#daemon targaryen

[artist-ellen]

The Wedding of Rhaenyra and Daemon

I need all the love for this one because I super-focused on it for over half a day without pause. What sleep schedule? I had the unstoppable urge to draw these two menaces. If you want me to make more things like this the endorphin rush of positive feedback will need to be stellar XD. Second bird with this stone is that I actually drew an unprompted man for the HotD series. Can’t be getting too predictable with only pretty ladies.

For this redesign I wanted to reference and build off of Rhaenyra's Heir outfit. So while it's not exactly the same they should feel like they are pulling more from the "ancient Valyerian" (Byzantine-esque) fashion than the styles that Alicent is currently wearing in court. Extra points if you an spot the references to Empress Theodora (again + her Emperor). Oh and because I make the rules in these redesigns: Corlys is Black and Rhaenyra isn't Hollywood sized. I can pull from the books and the show as I please! So I wanted to include her long single plait (styled after a previous Queen) and her generous curves in these post-time jump illustrations.

I am the artist! Do not post without permission & credit! Thank you! Come visit me over on: instagram, tiktok or check out my coloring book available now \ („• ֊ •„) /

https://linktr.ee/ellen.artistic

[gameofthronesdaily]

Matt Smith as Daemon '100%-done' Targaryen House of the Dragon | 1.08 "The Lord of the Tides"

[naomimakesart]

know you really want to 👀

[witheredoffherwitch]

Y'ALL CAN EXCUSE RACISM?

Let's get one thing straight: I have no part in this chaotic mess (infact, I have blocked all the accounts mentioned below), but it's grinding my gears how it's devolving into another petty fanfic drama: case 607. I know this drama is getting the attention for certain individuals who are demonstrating mean girl behaviour and gossiping about other writers behind their backs. However, I am solely focused on addressing the racist and discriminatory remarks made by these individuals in the leaked text messages.

For those not in the loop, there's been a huge drama in the fanfic community involving leaked text messages from a group chat of four prominent members. In these messages, two users - Fae and Bel - have admitted to sending hate anons and talking smack about other writers behind their backs. Two other members left the group after it was revealed that B tried to make amends with someone who these two, Em and Ange, don't particularly care for. As a move to clear their names, Em exposed all the texts, trying to prove that Fae and Bel are the real villains here.

But wait, there's more! In these same chats, Bel not only mocked fellow non-English speakers but also bragged about sending rat emojis to an 18-year-old Pakistani writer who was already receiving racist anons. While everyone is focused on getting back at these two women for being shady af, it's mind-boggling how Em and Ange are suddenly jumping on the anti-racism train.

These two ladies stayed in the same chat as a fellow Pakistani writer was driven away because of racism, knowing full well that one of their own was contributing to it, and said NOTHING! Zero discouragement, no condemnation - they only hopped off when things got personal.

So here it is… I've had it with all of you hypocrites. You praise and encourage these women at every turn, feeding their egos like they're the second coming of Beyonce. But let's not forget who's always stirring up drama in this fandom - hint: it's these same people with a sense of entitlement the size of a planet. The issue is groupthink and y'all have all jumped on the bandwagon. You're worse than HBO's marketing department because just like their shitty teams, everyone involved here SUCKS ASS. You don't have to pick a side because they are all petty, mean losers. Bel and Fae are facing the consequences of their actions, which they rightfully deserve.

However, Em's exposé on Bel's racism seems more like an opportunistic move and it's disappointing that so many of you are supporting it. It's a predictable cycle now; there will be a half-hearted apology, an announcement of a hiatus, and then tons of people will flock to their inboxes to shower them with praise and excuses. It's ridiculous! I know there are many who feel the same way as me but are afraid to speak up because they don't want to upset the "village elders" and risk losing their connections and engagements. It's a joke atp!

Instead of taking responsibility for their own wrongdoings, they will come up with a list of 10 different cyber crimes by others to divert attention from their own nonsense. These very same women have confessed to creating multiple fake accounts, secretly stalking servers without mods noticing, and constantly harassing individuals through anon messages.

Yet, we are supposed to consider them as examples of moral integrity and ethical behavior? 😒

[cyeco13]

Y'all are not ready for this fight 🖤💚

[birdmans]

KING OF THE NARROW SEA (1X04) THE LORD OF THE TIDES (1X08)

[shuichiakainx]

🖤🔥🐉

[whateveryeah]

[lokisprettygirl]

My Love is mine, All mine (18+) (CEO! Daemon Targaryen x Female Reader) (Non Canon -Modern AU)

Read Chapter 2 here // Series Masterlist

Chapter 3

Summary : You wish that you weren't like this but how could you not be this way when you are married to a man like him?

