses that you've always loved, the ones that used to bring you joy and peace when you were a child. Bittersweetness washes over you as you remember those years growing up in solitude, with only Silverwing and the roses for company. You feel like the roses were like your faithful companions, always there to bring you comfort and joy during those times when you felt lonely and isolated. The  roses remind you of those comforting moments of companionship and the bittersweetness you feel is a reflection of the mixture of feelings that those times brought to you. You feel a bit of anger and resentment towards your father for keeping you hidden away from the world for years. You feel like he robbed you of a proper childhood, leaving you alone and isolated with no real friends in your life, he deprived you of so much, he was selfish and callous in his treatment of you. Although you made peace with it, you haven't forgotten it either. You've learned to accept and come to terms with your past, but you haven't let go of the bitterness and resentment that you feel towards Daemon for what he did to you. You've learnt to live with this injustice, but the anger and hurt still remains deep inside your heart.

You've been so deep in thought that you haven't realized someone else has joined you in the gardens. You're startled by Rhaena's sudden appearance and you feel a surge of relief as you realize it was her. "Where have you been? We almost started a search party!” "I'm sorry, I was just..." you stop short, realizing that you don't have an explanation for your absence. You feel like Rhaena's sudden appearance has caught you by surprise and you feel a bit embarrassed to explain why you were away. Rhaena’s staring at you and she’s not willing to let this matter go. There is still more to be said, but there is a certain level of awkwardness and tension and between you two right now. You didn’t want to make a bigger deal out of it than it already has been, so you keep your answer brief and simple. "I just flew alone, I wanted some time to be alone with my thoughts..." Rhaena nods her head, seeming to accept your explanation and she doesn't press the issue any further. “So what did you think of King’s Landing? And what did you think of your other family members?” "Well... it was certainly an experience..." you respond nervously, not sure exactly how to answer the question.

“Mmh. Did you manage to fix your issues with Aegon?” You feel a wave of awkwardness wash over you as Rhaena brings up the topic of Aegon. You're not sure what to say, or how you would even begin to explain the situation between the two of you. “Sort of.” You whispered, feeling like you haven't really fully resolved your issues with Aegon. The two of you still have some things to work out, but the tension is not as bad as it was before. Perhaps kissing him wasn’t such a bad idea after all. Rhaena's observant and perceptive, noticing that you're holding something back when you give your answer. You're not sure if you should give more details to her, you wanted to. You wanted to scream that you’ve kissed Aegon, that you hugged Aemond. That you were utterly confused. This was your first ‘experience’ with the other sex and you weren’t sure what to do now. You wanted to tell her everything that’s going on inside your head, but you decided against it.

•─────⋅☾ ☽⋅─────•

It's been a couple of weeks since you had your experiences with Aegon and Aemond in King's Landing. A lot has happened since then, and things have shifted and changed in your life. Viserys is dead and they have crowned Aegon as King, stealing Rhaenyra’s throne.

"You're going to King's Landing and you're going to give Aegon this.” You are caught off guard by the sudden declaration of your father. You're not sure what he's referring to, but you feel your heart beating faster at the prospect of meeting King Aegon and giving him something. You struggle to contain your anxiety as you look at your father, wondering what he has in mind for you. You're being thrown into a dangerous situation, and you're not sure if you can handle it. There are so many ways this situation could go wrong, you're being pulled into a situation that is bigger than you are ready for. “I don’t think I’m ready… For th-“ his eyes narrow and his voice becomes more demanding. "You must go. It is your duty as my daughter." He stares at you intensely, his eyes sharp and piercing. He's not giving you a choice, you must do his bidding. Daemon's eyes narrow even more as he glares at you. "I am not giving you a choice," he says harshly, "You will go to King's Landing and you will give Aegon this." He leans forward and holds up a small black pouch. "This is the message that I want you to deliver to him. Do you understand?" The intensity of Daemon's gaze leaves you feeling scared and intimidated, as if he's determined to not let you refuse or refuse his demands. You realize that you have no choice but to go, and are left feeling like a pawn in this game of power and politics. “Yes, I understand." you say softly, having no choice but to comply with his orders, since he is your father and you have been raised to obey him. Daemon doesn't respond. Instead, he hands you the small black pouch and begins to walk away, his walk slow and measured.

Daemon's words leave you feeling scared and uncertain about your upcoming trip to King's Landing, where you are expected to deliver a message to the new king. You don't know what the message contains, and you feel a sense of anxiety and unease about the situation, as well as a sense of trepidation about the journey ahead.

It turns out you weren't the only messenger. You learn later that same night that Rhaenys, Jace, and Luke were also sent off with messages of their own. Thinking about the message you're carrying, you can't help but wonder what it could be. It's a heavy burden, with your life potentially hanging in the balance. Every step you take on the road to King's Landing is a step closer to danger and potential confrontation with the new ‘king’. The gravity of the situation suddenly sinks in, and you feel like you're walking into the unknown. Aegon wouldn’t hurt you, would he?

•─────⋅☾ ☽⋅─────•

It's a long journey to King's Landing, but after countless hours of flight, you finally make it to the city. You land in one of the city's landing spots, feeling both relieved and exhausted as you finally made it. That sense of relief and exhaustion is quickly replaced with a sense of anxiety and uncertainty as you realize that you still have the task left: to deliver the message to the new King, Aegon II.

You make your way to the castle in King's Landing, walking up to the gates. There are guards stationed on both sides of the gate, who keep watch over the castle grounds. You feel anxious and fearful as you approach them, they keep an watchful eye on you as you draw closer. Eventually you find your way to the throne room of the castle. Aegon is sitting in his throne, his piercing eyes looking down at you. He is flanked by a handful of guards and advisors, forming a circle around him. As you enter the room, the quiet conversations and whispers stop instantly, and all attention is focused on you. His gaze is like a blazing flame, his look burning into you as he waits for you to speak. The guards and advisors stand close by, as if they are ready to spring into action at a moment's notice. Everyone in the room is watching you intently, and you feel the pressure of everyone's eyes bearing down on you.

“I brought you a message from Queen Rhaenyra.” Your voice sounds small and strained as you speak, the weight of so many eyes upon you is overwhelming. The atmosphere in the room is thick with anticipation. After a pause, Aegon speaks, his voice calm and measured. "And what is the message?" "The message is personal and private, and it is to be delivered only to you and no one else." Aegon’s eyes narrow and his expression becomes more intense, as if deep in thought. He's silent for a moment, before finally speaking. "I see. If the message is personal and private, then why are you delivering it instead of Queen Rhaenyra herself?" The tension in the air increases as he speaks, his tone is stern and his face is fixed in a serious expression. He's awaiting a good reason for him to accept this message as legitimate and not a trick or ruse. "There must have been some reason for you being sent here, rather than Queen Rhaenyra coming herself," he says, "Is there a reason why she wouldn't have come here herself? If this message was so personal and private, why didn't she come herself to deliver it?" “I’m not sure.” Aegon raises an eyebrow, his expression becoming even more skeptical. "You're not sure?" He asks in a skeptical tone, "That's a rather unsatisfactory answer, don't you think?" After a few moments, you finally speak again. “My father sent me as the messenger.” “And why would he have done that, I wonder?!”

Aegon stares at you for a few more moments, with a stern and intense expression, before finally speaking again. “Well, I suppose we shall just have to read the message for ourselves, and see what Rhaenyra has to say.” He finally reaches for the small black pouch in your hands, and begins opening it. He removes the message inside and examines it, reading what is written on it. After a few moments, he looks back up at you. "That cunning bitch," he mutters under his breath. His fury seems to be reaching a boiling point, as he speaks again. "Everyone out!” As the room falls silent, you look at Aegon, who is now standing in front of you, still clutching the message in his hands. His face is contorted with fury, and his expression is like the face of a raging bull, ready to charge at a moment's notice.

