#this is daeron and criston's first interaction

[laufeysan]

Daeron, seriously: Bring me the ice cream. *later, Daeron clutching his stomach in pain* Criston: You're lactose intolerant? Daeron: I thought if I ate it really fast, I wouldn't notice.

[lorhaghanima]

so, it finally happened. writers of the hotd finally destroyed everything good about it, any potential it once had, all for some kind of... agenda?

they were destroying greens slowly during the whole season two. aemond, being hateful and vengeful, but not towards ones, who deserve it (the blacks), no - to aegon, his brother, his king. aemond not having any interaction with alys rivers, instead of it the whole season and a potentially large part of their relationship was given to daemon - prophecies, visions, support in war, romantic implications. helaena, whose scene of great loss was cut, happened because of incompetence of writers royal guards (absolutely impossible for a setting), somehow her mother's affair (which is also impossible, since there's know way criston could be the only and personal protectpr of helaena and kids), and she was robbed of her burden (choice between sons) and her grieve (she is already unhappy most of the time, not cheerful, not beloved, and her loss doesn't haunt the narrative the way it should - the way it traumatized the whole family daeron who). aegon crippled not in battle and with glory, but by betrayal of his own brother (supposed to be his supporter), also deprived of his rightful grieve and anger, and even his dragon - the most beautiful, the most loyal, sunfyre, so important for the original story and our understanding, how strong and unbreakable this bond can be - erased to one scene. alicent - oh, my sweet alicent, i will remember the one, who could've been - the one we lose completely. alicent, who always loves and protected the monstrosity and beauty and destiny of motherhood and queenhood, what have they done to you? alicent, who stands in front of dragon, to protect aegon (at least try to protect him), alicent, who cuts her husband's beloved daughter and heir to the throne because all of the injustice done to aemond, alicent, who loves, loves, loves, her sweet daughter helaena (even in first part of season two she says - but what have they done to my daughter?). alicent, the actual queen, alicent, beloved by the smallfolk, alicent, respected by the council, alicent, loyal to her family to the core. where did you go, my beloved?

And to the worst part - all of this was done for one purpose - to remind us once again about this targaryen supremacy. that they are chosen ones, that they are supposed to save everyone, that they are gods, not men, and they will not be punished by the story, instead - they will be victimised, they will be martyred, they will be rewarded for cruelty. The blacks have only two options in season two - they are either absurdly boring (cause they can't have any flaws, and supposed to be heroic - that's why it safer to make them blank and dull), or they are chosen, special, destined - to rule westeros, to ride dragons, to get whatever they want. this, of course, are qualities of the right kind of targaryens - the blacks, the connected with daenerys ones, not the whole family, obviously. This is the reason, why rhaenyra has nothing to do with the death of a child, somehow goes to the king's Landing and tries negotiations with alicent, breaks up with not-so-perfect daemon, tames bronze fury just because she can, and acting incredibly passive most of the season. This is the reason, why we don't have nettles - girl of color, of unknown birth, younger and more beautiful, who tames the dragon using only her wits, survives the story, surpasses the tragedy. of course we don't have you, dear nettles - you are a mirror, where targaryen, mostly daemon and rhaenyra, were supposed to see their flaws.

I remind you, that hotd is supposed to be an interpretation of a very specific story. One where dragons dance and house targaryen falls. One where smallfolk kills the dragons, where dragons are monsters, destroying cities, and targaryens are false gods and precarious rulers. The cursed war - kin against kin. The narrative, where everyone is dead long before the beginning, everyone is doomed. It's not supposed to praise house targaryen, on the contrary - it says 'look, what they've done, look, what they do', 'look, how treacherous, flawed, hypocritical, unnatural, brutal, unreliable they ALL are, even to each other', and what is most important - 'look, they can be killed, look, they can fall, look the dragons and their riders bleed, and we can destroy them'.

and all of this potential, all of this greekish kind of tragedy, lost... and i have no idea, what for.

[helaenalyst]

god. so much to unpack with alicent and her good knights. the way gwayne and criston left this time as opposed to the first time. "my brother has volunteered to march with you" against "i have to go with ser criston". the delicate hand kiss against the little hand squeeze. alicent just giving criston a small nod as a goodbye snd him returning it with a tired smile. they're all so pained and tired they actually started interacting like human beings instead of through courtly gestures now. also was gwayne drunk i think he was at least a little bit drunk

also!!! god!!! aemond wanting to marry alicent off and dismissing her from the council and IMMEDIATELY sending criston away as soon as he takes her side, then not letting them have even a moment to comfort each other as they were walking away. he's joining the war on his parents' divorce on the side of the divorce. i know it's because he knows how much criston cares for aegon and because of what he saw and because he wants alicent isolated but i wouldn't be that surprised if he is somewhat jealous of criston for getting to bang his mom as well. targaryen prince things

the horror of being forced to bear an old man's children only for one of them to become a rapist and another to grow up to want to inflict the pain you suffered on you again? not because he doesn't understand but maybe precisely because he does? i didn't think the show could find many more ways to hurt alicent beyond killing what's left of her family but they are very very resourceful as i now see 💀💀💀

alicent trying to connect with gwayne. gwayne telling alicent that she was always otto's favourite has got to be the statement of the century. thank you god for giving us the angsty gwayne backstory at last. the bond he must have with daeron after he too was cast aside to be raised without parents. but from alicent's POV they are free and they were spared the endless horrors that she and her other children were subjected to at the red keep. still she tried to connect with him and sympathise with his pain. these siblings will be the death of me. the glances they and criston were exhanging in this scene. the way gwayne ended up reassuring alicent about her motherhood and did not leave without showing her some affection. i am unwell

the way gwayne doesn't know anything about what alicent and criston went through in all these years but he can still infer it just from spending a few days at the red keep god. truly truly unwell. there is so much more to say but this post is long enough. i would kill and maim for these three i'd give anything for a happy ending for them

[moonshine999]

It’s just the fact that we deserved so much more time with them and their dynamic. Show us Helaena and Aegon’s wedding. Does his feelings about this marriage ever change? Would they have smiled if they had danced together? How much would they have talked to each other throughout the celebrations, if at all?

Show us Aemond putting the eye patch over his eye for the very first time. How does he feel about a part of him being gone forever? How does he respond to having yet another imperfection, while he has spent so long just to prove that he is more than a second son? Why does he decide to put the sapphire in his eye?

Show us Helaena and Aegon throughout and before their marriage. Did they get along? Did they have shared interests? Was it ruined when their father announced their marriage?

Show us Helaena battling her dreams. Can she control them or do they come in flashes and bursts that leave her crying? Is she able to control the prophecies she utters? Does she fully know what they mean? Does she try to tell her brothers or mother?

Show us Aegon claiming Sunfyre. How does he feel to be the first of his siblings (except Rhaenyra) to claim a dragon? Does he feel some sense of pride? How does he tell Viserys? Does his father congratulate him or wave him off as if he has heard this a million times over?

Show us Aemond asking Criston for extra lessons. Does he fully give away why he wants to master the art of the sword? Does Criston agree immediately? Do they tell the other princes or have sessions behind their backs?

Show us them gathering around to discuss the fact that mother is sending Daeron away to Oldtown. How do each of them respond? Would they tell Daeron outwardly how they feel or keep it to themselves? Do they protest against their mother for this?

Show us them interacting with Rhaenyra. Do they act cold and distant? Do they try to find similarities and spark conversation? Do they simply refuse to talk?

Show us Aegon and Helaena visiting their kids before their coronation. Do they tell them about their duties right away or do they wait, till they are used to it themselves? Do they talk to Jaehaerys about becoming heir? How would they have kept their kids safe when Rhaenys storms the hall?

Show us all three having a conversation with Alicent. Do they always act cold towards her? Do they do it due to the burden of duty? Do they care about their mother’s approval?

Just show us.

[kckt88]

Drowning Inside You II

Summary:

Aemond and Valaera settle into life as married couple and Valaera's heat arrives earlier than expected.

-Features an Aemond POV.

MINORS DO NOT INTERACT!!

Warning(s): Mini Time Skip, Inner thoughts, Language, Kissing, Smut, Heat/Rut Cycle, P in V, Breeding Kink, Knotting, Mild Angst, Possessive Behaviour.

Word Count: 4620

Author Note: An Alpha/Omega Story.

Inspired by the song Call My Name by EMO + Yolo.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the House of The Dragon or Fire & Blood characters nor do I claim to own them. I do not own any of the images used.

Comments, likes, and reblogs are very much appreciated.

Ever since Valaera had taken his eye that night on Driftmark, Aemond had envisioned the various ways in which he would exact his revenge against Valaera Velaryon.

Maimed, half blind and now the rider of the largest dragon in the world.

For years he’d hated her, even thinking about Valaera would send Aemond into a rage of epic proportions.

He would spend hours in the training yard, sparring with Ser Criston or deliberately starting fights with other Alpha’s.

His only reprieve from it all was Vhagar.

She was far too large to be housed inside the dragon pit, so she had taken to resting in an outcropping of caves beyond the Red Keep.

His old girl didn’t fit in anywhere and neither did he.

Even before he lost his eye, he never felt part of anything, his older brother was a massive twat, and his sweet sister was far too invested in her bugs too notice anything else. Even his younger brother Daeron was a stranger to him.

His older brother was rather fond of making Aemond suffer through his awful practical jokes, and relentless teasing. Even more so when their ‘strong’ nephew would join in.

Behold the Pink Dread.

Valaera was the only one to apologise for the pig, offering her uncle some lemon cakes she’d managed to steal from the kitchens.

After Driftmark, Aemond devoted himself to his studies and training. Becoming the perfect second son, even as Aegon would squander every opportunity that was given to him.

Before his presentation as an Omega, Aegon would spend his days drunk and cock deep in some whore on the streets of silk.

Yet all that stopped when he was given in marriage to Jacaerys Velaryon. Aemond had to admit he thoroughly enjoyed the look of horror on Aegon’s face when their father announced their union.

Yet his brother for all his desire to flee Kings Landing on the back of Sunfyre remained and married his strong bastard, with the pair of them becoming so happy it would make Aemond’s stomach turn.

Since she cost him his eye, Valaera would avoid Aemond like the plague. Always fleeing the room whenever Aemond entered or hiding behind her mother’s skirts.

Which suited Aemond just fine, the less time he spent in the company of Valaera the better. Yet as he got older, he realised it wasn’t just hate that he felt for Valaera. It was something far deeper. Rooted in his very core.

At first, he was unsure what it was.

But as Valaera got older and presented as an Omega, one sniff of Valaera’s sweet scent and that was it.

Aemond knew it was no longer hate that was driving him. It was desire.

As his niece grew from a plain faced pup into a stunningly beautiful pearl. Aemond knew he was done for.

Countless nights he would imagine the pretty noises his niece would make as he took her to bed and ravished her with his tongue, his fingers, and his cock.

Valaera always had this way of looking at him and it would drive him to the brink of insanity.

Those beautiful brown doe eyes, so innocent. So perfect.

Aemond would strip his cock raw every night as he fucked his fist, to the thought of Valaera.

Of course, the girl was still terrified of him and while part of him still rather enjoyed it, another was so desperate to have the Omega that he would do anything.

Aemond knew that suitors would soon come to Kings Landing in their droves to beg for the hand of Driftmark's heir.

The pearl of the realm, given in marriage to some unworthy dog.

No, he wouldn’t allow it. Valaera had left her mark on him when she'd carved out his eye and Aemond would ensure that the Omega would belong to him and no other.

It was easy enough to convince his father. After all, Aegon’s marriage to Jacaerys had been successful. The two of them had already been blessed with one pup and Aegon was currently expecting their next.

His mother however was more resistant to the match and Aemond prayed every night to the seven that his father would remain steadfast in his decision.

Luckily the gods answered his prayers and now Valaera Velaryon belonged to him.

Bound for life.

Aemond thought nothing could top the sight of Valaera at their wedding.

Oh, how wrong he was.

The sight of his sweet Omega laid bare before him, begging to be bred would remain with Aemond far beyond his death.

He could feel his cock going stiff at the thought of fucking Valaera again.

But that would have to wait, as Criston’s morningstar came flying towards him. The shield in his hand shattered upon impact. Discarding the splinted wood, Aemond expertly dodged the repeated attacks and soon his sword was pointed at the Kings guard’s throat.

“Well done my Prince. You’ll be winning tourneys in no time”.

“I don’t give a shit about tourney’s” replied Aemond as he spun the long sword in his hand and cast his eyes to the sky, watching two dragons race each other.

Aemond smiled when he heard his Omega’s gleeful laughter, as her dragon Arrax nimbly darted around Vermax and shot off into the clouds.

