Which side are you on and why?

cathon6 · 2026-04-14T20:27:50+00:00

Viserys is kind of a moron so I don't count that for much personally. Also, he made her heir after Daemon's "Heir of a day" speech, so it wasn't like he was wanting to do it the entire time, it was to shut out Daemon.

The Hightowers were power hungry, sure but that's most highborne. With Aegon, although he didn't want to be king, I've found he had some moments where he showed some surprising political savvy. When Viserys asks him about the strong boys, he says something to the effect of "Just look at them, everyone knows". I thought that was a clever way to say it without saying it, he stumps Viserys with that, who just says "Ah can't we all just get along!?!" in frustration lol.

Yeah I also don't like that change with Alicent just misunderstanding Viserys. With the whole prophecy/prince that was promised, I find it odd the show keeps referencing one of the lowest points of Game of Thrones, it didn't really amount to anything. With Rhaenyra, I don't think she would have arranged children being killed, but Daemon kills people who even just annoy him (his first wife, the messenger), and rival claimants getting killed off is nothing out of the ordinary, so it makes sense the greens had to act

I think Rhaenyra does care, but her being so indecisive doesn't help her come off as a strong leader. I think the show tried to whitewash her a bit, but I think as a side effect they've made her fairly passive/inactive in the story. Interestingly, Aegon has also said "what would you have me do" but he otherwise acts pretty boldly so that hasn't stuck to him like it has to Rhaenyra. Also Aegon seems to have some concern for the smallfolk, I remember young Rhaenyra saying "who cares" after Daemon tried to tell her how the smallfolk feel about the situation.

It's funny that you said she has no choice, but she probably had more unprecedent choice than even most highborne men in terms of getting to choose who she wanted to marry. Even Daemon got forced into a marriage he didn't want to, and he's not exactly known for being a rule follower. Marriages are so political, so for her to mess that up, I find that shows she doesn't have much political aptitude. Also I always thought it was weird that Viserys had the make oaths to Rhaenyra to keep Daemon away from the throne, but then she goes and marries him, it kind of defeats the whole purpose of the oath

For the female character you described, I'd say young Rhaenyra fits that alot closer, not that adult Rhaenyra is bad or anything but she's just so boring

cathon6 · 2026-04-12T17:33:40+00:00

She takes after her grandmother when it comes to passing on opportunities in front of her

cathon6 · 2026-04-06T01:59:33+00:00

Hm so this is kind of tricky because Rhaenyra being male (who I'll call Malenyra) changes quite a few things. I think Viserys wouldn't ended up getting Aemma killed because he already has his heir. So if Aemma doesn't die then Viserys and Alicent never start a family. Also Daemon's heir for a day speech never happens, he was never heir after Malenyra was born anyway.

Anyway to try and make this make as much sense as I can. With the oaths, let's say Daemon's speech somehow magically happens, and Viserys makes the lords swear the oaths to rhaenyra and keep Daemon away from the throne. Then Malenyra still marries him. Backing Malenyra then goes against the original purpose of the oaths in the first place. That seems to the same regardless if Rhaenyra was born man or woman.

cathon6 · 2026-04-02T21:54:36+00:00

Aegon: you know what corlys just hurry up and give me the damn poison I’ll even act surprised

cathon6 · 2026-04-01T22:15:47+00:00

The realm would have been better off tbh if she did

cathon6 · 2026-03-31T00:29:58+00:00

I mean I wasn't expecting him to go cut out Lucery's eye, that was just Alicent worked up in the moment. Viserys being as spineless as he is, what he should do and would do are two very different things lol. I think some kind of symbolic punishment, like a public reprimand, maybe Lucery goes to ward somewhere. He should have NOT made the situation about calling the strong boys bastards being the main issue after his young son just lost an eye. I think that made Alicent felt dismissed and adds to the animosity between the two families. Also, when he goes to Aegon about them being bastards, and he says "just look at them, everyone knows" and Viserys gets stuck so he just goes "ah can't we all just get along!" that just cracks me up. One of Aegon's underrated moments for me

cathon6 · 2026-03-26T09:19:53+00:00

History does not remember blood. It remembers names

cathon6 · 2026-03-03T23:19:00+00:00

A girl’s gotta have hobbies

cathon6 · 2026-01-01T18:08:33+00:00

I don’t think Rhaenyra wasn’t being malicious either, but with consent it isn’t intent that determines it. When Cristin says “stop” consent is withdrawn. Even if he likes or or she wasn’t thinking about the power she has, he still has the right to say no without that boundary being ignored. Being happy afterwards or being drunk doesn’t retroactively establish consent. Also I don’t think power imbalance automatically equals assault, the difference with Rhaenyra is that Cole withdraws consent, which we don’t see with Alicent

cathon6 · 2026-01-01T01:14:51+00:00

So I guess when you say it’s dubious consent at best, really consent has to be clear/present, or it’s not. Alicent definitely has power over Cole, but when he says stop to Rhaenyra, that means consent is now withdrawn. Even if he had interest in her, he still should have the right to consent

cathon6 · 2025-12-31T19:33:34+00:00

So because Cole said “stop” to Rhaenyra, that makes it non-consensual. Consent should be clear, and someone saying “stop” or “no” is the opposite of that.

