#team black

[nrilliree]

Aegon wears the crown of Aegon I. Maegor the Cruel was the last person to wear the conqueror's crown. Maegor, who murdered his nephew, the rightful heir to the throne, and usurped the throne for himself. He died a tragic death, leaving no heirs, and his line became extinct. The crown is too big, too heavy and doesn't fit his head. The crown doesn't fit him well, it's not for him.

Rhaenyra wears Jaeherys' crown. The last person to wear this crown was Rhaenyra's father, the king chosen by Jaeherys as his heir, Jaeherys who defeated the usurper and did not wear the crown worn by him, but created his own, which was to be a symbol of the return of the rightful line of succession to the throne. The crown fits perfectly on Rhaenyra's head.

[artist-ellen]

Rhaenys in Mourning

At the beginning of the end of S1 Rhaenys is in mourning for her two children, Laenor and Laena. While the show has Laenor fake his death and leave Westeros... Rhaenys doesn't know that and blames Rhaenyra. Even years later Rhaenys still wears heavy blacks, and even more pearls. All the pearls. Her crown is much like Rhaenyra's 'everyday' crown but with the strings of pearls. The style of her fashion hasn't changed much but with more fabric and layers.

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

[drakaripykiros130ac]

TG stans: “Aegon spared Rhaenyra’s son. He was merciful.” & “The Greens would never harm children.”

The “good & kind” Alicent Hightower, and her “merciful” son, when the Blacks were coming to rescue Aegon III:

“You fed his mother to your dragon.”, she reminded her son. “The boy saw it all.”

The king turned to her desperately. “What would you have me do?”

“You have hostages.”, the Queen Dowager replied. “Cut off the boy’s ears and send it to Lord Tully. Warn them he will lose another part for every mile they advance.”

“Yes,” Aegon II said. “Good. It shall be done.” He summoned Ser Alfred Broome, who had served him so well on Dragonstone. “Go and see to it, ser.”

- Fire & Blood, page 611.

No more need be said.

[fragileheartbeats]

[rhaenin-time]

Gotta love how when Daemon was out of the picture for ten years the justification for usurping Rhaenyra was that her position was too "weak" and that she's a fox whispering sweetly as she's surrounded by hounds and she's just making it too easy to take the throne. So after Alicent proves to be a threat by stabbity stab stabbing her while trying to stab Rhaenyra's son after Aemond jacked a war dragon without permission and it was revealed Alicent has been actively coaching her brothers against her, Rhaenyra decides to strengthen her position by marrying Daemon to make it clear she won't stand by if Alicent tries to usurp her and suddenly the usurpation is justified for the opposite reason.

Hmm... It's almost like there was no right choice for Rhaenyra.

[theprincessofthemidwest]

The day an artist uses this as a reference for a rhaenicent fanart is the day I combust

[daenerysies]

deep diving into the episode three line from rhaenyra, “no one is here for me,” and how if the takeaway from that scene is that rhaenyra is a selfish brat you aren’t proficient enough to do anything past surface-level reading.

in episode one rhaenyra expresses to alicent that she hopes her father gets his son, “for as long as i can recall it’s all he’s wanted.” which leads us (the audience) to understand that while rhaenyra loves both of her parents she feels ostracized from her father (and mayhaps even her mother, to some extent, because of her constant pregnancies) due to his ‘need’ for a son to continue the targaryen dynasty. she is a daughter, only seen as valuable for her womb, which is evidenced that she knows about when talking to her mother. rhaenyra wishes to be a knight and ride off to battle and glory, with aemma giving her a gentle reality check on her lot in life. she does not want to serve the same purpose as her mother.

aemma dies near the end of the episode, with viserys ordering her butchered for the chance that his long-awaited male heir might live. this is a violent and gruesome scene, followed by rhaenyra not even being given the privilege of hearing her mother’s death first. she is instead relegated to members of the small council being alerted, even corlys and rhaenys learning about this before her, she is a silent member on the sidelines. she does not know the extent of what has happened, but she knows that something is wrong.

we have to think about how she learns of her mother’s fate. did otto tell her? did rhaenys? did viserys? did she see her mother’s body ripped open? did she see the bloody sheets left at the scene? was she allowed to hold baby baelon, considering he didn’t die immediately? was she there when he took his last breath? maybe it would bring her some comfort, she didn’t get to say goodbye to her mom. maybe she held him until he passed. did her father offer any explanation? we’ll never know, but these are all such heavy questions in regards to what she experienced that day. she’s fourteen, has spent her entire life watching her mother grieve dead baby after dead baby, losing little bits of herself in the process. it’s no wonder this was a traumatizing period for her, fueling her want (her need) to not be shackled down by marriage and childbirth.

