u/East-Way-6378

Okay.

"How do Rhaenyra's taxes kill people, let alone in countless, thats bullshit"

Taxes, raised to extreme level = poor smallfolk pay all their money to the monarch.

Poor smallfolk pay money all money to the monarch = poor smallfolk left with little to no money.

Taxes rise, the merchants also pay extreme Taxes = Merchant raises the prise of basic goods (its called inflation)

Poor smallfolk with no money and prices of basic goods too extreme to afford = smallfolk cannot buy food

Smallfolk cannot but food = starvation

*"*Rhaenyra is not racist she was just paranoid and thats why she ordered to kill Nettels"

Nettles skin colour being dark.

Rhaenyra extremely paranoid = listens to Mysaria, who is sleeping with Daemon that because Nettles sleot with Daemon she betrayed her.

Rhaenyra had given Daemon free reign to sleep around.

Rhaenyra says there is no drop of Valyrian blood in Nettles and it is obvious just by looking at her, accusing her of blood magic while her own sons look nothing like Valyrians = Rhaenyra racist.

"Rhaenyra did not usurp Baela"

Rhaenyra knows her children are bastards still makes them the heirs = Baela gets no chance and is being groomed to never know a claim.

Rhaenyra is afraid of being usurped, still usurps driftmark = Rhaenyra is a usurper.

I need to vent to people who actually have media literacy because I am losing my mind. I’ve had thousands of debates about House of the Dragon since Season 1.

I’ve argued about claims, about the eye, about Blood and Cheese, about everything. I have thick skin when it comes to standard fandom tribalism.But the one thing the ONLY thing that makes me absolutely crash out bad is seeing people confidently type out that Aegon was a "willful rapist" to Helaena, as if that teenage boy had a single ounce of agency in that situation.

HE DID NOT WANT THIS. The show literally beats us over the head with the fact that Aegon did not want to rule, did not want the crown, and did not want this match. He was a deeply traumatized, neglected teenager.

In feudal Westeros, when you are told to perform your "duty" to secure a bloodline, YOU DO NOT HAVE A CHOICE. A prince who refuses faces political ruin, physical punishment, and complete shaming. He was a pawn being physically manipulated.

Acting like he had the autonomy to just say "no thank you" to his entire family pushing him into that bed is a brain-dead take.

THEY WHITEWASH THE REAL MONSTER. They flatten a horrific, complex systemic tragedy into "Aegon bad" just to fit their fan-fiction narrative. And who do they protect? That horrid, abusive bitch Viserys.

Yes, Aegon is a creep when he grows up in the books and a show canon rapist. How tf does that make it his fault being pushed into a marriage to his SISTER years ago?

Let’s talk about the book reality that the show tried to rewrite just to drag my Queen. In Fire & Blood, Viserys is the bob the builder of this misery. That absolute parasite arranged the incestuous marriage between 15-year-old Aegon and 13-year-old Helaena. He did it as a sick move of political containment to bind his younger children together, destroy their lives, and shield Rhaenyra’s succession.

The showrunners intentionally shifted the blame of arranging the marriage to Alicent just to make her look like the bad guy. As an unhinged Alicent worshipper, I am sick to death of her being blamed for a traditional Valyrian nightmare that her abusive husband forced onto those kids. Alicent follows the Faith of the Seven she hated incest. It was Viserys’s cruel, negligent decree that trapped them.

Why would Alicent wed Aegon to Helaena when they could have had powerful alliances?!

Both Aegon and Helaena are mutual victims of Viserys's horrific abuse and systemic forced coupling. Aegon is flawed, he is messy, and he does terrible things but he was a captive teenager groomed to produce heirs to prevent a state alliance.

I cannot do this anymore. Please tell me I’m not the only one who gets completely triggered by people defending that rotting corpse Viserys while stripping Aegon of his victimhood.

OKAY.

HOTD : I was shipping Alicent × Ser Criston since the middle of season 1. I was EATING UP the tragic angry queen x tragic knight bith with very suicidal undertones. (Imagine my surprise when it came true just at the cost of their dignity 😟) (still eat it up though)

Fire&Blood : Two theories I have, one of them being that Viserys had Harwin killed and Obviously Mysaria's child died because of Viserys, so both Larys and Mysaria worked for blacks and greens to take revenge, yk Mysaria ruining Rhaenyra and Larys ruining Viserys's memory by helping Aegon.

Another is, Aegon had commited suicide at the end. That he knew the wine was poisoned and taht he had asked Larys to poison him so his daughter may get married and live in what little peace was left (that backfired) with the fact that Aegon had went to the sept and Larys refused to say anything even as he faced execution.

Damn.

LIKE CAN WE BE SERIOUS.

My girl listed all her GOATS and didn't even remember bother for Viserys.