In the weeks since her wedding to Aemond, Valaera had come to realise that being married to him wasn't as bad as she thought it would be.

In public he was stoic and quiet, always standing with his arms folded behind his back, his posture rigid and firm yet in private he was passionate and unyielding. He was a giving lover in the marriage bed and he would often seek her touch during the night, ensconcing her in his arms, making her feel safe.

On this particular day, Aemond was training as usual so Valaera decided to visit the library, there were so many books that she wished to read before her next name day.

Aegon of course had previously made fun of her calling her a 'bookworm' and then stated that her and Aemond were perfect for one another as he loved books too, what Aegon didn't know was that sometimes Aemond would join Valaera in the library and he would fuck her against one of the bookcases and not much reading would be done on those occasions.

During her reverie Valaera began to notice that the walk back to her chambers felt peculiar. The latent arousal swirling inside her as she thought of her Alpha felt different, but in a really familiar way strangely enough. Her breath suddenly became more laboured, and a tingling sensation appeared inside her.

The empty feeling in the pit of her stomach becoming more pronounced.

Surely this couldn’t be her. Oh no. The Maesters had always been accurate about her heats. She wasn’t expecting it for another few weeks.

But something was off, extremely off, because soon she felt her legs start to shake with every step she took, and she was practically hyperventilating.

The closer she got to the chambers she shared with Aemond, everything started to blur, even the light, it was so bright that she had to shut her eyes, it made her stop in her tracks and lean against the wall.

The arousal she previously felt in her abdomen had now turned into excruciating pain. Valaera could smell almost every single Alpha in the Red Keep, but the scent of HER Alpha overpowered them all, she needed him.

Oh, gods she needed him so much, she felt so empty, she needed his knot, she needed his seed, she needed to be filled with her Alpha.

Slick started running down her legs, she was so wet, and her clothes felt so constricting, she needed to get them off before she was suffocated.

“Princess. Are you alright, shall I alert your mother?” asked a guard, he was sweating profusely, his scent was making Valaera feel sick, his voice was too loud, and he was too close to her. She wanted to run away, she wanted to run to Aemond, but her legs were completely useless.

The tears began running down her cheeks, she was getting desperate.

Alpha. Please. I need you. I’m frightened. Where are You?

Then she heard a loud growl. Her Alpha’s growl.

Yes! Yes! Her Alpha had come for her! Her Alpha had come to finally breed her!

Valaera’s inner Omega let out a loud cry, practically a scream as she heard the growl, eager to reunite with her Alpha.

“Get. Away. From MY OMEGA” snarled Aemond his voice was deep, low, and dangerous, his scent dark and violent.

He sized up the guard with his remaining eye, growling once again. The guard growled back at first but quickly retreated once the full force of Aemond’s Alpha pheromones permeated through the air.

Aemond turned his attention to Valaera, throwing himself at his whimpering Omega. He put his arms under Valaera’s legs and back, lifted her up and began to carry her toward their chambers.

Valaera swung her arms around Aemond and buried her face in his neck. She began to desperately kiss and suck on Aemond’s throat, she couldn’t help himself, she needed to get closer to her Alpha’s fucking intoxicating scent.

Both of them were a sweaty mess by the time they reached their chambers. Valaera couldn’t keep her hands off of Aemond, nor could she stop scenting and sucking on the mating mark on his neck.

Aemond nuzzled her neck affectionately, then he reached down and grabbed Valaera’s behind, squeezing it hard. His Omega responded by moaning loudly before unlacing his breeches and shoving her hand inside to fondle his cock, which had grown rock hard. Valaera needed it deep inside her now or she would explode.

Aemond grabbed her jaw and turned her face upwards so he could reach her mouth. The Alpha’s tongue felt so good in her mouth, she had to moan once again, this time into Aemond’s mouth, making him grunt loudly in response while still kissing her. 

They fell backwards together, landing on the bed, never once breaking their kiss.

Aemond was a grunting mess, almost whimpering every time Valaera’s tongue swirled around his. Their clothes were a hinderance, and they needed to get them off.

So that they could feel each other properly. Aemond hooked his fingers into the seams of Valaera’s dress and ripped it from her body, buttons and fabric flew everywhere.

Aemond’s breeches were the next victim, shredded to pieces as he clawed at them, his tunic was also ripped from his body, the tattered threads landing somewhere on the floor after he discarded them.

Valaera’s eyes rolled back into her head as she felt her Alpha’s naked body against her own.

Aemond’s pheromones burned brighter as his mouth dove into her scent gland, sucking eagerly while scraping his teeth against the mark he’d previously left on her skin. Valaera was absolutely crazed by the movement.

“My Omega. your scent. It’s so fucking amazing” whispered Aemond, whilst inhaling his wife’s unique scent.

“Take me Alpha, breed me, your Omega needs your seed” begged Valaera.

Tears of joy were rolling down her face, so fucking happy that her Alpha would finally fill the aching emptiness in her abdomen.

Aemond grunted loudly in response and reached down to align his huge cock with Valaera’s dripping wet hole, instantly pushing inside, making them both moan in sync as his hard and pulsing cock found Valaera’s warm, wet heat.

The Alpha thrust his cock into Valaera at a relentless pace almost immediately, giving Valaera no time to adjust to his size. 

Valaera wrapped her legs around Aemond’s waist and squeezed as tightly as she could, she needed to be fucked again and again, she needed her Alpha to pump her full of his seed and put a pup inside of her. 

Her Alpha fucked her hard and fast, his hips pounding against hers. The sound of skin slapping together echoed around the chambers.

Aemond gave a loud grunt and stilled, throwing his head back while squeezing his eye shut, giving Valaera exactly what she wanted.

Rope after roped of his seed spilled inside his Omega, which made Valaera scream in joy and throw her own head back, as she reached her peak, clenching around her Alpha’s pulsating cock.

 It didn’t stop there, Aemond only needed a few moments of rest before growing hard inside of his Omega again.

As Valaera’s legs relaxed and let go of her hold on Aemond, he moved backwards and raised himself to his knees between Valaera’s legs.

The loss of her Alpha inside her made Valaera whimper as the ache quickly returned. 

 Please. Alpha. I need you. Don’t stop. Don’t leave me.

“Roll over” ordered Aemond. It was a command, an Alpha command, and Valaera whimpered as she felt it take control of her body, she had to obey, she had to please her Alpha.

She was now on all fours in front of him, ready to be mounted again. Her heat sent out new waves of scent and slick, which made Aemond almost stagger. He pushed his cock into the whimpering Omega once more with shaky hands and proceeded to pound her even harder and quicker than before, snapping his hips against her while grunting loudly, driving needy moans out of Valaera. 

Aemond was gripping her hips so hard that his nails were digging into her skin, leaving marks everywhere, the pain drove Valaera wild with need and she needed to feel more of it.

Almost as if he could sense what she needed, Aemond reached forward and grabbed Valaera’s hair, making her head shoot back. Valaera cried out to her Alpha in pleasure, making Aemond growl.

His knot started to slowly push inside Valaera, and she let out a feral cry as the knot made its way deeper and deeper inside of her. It swelled up so much, it hurt, it hurt so good.

“I will have you dripping with my seed my sweet Omega. I can’t wait to see you swell with my pup, everyone will know your mine-“ moaned Aemond.

Aemond thrust one, two, three more times before growling once again, shooting his seed deep inside Valaera, filling her up. He grunted out Valaera’s name chasing the pleasure of his own peak. He then let out a deep, satisfied breath before collapsing onto his Omega.

Aemond moved his face to Valaera’s neck again, and lovingly nuzzled her.

Valaera was trembling next to him, trying to catch her own breath. The throes of her heat satisfied for now.

But soon it would take hold of her again, her body constantly craving the touch of her Alpha.

For the next three days, she was fucked senseless by Aemond. Everything falling by the wayside as the Alpha took care of his Omega.

After her heat had ended, it took a solid day for both of them to fully recover. They were completely exhausted yet completely satisfied beyond all comprehension.

If Aemond clenched his jaw any harder, his teeth would shatter.

His Omega was stood talking to Alyn of Hull and Aemond hated every single second of it.

I swear if he leans any closer to Valaera. I’ll slit his throat. I’ll tear him limb from limb.

The Alpha inside him was growling, the desire to protect Valaera was overwhelming his senses.

“Brother, you need to relax”.

“I will relax when I remove that Beta cunts fucking head from his shoulders” snarled Aemond.

“He’s only talking to Valaera” sighed Aegon as he gently rocked his newborn pup in his arms.

“I don’t like him leaning close to Valaera like that” muttered Aemond awkwardly.

I don’t like how he looks at Valaera. I don’t like how he smiles at her.

His Alpha was screaming inside his head. Protect. Protect. Protect.

“Alpha instinct, I get it. But in all seriousness, you need to stop lurking in the corner and join the celebration” replied Aegon.

“I need to…Keep an eye on Valaera”.

“No. You need to hold your niece whilst I get some wine” retorted Aegon as he placed his daughter in Aemond’s arms and reached for the nearest pitcher of some ghastly coloured wine that Aemond had always thought looked a little bit like piss.

Probably tastes like it too.

Whilst Aegon was busying himself with the wine. Aemond looked down at his sleeping niece and smiled. She was such a perfect little thing. Whilst her features bore a strong resemblance to Jacaerys, her head was graced with a tiny tuft of silver hair. Yet her older brother Jaehaerys was dark haired and looked more like Aegon.

Aemond wondered what his children would look like. Would they have his silver hair or would they have his Omega’s dark curly locks.

He had thought he would like to have a son first, but as he held his niece, Aemond knew he wouldn’t mind a daughter. A little girl who would sleep on his chest as he read to her, a little girl who would cling to him as he took her on flights with Vhagar. A little girl who he would hold in his heart forever.

Suddenly Aemond was snapped out of his reverie by Maela shrieking loudly.

“She can’t be hungry again” groused Aegon.

“Well, whatever she needs. Only her mother can provide” replied Aemond as he handed Maela to Aegon and returned his attention to Valaera who was still talking to Alyn.

“You’re going to burn a hole in Alyn’s head if you carry on looking at him like that” muttered Jace as he wrapped an arm around Aegon who was busy trying to sooth their daughter.

“I will look however I please” snarled Aemond.

“Oh, for the love of-“ groaned Jace as he spotted Alyn gently placing a hand on Valaera’s arm.

“Aemond. Don’t even think about it” warned Aegon as Jace quickly manoeuvred him and Maela away from Aemond.

HE DARES TO TOUCH WHAT IS MINE!!

Aegon’s warning fell on deaf ears, as Aemond charged across the throne room and viciously shoved Alyn away from Valaera.

“Aemond-What” squeaked Valaera in surprise.

“Don’t ever presume to touch my Omega again” snapped Aemond.

“I-I wasn’t. I-I didn’t mean too” stuttered Alyn.

“Alpha please. You’re making a scene” whispered Valaera.

“I think you need to go and cool off brother” urged Aegon.

“Fuck off Aegon”

“Hey. Don’t speak to my mate like that. We are supposed to be celebrating my daughter’s birth and your ruining it” snapped Jace.

“Fine” retorted Aemond as he turned on his heel and stormed out of the throne room, completely ignoring his mother’s concerned calls.

“I better go after him” muttered Valaera sheepishly.

Stupid Beta thinking he can touch my Omega. Who does he think he is. I should go back in there and…

“Aemond. Wait”.

“What’s with the touching. Why was he touching you?” growled Aemond as he abruptly stopped in the middle of the corridor.

“I felt a little faint and Alyn was just helping me” muttered Valaera as she collided with Aemond.

“Why what’s happened. Do you need a maester?” asked Aemond his anger over Alyn overridden by his concern for Valaera.

“No, I don’t need a maester” replied Valaera.

“Are you sure. If you’re sick, then mayhaps we should get you checked over just to be sure”.

Oh, I knew something was wrong. Valaera’s scent has been different these last few days.

“I’m not sick. Well, I am but…”

I knew it. Something’s wrong. We’ve only been married a few months. I know can’t live without her. I need her to be ok.

“Tell me please Issa dōna omega” murmured Aemond (My sweet omega).

“Alpha. Nyke rūsīr riñnykeā” (I am with child).

“T-Truly” gasped Aemond.

“It might have happened during my heat, but yes, my love. Nyke carry mirrī zaldrīzes iemnȳ hen issa” (I carry a little dragon inside of me).

“My Valaera. My sweet” whispered Aemond as he cupped Valaera’s face in his hands and placed a gentle kiss upon his Omega’s lips.

“A little piece of you and me. Together” mouthed Valaera as she took one of Aemond’s hands and lowered it to her stomach.

She was with child. His Omega was carrying his pup. He was going to be a father.

“Thank you, Issa prūmia” (My heart).

