Plot Bunny - Jace Took Harvin's Lessons A Little Too Close To Heart

Plot bunny - Battle of the Bastards 0.5

Unlike my usual bunnies, there won't be a whole piece of text here, this one will be more of a set of microtexts, since the goal of the bunny is to be small, and here there will be a whole plot horse, if you give me freedom.

* * *

Rhaenyra received her throne surprisingly without the slightest resistance. Moreover, when she, having received a raven with a message about her father's death, rushed headlong to King's Landing, she did not see either Alicent or her children.

There was no treasury either.

"What do you mean they ran away?!" raged her beloved husband Daemon, demanding answers that no one had.

Being the cowardly dogs that they are, the eldest of Alicent's spawn convinced the rest of his family not to fight the rightful heir for the throne, and fled under cover of night, taking their dragons, the entire treasury and even several relics - including the crown of Aegon the Conqueror and Blackfyre.

Their tracks were lost in Pentos, where Daemon still had connections and pursuing them was not possible - fighting four adult dragons would mean that she would have to leave Westeros, and there was no way she could do that, with her upcoming coronation and her current pregnancy.

Let them rot in the seven hells, buried under stolen gold - Rhaenyra has more important things to do than look for traitors.

* * *

Unfortunately, ruling was something Rhaenyra was not fully prepared for.

Of course, there were circumstances that made ruling difficult - one of her first orders was to raise taxes, which did not earn her the love of the smallfolk.

She tried to get additional money from her vassals, but the richest - the Velaryons and Lannisters - could not help her. The Velaryons paid for the coronation and gave several hundred thousand gold dragons, but this was a drop in the ocean from the previous wealth of the crown and could not pay for all needs. The Lannisters even referred to difficult times and even Daemon's threats did not help to get money.

Daemon even had to go to Braavos and ask for a loan from the Iron Bank. He returned terribly dissatisfied - the crown was denied a loan, and threats did not work again. Her husband even threw an ugly tantrum in their chambers when he returned home.

In addition, this pregnancy was harder for her than the previous ones. But Rhaenyra was sure it was just her age and the fact that she was expecting Visenya - girls were harder than boys, weren't they?

Perhaps a small feast would help. It would cheer up Daemon and Jace, who had been complaining about the increased workload of his studies lately.

* * *

Visenya's birth marked the end of Queen Rhaenyra's short reign, which had lasted less than half a year. Having given birth to an ugly, monstrous baby almost a month premature, the queen died a few days later, perishing in childbed fever.

Her heir, Prince Jacaerys Targaryen, ascended the throne with his queen Baela, combining the coronation and wedding to save money from the never-replenished treasury.

* * *

It had not been easy to rule for Jace, though he could only admit that to Baela and his brothers. Daemon, having lost Rhaenyra, had gone on a rampage, ignoring his stepsons and his own children, spending his time in brothels and taverns, drowning his sorrows in wine, whores, fights, and flying on Caraxes.

The treasury was still empty, and the realm was constantly grumbling under the high taxes. Jace was constantly tired from juggling ruling and his lessons, and he periodically made mistakes that the Small Council corrected, making him feel humiliated. The loss of his mother still felt like a physical wound on his soul.

But the worst of it?

The Small Council and the courtiers did not show him the respect he deserved. Of course, he couldn’t specifically point his finger at the dismissive attitude, but it was felt. In their looks, in their movements, in their silences.

They all thought Jace unworthy of the throne because he was a bastard.

Jace almost ordered the execution of some of the most outspoken in their disgust, but Grandmother Rhaenys talked him out of it. Baela was also all for demonstrating power through violence, too much like her father in that regard.

So Jace can only seethe in silence, sometimes taking it out on his wife and family, unable to do anything about it.

He is his mother's rightful heir, he is the blood of a dragon, he is a dragon rider, he is the ancestor of the promised prince - so why should he suffer the humiliation of sheep?

* * *

The delicate balance collapses with the death of Daemon.

The murder of Daemon.

Having gone on one of his sprees, he was eventually found in one of the alleys of Flea End, with his throat slit and his pockets emptied.

