#aemond targaryen meta

[nightvyre]

My take on the Storm End's scene

So, when I first watched the Storm End's scene the first time, I was frustrated because why would the writers made Aemond killing Luke an accident ? It is clearly stated in the books that Aemond is a ruthless character with a vengeful nature. His ruthlessness is one of his appeals as an antagonist. So why would the writers took it away from him ?

Aemond never intented to kill Luke

However, after seeing the episode again, as well as reading others' analysis and discussion, I changed my mind. Making Luke's death an accident was actually a decision I could accept because it adds depth to Aemond's character. We have to remember that Aemond started as a soft boy who, after one injustice to another, became a person determined to find justice on his own way—no matter the cost & a how twisted his perception of "justice" can be (he plans to give Luke's eye to his mother, because his mother said it was a debt to collect). I believe that while he genuinely despised Luke, Aemond only wanted to torment him, to show that he holds all the power now. Making Luke cower in fear is the closest thing he could ever get to receiving justice for the lost of his eye. And that's what he did. He forced Luke to make a choice between his eye or his life, and chased him through the storm with the biggest dragon alive.

"The idea that we control dragon is an illusion."

Viserys said this in earlier episode (1 or 2, I think). Yes, it is stated that the bond between a dragon & its rider is a "magical" bond etc. We see this many times in the book & the show. This is where it gets tricky. I think that the "bond" they're talking about is more about the emotional bond as opposed the "we share the same brain now" bond. In the books, Vhagar roared when Aemond lost his eye. She will feel what he feels, and Aemond has been harbouring hate and anger towards Luke for a very long time. Thus, it's what Vhagar felt as well. And when Arrax disobeyed Luke & attacked her, it is only natural for Vhagar, a dragon, to chase its attacker and kill them. This will also have a toll on Aemond because Aemond, like many Targaryen, has been living under the illusion that he possess total control over Vhagar. But he doesn't.

What it means for Aemond's character (SPOILERS)

Aemond is a smart person. He knows what it meant by killing the Queen's son. Despite it is not officially him that started the war, he's the one who change the game into a war of fire and blood—and he has to live with that. Furthermore, nobody will ever believe him. He has witnesses claiming he tried to attack Luke—of course it wouldn't be a surprise that Aemond killed him as well. Kinslaying is a taboo for Westerosi; people will look down upon him. This will change the good relationship he has with his family: first, his mother, then his sister & brother after Blood & Cheese incident. His loss of control caused the death of his nephew and the reason why her sister went mad (remember, he has a soft spot for his sister). His guilt will eat him alive and combined with the pressure of war, he will break. And thus, he will became the ruthless antagonist we've seen in the books. He's getting the Jaime Lannister treatment—but instead of going from bad to good, Aemond will be the other way: a soft boy who has been corrupted by power and guilt so much that he became a ruthless war criminal (the version we saw in the books).

I just hope that the writers managed to provide us with consistent writing so we have a well-written corruption arc.

[greenqueenhightower]

The primary reason I love the Greens is that they are so messed up. They are not perfect, they are not disinfected and favored by the narrative, and they are raw to the bone; they are real.

Aegon is as real as a devastated and soul-crushed father gets whose grief translates to anger and violence. Helaena’s silent inner turmoil and anguish haunt the Red Keep. Alicent has become a wreck as she weighs this tragedy the only way she knows how: against her own failed moral compass, holding herself responsible.

Otto sees his strings of power stretch and snap as he pursues the unattainable dream once more. Criston feels unworthy and consoles himself with the deception that he remains unsullied by still bearing a white cloak to his name, having been absolved of his original oath-breaking years before. And Aemond refuses to acknowledge any weakness or softness in front of his family so he seeks consolation elsewhere.

This green family doesn’t know how to process emotions, doesn’t know how to grieve together, and can’t find solace in each other’s suffering despite yearning for comfort. Otto doesn’t know how to comfort Alicent, Alicent doesn’t know how to comfort Aegon, and Aegon doesn’t know how to comfort Helaena.