“I guess your possessiveness makes sense now” said Valaera as she wrapped her arms around Aemond and held him close.

 Yes, it did. The need to protect Valaera. The urge to be close. It all made sense now. His Alpha was roaring his delight at impregnating his beautiful Omega.

“I was merely acting on instinct”.

I cannot wait until Valaera’s belly starts swelling. Everyone will see. They will all know who’s babe dwells within. His sweet Valaera all round and soft. Breasts swollen with milk. The thought was very pleasing.

So, pleasing in fact that Aemond could feel himself growing hard in his breeches.

“Please. Alpha” whined Valaera sensing his arousal as she stood on her tip toes and pressed a series of desperate kisses to Aemond’s lips.

“Hm” growled Aemond.

“T-Take me. Please. I need you” begged Valaera.

Aemond didn’t need telling twice. He took his Omega’s hand, and they made their way back to their chambers with every intention of having their own celebration that would end up lasting well into the hours of the night.

As dawn broke, Valaera was far to satisfied and exhausted to even think of leaving the bed. Sharing their good news with the rest of the family would have to wait, until Valaera was sure she could actually walk.

“Drakari pykiros, Tīkummo jemiros, Yn lantyz bartossa, Saelot vāedis” (Fire breather, winged leader, but two heads, to a third sing).

Valaera closed his eyes at the sound of Aemond’s voice.

“Perzyro udrȳssi, Ezīmptos laehossi, Hārossa letagon, Aōt vāedan” (With words of flame, with clear eyes, to bind the three, to you I sing).

Valaera smiled as he felt Aemond rest his head on the round swell of his stomach.

“Hae mērot gierūli:, Se hāros bartossi, Prūmȳsa sōvīli, Gevī dāerī” (As one we gather, and with three heads, we shall fly as we were destined, beautifully, freely).

Ever since Valaera revealed she was carrying his child, Aemond had devoted himself to pouring over countless books in the library to gain as much information as he could about pregnancy and how to raise a pup. Apparently, he also found a book that said babes can hear sounds from the womb after the sixth moon of pregnancy. So, Aemond never missed a chance to spend time talking or singing to his stomach.

Valaera of course didn’t think too much of it at first, but as her stomach began to swell, and the babe began to kick, she noticed that he or she would always move around more whenever Aemond spoke.

Aemond of course was delighted when Valaera told him. She knew her Alpha was worried about becoming a father, given the fact his own wasn’t a very good one and it terrified Aemond most days, that he would turn out like Viserys.

But Valaera new deep down that Aemond would be a fantastic father, he was utterly devoted to their unborn pup.

“What do you think of the name Rhaegar” muttered Aemond.

“I like it” whispered Valaera.

“But…”

“I l-love you and if we have a son, I wish to honour you in some way, so I was thinking about Vhalarr” asked Valaera nervously twisting the bedsheets between her fingers.

“In honour of my dragon?”

Oh, he hates it. Such a stupid idea. Why did I have to say that? I’m such a fool.

Suddenly Valaera burst into tears.

“Hey, what’s wrong? Valaera. Laera, Talk to me my sweet” whispered Aemond as he moved up the bed and took the sobbing Omega into his arms.

“Y-You hate the name I chose and I-I j-just thought it would b-be nice to h-have an o-original name,” cried Valaera.

“I don’t hate it. I’m truly honoured that you wish to name our pup after my old girl”.

“I-I know how much Vhagar means to you and I just-“ squeaked Valaera as she buried her face into Aemond’s chest.

“Issa jorrāelagon, kostilus ȳdra daor cry” muttered Aemond as he ran his fingers through Valaera’s long dark curls (My love, please don’t cry).

“I-I’m s-sorry. I-I c-can’t help it” sniffed Valaera as she wiped his nose on the sleeve of her robe.

Alpha is here. He will comfort me. He will make everything better.

“Avy jorrāelan sīr olvie Aemond” (I love you so much).

“I love you too Issa dōna” (my sweet).

“S-So you like the name?” asked Valaera, her voice still slightly muffled.

“I do and if we have a son, I will stand proud as he’s given the name his Muña chose” whispered Aemond as he gently lifts Valaera’s face from his chest and places a gentle kiss on her forehead (Mother).

“I-I’m sorry for crying. I just feel so emotional lately”.

“It’s fine. Your carrying our pup” replied Aemond as he rubbed Valaera’s stomach.

“T-Thank you for being so understanding” sniffed Valaera.

Aemond simply smiled and held Valaera tighter. He knew Valaera had been feeling overwhelmed lately with all of the changes her body was going through and as an Alpha he had a duty to soothe and protect his mate, during her delicate time.

After Valaera had fallen asleep, Aemond took the time to admire his Omega’s features. The long dark silky curls, the pale Targaryen skin, her perfectly shaped plump lips. The dark eyes. He once scorned Valaera for her ‘strong’ yet entirely coincidental resemblance to the former commander of the city watch, yet in truth she was wholly unique, in the sea of silver and amethyst.

As he closed his eye, Aemond knew with absolute certainty that he was where he was meant to be.

“A-Aemond. Valzȳrys” whispered Valaera as she gently shook his sleeping Alpha (Husband).

“Hm”

“Aemond. Wake up” urged Valaera.

“Valaera” grumbled Aemond as he began to rouse from his slumber.

“I can’t sleep”.

“Is everything ok? Is it the pup?” exclaimed Aemond as he shot up in alarm.

“The pup is fine. I-I need…Honey cakes”.

“Cake? You’ve woke me up because of cake?” asked Aemond rubbing his eye.

“I can’t stop thinking about it” muttered Valaera.

“Can’t you just wait until morning?” grumbled Aemond.

“No. I can’t sleep because I’m hungry and I keep thinking about cake”.

“Is this like the time you couldn’t stop thinking about pears” mused Aemond.

“That was weeks ago. But yes, it’s exactly the same. I-I can’t help it”.

Aemond sighed and got out of bed. Praying to the seven that the kitchens had some honey cakes left over.

“Avy jorrāelan issa zaldrīzes” (I love you my dragon).

“I’m sure you do Issa prūmia” replied Aemond as he quickly pulled on his breeches and a loose tunic. (My heart).

“Kirimvose” (Thank you).

“Hm” muttered Aemond as he gave Valaera a quick kiss and left their shared chambers.

The Red Keep was eerily silent as Aemond wandered through the corridors towards the kitchens. No doubt the nighttime appearance of a Prince in the kitchens would give the maids something to gossip about for the next few days.

I should be asleep. Yet here I am trawling through the Red Keep in search of Honey Cakes for my Omega.

Aemond Targaryen rider of the mighty Vhagar the last living remnant of Aegon's conquest, reduced to a simple errand boy.

Last time it was pears, this time it’s honey cakes. Whatever next?

This is the last time. I’m being serious. If she wants pears or cakes then next time- Oh, who am I kidding, I will get my sweet Omega anything she wants, whatever it takes to make her happy, anything to see that sweet smile.

Luckily Aemond’s journey to the kitchens was rather uneventful, even if the cook did give him a strange look as she handed over a basket of honey cakes.

Back in his chambers, Aemond quickly decided that it had all been worth it. To see Valaera happily eating her beloved honey cakes made his Alpha pleased that he was taking care of his mate and their unborn pup.

“Right. Now that you’ve got your cakes. I’m going back to bed” exclaimed Aemond as he tugged off his tunic and breeches.

“Well, actually there was something else-“ whispered Valaera as she wiped cake crumbs from around her mouth.

“Oh no what” huffed Aemond momentarily horrified.

However, his horror was rather short lived as his Omega began pulling off her shift.

“I-I desire the touch of my husband”. 

“Is-Is that right?” growled Aemond.

“Please Alpha, I want your knot” begged Valaera as she wrapped her arms around her Alpha’s neck and kissed him. Letting out a small moan as she slid her tongue into Aemond’s mouth.

Aemond smirked as he backed his Omega towards the bed.

A good Alpha should always take care of their Omega.

[presidenthades]

Back to the BTS. Here’s the commentary for Lavender Ch. 5!

Usual disclaimer that these thoughts aren’t necessarily canonical to the fic verse until/unless I write them into the actual story.

We know from Aegon’s POV in Ch. 6 that his interactions with Aliandra aren’t nearly as scandalous as the letter implies. Did Larys forge the whole thing? Did the Crown’s spies read too much into Aliandra being a Valyrian fangirl? Maybe some combo of the above?

Poor Criston didn’t realize that guard duty included looking after a weepy pregnant teenager. He probably ran off to find Alicent, couldn’t find Alicent, then begged Helaena to please take the “there there *pats crying person on their back*” role.

All the Targbros get hangry and Helaena knows it. Those guys need to keep their blood sugar up so they have the energy to go nuts and burn shit down.

I love Helaena’s parasite spiel lmao. Poor girl didn’t realize her thoughts make less sense to other people. Adding on to what I said previously about Helaena being on the ace spectrum/sex-repulsed, I think she would truly have a miserable time being pregnant because there’s a “foreign” entity inside her sapping her energy, AKA a parasite. When she says to Jace “I admire you for being this responsibility,” Helaena means it because in another timeline, she’s the one who would have to get pregnant.

When Jace counts all the ways she’s alone, you can trace each one to Larys in some way. Aegon—Larys planted some agents to stir chaos in the outing gone wrong. Sisters and cousins—Larys arranged the food poisoning. Rhaenyra—Larys sowed the seeds of discord and waited for them to sprout. Maids—Holdfast went on lockdown after the moon tea. Gyles and Ronnel are lucky that Larys thinks they aren’t a threat.

Helaena took the letter at face value when she first read it. 😭 Sweet girl always thinking the best lmao. Also she’s definitely had past instances where she totally did not realize someone was flirting with her, so now Helaena has to double check if things are platonic or not. 😂

Helaena might not like Aegon some (most) days, but she knows him very well (which is probably why she usually doesn’t like him). And she knows that her brother never half-asses two things, he only whole-asses one thing at a time. 😤

Larys is 1000% messing with Jace’s ravens to her family, and now that Jace has had a nice heart-to-heart with Helaena, Larys has to mess with that too. 😔 If you recall from Ch. 1, Otto says Viserys almost changed his mind and betrothed Aegon to Helaena—but that was when they were toddlers/infants. During this chapter, Larys lies and says it was just last year. It would be reallyyyyy dumb of the Small Council to suggest breaking the Velaryon betrothal after 15 years.

Larys definitely did NOT intend to console Jace by telling her Aliandra resembles her. In fact, he intended quite the opposite.

The smallfolk’s positive reaction to the walkway project is one of our first tastes of Aegon the Smallfolk King. Because he likes roaming around the city so much, he’s usually on his feet like the smallfolk, which is why he thought about the walkway solution.

I specified that Larys’s “signet ring glinted in the sunlight” again to harken back to Ch. 4, where it was described as winking at Jace “as if telling her a secret.” Here, Larys says “fathers and sons are enemies by nature.” This is him making a dark joke (which goes completely over Jace’s head, because there’s no way she could know) about a) Viserys plotting against Aegon and b) Larys offing his own father. The rest of his little speech, about sons versus daughters, is an oblique reference to how Viserys views Aegon versus Rhaenyra.

When Jace notices that Larys stops visiting her, it’s because Criston is now working overtime when he guards her. Larys never shows up when Criston is around.

The news about the Dornish insurrection is grim, but I giggle a little when Daeron shows his bloodthirsty warmonger side. All Daerons are destined to be obsessed with Dorne lol.

“You keep chasing pinpricks of light in your search for the sun.” Helaena is referencing Larys (firefly) and Aegon (sun). The amber she’s holding has a firefly trapped inside. When she tells Jace to “leave it alone,” that’s a reference to Larys again.

Honestly Aemond should be dead after flying with a giant bleeding hole in his skull for 1-3 days. He’s too stubborn to die though.

Jace hasn’t felt horny in months because a) her husband is gone and b) she’s kinda depressed. Aegon’s letter cures all ailments ahahaha.

This is the chapter where Jace calls her baby “darling” for the first time. This is a reference to how Rhaenyra’s pet name for Jace is “my darling.” (Luce is “my love” and Joff is “sweetling.”) I thought it’d be cute if Jace transferred that name to her own firstborn. I ended up retconning this and adding it to The Golds after Elenar is born.

I guess if you squint (and if you’re drugged up on milk of the poppy), Jace could be mistaken for Luce (similar coloring, maybe some shared mannerisms since they’re sisters). But Aemond takes one look at Jace’s face and is like “oh not Luce 🙁.”

“We mothers never stop worrying about our children.” This line by Alicent kinda pains me after watching S2. 💀

Jace is not above bribery (ordering biscuits for Daeron) to ensure her odds of success. Once again, she’s not a military person, but she is strategic.

