#and they like the excuse of her children being illegitimate

[astancerseiblog]

i understand it is to establish her sons as legitimate heirs but something about rhaenyra trying to put her white son on the seat and the only seat of the black people in westeros just doesn’t sit right with me.

[the-loststone]

HotD Team Green Defense

The amount of people who fail to grasp Team Green's perspective is honestly staggering to me. So many people are Team Black, maybe out of some (misplaced) belief that they are being feminists and advocating for female power, or something like that, and choose to ignore the very legitimate worries and motivations of Team Green. Admittedly, the show has gone out of it's way to villainize Team Green as much as possible, while victimizing Team Black, and deviating from the source material for this narrative. (I would tell them to be suspicious when showrunners do that because they did the same thing to Daenerys in GoT and everyone was surprised when she turned around and burned a city down in a rushed ending because the show never properly developed her arc.) Nevertheless, despite their efforts to make Team Green the less appealing side, if I had to compare motivations, Team Black is the more villainous.

So many people dismiss the fact that for Rhaenyra to secure her throne, she would have to kill her siblings. They write it off as paranoia of Alicent, or ambitions of her and Otto, that they are making excuses for Aegon to be made king instead of Rhaenyra. But that's just not true. These are very real likelihoods. Even if Aegon did not seek the throne, or he and his brothers decided to gracefully allow the succession to pass to Rhaenyra, it would never be peaceful. Just look at Rhaenys and how Corlys is still bitter and Viserys has been worried that they may come after him since she has a right to the throne. That's one of the main benefits in having Rhaenyra marry Ser Laenor was to join their claims. Or look at how worried everyone was of Daemon, and how he may seize power after Viserys. The only thing keeping him alive was his brother's love for him, the fact that their house was dwindling, and no one was fighting on his behalf over Viserys. So if there is every another claimant, it would be a great worry that the side in power may be kicked off by another claimant. And Aegon and his brothers are men, and just by virtue of having dicks, they have a better claim to the throne. All laws, precedent, and cultures in Westeros have male heirs before female heirs. The king's word does not change that. And note that the King only made Rhaenyra his heir over his brother. So technically, the King said "all my children first, including my daughter, then my brother." (Something already controversial because if it was accepted before, Rhaenys would be Queen and he would be nothing). But he never again made a statement for the lords after his sons births. He never reinforced Rhaenyra's succession as his heir outside the privacy of their own quarters. Alicent even said, let the lords come and decide, and make vows, and he and Rhaenyra reject it because they worried the Lords would choose Aegon.

Rhaenyra knows, to inherit without rebellions every few years from lords who are unhappy with her and want to supplant her with her brothers, she would have to kill her brothers and make sure there are no people who can contest her right to inherit.

And this is just Rhaenyra's succession. Now add in the fact that she's claiming illegitimate children as her heirs. Very obvious illegitimate children. Even if Rhaenyra managed to successfully inherit with no push back from anyone, and no one wanted to supplant her with her brothers so she didn't have to kill them then... well guess what, she'll have to kill them to secure her son's ascension to the throne. (And if she won't then Daemon certainly would). And then, even if she does kill all the Greens, then there's the issue of her legitimate children vs. her illegitimate children. Even if the kids grew up to love each other, someone may say, well the first three shouldn't inherit, let's put the legitimate ones on the throne. And then you have a completely different succession crisis.

Viserys' actions may seem to the viewers as promoting girl power and feminism, but that's not what's happening. He's being an abusive, neglectful shit. He's deliberately putting the rest of his children's lives in jeopardy, and even the Strong grandchildren he claims to love, because by keeping them in the succession despite their obvious illegitimacy invites people to contest that. And that's not to say he couldn't have taken steps to remedy this. He could have changed the rules so that succession passes to the eldest child, regardless of gender. But he didn't. He could have acknowledged that his grandchildren were illegitimate and forgiven it and legitimized them as Targaryens, but he didn't (conveniently usurping Valeryons - and people may argue that Baela/ Rhaena can still rule being married to Jace/Luke, but that's not the same as being able to rule in your own right, otherwise, why not take the offer for Rhaenyra to marry Aegon).

But since he didn't do any of these things, the only way to stop the Dance would have been for him to make Aegon his successor. Something that everyone would have been relieved by because it would have prevented war. But he didn't. And so, Alicent has to fight to keep her kids alive. The Greens have to push their claim to survive. Whereas, had Rhaenyra graciously backed off her claim, saying that yes, she had 3 brothers, and while they were younger, the laws and precedent are in their corner to inherit, then she would have lived. People wouldn't have fought for her claim if she hadn't pushed it. Nor would they fight for an illegitimate heir.

But some may say... Well Rhaenyra has more supporters. She does. She has the Velaryons and countless other houses backing her. So do the Greens. (the Greens have the wealthiest houses). But once it becomes a fight to throne, it's less about who has the right, and more about who can offer you the most. Notice the Starks and the Baratheons agree to fight because they'll get a wedding out of it (and the Starks because they'll have somewhere to send people during their current famine). The Vale because of the blood ties. The Lannisters because of past insults. Once it's decided to be a fight, it's never about who actually has a right to the throne, it becomes about who can give you the most so you can help them win it.

And this is what it really comes down to. Rhaenyra had a choice. She can back off, and her family can survive. Her brothers can live. Her sons will live. Or she can inherit, and her brothers can die. And she is perfectly willing for her brothers to die. And some may say that that's a very jaded view to take on Rhaenyra and she would never kill her family if she could help it... but it would be out of her hands. It would be necessary to protect her son's right to inherit and to keep away possible rebellions.

And you know, fine, that's okay. She wants to fight for the throne, more power to her. She can go after the throne and kill her brothers. But I don't think it's right that people say that she's the aggrieved party. She's not. She's the aggressor.

And that is why I'm team Green. Because Alicent is right. Just by living and breathing, Aegon and his brothers are threats to Rhaenyra. And this would have happened no matter who Viserys married. Sure people can be upset that Alicent married her bffs dad (something that only happens in the show because in the books, Alicent is 10 years older than Rhaenyra and they weren't close), but that doesn't mean her children should die because Rhaenyra is the preferred child. That doesn't mean the realm should be thrown into war because Alicent 'seduced' a widow. (And I say that with heavy sarcasm because Viserys is a grown ass man.)

And then there's the argument of who's the better house because of blood purity. It's a ridiculous argument and I'm honestly annoyed by people who are Targaryen purists and believe in the whole, dragon supremacy. Hightower is badass house. A lot of people don't realize that they've been around since The Wall and Winterfell were built (Bran the Builder built Hightower, commissioned by the Lord / King of Hightower). They've been around since before Targaryen's rode dragons. So spare me the ridiculous arguments of who's got the most Targaryen blood. If anything, Team Green is more Westerosi, you know, the country they are trying to rule.

In the end, the show will do what it does best, and disappoint you. Either they'll continue pushing this narrative of girl-boss queen and fail to show the complexity of the political situation that result from Rhaenyra's decisions. Or they might stick to the book and have a complex issue actually displayed and show both Aegon and Rhaenyra's descent into madness.

There are more issues one could delve into. Like the fact that Rhaenyra married Daemon. That either Corlys Velaryon has so much unhinged ambition that he's ignored deaths in his house to side with those who have literally murdered his family (cough cough Vaemond and Laenor) (and the whole Laenor excuse in the show makes no sense because no way in hell are Rhaenyra and Daemon risking that he's ever found and that their kids are declared bastards; it is much cleaner for them to do it like they did in the books and kill him) or there will be serious repercussions from the deaths of Velaryons and continued discussion of the succession of Driftmark/High Tide.

But that's the main summary of my thoughts. 👍

If you made it to the end of my rant. Thank you.

[nebulaafterdark]

More Than Anyone Pt. 4

Aegon x Velaryon(Strong)! Reader

Summary: Royal family dinner at the Red Keep is rather interesting.

Porn with heavy plot. MDNI, 18+ Only. Targcest, depictions of labor/childbirth, character death.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Family dinners at the Red Keep are somewhat of a farce. They do not enjoy breaking bread together, content to stick to their separate wings, their separate lives. Alicent and Rhaenyra especially.

