Kind of a rewrite of this post, trying to correct some mistakes in information and really get into how Rhaenyra's usurpation was unjust and inevitable in the grand scheme of things.
There was a peace between 9 year old Princess Rhaenyra and 18 year old Queen Alicent, but it only lasted for a year, right up until Alicent gave Viserys a son and he did not change the succession. This is when their enmity formally began, with Rhaenyra being 10 years old at the time. The Blacks and the Greens were born in 111 AC, five years after Viserys married Alicent:
At the opening feast, the queen wore a green gown, whilst the princess dressed dramatically in Targaryen red and black. Note was taken, and thereafter it became the custom to refer to “greens” and “blacks” when talking of the queen’s party and the party of the princess, respectively.
The wording of this sentence implies that it was not usual as the time for Rhaenyra to wear her house colors, 'dresses dramatically in Targaryen red and black,' as opposed to Alicent's 'wore a green dress,' and considering how young she is; it would not be a reach to conclude that this is Rhaenyra *finally* stepping out from her step-mother's shadow. She is making a name for herself, and pushing her claim to the throne; despite Alicent being openly antagonistic towards this matter. Rhaenyra is 14 here, she is not married, has no children, and no substantive rumors to sully her claim to the throne, minus her womanhood. Her being a woman is the only thing that can be used against her here, and used against her it is.
Let’s take into consideration in book how the Green’s discussed ‘matters of succession’ using benign evidence like the castle being turned into a brothel, Alicent's children and grandchildren being in danger, etc. and ultimately the only real argument they had was that Aegon was the king's firstborn son. They used agnatic primogeniture as the basis for Aegon taking the throne over Rhaenyra (a woman could inherit but her children could not because it would be through the female lineage rather than the male), and while Alicent called Rhaenyra's children bastards they were never *officially* declared as such, so this was the only solution. It's also the only saleable reasoning for the Lords to back his claim. She was the lawful heir to Viserys, something made known countless times to the realm:
...Viserys had done nothing to change the order of succession. The Princess of Dragonstone remained his acknowledged heir, with half the lords of Westeros sworn to defend her rights. Those who asked, “What of the ruling of the Great Council of 101?” found their words falling on deaf ears. The matter had been decided, so far as King Viserys was concerned; it was not an issue His Grace cared to revisit.
and to Alicent, 'who was eager to see [her] blood set over Aemma’s for the throne,' yet when she and Otto pestered the King on the succession Viserys removed Otto from his role as Hand of the King and replaced him with Lyonel Strong. He had well over 20 years to name Aegon as his heir, and steadfastly he upheld his daughter's position and claim. This cannot be refuted.
Once Alicent confirmed that Viserys was dead she ordered his room sealed and placed under guard, and had the serving man who had discovered this fact arrested to make certain he did not spread the tale. The Green's then proceeded to call a small council meeting, decide to anoint Aegon as king, then left Viserys' body to rot in bed for days while they made their preparations. All of this was done in absolute secrecy, which is a sure sign that their cause was not in the right. Further proven by them admitting that them doing this would lead to war:
“If we do this,” Grand Maester Orwyle cautioned the council, according to the True Telling, “it must surely lead to war. The princess will not meekly stand aside, and she has dragons.” “And friends,” Lord Beesbury declared. “Men of honor, who will not forget the vows they swore to her and her father. I am an old man, but not so old that I will sit here meekly whilst the likes of you plot to steal her crown.” And so saying, he rose to go.
The accounts do not add up entirely into how Lord Beesbury was murdered to ensure his quietness, but it is agreed upon that he was first blood drawn. Second blood drawn also belongs to the Green's, with Aemond murdering Lucerys despite his status as envoy:
And with his death, the war of ravens and envoys and marriage pacts came to an end, and the war of fire and blood began in earnest.
Rhaenyra's children being bastards, and that mattering towards the succession, is a red herring. In one of the earliest drafts of the Targaryen family tree, Rhaenyra was married to a Lannister, by whom she had no children (or any children at all) and was still usurped. In a retcon of that first draft from the 2009 A Song of Ice and Fire roleplaying book, she was married to Lyonel Strong and had three unnamed trueborn children with him, and was still usurped.