Larys exerts his influence and puppeteers Alicent to his own liking by giving her a much-desired grasp of agency over political affairs. Alicent finds escape in undiscovered indulgences that give her the intoxicating illusion of control over a lifetime of servitude. Criston succumbs to the addictive drug of being desired and wanted on equal terms. The Greens live in a vicious circle of unhealed trauma, a bottomless pit of fears and insecurities, and a tangled web of deception and control.

They are wounded, dysfunctional, and forsaken, and that makes them so intriguing.

[vampire-exgirlfriend]

Can we please talk about the insanity surrounding the discourse around Aemond and the brothel madame? She is not his abuser. She is a survival sex worker who was absolutely not in any position to deny Aegon when he took Aemond to her establishment for the first time when they were 12 and 15, respectively. This woman is a victim of this society in the way that all women were, except that it’s amplified ten-fold because of her profession and her status as one of the small folk. 

She’s not a predator. She’s not prowling the streets for young virgins to deflower. And it seems like this takes just reeks of ageism in a lot of ways. A member of the royal family, the potential heir, if talk was to be believed, came to her establishment with a purse full of coin. It’s transactional, yes, but are we really going to act like she, or anyone who worked there, really had the option of telling Aegon no? Would it have been less awful if Aemond was essentially forced by a family member to lose his virginity to someone that you personally found more in line with your beauty or age standards? Because that is what is comes down to. Aemond didn't want to fucking be there, Aegon thinks he's getting cool big brother points via psycho-sexual trauma, and whoever ended up in that room would have been a tool in that trauma. Would it be easier to stomach if that woman wasn't clearly older? If you found her more attractive?

And in the scene in s2 e2, it’s not her infantilizing Aemond. This is what he’s paying for! This is what he wants! This is the kink that he’s choosing to play into, and she’s doing her job and securing her safety and leaning into the protection that being a favorite of a royal man offers, however tenuous that may be. How are we supposed to fault her for doing her job? For taking her own safety and standing seriously in the face of royal patrons? We’ve seen time and again in this universe what happens to women who deny those same whims. Do we just expect her to fall on some sort of moral sword that wouldn’t have even existed then?

Like this kink of Aemond’s isn’t for everyone. You don’t have to like it, it doesn’t have to be your thing. And I get the feeling it’s unraveling a lot of head canons that have popped up over the last two years of waiting, which is why people are getting so weird over it. But to just paint this woman attempting to survive with the brush of a sexual predator is really gross. She didn’t seek him out, Aegon brought him to her, and we know from Viserys screaming at Daemon in s1 e4 that this is probably a common practice within that fucky ass family. One of the major points of this story is that the small folk have no protection, no standing, no recourse. How could she have denied them? It’s explicitly stated when Mysaria is talking to Rhaenyra that people like her, like the madame, have absolutely no protections. And that’s not even taking into account the public hanging of the rat catchers. This is what happens when royals and those in power are angry - the small folk are fodder for their power trip. This is what the entire episode was about.

You can have your icks (though I’d encourage you to ask yourself why her age and profession bother you so much), but to say the person that yucks your yum is an abuser and a predator is just way out of pocket in this scenario. 

[franzkafkagf]

Aemond can laugh about Aegon's valyrian all he wants. The reality is Aegon has total control over his dragon, Sunfyre and him are so spiritually sincronized at the point Sunny doesn't need valyrian and is risking his life to saving him. Vhagar disobeys Aemond even if he commands on high valyrian.

i think it's an actual choice the writers are making. notice how both rhaenys and aegon get tender moments with their dragons, while aemond doesn't? there's a clear disconnect between him and vhagar, i wonder if he's scared that he loses control again?

aemond keeps certain walls up around other people, to ensure no one sees him as weak—which in turn means he probably cannot fully connect with vhagar either, not like aegon has with sunfyre certainly. and he will never connect with her fully because he can never let go of the persona he has built around himself.