After a few moments of uncomfortable silence, he speaks again. "How dare she send you here with a message like this!" He shouts, his voice full of rage and anger. "She thinks she can tell me what to do? Who the fuck does she think she is!?" He stares at you for a few moments, his eyes narrowed and his face full of rage. "And does she think I'm just gonna let you walk away after this?!" "Pardon me?" Your face began to grow darker. "I will not let this pass. I will not let her disrespect me in such a manner. And I'm not going to just let you walk away either. I will not let you go. You're going to be my prize of war, and you'll stay here with me, where I can take my time with you." The threat of violence is now very evident in the king's tone. He continues to stare at you, his expression growing darker and more intense.

This was probably a big mistake. You can feel the weight of his glare digging deep into your skin, and you feel like he's considering what he's going to do to you even more seriously now. After a few moments of silence, Aegon takes a deep breath and starts to speak again. "You're going to stay here with me, and I'm going to take my time with you. Your queen might think that she's being clever and making a request, but I'll show her just how foolish she is." "The fuck I am! You can't keep me captive!" Aegon takes a deep breath and nods his head slowly. "Oh, can't I?" He responds calmly and politely, but his tone is one of pure menace. “I can keep you here for as long as I like, and there's nothing you can do about it.” His face grows even darker, and he slowly steps towards you. He moves in closer and closer, getting right into your personal space. He's so close that you can feel his breath on your neck, and it's an unbearably intense feeling. His face just a few inches away from your ear. You feel his breath tickling your neck, and it sends a shiver down your spine. His voice is like a whisper, but it's a whisper of pure threat and power. "You're mine now." His breath tickles your skin, you feel like you can't move, like your body has frozen up and you can't even scream.

Aegon’s breath continues to tickle your skin as he pulls you close to him, his lips just brushing against your skin. You feel powerless to move, as if your body has been frozen in place by the fear he is instilling in you. "Worry not sweetling, we'll have a good time." He whispers into your ear, his voice is like a snake slithering its way into your head. "N-no..." His breath continues to whisper into your ear, and his voice is full of a predatory kind of sensuality. "Oh, yes.." He replies slowly, dragging his next words out for a long time. "You are mine, there’s no running from me now. I’ll take good care of you..." You try to break free from the his grip, but it's hard to get away from him. He holds you close to himself and his hold on you is tight. He seems to be enjoying himself far too much at the prospect of taking you for his own. Your body is filled with fear and trepidation, but you also feel a strange sense of excitement and arousal. Your body is responding to his touch in a way that is both terrifying and pleasurable at the same time. Aegon’s hands are caressing your skin softly as he pulls you closer to him, holding you even tighter and not letting you go anywhere. You let out a whimper as the caress of his touch sends a tingling sensation down your spine. You're being consumed in a very intimate way, your body being overwhelmed by his presence and you feel yourself melting in his grasp. Your attention was completely focused on Aegon that you didn't notice Aemond entering the room.

Aemond sees the two of you, and you can tell from the look in his eye that he is absolutely furious. He walks up close to you, and you feel the heat of his anger radiating off of his presence like a fire. Aegon finally notices Aemond's presence and looks over at him with a dark expression, his mouth curled up into a sneer. His grip on you becomes even tighter, and you can feel the heat coming off his body like a furnace as he stares at Aemond. He seems very protective of you, and he is not going to let anyone interfere with his plans. Aemond's eye was burning with fury, staring down at Aegon, his voice is a low and menacing growl. "What do you think you're doing with her?!" Aegon looks up at Aemond with a dark and menacing expression, he continues to hold you close to himself. "I'm taking her for my own." He replies in a cold voice. Aemond's eye is still fixated on Aegon, and the two men seem to be locked in a fierce staring contest. You can feel the tension in the air increasing as both men glare at each other, their hostility and aggression rising even higher. Aegon’s grip on you tightens even more, and you feel like you're being smothered.

"I will not let you touch her!" Aemond snaps, and you can tell he's barely holding back his anger. His face is a mask of fury, his body is tensing up, as if he's preparing to attack at any moment. He seems absolutely determined to protect you, and you can feel the raw power and aggression coming off of him like a storm of fury. Neither man wants to back down in this stand off, and they continue to glare at each other with a sense of simmering fury. You're trapped in the middle, with all of this tension and hostility growing around you. Your body is being overpowered by Aegon’s grip and you can't move away. "Please let me go..." Your voice is completely being ignored by both men as their confrontation becomes more intense and heated. You try to plead with both Aegon and Aemond to let you go, but they both seem to have lost all rationality and their sense of logic. Now all they're focused on is fighting over your possession. You’re trapped, scared and helpless as you continue to plead with him to let you go. But his resolve is like iron, and you can't help but feel like this is the endgame for you, and that you're going to be carried off in the king's arms at any moment now.

Aegon finally releases you from his grip, and you fall to the floor at his feet. You can feel him looking at you with a cold and menacing glare, but you're also relieved to be free from his grasp. You have a few seconds of hesitation and fear before Aemond pulls you behind him. You cling onto his back as he faces Aegon and you can feel his anger overflowing like an overflowing cup of wrath. "A-aemond..." you whimper, clinging onto him for support. He's the only thing in this room that seems like it could protect you right now. You feel like you're safe with him, but you still can't help but feel terrified at what might happen next.

"I am going to escort her to a guest room and then I’ll deal with you, Aegon." Aegon stares at Aemond with a deadly look of fury, but he doesn't resist. He lets Aemond lead you out of the room, and you're still clinging onto him for support. You feel safe and protected in Aemond's arms, but you still can't help but feel a bit of hesitation and uncertainty. Aemond's tone is stern and authoritative as he leads you out of the room. He doesn't look back at Aegon, and he keeps his eyes focused on the task of safely getting you away from him. You can feel him breathing softly next to you, and you can feel his muscles flexing slightly with each step he takes as he leads you out of the room. He leads you through the halls of the castle. Your body still clinging onto him as a source of protection and comfort, and you’re slightly trembling with fear and nerves. Despite being stern and authoritative, he's also being very gentle and careful with you.

The two of you finally arrive at a room, and Aemond closes the door behind you. He turns to face you, and you can see the intense look in his eye as he stares at you for a moment. You feel like you're being scrutinized by that penetrating gaze, and it makes you feel a bit uncomfortable. He's not smiling or being friendly like before, but instead he seems to be assessing you in an oddly intense way. Aemond stays silent for a minute, continuing to look at you with that intense gaze. You feel like he's looking at you like a stranger, and you feel like he's judging you based on what happened back there. You feel a bit nervous under his intense stare, and you feel like he's not being friendly at all. You have no idea what sort of reaction he is going to have to this situation, and you feel very vulnerable as a result. You still feel like a trembling nervous mess under his stare. After a minute of silence, he finally speaks in a stern voice. "So...what happened back there?" His tone is very serious and stoic, there's no hint of friendliness in his voice. His eye is penetrating, looking into your soul. You don't know what to say, and you feel like your words are being scrutinized heavily. "I, I gave him a message from Queen Rhaenyra." Aemond’s face remains stoic and unchanged, and he waits for you to say more. His face show no hint of a reaction to what you've said, and he continues to stare at you with that piercingly intense gaze. "I have no idea what it says... But I can only imagine... Aegon isn't the rightful king." His face still remains expressionless, studying you intensely. He still seems very cautious and distrustful. He seems suspicious of your reason for delivering the message in the first place. "So, you're trying to steal my brother's crown?" Aemond finally spoke, and your heart skipped a beat when you heard his voice. His tone filled with a suspicious kind of disdain. His words were loaded with malice and anger as he accused you of trying to steal his older brother's crown. You could not help but feel your heart beating in your throat at his accusation. "Your queen is a usurper, and a thief. She is trying to steal my brother's crown."