The Dark Sister has also disappeared.

As has Caraxes, who leaves the Dragonpit just three days after the death of his rider, with an unknown man with silver-gold hair on his back.

* * *

It's a cliffhanger ending, but that's how it was intended, thank you very much.

I actually have no idea where the story is going, so if someone decides to adopt the story, I'd love to read their take on it.

Here's what's left out. Daemon met his end at the hands of his own bastard - or bastard by Viserys, his mother couldn't say for sure. The boy was named Bael, but he chose to change his name to Baelon, more regal and therefore more worthy of him. So it's not Bael Waters who's claiming Caraxes, but Baelon Darksister, claimant to the Iron Throne.

He decided that if there's a bastard on the throne, why not another bastard try his hand at being king? Rhaenyra is dead, Daemon met his end at his hands, the Greens are gone from sight. His only threat is Rhaenys and Meleys, the other dragons are too small to stand against him and Caraxes.

Westeros is set for another Dance of the Dragons, this time between the Blacks and the Reds, and the outcome is not as clear as it seems, given that Baelon has raised his own army under his own banner - a black dragon on a scarlet background. An army of outcast bastards like himself, ready to take what is due to them - after all, if the crown now belongs to one bastard, why can't another bastard become a lord or the next king?

dear diary my teen angst bullshit has a body count

Questions I would like to ask Rhaenyra, part 2

These questions are still not the result of long and careful thought, but rather spontaneous nonsense that came to my mind, but someone has to ask, why not me?

11) Aegon's Prophecy - by what criteria did Viserys determine that the promised prince would be born through YOUR line? The only fundamental difference between Targtowers and you is Aemma Arryn. So the Arryns are the cornerstone of the promised prince's birth?

12) The prophecy again. Why did Viserys decide that HE had any relation to the promised prince? If there was no gender inequality in Old Valyria, then Rhaenys and Laena are the true heirs, so either Baela or Rhaena bears the burden of being the progenitor of the promised prince. Viserys was not chosen for any merit, but for having a penis.

13) And again - the prophecy. If this is a Targaryen prophecy, isn't it undermined by the dilution of blood? The Arryns, Strongs, and Velaryons all dilute the blood of true dragonriders (Velaryons are questionable, but still). If the blood is strong (heh), then with each generation, if Jace becomes king, not only the distinctive appearance but also the special magic of Valyria is lost, replaced by the magic of the Andals and the First Men? Appoint your Aegon as your heir, in that case.

14) Prophecy, fuck. Why do you think the prophecy will only come true if you are crowned? If the promised prince is born from your blood, just betroth your child/grandchild to the child/grandchild of King Aegon II, and there will be no need for war, bloodshed, and dragon slaying. Or do you care not about the fate of the world, but about power?

15) Are you sure, absolutely sure, that Aegon and Viserys won't grow up jealous of your three eldest children, who will get more than them, despite being bastards? Yes, the little ones idolize Jace as children, but is there any guarantee that Aegon will never feel bitter that as the first legitimate son of Queen Rhaenyra, he gets crumbs compared to a bastard? Daemon is their father, if there's one thing that man has in abundance, it's stupidity, impudence, and arrogance.

16) What makes YOU a special woman? Why should your rights be the only ones respected, and your ambitions respected? Why can't the daughters of House Stokeworth and House Rosby become heirs? If it's about your Varilian heritage and dragon ownership, why can't Baela, the eldest daughter of the eldest daughter of Corlys and Rhaenys, rule Driftmark?

17) What the hell is up with your inept wartime leadership? Why are you as unprepared to rule as your younger brother, who is only 21 and has never been trained to be a king? You've been an heir for 20+ years, why are you wringing your hands and acting like a fool during a crisis?

18) Why did Vermithor listen to you (I already know the answer - a pathetic jump over the shark, but I want to hear Rhaenyra's version)? It makes no sense, contradicts the lore, has no plot importance, and just looks forced and stupid.

19) Why, with THREE dragons at your disposal, didn't you go after Aemond? He killed your son, and you stand there grinning like an idiot!