Luce unknowingly imitating Aemond by landing her dragon in the Red Keep. Definitely soulmates.

“Joff helped me sneak away. She’s very good at distractions.” Callback to the Jacegon elopement in Daemon’s Handbook/Compromise.

“You usually don’t talk back.” Aemond has definitely been dreaming about Luce. He’s a goner.

Daeron is so polite even when he’s threatening to stab someone. Sweet boy.

I love this Lucemond elopement because Luce is taking advantage of the patriarchy (“my husband told me to stay in KL, I have to listen to him 🥺”). Aemond is hurt that he’s just a cog in her plan…but he really wants to marry her so he is willing to do it anyway. 🤭

Can’t blame Aemond for not remembering what happened in Dorne. He’s been on drugs the whole time.

“He is my brother and future king.” Aemond’s line also pains me after watching S2. 💀

Jace and Otto’s interactions in this fascinate me, tbh. They both know how to keep things very professional for the sake of efficiency and mutual goals. I kinda want to write more about them. 🧐

Otto knows Daeron has been stealing project walkway reports for Jace, and Otto lets it happen because he knows Jace is the real reason for Aegon’s sudden improvement.

In the show, Otto is fired before Larys really starts ingratiating himself with young Alicent. By the time Otto comes back to court, Larys has firmly established himself as part of Alicent’s network. In this AU, Otto is never fired so he’s around to notice Larys slithering around Alicent. Otto knows that Larys can’t be up to any good, so he puts a stop to it. And Otto was probably really mean to Larys, so Larys probably sees it as a bonus that he is working against Otto’s grandson/Aegon. When Otto says a pest “latches onto whichever gardener is most hesitant to cull it,” this is a reference to how he’s noticed Larys being Viserys’s confidante. Otto doesn’t like this, but Viserys is the king, so if he wants to keep Larys around then Larys stays.

While Jace was giving birth and Luce wasn’t around to distract him, Aemond finally remembered that Aegon put important stuff (journal and treaty) in Vhagar’s saddlebag. Aemond went to grab it, but Larys (who has been concerned about what Aemond might know from Dorne) has his goons follow Aemond. Larys’s people are quick to realize that Aemond has the Very Important Documents, and they act before Aemond can do anything with the info. When the treaty terms are revealed (Martells swearing loyalty and armies to Aegon specifically), Viserys is eager to believe it’s treason. So while Jace is busy giving birth, Viserys is ordering everyone who might support Aegon (including Criston, who was guarding Jace’s door) to be locked down.

Viserys picks the name Baelon (which doesn’t last forever, thankfully) because he’s still stuck on “it should be Aemma’s son following me onto the Iron Throne.” Oy vey.

See Chapter 6 commentary here.

[fanficapologist]

Of Dragons and Maelstroms

Themes and Warnings: slow burn, enemies to lovers, blood, violence, explicit language, sexual violence, period-typical misogyny, sexual themes, smut, tension, marriage, jealousy, pregnancy, childbirth, miscarriage, attempted sexual assault, breastfeeding, major character death, divergent timelines

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the House of The Dragon/Fire & Blood/Game of Thrones characters nor do I claim to own them. I do not own any of the images used nor do I claim to own them.

Chapter Sixty-Three

As twilight descended over the Red Keep, casting long shadows through the stained glass windows of the Small Council Chambers, the room took on a serene yet somber atmosphere. The flickering light of torches and the warm glow of candle flames danced across the polished wooden table at the center of the chamber, casting fleeting shadows on the faces of those gathered. The table itself was strewn with maps, scrolls, and various parchments, evidence of the weighty matters discussed within these walls.

The air was heavy with the scent of parchment and ink, mingling with the faint aroma of the lavender-scented candles that adorned the room. The walls, adorned with tapestries depicting scenes of Westerosi history and heraldry, seemed to come alive in the fading light, their intricate details illuminated by the dying embers of the day. The chairs surrounding the table were occupied by members of the Small Council, their expressions grave as they discussed matters of state and strategy in hushed tones.

At the head of the table, King Aegon sat with his Conqueror's Crown resting heavily upon his brow, his expression a mixture of frustration and weariness. His hand propped up his head as he listened to the debate unfold before him. Lord Otto, the Hand of the King, sat to Aegon’s immediate right and was at forefront of the discussion, his voice firm and commanding as he laid out his arguments. On the opposite side of the table, the Master of Ships, Ser Tyland Lannister leaned forward in his seat, his words sharp and decisive. Beside him, Lord Jasper Wylde, Maera's father and Master of Laws, offered his own insights, his voice measured but firm as he defended his positions.

In the midst of the debate, the Master of Whispers, Lord Larys, sat back in his chair, his sharp eyes taking in every detail of the proceedings. His lips remained sealed, but his gaze spoke volumes as he observed the interactions between the council members. Across from him, Maester Orwyle engaged in a quiet conversation with the dowager Queen Alicent, who sat two empty seats away from her father, the Hand.

Two additional seats were arranged at the end of the table, closest to the entrance of the chambers. The first was occupied by young Prince Daeron, his youthful features twisted into a scowl as he drummed his fingers impatiently against the polished wooden surface of the table. His presence indicated that the matters being discussed were of utmost importance, though his demeanor suggested a lack of enthusiasm for the proceedings. The second seat was swiftly claimed by Ser Criston Cole, as he entered the chambers before Aemond and Maera. His presence commanded respect as he took his place at the table, his expression serious and focused as he prepared to lend his counsel to the council’s deliberations.

Throughout the chamber, several other members of the Kingsguard could be seen, their white cloaks and gleaming armor marking them as the sworn protectors of the royal family. Among them was Ser Arryk Cargyll, Maera’s own protector, his steadfast presence a reassuring presence amidst the tumultuous discussions taking place within the chamber. Making their way to the table, Aemond, ledgers under his arm and ever composed, led Maera to the available seats, his hand resting reassuringly on her shoulder as she sat next to Alicent. Once she was settled, the One-Eyed Prince took the seat next to his grandfather and looked to him as he continued the heated debate with the other councillors.

As Maera observed the busy chambers, she couldn’t shake the feeling of being out of place amidst discussions of warfare and strategy. Why had Aegon even asked her to be there? The weight of responsibility bore down on her shoulders as she listened intently to the heated debates unfolding around her. At first, the intricacies of military tactics and political maneuvering seemed overwhelming, but as she continued to listen, she began to grasp the nuances of the Green’s positions in the ongoing conflict.

"The threat of invasion from the North looms large, and we must take decisive action to protect our borders. We cannot afford to squander our resources on frivolous campaigns!”

“"And what of our naval forces? We need to invest more money into them and secure our coastal territories to prevent any further advances by the Velaryon fleet.”

“Our finances are steadily increasing from the slight raise in taxes, but it may not be enough to support army numbers just yet. The Stormlands and the Westerlands are also asking for financial aid in order to prevent Rhaenyra’s forces from marching into their territories.”

Despite her initial discomfort, Maera found herself drawn into the fray of debate, her sharp mind quickly picking up on the various arguments being presented. Yet, amidst the cacophony of voices clamoring for attention, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of déjà vu. The bickering and squabbling reminded her all too vividly of the spirited discussions that had filled the dinner table at Rain House during her youth.

As the councilmen argued and shouted to make their voices heard, Maera couldn’t help but feel a pang of despair. If this was the way politics were typically handled by the men of Westeros, she feared for the future of the Realm. With a sigh, she rested her head in her hands, the din of squabbling voices echoing in her ears, a stark reminder of the challenges ahead.

The heated arguments abruptly halted as the chamber was pierced by the sharp sound of hands slamming onto the wooden table. Maera instinctively turned her head toward the source of the commotion, her gaze falling upon Aegon, his countenance darkened with frustration and impatience. With a resounding screech, the King pushed back his chair and rose to his feet, his towering presence dominating the room. His expression was thunderous, his brows furrowed in a mix of anger and exasperation as he addressed his advisors.

"My son is dead," Aegon announced in a hushed yet ominous voice, the weight of his words hanging heavy in the air. "And the daughter that grew in Helaena’s womb did not even have a chance to enter the world."

The deep breathing of every single person in the room could be heard as they looked at their King, their faces reflecting a mixture of shock and sorrow. Aegon continued with a dark chuckle, his tone tinged with bitterness. "My wife has sunk even further into madness because of it, which even I did not think possible."

Maera couldn't help but frown at this statement aimed at poor Helaena, her heart aching for the Queen's suffering.

Lord Otto, ever the voice of reason, was the first to dare to break the silence. "The loss of Jaehaerys is a grave tragedy," he acknowledged solemnly. "But we must continue. We cannot let this crime go unpunished."

Standing from his seat, Lord Otto approached Aegon and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "There is a reason Jaehaerys was murdered," he continued, his voice steady and resolute. "Because deep down, even Rhaenyra knew that you are the rightful King. And because she could not stand that fact, she attempted to weaken you by taking away your heir."

The room fell silent once more, the weight of Lord Otto's words hanging in the air as the councilors contemplated the grim reality of their situation.

To everyone's surprise, Aegon's cold stare bore into his Grandfather, his eyes glossy with suppressed emotion as he spoke with chilling clarity. "The only reason we are here is because of you," he stated icily, his words cutting through the tension in the room like a knife. The other council members leaned forward, their expressions a mix of curiosity and apprehension, as if eager to witness the unfolding confrontation.

"Your Grace?" Lord Otto replied, his tone cautious as he addressed his grandson. Despite their familial ties, Aegon was still his King, and Otto knew he would have to tread carefully if he wanted to keep his head.

Aegon's sneer only deepened as he continued, his accusation pointed and unforgiving. "Viserys loses his wife and his son, yet you immediately paraded your young daughter under his nose in order to climb the ladder of power."

"That is enough, Aegon," dowager Queen Alicent interjected from across the table, her voice carrying a note of warning. But Aegon silenced his mother with a cold stare that spoke volumes.

Turning his attention back to Lord Otto, Aegon's voice dripped with disdain. "I bet you were thrilled when mother birthed me. A child of your blood, a contender to the throne."

"You were the King's firstborn son," Otto growled in response. "The crown was always meant to be yours."

Aegon's retort was swift and cutting, his words laced with bitterness and accusation. "So you usurped the throne the minute Viserys' heart stopped, taking it from Rhaenyra, whose claim Viserys steadfastly upheld, causing a fucking war?!" His voice echoed through the chamber, the weight of his accusation hanging heavy in the air.

Maera sensed Aemond’s tension beside her, his body rigid with silent frustration at the escalating argument. Without hesitation, she reached out and placed her hand on his, offering a silent reassurance amidst the mounting tension. Though Aemond didn’t turn to acknowledge her, he intertwined his fingers with hers, a subtle acknowledgment of her presence and support.

Lord Otto's retort reverberated through the chamber, his voice rising with indignation. "The Realm would not have accepted her as Queen! If she had taken the throne, you, your brothers, your wife, your children, would all have been put to the sword as to not challenge her!"

Aegon genuinely laughed at his Grandfather’s reasoning , his response dripping with scorn. Maera couldn't help but ponder Otto's concerns, though the notion of Rhaenyra resorting to such brutal measures seemed incongruent with the image of the beloved queen the Realm revered. Still, she understood the fear that gripped Queen Alicent and her children in the face of such perceived threats.

Scratching his head beneath his crown, Aegon fixed his gaze back on Otto, his expression hardening with resolve. "You said the Ironborn would back us, they have not. Then you suggested the Dornish, who have not. Then you assure me that Westeros backs my claim, and yet over half of it has flocked to Rhaenyra's cause," Aegon declared, his frustration palpable as he addressed the council. Turning to the assembled councilors, Aegon pressed on, his voice ringing with determination. "If you were stupid and power-hungry enough to plunge us into war off of baseless fears and lies, the least you could have done is ensure we win it!"

Before the tension could escalate further, Aemond's voice cut through the room, his tone measured and neutral as he addressed his brother. "Aegon," he interjected, his words a plea for calm amidst the storm of emotions that threatened to consume them all.

Aegon's gaze met Aemond's, a fleeting moment of unspoken understanding passing between the brothers. Maera, silently praying beside her husband, hoped that Aegon's anger wouldn't be redirected at Aemond. Instead, Aegon cleared his throat, redirecting his attention to Lord Otto with an exasperated sigh.

"Viserys may have been weak and stupid, but he did one thing during his reign that I thought was smart," Aegon declared. In a swift, unsettling movement, he removed the golden pin that signified the Hand of the King from Lord Otto's breast pocket. Gasps filled the room, and Aemond shot up from his seat, fists clenched, his eyes fixed on the dishonoring act.