Since Y/N and Aegon have wed, the Queen has stopped pushing for the Strong children to be declared illegitimate. Her son would be close enough to a King. He would be safe.

Y/N will make a fine queen. Alicent loves her like her own, but Y/N is stubborn. Aegon’s love has only proved to further spoil her. If she wishes her daughter to be heir, in spite of Alicent’s desires, she would do just that, and she has.

The Princess is seated between Jacaerys and Aegon. The Prince does not tolerate other men being so close to his sweet wife, even her beloved brothers. Or perhaps it was the fact that they are so dear to her that sets him on edge. If they had wed, in the true way of the Dragon, Y/N would’ve been married to Jace instead of Aegon. And the thought alone leaves a foul taste in his mouth.

Y/N keeps her husband’s hand in hers as she laughs, jesting away with her brother.

“Hello, little one. It’s your uncle, Jacaerys. Jace, if you prefer. Your sisters and brother enjoy my company, I hope you will too.” With that he leans away, happily and back to his meal.

My baby, Aegon seethes. The one I fucked into her. Not you.

Y/N brings Aegon’s hand to her belly then, watching with a tender grin as his face softens.

“Perhaps Jacaerys should focus on fathering a child of his own. Hmm, Baela?” Aegon says, directing his attention down the line of bodies. “You have been married a year now.”

“Aegon,” Y/N shakes her head as Jace’s hands ball in fists.

“It fills me with great joy to see you all getting along.” King Viserys tells the children.

“Indeed, Grandsire.” Jacaerys affords a tight lipped grin.

Aegon raises his cup to his father. They are not sure how much time the King has left, they all do their part to keep him happy.

Y/N pats her Grandsire’s hand across the table.

“My girl,” Viserys chokes out. “Mending our family whole.”

Y/N feels tears prickle at the back of her eyes, “I try.” She tries but never quite succeeds.

Luce is sat at the foot of the table, with Aemond at the head, near his wife Helaena. Lucerys chuckles to Rhaena at the way the pig jiggles when placed in front of his uncle.

This sets Aemond off, slamming a fist into the table as he stands. All eyes land on him.

“Aemond,” Alicent whispers.

“I should like to raise a toast, to my niece, Y/N and to my nephews; Jace, Luce and Joffrey. Each of them comely, wise….Strong.” Aemond meets their gaze pointedly. “Let us drain our cups to these Strong-”

“I dare you to say that again.” Jace rises to match him.

Daemon clears his throat, watching the chaos unfold. Rhaenyra shifting uncomfortably beside him, heavy with child.

“Why? ‘Twas only a compliment.” Aemond skirts round the table so they are face to face.

Y/N stands immediately, placing herself between them, facing her brother. “Ignore him.”

At this Rhaenyra, Daemon and Alicent spring to action. Lucerys and his wife not far behind.

Aegon takes his own brother aside, “bite your tongue.”

“Oh relax, brother. It’s all a bit of good fun.” Aemond purses his lips.

Even after they manage to get everyone back in their seats, Aegon cannot shake the image of Jacaerys’ hands upon her. Clasped in Y/N’s as she calms him.

When they are excused, Aegon follows his wife to the children’s rooms. Bidding them goodnight and sweet dreams, he feels a bit less on edge after that.

He helps Y/N out of her dress and into her nightgown once they are finally alone, pressing a kiss to her shoulder. Y/N reaches back, caressing his hair; soft and familiar beneath her fingertips.

“Thank you for what you did…standing up to Aemond couldn’t have been easy, but it moves me, deeply.”

“I will protect you, always.” Aegon tells her.

“You seem unnerved.” She nuzzles against his cheek.

“Jacaerys was quite…close to you this evening.”

“He is my brother.”

“The man you might have been betrothed to.”

“Aegon,” the Princess huffs a laugh. “You mustn’t do this to yourself. I love no one else the way I love you. It does not suit you to be jealous of my baby brother.”

He turns his wife to face him, tracing his thumb along the apple of her cheek. “You are the world to me. The thought of anyone taking you from me is one I cannot bear.”

“Aegon,” she cups his hand with her own, “I am not going anywhere. I’ve no desire to. I want to be with you, my love.”

Aegon nods, still not entirely convinced.

“Come here,” Y/N murmurs. Drawing him in until their lips meet. “I need you, Aegon.”

The Prince groans, the note of desperation rushing directly to his cock. He pulls her closer still, her belly pressed up between them, full of his babe. His child and hers made of love.

“Now, please?” Y/N purrs, stroking him through the fabric of his breeches.

He walks her back toward the bed, until it hits the back of her knee. “Lie down, sweetheart.”

“Here?” She breathes. Upon the short side of the mattress?

“Let your legs hang over the edge.” Aegon nods, removing his own clothes.

Y/N obeys, allowing her thighs to fall open for him.

Aegon runs his finger tips up her calf, to her knee, hitching her leg up past his waist, to his shoulder. “Is this too painful?”

“No.” The Princess quirks a brow.

“Good.” He removes her small clothes before resuming the position. His length poised at her entrance, pressing inside slowly so she feels every inch.

Y/N replies with a sharp intake of breath, accepting him eagerly. Her cunt is hot and tight, sucking greedily at his cock as he pulls out, only to force himself back in.

Aegon allows her a few moments at this pace, working her open as not to cause discomfort. She prefers to keep a bit of modesty about her as she swells with child. Her husband entertains this by allowing her nightgown to remain on during intimacies. Watching her little pebbled nipples strain against the thin fabric.

“Fuck,” Y/N whimpers as he begins moving faster.

“That’s right, sweetheart.” Aegon growls, kissing her inner calf, held up against his shoulder to drive himself deeper. “I love fucking you.”

Y/N reaches out between them, putting a hand to his hips. Her eyes wide as Aegon’s thrusts quicken.

“Use your words, pretty.” He continues battering the sweet spot inside her.

The Princess whines a bit more. “I-”

Aegon takes mercy on his love, finding the worlds for her. “You are so sensitive.”

“Please, Aegon.” Faster. Slower. Harder. Softer. She wanted all of these things at once.

“I know, my dearest love.” He tuts at her.

She fumbles around for his hand. “Need you.”

“You have me, sweet girl. Right in your perfect little cunt,” he cooes. “I’m going to take care of you.”

The Princess nods, rapidly. Face screwed up in unbearable pleasure, fighting for breath as Aegon pushes her higher; until she tumbles over the edge of bliss.

Trembling, sobbing and squeezing his hand. The force of her release threatening to shove him out as she coats his length and thighs in her slick. The poor thing jumps when his forefinger finds her pearl, still swollen and throbbing, coaxing more wetness from her.

“That’s my girl. Let me see you, Y/N. Give me your eyes.” Aegon murmurs.

Her lids peel open, blown pupils meeting his. “I want you to come for me. Please? I need it.”

“You need it?” He chuckles. He’s trained her well.

“Please,” she cries. “I love you, please.”

“I love you too, dearest.” He murmurs against the leg upon his shoulder. And oh how her love was a weapon to wield. Breaking past every obstacle in it’s path; reshaping him into something new. He circles her bundle of nerves faster. “You’re going to have to come again, all over my cock. Then I will give you every last drop. Can you do that for me?”

“Just for you.”

His erection twitches within her warmth. Her words alone threaten to pull him over the edge. Aegon allows her leg to fall back to his waist, her bump is nearing the point where he cannot reach her lips when leaning over. So he takes advantage while he still can.

She tangles her fingers in his hair, content to be full of him, loved by him. To please him and to satisfy his every desire. That is the depth of her love for Aegon…and it terrifies her.

Y/N comes apart again, milking his length for what feels like an eternity as Aegon pumps his release deep within her. Feeling tears come, hot and unbidden against the crook of his wife’s neck.

“What troubles you so, my love?” Y/N wonders, stroking his silver locks, patiently.

How can he explain it? For he does not understand himself.

————————————————————————

“Princess.”

