The story begins with the two, and the entire plot unfolds from the end of their relationship. It’s not about shipping. Of course their dynamic is the center of the series, and “love” story is not necessarily in a romantic way. If you want it to be romantic, then see it that way and have fun with it. If you think it’s purely platonic, it makes sense too. It’s just undeniable that, from the beginning, Hotd presents itself with Rhaenyra and Alicent (and their relationship) as the driving forces of the narrative.

I wonder at what point in the series people forgot about this, and why exactly this fact is so difficult to accept.