Alicent's voice cut through the tension, her tone pleading as she addressed her son. "Aegon, please. Your grandfather has been nothing but loyal to the crown. He does not deserve this."

Aegon replied, his words biting. "Your heart has made you soft, and turn a blind eye to his countless failings." Without meeting his grandfather's eyes, Aegon made a final demand. "I suggest you get out of these chambers while I think about what to do with you, lest I send you back to Oldtown in my anger. Go."

With uncertainty pooling in her stomach, Maera watched as Lord Otto, former Hand of the King, obliged the command, leaving the chambers. The heavy wooden door closed behind him with a resounding thud, leaving the remaining council members in an uneasy silence. In the wake of the tense exchange, a palpable tension hung in the air, stifling any attempts at conversation. The councilmen exchanged furtive glances, each seemingly lost in their own thoughts, unsure of how to proceed in the wake of the king's outburst.

Maera felt a mix of emotions swirling within her, a combination of apprehension, frustration, and a deep-seated concern for the state of the realm. The weight of the ongoing war, coupled with the discord among the king's advisors, weighed heavily on her shoulders, casting a shadow over the once bustling chamber. Despite her efforts to remain composed, she couldn't shake the feeling of unease that settled over her, a stark reminder of the tumultuous times in which they lived.

As Aegon set his sights on Aemond, Maera's heart quickened with apprehension, fearing the king's wrath for her husband's earlier reaction. She watched intently, her gaze locked on the scene unfolding before her, as Aegon stood before Aemond with an air of authority that belied his stature. The tension in the room was palpable as Aegon looked down at the pin of the Hand of the King, still in his hand. Maera's breath caught in her throat as she watched, uncertain of what the king's intentions were. But then, to her surprise and relief, Aegon secured the pin to Aemond's doublet, an unexpected gesture that left the prince visibly taken aback.

“Don’t fuck this up,” was all Aegon said to his brother, before stepping back to his seat at the table and swigging his goblet of wine. The room erupted into murmurs and whispers as the significance of Aegon's actions sank in. A mixture of emotions washed over Maera as she observed the exchange, relief flooding through her at the realization that Aegon was not intending to punish her husband. Instead, it seemed he was bestowing a significant honor upon Aemond, elevating him to the esteemed position of Hand of the King.

Maera's heart swelled with pride for her husband, a sense of awe washing over her as she watched him accept the pin, his expression a mix of surprise and determination. She wondered to herself if the words she had said to Aegon all those days ago had actually registered with him. In that moment, Maera felt a glimmer of hope amidst the chaos, a flicker of optimism for the future of House Targaryen and the realm as a whole. As Aegon finished downing his glass of wine, the attention of the council was once again drawn to him as he addressed them with renewed determination.

"Right, we need a change of strategy. But quite frankly, I'm exhausted after today's events," Aegon declared, rolling his neck until it clicked. "So, I will make my main concerns known for you all to adhere to before I retire. The finer details," he paused, placing a hand on Aemond's shoulder, eliciting a huff from the One-Eyed Prince, "will be handled by my brother."

The members of the Small Council nodded in agreement, their attention turning to Ser Tyland as he began to take notes, and to Ser Criston as he rose from his seat to roll out a map upon the wooden table. The intricate details of Westeros were displayed on a large piece of parchment, each region and territory clearly marked. With precision, Ser Arryk stepped forward, placing two different types of figures on the table: one representing the Greens, the other the Blacks. With meticulous care, he positioned them in the appropriate territories, each move calculated and strategic.

Maera watched on, her mind buzzing with thoughts and concerns. She observed the proceedings with a sense of confusion, still unsure of why she was being privy to such sensitive information. Yet, she couldn’t shake the feeling that with Aegon’s declarations, the reason for her presence would soon become clear.

Aegon's finger traced the path to Storm's End on the map, his voice commanding as he addressed the council. "Lord Borros has more men to spare to the effort but will not provide them until the marriage pact is sealed," he declared, his gaze locking onto his youngest brother, Daeron, who sat with a look of hesitation.

Turning his attention to Daeron, Aegon issued his directive with unwavering determination. "Fly down to Storm's End and pick one of his girls. I do not care which one. Wed her, bed her, put a child in her." Daeron began to protest, but Aegon cut him off with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Yes, Daeron, we are all aware of your limp cock," he said with a chuckle. "Maester, give something to my brother that can be administered when he gets there, as to not disappoint the poor Lady."

Daeron growled in frustration, pushing himself up from the table and storming out of the chamber, prompting Dowager Queen Alicent to rise from her seat and hurriedly follow after her youngest son, her expression filled with concern. Undeterred, Aegon pressed on, his gaze now fixated on the Crownlands on the map. "The Realm is divided, and our enemies are too close for comfort," he remarked, his voice laced with urgency.

With a flick of his purple gaze, Aegon directed his attention to Ser Criston Cole, the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, who stood nearby observing the map. "Lord Commander, approach the Black factions near Kings Landing and execute these treasonous Lords," he commanded, his tone uncompromising. "Surely the heirs of these Houses will see sense. If not, eradicate the entire fucking House if needs be." The gravity of Aegon's words hung heavy in the air as the councilors absorbed the weight of his directives, the fate of the realm resting precariously in their hands.

Ser Criston furrowed his brow, his gaze fixed on the map as he contemplated the potential repercussions of executing the Black factions' allies near King's Landing. "Rhaenyra's forces will come to these Houses' aid if she hears we are executing her allies that are closest to the Capital. That could spur her on to come for the Keep," he cautioned, his voice heavy with concern.

At the Lord Commander’s revelation, Maera's eyes widened in alarm, her heart pounding in her chest with a mixture of fear and uncertainty. Would Rhaenyra truly come for them in Kings Landing? The thought sent shivers down her spine, and she couldn't help but feel a creeping sense of dread at the prospect of facing the full force of the Blacks' fury.

Aegon's acknowledgment of Maera marked the first time he had directly addressed her since the council began. "Our Mayflower has ensured House Stokeworth and House Rosby by corresponding with their wives and daughters. Who knew women could sway their husbands and fathers so?" he remarked, his tone holding a hint of surprise.

Maera raised an eyebrow at the slightly backhanded compliment from the King, her thoughts racing as she processed his words. Glancing beside her, she caught Aemond's subtle smirk, a silent acknowledgment of pride in his wife's accomplishments.

Suppressing the urge to retort, Maera forced a diplomatic smile as she replied to Aegon. "You honor me, your Grace, but these are only two Houses," she began, her tone measured as she addressed the King. Standing from her seat, she stepped closer to the map, her eyes scanning the figures representing the Black factions in the Crownlands. "There are more Blacks in the Crownlands than Greens," she pointed out, her voice carrying a note of caution.

Aegon's gaze lingered on Maera for a moment, his expression unreadable as he absorbed her words. The weight of the impending decisions hung heavy in the air, each councilor acutely aware of the pivotal role they played in shaping the fate of the realm. Scratching his chin thoughtfully, the King’s eyes scanned the map before cautiously picking up a piece representing the Green forces and placing it in the vicinity of King's Landing. "Then we move the forces down from Harrenhal and divide them throughout the Crownlands. This will ensure that, should an attack come from Rhaenyra's forces to aid those treasonous Houses, we will be ready," he declared, his tone resolute.

Ser Tyland, the Master of Ships, spoke up next, his finger tracing the previous spot where the figurine once lay on the map. "My King, our forces in Harrenhal greatly deter an attack from the North and the Black factions of the Riverlands. We were lucky to secure it before Prince Daemon or Prince Jacaerys in the first place, thanks to Prince Aemond's prompt surveillance."

Maera glanced up at her husband, Aemond, who was intently studying the map, his expression a mask of concentration and determination. His presence exuded a sense of authority, and Maera couldn’t help but feel a swell of pride at the sight of her husband taking on such a crucial role in the council’s deliberations.

Ser Tyland continued, his tone filled with concern. "Harrenhal is our last line of defense before the Blacks enter the Crownlands. Should we really pull our forces from there and leave ourselves so vulnerable to attack?"

Aegon's response came swiftly, his voice confident. "Aha, my Lord, you are right. Which is precisely why I will send my brother to once again patrol Harrenhal on Vhagar and prevent the Blacks from invading from the North.”

The realization that he would be sent away struck Maera like a blow, filling her with a deep sense of unease. She couldn’t bear the thought of being separated from him, especially now, when she carried their child within her. A knot formed in Maera’s stomach as she contemplated the implications of Aemond’s absence. The uncertainty of war loomed large, and the prospect of facing it without her husband by her side filled her with a profound sense of vulnerability. She knew that Aemond’s duty to the realm would inevitably call him away, but that didn’t make the prospect any easier to accept.

Yet it was what happened next that was even more shocking, when Aemond replied to his brother’s, his King’s request with a simple and firm “No.”

Aemond's refusal elicited a stunned silence in the council chamber, the tension palpable as all eyes turned to the one-eyed Prince. Aegon's brows furrowed in disbelief, his surprise evident in his tone as he challenged Aemond's decision with a sharp "No?!”

Maera watched her husband closely, her heart pounding in her chest as she silently pleaded with him to tread carefully. With a subtle shake of her head, she urged him not to provoke the King further, knowing the volatile nature of the situation.

But Aemond remained resolute, explaining his reasoning with a calm determination. "For a few minor Houses in the Crownlands, we should not uproot our main defenses. If we face retaliation from the execution of the Black factions, then so be it. But I am not leaving King's Landing unless absolutely necessary."

Aegon's response was swift, his tone tinged with frustration. "Your King is telling you it is necessary, Aemond," he growled, a hint of amusement flickering in his eyes. "I thought you would have… missed Harrenhal anyway. You have not been there in over five moons."

Aemond frowned deeply at his brother, his face like thunder as he countered, "You appoint a new Hand then immediately send him away? How can I best serve the Realm if I am away from the Keep?"

Aegon reasoned with a hint of impatience. "Plenty of Hands have headed into war, Aemond," he retorted, his gaze unwavering.

Lord Jasper Wylde interjected, his voice measured as he added his perspective to the debate. "I would agree with my son-in-law that Rhaenyra may not come to these minor Houses' defense right away," he began, addressing the King respectfully. "He has also just been given this prestigious honor of Hand of the King, Your Grace. He should know the role better before heading out to aid our forces."

The council chamber was filled with a tense silence as the gravity of the situation hung heavy in the air, each member grappling with the weight of their decisions and the implications for the realm. Aegon's mocking hum in response to Lord Jasper's interjection only added to the tension in the chamber, his gaze fixed firmly on Aemond as he addressed his younger brother once more.

"My brother and I both know why he does not wish to return to Harrenhal, especially now that he is married," Aegon remarked, his tone dripping with implication.

Aemond's warning tone hinted at underlying tension between the brothers, a dynamic that Maera couldn't quite decipher. She glanced around the room, noting the varied reactions of the council members. Ser Tyland, Maester Orwyle, and Lord Jasper appeared oblivious to the underlying conflict, their attention focused on the strategic discussion. Ser Criston's jaw tensed, his focus unwavering on the map spread out before them.

But it was Lord Larys's demeanor that caught Maera's attention. His eyes twinkled with delight as he leaned on his cane, a knowing smile playing at his lips. Maera felt a chill run down her spine at the realization that Larys was privy to whatever discord simmered between the brothers.

Before the tension could escalate further, Aegon's voice cut through the awkward silence, his tone commanding. "Now, Aemond, enough of this foolishness," he admonished, attempting to steer the conversation back on track. "I am sure, by how cunt-struck you are, that Maera is an honorable wife and that she will—"

"My wife is with child," Aemond declared firmly, , his revelation causing a collective gasp to ripple through the council chamber. Maera's heart skipped a beat as their private news was laid bare before the assembled councilmen. "I will not leave her."

Aegon's gaze shifted to Maester Orwyle, seeking confirmation of Aemond's declaration. The Maester's gentle nod affirmed the truth of Aemond's words, further solidifying the weight of their announcement. Though Maera refrained from scanning the room, she couldn't escape the weight of her father's gaze upon her. Despite his composed demeanor, she sensed a flicker of pride in his eyes. The realization dawned on her—should their child be born a male, he would be a contender for the throne, a thought that sent a shiver down her spine.

With a determined resolve, Maera addressed the council, cutting through the tension with her abrupt words. "Another weakness Rhaenyra can exploit unless we act quickly," she declared, her tone commanding attention.

Aegon's response was swift, snapping his fingers in Maera's direction with an air of approval. "Exactly, goodsister. See? She understands!" he exclaimed, turning his gaze to Aemond in expectation of agreement. But Aemond's expression remained steadfast, his decision to remain in the capital unwavering.