As she should.

Nowhere does it say what a "good mother" is. Rhaenyra is not expected to be a good mother, she has not had that sort of influence or knowledge of what a "good mother" is.

Rhaenyra LOVES her children, no doubt. There is not a single doubt in that. However, her selfishness, some would consider, overrides her "love", when for simply her own pleasure and nothing else, she has brought her sons into this while world who are visibly bastards. Counting simply on her father's bias to protect her sons.

Rhaenyra knows what can happen to bastards, what sort of life they would be forced to lead, always overshadowed by the "shame of bastardy."

I love the claims that "allegations of bastardy kills" and not the fact that Rhaenyra willingly chose to have basatrds. Multiple of them.

This leads to serious repercussions. She raises her sons shielded and ignorant, under protection, so the moment these accusations come to light, Jacaerys and Lucerys resort to Violence.

Shielding your sons from the consequences of their actions especially when they are "heirs" is not being a good parent.

This is why people who compared Rhaenyra’s motherhood to Alicent's motherhood are just full of shit.

What the caption says.

This is actually one my favorite seens of my abducted wife 💔💔💔

It had been the early hours of the night. The Queen Alicent hightower sat in her cushioned chair beside her bed, her palm resting on her swollen stomach. Her eyes were closed as she bit into her lips, feeling the dull ache in her core. The maesters had said nothing of it, nothing of much relevance anyway.

"The babe is quite fine, your grace. You require rest-", but that is what they always said. That is what they had been saying for the past few moons. "Do not strain yourself, your grace.", "You must rest, your grace-", As they pretended it was not the late queen's ghost that haunted ever visit from the maester, As if every look and word from Viserys, her King, her husband, had not held the shadows of countless babe's lost, every time he held her gaze.

"Should I call for some tea and cakes, Your grace? You seemed to enjoy those quite enough these days." Alicent opened her eyes, to find her cousin, Cersey, standing near the other end of the bed.

Cersey, yes. She had been her most frequent companion, brought to court specifically to accompany the queen who was with child. Alicent shared a bond with her as she did with no other. Perhaps because she spoke only the truth and did not hide her thoughts, unlike the King, Alicent caught herself thinking.

"It is alright. I desire nothing but peace tonight. Perhaps it is because it has been a long time since I have been to the sept, my heart, it seems, cannot find rest." Alicent spoke. She had tried to sound calm, a calm she did not feel.

"Why do you lie, Ali?" Cersye said, pouring the queen a cup of tea that she had brought with her. "Something has upset you and I cannot yet tell what it is." She continued, handing Alicent the tea.

Alicent sighed as she sat up straighter, not because she wished to indulge in a serious discussion, but simply becuase the dull ache made it impossible for her to stay still. Yet, who was she lying to? Cersey would catch onto Alicent's finest lies that even her father sometimes missed. "I am worried I suppose. I ought not to be, I think. Once I give birth to a healthy prince all shall be fine."

Cersey watched as Alicent took a sip of the tea, barely a taste to her teeth though, that Cersey could tell. She moved forward and sat on the bed, beside her chair. "Has the king been avoiding you? Has something happened, Ali?"

"Only the seven gods know what the King thinks and feels, Cersey. Only they can know what goes on in such an unsettled mind." Alicent spoke as she moved to stand up. The ache felt as though a hand had taken to squeezing her stomach from all sides.

"Its seems the babe is upset too." Alicent spoke quieter, her brows furrowed as she gripped onto the poles of canopy of the bed.

"Are you alright, your grace? Should I summon the maester?" Cersey stood up, immediately heading to the queens side, who had taken to bending in pain as best as she could.

Alicent hightower, however did not hear that. The pain had grown from the dull ache to the sharp strikes of agony. She gasped clutching onto the pole, her free arm held by Cersey.

Too fast, Alicent thought.

The babe is coming. The thought came to Alicent before she felt and heard the wet sound of liquid reaching the floor. Was it a motherly instinct? Alicent could not tell.

The hem of her cotton shift grew darker, soaking the fluids as Alicent stumbled.

"Your grace, the labor has begun-" Cersey said, perhaps to herself, to remind herself this was not simply her cousin she was holding, but the queen of the seven kingdoms.

Cersey took almost all of Alicent's weight onto her side, helping her sit on the edge of the bed, before she held on to Alicent's shoulders. "Stay calm, your grace. I shall be with you in a moment."

"No-" Cersey moved away before Alicent had the chance to stop her. Alicent stomach ached with the sharpest of pains, making her bend forth, wrapping one of her arms around her belly as she moaned in pain.

Cersey had gripped her grey gown in one hand as she reached the large doors before opening them. "The Queen has begun her labor! Summon the midwife at once!" Cersey ordered, the King's guard who had been stationed outside the Queen's chamber jolted from his stoic posture, rushing.