[drakaripykiros130ac]

When I hear that the Greens are better rulers, I just gag.

Are we to forget how they stole all the gold from the treasury to finance their war and impoverished the Realm?

Otto and Alicent Hightower are both politically incompetent, whose main priority is the advancement of their own House.

You have Otto, the only Hand in history who managed to get fired twice.

You have Alicent, a greedy upstart, who only cares about herself.

You have Helaena just standing there.

And then you have the two “stars”, Aegon and Aemond, who share one brain cell. Aegon, an inadequate ruler (and that’s me being nice), clueless, gorging himself in fine wine and women. Aemond, a totally unstable psychopath, who believes that owning the biggest dragon in the world makes you invincible (he’s going to find out the hard way).

Oh, and let’s not leave out Ser Crispy Cole, the most shameless Kingsguard who has ever lived. For a man whose word is supposed to mean everything, it means literally nothing. Take a moment to compare him to Ser Erryk Cargyll. Yeah…

[atopcat]

The writers are trying to portray Alicent’s treachery as “empowering”, Rhaenicents are insisting she should put herself first instead of her children, fans who prefer fanfiction over solid writing genuinely think this is peak feminism. Well it’s none of these, Alicent’s betrayal is linked to ableism, doesn’t matter what the writers say because that’s what we’re being shown on screen.

He was already an abusive drunk when she was trying to undermine Rhaenyra's claim, a rapist when she usurped Rhaenyra, and he was watching little children fight to the death when she stood between him and Rhaenys' dragon.

So what's changed? Why is she now suddenly deciding to throw her children to the wolves? Simple, Aegon's crippled.

That isn't the face of a mother fearing for her son's life, this isn't S1!Alicent who was ready to attack the Crown Princess to avenge her son, this is a woman who wants nothing to do with a disabled child.

I need to make it clear I'm not defending Aegon, I'm simply pointing out that the writers are suggesting Alicent can still love her son even though he's a child abusing rapist but will stop loving him once he's been wounded and left incapacitated.

Translation: One son lost an eye, the other is horrifically incinerated and my daughter is mentally unstable. I don't want these kids anymore, so I might as well run away after selling them to the enemy 👍

Rhaenyra demands "a son for a son" and she happily complies, she doesn't even ask for Daemon to be punished!

The writing is ableist, the show is telling us people who are disabled are of no value, it is "empowering" for a woman to kill her children because they're better off dead anyway.

[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.

[mswyrr]

One of the most important bits of dialogue in hotd is from Viserys in 1x01:

"The idea that we control the dragons is an illusion. They're a power man should never have trifled with. One that brought Valyria its doom. If we don't mind our own histories, it will do the same to us."

This is a man who bonded with Balerion, The Black Dread, the oldest dragon who had actually hatched in Old Valyria. This was the same dragon who flew Princess Aerea, a 12-year-old girl who bonded with him, back to Valyria against her will - sickening and killing her in the process (Fire & Blood, p 263). The little girl was away from her home at the time and probably feeling "I want to go home" but what Balerion did with that feeling killed her. His will was strong and his memory was *deep*.

Viserys only rode him one time, his inaugural flight, and then never again. IMO he experienced something bonding with that ancient beast that--in addition to studying the family's history and Valyrian lore--convinced him of the danger and fundamentally uncontrollable nature of dragons.

It is totally in keeping with canon events that Vhagar, in the current timeline the most ancient dragon alive--a dragon who drank deep of bloodshed and war with Visenya during the Conquest and *likes* war--translated Aemond's anger at Lucerys into murder of the boy and his small dragon. It is perfectly in keeping with what the show has been saying since episode 1.

An ancient, powerful and wilful dragon overcoming the will of its rider is *literally canon*. Princess Aerea must have been terrified during the whole, long flight to Valyria, and yet all her protests couldn't stop the dragon she'd bonded to.