Exasperated, Aegon rolled his eyes before addressing the room once more. "We will wait for the outcome of the executions. Should there be any news of retaliation, Aemond, you will go without question," he declared, his tone leaving no room for argument. Aemond nodded in acceptance, resigned to the inevitability of his duty. What more could he do in the face of his brother's command?

Aegon's attention then turned to Maera, a shift in his demeanor signaling a new topic of discussion. "Well, this joyous news brings me to my final concern," he began, his words carrying a weight of responsibility. "Mayflower, my children remain shaken after those monsters murdered their brother. And I’m told that you were the only one who managed to get Jaehaera to talk."

Maera's frown deepened as she struggled to grasp the implications of Aegon's words. "Jaehaera and Maelor need a mother's care," he continued, his tone laden with expectation. "And Helaena is in no fit state to raise them as a mother should. I am giving them to you as your wards. Consider it practice for when your own child arrives.”

Notes: ok so big chapter, lots of political movements in here. Believe it or not this was double the length but like who da fuq wants to read 8k words about war strategy? I don’t. So, more details about strategy to be sprinkled in the next few chapters. Keep your eyes peeled 👀

Tags: @blue-serendipity @marvelescvpe @manipulatixe @abecerra611 @shesjustanothergeek @watercolorskyy @0eessirk8

Thank you so much for reading! Comments, feedback, likes, and reblogs are greatly appreciated 🖤

[nrilliree]

All the "Aemond is so sexy when he is burning the Riverlands" (just for the fun of it cuz he dgaf about his family) and "Aemond burns the Riverlands by day and and spends his nights in the arms of his milf paramour by night" stuff makes me internally cringe.

To start with, Aemond commiting war crimes just because he "wants to" sounds like a lame ass cartoon villain. Actually, even making Aemond extremely loyal to Aegon and his cause would make him a lil more complex character. Also, showing him as a decent uncle, emotionally invested in his nephews' upbringing and teaching them all Targ nonsense about Valyrian supremacy and sacred rule of male primogeniture would add to his depth. It could be a really interesting way of showing us how dutiful Aemond is (as the self-proclaimed " Green Alpha Dragon", he wants to become a father figure to Aegon's kids while their bio dad is busy drinking himself silly) . I don't wanna say Aemond's a good person, but he *could* be a good uncle and emotional bond with his nephews may make his thirst for revenge more understandable. Maybe he could even feel remorse, since it was his recklessness that lead to Jaehearys' death? I think seeing Aemond interact with the twins could be way more interesting than his sex scenes 🤮.

Also, wtf is going on with romantizing Aemond's "relationship" with Alys? As his prize of honour, literally an object, she was not in a position to consent!

In my opinion, everything that happened in the Riverlands resulted not from the "duty and honor" of this "good son who devoted his life to philosophy and history, and would be a better king", but simply from the fact that Aemond was carried away by revenge and a sense of humiliation. First he lost KL because he was outsmarted, then he lost Harrenhal, he didn't win a single battle (because he didn't even take part in it), and he was probably manipulated by Alys. I always interpreted their account in the book as something similar to Mirri Maz Duur's behavior. Aemond came to Harrenhal, sentenced the entire Strong family to death (even the old people and children, to whom Alys might have had some attachment since she was a wet nurse), and then took Alys as a "war prize". TG like to remind everyone that "sharply questioned" means "torture", but they forget that "war prize" means "I will take you to bed, even if I have to rape you". Alys may have been a witch, or maybe she was just a herbalist and pretended well, but then she not only fooled Aemond, but gave him bad advice all along. She was the one who convinced him not to join Criston (and he died), not to join Daeron, not to go to KL, and then she sent him straight to meet Daemon, convincing him that he could see the future. And what, seeing it, wouldn't she tell Aemond that he would die there? Either she knew it and lied to him, or she faked it and gave him false self-confidence so that he would die. In my interpretation, this is not a love story, but the revenge of a raped, talented manipulator.

[spicy30]

Hello again! I don’t wanna possibly spoil anything for people since the last chapter hasn’t been out that long so I’ll just put a little warning here —

!!! SPOILERS FOR CHAPTER 11 !!!

AHHH so much Criston in this last chapter! My problematic fav, I’m so happy. Really enjoyed all of his parts and am interested to see what happens with him next. He’s just such a fun character to read, write and talk about. It’s kinda funny to think about him turning around and finding that MC has disappeared in the street though 💀 (ik I’m terrible) And just like…doing a walk of shame back up to the Hightower hours later to tell Alicent he lost the crazy lady but she’s already back there

Fr though, I’m itching to see how the relationships between Criston, Alicent and MC develop further. He’s got such a longing for purpose and salvation and Alicent looks to her faith for something to hold onto and seems so conflicted and unnerved by MC. It’d be easy to get annoyed at Alicent rn with how she’s acted towards MC (victim blaming isn’t cool, Alicent! Neither is ordering hits on people!) but it’s at least understandable — I mean, this girl just appeared out of nowhere and has “infected” her family and now she’s seeping into her faith too, something sacred for her, and how is Alicent supposed to know what this all means or what to do with MC? So, MC becoming this religious figure of sorts in a world like Westeros will be verrrrry interesting. MC could find herself in an even more powerful and dangerous position than she’s already in. The bit with the high septon honestly makes me scared for her! It’s certainly an advantage to have people kneeling at your feet and willing to do and believe whatever you tell them because they think you’re a messenger of the gods. For someone of her standing especially, being able to influence people like that is very powerful. But in this kind of era, with religion being such serious business…she’s gotta be careful here 😬

These maesters suck. Bunch of assholes really. Is Vaegon still alive in this story? He’s one of those minor characters I’m so interested in, I’m always curious to see what people do with his character when he pops up in stories. Totally understand if he doesn’t make an appearance though

Daeron’s introduction was great too, I liked his characterisation. He feels different to the rest of his family - brothers specifically - and you can tell he’s been shaped by a different environment than they have but he still has those hints of Targaryen-isms. Exactly as Daeron should be 💚

Love MCs little friendship with Aegon and her interactions with the twins

I feel so much for the MC though. The way you’re writing her and how she’s struggling is so easy to empathise with. Just being dropped into another world would be enough to break someone but then she’s got all this extra bullshit to face! It’d be so scary and isolating :( The way she deflates or tenses whenever Aemond is even mentioned is such a painful but real thing.

The poor horse 😭

And if you don’t mind me saying, I’ve noticed that your writing is always improving! I’m not saying your writing was ever bad because it wasn’t but I can tell that you’re doing a good job honing your skills and getting better with every chapter. I noticed it when I was first reading the series and binging it to catch up and the recent chapter was no exception

I hope that was coherent, I’m kinda sleep deprived rn lol. But I enjoyed the new chapter and am looking forward to the next one!

— 🌾💚🌾

Yeah, I think the best part to write was him like over-analyzing a game of tag. He was doing too much but he is just so convinced that MC is up to something (He's not totally wrong though.) Yeah, I can only imagine Criston turning around and being like '😧' Then finally that night he comes back like '🧑‍🦯😥' "I lost her." and Alicent just freaking out bc of the whole weird thing going on with her.

Criston will definitely have his moment of character growth and then we’ll see where that’ll lead to. As for Alicent, she’ll have her growth, but I suppose it can also be argued as a recession. Alicent is always so desperate to be in the right that she is just so wrong. She's always so close and then misses by a mile. But like you said, always understandable that she’s freaked out by MC and obviously Alicent still has her plans to get Aegon on the throne, so it becomes a whole thing where MC is watching and Alicent feels disgusted. As for MC becoming a religious figure, that was always the plan, and of course there was rejection in the beginning bc it what almost got her killed by Daemon bc she wasn’t a messiah, so it coming full circle and her getting into the faith, it’s kinda like….‘hmm.’ I don’t want to give too much away but my stance on it is "Coincidence is just the mind's way of making connections where none exist.” And yes of course with perks comes dangers if they push her the full mile and it’ll be interesting if MC embraces the role that’ll eventually be pushed onto her. (But that won't be for another couple of years)

Yes, Maesters suck butt! It’s really just so…annoying to see, but I mean, what other outcome was there? I wanted to be as realistic as possible. It’s already crazy enough that her plans got pushed through, not to mention she still has to find that person to take the seat in the council (She can’t just yet) So she needs to find someone who isn’t totally against her which is like finding a needle in a haystack. As for Vaegon it is definitely very interesting to think about. They said he passed in 101ac (Only bc he wasn’t mentioned anymore) but he was only 38 at that time, and in 129 he would be 66. I find it strange that he would’ve died so early. The faith and the citadel don’t like Targs nor do they like the aspect of magic. Vaegon was dragonless and obviously wanted to distance himself far far away from his family with him taking his studies into mathematics, and economics. I don’t think Vaegon wanted the downfall of his family, but I think he is just a little resentful of them (He was called upon by his father and I’m pretty sure he either suggested or supported his father calling for the great council when Viserys was chosen over Rhaenys) There is also the whole issue after the dance where possibly non-targs could claim dragons (Most notably silverwing) and some speculate that Vaegon was the one who said to do something about her so that it wouldn’t cause trouble. But this would definitely be a very interesting dynamic. Vaegon is into mathematics and right now MC needs mathematicians for this water system project. So who knows.

Yeah for Daeron I tried to pry into the mind of a more mature teenage boy who just happens to have a dragon, which was very hard, bc I am none of those things. (I want a dragon so bad 🥹) All siblings tend to have this blind loyalty to each other and in Daeron’s mind Aegon, Helaena, and Aemond are the exactly the same as they were before, and he liked Aemond back then so this loyalty for his older brother makes sense. But when Daeron hears that this lover (supposedly soon to be wife if Viserys has his way- or at least according to what Alicent said) is MC, it’s kinda like when your brother brings home like a girl who you can just sense isn’t a good person. Daeron is very off put by the fact that his brother who was much more a stickler to the rules than any of them, now has a lover. (I like to also think that Daeron is a lot more conservative bc of the heavy influence of the faith in Old Town.)

The twins are just so lovely and I thought a cute little game of tag would be nice. (Besides she feeds them so much junk food they've gotten a bit fat. So a little running never hurts.) As for her relationship with Aegon, he has toned down the obvious vibes that he wanted to sleep with her (Mans would still take the opportunity if it was there and I envision that it would happen while they’re both high. (Maybe in both ways. High in the mind and high in the sky.)) Right now his main thing is music.

Thank you! I like writing tragic characters. Perfect characters are…boring. The only perfect I accept is when it's like they’re so perfect that when bad things happen to them, the person that did it becomes insanely hated bc how dare they. (If you’re going to be perfect, Imma need them to put it to use and manipulate others like no one else's business whether intentionally or not. Very fun to read.) I want MC to make mistakes, and to have things turn out badly and then she has to claw her way out and continue on towards the goal. Aemond is just being Aemond😔 A shiny new toy that is his. The past shouldn’t matter when he has everything laid out. Or that's his mentality at least. 

RIP Horse, but it was necessary. 🐉

I enjoy your comments on my writing. I’ve gone back and reread some stuff and obviously there is a very big difference, BUT there is actually a reason for that. The way I’m writing now is my natural writing style (If you were to go look at my old works up to my latest (Not including this one) it has always followed a ratio of 1:5 (Or around there.), one being the actual dialogue and five being inner thoughts.) Basically, this was…a crack fic (AT FIRST) then I really started thinking about the story and thought it was best if I actually. I think a good example of this would be ‘A Solemn Beginning' (is this me being a shameless plug for myself?…possibly) I started writing that story last year around March, though it wasn't published till months later. (So way before I ever even thought of this concept) and that story has a much more similar vibe in these more recent chapters. Basically, my early writing in this story was lazy writing. (I just sat down one day and wrote the first chapter just bc I came up with the idea of being electrocuted via a kite in an attempt to charge a phone or try to harness power and reader being launched into a wall just as Jace walks in and is like '😨' while MC is writhing on the ground steaming.) I wasn’t thinking too much about anything, just writing to writing. BUT! I appreciate it nonetheless. 