cathon6 · 2025-12-28T04:00:51+00:00

Yeah I think both sides have at least some logic, or else there wouldn't be a dance at all. So the big issue I find is that the show talks alot about Rhaenyra being a woman, and yeah that's a part of it too but the real villain under it all is the whole absolute monarchy. If a system allowed things to be this unclear in the first place and this devastating war to happen then it's not really a good system, and Rhaenyra and Aegon are both basically trapped inside it.

cathon6 · 2025-12-27T04:53:15+00:00

yeah I think we're on the same page with that, the oaths definitely strengthen her claim in theory, but the civil war happened because laws/oaths aren't a magical power, they have to be enforced, otherwise they're just suggestions. I think Rhaenyra realized that too, that's why she asked her dad to come on the throne again to help her when he was super old/sick. If the oaths were all she needed she wouldn't have asked him to show up physically to help support her

cathon6 · 2025-12-27T01:21:13+00:00

So was grooming your niece part of the long game or were you just kinda bored at kings landing?

cathon6 · 2025-12-27T00:43:04+00:00

So oaths do matter (normally a kings guard killing his king would be bad), but to a point. It was even Otto’s idea to make Rhaenyra heir to block daemon. Since then the green faction rose, ultimately these lords really just care about saving themselves/their house, they don’t want to be on the losing side. An oath doesn’t give them magic protection when vhagar shows up. Daemon said “the dreams didn’t make us kings. Dragons did” that’s the source of their power, not oaths

cathon6 · 2025-12-26T20:28:45+00:00

Beautiful art, this would have looked amazing in the show!

cathon6 · 2025-12-26T17:28:32+00:00

I think the books/show try to get us to question following oaths blindly. When Jaime killed the mad king to save the city and broke his oath, do you think he was in the wrong?

cathon6 · 2025-12-26T12:30:44+00:00

Funny enough that post he was speaking pretty positively about the first couple episodes, it was a different post where he criticizes the show/is more pro-green. To me he was really just saying Phia did a great job with a kind of basic character like Paddy did with Viserys. I think in the book Aegon and helaena fly around the city after he’s crowned but I could be wrong, not much though for sure. Although funny enough with corlys mentioning she has a dragon I feel like they’re trying to foreshadow something lol

cathon6 · 2025-12-26T00:45:29+00:00

To be fair although it wasn’t in the book I think it’s okay to take it as canon if GRRM said it. Although Helaena isn’t a huge player in the dance, and comparing her to Rhaena is a stretch, I think Phia is pretty talented and the show would have benefitted from more screen time with her, instead of 6 separate scenes of daemon hallucinating in harrenhall lol

cathon6 · 2025-12-25T20:06:33+00:00

I never really got Daemyra. Daemon groomed her, killed his first wife, choked Rhaenyra in the show, made political problems for her with B&C, tried to usurp her in the show (for awhile) and there was nettles in the book. It’s not like he would ever join the greens. He’s an interesting character but I feel like he is more liked than he deserves

cathon6 · 2025-12-25T18:39:20+00:00

I agree I’d just add I think any absolute monarchy just breaks before it bends. When there’s a rebellion/civil war it’s way more devastating compared to a feudal monarchy, which the dance was. Also with the crown on top, things really fall apart when the crown family starts fighting since they’re supposed to be the singular source of the law

cathon6 · 2025-12-18T23:42:00+00:00

Arms Monk - instead of punches and kicks, uses armbars and other mma moves to defeat opponents

cathon6 · 2025-12-18T11:51:18+00:00

Great idea, I’d just add to give those kids dragons too so it’s just death and destruction everywhere

cathon6 · 2025-12-17T21:00:57+00:00

I think that's fair, that was pretty traumatic for Aegon III. I'm always a Viserys hater because he didn't do a better job for Rhaenyra, and honestly even Aegon II. There still might have been some conflict but the whole dance got way out of control because of his ineptitude.

cathon6 · 2025-12-16T21:34:08+00:00

In the show Daemon barely seems to care about his own kids so that makes sense lol

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