Warning: 18+, smut, insecurities, mention of abuse, smoking, extreme insecurities and trust issues, mention of infertility, reader has anxiety, mention of infidelity.

Daemon looked at you for a moment as you told him that you wanted to join the NYC trip before he walked towards you.

“Are you sure love?” He asked softly so you gave him a smile that wasn't really genuine.

“I'm sure..you just came back and now leaving again..i want to be with you..i don't want to miss you” you placed your arms around his neck so he leaned down and kissed you, his lips lingered over yours for a moment and the sweet intimate gesture made you smile.

“I'll ask Sheena to arrange for your ticket”

And there went your smile.

She was his secretary and this was the basic part of her job. Marcus had the same job and so did the other secretaries before him but every time your husband mentioned her name so softly, something burned inside you. It reminded you of similar encounters with women who worked for him before and the intense emotions that had come with them. Though you knew it was part of their jobs and there was nothing more to it, you couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that came with it.

“Pack your stuff yeah? I'll have to make some calls darling” he kissed your forehead and stepped out of the bedroom with his laptop in his arm.

The flight was to leave a few hours later so you prepared your luggage, to be honest you didn't really enjoy the plane rides, they cramped your back and left you with a splitting earache. The boredom also sucked because Daemon would always work half of the time.

You were on top of his lap, with your wedding dress still on your body even though it's been two hours since he had taken you back home. You looked disheveled, Daemon had a few strange kinks and one of them was to fuck you all night long while your white dress was still on your body.

“Oh that's good darling..you look like an angel” he moaned and mumbled as you hopped up and down on him slowly.

“Mmmmhm? Mrs Targaryen is a good look on me” he smiled as you said that but then it faded slowly so you cupped his cheeks and kissed him.

“What is it dae?” you asked him as you kissed him tenderly. He could barely afford this wedding and the thought of not being able to treat you with a honeymoon was eating him up severely.

“I want to show you the world someday..i really do” you smiled as he said that. You didn't need a honeymoon or a fancy trip, as long as you had him you didn't need anything else. Money definitely made life easier but it wasn't everything for you.

“I know.. and I believe in you..you'll show me everything this world could offer” your fingers caressed his lip so he wrapped his arms around you tightly.

“Mmmm I'd never let you down babygirl..I'd never do anything that would hurt you I promise my sweet angel..thank you for choosing to be mine when you could have had anyone”

As the plane ascended, you snapped out of your thoughts to cast a quick glance his way. His casual attire - a purple long sleeved v neck shirt and black trousers- made him look so approachable that you just wanted to cuddle him, well fuck him first before you get onto that.

It frustrated you at times how much you still desired your husband, especially considering that people often claimed that such attraction wouldn't last forever. However, you knew that wasn't the case for you, he would always be the only man you'd ever want in your life and then you wondered if still felt the same way about you.

Glancing to your left, you spotted Sheena busy with her laptop, hearing the clacking of her nails against the keyboard. You knew you had never been drawn to a career like some of these high-flying women, and you often wondered if he found those traits attractive in a woman. The thought left a bitter taste in your mouth, making you question your worth all over again as a wife and a partner.

You turned to look at Daemon again and he caught your eyes this time so he smirked..

“Stop with that look”

“What look?” you let out a giggle so he looked at you, his eyes were sparkling with mischievous intensity.

“The 'I want you right now' look” he whispered quietly,

“Shut Up” he chuckled as he looked at you.

“Did you inform your boss you won't be coming?”

You squeezed your eyes as he said that. Well that wasn't really your priority at the moment.

“I'll do it when we reach”

“As a boss I'd be pissed if you were my employee leaving on a whim”

Your smile faltered as he said that, you didn't know whether he was joking or not but the statement upsetted you anyway.

“I feel as if you didn't want me to come with you” His head turned faster than a windmill as you said that,

“Are you joking? That's not what I meant-”

“Yeah whatever Daemon..I'm going to sleep”

“Baby-”

“It's okay” you unfastened your seat belt and got up to go exchange your first class seat with Sheena.

Daemon rubbed his forehead as he watched you walk away from him, it was nearly impossible for him to comfort you when you misunderstood him like this.

