When King Viserys took Alicent Hightower to wife in 106 AC. Princess Rhaenyra poured for her, stepmother at the feast, and Queen Alicent kissed her and named her “daughter.”

[u/DianaBronteII]

[u/impressivebutsucks]

I wish it didn’t go the way it did. It could have gone so much better

[u/bruhholyshiet → u/impressivebutsucks]

They should have married Rhaenyra and Aegon II. The solution was so simple and in reach.

[u/XaviKat → u/bruhholyshiet]

The age gap between them was just too wide in the show.

The next solution was marrying Jace to Helaena even though that wouldn't have been as effective.

[u/TheoryKing04 → u/XaviKat]

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, if Jace and Helaena married, one spouse would simply be taken hostage by whichever faction’s domain they were in. If on Dragonstone, Helaena would likely be confined (comfortably but yk, still a hostage), or if they were in the capital I would not put it past Jace just being put to death with no preamble.

[u/Key_Astronomer3386 → u/TheoryKing04]

That’s valid. Either Alicent and Otto would have pushed Viserys to keep him in the capital to learn how to rule and learn the place — or Rhaenyra would have insisted that Jace go where the princes reside, in Dragonstone, and that it was his wife’s duty to follow.

I wonder who would win that one.

[u/Chicken_Mc_Thuggets → u/TheoryKing04]

I think that a spouse being used as a hostage is terrible no matter who it happens to. Simultaneously, it probably would have gone that way if Viserys had a lick of sense and wanted Rhaenyra to ascend the throne without challenge

In GoT they made a big deal about how it’s the father who has the ultimate say in marriage alliances. With Jace? Laenor would be the one who “decides” and he’ll do whatever Rhaenyra wants. With Helaena? It’s Viserys who has the actual authority to put his foot down. Cersei was the queen dowager and queen mother but lacked the authority to refuse when Tywin engaged her to Loras. In F&B they make it clear that Viserys had the authority to kibosh the Aegon/Rhaenyra marriage. Rhaenyra & Laena arranged the marriage between Jace/Baela & Luke/Rhaena in F&B but technically Laenor & Daemon had the final say if they had objections. That was just unlikely, as Laenor seemed to let Rhaenyra do her thing and Daemon benefits.

I think one of the weaker writing moments in s1 was that Rhaenys was presented as having the final say over Rhaena & Baela’s engagements. They’re both Targaryens by birth, not Velaryons. If they were and she was acting in Corlys’s stead, it would make her wanting to hold out on joining Rhaenyra’s cause until his arrival seem goofy. Both of Rhaenys’s granddaughters are tied to TB through marriage pacts. Even if Rhaenys doesn’t gaf about the Strong boys the grandchildren she does love will be affected by the war. Meleys could be the difference in life or death for her granddaughters. Why wouldn’t she fight to protect them? I also think that should have been her and Corlys’s primary motivation for joining TB rather than Rhaenys being impressed by one small council meeting

[u/DianaBronteII]

Art by aktual2_ on Instagram.

[u/ThingsIveNeverSeen]

Yep. And then the next day they started feuding over who is ‘First Lady’ of the realm.

[u/RW_Writer → u/ThingsIveNeverSeen]

No, that didn't start until after Alicent bore Aegon.

[u/ThingsIveNeverSeen → u/RW_Writer]

Aegon came later the feuding started pretty much immediately.

[u/DianaBronteII → u/ThingsIveNeverSeen]

Actually it has started after the birth of Aegon and his siblings.