20) What kind of mental gymnastics did you need to do to "son for son"? If we follow your reasoning, then for the death of your second son, Aemond should die as the second son, for the death of Jaeherys, Jacaerys or his and Baela's firstborn should be killed, if you want Aegon to die, then you can kill your Aegon as a namesake, or your firstborn. If you also want "a daughter for a daughter", then who should be killed for Visenya - Helaena or Jaehaera? What parameters should be entered into these calculations?

21) Speaking of Visenya. Why the fuck do you blame the greens for the death of your unviable child? The girl had a hole in her chest, it's not something that can be fixed by simply carrying her to term.

I was promised protection, so I'm not afraid to ask these questions =) Maybe there will be a third part, if I still delve into this topic, and not catch what is on the surface.

if my hypothetical child was permanently injured and the culprit got off with a slap on the hand, I would rage like wildfire and not calm down until this bastard begged for mercy

Alicenta is a better person than me

alicent regretted her actions after she charged at luke, she apologized to viserys after he ignored her pleas to show some concern after aemond lost an eye, and she rejected larys’ offer to take an eye from luke….honestly she’s a saint because that couldn’t be me.

The way TB stans talk about Syrax and Rhaenyra is worthy of a page on the TV tropes. Because it borders on animal abuse, but somehow she's considered the Mother of Dragons 0.5???

The way Rhaenyra treated Syrax suppressed her predatory instincts and led to a sad but expected fate. A dragon that refuses to hunt on its own, only flies in good weather, wears a cute collar, and completely incapable of living on its own? That's a dead dragon. It's expired like a store-bought blueberry, that start molding the second you put it in the fridge.

It's like those ungodly fat cats on TikTok who roll around their apartment from bowl to litter box while their owners film them giggling and the comments are full of "OH LAWD HE COMIN". Yeah, the silly cat eats 24/7 and happy about it, but his joints and heart are about to give out, and his existence is limited by the floor, because only a bodybuilder can lift him onto the couch.

It's like that Reddit post with the girl who talked about how snakes are actually loving and sociable, because her dead pet snuggled up to her all the time, until someone responded that the snake wasn't showing affection, but was simply trying to keep warm, and died early because op froze her pet to death. Snakes are just not the type of animals that you can carry around in your pocket like monkey noodles, no matter how much you want to.

So Syrax's death was predictable. If it were not for her missing survival instincts, because of which she went down to the rioting crowd, attracted by the smell of blood, she would have died later, because the fugitive queen would not have been able to buy her favorite goat meat, and Syrax lacked the hunting instinct. Or this mighty dragoness would have died from the teeth of the half-dead Sunfire upon arrival at Dragonstone, because her fighting instincts had also atrophied.

Dragons are a reflection of their riders. And Syrax was not a warrior, no matter how much you wanted the opposite.

Plot bunny - She wasn't her to claim

Aemond is afraid. Of course he is afraid, even though he is a prince who is about to claim what is rightfully his, but this is the situation, the time, the circumstances… It was not meant to be this way.

But what choice does he have? Aegon is mocking him, in the company of these… these… Velaryons. His father doesn't care, and hmother doesn't understand, for she is not of dragon blood, and doesn't feel this yearning for the sky, the loneliness in mind that should be filled by something incomparably greater and inhuman, someone like…

Her. Vhagar, the Dragon Queen, who has sung to him since they landed in Driftmark. She called to him, shining like a beacon in the night, and Aemond knew that he must, must answer her.

He has only one chance, today and now. He may feel like a thief sneaking into the dragon's lair at night, but once he and Vhagar are united, no one will dare offer him a pig again!

"It's him! Jace, it's him!" Aemond hears the girl scream and before he can react, he is hit in the back and knocked to the ground.

Aemond screams, taking a mouthful of sand, when Jacaerys's sharp knee presses into his back.

"What are you doing here?!" his nephew demands, grabbing Aemond by the hair, "What did you want to do with Vhagar?!"

"She's riderless!" Aemond yells back, spitting out sand, "Get off me, you twat!"