even at her mother and brother’s funeral she isn’t allowed to just grieve, to just be. she has to hold her head high, she has to comfort her father, she has to order their corpses burned. was her father happy for the few hours he had a son? she wouldn’t know, she never will be that for him. how long does he spend wallowing is his self pity? he admonishes daemon for not being there for his niece, but where was he, her father? he banishes daemon, takes comfort from his daughter’s best friend. he finally comes to her, tells her of a great danger rising from the north; from my blood comes the prince that was promised, his will be the song of ice and fire. she hasn’t heard from him in days, a targaryen must be seated on the iron throne to unite the realm against the cold and the dark. her mother is dead, and he has wasted the years since she was born wanting a son. she is now enough, her mother never was.

it has now been six months since her mother's death (murder), and she has been heir the *entire* time. her father won't talk to her, she is still the cupbearer for the small council. lord corlys is angry about a war he says has cost him, the crown will not help. she suggests they use dragons, a show of force against their enemies. her father admonishes her, "it isn't that simple, rhaenyra." he allows the lords at the table to belittle her efforts. the only one appreciative is corlys, "at least the princess has a plan." otto says there are better uses for her talents, she has been heir to the iron throne for six months. she's been given the chance to choose a future kingsguard, she wants one with actual combat experience. the hand is exacerbated, she is firm in her decision. ser criston cole will be the replacement for ser ryam redwyne.

alicent has been visiting her father in his private chambers secretly, corlys wants his daughter to be the next queen. viserys begins openly courting lady laena of house velaryon. rhaenyra and alicent visit the sept, she expresses her worry, her mother has only dead for half a year. the lords seek to replace her, alicent convinces her that she cannot worry about the plots of lords and men, she is the heir, however. why shouldn't she worry? she misses her mother.

she meets with her father, he reassures her, "i loved your mother very much." she apologizes for speaking out of turn at the small council meeting, he tells her she will learn (will he be the one to teach her, though?) daemon has taken a dragon's egg and seized dragonstone, bringing news of his future marriage to lady mysaria. the king means to go himself to stop him, otto will not let him. daemon took baelon's egg. rhaenyra is angry. she reaches dragonstone just after otto's party, she knows they were about to come to blows. she confronts daemon, she is the reason he was disinherited. if he kills her, he'd be done with all this bother. daemon scoffs, walking away from her. he throws the egg whilst still retreating. rhaenyra smiles and leaves. her father is mad once he learns what she's done. she left without his permission, but she retrieved the egg and prevented bloodshed, he should be pleased with her efforts. otto would never have been able to accomplish what she did, he relents.

rhaenys lectures her about the order of things. the realm will never accept a woman ascending the iron throne, but it's different for her. her father is the king, rhaenys' father dies as a prince. her father made the lords of the realm swear obeisance to her, rhaenys never had such a thing. the lords chose viserys over rhaenys at the great council, viserys has not given them a choice. rhaenys is the the queen who never was, rhaenyra is the queen to be. when she is queen she will create a new order, rhaenys warns there will be war (unfortunately she is right).

another meeting takes place between father and daughter. he must take a new wife, someone to help propagate the targaryen line. they are vulerable, to easily ended. rhaenyra understands, it is his duty as king. obviously he will marry laena, the daughter of one of the most powerful houses in the realm and of pure valyrian stock, it is a fine match. alicent is still visiting her father in secret.

her father calls a small council meeting, he means to announce his next wife. rhaenyra is ready, she gave him her blessing (why is alicent here? she never has been before.) her father starts speaking, "i intend to marry... the lady alicent hightower." corlys is enraged, otto is pleased, alicent is anxious. rhaenyra was ready, it has all fallen apart. alicent is her best friend, that friendship dies before her very eyes. she runs from the room.

it has been two years. viserys and alicent are married, and they have a son, with one more baby on the way. the boy's name is aegon, it is his second birthday. he has past his infancy, the lords believe it is only a matter of time until the king names him heir, rhaenyra is well aware of this. the queen visits the godswood where rhaenyra sits. she overrides rhaenyra's authority, commanding the singer to leave. she states the king wishes for her to join them, he wants them to have fun as a family. they do not need her to celebrate his long-awaited son. it is the king's command, she leaves unhappily. alicent wishes for things to be different, rhaenyra knows they never can be.

together they all sit, traveling towards the kingswood. rhaenyra asks after alicent's well-being, viserys reminds her that she will be in this position sooner than late (the same position that killed her mother). "it isn't so bad, the days are long but aegon came quickly and without fuss." the queen states. rhaenyra is hurt, she tries not to show it. the king reminds her she has duties, rhaenyra retorts sarcastically. how long will these duties last, once her father names alicent's son as heir over her? her life will be forfeit before long. no one is here for her.