“Do you mind sir?” He heard Sheena's voice so he shook his head. He had to work on his presentation anyway so he decided to concentrate on that. He wanted Sheena to hear his pitch and give him her honest opinion.

“Is she asleep?” He asked his secretary a few minutes later so she looked to the side and you seemed to have your eyes closed.

“Close the blinds..she gets disrupted easily”

Your eyes teared up as he said that, he made no effort to go comfort you and on the top of it he was closing the blinds when it was just him and the secretary in there with him. You really wanted to cry in privacy so you got up and did the same.

You know very well that Daemon wasn't cheating on you and even if he was he wouldn't be doing it so brazenly while you were right there next to him but it still bothered you. So much so that you wanted to go back home and disappear to some place where you didn't have to see Sheena or every other beautiful woman he met on a daily basis. Your irrational jealousy was making you want to escape. You wanted to go back home and disappear, to run away from the intense feelings that consumed you whenever he paid attention to anyone else but you.

“You're a funny man Mr. Targaryen” Sheena giggled loudly and you heard that very well.

“Stark is a peculiar bloke, needs theatrics to be impressed” Daemon answered her so she giggled again. Okay he was not that funny Sheena you thought .

Ohh but he was, he was everything in one person while you were just you, so basic and nothing interesting to offer to a man like him.

About an hour later Daemon opened your divider and you were all bundled up on your bed so he picked you up and you woke up as soon as he had placed his arm under your head

“Sleep on me?” He mumbled softly so you hummed in response. “I'm sorry” he spoke again as he laid down with you on top of him.. and then you felt bad, this happened every time, he'd make a joke that you somehow took personally when you were drowning in your insecurities and you'd get upset like this and then he'd apologize for it which wasn't really fair to him. None of this was his fault.

“It wasn't your fault..I'm sorry”

You looked up at him so he wrapped his arms around you and tightened his grip.

“Shhhh it's okay..i love you my darling wifey”

“Love you hubby”

As you landed in NYC, you watched Sheena tailing you two so you asked her to join you both politely, until now she hadn't given you a reason to despise her, you had a god of a man and women desired him, that wasn't a crime really.

Before he left for the meeting you grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and kissed him as sensually as you could.

“Getting me hard and uncomfortable when I have to pretend to be so prim and proper should be a punishable offense” he mumbled as he cupped your cheeks so you giggled in response.

“You can always punish me however you want”

“Mmmm I'll take you up on that” he kissed you one more time before he cupped your cheek “thank you for coming with me”

“I always come with you-”

“No I'm serious, I can't wait to come back to you.. I have something to look forward to now instead of coming back to an empty and cold bed” he mumbled as he squeezed your butt between his palms, a little more would have caused you both to turn off the lights and stay in this room so you pulled away from him.

“Mmm I'll wait for you”

As he was gone you were getting bored out of your mind so you decided to talk with Shelly, she was the only one who actually understood these thoughts you had in your head all the time.

“Is he extra attentive to you these days?” She asked you so you thought about it, well sex has been quite regular since he had returned from the trip but when it comes to attention he always made you feel prioritized.

“Not really..i mean he's always this way”

“Not to alarm you or anything but you know how they say that when men are tempted by someone outside of the marriage they tend to be more attentive to their spouses..it's a guilt thing..thats what Johnny did”

You sat up suddenly as she said that, you weren't even thinking about that to be honest. Now you have something to actually worry about.

About two hours laters Daemon called you and told you to meet him in the lobby as he wanted to take you and Sheena out for dinner.

“You don't mind sweetheart..do you ?” He asked you in relation to including Sheena for the dinner so you smiled, of course you mind, you wished she wasn't here at all.

“Her joining us for dinner? Ofcourse not” you mumbled softly so he leaned down to kiss your forehead. He was a good guy, a part of you knew he'd have done the same thing if it was some other woman, that's how he treated Marcus as well.

But then your mind drifted towards the part where you imagined them together if you were not here. Marcus left two weeks ago, that means that he had taken Sheena with him for the last week's trip as well, there must have been dinners and lunches together.

Perhaps they went to a local bar, had a few drinks, that's when their talks must have gotten deep and Daemon had decided to ask her about her past, she must have cried while telling him her experiences.

And then you pictured him caressing her arm to comfort her and then kissing her–

“Darling? Y/n?” He called out your name so you got back to reality..

“Yeah?”

“Are you feeling okay hmm?” He asked you as he rubbed your arm so you nodded, he had pulled a chair out for you so you sat down. Sheena also looked at you with a concerned expression on her face. Did you look crazy when you got lost in your head so often? You must.