THANK YOU🙏See you next time❤️

[jaimeslanisters]

as a team green enthusiast, i think what they have going on compared to the blacks is that they have way more interesting characters. whether you like or hate them, team green's characters are so much more intriguing to me. otto is smart and cunning, alicent is one of the most layered characters in the show, criston is one of the finest knights in the realm, aegon is a somewhat tragic bumbling drunkard (i don't subscribe to what the show decided to do) who finally receives some form of validation once he becomes king, helaena has her prophetic dreams, aemond is aemond, and i can't wait to meet show!daeron. the only interesting characters on the black's team (imo) right now are rhaenyra, daemon, and a bit of rhaenys and corlys. the rest are children (no shade). the velaryon twins deserve better, and honestly, what are the distinguishing traits between jace and luke? they're just "good" and handsome boys lol. all that is to say, i enjoy pawn so much because you highlight the uniquness and nuance of the greens and their interactions with one another, for better or for worst

YES!!! COMPLETELY!!!!!

quick rant about family dynamics in team green vs team black under read more

while i’m truly team “the targaryens were always going to collapse through their own hubris”, im team green simply because the characters are so much more interesting. they’re the roy family if you stuck them into westeros and handed most of them weapons of mass destruction. they love each other. they’re each other’s deaths. sometimes they can’t stand the mere sight of another. they’ll kill to protect one another. they’ll die for one another.

like!!! this is all canon. this is what the show has shown us. aegon gets slapped around by alicent but when they pull him from his hiding spot, he asks for his mother. alicent resents him at times, the first chain that was looped around her neck, but she’ll stand in front of a dragon for him, fight for what’s his for him. aemond wants the throne, he covets it, but he calls it his brother’s throne, threatens luke for the crime of trying to steal it. helaena endlessly whispers about the death of her family, sews a funeral shroud for the child she hasn’t lost yet. criston is their sword, their shield, their iron fist.

how am i supposed to not be insane about them?? all their complexities and resentments and joys?? there’s so much you can dig into, so much you can do with their relationships. i feel like i write a “kinder” version of them, their relationships when they’re relatively safe and when there’s no real pressure that’s risking their lives. in pawn, for now, they’re not faced with the cost of what everything will take, the cost they know they’ll have to pay, so they’re given the chance to be warmer and kinder with one another. we know they have the potential to - aegon immediately rises to aemond’s defense in the dinner after all. aegon and aemond are gossips in a corner in the opening scene and then barely an episode later, they’re knocking each other to the ground. they’re a family with all the hurt and pain and love it brings with.

and the team black gets to be the brady bunch? they love each other, of course they do, but no family is 100% perfect, 100% emotionally competent. rhaena is ignored for her lack of a dragon - wheres her resentment? her insecurity? baela just accepts that and doesn’t feel anger for her twin? the two of them don’t mind their birthrights being taken out from under them? baela is fostered with the velaryons - would that not sway her to being more sympathetic to these cousins she’s now living with? these cousins who think that luke is a bastard usurper?

the velaryon twins and the strong boys don’t clash like at all? rhaenyra and daemon just shoved their families together, barely waiting for their respective spouses to be buried, and that went down smoothly? the kids are fine with each other and their parents who they now think are murderers. somehow.

rhaenys and corlys are suddenly ok with the mysterious death of laenor? post ep 8, all that grief and rage rhaenys has on a low simmer just vanishes and is replaced by adoration of rhaenyra and it’s such a robbery.

jace, imo, is the only one who gets somewhat of a personality at time. he’s quick to violence when confronting aemond at the dinner (even though he’s painfully unequipped to handle it lmao). he obviously distrusts daemon and sees him as grasping at power during his mother’s labor. maybe it’ll get shown in s2 but the fact that with his own siblings, we don’t get to see even a crumb of the layered interactions we get to see between team green.

despite this rant, i do love team black. i know i mainly talk about team green on this blog and my fic (and my mc) are solidly team green as well but i like the bones of what team black is, particularly with the younger cast. i wish they were just allowed to hold grudges and be messy like real people.

[unohanabbygirl]

FMN SPOILERS!!!!!!!

BE WARNED!!!!!!!

SPOILERS Ch. 31

If this is a possible vendetta against the family but mostly towards Luke, then it’s possible that some of the villains from the past who caused trouble might be back too and it’s probable that they fault Luke in causing the Dance of the Dragons. This is sounding like a cult or conspiracy against poor Lucerys. But who the main players are, are still to be unknown, so far, my theories who would have the most grudge against the family and who have possible connections could be Otto , Larys, Criston Cole, etc… trying to think of other co conspirators but I doubt Daeron since it’s been established that he doesn’t exist in this universe.

By any chance does Owen take after Owen hunt like Grey Anatomy? I’m trying to get an idea of this person.

A vendetta is possible, especially seeing as there’s a chance Luke has interacted with certain figures from the past without even realizing it. Seeing as many people both from the past and in present day do fault him for the dance, taking their chance to enact a cruel form of revenge isn’t a far fetched idea. A two thousand year grudge wouldn’t be surprising in the least.

On top of that, if the antagonists we know of have come back there’s a possibility they’ve also been born into power, therefore have the ability to make certain people’s lives a living hell without ever being caught. It makes you wonder. Though the chances that every villain wasn’t born into the good life are high as well who’s to say some aren’t being manipulated into playing the game once again for the monetary gain if such offers were made?

As for Owen, he’s a man born in horrible circumstances who turned to making such circumstances work in his favor in terms of business. Gambling, drugs, illegal weapons and human trafficking just to name a few. He’s older than Luke by a few decades but younger than most of the adults figures in Luke’s life. Charming yet extremely controlling. I’d even say he has a narcissistic personality type.

When it comes to the activities he forced Luke into I wouldn’t say he enjoyed the sex acts within themselves but instead took joy in the fact that he had such a hold over Luke that he could convince him to participate into very degrading acts just by asking. He took joy in the fact that Luke was very willing to do anything for him and all he had to give in return was praise and the feeling of being cared for.

He often surrounds himself with the vulnerable (young, little to no family, addicts) because they’re the only people who buy the front he tries to push. It’s how he and Luke even met in the first place.

Also, one last thing. If people like Aemond and Aegon can turn a new leaf and become better people, who’s to say others haven’t done the same? Just a lil food for thought.

[navree]

Visenya + Maegor are Alicent + Aegon 2.0 ? If Aegon the Uncrowned was older and had better supporters could there be the first Dance much earlier?

I'm never one to smack down headcanons, especially when everything surrounding the Conquerors and the sons of the dragon and those generations are incredibly open to interpretation due to the lack of concrete information we have on interpersonal dynamics, but I don't personally see them as proto Alicent and Aegon. For one, it does depend on which version of Alicent and Aegon someone's thinking of, just because the show versions of their characters are vastly different from their book versions (Alicent in particular is incredibly different even though I love both versions of her, and Aegon in the book is significantly more well adjusted than our wet eyed king as portrayed by TGC). For two, the relationships do seem to be incredibly different. One of the things, to me at least, that shaped Visenya and Maegor's relationship is the isolation. Yes, Viserys doesn't seem to have been very involved in the upbringing of Alicent's children in the book, and we know in the show that he was the deadbeat dad to end all deadbeat dads, but Aegon and Helaena and Aemond and Daeron still had other people in their support systems. In both versions of the story, they had Otto and they had Criston Cole and they also had each other. Maegor is his mother's only child, raised primarily at her side, in a time where she was not involved at court and was keeping to herself on Dragonstone, which passed down to her son keeping to himself as well, and he doesn't seem to have interacted with any kids his age beyond just beating them in swordfights and unseating them in tourneys. He canonically wasn't close with Aenys when they were kids, and he did not grow up with his father, their relationship likely confined to whenever Aegon spent time at Dragonstone, which was rare given how he and Visenya had already pulled away from each other and lived separate lives at that time. Maegor and Visenya appear to have only had each other, which I think can be found in Maegor's later life, particularly in his search for wives and the way the one he was the most attached to, Tyana, is the most like Visenya (not entirely dissimilar to the way that Henry VIII kept looking for wives that closely emulated his mother, Elizabeth of York). So Visenya championing Maegor's cause as a contender for the throne, and Maegor's willingness to go along with it, comes from a much different motivation. It's Visenya looking out for, at this point, the only person that really matters to her, and putting her blood and her only love over everything else. Alicent's motivations, while they do contain a similarity (Alicent in both versions is also clearly motivated by love for her children) with Visenya's, are a lot more varied, based on things like her own issues with Rhaenyra and the law of the land and concerns about the fate of her children during a Rhaenyra monarchy that Visenya wouldn't have had for Maegor if Aegon the Uncrowned had been able to take the throne. There's also the fact that Maegor and Visenya and Alicent and Aegon are all incredibly different people, and as such would obviously have vastly different interpersonal dynamics based on who they are, even if there are some surface levels similarity of "monarch who wasn't thought of as the successor by the previous king takes throne, has mom who's on his side about it".

As for whether a Dance-esque situation could have arisen if Aegon the Uncrowned were older and had better supporters, I don't think that would have happened either. For one thing, Aegon was sixteen/seventeen and legally an adult according to all Westerosi societal customs during this time, so age wouldn't have mattered that much (and Aegon II was also pretty young when he took the throne, 22 in the book and 19 or 20 at maximum in the show) in the grand scheme of things. But there are a lot of much more complex factors at play. One of the reasons why the Dance was so contentious and such a disaster for the realm at large was because of how muddied the waters were. There really wasn't a "wrong" side to support, both because Rhaenyra and Aegon had competing legal claims with their own individual merits and also because birthright monarchy is a scam and the only right side would have been the creation of democracy, but I digress. There were a lot of factors at play making things complicated when everyone started picking sides that just didn't really exist in Maegor and Aegon the Uncrowned's struggles. You can't really call anyone in the Dance a usurper, for instance. But what Maegor did is very clear usurpation. He was pretty far down the line of succession, no matter which way it was cut. If the Targaryens wanted to follow absolute primogeniture, then during Aenys's reign he would have been behind Aegon and Aerea and Rhaella and Viserys and Jaehaerys and Alysanne. If the Targaryens wanted to just go with male dominant primogeniture, then he still would have been behind Aegon and Viserys and Jaehaerys. He was well down the line and there was a plethora of heirs ahead of him with a more direct claim. Unlike Aegon, who is relying on the legal precedent of male inheritance that's been the law in Westeros for quite some time, Maegor didn't have that loophole. He literally just took a crown that he was not entitled to in any legal way, simply because he had the biggest dragon and he wanted it. And that's the key thing here. Because the thing is, none of the rest of it matters. Even if Aegon was older, if that were a factor, or even if he had more loyalists, it wouldn't have mattered. What made the Dance as drawn out as it was compared to other Targaryen dynastic disputes, like Maegor and Aegon the Uncrowned, was that the Targaryens involved were evenly matched when it came to firepower. Each side in the Dance has a wide variety of dragons under their commands of varying power (the Blacks have more, but a lot of them are young, whereas the Greens have less but they're all pretty well disciplined and old and therefore more powerful) that keeps everyone on their toes. There's a reason why the Dance kind of effectively ends after the Blacks lose nearly all of their dragons; with Sunfyre as the oldest and most powerful dragon left in active combat (Rhaena's is way too small and Nettles had already vanished with Sheepstealer) the Black claimant, Rhaenyra, does not have anything to fight him and Aegon with, and as we know, it ends badly for her. And what doomed Aegon the Uncrowned in his fight against Maegor was dragon firepower. Aegon could have had all the allies and ground support he wanted, and maybe it would have made life harder for Maegor, but Quicksilver cannot square up with Balerion. In a straight fight, Quicksilver loses, which is exactly what happens. And even if Aegon had more support, it still would have pretty quickly dissipated after Balerion full on eradicates him and Quicksilver below God's Eye.

The Dance overall was just a very different set of circumstances that can't really be applied to other eras of Targaryen history and other dynamics and other squabbles, that's what makes it so unique and so interesting.

[radiantratqueen]

I don't know if it's right to say it, but I like the attitude Gwayne is taking 🫢 In the show, the impression I had of Gwayne in some scenes was of a pretentious and perhaps a little arrogant man (ask Cole about their first meeting) but still a man of good intentions, I could even say someone very nice (because of the way he defended and interacted with Alicent and how he describes Daeron) so I guess he's already taking on more character

I'm really curious to know Elena's reaction. I know she'll be very worried about Gwayne and also what Raymund will say to him. I'm sure he'll defend Gwayne and blame Edric for being too drunk. And I'm also curious to know Otto's reaction. But above all I hope Gwayne is okay. I mean, he's only 14 years old and already has a murder on his record I hope he feels more secure now that Ser Edric is out of the way and he surrounds himself with better people like Ormund or Ser Arnold

I know Raymund knows everything that happened with Gwayne, and I assume Elena does too (maybe not as much as her father), but I wonder if anyone else knew what Edric was doing with Gwayne like Ser Arnold maybe?

I'm glad you like how I've been writing him so far. I didn't want him to have the exact same attitude as he did in the show because he's around forty at that point, so he will grow up to become more like that. He's definitely going to keep that protective attitude and that arrogance and general disdain around Criston just give him a couple of years to heal from this trauma and he'll become the character that we know from the show.

I will say this, Elena is not going to find out the extent of what happened for years. I'm actually writing the next chapter surprisingly quickly so it will probably come out in a couple of days so you'll get Raymund's response then. Gwayne's reached the point where his life starts looking up, naturally he'll struggle with the fact that he did kill a man but he will heal and recover.