Y/N’s lady in waiting startles her awake, Aegon’s arm still draped over her side, only the bed sheets covering them.

“I am sorry to wake you, but your presence is requested by the Princess Rhaenyra.”

“My mother?” Y/N springs from bed. “Help me dress, please.”

“At once, your grace.” The woman nods, moving dutifully toward the armoire and gathering the first dress her hands stumbling upon.

The closure seems to take longer than usual, perhaps due to nerves, or the fact that they both fumble around in the dim lit room. “Have you any idea what’s happened?”

“I could not say, Princess.”

“Of course,” Y/N takes a steadying breath.

“But…it may be her labors.”

“Her labors?” It is far too soon.

“I cannot say for certain.”

“Very well,” Y/N understands. “Thank you for telling me what you know. If Prince Aegon wakes while I am away, please let him know I will return soon.”

With that Y/N takes leave, down the corridor, fast as her legs will carry her. One hand held to her belly as a side stitch seats itself beneath her ribcage.

Rhaenyra is hunched forward, grasping the windowsill, groaning through her contraction.

“Mama?” Y/N breathes out.

The woman releases a low moan, gathering her strength before she speaks, reaching a hand toward her daughter. “My darling girl, this revelation is a heavy one and I do not wish to burden you with it, but I’m afraid I must.”

“It is alright,” Y/N shakes her head. Taking Rhaenyra’s hand for comfort.

“Your Grandsire Viserys has passed. Few are aware, but the news will soon spread. Ow- fuck.” Rhaenyra falters.

“What can be done?” Y/N squeezes her mother’s fingers.

“With my father dead, the Greens will demand the throne be swiftly claimed. You are my heir. If I do not survive this night, you shall be Queen.”

“I-” I cannot lose you.

“Go. Make your preparations.” Rhaenyra chokes out, “nothing is to be done while I’m abed. Daemon is seeing to that, you needn’t worry.”

“I worry for my mother.” Y/N blinks back tears.

Rhaenyra cups her daughter’s face in hand. “I will not go quietly.” Rhaenyra will fight.

Series Taglist: @sophiexoxosblog @alicentswife @f4ll-for-you @tempt-ress @percyjacksonspeen @zoleea-exultant @midnightrqin @buckystevelove

Part 5

[bohemian-nights]

Like clockwork, the moment that Sophie is almost surely going to be played by a Black woman there is a sudden uptick in the Sophie should be a man or trans because that would be “true representation” discourse.

Representation for all communities is important(although that’s not what this rally is about), but Sophie Beckett is the last character in Bridgerton who should be gender-bent or made trans since her story is directly tied to her being a working-class biological woman.

It's because she's a woman that her only means of employment is as a maid. It's because she's a woman that she was almost raped by a pack of men. It’s because she’s a biological woman and fears birthing children who will be illegitimate and who may have to go through life as she did that she refuses to be Benedict’s mistress.

You can’t just plop a (white cause that’s what the real issue is) man or a (white) trans woman into her place without changing her story which is unique in the Bridgerton universe and dare I say the most empowering. So while yes it would be nice to see a gay love story on the show or a trans person, Benophie isn’t the couple to turn to for this representation.

And said representation definitely shouldn’t come at the expense of representation for Black women who are rarely shown as love interests or get to be leading ladies in media. Representation for Black women may not be your representation, but it's still representation for an under-represented marginalized group.

Seriously if your idea of representation hinges on the fact that Black women should step aside and wait “our turn”(aka we shouldn't be represented because y'all always come up with some excuse for why it isn't “our turn”) you need to reassess some things because that isn't going to happen any longer.

This also goes out to the people who keep saying that there are “too many” Black people on show therefore Sophie shouldn't be Black when the only Black woman* that has been featured has been Lady Danbury who is a side character who most certainly does not have a happily ever after(HEA).

*I love Queen Charlotte and both India and Goldie’s portrayal of her and I loved the spin-off, but both women are mixed.

Let’s not forget the people who said Sophie being Black would be too “problematic” since she’s slave(she’s not a slave you’re insulting the enslaved when you refer to her as such) while cheering on every other group of women playing Sophie.

That was what some said a year ago when people suggested Sophie could played by a Black woman, but now that it’s coming you’ve moved on from that excuse to needing to see two white men on your screens.

So once again this isn't about representation it's just another instance of fandom misogynoir aka trying to keep Black women off your screens useless we are there to serve you or be tortured.

Cause somehow seeing Patsey getting wiped and raped 23 million times is “powerful” representation, but seeing a Black woman being loved and cared for and getting a HEA with a man who adores her is “problematic.”

Again I do understand the ones who genuinely want to see themselves represented on screen, but to make this much of a fuss about a Black woman in the role of Sophie Beckett, it’s inexcusable.

Reference point to this rant.

[lanaisdoe]

about WHY Daemon COULD NOT interfere during the big hall Rhaenyra-Alicent confrontation, all's logical...

So it all starts with disheveled-looking Daemon and Rhaenyra being the last ones to enter the hall in the middle of the night when shit had already hit the fan, with everyone else already being there... it's awkward enough as it is, the two of them walking in together, especially the circumstances given: Rhaenyra constantly being accused of having an affair outside of marriage/ having illegitimate children, and here she comes all disheveled in the middle of the night with none other than Daemon, her once rumoured lover, who had just buried his wife...

Daemon knows, Daemon heard even Vaemond not-so-subtly accuse Rhaenyra of all that in his funeral speech for Laena, as insane as that was. So Daemon is well aware of the dire situation in which Rhaenyra already is, and obviously isn't gonna add fuel to the fire. Caring for Rhaenyra as much as he does, he slows down significantly, and tries to make it seem like he only arrived AFTER her, not with her. He walks slowly, carefully, assessing the situation, and then he stops by the door, basically hiding away from all prying eyes, low-key keeping an eye out for any sign of trouble, trying to understand what's up...

BUT, naturally, this DOES NOT escape Otto's judging eye... (and Daemon notices Otto noticing soon after...)

So Otto immediately notices Daemon arriving with Rhaenyra and i think Otto had been suspecting there had been sth serious going on with these two for well over a decade.

I mean, we even got a close up shot (in 1x4) of Otto watching intently as Rhaenyra watched and gravitated towards Daemon, giving him heart eyes during the garden conversation post Stepstones victory,

he noticed Rhaenyra's heart eyes but ALSO Daemon's head tilt and him being all giddy and excited/flustered as Rhaenyra approached, so yeah, Otto knew.. look at how he looked at both of them:

I think Otto had always known and was pretty wary of their potential union...

Back to the big hall 1x7 scene... So it all started -> accusations, ofc Rhaenyra's children being illegitimate was brought up again, and that's when it was suggested they brought Laenor, kids' 'father' to speak on that matter... but ofc, as always, Laenor was nowhere to be found. And Rhaenyra was left to fend for herself yet again, and she had to come up with an excuse for him. But what was worse, she herself did not have a very good excuse, as she'd just returned from that beach shack where they'd just made love with Daemon, so she awkwardly tries to come up with a believable enough excuse about being unable to sleep and taking a walk, while Daemon is watching intently. And it seems to me his expression suggests he is concerned but at the same time he also finds Rhaenyra's excuse kinda funny(?), still feeling her under him just moments ago... it's like only the two of them know what had gone down and it isn't easy to hide it since it's all so fresh... Anyway, he knows it's all a "shit just got real" situation, but still, for obvious reasons he CANNOT do anything about it, there's no way he can help Rhaenyra or defend her without raising questions, and so he continues assessing the situation:

^we see him staring at her while she's coming up with her excuse and right after we see him low-key checking reactions of everyone there to Rhaenyra's excuse, checking whether they'd bought it, and if all was alright...

Thankfully, the conversation takes an expected turn, people bringing up Laenor's preferences... Then we have Viserys questioning his sons about the rumour about Rhaenyra... And when Aegon voices it in front of everyone that it's not just a rumour, and that everyone KNOWS it, we see Rhaenyra completely defenseless and defeated with tears in her eyes. And again we get a shot of Daemon staring at her, now with concern:

and again Daemon is just standing there helplessly, he knows he cannot interfere without making the situation EVEN worse for Rhaenyra...