George finally settled on her marrying Laenor first and having three sons with him (which were rumored to be sired by Harwin Strong), and two sons with her second husband, Daemon, once he officially wrote the history out. Jacaerys, Lucerys, and Joffrey are remembered in history as Velaryon’s, and these rumors alone did not matter to the 53 Westerosi houses that fought for the Black's over the Green's 28. Their legitimacy was settled in the eyes of the Lord’s due to their dragons hatching:
“Those who doubted the paternity of Rhaenyra’s sons whispered that the eggs would never hatch, but the birth in turn of three dragons gave the lie to their words.”
Even a pro-Team Green account states that Jacaerys had ‘proved himself a man, and a worthy heir to the Iron Throne.'
The age differences have also changed significantly throughout the years, with Aegon and Rhaenyra being one year apart initially (stated in A Game of Thrones appendix, not completely sure if they were meant to be full siblings or not) to ten years apart in Fire and Blood. Yet the Dance of the Dragons still occurred. What GRRM’s original message was remains to be seen, but he clearly intended by Fire and Blood’s publication for the Dance to be a tale of how misogyny and the patriarchy kill absolutely.
We also have the Widow’s Law working in favor of both Rhaenyra and Alicent:
(...) reaffirming the right of the eldest son (or daughter, where there was no son) to inherit, but requiring said heirs to maintain surviving widows in the same conditions they enjoyed before their husband's death. A lord's widow, be she a second, third or fourth wife, could no longer be driven from his castle, nor deprived of her servants, clothing, and income. The same law also forbade a man to disinherit the children by a first wife in order to bestow their lands, seat or property on a later wife or her children.
This is an actual law put in place by a ruling monarch, something which Andal custom lacks. Granted, did Jaehaerys think about what this would entail regarding who is or could be the heir to the Iron Throne? Probably not (hello raging misogynist), but that doesn't change what was put in place. In theory Alicent and her children would be safe after Viserys' death and Rhaenyra's *peaceful* ascension. This is further proven in how Rhaenyra responds to news of her usurpation:
"As for my half-brothers and my sweet sister, Helaena," she announced, "they have been led astray by the counsel of evil men. Let them come to Dragonstone, bend the knee, and ask my forgiveness, and I shall gladly spare their lives and take them back into my own heart, for they are of my own blood, and no man or woman is as accursed as the kinslayer."
There were ways to avoid this conflict, none of which fall on Rhaenyra's shoulders. She did not usurp Aegon, she did not draw first blood. Rhaenyra did not start the war, and there was nothing she could have done to prevent it from happening. SHE was the test. The blueprint to see if the realm could handle a woman seated on the Iron Throne, and it failed miserably.
Just to reiterate from my previous post: Rhaenyra’s biggest crime in Westeros was that she dared to be a woman; a woman who wanted her inheritance, a woman who fought back against the unjust systems put in place meant to tear her apart. It is no coincidence that after Rhaenyra’s death (femicide) the dragons ceased hatching, save for small, weak creatures that would not last long. The magic died with her. Her story’s resemblance to the Amethyst Empress all but confirms that. The equilibrium of Ice and Fire was put into shambles once again upon her and the dragon's deaths. Her death means the inevitable death of all lives as they know it, and only her descendent, another little girl now fighting back against unjust systems (some the same, some different) is meant to save the world from it's untimely doom.
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dressed elegantly. this will never leave my head. the implications of this.
because geralt and his company, they saddled up, left beauclair, travelled through mountains and frozen blizzards and downpours and muddy sod for two to three months. you need to pack outfits for that. you need to plan your gear.
what was the rest of the company wearing? what did they pack for this long journey? they packed practically, dressed warmly for the frozen journey of january, february, march. geralt wore a wolf-skin cloak, a scarf, a shawl… milva wore a fox-fur kalpak, angoulême wore a hat with a pompom and a sheepskin coat. cahir’s dress isn’t mentioned, but he must have been dressed similarly, because he rubs his hands briskly together and were he not dressed warmly he otherwise would have frozen to death. regis’ dress isn’t mentioned, but it is mentioned that he’s immune to the freezing temperature. so, i mean, it doesn’t matter what he’s wearing in this scene, maybe a regular outfit.