"no one is here for me." translates to "no one has been here for me. i’ve been alone and angry and terrified for years. i am my father’s heir, but what does that mean? what will it cost? you put me here. daemon put me here. alicent put me here. you have a son now, he outlived baelon and my other siblings. how long until i am cast aside again? made to be some petty lord's wife, made to be a broodmare until it kills me? i don't want to end up like my mother. this heirship is all i have. it will soon no longer be mine. i'm only seventeen. no one is here for me."

rhaenyra is never shown the same amount of grace as alicent for her strifes and anguish in life, for the fact that she too was a child from episodes one through five. rhaenyra might not have been a child bride, but she still spent her life being told she was never enough. she was not a boy, she could not be the heir, her father needed an heir. he kills her mother for it, he ignores her unless she can benefit him. he makes her believe that he will marry laena, only to blindside her by marrying alicent. she realizes alicent has been lying to her for months. her father continues to undermine her throughout the years. he names her heir to spite daemon, which she admits she knows about in episode two. he allows the lords to ignore her. it takes him two years to reassure her he won't replace her. rhaenyra is an angsty teen who has seemingly lost everything and has no support to counter that. she is not upset that no one showed up to a two-year-olds birthday party with her in mind, she is upset that her father continuously overlooks her, that he takes and takes and takes everything from her. he took her mother, he took daemon, he took alicent, he had a son. she has not been able to catch a break due to her father's selfishness. in all honesty, she should have acted out worse, maybe burn everything to the ground. viserys would deserve it, she was far too lenient with him.

[aelenavelaryon]

THE GREENS NIGHTMARE

IN WHICH AERA TARGARYEN IN THE KARMA OF TEAM GREEN

Daemon Targaryen x Aera Targaryen

Aera Targaryen was a woman to fear. She was Visenya and Maegor come again. When the war between Rhaenyra and Aegon began, the realm divided into two. The Blacks for Rhaenyra and the Greens for Aegon. Aera Targaryen was a distant relative yet she had been close to Rhaenyra growing up. Once, long ago Aera had been Daemon'a love and once the love of his life. Some would even argue that she was still the love of his life, even when the two were still married.

Aera Targaryen gave Daemon Targaryen four children in their first few years of marriage. Maegor, Baelon, Aemon, and Rhaegar Targaryen. Otto Hightower deemed them bastards because Aera was daughter of Saera Targaryen and Maegor Targaryen, son of Maegor and Rhaena Targaryen. Aera didn't want to return to King's Landing where she was not welcomed. Viserys always allowed Otto to fill his head with lies about her and what she was capable of. Daemon, whilst being married to Rhaenyra, which was a favor that Area had granted her.  Daemon did not see her as more than another family member. Daemon and Aera still had their own late night adventures when she would come visit, seeing as she spent most of her time in Pentos with her mother's family. 

But, from time to time she visited Rhaenyra and Daemon in Dragonstone. Daemon's sons were men grown. Some in their twenties. Not married but with bastard children of their own. Daemon and Aera shared three other children together who were born over the years. He had taken not only Aera as his wife but Rhaenyra too. Area who he had been married to since she was ten and five and he twenty and five. Daemon Targaryen loved his wife, despite what many believed. Aera much to anyone's dismay was a free spirit, bringing not only men into her bed but women too. Alexander Rivers was a bastard son she had with Harwin Strong alongside him, his twin, Alys Rivers who many believed was the daughter of Lyonel but everyone at court knew who were the parents. Alys Rivers would be a important peace for Rhaenyra during the dance.

The Hightowers thought them gone, thinking they would never step a foot in Westeros. But, as soon as Rhaenyra sent a raven to inform her cousin of the news, Aera flew on dragon back to support her girl. The news of Lucerys' death reached her before she made it to Dragonstone, and soon after, the news of Aegon's celebration for his death reached her as well and that was truly what started the fire. 

Instead of keeping route to Dragonstone like she promised, Aera flew to Old Town and set the Hightower's home ablaze for Lucerys's death and celebration of his death. She then, rode to King's Landing where the usurper thought he was coming to bend the knee. Otto nor his spies knew she knew, until from the skies she dropped the heads of every Hightower she killed, Gwayne Hightower being one of the dead. It was said that Alicent Hightower cried, screams were heard all over the Keep as the doweger queen wept over her dead family. They knew then that Aera Targaryen was the blood of the dragon. She was coming for Rhaenyra*s stolen throne. 

'she loves Rhaenyra. Did you truly think she was coming to bend the knew?' Alicent asked Aegon. Otto sat in silence saying nothing. Daeron Targaryen had return to King's Landing the same day he received the letter of his father's death. Daeron was smarter than anyone gave him credit for. He knew, Aera was the real threat, not Rhaenyra, not Daemon but Aera Targaryen was a wild dragon. He knew she was not scared to be known as a kinslayer, specially when it came to him and his siblings. But, he didn't know how far she was willing to go. 

