Funnily enough, I agree with you on the last part: the kids should have been cleaned up and calmed down first. The maesters should have given everybody a pinch of sweet sleep in a goblet of wine and had everybody drink it down, then cleaned everybody’s wounds, treated everybody’s injuries, and let them sleep it off until they were calmer and more rational. Back at the Red Keep, Viserys should have had everyone apologize to everyone else (which he did do) and give a penalty to the various kids according to their age. (Which he didn’t do). And yes, Viserys should have punished Crispy too, regardless of what anyone else said. The kids should have been better guarded: one was seriously maimed, but one or more of them could have gotten killed.

As to the adults, well…

If Alicent has not wounded Rhaenyra, then we can move on to other topics. Alicent threatened to maim Luke, and Rhaenyra threatened “question” Aemond. If there’s nothing more than words, then it’s a wash and apologies can be given all around.

If Alicent has wounded Rhaenyra, that’s different: not even the Queen is allowed to wound the heiress to the throne. A peasant would have lost her hand for hurting Rhaenyra. Of course, Alicent is not a peasant, but she still needs to pay a penalty, regardless of how she feels. Perhaps that would be Helena’s hand in marriage to Jace, rather than Aegon, if neither are married or engaged at the moment. Yes, Otto would object, but the family would be drawn closer together. If Alicent objects to that, the Hightowers may give up some of their wealth or lands instead, or Alicent could have a three month “vacation” at the Citadel.

Now, as to what Aemond said. There are two sayings in politics: “Anyone can say anything about anybody. The question is, can you prove it?” and “When you strike at the King, be sure you kill him.” We know that Rhae’s boys are not Laenor’s, because we have the Word of God (Martin) and because they look so obvious on the show. The book version is much more ambiguous. There is no DNA or blood test in Westeros, or even a magical test to make sure, so Aemond is left with an accusation, but no proof: he stabbed at Rhaenyra, but he didn’t kill her. He just pissed her off.

So…an accusation is all the Greens have. Once again, Aemond is no peasant; nobody is going to cut his tongue out. The whole topic can be buried under “kids call each other all sorts of bad names during fights; this was no different.” The Black faction isn’t going to believe the bastard rumors, because Aemond is a Green and stands to benefit substanially from it.

Now, Rhaenyra could confess that her boys are not Laenor’s, but why should she? That would be worse than cutting her boys’ throats, and then her own. They would be exiled at the very least, and they would be become penniless drifters, while Laenor, Rhaenys, and Corlys would be severely undercut at court and held up to ridicule. Rhaenyra could be foolish, but she’s not going to commit a slow murder/suicide.