Aemond's head is shoved hard into the sand again, and he doesn't scream in pain only because he doesn't want to eat more sand.

"Vhagar is my mother’s dragon!" screams the same girl's voice as before. Now Aemond recognizes it - it's Baela, daughter of Laena and Daemon.

Aemond is floundering on the sand like a fish out of water. This is humiliating and disgusting, and once he gets out of here, he's going to beat the shit out of Jace!

"Vhagar is mine to claim!" the second girl's voice sounds much less confident, and Aemond can't even remember her name, but she's already pissing him off.

Throwing Jace off his back, he kicks him in the side, making him yelp in pain, and answers all four of them gathered here and getting in his way, "Then you should’ve claimed her sooner!"

"B-but… But I…" babbles Rhenya... Naera... Rhaella...? instantly losing her confidence.

"She will claim it, don't doubt it!" Baela answers confidently, pushing her twin in the back, "Go, Rhaena, this is your chance to get a dragon!"

"B-but… Ugh…" Rhaena (so that's her name!) mumbles, looking around as if someone here has an answer to everything.

"Go, go!" Aemond taunts, "Or are you really as cowardly as you look?"

"You…!" Jace yells from the ground, and Aemond kicks him again without looking, still angry about being forced to eat sand.

"Okay, I'll go!" Rhaena answers confidently, and walks forward, leaving her sister, Jace, Luke, and Aemond behind.

A few minutes later, the night is lit up by flames, and behind the roar cannot be heard a child’s scream.

* * *

Like every plot bunny I have, this one ends on a cliffhanger because I have no idea how to continue it. Rhaena is dead, fried to a crisp, and who's to blame? Aemond, of course, because he existed, wanted a dragon, and didn't stop her! Obviously he needs to be beheaded or something!

Except Vhagar already knows her little baby is right there, and will be furious if he's been taken away from her =3

Also, did everyone notice my oh so subtle reference to the typical TB stan argument where they constantly confuses which girl was dragonless at the time? I've lost count of how many times I've read "Vhagar should been claimed by Baela!" and screaming to the screen "you dumb bitch, those girls are DIFFERENT, they're not interchangeable, no matter what Condom says!"

Who would be the best ruler of Westeros? Me, I have the desire to do good deeds, even when others beg for mercy

Jokes aside, but really - who? The show actively tells me that Rhaenyra is the only possible option, because this woman glows in the dark from all the blessings received from every god in existence and shits wisdom and greatness.

But is she? Let's hear my useless opinion.

First, where are we looking - at canon (the book), or at the screened fanfic (the show)?

In terms of canon, I think Jacaerys was the best option, but only because the other candidates were complete failures. The way Martin described this boy, even through the lens of the biased Black and Green sources, sounds promising. Yes, 90% of his decisions ended up being failures - he suggested recruiting more dragonriders from dragon seeds, and got Hugh and Ulf; he suggested sending Aegon III and Viserys to Pentos, and they were captured by the Triarchy; he went to rescue his brothers with a bunch of newbies who could barely stay on their dragons, and he ended up getting killed.

If it weren't for the circumstances of his birth, which would inevitably lead to a rebellion by the lords outraged by a bastard on the throne, Jacaerys might have been a good king. He just needed time to grow up.

But on the show? No one. No one at all. None of these people, they are all absolutely terrible.

Rhaenyra? That woman wouldn't know the word "responsibility" if it ambushed her in a parking lot and beat the crap out of her. She doesn't understand what ruling is even twenty years after being named heir, and she asks helplessly "what should I do?", wringing her hands at every difficulty. She does one stupid thing after another, driven by anything but common sense. If she were queen, we'd have another crisis in ten years or so.

Daemon? Lmao. No. That dude lived, fucked and died for shits and giggles, he can't be trusted with snow in the winter.

Jacaerys? That's the boy who solves problems with violence (pulling out a dagger when insulted, punching his uncle in the face when insulted, need I go on?), and loses every fight he starts. He doesn't speak Valyrian, constantly whines and cries to his fiancée and mother that he doesn't know what to do or how to be, and is practically useless during wartime (because his smart decisions were given to Rhaenyra, but that's another story).