His concern gets even more evident when Alicent eventually asks ser Crispin to bring her Lucerys's eye, Daemon looks pretty tensed now:

And then the mess starts: Alicent attacks Rhaenyra, and here's where it gets INTERESTING -> ser Crispin darts towards Alicent, and quite possibly at the same time Daemon darts towards Rhaenyra (although from the way the scene was edited in the episode, it looked like Daemon only jumped up when he saw Crispin):

but let's also take a look at a DIFFERENT camera angle which made me think about this situation again, look: Daemon in the picture above, when he jumps up, he is looking LEFT (Rhaenyra was to his LEFT the whole time, if you look at the hall from the top, you see Crispin was on the right), so it seems to me that Daemon jumps up because of Alicent attacking Rhaenyra and only THEN when he also notices crazed Crispin running, Daemon turns to stop him instead... i mean, who knows:

^ this is the shot we get, Alicent attacking, and Daemon moving towards the mess, he's in the middle, between Rhaenyra/Alicent and crazed Crispin to his RIGHT, so it's like, he asseses the situation, sees that Rhaenyra's got it, and so he immediately turns to shield Rhaenyra by stopping Crispin, look at Daemon's body position, it's like he was not going to stop Crispin, as his body had been turned more towards the circle with Rhaenyra, and so when he meets Crispin to stop him, he has to take a sharp turn right to meet Crispin. He had been aiming for the circle with Rhaenyra it seems:

if he wanted to just stop Crispin, he could have moved more to the right, go straight for Crispin, no? ...But no, it's like he was aiming for the circle first... o_O

My conclusion? Based on all their positions and movements, Daemon jumped up to run to defend Rhaenyra, then when he was in the middle, he noticed Crispin, then he saw Rhaenyra was ok, and so last minute he turned RIGHT to stop Crispin instead. (alternatively, it's simply that the scene was shot several times from many different angles and the final cut rearranged the scenes so that it caused confusion as to what happened when and how :D ...so I give up, i blame the editing!)

Anyway, after this situation, we get Rhaenyra/Daemon parallels again -> Rhaenyra fiercely stopping crazed Alicent, Daemon fiercely stopping crazed Crispin, side by side, Daemon's there, all this time, as Rhaenyra's shadow :

So to sum up the verbal part of the big hall confrontation scene : Daemon did not want to get openly involved NOT cuz he was afraid, or that he was protecting himself there, QUITE THE OPPOSITE. It was to protect Rhaenyra. Daemon knew that ANY kind of his involvement, defending Rhaenyra so suddenly and so openly in front of the whole court despite them not having been in any contact for 10 years, and now arriving late together, with Daemon who has made it a point to stay away from all court affairs for good, now suddenly out of nowhere siding with the King's Landing's outcast Rhaenyra against the whole court just like that? A freshly widowed man now being the only one to stand up for the black sheep Rhaenyra in front of everyone, fiercely protecting her honor against all odds, even getting into a fight for this woman, ready to shed blood for her, on the night of his wife's funeral ??? - well that would've raised tons of questions and not only among the rivals of Rhaenyra, but now also among Velaryons who were like, the last ones that still at least respected/accepted Daemon and Rhaenyra as family...

So with the question of Rhaenyra's decency out there, Daemon being all "back away from my girl" would've been the last nail in Rhaenyra's decency's coffin. And Daemon would never jeopardize Rhaenyra's reputation like that or put her at risk.

Remember how he backed down in front of Otto (despite the fact he was ready to roast Otto right there and then) on Dragonstone just cuz Rhaenyra was there and he wanted to help her cause? Not taking her away on her wedding day despite her pleas, was also for her sake. He chose Rhaenyra's well-being instead of his own desire to marry her himself - thus making sure they wouldn't take away her right to the throne or exile her for his own selfish desire and Rhaenyra's naivety. Ultimately, what was important for her, ended up being more important to him than his own well-being...

Back to commenting on the post 1x7 big hall confrontation: when the big hall fight was finally over, and everyone had seen hysterical crazy Alicent, in the silence we hear Aemond say he's contented despite it all cuz he'd got a dragon: and it seems to me that at this very moment Rhaenyra turns right, to stare at Daemon in shock (remember? they heard/saw Vhagar in the sky after their beach lovemaking, and they looked confused, it's like now it all fell into place, and so Rhaenyra is immediately searching for Daemon in shock)

(again, i may be wrong about the angles, but i'm basing this on where all of them were standing). And right after the shot of Rhaenyra, we get this shot of Daemon staring left, as a reaction to a reaction? that is also why i think they were looking at each other... but who knows?

Anyway, after this we get Viserys who finally puts an END to it all.

And right after Viserys, we get this shot of Daemon, staring intently at Rhaenyra, ready to dart her way, and a (still) crazed Crispin glaring at Daemon (who now has other thoughts on his mind already and couldn't care less about Crispin):

and right after this shot we see Daemon getting through the crowd to where he's been looking -> he's walking fast and straight to Rhaenyra, (despite Viserys still being there, kind of ,although leaving... so Daemon is still fairly subtle about his protectiveness...but at the same time, he sees that people are already dispersing, so he feels more free to act now that the show is over, and Viserys made it clear no one was allowed to continue that "Rhaenyra inquisition", so either A/ Daemon knew that him being by her side now at least wouldn't endanger her anymore. B/ He's understood that everything bad that could've been said against her has already been said and so him being with her couldn't make things worse, C/ or the moment when he saw Rhaenyra get threatened with a knife, made something snap inside of him and he decided to stand by her now, no matter what, like, to hell with it ...) And what do YOU guys think?

First thing Daemon does when he reaches Rhaenyra, he immediately checks her hand, her well-being being his number one priority again:

And then he shields / half-embraces her,

and later half-embraces Rhaenyra's boys as well, when they get to them, creating this "new family protection circle" :)

I also love Crispin's expression when he sees Rhaenyra's got Daemon now,

Daemon, who is the feared Rogue prince, fierce King of the Stepstones and the Narrow sea, the former commander of the Night watch, rider of Caraxes and the one who's first called him ser Crispin)

- do you think Crispin understood here that Daemon and Rhaenyra were now a thing?

I think Crispin got it right there and then. Hell, if I were Crispin, I'd shit my pants if I saw Daemon giving me THIS glare ... :D

[the-daily-dreamer]

How do you feel that the show cast Aegon as a rapist and Rhaenyra as someone "worthy of the throne"? I still support the green team and Alicent, but Aegon has made me feel uncomfortable. Now people see the green team as supporting an abusive king and that disappoints me.

I was so annoyed with their decision to make Aegon a rapist. It was done solely in order to shove it down viewers throats that the greens are bad.

There was zero reason to make him such a disgusting creep and piece of shit other than to make Rhaenyra seem like the better option. It’s a lazy attempt to remove nuance from the show and push the narrative “team black good” “team green bad”.

Now, team green will always look like rape apologists or supporters of a rapist. All our arguments can be shut down by “Well look who your side is trying to put on the throne.” When in reality, every green supporter I’ve seen actually despises Aegon. We aren’t team green because we want Aegon specifically to be king. We are team green for a lot of other, different reasons. For example, we support Alicent, and we see how she has been abused for decades and how her fear for her children’s safety is valid. We also see how Rhaenyra has been making some crucial mistakes that make her a less than ideal heir and queen.

Rhaenyra has had two decades to do anything to help herself politically. But she has done absolutely nothing. Two decades she could have used to make alliances, find individuals she trusts to form a small council, form policies she believes in, hell even come up with a succession law to fix the issues that have existed for so long. But she has done nothing other than have illegitimate kids with Harwin Strong, pine over her uncle, excuse the mutilation of her brother (and ask for further torture), and hide behind her daddy to avoid consequences.

By making Aegon a rapist it’s an easy out to ensure that no matter how inept and how cruel Rhaenyra becomes, team green will be the bad guys.