but at stygga. dressed elegantly.
so you’re telling me that. regis packed his things in preparation for their flight from beauclair, went to his quarters after geralt explained to him the satisfactory reasons they were leaving, and went,
“alright, time to prepare for this long and dangerous journey that will conclude in a great clash between our forces and the kidnappers of ciri. the end of our quest. the final journey. and a dangerous road awaits us, with snow still blocking the passes, frost and white all around. a grand fight and conflict awaits us. what gear should i prepare, what should i wear for this expedition, what kinds of clothing should i pack.”
and then he went:
“you know, i want to look fucking good ✨ when we get there 💅🏻🦇”
imagine the final preparation before they approach castle stygga. geralt sees the castle hewn out of the cliffside, effortlessly noticing every detail from far away, seeing like an eagle with his mutated eyes. and like an eagle, compelled to swoop down and snatch vilgefortz like a fish. ordering the company forward, declaring they’ve made it. this is the moment they have all been waiting for. everyone has been waiting such a long time for this. they prepared everything.
they wait until midnight. angoulême eagerly unsheathes and whets her long sabre, swings her axe around with predatory glee. cahir fits the plate armor and winged officer’s helmet he scavenged from a small nilfgaardian dispatch that they ran into extorting caravista for tax. milva tightens the same worn, polished leather bracer that she’s always had on her left arm, and mutters as she fixes her spiralled arrow fletchings over boiling water. geralt, with nothing left to do, paces and breathes, wondering where the hell regis has gone.
just then, regis walks out from behind an outcropping of rock, eyes glinting with cat-like light, in his “elegant” outfit, absolutely slaying that shit, and all his friends look at him absently like. “what the hell are you wearing. where the fuck did you get that. you packed that? you planned your outfit for the final battle, you planned this outfit in advance three months ago?” to which he counters, “well, three months isn’t very long at all,” and they’re like, “this is the preparation you made? we thought you left to do some secret vampire rituals or whatever. or to reckon with yourself for the severe violence we’re about to inflict.” and he’s like “no, i just wanted to make sure i was dressed nicely for the occasion”
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the dr fandom cant handle wlw ships in any other context than background fluff with no depth
i like sakuraoi and tsumioda ect but they always get woobified and mellowed out like did they SEE 1-4???
aoi did not pull all that to get sidelined as a supportive background lesbian in your ishimondo fanfic
and don’t get me wrong. my girls need a break sometimes fluff is great i don’t have a problem with it. but it’s the constant sidelining of wlw ships in favour of het/mlm ships in pretty much any fandom that gets to me.
and how wlw ships are only acceptable in the community when they don’t have any dysfunction or toxicity, and if the ship does have even the slightest hint of the above qualities it is either mellowed out to the point of being unrecognisable or dumped on with thinly veiled misogyny and homophobia
and when i say slightest hint i mean the literally slightest hint. like the girls will argue once and the fandom will label the ship toxic while shipping. fucking kuzupeko or something.
wlw ships are seen almost entirely as a way to get female characters out of the way of mlm ships. in het ships the female character is a tool to develop the male character. they show significantly less depth and probably dies to forward the male character’s development (sound familiar?)
in any situation female characters are characterised by their relations to male characters. a female character’s (usually romantic, or at least interpreted as such) relationship with a male character is their defining characteristic. if said female character is in a wlw relationship they are reduced to their most basic traits while male characters are explored and given depth, and exist in the story only to offer support to the male characters.
i haven’t even mentioned how female characters must be in a relationship to be even remotely relevant in a story, but that’s a rant for another time.
grrah the way that female characters mirrors how wlw ships are treated by the community, and that characters/ships that aren’t completely perfect and deemed acceptable by the community are dumped on by the larger dr community while worse ships or characters are welcomed because they happen to contain a male character is gonna be my 13th reason istg.
anyways this rant is getting long but in summary danganronpa fans hate women and they hate wlw relationships that they can’t jerk off to.
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