"Cersey!-" Alicent moaned as she tried to stand up, the pain unbearable, her stomach felt as they it would tear itself open.

Cersey rushed to the queen's side, her hand firm on Alicent's shoulders, making her sit down as she pushed the hair out of her face, "You must stay as calm as you can, Your grace!" Cersey spoke in a rushed tone.

For Cersey and Alicent both knew that first childbirth was never easy.

___________________

The labor had went on the entire night.

"Mother will have mercy on my, your grace." Cersey said as Alicent laid in bed, her back against the carved headboard, screaming in agony.

"In the seven hells!" Alicent moaned. The pain was blinding. Cersey's free hand, the hand that wasn't being gripped purple by Alicent was wiping the sweat from her forehead and cheek, or tears, mayhaps both.

"You are doing a fine job, your grace!-" Midwife Marly, a lady of 50, who had seen countless childbirths in her life, spoke, "you must keep pushing!" She continued as she wiped the liquid from her thighs.

"I cannot-" Alicent managed to speak, the pain had taken her ability to form coherent words, "I need to stand-"

"Your grace-"

"I need to stand, I said!" Alicent said as she moaned, pulling herself up, no, Cersey pulled her up, onto her feet, but Alicent did not care enough to notice that.

Her ladies-in-waiting rushed to her side as she stumbled towards the footboard of her bed, her hands clutching onto her stomach as she cried.

Her fingers wrapped around the white cloth wrapped on the bed post, clutching with her all her might as a scream tore through her throat. It was animal. She thought, or perhaps she didn't.

The birthing girdle seemed to tighten and crinkle even more every time she pushed. She did so again, she screamed. She had tried biting down onto leather, it had suffocated her more than it should have.

"Are you sure all the knots in the chambers are untied?" Elinda spoke in a rushed tone as she untied the last of the braid in the queen's hair that had been previously under her head. "The knots hold the child back," she spoke as she wiped the queen's scrunched face with a wet cloth.

"The knots are all untied, Elinda-" Cersey who was supported the queen's side while the midwife held her back was cut off by another scream from the queen.

"I cannot-" The queen muttered, her body tight and her teeth grinding as she sobbed, "the gods know I cannot-!"

"You must, your grace!" Cersey spoke just beside the queen's ear in a tone even she didn't understand. "You have to! You know that!"

Alicent's pained gaze met Cersey's. Her eye's were red as though she had been crying alongside her queen. Alicent nodded, she nodded as she turned back, another contraction seizing her, drawing out another pained moan from the queen.

"Lead her grace to the chair!" Marly commanded, her experienced hand taking over the side Elinda had stood, leading the exhausted Alicent to the birthing chair that had been set beside the bed. The blood had seeped through the thin fabric, mixing with the other fluids of her body.

Cersey helped Alicent sit down on the chair, her fingers pushing the wet strands of the queen's hair behind her ears as the midwife kneeled infront of the queen.

"I cant see the head!" Marly announced with a particular high voice and Alicent smiled, a tired, out of this world smile as Cersey gripped her hand. "The Mother has mercy, your grace!" Marly said.

"Push, Ali, you can do it!" Cersey said as she let Alicent grip her hand.

Alicent took in a shaky breath, taking the smell of the room, the blood, the sweat, the lavender and she pushed. Once.

"Yes, your grace! Just like that!" Marly encouraged the queen.

Alicent pushed again, with a her teeth clenched.

"Almost done, your grace!" Marly said, "Do you hear that Ali, Almost there!" Cersey added, watching Alicent clench her shut and pushing.

And she pushed again.

"Yes! Once more, your-"

Alicent didn't wait for her to finish.

"Help me, Mother-" To which mother Alicent prayed to, to which mother Alicent asked for strength even she didn't know.

And Queen Alicent hightower pushed one last time and the chambers that had held its breath, found the restraint shattered by the cry of a babe, just as the sun began rising over King's landing.

______________

The sun had begun rising, as Alicent lay in the bed, her arms stretched out, "My son, give him to me-" Alicent muttered, her body and mind tired, yet the brightest smile graced her face.

Marly had just wrapped the cleaned up prince in cloth, as she handed the boy to the Queen, into her stretched arms.

Alicent gasped in awe, her fingers, usually so composed, shook with exertion as she traced the face of the babe in her arms. She leaned forward, placing a kiss on the boy's head, before looking up at her companions in the chambers.

"The prince is healthy, your grace! A targaryen prince truly!" Marly spoke, a strange awe, in her usually hardened voice.

Alicent looked down at the babe in her arms, and she felt triumph. Victory and awe she felt, so overwhelming that it shadowed any pain that remained in her exhausted body.