Your heart skipped a beat when Aemond moved closer and caressed your cheek gently, your body shuddering slightly at the touch. You could feel the heat of his breath and his touch on your skin, and your whole body felt like it was trembling under his grasp. "I'm afraid your our prisoner now, dove." His touch made you shiver and tremble in a way that you found both thrilling and frightening. The way he caressed your cheek with his thumb was so tender and gentle, his touch was like a gentle caress sending butterflies through your whole body. "My father will have your head for keeping me hostage!" Your words seem to be have a profound effect Aemond's stance as he stops caressing and backing away slightly. His eyes are filled with a sudden flash of anger and hostility, and he seems to be glaring at you with a mixture of distrust and fury. He then speaks in a harsh and stern voice. "My brother will also have your so called queen’s head for being a traitor to the throne! You should be grateful that I have chosen to keep you safe." His sudden outburst of anger and hostility took you off guard, and you had no idea how to handle his sudden change of mood. You felt like a small and powerless creature facing off against a giant beast. His tone was menacing and he seemed so much stronger and more frightening than you remembered him to be. As he spoke, his anger and hostility made you feel even more vulnerable and scared. This was not the gentle and friendly Aemond you remembered, this was a whole different beast entirely. "I am protecting you. Your so-called queen would never treat you with such care as I have." He took one step closer again, his tone sounding more insistent and authoritarian than before. You could feel the heat of his breath and the intensity of his gaze, and your heart was beating out of your chest. "I will take care of you. I will protect you." He spoke softly this time, almost sounding like a whispering voice. You felt like your whole body was trembling with fear and nerves, but you felt a strange sense of comfort underneath the intensity of his gaze. You felt like a small animal being held tightly in the grip of a predator, but in this predator's eyes you found a hint of kindness and tenderness. "Do you see how I am treating you? Like a precious jewel. Like a delicate flower. Like my little rose."

[the-heartlines]

rhaemond explicit drabble — rhaena x aemond + father (feat. infidelity & daddaughter issues with daemon...the ending got a little angsty 🥹) read on twt

“Is your lord husband too much of a green boy to get you with child, hmm?” Rhaena shivered as the prince’s soft-as-silk voice hummed through her body like molten silver. “The rumor that runs through Kingslanding is that he’s as impotent as your father is, my lady.” 

A harsh slap to the side of Aemond’s scarred cheek rang through her bedchambers, but he only chuckled as he continued to thrust in and out of her drenched cunt. “Do not mention my father to me again, One Eye.” Rhaena said heatedly, breathlessly, glaring at the gleaming sapphire, then smirking where her hand print burned scarlet next to it. “Now you’re branded with both my mark and m-my h-husband’s!” Rhaena stutters, moans wantonly when Aemond’s thumb digs into the center of her throbbing clit.“And now your sweet belly will forever be filled with my marks.” He growls through gritted teeth when her walls constrict around him tightly, his other hand trailing over the taut skin of her smooth stomach. 

“Then stop talking, my prince, and fuck me. Give me a son.” She says sweetly, watching Aemond’s lone eye close in pleasure as she continues to ride the prince.

Give me a son, father is what Rhaena thinks, not brave enough to say aloud, so she clenches her cunt around him again, trying to milk the silver haired man, who not only stole her mother’s dragon from her, but also resembles her damned father, of all his worth, so she may prove her worth as a dragon rider. 

Maybe when she tells her father who the true-born father is of her and Lucerys Velaryon’s babe, then maybe he’ll listen to her, open his ears, his heart and finally accept her for the woman she is.

Because even though Rhaena is half Daemon’s, she has more of her mother in her. Her blood, her quiet bravery, her resilience. Baela may be stronger physically on the outside, fire and rage etched onto her stunning face, but it is Rhaena who is stronger mentally, cunning, and always watching, patience painted onto her soft delicate features, waiting for the opportune moment.

Which is now, when Aemond’s cock is stroking that place deep inside her cunt, his callous fingers rubbing her over and over again.

“Daemon!” She screams, almost a war cry in itself, when Aemond’s touch on her flesh sends her over the edge, to the point where she’s between falling and floating, belly tensing and fluttering, soaring on the thrill of exhilaration. And her dragon prince roars back at her, spilling his seed inside her…but it isn’t her name upon his lips, but another’s. 

Someone of his blood, closer to him than she’ll ever be, someone that he craves just as much as she craves her father’s unconditional love and attention. 

So Rhaena kisses him on the lips as she comes down from her peak, kissing his unblemished cheek, then his scarred one, tasting salt on her lips.

And the two just hold onto each other afterwards, anger and sadness joining as one, as his seed mixed with her slick sits between them, hoping her dragon will bless her with twins—two Targaryen sons. One she will name for her father and his father, because both her boys will be exact replicas of each, yet wholly hers.

[lemonhemlock]

You have a point about Driftmark’s writing, because to this day I’m baffled at people not finding Alicent’s anger valid, I can’t blame that on the writing. What I can blame the writing and the framing for besides the ���Aemond stole Vhagar” thing is the “But now they see you as you are” *mic drop* moment, and the scene where Rhaenyra gets her stitches, meanwhile Aemond was literally blinded and that’s barely given any attention and ends with “but I gained a dragon so it’s fair” when it would’ve been fair only if it was Vhagar who took out his eye. Like again, I understand that Aemond was de-escalating the situation, but I do think it was purposefully framed as if that was the truth of it (especially seeing as the stealing comments never get corrected)

you see, when i first saw the scene, i interpreted alicent's speech to rhaenyra as being pretty explicit - "you do whatever the hell you want all the time (i.e. even have children out of wedlock with no consequences), you are so privileged that nothing is off limits for you and you even feel entitled to maiming my son like it's your birthright, you care about no one other than yourself while the rest of us have to play by the rulebook". i would say it's a pretty accurate dressing down of rhaenyra, to which she had a projecting reply - "now they see you as you truly are" - supposedly violent and cruel for demanding luke's eye in return, when a couple of minutes ago, rhaenyra was asking for her little brother to be tortured. not to mention that rhaenyra was actually the socially & legally transgressive one with skeletons in her closet

and i have to say that even emma d'arcy sided with alicent in this scene in interviews and didn't seem to think rhaenyra had the right of it. i think that if team discourse hadn't degenerated so much, people would have been able to VAR replay the scene and accept that rhaenyra should have been carded. but the stan-ification of hotd has left many with worms for brains.

that being said, i think the main issue is NOT clarifying that dragons cannot be stolen - a mistake in an otherwise solid episode. the dialogue should have made clear that aemond was within his rights to shoot his shot at claiming vhagar AND that it was the right decision bc vhagar accepted him (if VHAGAR didn't have a problem with it, why should anyone else? that's how dragons work, they are not pets). it would have been a welcome addition because the public are not 100% familiar with asoiaf dragon lore, so it's basically a piece of exposition that's missing. so if another character is shown on screen claiming it's theft AND they're not ever corrected or challenged in any way, then our brains automatically assume that's the correct assessment bc that's how the medium of storytelling in film works. so if the viewers got that extra information - that aemond was jumped by 4 other kids and maimed basically for shit talking - then they would have been more primed to see through rhaenyra's bullshit.

as for the scene with rhaenyra receiving stitches, perhaps that could have been balanced with one of aemond being comforted by someone, congratulated for gaining a dragon and reassured that what happened to him was not justified. i hesitate to add more, bc i do feel like there's a point where you can make things too explicit and you should trust your audience to piece 2 and 2 together without spoonfeeding them everything. rhaenyra should be allowed to be hypocritical on screen without big red signs pointing at her. the problem is more of an accumulation, not necessarily in this episode, but overall throughout the season. too many of her bullshit statements go unchallenged. once in a while, someone should pop up to contradict her or at least have passers-by give her the side-eye or something. (maybe in season 2? hopefully)

for example, a cool retort after rhaenyra said she was wandering bc she couldn't sleep would have been for someone to say that she and daemon arrived at the same time because they must have both been mourning laena together. thus, you bring back to the forefront of the audience's mind that team black can't be arguing that aemond disrespected laena's memory when daemyra are out there fucking on her grave. is it absolutely necessary? no, i think viewers should have arrived to that conclusion on their own, but apparently a large chunk of them are incapable. at the end of the day, you can't solve everyone's media comprehension problems, you can just try to make good art and hope for the best. however, i would include such a comment at least in later episodes, bc it's too good of an objection to let go

[syraxesrevenge]

i don't usually get involved with team stuff but mini rant (im low-key losing my fucking mind)

I don't understand people who are Team Green, and not because of their opinions on the characters. I find Team Green as some of the most complex, interesting characters in the whole lot of asoiaf.