Lucerys? Yeah, sure, how can you forget how he handled himself so perfectly at dinner when he should have just kept his mouth shut, but instead he decided that laughing at the crazy uncle he maimed and never apologized for was the height of comedy, better only fart jokes. That boy had one brain cell, and it was on permanent sick leave for the entire season.

Rhaenys? A woman who talks about the slavery of the patriarchy and submits to the decisions of her ambitious to the point of stupidity husband. Marrying her little daughter to her forty year old cousin? Why not. Losing two children because of Rhaenyra and Daemon, and continuing to serve their interests, even though they use her as they please, because Corlys hopes that someday it will pay off? Excellent solution, let's also scold husband for not loving his own bastards enough, and then die ingloriously and uselessly. Yes, the queen we deserve, Rhaenys the Spineless.

Aegon? He can only be a good king if a miracle happens and he stops listening to the idiots around him, gets rid of his mommy and daddy issues, and starts using his head for more than just pouring wine into mouth. Which won't happen, because the writers HATE this man. He'll be pathetic and useless, and then he'll die, because gods forbid there should be an equal fight between a woman and a man for the throne, a woman needs to kick a body sprawled on the ground, disarmed and incapacitated, so that everyone understands that she is superior to him in everything.

Aemond? Season 1 - maybe after a couple of years of therapy, Season 2 - no, he literally doesn't have a single thought in his head except "blood revenge hate aaarrrgghhh", and only occasionally do we see glimpses of a complex character, thanks to Ewan's insane talent.

Helaena? Poor girl, who was just like Aemond crippled by the script so much that even Martin couldn't stand it (Helaena will die just because, for no reason… wow, such deep character development…), give her her bugs and leave her alone.

In canon, the dance of the dragons is the result of well-intentioned stupidity of several generations, in the show - a parable of why incest is bad, just look at how much the mental capacity of people whose family tree looks like a wreath has suffered.

Ps. Still not native speaker and dgaf about mistakes, english can suck my imaginary dick

This is not just another whining, I say, you know, like a liar

This isn't really a new essay where I hysterically ask what's going on in the writers' heads, but a legitimate question.

Why was Joffrey Velaryon never considered for the role of heir to Driftmark in the show?

I even googled the answer, and there were many interpretations, the most popular being that after Rhaenys's death, Corlys's relationship with Rhaenyra deteriorated so much that he refused to support her farce, and demanded that true Velaryon's blood be on the throne of Driftmark (with Lucerys there would have been no such problem, his bride was Rhaena, but Joffrey was betrothed to Manderly girl), and Rhaenyra couldn't refuse him, considering that he was her strongest ally at the time.

But this is a book, you know, a thing with letters on paper, written by a person who tried to at least make ends meet a little, even in the format of a medieval historical chronicle.

But in the show, Corlys from Season 2 is the same tasteless cardboard cutout as the rest. He barely mourns the death of his wife, and rushes around with his inheritance like it's a hot potato, not knowing who to throw it to.

And for a man whose character traits were declared to be ambition, loyalty to his House and heritage, a desire to put his blood on the Iron Throne - Corlys seems to not try at all. There was a lazy attempt to marry Laena to the rotten Vizzy, then Rhaenyra's marriage to Laenor, but after that, nothing.

In canon, the marriage of the twins and Rhaenyra's children was arranged in infancy, so Corlys quickly received assurance that his legacy would continue. In the show? No one gives a shit, if Rhaenyra hadn't begged Rhaenys for support during the disputes over the Velaryon inheritance with Vaemond, no one would have thought about the marriage of these four.

With that attitude, where history doesn't remember blood, only names, the Corlys of the show would have shrugged and said "oh well" to Joffrey being named heir to Driftmark.

But instead he tries to hand the inheritance over to Baela first, who decides it's the perfect moment to gaslight gatekeep girlboss, and refuses the title of heir to the richest House at the time (why? It wouldn't have affected the engagement to Jace, Laenor was Corlys's heir AND the future King Regent, she could have a couple of children, and named the second one as Velaryon heir).