Vaemond Velaryon was fighting to keep his homeland within his family and not given to white children that are not related. But he called a Rhaenyra a “whore”, so clearly he’s a bad guy and deserved to be killed. Aemond picked up a rock to defend himself against 4 people beating him up. But he called the Strong boys “bastards”, so clearly he’s a bad guy and deserves to have his eye gouged out. They do this time and time again so that team green will always be painted as villains. This is just yet another attempt to show that Rhaenyra is the good guy whom we must support. Even if the evidence is contrary.

This also isn’t taking into account Rhaenyra’s actions with Criston Cole in which she uses her status to coerce him into sleeping with her even after he explicitly says “No”. Many have pointed out that that scene was dubcon at best, and rape at worst. We hear him say no. We see him hesitant to participate. And we see him break down after the event from shame and guilt. So…Rhaenyra stans are really pots calling kettles black lol.

TLDR: Aegon being a rapist serves to make greens look like bad people, so we have to prefer Rhaenyra. But in the end…no green fans like Aegon. We just really hate Rhaenyra who is also not a good person with a clean sexual record when it comes to consenting participants.

[greenmeanqueen]

Alicent, Lyonel, literally everyone in Westeros: Rhaenyra having bastards is a huge problem that puts us all in danger.

Rhaenyra: I have finally realized that this is indeed a huge problem. Alicent, you will hand over your only daughter to make my fuck ups your problem too.

Alicent: No.

Fandom: That power hungry bitch.

thank you for your asks, anons and @cheriealicent !

honestly, the scene where alicent vented to criston as they went down the hall was so valid, and i think it perfectly surmises alicent’s mindset at this point. i’m gonna quote it here just for reference before i go on:

“Have I lost my sanity, Ser Criston? Do my senses lead me astray, or is everyone else asleep dreaming the same woolly dream? … She flaunts the privilege of her inheritance without shame, she expects everyone in the Red Keep to deny the truth our eyes can all plainly see. And the king her father— … Of course he knows! Or did once, but has convinced himself otherwise. He'll do naught but make excuses for her! … I have to believe, that in the end, honor and decency will prevail. We need to hew to that and to each other.”

it’s as if rhaenyra is pushing her privilege to see how far it can go, and alicent, the one who has had to completely adhere to the societal womanly role, is sick of it. “why isn’t everyone being held to the same standards that i am?” how frustrating is that?!

the fact of the matter is that rheanyra’s choices are effecting everyone around her, but both she and her father refuse to fully acknowledge it. she unfortunately does not have the freedom she thinks she does, and it’s bound to come crashing down on her head (and her children’s heads!). she and viserys can play ignorant all they’d like, but word gets around, and the misogynistic and patriarchal westeros is not going to take too kindly to this “breaking of the rules”. they can skirt the line all they’d like, but that will only take them so far; they can’t execute the whole realm for having eyes.

it puts the strongs in danger (and ended up burning them, likely), it screws over alicent’s children, and it complicates the succession of driftmark. i truly do not understand how we get to villainizing the people with the justified concerns? and lest we forget the double-standard that alicent having illegitimate children would be “inexcusable”, in-universe and out.

[thewitchqueenofharrenhal]

Lyanna fans : she didn't want to marry Robert because he sleep around and had illegitimate daughter!

Also lyanna fans : yall are mad that lyanna wanted to live her truth

Lyanna fans like that are all racists until proven otherwise I'm sick and tired of seeing non white women bashed and their trauma silenced and called victimising while spoiled white women get pass for everything they did

Lyanna fans: Robert was vile! He r*ped and hurt his wife, didn’t care about the realm, his children or his family!!! Only his own desires!!! Now here is my 10 page post on my headcanons as to why Rhaegar actually hurt his wife, reproductively and physically abused her for nothing because he hated her, thought she was gross and was happy when she was brutally murdered along with his kids, also Rhaegar didn’t care about putting his people in danger, or his mother’s pain or his brother or even his mad father, or his two children he actually just wanted to put his own desire for a teen girl above everything else!!!

Isn’t the so romantic? Isn’t he such a catch? Isn’t he so much better than Robert? Gosh Lyanna was really such a girlboss getting with a man like that and living her truth, he’s nothing like Robert 🙃🙃🙃

…Oh friend they’ll excuse their own stupidity by stating Elia’s *actually white to them* as if that would negate or suddenly make anything they’ve said better? …

But yeah it’s really interesting how the fandom is always *crickets* when Elia Martell’s character is getting talked about as if she’s worse than a dog 24/7 but everyone is up in arms the moment pale unquestionably white Lyanna Stark gets a crumb of criticism.

Mind you I’ve never spoken poorly about Lyanna and I am one of those *dreaded Elia stans*. I don’t think she was spoiled, I think she was just a sad romantic child who felt like she had no way out and I hate her ending. I don’t think she should have had to marry Robert and I don’t think she should have been groomed by Rhaegar. It’s just all such a tragedy.

I think she’s a character that’s easy to self insert into and that’s why the fandom glorifies her so much, because let’s be honest the way the fandom discusses Sansa’s decisions with Joffrey and how they played out for Ned Vs Lyanna’s decisions with Rhaegar and how they played out for Brandon & Rickard is wildly different. So I understand your frustration, but really it’s just misogyny and people being disingenuous. Elia gets the worst of it for not being unquestionably white or *beautiful & desired by men* enough for people to want to self insert in to her.

It’s gross and annoying because from the very first book we get told how important Elia is for Dorne and the Dorne plot that GRRM has made an effort to include and that has nothing to do with Rhaegar or Lyanna 🤷‍♂️ and no amount of forcibly trying to reduce her to them will ever work. Elia is important and it has nothing to do with beauty or men desiring her and people cannot tolerate that for some reason or another and because of their lack of understanding, throw a fit trying to minimize her.

[dirtytransmasc]

Pardon me but you clam that alicent tried her best yo protect the kingdom her children and rhaenyra by starting a war is ridiculous. You point her being a childbride to excuse every behavior of her, even the most stupid

she didn't want a war. she didn't want to be married off to a king, she didn't want to be queen, she didn't ask for any of it. when that life was forced upon her as a childbride, she tried her best, but it wasn't a life she was prepared for. over the years she tried so hard to balance being queen, being a mother, pleasing her husband, her father, her children, rhaenyra, her house, the court, the kingdom. she was doing it all the very best she could have.

if you believe she started the war, I'm not gonna sway you, but I think that that take is absolutely wild. Alicent was thrown into a family that was already on a collision course, and then was horribly mistreated, which only set the family further on said collision course.

Viserys caused the war when he had more children after Rhaenyra and did nothing to strengthen her claim or support any sort of unity between her and her siblings. he just neglected his kids, ignored them, and let Rhaenyra do whatever she wanted, ruining her image, which encouraged people to not want her to rule (mainly by looking like a threat to Alicent, who strived to protect her children).

Rhaenyra caused a war when she could not look past her own self interest and put everyone around her, even her own children, in danger (having bastards put innocent kids in a life that would be nothing but danger, judgment, whispers, and speculation. having both legitimate and illegitimate children put both in danger whether they fought among themselves or the masses preferred legitimate sons over bastards. she stole her stepdaughters claims to Driftmark then betrothed them to bastards which put them in danger). she destroyed her image and would do anything to keep up her house of lies.

Alicent didn't cause the war, she was just a player thrown in to it, and screw her for trying to keep her kids alive. the people around her created the war, it had been nipping at their heals, they made Alicent into a catalyst when Viserys forced her hand and forced kids upon her.

Stop. Blaming. The. Victim.

[anotherrosesthatfell]

Everyone(almost) opinion on Callisto

Dream

"I don't think he likes me very much... I admit it that I made a stupid mistake but he has to understand that I am not ready and... ... I shouldn't give excuses, it's my fault and I have to accept the fact I could never fix our relationship."

Ink

"Dream messed up real bad. I didn't know he and Hope... *sigh*. I just wish for Callisto to stop holding grudge on Dream. He is a good boy, he always ask me if I am alright or if I need anything."

Alphonse

"Did I hear this right...? Dream and Chara... ...? Gosh, those children actually did it- Dream abandoned his son?! What the hell?! Ughh... Never mind, he is getting stupider."