1: First of all, the treatment of the strong boys. They act like Jace and Luke are absolute monsters; which, I don't necessarily agree with, but without bias I do agree they are not pure and cherubic angels. Lucerys is impulsive and childish, making jokes about actual trauma and maiming a ten year old who was influenced by his older brother. Jacaerys has extreme anger issues which lead to him acting arrogantly and stubbornly to the respite of his elders.

This does not mean they are *demons*, though, and do not deserve to be treated as such. I've seen people say that they were horrible for not showing a horrified reaction to Vaemond's death, that they should've felt remorse; what choice was for them to make? Lucerys was openly against the thing, wishing his own birthright upon the person who tried to usurp him; Jacaerys heard only the words "whore" and "bastards", which set him off. I do not blame him for this in the slightest; those words have been used his entire life to demonize him, villainize him and his mother.

Other people say Rhaenyra was terrible for making her sons believe they were real Targaryens, not admitting they were bastards and trying to persuade them from the throne. This take is just - abhorrent, imo. Jacaerys was taught by his grandsire, his mother, his father that he was going to inherit the throne just like his mother would before him. Lucerys and him obviously knew they were bastards - it is hard to ignore when everyone looks at you in the street, points you out, suggests you are not what you say. Jacaerys also spent his entire life, especially in the Dance, trying to prove himself a worthy heir. His traits of being well-studied and righteous were given to Aemond, because there would be no debate on who to choose if not.

"Team Green writers should've written the show! They're making the Blacks too sympathetic!"

The blacks are supposed to be the sympathetic ones. They are the tragedy of the war; the close-knit family that, in their pursuit to stay together, were torn apart and murdered by themselves. Joffrey died alone. Lucerys died alone. Jacaerys died alone. Daemon died alone. Rhaenyra was the only one who died with her son. They were the epitome of a caring, loving family - and what did that get them? Their reluctance to be ruthless resulted in the cold murder of a child. Lucerys was 13 in the book - 14/15 in the show. His death should be as hard hitting and as sympathetic as Jaehaerys, but somehow, it is not. To make a joke about Vhagar ripping Arrax to pieces is funny, to make a joke about Blood and Cheese is horrible. The double standard is just *baffling* to me.

Another thing - most of TG loves Jon Snow. They think that Daenerys was mad, that she deserved to die, that she was evil. By this precedent, if you can accept a legitimized bastard on the throne in the form of Jon, why is it *so hard* to picture Jacaerys on the throne?

"They have no personality!"

They had absolutely no screentime. The writers gave a scene to a fucking *foot fetish*, and they could not give us a scene of Lucerys, Jacaerys, or Joffrey. Especially when Lucerys was going to die in that season - he had a total of 23 minutes of screentime, and near 6 minutes of lines. That is not even half of an episode worth - especially for him to just be sitting in the background. And the times when he is talking? He is made to be the most unsympathetic character, ever. Laughing at Aemond, attacking Aemond - he is used mainly as a plot device, and it's sad, because I truly believe he deserved better than that, bc Elliot Grihault is a great actor :D

might make a part 2 if this idiot in a discord RP keeps insisting tg is righteous and perfect and amazing and MY fav characters suck ass

[where-theres-smoak-2]

I've been thinking about the driftmark episode again, there is so much debate and argument over who was at fault and who the 'bad guys' where in both the fight between the children and in the following chaos in the hall after, here's how I see it.

When it comes to the fight between the children there is a lot of discourse, on one hand you have people arguing that well Aemond was the victim because it was four against one, Rhaena struck the first blow and because in the end he lost an eye which was a permanent and traumatic injury. One the other side you have people argue that actually Jace, Luke, Rhaena and Baela were the victims because Aemond stole their mother's dragon at her funeral, he threatened to kill them both verbally and then literally when he tried to bash Jace's head in with a rock and that Luke was only acting out of self defence. The thing is, every one of these statements is true. I don't think this fight was ever supposed to be about which child was in the right and which was in the wrong, it was a fight between children that got out of hand. It was a storm of events that lead to Aemond tragically losing his eye.

Aemond claimed Vhagar, Laena's dragon at her own funeral, there is no denying that this was a disrespectful and shitty thing to do. I am also not sure what the legalities around it were. I've seen some say that dragon's are a free for all once their previous rider is dead but I still think it is considered disrespectful to do it, especially without the family's permission/ blessing. It reminds me of when Daemon stole the egg that was meant for Baelon. Both Viserys and Rhaenyra were very upset by the action and this was six months after Baelon died, it was disrespectful even though the egg was obviously no longer going to be used by Baelon who was gone, its why Daemon took that specific egg because he knew it would anger his brother enough to get his attention. And this was just an egg so I can see why Laena's daughter's would be so upset when a living, breathing dragon that had belonged to their mother was claimed by someone else so soon after her death. It's also worth noting that when Rhaena says Vhagar was hers to claim, Aemond doesn't deny that, he doesn't say well anyone can claim a dragon or you don't have an exclusive right to Vhagar, he says that she should have claimed her then. Which to me suggests that maybe there is some custom where family members have a right to first claim so to speak. Anyway I feel like I've gone on a tangent here but it was wrong and very insensitive of Aemond to claim Vhagar the way he did.

Then that leads to the situation where the girls, who are now upset about Vhagar and their mother's death, confront Aemond, who is very likely on a high after claiming and riding Vhagar, and he responds very coldly, callously telling them their mother is dead and saying they should get Rhaena a pig to ride, which in turn angers Rhaena and so she throws the first hit in anger. There is one thing I do want to address though about this moment. I see a lot of people talk about how Aemond was desperate for a dragon, he was mocked for not having one and had self worth issues and felt left out because he didn't have a dragon when his sibling and cousin's did. But you know who else had self worth issues and felt left out because they didn't have a dragon? Rhaena. It does confuse me how everyone will try and justify Aemond claiming Vhagar because of his want to have a dragon and his issues around not having one and will villainise Rhaena for throwing the first punch, but will look over the fact that Rhaena herself has the same issues around not having a dragon. It was obvious that she herself was planning on claiming Vhagar, just stop and think for a moment what that would've meant to Rhaena, not only would she have gained a dragon but it would have been a way for her to honour her mother's memory, to be the rider of the largest and oldest dragon in the world, just like her mother. Only all her dreams are crushed because on the eve of her mother's funeral someone else claims Vhagar before she gets the chance. I understand Aemond's motives behind claiming Vhagar, but I also understand why Rhaena (and Baela) were so angry and hurt by Aemond's actions, especially when his response to their confrontation was to further antagonise them.

When it comes to the other kids, Baela, Jace and Luke, they all only attack Aemond in defence of each other. Baela hits Aemond in defence of Rhaena when Aemond throws her aside, Jace hits Aemond when he hits Baela and then Luke jumps in after Aemond hits Jace. I'm not saying that their actions were right, just to be clear, but they are understandable, of course you are going to jump in and retaliate when you see your younger sibling or your cousin get hurt.

Talking about the whole four on one thing though, I do have some thoughts on this too. One is that I do think this is kind of a mirror for team black vs team green. What I mean by that is, in my opinion team black are much more united than team green who seem to have a distance between them, I might make a more in depth post about the contrast between the two sides at some point. But that's not to say that team black don't have issues and disagreements or that team green don't have love for each other, more that the way they are presented, team green seem much more at odds with each other. Aemond in this moment is standing alone, he doesn't have any one at his side helping to protect him like the other four do. He's alone because he snuck out to claim a dragon in an attempt to prove himself after being bullied for not having one, a bullying that was instigated by his older brother. On the opposite side of this you have Jace, Luke, Baela and Rhaena who all banded together to go look for the dragon thief, they are one unit and they are all looking out for and fighting for each other. The stark contrast between the two sides actually does make me have alot of sympathy for Aemond.