Why did everyone forget about Joffrey? Why should I care about him if the show doesn't? I'll be sad to see him die, because children's deaths are always sad, but otherwise - I don't give a shit.

PS. All grammatical errors are intentional, I refuse to correct my gaps in English

Rhaenyra would never kill her own kin? Say it with your hand on the Bible and watch the Lord punish you for perjury

Team black stans is being almost hysterical, trying to convince us that Saint Rhaenyra would never dare to kill Alicent's children, that Otto and Alicent are the second and third coming of Satan, and they are must be blame for everything, from the birth of the Night King to the end of the Daenerys arc, and if it weren't for these two, Westeros would have already installed electricity, invented penicillin and learned to wash their asses more than once a month.

As proof, you are given quotes from a book that these fans have hardly read in its entirety, their own opinion, which, of course, is an indisputable fact and, sometimes, even "well, she would have killed some greens so what, why make such a fuss about it."

These people don't know how to work with a narrative, and it shows. Stories like Dance of the Dragons require you to dive into the personalities of both teams so you can understand the tragedy of the situation - a civil war between family members that will nearly destroy House Targaryen and Westeros.

Now imagine that you, Alyssa/Baelon Targaryen, are Alicent's fifth child. And this is a fanfic (show), not a book, so we're going to base this on the events of the adaptation.

Your father doesn't care about you, and you don't understand why. Did you do something wrong? Why does your father love your half-sister and her children, but not you and your siblings? Why doesn't he protect you from your nephews' bullying?

You don't get a dragon egg because they are few and far between, and Rhaenyra has another child who needs one more. You get the egg that comes later, or you ride a full-grown dragon.

Your half-sister Rhaenyra HATES you. She shows no shame in showing her disdain, barely tolerates your existence, and never punishes her children for bullying you. She won't talk to you, won't play with you, and even seems to hate your name.

You hear rumors that your nephews are bastards. You know that having bastards is wrong and against the Faith, and you don't understand why Rhaenyra is never punished for her bad deeds. You saw Aemond being scolded for standing up to our nephews, why is no one scolding Rhaenyra?

At Laena's funeral, your brother Aemond becomes a Vhagar rider, and Luke cuts out his eye for it. When the argument happens, you are afraid, scared, and crying, because father is angry at Aemond, and instead of comforting and protecting him, he demands something from him. Rhaenyra demands that Aemond be tortured, and no one protects your brother from her. Your father yells at Aegon because Aemond said that Aegon is the one who lied about your nephews being legitimate Velaryons. You don't understand how words can be as bad as your brother's injury. No one ever scolded or punished Rhaenyra for anything, so what if her children were called a bad word? Your father declares that there will be no punishment for your brother's injury, as if a lost eye is like a scratched knee and nothing bad happened. Your mother is angry at Rhaenyra and tries to hurt Luke, and suddenly she is the bad one and it's all her fault, and everyone has forgotten that Rhaenyra wanted to torture Aegon, who was hurt, as if it doesn't matter.

You are scared to get your dragon. What if Rhaena decides that this dragon was meant to be hers and you are a thief too, just like she accused Aemond? Will they cut out your eye too?

Laenor dies, and you hear that Rhaenyra has married Daemon, ignoring the mourning period. You remember this man - he laughed at Laena's funeral and frightened your mother with his presence. You have heard terrible things about him, and you are afraid to be near him - but thank the gods he does not come to the Red Keep, so you sleep peacefully. You are afraid to think about how exactly Laenor died, and whether Rhaenyra and Daemon were involved.

When your half-sister finally appears at the Red Keep, her first act is to claim Driftmark for her bastard son. When Vaemond Velaryon, your distant relative, calls her a whore and her children bastards, Daemon cuts off his head, and none of the Blacks look sad, even though he was a close relative to Rhaenys, Baela, and Rhaenyra's three eldest sons (presumably).