Daemon sat down next to you and for a moment his scent and the gentle look on his face as he looked at you had calmed you down.

“Yeah.. how did the meeting go?” You asked him as you caressed his cheek lightly so he gave you a smirky smile.

“Great.. meeting again tomorrow.. hopefully the deal will get finalized”

“It will..I know it will”

“Your unwavering faith in me still astounds me”

You smiled softly as he said that, you had faith in him but not when it comes to your marriage.

Throughout the dinner Sheena barely spoke but you watched her eyes wandering.

Daemon was so easy to love and fall in love with, he had his way about himself, he attracted women of all kinds and that wasn't either of their faults, it became a problem only when those women didn't know their limits.

So for Sheena's sake you were hoping she won't make that mistake.

And for your sake you hoped Daemon won't hurt you eventually, the constant temptation on his way kept you on edge and you didn't really know how to get over it. Therapy wasn't really an option as getting therapy would confirm these fears you had, it would confirm that you had a problem.

Daemon wanted to make a few calls and discuss tomorrow's pitch with Sheena so you excused yourself and left for the room to go straight into the shower. You wondered what daemon was thinking about you joining this trip so suddenly, wondered if he had any clue of the madness rummaging through your head. As the warm water hit your skin you took a deep breath, this wasn't healthy you knew that. This was so damaging and you feared someday you'd do or say something so awful that it would push him away from you.

“You have been committing punishable offenses since last night” Daemon whispered in your ear so you gasped in surprise,

“What have I done?”

“To begin with you got upset with me then you got me so aroused before my meeting and now you are showering without me” his fingers slid down the side of your waist and as he placed his hands on your stomach you quickly grabbed it and placed it on your core for two reasons, one you really wanted him to touch you there and secondly you felt conscious of your belly sticking out after dinner. Five years of relationship and you still felt this way around him, not all the time but your insecurities were extremely heightened these days.

“You can punish me anytime”

A few minutes later he had you on the bed underneath him with his cock slipping in and out of you in a rhythm he had mastered over the years with you.

“Can I ask you a question?” You mumbled as you caressed his lips so he sucked on your thumb lightly before he hummed in response

“Do you still feel the same way about me as you did in the beginning? I mean in bed” your tone wasn't alarming, you just sounded curious so he leaned down to kiss you..

“No i feel much better now”

“mmm why so?” his eyes sparkled as you questioned him so innocently, He wondered if you would ever know how much he loved you, he didn't think he'd ever be able to completely express how he really felt about you.

“Because now I know you and your body thoroughly, in and out..i know what makes you tingle and what makes you drip on my cock and my fingers..i feel more comfortable now then I did back then because now I know that you'd always belong to me”

The next morning you decided to go swimming so you put on a swimsuit with a dungaree on top and went down as Daemon was still asleep and wasn't willing to go with you.

As you reached the pool Sheena saw you and came out of the pool, you could tell before she had a fabulous body underneath those tight business suits but watching her in that bikini was like looking at a fashion magazine, the longer you looked at her the more insecure you felt about yourself. You couldn't find a flaw in her but when you looked at yourself you saw each and everything that made you grimace.

“Mrs Targaryen. Good morning “

“Good morning Sheena..just call me by my name please” you said to her so she smiled and sat down next to you, even as she sat she barely had any far rolls sticking out of her. What was she eating you wondered.

“Sorry..it's a force of habit”

“It's okay.. have you been to NYC before?” you asked her to keep the conversation flowing so she nodded.

“Yeah I actually lived here for five years before i moved back to Edinburgh”

“Really, how old are you?”

“24 ..” you hummed as she said that, she was young and had accomplished so much more than you ever could, you got engaged when you were her age.

“Daemon told me you had good work experience in the field”

“Yeah I passed out of MIT when I was 18 so that helped..” she mumbled as if it was no big deal.

“Wow, that's amazing.. really”

“Thank you ..you're very kind”

A few minutes later you felt Daemon's hand grab your cheeks as he pushed your head up to make you look at him, he was standing right behind your poolside chair.

“One more offense is included in your punishment list..leaving me all alone in bed like that” he leaned down to whisper in your ear and you couldn't help but grin. He then sat down in front of you with his back to your chest before he passed you the sunscreen so you slid down his casual shirt past his shoulders and pressed a small kiss before you squeezed a dollop full on your palm to rub it in his skin.