However another thing to point out is that despite it being four on one it is very clear that it is an uneven match in Aemond's favour. He is able to overpower all of them relatively easy and quickly gets the upper hand over them so that they are the ones in a position of danger. I mentioned this in another post but what I did find a bit disturbing on a rewatch is that when Aemond is standing over Jace with the rock, ready to smack him with it, he has this smirk on his face and is clearly enjoying the fear he is instilling in the others, he is enjoying the violence of it all. I also said that I mostly blame Cole for this behaviour along with Aegon's enjoyment for watching children fight. I really do believe that Cole fed this enjoyment for violence to them through his training sessions.

Luke slashing out at Aemond and taking his eye was very clearly self defence, or rather an attempt to stop Aemond from killing Jace. I have seen some argue that well the rock wouldn't have killed Jace, which again really confuses me because an episode earlier Daemon used a rock to kill Rhea, so obviously, yes a rock would kill a person, and yes Jace was in very real danger. Also whether the rock would actually have killed Jace or not (it would have) the important thing is that Luke and the others believed Aemond was going to kill Jace, and we know they truly believed Jace's life was in danger because when they were all yelling at each other trying to explain what happened you can hear one of them shout 'he tried to kill jace.'

As I said above what this fight ultimately was about was the consequences of the adults fuelling this feud between the children, how their own rivalry was trickling down into their children who were too young to fully understand what the conflict was truly about. The adults are the real culprits here. Not only for not watching the children closely enough but for creating such a toxic environment around them. The important thing to me is that Luke did not act out of true maliciousness or hate, he acted out of defence for his brother when he feared for his brother's life. I also don't think that it was Luke's intention to maim Aemond, again he was a very young boy who just wanted to protect his brother. I've seen so many people say, well Luke didn't even apologise for maiming Aemond and yeah he didn't, but I don't recall Aemond ever apologising to Rhaena and Baela for claiming their mother's dragon at her funeral, or to Jace and Luke for attempting to you know murder them with a rock, either. Unfortunately this fight could have been avoided if the adults in these kid's lives one, hadn't encouraged the feud between the children in the first place and two had actually been keeping a closer eye on them, the result is that Aemond has to live with this injury for the rest of his life and it only made tensions between the children even worse.

But now let's talk about the aftermath in the hall. Honestly, whilst I am not Alicent's biggest fan, I did understand her frustration and anger in this moment. Like I cannot imagine what it must be like for a mother to learn that her son has gotten into a fight with his nephews and has now lost an eye, for her to see her son in pain and that stitching across his eye, she had my sympathy and I can understand why she lost it. That being said, her demanding Luke's eye in return was insane, that was made clear by the way the entire room gasped when she suggested it.

I also understand why Alicent felt frustrated that Luke wasn't punished for it, though to be clear I agree that Luke shouldn't be punished for what was essentially an accident. But also there is a very good reason why Viserys didn't punish Luke besides that it was an accident. I feel like Viserys gets alot of stick from the fandom for not acting in this instance but I also think the reason why he doesn't act is overlooked. If Viserys punishes Luke then he also has to punish a whole lot of other people too. He'd have to punish all of the children for striking each other, Rhaena, Baela, Luke and Jace all struck a royal prince, but so too did Aemond, Jace is heir to the throne so it was against the law for Aemond to strike him and it was definitely against the law for him to attempt to strike him across the head with a rock. So that's all four children that would need to be punished to varying degrees. On top of that, Jace and Rhaenyra announce to the hall that Aemond called Jace and Luke bastards, which truth or no, Rhaenyra is right, to make an accusation like that could be considered treason. It is obvious again from the reaction of those in the hall, including Alicent's own, how bad this is. Aemond then throws Aegon under the bus to protect his mother so that means Viserys would also have to punish both Aegon and Aemond for at best spreading slander and at worst literal treason. So punishing Luke like Alicent wants could lead to Rhaenyra demanding that Aegon and Aemond also be punished for spreading the rumors about her sons, and Viserys wouldn't be able to punish one without the other because that would just cause more discord and anger. After Alicent then decides to take matters into her own hands and try to take Luke's eye herself, well we're just adding to the crimes to be punished, because now Alicent has disobeyed a direct order from the King, stolen a weapon, tried to maim the grandchild of the king and in doing so proceeded to injure the heir to the throne. Like maybe its just me, but surely people can see how impossible this situation is. Asking Viserys to act is asking him to severely punish two of his grandsons, two of his nieces, two of his sons and his wife. Not to mention that punishing Luke, Jace, Rhaena and Baela would likely anger Corlys and Rhaenys which we've already been there, done that, and realised the consequences suck. Punishing his own sons would likely anger the Hightowers, again not a good idea. So lets all be honest with ourselves here, Viserys response of would you all just stop fighting and make good will with each other was the best option for everyone involved, it was the only option really.

Like I said above I really and genuinely do feel for Alicent in this moment, for Aemond, for Jace, Luke, Rhaena and Baela, for Rhaenyra who people seem to forget also was fearful for her children, and also for Viserys who was having to deal with all this family drama where there really wasn't any reasonable solution other than commanding them to all get along. Basically this situation sucked for everyone that was involved.

[bbygirl-aemond]

i think a very interesting aspect of aemond's character is how much is built around him, in a sense, being raised with the understanding that he's "for" aegon. like, in stormbreak when he thinks about how he knows exactly what aegon needs from him, how to cover his defects, and how he sees it as being a given that he will always provide those things. like it goes well beyond normal familial love and it's been so baked into him that it doesn't even occur to him to resent it

(very interesting that part of what freaks him out about rhaenyra is that he can't do or be that for her as things stand, but that's a whole OTHER issue)

and i mean, generally, aemond's definitely a massive people pleaser, even if it would shock most to hear it, and so much of him goes into being whatever any given member of his family needs him to be in a particular moment, right? it's why he seems to be literally everyone's favourite. aegon even directly points it out in that first kl scene where he talks about aemond speaking and otto's words coming out, and i do have to wonder about it. it's quite a lot to have someone's entire identity built around yours, especially when you feel so unworthy of it, and i wonder if any part of him resents it. resents alicent and otto for doing this to him, resents aemond for letting them, all the while feeling so guilty for being relieved that at the very least it has turned aemond into the one person he feels can truly understand him. god FASCINATING stuff

i NEED to watch daemon and rhaenyra slowly unpick at this tabgled mess of many fucking profound psychological issues. like if they didn't hate otto, or even alicent, before..

GOD yes i have so many thoughts about aemond and aegon, always. i think such a big part of aemond and aegon as siblings is the curse of being each other's mirror; of aegon seeing everything he is not and everything he could have been every time he look at his brother. there's a lot of potential for things like envy, and resentment, and anger. but being siblings also means aegon has this unique, unparalleled understanding of what about his childhood caused aemond to be this way-- because he lived it, too.

so aegon looks at aemond, bad parts and good, and knows: if things had been a little different. just a little. that could have been me. and he knows that if they had been born in a different order, each would have fallen into the other's roles in a heartbeat.

so i think for all that aegon envies aemond terribly for his talent, disposition, and status as the "perfect son," when he looks at him all he REALLY sees is tragedy. his anger is never truly directed at aemond; only his irritation, because he recognizes aemond is no less trapped than he himself feels. and he understands the heavy price that aemond pays for his family's favoritism. his anger instead gets directed at the adults, like alicent, since he's been pretty resentful of her throughout this fic (which makes his desperation for her love and approval all the more tragic; just because you know someone fucked up doesn't mean you can simply stop yourself from loving them).

this is part of why i said in a comment that i think aegon and aemond understand each other the best out of the greens, and why they can be honest around each other in a way they can't around anyone else. aegon is the one person who is capable of understanding just what aemond has sacrificed, every day of his life.

if you reframe the narrative of this fic around aemond and aegon's relationship, i think it'll become clear just how much this is a story about brothers, even over the romance aspect (though this might only make more sense once we get into the actual crux of the power struggle haha). house targaryen broke apart because rhaenyra and alicent's friendship did not survive alicent's paranoia; their relationship was not strong enough to do so. but it will mend again because aemond and aegon's brotherhood is.

there's a whole other post to be made about the parallels between rhaenyra and alicent vs. aegon and aemond, but i'll save that for another time!

