#also to be clear Tywin was obviously a shit *protector*

[acewithapencil]

Mothers of the dragon, Protectors of the dragon, Tormentors of the dragon

I started this piece months ago and dropped it, but I picked it back up and powered through recently. I just wanted to play on the themes of three and show the similarities between the figures in the lives of Jon, Dany, and Tyrion.

[nrilliree]

Hot take for some but Aegon II is as dog shit if not even worse of a father than Viserys. The fandom can try to retcon him into this doting daddy or “girl dad” fantasy but reality is he was awful to and responsible for the suffering of both his true born and bastard children. A loving father doesn’t let his children have their teeth filed to points and fight tooth and nail in Flea Bottom. A caring and protective father would have his children taken to a safe haven BEFORE his brother basically opened the door to indiscriminate bloodshed and certainly would have AFTER that danger arose. A father who truly wanted the best for his wife and children would have had a member of King’s guard protecting Helaena and the children at all times. Incase he forgot, the reason Aemond lost his eye was because all the adults were asleep at the wheel and left the kids unwatched and unguarded. So he never learned a single lesson from his father if anything he’s a mirror of Viserys in terms of complacence. Aegon only seems to show any interest in his kids (whom he constantly abandoned to go watch bastards fight to the death and hang out in brothels) after they were endangered. Que the Tony Stark “we’re the Avengers not the Pre-vengers right?” monologue.

I’m not denying that the death of Jaehaerys changes the way Aegon treats his family but it’s really so insincere for anyone regardless of team to act as if Aegon was motivated to be a good father at any point up to B&C. The fact of the matter is it was too little too late by the time he decided to care and take up the position of a “protector of his family” like the showrunners are trying to retcon. We saw who he was. He isn’t a cute sweet “girl dad” - he’s a misogynistic drunken rapist. He isn’t a “protective father” he literally left his children and wife under protected both before and after the death of Lucerys and was arrogant to think they were safe in King’s Landing. He never cared about his children until a true born son died, because he let his own bastards be abused for sport and celebrated “bastard blood spilled at war” - I mean the sheer fuckin hubris.

Now obviously the death of Lucerys and Jaehaerys were devastating but they were preventable tragedies on Aegon’s part. He was an even shittier father than Viserys and the stans can try to argue it but the facts are plain as day.

Even when discussing Rhaegar’s role in the death of Elia and his children it’s clear the Martell’s rightly place the blame on Tywin Lannister, because that’s who ultimately is responsible for their deaths. Rhaegar was also aware his father wanted them and Jaime Lannister as hostages effectively and since Aerys was the King, Rhaegar had little ability to rescue his wife and children (even if there was someone who smuggled baby Aegon out that would have been the most anyone could do). He did leave Lyanna guarded by two of the best swordsman of his age. Unlike Rhaegar tho, Aegon IS the King and the white cloaks do what HE commands. They could have flown Helaena and the kids to Oldtown where Daeron would be to protect them along with a Hightower host of guards. (If Daeron is even going to be acknowledged by the show). Aegon is responsible for both Lucerys and the resulting revenge of Blood and Cheese I wish the audience saw that more clearly.

Exactly. It's sick and incomprehensible to me that people blame Rhaenyra for Lucerys' death (!) or Lucerys for his own death (!!) just to justify the actions of Aemond and Aegon.

Lucerys was 13/14 years old when he was murdered by his 19-year-old uncle. Yes, murdered. He didn't "die by accident", but was murdered because Aemond killed him the moment he decided to chase him and set Vhagar on him. The fact that at some point Aemond realized that he screwed up and tried (very clumsily) to stop Vhagar doesn't change anything, because it's like he was trying to stop the bullet he shot at Lucerys because he was "just having fun". It was Aemond's fault and Aemond's fault alone, not Rhaenyra's or Aegon's.

Aemond flew to Storms End as Aegon's emissary. As his messenger who carries Aegon's words. And then he murdered Lucerys. And when he returned, Aegon threw a party. So from the outside it looked like Aegon was responsible for Lucerys' death by Aemond's hands.

And Aemond actions is the cause of Jaehaerys' death. Daemon sent assassins, Mysaria hired them, B&C carried out the sentence, but Aemond and Aegon were the cause. They simply did not think about the consequences of their choices once again. Aegon raped girls and… And what? And nothing. He could do whatever he wanted because his mother would always protect him. Mom won't punish him, but she will put him on the throne. And once he was on that throne, he didn't think about any consequences of what he was doing. After all, what bad thing could happen? His mother could do whatever she wanted - torment Rhaenyra, plot against her and Viserys, openly plan a coup and usurpation, and… nothing happened to her either. So why would Aegon somehow suffer for his choices? When Aemond murdered their nephew, Aegon had no idea of ​​the gravity of the situation at all. Even political. When you usurped your sister's throne and caused her to have a miscarriage, and your brother, being your messenger, killed her son - well, the last thing you do is throw a party. His mother told him all his life that Rhaenyra was a threat to him, that she and Daemon would murder their entire family for the throne… So why are he celebrating the death of her son?! Aegon openly laughed in her and Daemon's face, while not understanding the seriousness of the situation. He himself wanted to run away before the coronation because he was "scared", but he didn't even think for a moment about putting Helaena and the children on the ship so that they would be safe.