Killer

"he don't recognize me as the queen of darkness... Or he just don't acknowledge my title at all... ... I appreciate it actually. It's nice to have someone who treat me like a decent human.."

Passivemare

"Look, after mother woke me up from my slumber and told me what happened... I swear I am this close on murdering that little brat. That damn brat legit fought Nadya, created a damn child which causing her to lose her magic and ABANDONED THEM?! Ugh... What did Frieda even taught him...?" (ps: I think Passive is the only person who know Hope real name - "Fyodorova Nadezhda Mikhailovna")

Hope

"My son grown up as a gentleman. I'm happy... I just hope he will stop holding grudge on his father, it's unhealthy..."

Lux

"Older brother is the best! I'm happy to have him as my brother, who cares we don't look alike? He is my brother! I have to work hard on destroying Palette life and make my older brother the heir. He deserves it because he is first born!"

Palette

"He is scary... He doesn't hurt me physically but oh well... He hurt me mentally like Lux. I just want to get along but why do he has to he so harsh and cruel? I never bully Lux, sure I spoke out some harsh words but I was like 6 years old! I apologized but he still hates me... Fuck this family, I hate it."

Drop

"I have another older brother...? That's... I wish I could see and know him. Being locked in this damned castle sucks.. I heard Papa always sad when talking about him and Palette is just so depressed about it.. But Mama told me my older brother is a good man."

Goth

"Callisto is so cool! Lux is so lucky to have him as her older brother. Anyway since I am helping Callisto to get the throne, he need to be more popular than Palette... Well I care for Palette but I think Callisto deserve the throne more because he and Lux suffers a lot in the past and Palette did bullies Lux so I don't think he is good to be a king."

Crescent

"The child of lord Dream? I didn't know lord Dream has an illegitimate son... Even so, I don't think he likes me very much."

Angst (dead one)

"Grandma have two protagonists now. Callisto and Palette is the protagonists. The problem is, Callisto on Lux side."

Angst (Alive one)

"he deserve to be the crown prince... He has a good personality. Maybe once he becomes the crown prince, we both could form a truce."

Merciless

"I remember one time he kick Crescent on the stomach. Since then I avoided him because oh well, I am scared haha... But he is nice.. Not to Crescent though-"

[hello-nichya-here]

Why was Rhaenyra given so much shit for having bastards while Aegon's illegitimate children rarely came up? Was it all just sexism or am I missing something?

Sexism is a pretty big factor here, but it's not the only one. Rhaenyra's firstborn is a bastard and she intends to make him take the throne after her, something the Faith, and westerosi society in general, sees as absurd - even if, yes, since they'd inherit though her, their status as Targaryens makes the situation a bit better than, say, Cersei trying to pass her pure Lannister kids as Baratheon's because their "father" was the king. But they're still illegitimate since they are a result of their mom having sex with someone she's not married to. They're "true Targaryens" biologically, but not legally/socially.

Even worse: to keep up the lie of her bastard being the totally legitimate sons of her not-at-all-gay husband, she keeps doubling down on them being given the titles and lands of true Velaryons - which means taking away the claims of noblemen like Vaemond, who are obviously going to be very mad about it, and other lords/heirs might fear being treated the same way if Rhaenyra starts favoring other people's bastards too instead of just her own.

Aegon's bastards exist and they are treated HORRIBLY, living in completely inhumane conditions - but they are out of sight and therefore out of mind. They're hidden away, far from nobility and posing no threat to anyone's claims. To the highborn people of Westeros (who have all the money, manpower and influence) that's where they belong.

Raising your bastard(s) alongside your legitimate children and loving them, Ned Stark or Rhaenyra style, is NOT the norm. Even acknowledging said bastards' existence and providing them with money every now and then so they don't rock the boat too much is not the usual deal.

To the people of Westeros, Aegon II is doing the right thing by pretending his legitimate children are the ONLY children he has, and Rhaenyra already disgraced herself by having bastards at all (see Viserys justifying his anger at Daemon for taking Rhaenyra to a brothel, even though both used to go to places like that, by saying "We were young men") and is bringing extra shame to herself, her family, the crown and society as a whole by not only embracing them, but also expecting them to be treated like people that can demand things and be important. Disgusting.

If Aegon II tried pulling the same stuff Rhaenyra did, he would STILL face quite a lot of backlash, even with the "he's a young guy that gave into his passions because men are like that" excuse - because that only gives him a pass to have bastards, not to let them think they can have anything in life. Even in an ideal situation of the legitimate children being fully okay with their half-sibling getting some of their stuff, that still opens up the precedent for other people's bastards to straight up start wars to steal their sibling's castles and fortunes.

So yeah, from the moment Rhaenyra was stuck with a husband that could not give her kids, she was screwed because her only choices were:

1 - Not have heirs at all, which means nobody would bother making her queen since Aegon's children would be the ones to inherit anyway.

2 - Have bastards and pray to the seven gods that people would believe they were really Laenor's, running the risk of being seen as a woman with no honor at all and pissing off all the nobles if the secret was discovered.

3 - Getting rid of her husband, be it through "divorce" or murder, so she could marry someone else, both of which are almost sure to lead to political headaches.

[mega-ringsandthings-world]

there’s really mfs out here saying that Rhaenyra committed “high treason” by fucking Harwin and having his kids, like? High treason? Where? How? Rhaenyra was the heir, not consort. A consort could commit treason by having an illegitimate child, but not so an heir to the throne. People just get fucked up because Rhaenyra was a woman who did what every man did since the beginning of time. Her children still had Targaryen blood by virtue of her being their mother, so the line of succession was still intact, because they were Rhaenyra’s children!  And furthermore, the King was cool with it, Laenor, Rhaenrya’s literal husband was cool with it, (and loved the children despite them not being his) the Velaryons were cool with it, and those were the people that mattered in the context surrounding Rhaenrya and her kids. As far as the throne was concerned, those kids were legit. The Viserys legitimized them by his constant support of Rhaenyra ( refusal to incriminate her), something she even asked him to do at the end.  So she had them out of wedlock? Okay? And? The way people get up in arms over the succession of a purely fictional country is fucking first-grade buffoonery. Like they really care one iota who’s kids they were besides an excuse to rag on the opposing side. Besides, Rhaenrya actually tried for children with her lawfully wedded husband, but due to him being rather gay, couldn’t produce an heir with him. And she did her duty and gave the realm heirs, heirs that had royal blood in their veins and were supported and recognized by the current King and sundry. Shut up already.

[horizon-verizon]

Green stans who treat anti bastardy like a relic of the past are either utterly naive and living in a bubble, or genuinely conservative, and they should rectify their ignorance/bigotry immediately.

In Ireland, they are still coming to terms with the horrifying legacy of how the Catholic Church abused unmarried mothers and their babies. The latest victims were from the 1950s.

https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/9-000-children-died-in-irelands-catholic-homes-for-illegitimate-infants-report-finds/9ocn5ja9u

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/11/17/ireland-mother-baby-homes-compensation-scheme/

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/mar/03/mass-grave-of-babies-and-children-found-at-tuam-orphanage-in-ireland

I agree, and I think that it is mostly the second scenario. That they will ignore much only to prop up the greens'misogyny to properly up their own.

Of course I have seen and witnessed team black/black stans (not the characters) be racist, misogynist, etc themselves AND I acknowledge that many of the characters in the black faction have misogynist, blood purist, etc. principles. Or just made unethical, amoral decisions.

Daemon. Yeah he was a good dad who raised self confident girls, yes he supported Rhaenyra until the very end and was maligned by a former female lover. That doesn't negate that he was also pretty misogynist to the end as well, when he used Mysaria's sexual past in his villainizing of her, how he chose to frame and define her villainy. Even though he was forced to marry Rhea Royce almost similarly to how young teen girls are forced to marry their respective husbands, Daemon doesn't abuse her, it's clear that he never considered her worthy enough of his consideration and referred to her as a bitch simply for being the person he was forced to marry to (and she did nothing against him either, btw). He himself is still able to remove himself from that space with battle and having that male-privileged mobility not granted to nearly all noble ladies (child or grown).