[thesilverlady]

Aegon and Daemon having this obsession with Viserys's approval is so annoying because why would Daemon want the approval of the man who caused his unborn child's death or why Aegon would be soo fucked up in the head because the man who never cared about him doesn't love him? I mean i could get it since Viserys is his father and his fixation of his father's love is not as bad as Daemon's since according to Ryan Daemon is "in love" with his brother lmaao

considering we're talking about show version since you mentioned Ryan's comment of daemon being "in love" with his brother (God i remember the day this dropped ��), we gotta rethink some of the changes they made in the show.

for instance, daemon never loses his unborn child because it doesn't exist. They had mysaria not being pregnant ('cause heaven forbid if daemon dared to have a life outside of Rhaenyra and Viserys) so what was a big turning point of his relationship with his brother is... no longer there

they also really toned down the ambition daemon had in canon. I know lots of people love rolling with the idea that he's uwu family man. But in my opinion he just wanted both. I'm his early years he definitely wanted power aka the throne and that's okay. it's not the end of the world. He tried to go around to gain it in a way that wouldn't necessarily hurt anyone (for instance courting his niece who he already cared about), but in the show we don't have that. They tried to do something with the stepstones but that got lost. Show daemon comes across as very needy and desperate for his brother's love and it's even worse if you consider how much of a shitty brother show Viserys even is.

Daemon doesn't really have lots of things going on. He's been made to be this pathetic man child who can occasionally be an "agent of chaos" who thrived under attention and was desperate for his brother's attention

As for Aegon, his need for Viserys's attention is a bit less bad in comparison as you mentioned but it's still very... exaggerated. Like, whining about it when he's supposed to be a grown man is a bit late? Anger, and hate would make more sense and I think given how Ryan has mischaracterized Alicent already, he doesn't understand the role she also played in her children - in this case most especially to her sons.

in the book she had been fixated and antagonistic towards Rhaenyra since her stepdaughter was 9. All the children she births are used as a weapon against Rhaenyra. I imagine Aegon and Aemond would also have certain issues with her obsession.

In the show the antagonism doesn't really exist and Alicent character is all over the place 'cause in one episode she's like "in this world we defend our own" and at the same time she does nothing to easy up the animosity that seems to exist between her own two sons? And she continues to reject political advantages out of some childish pettiness against her "former bestie". idk she's still a bad parent that has detrimental affect on her own children.

[electricprincess96]

I think my issue with the direction they seem to be going with Daemon's character this season is they seem to be implying that it's less about Daemon himself being haunted by guilt over Jaehaeyrs and young Rhaenyra (which I'm annoyed that it's focusing more on Rhaenyra and not his guilt he has over Blood and Cheese which he clearly had some you could see it in Ep2) and thus suffering dragon dreams of the people he feels bad about having wronged haunting him. And that it's more the magic of Alys Rivers and Harrenhal haunting him so long as he is in Harrenhal.

The implication that Daemon would not be tackling his own growing guilt, or even feeling any of these emotions at all, if he was anywhere else just once again removes some agency from him. And that's something this show has done in spades. Lucerys' death was a mistake, Alicent misunderstood Viserys and "accidentally" usurped the Throne, Blood and Cheese went rogue and killed the wrong person etc. Aemond can't just have killed Luke without any strings attached, Alicent can't just be an ambitious and cunning woman, Daemon can't have just ordered a son for a son in his moment of anger because he's never cared for any of the Greens anyway. And now Daemon can't just be naturally dealing with the guilt and emotional consequences of his own actions he needs to be magically forced to do it by a Wood Witch and a haunted castle.

It's the same with how Rhaenyra ended S1 looking ready for fire and blood and yet she's spent FOUR episodes of this season doing everything to avoid that when anyone with eyes can see it's not being avoided. Battles have already been fought by supporters of each side. The only way she was avoiding war was by surrendering which she wouldn't do. This coupled with the fact everyone around her seems determined to undermine her (hi Baela) it's just made her look very weak, I think the show runners think it makes her look good because she's someone who wants peace. They all want peace in an ideal world, but it's making her look weak and it's stripping her of agency because war is still spiraling towards them even when she does nothing. And then the first time she's willing to go to battle she's dumb enough to claim she'll go herself when her Dragon has no battle experience. I don't think Rhaenyra has made one good decision all season.

[atopvisenyashill]

ANOTHER HOTD/DOTD ASK

Do you think Aegon was so unprepared due to the Greens wanting another Viserys or because they genuinely didn’t know what to teach him?

Sub-question, do you think nyra and alicent were going to have a friendship blowup regardless of the succession?

hmmm. i think the problem is they really underestimated how emotional he is and how negatively affected he is by the way he's "prepared." those moments we get where alicent is lashing out at aegon because of her own fears, she's merely replicating the way otto treated her - but whereas alicent comes out with a lot of skill (and a deep paranoia), aegon breaks under that. it's not that, imo, he's not being taught by otto and alicent (though i imagine there is less teaching than they'd like but not that much less - look at aemond). i do think the idea that they wanted another puppet was a factor but viserys at least understands optics while aegon clearly does not. so i wouldn't say it's a lack of education more so that emotionally, he just can't handle the stress.

and like……….alicent marries rhaenyra’s dad less than a year after nyra’s mom died when ali was 15 so yeah lmao. that’s such a crazy situation to be in emotionally, even if alicent has all girls. especially when you factor in like, even in a scenario where alicent & rhaenyra start to repair things and alicent kinda gets in rhaenyra’s head about how she’s being perceived so she spends several months genuinely trying to have kids with laenor…….like there’s no guarantee that’s gonna work out. and part of her resentment of her father & daemon getting to fuck around while she cannot is that viserys married alicent. it’s going to bubble up for her eventually. and while that’s happening, even if rhaenyra gets through to alicent about her own insecurities & anger over being pressed into this marriage, the underlying issue that alicent resents rhaenyra’s supposed freedom is still there because she is forced to share a bed with nyra’s dad 😭 i don’t want to say the problem isn’t the succession bc obviously that’s it’s own issue, but the problem is the viserys marriage.

i don’t think it’s impossible that they get to a point emotionally where they realize their resentment of each other is misplaced but to get to that point, they HAVE to hash it out and with those two, that probably means a blow up lmao. i think a scenario where alicent has all girls is the Best way to set the foundation for a reconciliation between them, because when you take the fear over an aegon v rhaenyra war out of the equation, it’s sort of like who is alicent turning to here if she fucks it up with rhaenyra, daemon?? lol.

[factorydefaultlu]

So you know how people blame Aemond or Luke for the Driftmark incident? Okay, well I have a slightly h popular opinion (at least I think so, I haven’t seen it anywhere else).

I don’t really blame the children. Like, the adults should be blamed but if any of the children should carry any of the blame I think it should be Jace. We’re shown over and over again that he has anger issues and yeah Aemond picked up the rock but Jace never should have brought a fucking knife to that confrontation and when he pulled it out I think Aemond either hadn’t picked up the rock or wasn’t holding it up yet. He pulled it out when Aemond called them bastards.

Jace shouldn’t have brought that knife. No knife = no lost eye.

(I really think season 2 should delve into his anger issues and his relationship with Rhaenrya because he really carries the war for her after Luke’s death up till his death. I think it’d be interesting because I headcanon that he has some repressed anger or unpleasant feelings towards his mom and Daemon. Rhaenrya because he seems to have a sense of duty and he seems to sense the position his mom has put them in and won’t even let him talk about his problems I.e when Harwin dies. Like that has to build some sort of feelings, right?)