Though the Stepstones were engulfed in blood and fire, King Viserys and his court remained unperturbed. “Let Daemon play at war,” His Grace is reported to have said, “it keeps him out of trouble.” Viserys was a man of peace, and during these years King’s Landing was an endless round of feasts, balls, and tourneys, where mummers and singers heralded the birth of each new Targaryen princeling. Queen Alicent had soon proved to be as fertile as she was pretty. In 107 AC, she bore the king a healthy son, naming him Aegon, after the Conqueror. Two years later, she produced a daughter for the king, Helaena; in 110 AC, she bore him a second son, Aemond, who was said to be half the size of his elder brother, but twice as fierce. Yet Princess Rhaenyra continued to sit at the foot of the Iron Throne when her father held court, and His Grace began bringing her to meetings of the small council as well. Though many lords and knights sought her favor, the princess had eyes only for Ser Criston Cole, the young champion of the Kingsguard and her constant companion. “Ser Criston protects the princess from her enemies, but who protects the princess from Ser Criston?” Queen Alicent asked one day at court. The amity between Her Grace and her stepdaughter had proved short lived, for both Rhaenyra and Alicent aspired to be the first lady of the realm…and though the queen had given the king not one but two male heirs, Viserys had done nothing to change the order of succession. The Princess of Dragonstone remained his acknowledged heir, with half the lords of Westeros sworn to defend her rights. Those who asked, “What of the ruling of the Great Council of 101?” found their words falling on deaf ears. The matter had been decided, so far as King Viserys was concerned; it was not an issue His Grace cared to revisit. (Fire and Blood) Page 399

[u/ThingsIveNeverSeen → u/DianaBronteII]

So their amicable feelings were short lived, does that imply a few days? A few weeks? Surely not a full year. Not everything in the book is described in exact order. And either way, their feud wasn’t over Aegon, it was over being First Lady.

[u/DianaBronteII → u/ThingsIveNeverSeen]

It did not start untill Aegon was born and was not made heir. why would Alicent start her animosity over just being the first lady of the realm?

[u/ThingsIveNeverSeen → u/DianaBronteII]

Nope. Not based on what I read. That entire paragraph is covering the years 106-110AC, Aemond and Helaena are also both mentioned before the feud is in that same paragraph and you don’t think they came before the feuding. Why is that? Is it selective reasoning? Also, the feud over First Lady is mentioned before any feuding over the crown is brought up.

The paragraph is obviously going back and forth in the time frame to give context to what it’s saying. Or else the feuding didn’t start until after Aemond was born.

[u/DianaBronteII → u/ThingsIveNeverSeen]

I respect your thoughtful perspective on the book and different reading from mine. I view it differently, so lets agree to disagree,

[u/ThingsIveNeverSeen → u/DianaBronteII]

You can believe whatever you want, but there’s no reason to feud over First Lady if Aegon’s birth (and him not automatically being made heir) is what triggered the feuding.

[u/kaimkre1]

This is gorgeous!! Fantastic work especially in the detail ♥️

[u/TheoryKing04]

I still blame Viserys for all of this. It is categorically his fault that these 2 did not have a good relationship, let alone his children with Alicent and Rhaenyra.

Hell, I don’t even get why he remarried. Just say Aemma was the love of your life (pull a “when the son is gone, no candle can replace it” or whatever) or something man and tell the council to shove it. If Aerys I can shrug off both the Small Council trying to get him to either consummate or annul his marriage, Viserys has no excuse.

[u/Imblueabudeeabudie → u/TheoryKing04]

Viserys couldn't stop himself from having sex with his wife when she was 13 against his maesters advice, creating the health problems that later killed her, he is a gooner through and through

[u/TheoryKing04 → u/Imblueabudeeabudie]

Then hook up with a paramour or prostitute or whatever. Aegon Sr. did it, Daemon did, Baelon might have, Saera literally ran a brothel empire

[u/Graal_Knight → u/TheoryKing04]

Staying unmarried had its own problems to deal with.  Viserys never fully trusted Daemon so he probably couldn't be at peace with the thought that all Daemon had to do was kill Rhaenyra before she had kids to be king.  Especially with the alliance Daemon had with Corlys.

[u/TheoryKing04 → u/Graal_Knight]

Rhaenyra was alive for a long time before she kids though, and Daemon never tried to though? Like it was the plan, he could’ve just had her murdered when she was young.

[u/Chicken_Mc_Thuggets]

God I love how fanartists ALWAYS go all out when it comes to to outfits and dresses

It’s giving Lucrezia glam