All Elena knows is that Edric is gross and cruel, she assumed that he would use corporal punishment with Gwayne but after meeting him she's got a feeling something more may have happened. As for Arnold, he's got no idea what happened as of now, he does hate Edric because there were already rumours going around about his proclivities it just hasn't crossed his mind that Edric would do that to Gwayne as well.

[moonshine999]

Top 15 Helaegon scenes (that we will probably never see)

Note that these are my opinions and preferences and if you don’t agree with them, just ignore it and scroll away 

As much as I love these two and team green in general, it is obvious that the writers of hotd clearly have a bias towards team black. ( That especially sucks when you consider the fact that the team green castings are utter perfection ) But with what they have done in s1, I highly doubt s2 is going to give the greens anything and instead just make them comically evil and rush their plot lines and what not

So this is basically a list of scenes I would have loved to see for Helaegon in both seasons (I may do the other characters as well) 

The list is organised from most likely to happen/ to have happened (it won’t/wouldn’t have but I need a system) i.e. 15 and least likely to happen / to have happened i.e. 1 

15.a scene after blood & cheese

🕯️him approaching her after/during the funeral 

🕯️them trying to not cry in front of the other but all in vain

🕯️them seeking comfort with each other (even if doesn’t last long)

14.hurt/comfort conversation/ argument about Aegon’s drinking and whoring 

🕯️could tie into no.13 

🕯️them arguing at the top of their lungs 

🕯️or having a conversation through tears 

13.a heartfelt conversation about how they are handling being king and queen

🕯️them talking about the pressure

🕯️how they are not ready for it/cut out for it

🕯️them promising each other that they’ll look out for the other and keep their family safe 

12.them at the green counsel together 

🕯️just to watch them glance at each other when a counsel member says something stupid/questionable/ about their kids or them

🕯️them holding hands when tough news is presented 

🕯️them listening intently whenever the other speaks 

11.dragon riding 

🕯️(flashback) Aegon asking her if she would like to go dragon riding with him as she has just claimed dreamfyre 

🕯️them flying around king’s landing with their kids saddled in on their dragons 

10.family dinner

🕯️just the greens having dinner together to welcome daeron and/or gwayne 

🕯️them keeping a close eye on their kids but slowly letting their guard down when they see how comfortable they are with their uncle

🕯️them being the older sibling menaces they are and teasing the hells out of Aemond and Daeron 

🕯️Helaena having to leave early as the kids want only her to get them to bed and Aegon bringing desert to her in their room

09.their younger versions interacting with Rhaenyra 

🕯️either separately or together 

🕯️Helaena being closed off at firsts but then they start discussing all sorts of things from bugs to jewellery to how both of them loved to hear stories from Alicent 

🕯️Aegon and Rhaenyra initially wanting to keep away from each other but they have a small talk before his wedding about Helaena, their dragons and their father before they are rudely interrupted by either daemon or Otto or both. 

08.scenes with their kids 

🕯️Helaena comforting Jaehaerys after someone made a comment about his fingers

🕯️Aegon having some self reflection after Jaehaera says they threatened to rape her (obviously in the show, would not have included the rapist thing if I was writing it but if they wanted to “redeem” him, this is the best solution imo)

🕯️them trying to decide what to name maelor along with the twins 

07.Helaena’s pregnancy 

🕯️either with maelor or a 4th child (according to some leaks) 

🕯️Criston whispering to Aegon during a counsel that it’s a boy/girl 

🕯️him looking around the arguing members and quietly slipping out of the room before rushing to his wife 

06.dance/ballroom scene 

🕯️after the jace debacle, his insecurities skyrocket 

🕯️just him getting fully intoxicated by his wife as they dance 

🕯️them laughing as they spin around 

🕯️them getting applause and cheers as they make their way to the floor 

05.them gifting each other stuff 

🕯️necklaces, brooches for not being around as often 

🕯️chalices with various dragon imagery for his nameday 

🕯️her stitching his favourite flower onto his nightshirt

🕯️them getting their kids to help when they want to surprise the other with something 

04.(flashback) where they get into trouble and collectively decide to blame Aemond 

🕯️Alicent interrogating the shit out of them 

🕯️one look and they were at the library reading mythology about the Seven and the last person they saw at the crime scene was Aemond 

🕯️Alicent gives a disappointed sigh and they are both dismissed and as they walk away- a casual “WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU!?” from the other side of the door 

03.wedding flashback

🕯️Both are initially against it, they think of it as a punishment 

🕯️but a talk with their mother or half-sister makes them understand that this is for the betterment of the family  

🕯️they dance together, they talk shit about what the lords and ladies are wearing, they soften up at their mother’s wide smile 

🕯️Perhaps their father is smiling too. They can’t tell. But right now it doesn’t matter, they don’t care.

🕯️Aegon wearing white with gold details and a gold cloak with his hair tied up

🕯️Helaena wearing white with silver details and blue jewels on her dress and her crown 

02.bathtub scene 

🕯️domestic helaegon all day EVERYDAY 

🕯️her cleaning him up with his burns

🕯️he starts crying but they work through it together until it’s over 

🕯️him cleaning her during her pregnancy

🕯️them giggling like their kids 

🕯️them helping each other get dressed afterwards (like just imagine them in what seems to be a hug while he laces up her dress and she pins in his cloak) 

01. A sex scene 

🕯️enough said really.

Alright I hope you liked it

Since the writers for hotd won’t, send me the number and I’ll write a drabble 

[florisbaratheons]

Just to be clear, OP, do you mean that Aemond doesn't see himself as sadistic? Because his actions are most certainly sadistic and cruel. But if he doesn't see himself that way, then yes I agree.

But on the other hand, I have to politely disagree with you. There is just no way Aemond could have known that Aegon would survive being blasted out of the air and falling 200 feet. He was literally gambling with Aegon's life there because he was mad. And when Criston found them, Aemond was literally resheathing his sword. Why did he have the sword out in the first place? He definitely had less than honorable intentions before he changed his mind. And I'm not saying he had to go "Oh my god, help Aegon!" but there was nothing there? He didn't even say, "Perhaps the king needs assistance," before strolling away. He just...left?

Deep down, I think he can feel the self-deception. It's part of the reason why he needs Aegon to stay quiet and why he feels compelled to pet his head and kiss him gently as a "reward" for playing along and helping him cope with what he did to him.

Isn't that sadistic tho? He wasn't petting his head, he was roughly tapping him on the side where the burns were and pushing the ball into his chest, making Aegon cry out in pain.

The kiss is part manipulation and part genuine display of comfort and gratitude. This is why he leaves the council ball in Aegon's hand. His indirect way of saying; "You never wanted this, and when you tried you ruined yourself. Just rest now and let me take care of everything".

There was no comfort there in that moment. It was only manipulation and a deep threat. I'm sorry, OP, I have to vehemently disagree with you here. Aemond went in there to terrify Aegon into silence and it succeeded. He knows that their parents know what he did, but he's so out of control that even his own parents are afraid of him. He's getting off on this high, on this power that he finally has. All of this was intentional and he's enjoying it. That's sadistic.

Yes, there's definitely a flicker of humanity when Alicent is talking to him. I think Ewan is very good with the eye-acting (he just needs to move the rest of his face to make it really count). I truly think the only person Aemond cares about is Alicent and that's in a very twisted way. There was pride on his face when Helaena asked him if what he did was worth it. He won't interact with Daeron at all. Aegon is petrified of him. Criston cannot even look at him anymore. He's throwing it all away.

"Was it worth the price?"

When he's about to die above the God's Eye, all by himself, with the person he was obsessed with all of his life about to drive a sword into his head, I wonder if he will think about that moment when Helaena asked him that.

I keep seeing people describing Aemond's interaction with Aegon as "sadism" but I don't see it at all.

There was no hint of glee or triumph in Aemond's face, body language, voice, or the words he spoke.

What I saw was deep anger and a bit of caution.

He doesn't want Aegon to tell the truth to anyone, so he's willing to lord his power over him to keep him silent.

But mostly he's just boiling with anger.

"You challenged Meleys...it was foolish", preceded by Aemond pushing into Aegon's wounds as a punishment. He wants to drive the point home that he is SO pissed and disappointed in Aegon for "making" him do this.

Enjoying his new position of power seems to pale in comparison to this anger.

He doesn't regret burning and crippling Aegon because he convinced himself that it was a necessary sacrifice (to save Aegon from certain death and to win the battle), but he hates the fact that Aegon's foolish recklessness "forced" his hand.

Aemond sees himself as his family's protector. He believes he's the only one in his family properly equipped to keep them all alive and he's just sort of mitigating whatever losses he thinks are unavoidable. This self-image would shatter if he allowed himself to admit he has utterly ruined his brother for petty revenge. If he allowed himself to feel sad or guilty over what he did to his own brother. So he copes with the only way he knows how: by bottling up the "weak" emotions (guilt, regret, pain, grief, self-doubt) and turning them into righteous anger.

The same anger that compelled him to avenge his wounded pride against Aegon at Rook's Rest is the same anger that allowed him to escape guilt and sadness and put the blame entirely on Aegon. And then he punishes Aegon again because otherwise he might punish himself.

He's a very dangerous character because his severe self-denial makes him unaware of his deeper motivations, and when he's aware of them he excels at rationalizing and justifying them to maintain his desired self-image.

Deep down, I think he can feel the self-deception. It's part of the reason why he needs Aegon to stay quiet and why he feels compelled to pet his head and kiss him gently as a "reward" for playing along and helping him cope with what he did to him. An unconscious part of him sees Aegon's compliance as a form of absolution and he's thankful for it. The kiss is part manipulation and part genuine display of comfort and gratitude. This is why he leaves the council ball in Aegon's hand. His indirect way of saying; "You never wanted this, and when you tried you ruined yourself. Just rest now and let me take care of everything".

He hurts and then mends his brother's wounds, and it's so symbolic of the way he feels for him. It's hate, envy, anger, spite, love, protectiveness, possession, duty, and sacrifice.

It's easier for him to express his twisted affection for Aegon now that he's broken enough to be his clear and undoubted "inferior".

[anxiousnerdwritings]

I thought about it after you said it. The battle between really yan!dad Criston and yan!mom Rhaenyra will be epic.For some reason I dream that the precious child of Criston and Rhaenyra will be a Princess. It would be nice to imagine Criston being a good father to bby. Think about it, Criston would have gone mad if the precious Princess had suffered a minor injury the night Aemond was injured. Criston will be furious when Harwin, Laenor and Daemon try to father the precious Princess. The reader is only his daughter of values. I dream that the green and black teams will be yandere for the precious Princess. The war will begin for the Princess, not the throne.

I’d like to think that Criston would be a good father to his child either way, but if he had a daughter then he would be completely and utterly wrapped around her finger. I definitely see him not taking too well to any of Rhaenyra’s ‘manwhores’ trying to fulfill his role as a father to his own child. He would certainly watch their every move with his child and would vocalize his criticism towards them for whatever they were doing or for however they were going about interacting with his child. It would be made extremely obvious that Criston has a massive soft spot for his child with Rhaenyra out of all of her children. He’d still very much act the same towards the Velaryon boys, but he may even be worse because they get to be around and call his child their “sister” when he can’t even do much but be in the same proximity as her. They can hold her, they can speak to her informally, they get to be a family with her while he’s forced to stand by and watch. Also, I could see Criston getting confronted by his child for his treatment of their brothers and telling him how horrible she thinks he is because of it, resulting in Criston acting better towards the boys only when the Reader is around. He’d also get the Green boys to behave better when in the Reader’s presence too.

I could surely see Alicent especially becoming yandere for the child but more so out of ill intentions to bring down Rhaenyra. Not only that but also maybe taking an even deeper interest in the child because Criston is in a way unable to be a true father to the child himself so she also takes his frustration and want for that onto herself, so basically harboring Criston’s own feelings about the situation and wanting of being involved in his child’s life. I could even see her at first feigning wanting to interact/spend time with the child privately so that Criston could have his own time with his child while she stood by and allows it behind Rhaenyra’s back. I have no doubt though that to not only give Criston more access to his own child but also to take the child from Rhaenyra, Alicent would betroth the Reader to one of her children. Maybe when Rhaenyra proposes marrying Jace and Helaena, Alicent instead offers up Aegon and the Reader or even Aemond or Daeron.

I like to think that the Reader would be close to Helaena and that the two would be extremely bonded to one another before Baela and Rhaena come into the picture. So I don’t doubt that Helaena at the very least would be yandere for the Reader. She may even try to convince or persuade the Reader into getting a betrothal with one of her brothers, or even a joined marriage with her and Aegon that way she can also have the Reader to herself too.