Anyways, this turned into a rant/vent. Sorry and thanks for listening to this lol.

Oh 100% it's the adults fault. The kids are repeating things they heard their parents say, they hold that anger towards each other because of their parents feud.

I think Aemond would still be bullied bc kids are fucking mean and he didn't have a dragon. But there'd be less animosity there if the bastard comments weren't so ingrained into both of their heads.

Jace absolutely holds resentment towards his mother and Daemon. He hates the fact that they just "got rid of" Laenor, didn't allow him and his brothers to mourn Harwin and a whole fight broke out while Daemon and Rhaenyra were having sex on the beach after a fucking funeral (we're not even going to get into the disrespect of that. That shit pisses me off so bad)

Basically when Jace needed his mother the most, she was off with Daemon. So I feel he has anger and resentment, but he also wants to prove himself and make his mother proud of him.

[lya-dustin]

Someone will remember us

Chapter 71

Cw:murder,mentions of murder, blood and some sibling incest(you know just good ol' Targ shit)

Taglist:@stargaryenx @mercedesdecorazon

Gif by @dreamfyrie

He is covered in blood by the time each Strong by blood or name is dead.

Alys had been the first, Larys’ bastard son the last.

The children had cried, a sound that rang in his ears even after it ended, but it had to be done.

If he let the children live they would rise against him.

It had to be done.

Besides, this house was as treacherous as their lord. Many crimes were admitted by the now dead Strongs.

Some had worked with Larys to kill Lyonel and Harwin, some had conspired with Aemond’s family to have the Riverlords side with Aegon and one admitted letting Larys Clubfoot take his daughter’s maidenhead for a place in Court.

Unsavory people who are better off dead. Or so he tells himself when he sees Aemma’s disappointed face in his mirror as he washed the blood off himself.

----

Kingslanding fell the day after he and Aemma met for the last time, word was that Daeron had rallied the Reach and was heading to save their mother and Aemond found himself thinking this is the best chance to change his loyalties.

After all, Rhaenyra promised to forgive him should he bend the knee.

It has been nearly two moons since they have taken the throne.

They are officially out of mourning and preparations for the coronation have already begun.

They do not talk about the Slap or Daemon’s attempt at killing her, and Aemma is at a loss as to how to proceed from there.

Gods, she needed someone to guide her through the waters and help her find the way out of them.

She loves her mother, she hates Daemon, but in the game of thrones feelings go on the shelf and knives are hidden behind your back at all times.

“My sources say Prince Aemond took his anger out on House Strong.” Daemon smirked as he briefed the council on their enemies.

Hugh Hammer and Ulf White were to fly to Tumbleton and kill Daeron who refuses to bend the knee and Daemon would be taking Nettles to do the same to Aemond.

“He was rewarded with a wench for taking the castle and when he was told about how we took the throne from his brother, he ended an entire house before evening fell, including the wench.” The Rogue Prince is smug, enjoying how it hurts her to know Aemond had been disloyal to her.

Aemma couldn’t give a rat’s ass about House Strong. They had been very odd during their time there and according to the Riverlords joining court, changed their loyalty like one changes stockings.

Aemma was angry that her mother had used this possible infidelity to go back on her word.

Aemond would not be getting a chance to bend the knee and expect a fair trial or even a trial by combat as they had agreed when they took the city.

“He is not a good man, Aemma, the sooner you learn that, the easier it will be to move on from him.” Her mother had said when Aemma asked her why they believed Mysaria’s whisperings.

Mysaria had told her Talya had been her spy, same Talya who had misled her into believing Alicent meant to kill her.

Of course, mother didn’t like the distrust Aemma had about the woman wanting to sell Alicent like a cheap whore in revenge for the girls and patrons who died inside her brothel the night Viserys died.

“I propose Nettles and I go end this threat before he knows he is king now.” Daemon had no plans of staying here, this was a man born for war. Needed battle just like Aemma needed to fix all the issues with the shithole the city had become.

“Perhaps we should wait until the Northmen take care of the Lannister host, Bloody Roddy does best when left to his own devices, your highness.” Torhen Manderly said with a touch of pride.

His grandmother was a Dustin by birth, making him Roddy the Ruin’s great nephew.

“Yes, he will have the great honor killing the Kingmaker and whatever is left of the men they took to Harrenhal.” Aemma would love nothing more than to be rid of Daemon, but she is not ready to lose her husband yet. “Let him clear the roads for you else you’ll find yourself unnecessarily detained.”

Even if it were true that he fucked that old she-cow of Harrenhal ---Aemond was too scarred by Aegon and that brothel too look at other women except her--- Aemma knows that if she can delay his death a little longer, she may be able to save him.

Even if it means going against her mother.

There were more cuts and scrapes now, the Throne had rejected her and the court was abuzz with said gossip.

Six cuts on her arms, six moons in her reign, some whispered.

She is still thinking about that when she finds Addam in the library of all places.

He knew how to read and write, of course, but she hadn’t expected him to be here.

This was her safe haven.

In fact, he had beat her to her favorite nook.

“I am sorry about what happened, sister.” He said with a sympathetic look and tries to make her feel better. “If I had a copper for every time a sweetheart played me false, I would have enough to trade it for a silver stag.”

“Liar.” Aemma took her book and settled near him. After all, he was her brother and it was perfectly proper to sit by him to read.

A brother who she knew fancied her since they were five and ten. She should leave and heed the part of her warning her, but she doesn't.

“No, really, the first girl I ever liked promised to come back for her spinning top and I never saw her again until she was a married with a baby.” Addam was charming, not quite the lady killer like Alyn, but had that charm boys who you know wouldn’t drop you for the next light skirt that comes around have.

“She tried to go back, but unfortunately she asked why the boy looked more like her than her brothers and her family forbade her from ever returning to the shipyard.” Aemma had cried over that fucking top, it had been loaned to her by Yekemi of Jhala.

“I still have the top, if it makes you feel better.” He leans closer, a little too close than it is proper and she pretends she didn't know it would happen, as he takes it out of his pocket. “I keep it for good luck, gifts from a princess always are.”

“I hate to tell you this, but I’m bad luck, you should have just tossed it off the boat the first chance you had.” She tried not to sound too bitter as she reached for the spinning top she gave him when they were both nine.

“You aren’t bad luck, Aemma.” He assured her as their eyes met and Aemma finds herself thinking about the spy who claims to have heard Aemond accepting the wine and the whore Simon Strong sent him.

She shouldn't do this, this is wrong. She loves her husband and would never do this to him.

Surely the spy was wrong, or was she?

But the part of her that is hurt by Aemond's alleged infidelity because she has been nothing but loving and loyal to him wins in the end because she stays instead of stopping it before disaster strikes.

Both are unsure when both lean in, knowing she is doing this to hurt the man she will never stop loving and yet they do it anyways.

Before they knew it, there was a kiss, small and inconsequential, and then another one because her recklessness and desire to hurt Aemond just a little for fucking Alys Rivers had won over her reason and commitment to her husband.

He was a good kisser, unfortunately, tasted of the sea and freedom.

If he had been mother’s son, perhaps she would have gladly wed him.

But it is Aemond who has her heart and soul, Aemond who has bound himself to her with fire and blood who she loves and would marry in every lifetime.

“I’m sorry, I should not have done that.” He pulls back and moves as far away as they can. Apologizes like the gentleman he is and she feels sickened

“It's my fault, I should have never used you like that .” Aemma said wondering to herself why she fucking kissed him.

She was married, she loves Aemond, why in the seven hells is she using her brother this way?

Gods, what was wrong with her?

----

Another moon passes and with it comes news that gnaw at her insides because she has not taken the baby to see Alicent ever since she arrived and because for a moment she considered paying Aemond back with the same coin by letting herself be guided by her attraction to her own fucking brother.