I would also say that the Valyrians turned magical creatures, dragons, into weapons of warfare - that the dragons, in that sense, represent war. And the show is imo fundamentally antiwar - so here war is something you cannot control. GRRM has said the dragons are "nukes," which fits with this reading:

“Dragons are the nuclear deterrent, and only [Daenerys Targaryen, one of the series’ heroines] has them, which in some ways makes her the most powerful person in the world,” Martin said in 2011. “But is that sufficient? These are the kind of issues I’m trying to explore. The United States right now has the ability to destroy the world with our nuclear arsenal, but that doesn’t mean we can achieve specific geopolitical goals. Power is more subtle than that. You can have the power to destroy, but it doesn’t give you the power to reform, or improve, or build.” (source)

War and nukes - you cannot aim them only at the guilty, only at those you hate; you cannot prevent them from consuming the innocent as well. They a raging fire that consumes, that is all. And so, on that level, I just adore what they're doing and how it all fits together.

Aemond's domestic violence fits too - boys go to war thinking it will be honorable and manly and they'll protect "their women" but instead come home and hurt those very women. This thing burns and burns until it is exhausted, and it doesn't stay contained, not within you or outside you. "So it goes," to steal a phrase from antiwar writer Kurt Vonnegut.

The reason I keep coming back to my antiwar reading of the show is that things that people dismiss as "bad" or mock actually come together beautifully if you don't expect to war to be glorious and masterful and heroic. If you take the text seriously, in terms of what the dragons are metaphorically and what characters have outright said about their fundamentally uncontrollable nature. The lore supports what Vhagar did! That she could overcome a teenaged human's will with her century old bloodlust.

[ride-thedragon]

My biggest problem with Hotd s2 was the thesis change between the seasons. They went from the only thing that could take down the house of the dragon was itself, alluding to the dragons fighting dragons, the war of kin, revenge and ego killing the last magics of old Valyria the house would try desperately to regain and replicate to their doom until Daenerys to the prophecy is being written beyond us, we are just moving parts towards the end, we are pawns. The reason that doesn't work is because it defeats the point of the dance. The only character that might try to change their fate is Aemond, but for the rest of the characters, they have no stake but the end, but to play their part and tie it to their interest to what they know will happen. Instead of being too self-interested, too self-motivated to see the end, the destruction of what they'll lose. It's a mishandling of prophecy where they have to pile on efforts to make it the same ending instead of building on the start.

[alicentsgf]

This whole situation with seasmoke just reminds me again of what so many of us having been saying since season 1 - that Rhaenyra should have been the one to kill Laenor. Not because he was a bad man, but because he presented a very real danger to her children. Him dying (?) offscreen later just to make her look good is so weak. Not to mention it technically makes her younger children with Daemon also bastards if it were ever discovered Laenor still lived, which is something she would obviously want to avoid a 2nd time. They didnt have to make her a monster or anything. Just show us her slowly being pushed to the brink by how little Laenor does to assure people Rhaenyras children are his. Show her becoming more and more paranoid. More and more aware of the rumours. Show us her indecision over what to do about it. They could even show us her guilt after going through with it. But we needed to believe she would kill for her children for this story to be a strong one, for her and alicent to be true narrative foils, and we just havent seen that from her at all. Its disappointing. She may be a 'better' mother but its only Alicent we've seen ready to murder for her children. It shouldnt have been that way. Removing all Rhaenyras teeth in order to make her likeable was a bad writing choice, and Laenor being allowed to live was the first big mistake.

[morningsofgold]

Alicent finds evidence of herself in her children, no matter their Targaryen strangeness, no matter the silver hair and dragon-gleam in their eyes. She sees herself in Helaena's gently sloped nose, in Aegon's round and sleepless eyes, in Aemond's straight-backed bearing and the way his expressive brow always gives away his true feelings.

She reminds herself, on the worst of days, that she has left a legacy. That Viserys didn't devour every evidence of her girlhood with his cursed blood. She clings to these shards of herself, reflected back at her from her children, and it feels like trying to pick up splinters of colored glass from a broken temple window with her bare hands.