Her arrival at Dragonstone was expected, her children had arrived the day before expecting to see their mother back with their father.  Aera Targaryen arrived and everyone gathered out to greet her. She was covered in blood, they thought she had been attack or something of that mattered. "Mother!" her eldest son ran to her. "I am fine" she told. "I did something bad" she began. Rhaenyra cared very little for what she had to say at that moment.  They retuned back inside the castle, everyone who sided with Rhaenyra was there, well, most of them. 

"I burned those Hightower's to the ground" she said loud enough for everyone to hear. The room went quiet right after that. The war had just begun. Which side will prevail?

[darklinaforever]

[artist-ellen]

Rhaena Targaryen

Since the time skip has happened, Rhaena and her twin Baela have grown into older teens/young adults (the show is very vague and inconsistent with the ages of the children characters. It's very funny to see the 24 yr old actors vs 12 year olds and being told they have all aged 6 years). The pink has deepened to a more red variation. The center-belt decoration has moved to the side (raise your hand if you remember Cersei's designs, are the connections between the series recognizable?) with plenty of pearls and teals for House Velyaron. We also have the long sleeves that Laena styled.

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

[helaenasaegon]

Green stans have the nerve to say that this show is biased in favor of the Blacks when their socials post nonsense like this:

On top of that, the showrunners have changed Alicent and Aemond so much in order to baby them that she's an entirely different character in the show, and he's taken multiple of his little brother's traits.

So which side is this show actually biased in favor of?

[drakaripykiros130ac]

GRRM basically spelling out how the Greens lost the war & how the Velaryons were never TG:

King Aegon II would soon stand naked before his enemies, all of the king’s men knew. Bloody Ben Blackwood, Kermit Tully, Sabitha Frey, and their brothers-in-victory were preparing to resume their advance upon the city, and only a few days behind them came Lord Cregan Stark and his northmen. The Braavosi fleet carrying the Arryn host had departed Gulltown and was sailing toward the Gullet, where only young Alyn Velaryon stood in its way…and the loyalty of Driftmark could not be relied upon.

“Your Grace”, the Sea Snake said, when the rump of the once proud green council had assembled, “you must surrender. The city cannot endure another sack. Save your people and save yourself. If you abdicate in favor of Prince Aegon, he will allow you to take the black and live out your life with honor on the Wall.”

- Fire & Blood, page 611

The Blacks had full control of the Realm and they obliterated the Green forces.

You are no king when you have no control over your kingdom and no army to defend you. Aegon the Usurper was forced to abdicate, but ended up murdered (just like Aerys II).

I find it incredible how even in death, Rhaenyra Targaryen inspired her forces to fight for her cause, and they won. Yet, no one fought for Alicent or her son in their time of need. On the contrary, their “allies” became turncloaks.

[houseofpendragons]

The Wedding We Should Have Got (one of them anyways)

There’s only some things I would change from this lovely art (ertacaltinoz on instagram) and that is that Rhaenys and Corly refused to attend Viserys wedding to Alicent bc they took it as a slight against their daughter Laena.

And I’d add this crown to Rhaenyra’s design:

A nod to the jade tiara Daemon brought back for Rhaenyra, the tiara having allegedly belonged to the Empress of Leng.

So just to clarify, we’d go from this:

To this outfit and hair w/ the Tiara:

The reason I find the dress design so appealing is bc I think it reminds me of a more fitted, more appealing version of this dress in some of the artwork of Queen Rhaenyra:

[watcherintheweyr]

I think Viserys named Naerys for Rhaenyra

Using her full and true name was politically charged and Viserys II was, above all, an incredible politician.

But there's no other Targaryen name that sounds close to Naerys if you look at the family tree. But one that has a similar sound and structure is 'Nyra'

Nyra and Naerys. An honor to Rhaenyra- but a quiet, subtle one. The queen who should have been.

[rhaenin-time]

It will never not be funny that Daemon Targaryen is a better step-parent than Alicent is.

[nrilliree]

"Rhaenyra is not worthy to rule! The Iron Throne rejected her! The throne hurt her and Viserys, but never Aegon II! That means he is worthy to rule!"

Apart from the fact that Rhaenyra apparently cut herself so badly that she left a stream of blood while wearing armor…

People… but you know that even Aegon I was cut by the throne? You know, the guy who… well, created the Iron Throne? And he was considered one of the best kings of the Targaryen dynasty? He cut his hand when he opened the letter from the Martells.

Aegon I cut himself on the throne, but Aegon IV did not. Does this mean that Aegon IV was more "worthy" of being king than Aegon I? Or does it mean that creating a throne from a pile of sharp iron is not a good idea because you can easily cut yourself?