Rhaenyra herself (even though she had much grief for her sons' deaths and Mysaria lied to her, as I've written multiple posts about) still shows that Targ-Andal blood purist in her treatment of Nettles. The blood purity was always there from the beginning of the Andal history into the beginning of the Targ dynasty and STILL exists in the current Westerosi environment. Grief and paranoia from misogyny and the greens usurping her do not negate the presence and significance of blood purity that she adopted from her ancestors (from Jaehaerys I's time at least). And her decision to do w/the Stokeworth and Rosby girls as she did, while under pressures simultaneously worked against her short term and long term. Again, I wrote several posts as to why I do not hurl her (metaphorically) across the room or renounce her totally for this action. I acknowledge the lifetime of misogyny and her then needs to have the lords at their side and maintain "trust" WHILE also noting how this decision was a mark on her trajectory narratively and politically. Two things can be true at once. That's the, and excuse the overused term, tragedy of her situation. Not exactly the moral tragedy, the ironic tragedy that makes me feel closer to Oedipus.

Both Daemon and Rhaenyra decided to sleep with each other not long after both their spouses died. Maybe even before. Do I love the ship anyway, hell yes, this is hardly a dealbreaker for me the way killing Laenor (of the show) would be if Rhaenyra had been responsible for that.

Corlys Velaryon is one of the most misogynist persons of the black faction. He is the one who suggested and pressed Rhaenyra to not let the Stokeworth and Rosby girls inherit their traitor father's seats on account that it is untraditional for girls to inherit like that and that Rhaenyra's case was special "fluke". He was the one to blame Rhaenyra for Rhaenys' death and demand why it wasn't her who went to Rook Rest to answer that call, or at least join Rhaenys. Meanwhile Rhaenyra was still recovering from birthing a dead infant AND (as we see both from real history and what happens to Aegon the Elder in that SAME battle) leaders of the cause or faction/rulers are too valuable to be the one endangering themselves in a war specifically fought for their rights, claims, etc. Meanwhile, he's also the guy who did not appreciate his wife enough to cheat and not only have one child, but TWO with the SAME woman young enough to be his daughter, the age gap larger than the one between Rhaenyra and Daemon. These boys may be TWO years apart.

Nonetheless, the reason why no one should be a green stan if you were to Stan or prefer a side is because the greens lean in on the misogynist, classist, blood purist, etc. principles of Andal-Targ feudalism. They go HARD. While Alicent is commendable for searching for her own power through her son, she herself is still very much a conservative woman excusing the misogyny. Rhaenyra is a woman who goes out and practices her sexual autonomy for her own happiness both in book and show, so she was always going to be better to me. Alicent (of book and show) as a very devout follower of the woman-hating Faith, on the other hand, wants to suppress that not even for just power for herself but because she genuinely believed that a child out of wedlock form a "slut"/"whore" woman is not equal in worth to her own "trueborn" children. Aemond is cartoonish (as in the level of excessiveness) in his misogyny towards Rhaenyra, Aegon raped a 12 year old and groped/raped several female servants and watched his own kids battle others with sharpened nails and filed teeth and (in the show, but also very likely in the book too) rapes Helaena. And Daeron allows rape, murder, etc to go one in not one, but TWO sackings of towns. In the show, Otto pimps his own daughter out in her mother's clothes so he can have royal grandson/political power. And in the book, only suggests Rhaenyra be heir so he can win over Daemon.

Anyway, back to bastards of real life.

I now have an archive of links others shared with me to proof that children born out of wedlock are politically and socially considered as more expendable, less worthy of governmental assistance than those born in wedlock. Keep em coming.

[wing-ed-thing]

Trash Romance (Kakuzu x Reader)

Synopsis: At some point, Kakuzu had to wonder why he was always the one stuck with the useless chatter... that he was definitely uninterested in.

Word Count: 697

Tags/Warnings: @theacevampire​, Mentions of Gossip Topics (Unexpected Pregnancy, Illegitimate Children, Other Scandal), Gender Neutral Reader

Notes: I feel like Kakuzu is that dad who says that he doesn’t care about your trash TV but sticks around to watch from the corner of the room.

And Kakuzu thought that Hidan’s chatter was bad.

—“And he traveled to the Hidden Sound from the Land of Water to meet her, like, twice and suddenly they’re engaged. I mean, sure, they’ve been sending hawks every day—”

You had been yammering on for hours. Surely, your skills couldn’t be so specialized that you were the only partner who could have accompanied him.

At least, Hidan tended to tire himself out. Hidan found multitasking hard enough, so just walking and spouting about Jashin was typically enough to get him worn down. You, however, didn’t seem to turn off. Kakuzu waited with dwindling patience for you to reach the end of your account, only for you to be reminded of another. And the yapping continued.

Kakuzu glanced at you out of the corner of his eye and sure enough, you looked the same as you had at the beginning of the journey. A thick book, about the size of Kakuzu’s palm, sat in your right hand. Your thumb pressed in between the covers to mark a vague spot within the thousands of pages and you waved it around as if it were nothing.

—“parents were so rude over dinner and pretty much accused her of being a mail order bride, but didn’t have much to say when they told them that she was pregnant—”

Kakuzu had been certain that, at the beginning of it all, you were talking about the book. (He wasn’t interested enough to look at the title.) But the more you spoke, the more you seemed to talk about the events as if you were there. Granted, whether or not you were yammering about some inane book or silly gossip, Kakuzu had little tolerance for it.

“Do you ever shut up?” Kakuzu hissed. The hems around his shoulders flexed as his muscles tensed in anger underneath the black fabric. A few inky, thick tendrils shot out from his skin, but with little hesitation, you swatted them away with the back of your book. They, much like Kakuzu himself, continued to hover menacingly over you as you stood still in the middle of the road. “I do not care about your silly little stories.”

You scowled up at him, heated and unkillable.

“Well excuse me for trying to fill the silence that’s your fault, might I add.” You proceeded forward, leaving Kakuzu no less bewildered and frustrated than before. The tendrils shrunk back into their stitches before he stalked after you.

“Have you forgotten that we have work to do?—” You made a snide remark about one of his bounties. Kakuzu continued. —“Why you’d think a shinobi of my standing wants to hear about your petty gossip about bastard children and-and failed marriages is beyond me—”

You muttered under your breath, “Well I mean, Ai isn’t a bastard, first of all…”

“Well considering Ena barely knew the father at the time of conception and the fact that he’s around so little, she may as well be one!” Kakuzu’s temper boiled too severely for him to notice the slow turn of your head. “You would think that Ena was the one who had the worms in her brain with the decisions that stupid woman thinks are clever. What an idiot.”

You took in Kakuzu’s empowered stride and quickened your pace to keep up with him. Part of you, probably for the first time that day, was hesitant to speak. Much like interacting with a wild animal, you worried that the sound of your voice would only make him more agitated.

“Michi wasn’t the one with the brain worms,” you gulped, tone casual, “That was Nen.”

“Right,” Kakuzu gritted from beneath his mask, arms pumping. “He was the one who ate the tainted meat in the Land of Fire… Another stupid decision by another stupid— and these people call themselves shinobi…”

You slipped your thumb out from the pages of your book and tucked it under your arm. If you played your cards right, you were sure that you could get a few quality rants out of Kakuzu, who turned out to be a bit more invested in your trash romance than he seemed to be aware of.

Thank you to all who liked, reblogged, followed and otherwise supported. Your support means so much and is greatly appreciated.

Notes: This was originally supposed to be a Hidan fic (about how he’s a bad reader), but I thought that the more refined idea felt more Kakuzu. Maybe I’ll write the Hidan version someday! Haha this fic was high key dumb!

[fideidefenswhore]

Do you think if Fitzroy lived there might have been some friction/envy with him and Edward? I was thinking as Henry gave Fitzroy so many titles probably he did think of making him heir at one point, and maybe always still thought of him as backup if things didn't work out. I even heard one theory the 1536 Succession act wanted to make him place holder heir (or imply it by clearing away Mary and Elizabeth) but he died as it was in parliament. As he was called prince that was as there wasn't one, like he'd never be called that or given so much if any of KOA sons survived. And maybe calling him that would help people think, well he's almost royal so that's good enough.