And that's just part of the shit that goes on in your life. If it were possible, you'd demand a refund.

If someone told you that Rhaenyra wouldn't kill you for the sake of her peaceful reign, would you believe them?

PS. not a native speaker and it shows, so what?

May i speak, please?

I got blocked by an opponent mid-argument on Twitter, which… isn't really surprising. I had the nerve to disagree with a TB stan that holy Rhaenyra suffered terribly for the month or two she spent trying to squeeze sperm out of Laenor for a Velaryon baby, and then jumped on Harwin like he was the last man on earth. No joke, a wedding to Laenor in 114 AC, and the birth of Jace in late 114 AC - and I'm told that poor Rhaenyra thought she was infertile because Laenor couldn't ungay himself.

So since I wasn't allowed to say it there, I'll say it here: Ways Rhaenyra could have avoided the war, or at least won against the greens AND the patriarchy.

1) Pick someone other than Harwin, because are you fucking serious?

Laenor can't have kids? Spend more than a few weeks trying. Unite with him in grief after the death of "good friend" Joffrey and give Laenor time to recover. Afterwards, invite a man to bed to "warm up" your husband. Or ask him to jerk off and finish inside you. Or find dragon seed on dragonstone. Or leave the poor man alone and visit his parents.

Corlys wanted Velaryon's blood on the throne? Let him find a candidate willing to fuck the princess twice - for the throne and for Driftmark. He has a dozen cousins ​​and nephews, man, is it really that hard?

And if you like it, take the boytoy as a permanent favorite and have a couple more children, apparently this is your hobby or something.

Yes, it sounds horrible and dehumanizing, like breeding show dogs (which I consider as animal cruelty, by the way), but that's the nature of arranged marriages, especially in Westeros. If the goal is to have babies that look like Velaryons, there are other ways than sleeping with the most fisrt man-looking human alive.

2) Do you have heirs? Make convenient marriages!

Now that Alicent can't find fault with your babies' looks, betroth the boy to Helaena, or the girl (if you have one) to Aegon. Either way, green blood will be on the throne, and Otto can stop his shitty scheming.

Or, if you don't like that option, make arranged marriages. Since there's no need to appease the Velaryons by marrying Jace to Baela, and Luke to Rhaena, you have two excellent sons to trade with. Baratheon has plenty of daughters - the Stormlands are yours. The Lannisters have daughters too - the Westerlands are ready for an alliance.

And in the end the greens are left with a part of the Riverlands and the Reach - well, let them fight you, it will take about a week or two to win.

3) Daemon as a lover? Why not. As a husband? Never, fucking, ever in my life.

Laenor can live, considering that there is no need for his fake death - after all, your children are Velaryons, aren't they?

Uncle is hot as hell, but considering that he is the reason you were named heir in the first place - let him stay in your bed, and not claim the crown and the title of king consort.

4) Dragonstone? No need, I'm fine here.

Yes, you are the princess of Dragonstone, that's true. And you have every right to go there and learn to rule. But when your stepmother is plotting and trying to put a reluctant son on the throne, why make her life easier?

Visit Dragonstone as much as you want, but make it clear that your place as heir and next queen is by your father's side, helping him, learning to rule, and keeping your finger on the pulse.

5) Learn to lie, or remember that greens are related to you too.

Aegon never wanted to be king until he was reminded that Rhaenyra was a danger to his family. So don't give him reason to think so.

You may not like greens and you have every right, but creating enemies from scratch, only to fight them twenty years later, sacrificing children, dragons, allies, and the crown - why?

6) The Dance of Dragons? Seriously?

Aegon doesn't want to be king, and he won't be talked into usurping it, knowing his older sister wouldn't hurt him or his family. If Jace is betrothed to Helaena, Otto won't mind if not his grandchildren, but his great-grandchildren take the throne. No one can stand against you, the first queen of Westeros with powerful alliances in the North by oath, the Vale by blood, the Stormlands and the Westerlands by children's marriage.

You win, Rhaenyra, wear your crown with pride.

Oh, wait, that's not how it's happened in canon. Well, shit.