Maelor had been torn apart by a mob in Bitterbridge, Roddy the Ruin had cut through the Lannisters like a knife through butter and Aemond had styled himself as King Aemond, first of his name.

In fact, he intended to give his new crown to his sister in exchange for the list of demands he sent in his letter.

“To my sister, Queen Rhaenyra;

I, Aemond Targaryen, first of his name, will bend the knee and pledge my sword and loyalty to you, our father’s heir, if you would only agree to my conditions.

The first, that you pardon our younger brother, Daeron, he is young and was led astray by our grandfather and his treacherous kin.

The second, that before I am tried for my crimes, I be allowed seven days and seven nights with my wife and son. I ask that you do not deny a dying man the chance to meet his only child.

And the third, Harrenhal passes to Ser Osferth Whent, the only man in this castle who did not have a hand in the murders of Lord Lyonel Strong and his heir, Ser Harwin.

Your brother,

Aemond Targaryen.”

Short and to the point, her husband was not one of many words and loathed having to speak or write in the florid way of the Reach.

“Will you accept his terms, your grace?” grandfather voices the question all had.

“I will need to think on it.” Mother had said enigmatically, but inside her heart, Aemma knew the answer was no.

----

“He made no mention of me?” Alicent feels hurt by the lack of inclusion in her son’s demands.

“I’m afraid not.” Mysaria, the White Worm, the woman who Daemon had at his beck and call said sadly.

Lady Misery had been the one Daemon used to have her sweet Jaehaerys killed.

He made me hire them, I would never hurt a child, the Lyseni Whore had said as she came to apologize for her sins.

“What other news do you have for me?” the queen in chains had.

“Prince Maelor was murdered. I am sorry, your grace.” The whore said softly, as if she too was afflicted by the pain of her grandson’s death.

“How?” if Alicent had not been so desperate for news, she wouldn’t have trusted the whore’s words so easily.

“Torn to pieces by Queen Rhaenyra’s orders.”

[writingsofwesteros]

I imagine to keep Daemon from fucking everything up isn’t as difficult as you think…. There’s a large possibility he might 100% betray any deals. But nevertheless, Aegon can try.

The best idea he’s got honestly is through his children. He can TEMPORARILY pacify the Velaryons by letting one of the girls be the Lady of Driftmark. Either Baela, Rhaena, or their sister. Of course, this isn’t without exceptions…. They may be lady of Driftmark, but he will choose either Aemond or Daeron to serve as lord. And their husband. He can’t just let former traitors have free rein, what kind of kingly move is that? He thinks he’s being fairly generous.

Alicent of course is the most paranoid about Daemon. On one hand as long as his daughters are safe, he could be manageable. But on another, Alicent has a feeling Daemon would prefer them all to go down in dragon fire before any child of his is at the whims of the greens. She cautions Aegon against this plan, she’s certain it would only anger Daemon. But Aegon goes ahead with it regardless.

Of course he does have one issue. Heirs. Even if his reign is secure, heirs are needed.

And he decides of course….. to use the opportunity to be a petty asshole about it.

The best punishment he can think of…. Is Rhaenyra. All that work to be Queen…. Maybe he will make her Queen. Just not in the way she wanted. And since she’s so used to having bastards, he may take his sweet time waiting on marriage. At least once.

The deal he tells her…. Is simple. If she lies with him, and becomes pregnant, he will bring her daughter home. The North is busy as of late, surely her husband won’t have infinite time to spend trying to fill her with an heir. If Rhaenyra is with child and her daughter isn’t, Aegon will annul her marriage on (false) grounds of infertility. She’ll be sent to the Starry Sept in Oldtown.

And if Rhaenyra has a son… her daughter will be free to live as she chooses. Still under a watchful eye, but not required to become a Septa. And with no pressure to marry again.

Of course…. If her daughter is with child before Rhaenyra…. It will be very difficult to convince the Boltons to let her leave….. Aegon can only do so much…. So Rhaenyra had better hurry.

Alicent thought making a show out of Rhaenyra renouncing her claim and endorsing Aegon’s now would be a peaceful way to wrap this mess up. Aegon took it further…. if she marries him and renounces it at their wedding.

If she fights to renounce it, he’ll wait on the wedding. The more she argues the longer he’ll wait. And he wouldn’t stop from trying to impregnate her. So on a technicality, she would give birth to a bastard if she waits too long. And even if they’re a boy, and even if her daughter isn’t pregnant, the deal won’t apply.

Of course the deal is rigged.

There are a few details Aegon intentionally left out. One being he’s instructed his maester and spy to begin dosing the Princess with concoctions to aid in conception. Along with things to encourage…. Lustful feelings. Steadily increasing the dose so she won’t notice.

And despite the North indeed having much to rebuild, it seems her new husband rather enjoys her company…. In a manner of speaking. That “attention” along with what the maester is slipping her, certainly won’t let the princess continue to be rational or defiant. He’s sure her husband is already finding specific ways to keep her… managed.

Aegon doubts the girl will even mind soon when she’s with child. If she isn’t already.

Of course Rhaenyra doesn’t need to know this! He can just say he forgot to mention it!

Alicent doesn’t entirely approve of his methods, nor the way he goes about these things… but even she’ll admit in a strange way it works. So she says nothing. If Rhaenyra is hoping for help, she won’t find it

ALL OF THIS I also thinking keeping Corlys calm (as he does not care about Daemon's daughters having the throne...he asks Aegon to 'force' him to marry the eldest daughter of Daemon and his own daughter.

Alicent truly is no help, bless her. She just wants peace and its the most relaxed she's been.

Aegon is so cruel, he is playing everyone like a fiddle thank you very much. Rhaenyra's poor sweet daughter is just being bred every day and night

[simplynotcapable]

Do you think that in an AU where Baelon exists but somehow the Targtowers also do, Otto tries to outright bump Baelon off?

I talked to one of my mutuals about this a little awhile back, and I just genuinely do not know.

For one, I think a lot of it depends on whether Visenya exists. Because if she doesn’t, it’s more likely Otto initially tries to get Baelon married to Helaena or another Hightower (one of his granddaughters from Gwayne, possibly? I can’t remember if he has any in canon, but we’ll say he does) which is just objectively easier than war.

More than likely, though, Baelon doesn’t marry a Hightower because his father already did, and marrying into the same family two kings in a row is obvious favoritism

What it comes down to is that, if they kill Baelon off before Viserys dies, I still don’t think he’d name Aegon heir. I think he’d name Rhaenyra’s eldest son, who would be Aegon III most likely because again I don’t think the Strong boys and Baelon exist at the same time. Viserys does not care about the Targtowers or particularly think Aegon would be any good at it. So, the question is, does Otto know that? I think he most likely would, because Targaryens have such a high death rate that undoubtedly the small council has raised the issue of what happens if Baelon dies.

Naming his grandson over his son is still breaking precedent and it isn’t a popular decision, but I don’t think anyone is going to care enough to go to war about it even if Otto wants them to. They hate Rhaenyra because she’s a woman, but, honestly, what is the difference between one blond dragon-riding product of incest named Aegon and another? Aegon II already doesn’t want the throne, and Otto loses a lot of power if Aegon III gets put on the throne because it’s really likely Daemon finds a way to get rid of him.

If he kills Baelon after he becomes king, Aegon’s probably already either a) dead or b) at the Wall and no longer an option. And while Aemond is not a good person and is totally fine with usurping his sister, he doesn’t have the same anger or fear towards Baelon. He knows Baelon only got rid of Aegon because of Helaena, he knows Baelon loves Helaena and him and even Daeron, and I’m not sure he’d be on board with killing his brother to steal his throne. I mean, in canon, he won’t kill Aegon or let him run away so he can be heir, and he has more respect for Baelon than he does Aeg. So then it falls into: what does Aemond know? Is he aware of Otto’s plans, is he willing to betray Otto to tell Baelon about it?

There’s just a lot of variables about it all, and I don’t think I’m really going to be able to come up with an answer unless I actually write the whole thing out and see how it develops, which I will not be doing anytime soon lol