i enjoyed watching alicent and helaena's views of motherhood clash this episode. alicent expects helaena to feel exactly as she does, partly because i don't think alicent actually has a strong sense of who helaena is beyond seeing so much of her younger self in her only daughter. and, to be fair, their situations were indeed quite similar (again, some of that being alicent's own doing, even if her intent was simply to keep helaena close to home): both married off fairly young to certainly not one they would have chosen for themselves, but they had a duty to their family, and both their children the product of marital rape. alicent insists that helaena must drink the tea because 'does she not wish to be free?' which ties back into alicent's blood sacrifice at the end of s2. her entire life wrapped up in crowning aegon, so of course, be free again, to begin anew as simply the lady alicent, she has to sacrifice her firstborn. she warns helaena that, in the end, her child, especially if he is a son, will be used against her by rhaenyra. she's speaking with otto's voice now, gripping helaena's face just as he once did: "and to secure her claim, she'll have to put your children to the sword." your children will never be more than 'hostages or pawns,' oof but helaena's view of motherhood reminds me more of rhaenyra in a way. she seems to approach aegon with a kind of detached indifference, and so her son will be wholly hers, and this time, with more of a grasp on her visions, perhaps this time she will ensure this child lives longer than her boy jaehaerys did.
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