Alicent sat up, Cersey immediately stepping to her side, as Alicent stood up.

"You must rest, your grace! You are still weak." Elind said, though she did not move to stop her queen as she moved slowly towards the large windows on the chamber.

Cersey stayed back.

Alicent hightower stepped into the light from the window, the golden light shining upon her son's silver-gold hair and bright violet eyes. Oh.

"You are a prince, my boy, and you shall bethe greatest king they have seen. The mightiest, the pride of House Targaryen and Hightower alike." Queen Alicent hightower whispered to her son. To her golden boy.

___________

[If it wasn't obvious, I have taken liberties and added original charchters. Cersey hightower is Alicent Hightower's cousin. Not the one married to Maegor, IDEK why I think I need to say this but I won't take my chances. This is just a fun post.]

[I have not proofread this because I was having fun, so just have fun.]

To understand why this shit is so stupid, we need to know that no one would simply just gossip about such a Vile rumor.

When the allegation surfaced that Daemon had taken Rhaenyra’s maidenhood, Lord Lyonel Strong (serving as Master of Laws at the time) was the one who argued that Daemon's actions constituted high treason. He explicitly advised King Viserys I that the Prince should be executed for his crime.

The decision to spare Daemon came from Septon Eustace, who cautioned the council and the King against the "taint of kinslaying." He argued that spilling the blood of one's own family would bring a curse upon the house.

Now, why this is important, is because the man attached to these supposed rumors would be heavily punished, and executed.

There is literally no way that there were rumors of a child "sleeping" with a knight would go around unpunished.

BEYOND THAT, THERE IS NOWHERE IN THE TEXT, THE SUGGESTS ALICENT SPREAD SUCH RUMORS.

"Aemond ain't shit without Vhagar."

Despite losing an eye as a child, he became a proficient swordsman, often training under the legendary Ser Criston Cole. By the time the Dance of the Dragons began, he was considered a "dangerous and proficient" combatant, possessing a ferocity that made even seasoned knights wary of him.

Even as a child, his fierce nature was noted "At birth, Aemond was said to be half the size his older brother, Aegon, had been, though he was twice as fierce". He later became a "proficient and dangerous swordsman"

WITHOUT AN EYE BTW.

Even as he was attacked by a group of children who were armed with wooden swords and a dagger and yet managed to over power shows just her seriously he took shit.

You might argue now, oh but he won against younger children, the children were 7, 5 and 3, all armed with wooden swords and a hidden dagger, while Aemond himself was unarmed and outnumbered at the age of 10 and was also described to have a smaller stature, being half the size of his brother who was merely 2-3 years older at the age of 12-13.

While it is very well possible that Aegon targaryen at 13 was simply "larger" due to teengae growth spurt that typically happens in the years 13-17 for young boys, however it being explicitly mentioned that Aemind Targaryen as a child was half the size of Aegon, is to emphasize that he lacked the regular growth at that age.

Now, People ignore how claiming a dragon itself is a huge acknowledgment in a particular context.

Vhagar was freshly riderless, even approaching a freaking dragon that has recently lost her rider was a huge gamble, a risk taken by a desperate child.

Vhagar was sleeping on the sands at High Tide. As Aemond approached and attempted to climb her, she woke and "roared," nearly incinerating him with her dragonbreath.

Rather than fleeing in fear, Aemond stood his ground and shouted commands at her to obey.

After Aemond lost his eye, he was on the ground "howling in pain" after Lucerys slashed his face with a dagger.

Vhagar was "roaring as well," despite being unchained and at some distance from the actual scuffle.

George R.R. Martin often implies that dragons choose riders who mirror their own souls. Vhagar was known for being vicious and short-tempered in her old age Aemond, even at ten, was full of resentment and a desperate need to prove himself.

He isn't what he is "because he had Vhagar". He claimed Vhagar because of who he is, dragon's chose their riders.

Also like, atleast my boy is courageous enough to meet his enemies on dragonback, unlike Daemon who sneaks rat catchers in the rooms of children to get "revenge".

Also like, do yall ever feel maternal towards charchters that would absolutely kill you? I know I do.

Yall see this?

This took me less than 3 minutes to compile.

People do not understand, these actors do not owe you ANYTHING. They are getting paid because for hardwork not for fools to sit at home, be insecure and hate on them.

Olivia cooke and Tom Glyn Carney have been so hated, simply because childish people cannot separate fictional charchters from the actor.

Just straight up horrible.

I've seen people say its not bad that Ewan was body shamed because he was "paid". Wtf?

The fans are in trenches, the Greens just wanna kill each other. Season 3? Just Rhaenicient.

💔💔💔

Thoughts come to my brain at the most random times. Honestly, just the things that reminds me of these charachters.

♡♡♡♡♡♡