You felt Sheena's eyes on you so you looked to the side and she quickly looked away.

Before stepping into the pool he asked for you to join him but you denied since you felt conscious of your body especially now in front of Sheena.

While he was swimming a minute later Sheena went into the pool again, she asked you to join but you denied again. She maintained her distance from him, they weren't even having a conversation with each other but you saw her watching him from the distance. You couldn't help but wonder if Daemon would have done something if you weren't here.

Later that evening he took you to the Stark’s celebratory party as the deal was finalized. Sheena was there too, of course she was, she was his personal secretary. This was getting exhausting for you, mentally and emotionally, it was toxic to think this way all the time, to think that the man who vowed to never hurt you or betray you would end up doing just that.

If you weren't so insecure about yourself, perhaps a relationship as loving as the one you had with Daemon wouldn't have felt so deeply terrifying. You always knew the day he'd betray the sanctity of this marriage would be the worst day of your life, something so irrevocably awful that you'd never be able to move on from that.

An hour later as you both made your way back to his room he already had a few drinks in his system and he was always in a certain mood when he was drunk like that, his inhibitions washed away as the alcohol kicked in.

In those nights he always preferred to take complete control of you, he tied you up and treated you like a filthy whore, with your consent of course. And tonight wasn't any different. He fucked you for hours in every position he could take you but there was always a sense of tenderness in his words and his movements, even when he was rough he wasn't cruel to you or your needs, you were his wife and he treated you like one, the constant whispers of his adoration for you made your heart skip beats every few minutes.

And during those moments, only for a fraction of second you found your insecurities washing away, the closer he was to you the better you felt but you knew the morning would arrive and then he wouldn't be there, he'd be at work and he'd be around her for more than half of the day.

“I'm just saying Jhonny used to be so shady when he was fucking cheating on me, all of a sudden I was getting flowers and gifts whenever he'd come home after fucking that whore”

You sighed as Shelly said that, you had just returned from the trip this morning and calling her was perhaps not something you really needed.

“No offense Shelly but Daemon is not Johnny, he would never be so cruel with me”

You mumbled confidently but deep down you knew you were lying to her, you always feared that Daemon would end up doing everything he has promised not to, that's what your dad did to your mum, that's exactly what your ex did to you, that's what men do eventually.

“And Sheena..I looked her up on Instagram..she looks like a certified maneater and daemon is following her as well so he must be seeing her thirst traps posts” she stated again, now you knew you'd sit down and stalk her to see if Daemon was interacting with her.

“Well he follows back every employee of his if they follow him first”

“Well all I'm saying is be careful and prepare for the worst, it hurts less when your mind's made up”

“Thanks ..ahhh listen i have to unpack so I'll talk to you later okay” you hung up and sat down to clear your thoughts. Talking to Shelly about this only stressed you out further, it wasn't her fault, she was speaking from her experience but her experiences only made you feel doomed.

In the afternoon you decided to go see Daemon, you shouldn't have, you knew that but you still went.

As you sat down in his cabin, you received a call from him,

“Heyyy” you mumbled softly so he sighed

“Are you okay? I'm kind of busy right now. You should have called baby..I'd have told you that” he spoke softly but his words still bothered you, your eyes teared up so you didn't even attempt to speak because if he knew that you weren't feeling so good he'd have left everything behind to come see you.

“DARLING? Are you alright?” He asked again so you cleared your throat.

“Yeah I just.. thought we could have lunch together..that's it . I'll see you tonight?”

You told him so he hummed in response.

“I'm sorry I'm just really caught up right now”

“I know i understand..I'm sorry “

“Love you” he mumbled quietly and then hung up the call, you looked behind and Sheena was standing there so she gave you a smile.

“Sorry y/n ..umm there's a meeting back to back and he asked me to look after you if you needed something.. anything”

She said to you so you gave her a fake smile.

“No thank you..it's Mrs Targaryen by the way..let's just stick to that”

You knew you were being rude to her unnecessarily and you felt worse as her smile dropped down.

“I apologize mam”

You shook your head as she said that before you walked past her to leave that place as quickly as possible.

When Daemon came home that night he kept staring at you and you eventually snapped.

“What's wrong? Talk to me..”

“About what?” You crossed your arms defensively so he sighed and took his coat off to sit down on the bed in front of you.

“Sheena told me you seemed upset” you chuckled as he said that.

“Uhuh did she tell you that I was mean to her and made her sad? Is that what she told you?”