[greenqueenhightower]

Alicent does have the most experience as regent having actually ruled for many years in Viserys' place. Seeing her disillusionment with her own council, which she has served faithfully and for which she has sacrificed so much was such a poignant moment for her character arc moving forward.

Her quest for power is cut short by her own allies and she cannot help but fear the outcome. She very well knows more than anybody else how unsuited Aemond is for the role. More than that, she knows how much more fitting she is. Her rage, fear, disappointment, and worry, are all inscribed on her face during these last moments of the small council meeting. Realizing that her opinion and her skills don't matter anymore is such a blow to her ego and confidence. It's the beginning of the deconstruction of Alicent's ideals that launches her redemption arc into motion.

[lovelyandproblematic]

@/CALLING ALL AEMOND FANS !!

badassepic scene yea yea but WHERE was homie GOING?!

Like... without his clothes? Wouldn't his clothes be in the room where Sylvi was? Why would he have stripped at the front door or main room? Or was he just gonna stride out in the buff and walk home in only a cloak found by the exit? The logistics of this scene have me pondering.

I wanna know 😭😭

Just can't imagine him marching back to the castle walk of shame Cersei style 😮‍💨

edit; AND HE LEFT BEHIND HIS EYEPATCH ORRR....!?!?

[daenysthedreamer101]

I was listening to 'Bloodlines will burn' because it's so beautifuly haunting and sad and I like torturing myself and then, I came across these pictures while listening

.......😭 my beautiful queen! You did not deserve that! They caused her to lose something she always wanted - a daughter.

Look at her eyes in the first pic... 🙃🙃I'm fine. I'm fine. Why would I not be fine?

Visenya could've lived. She could've grown up to be a beautiful woman just like her mother. And she would've been a fierce dragon rider like her mother and father.

Daemon could've taught her High Valyrian and how to wield a sword.

Nyra would've loved dressing her up and doing her hair in the style of Old Valyria.

I know Jace, Luke, Joff would've adored her. They would chase her around the Painted Table and tickled her.

Baela and Rhaena would've been overjoyed to have another sister and girl in the family.

Baela would take her on a ride above Dragonstone on Moondancer.

Rhaena would've picked out the dragon egg that would lay in the crib of her little sister. Or maybe Rhaena would've given Visenya her own egg in the hope of it hatching and bonding with her.

Visenya was robbed of her life before it even started. She was robbed of knowing her parents and siblings. She was robbed of their love. And they were robbed of hers.

I will forever hold a grudge against TG, just for causing Nyra's miscarriage, not including all the other horrible shit they did to Rhaenyra and how they've treated her for years.

[drakaripykiros130ac]

Jacaerys Velaryon, a Prince of questionable parentage (whether it be true or false), turned out to be 10 times the man/leader than any one of Alicent’s “trueborn” sons (Aegon the Usurper, Aemond One-Eye, and Daeron the Useless) could ever be.

- confirmed by Green biased Maesters as well.

I love how GRRM addresses the issue of parentage here, and shows how children born under questionable circumstances can rise to be better than children born “the correct way”.

It also shows how simple-minded people in the Middle Ages used to be, believing that only children born from a sanctified union, could ever be worth something.

It’s not a coincidence that GRRM made Rhaenyra’s sons good, well-mannered, brave and loyal, while Alicent’s sons are all despicable, rude, anger-driven, and overall huge disappointments (yes, Daeron too. He ended up showing his true colors. Bitterbridge never forgets).

[atopcat]

Seriously screw this show!

Aemond is supposed to be the son Alicent’s closest to and he’s openly disrespecting her??? Referring to his MOTHER as Alicent???

Criston, her white knight, is backbiting against her, viewing her as a liability??? What happened to the man ready to kill anyone who even looks at his Queen wrong?!

All this because these dumbass writers think Alicent is so pathetic she’ll choose the woman who KILLED HER GRANDSON over her own family???

I am so sick of Rhaenicent!