But when Edward came along, wouldn't Fitzroy stop being called prince as there's a real one now? And i could sort of see some resentment building there. Fitzroy was used to being the only son and now he's less important.

And from Edward's pov, he's the heir yeah but he missed out on all the good years with his dad. Fitzroy got to know him when he was still young and active, could play sports with him, but Edward was born after Henry was injured and the end years and decline. He'd probably be sorry he couldn't have decades and memories of that.

Not sure how Henry would feel or if they meant different things to him

Yeah, these are all interesting questions. As I remember, Beverely Murphy's biography doesn't much go into counterfactuals as far as Edward VI and nor does Elizabeth Norton's on his mother, Bessie Blount, but let me see...

Ok, highlights from the former:

HVIII might have named Fitzroy as regent for Edward VI's minority

His funeral in 1536 had provided an 'excuse' to isolate Thomas Howard, Duke of Norfolk, from favour (well...probably another significant factor at play here, too), possibility also of Norfolk at head of regency council rather than Seymour, as the pieces fell, without Fitzroy's death, by 1547

John Dudley in this scenario, also playing ' a less pivotal role', esp. since Dudley was supported in his bid for power by Richmond's former stepfather, wouldn't he have been more likely to support his former stepson instead?

"Everything suggests that Richmond and not Mary would have been next in line for the throne [circa 1553]", mm, not sure about that one myself, but...

"Edward would have acknowledged his half-brother's position as heir apparent", I think this underrates Edward VI's sanctimonious piety and morality, Fitzroy was unquestionably illegitimate even if male, it's predicated on the assumption that Fitzroy would have been next in line by Act of Parliament had he lived, and forgets that even if that were true in this counterfactual, so were Mary and Elizabeth, who Edward wrote out. /shrug (My own personal opinion, I think this is more likely if Fitzroy had become as staunch a Protestant as his brother, and/or if he and his wife had issue that were...maybe Edward would invest Fitzroy as regent for Fitzroy's children, ie, his own nephew?)

'If there had been any opposition it would not have come from Mary" (um...let me mind my business...sorry, all respect to BM as a historian aside, this seems based on a fundamental misunderstanding of Mary's character and beliefs)

Ok, now I'm falling off these counterfactual bullet points a little/getting off the point but the next section is too misogynistic and ridiculous to bear repeating ("the idea that she might rule at all, much less without husband at her side, would have astonished her" she did that for like a year???)...I can't believe I haven't seen this section criticised in reviews, omg...

"Richmond may also have emulated some of his father's less attractrive traits" I'd argue all his children did (and his more attractive, too), but whatever...

Do you think if Fitzroy lived there might have been some friction/envy with him and Edward?

But when Edward came along, wouldn't Fitzroy stop being called prince as there's a real one now? And i could sort of see some resentment building there. Fitzroy was used to being the only son and now he's less important. And from Edward's pov, he's the heir yeah but he missed out on all the good years with his dad. Fitzroy got to know him when he was still young and active, could play sports with him, but Edward was born after Henry was injured and the end years and decline. He'd probably be sorry he couldn't have decades and memories of that.

Oh, for sure. This would have been a fascinating relationship dynamic, and I'm truly bummed we'll never know (much like had Arthur Tudor survived, what would his an Henry's relationship be like, and his with his sisters, it's just interesting, esp since it seems like Margaret was Arthur's favorite and Mary was Henry's), it'd make an interesting novel, tho! Just for starters, they would have a comparable age gap to Mary & Elizabeth, and that was a fascinating and complex relationship with lots of resentment, for sure. And also a similar dynamic of Elizabeth being Princess while Mary is a bastard, then them both being considered so, then Elizabeth being considered so and Mary erasing her own when Queen...

Fitzroy would have been devastated had he survived to see sons born by any of his father's wives. It's plausible he was, not devastated, but somewhat resentful of his only stepmother, as his troupe of players (ie, actors that performed pageants to HVIII's subjects in his name and for his benefit) was disbanded when Princess Elizabeth was born, which could not have been done without HVIII's sign-off but was likely at the influence of Anne Boleyn (these troupes were for the 'children of the King' and obviously Anne would not have wanted any child of the King acknowledged by the people except her own child/ren, Mary's troupe was disbanded too, although remarkably Fitzroy's remained during the entirety of the time COA was technically Queen...in this context, it makes sense he was such a thorn in her side).

I'll add Norton's if there are any, when I get more spoons, x.

[gogandmagog]

What's your favorite vignette or chapter from TBAQ?

(My beaten and battered copy; this book groans audible complaints at me when I pick it up.)

Just one? 🥺🥺🥺🥺 I’ve been thinking about this since you asked it, and am still scrambling for a decent answer. I think I had an easier time ranking the Blythe kids. This whole book is so 🤌🏻, it’s total art. Someone, somewhere, maybe it was on goodreads, once essentially said that TBAQ is so good for Anne fans, because it’s like getting to spend a whole day with someone (someone you dearly loved) that passed away many years ago. And I think that totally rings true but ALSO, how often is it that readers get such thorough insight into the ‘ever after’ part of the ‘happily,’ where we see war (+ it’s aftermath of wreckage) and sorrow and death try to poke holes of darkness into joy, and then witness a whole family persist bravely into life together, with their aching memories. In the second part of TBAQ, the Blythes (Baker-Meredith-Fords) demonstrate what it is to carry on, even with such sharp wounds of the heart. They’re resilient. We see laughing, we see crying, we see guilt, and we see the embrace of what was inevitable. All this NOT EVEN beginning to mention the humanity and comedy and peculiarities of the Four Winds community around them (we’ve got ghost stories, grudges, canon pyjama references, various character crushes on both Doctor and Mrs Blythe, as well as their daughters, people annoyed with the Blythe’s influence, illegitimate children, middle life marriages), that Montgomery writes so well it’s visceral. TBAQ was my gateway drug into other Montgomery books, and it made me actually ashamed that I hadn’t read anything else of hers before that, because it was a discredit to her that I hadn’t.

I’m going to cheat a little and pick;

1. A HAPPY FAVORITE;

Anne was a million years ahead of her time with this poignant and true sketch. And meanwhile, Gilbert McJokeyPants, probably feeling a little bit called out by these lines for yes, having always wanted to be Anne’s first and only (which, thanks to TBAQ, we know he is), and despite not being the subject of the poem (Anne says this was written at Redmond, which was prior to their engagement), decides he doesn’t much care for it. BUT, he still puts his hands in harms way to rescue the ‘nonsense’ from the flames, because to him, Anne’s work is still Anne’s work.

Honorable mention: (for the lol’s)

ANNE, trying to laugh; “Would you marry as quick as that if I died, Gilbert?”

DR. BLYTHE, really laughing; “Quicker if Susan would have me. Isn’t it about time for supper?”

2. A SAD FAVORITE;

Of course it’s this. Like… of course it is. It’s sad for the very obvious reasons (Walter always ‘stirs the deeps’ for me, especially when he’s gone), but then it’s extra sad because we’re, timeline wise, steady on to WWII and the overall feeling is… what was all the sacrifice of WWI for? The one thing worse than WWI itself was the stripping the achievements (the cause, the reason) of the sacrifice of soldiers (those that lost their lives, and didn’t). To make it all fruitless? It’s an actual abomination. A blight on every soldier’s memory. To see a whole new generation suffer the same fates and ultimate consequences… utterly maddening. And it broke my heart all over again to read Anne (she’d be around 80 here) saying she’s glad, for his sake, that Walter didn’t make it back to see the continued nastiness of the world. I don’t quite believe her. 🥺 What’s more? That she’s only shared this poem with Jem, likely because he is, as he says, a ‘tougher brand.’ Excuse me pls, I’ll just be over here UGLY CRYING.

NOWWW, if you ever have the time, I would also love to know your favorites!!!