“No..she just said that you seemed upset”

“Ohhh”

“Look I'm sorry..i was really in the middle of something”

“I know.. can we stop talking about it?” his brows furrowed as you said that, he never wanted to be upset with you but it infuriated him alot when you refused to share your worries with him like this.

“What is it with you darling?”

“Nothing I told you..”

“You know what, I'm too tired for this right now” he huffed as took his tie off.

“Yeah fine..you're always tired” you snapped back at him and his mouth opened in shock.

“What does that even mean?” He raised his voice a little so you glared at him..

“Let's just sleep okay?”

He sighed as you said that, mumbling a faint curse under his breath as he got up and went into the bathroom to shower and change for bed. This argument wasn't necessary or required at all but you were at the edge of your wits, these past few days you have been living in an absolute fear that he was going to dump you for someone like Sheena so when he came out instead of apologizing for your insensitive behavior you imposed a question that would only ruin this night for you because you knew he'd tell you the truth and you knew the truth would only bother you.

You looked him right in the eye while he was drying his hair and took a deep breath “Do you find her attractive?”

😔😔😔😔😔😔😔😔😔😔😔😔😔😔

Taglist

@anukulee @erebus-et-eigengrau @daenny-t @123forgottherest @mcufan72 @dixie-elocin @shuichiakainx @ammo23

[dae-daetargaryen]

*and for his remaining 👁

[darklinaforever]

[leonanette]

Is anyone else a bit disappointed that there weren’t any History and Lore videos released with Season 1 of House of the Dragon? I feel they missed an opportunity to go more in depth on the Great Council of 101 and the lead-up to it. I don’t think the History and Lore videos have touched on Jaehaerys and Alysanne’s reign too so that’s another missed opportunity.

I would have loved to see videos about:

- Baelon and Alyssa Targaryen narrated by Viserys and/or Daemon, maybe with a few fond reminiscences thrown in.

- Daella Targaryen narrated by Aemma in a sad tone and ending with something about the burden of bearing heirs.

- Aemon Targaryen narrated by Rhaenys (who can maybe tell us what happened to Jocelyn Baratheon).

- The history of House Hightower narrated by Otto or Alicent (maybe mentioning that they married into the Targaryens before but neglecting to mention that it ended badly).

- The history of House Velaryon narrated by Laena, Corlys or Laenor, maybe pointing out all the times they married into or assisted House Targaryen over the years.

- Saera Targaryen - but I’m not sure who should narrate that one. Maybe, Rhaenyra in a tone that sounds almost impressed or Alicent in a scornful tone, drawing unfavourable comparisons between her and ‘certain other princesses’…maybe, both at once, adding some comedy with their passive aggressive arguments.

- Rhaena ‘Queen of the West’ Targaryen - just give me a video on Rhaena, I don’t care who narrates it!

What do you think? What other History and Lore videos do you wish the HOTD crew had made?

[ironthroneconquerors]

Okay, hear me out...

[bunnyshideawayy]

“Rhaenyra and Alicent’s relationship wasn’t equal”

and that is the exact reason the narrative the show presents doesn’t work.

Rhaenyra is a true born princess, a dragon rider, her father’s favored child, and named heir to the throne. Rhaenyra is above Alicent in every way politically until she is married to Viserys and then Alicent is Queen through marriage only, but as we are shown in both show and book canon she takes pleasure in exorcising her power and station as Queen. Alicent in show was a noble born lady who had been aged down and forced to play into the many roles of all of Rhaenyra’s ladies in wait AND given Laena’s part. in the book Alicent is 10+ years Rhaenyra’s senior, known in Jaehaery’s court and then Visery’s through Otto. already we can see no matter how you spin it their relationship would always be imbalanced. they are in completely different classes and held to completely different responsibilities.

presenting their relationship as if it has equal footing serves to take away from the political scheming and ambition of each character and tries to give us this one note story of girl bosses and petty jealousy.

Rhaenyra and Alicent already have a complex and dramatic dynamic, they both have plenty of both justified and unjustified reasons to dislike/distrust each other. they don’t NEED the forced character swapping, age changing, and plot rearranging to give that to them.

this scene in particular was so book canon imo. even with the show age swapping and character changes this scene, the dialogue, everything about it encapsulated the fight between Alicent and Rhaenyra- their political and personal differences, their fight for their family, the scheming afterward with Otto/Daemon. it was possibly one of the most book canon moments in terms of characterization for either of them.