Hello everyone! I've realised that I have a fair bunch of things that I do be doing on this blog (and that the list of episodes is growing too long to be a reasonable post length), so I'm turning this post into a masterlist of all fics, major tags and of course, the crown jewel of my blog that is Keeping Up With The Targaryens.
Save it wherever you save your favourite tungles!
Keeping Up With The Targaryens: AKOTSK Edition
Keeping Up With The Targaryens: House of the Dragon Edition
Fanfic:
haunt me, then (aemond x targaryen! oc, wuthering heights inspired)
rhaenyra: so, I guess you'd like how it all happened.
jace: I think I figured it out. I guess I was born, and then everyone started lying their asses off.
(Wuthering Heights, pg. 138):
"Would you like to live with your soul in the grave?"
(also posted on AO3 here.)
Daella lives in a state of dreaming.
She goes through the motions every day—wakes, eats, listens—but anyone can tell that drawing anything but a cursory nod from her is as easy as getting Sheepstealer to obey. When news comes to Dragonstone of Otto Hightower’s offer she urges her mother to take it - but there is no emotion in her voice, nothing to suggest of the girl who existed before Lucerys’ death.
She complies without protest when they officially take the city, and she votes in favour when her mother polls her Small Council to spare Otto’s life, much to the displeasure of everyone else. “He gave us the biggest belligerent in this war,” she elaborates with dispassionate honesty, “to do otherwise would be to potentially anger Aegon and Alicent into further aggression.”
The sacking of the city is a surprisingly painless affair: the Gold Cloaks throw the gates open at the sight of their Lord Commander and the people offer no resistance, receiving Viserys’ little girl with a warmth only received for someone who rescued you from starvation. In any other circumstance, a victory as easy as this would fill Daella with ecstasy.
Instead, she flies over Maegor’s Holdfast like a winged omen, circling King’s Landing for hours before alighting at the Dragonpit. The act is as much a show of intimidation as it is a tactical choice, a reminder that unlike the rest of Queen Rhaenyra’s progeny, her heir is as willing to play executioner as she is emissary.
Daella leaves her dragon in the capable hands of the keepers and marches up the steps with an impassivity that matches the stone beneath her feet, unable to muster up even the most cursory of smiles for the staff. But they do not judge her, not do they begrudge her this show of rudeness, well aware of the losses this girl of nine-and-ten has suffered to arrive at this juncture.
The only time anyone sees a sign of life from the young princess is a fortnight in, when Alicent Hightower comes to the Queen Regent’s quarters, her brother Gwayne following her like an ever-vigilant shadow. She begs Rhaenyra to grant her kinslayer son clemency, the Dowager Queen’s face streaked with tears that have not ceased since the sacking. No one has to ask Daella before she vehemently voices her opposition, and what starts as a tense discussion turns into an argument upon Aegon’s arrival.
The former Green King is unshakeable, stating in no uncertain terms that he will not hesitate to burn the Keep down with all of them in it if Aemond is not spared. This takes his niece aback, and Daella is as impressed by his conviction as she is confused by this show of loyalty, for the circumstances that left Sunfyre’s rider crippled are no mystery.
“I do not care what you do with him after—send him to freeze and die at the Wall for all I fucking care,” Aegon snaps, “but you will give my mother this,” he adds tersely, his half-burnt face staring Rhaenyra down, daring his half-sister to contradict him. “Besides, this one,” he jerks his thumb at the now-heir, his voice never wavering in the slightest, “aided in killing and butchering my little boy. If my Heir-Apparent gets put to the sword for his crimes, so does she.”
Those words do not go down well, and Daemon is halfway to drawing Dark Sister when Rhaenyra finally speaks, the Queen’s voice cutting through the growing din. “Aegon,” she turns to squarely face her half-brother, taking a long look at who was once a chubby-cheeked toddler eager to catch her eye. “Words cannot fully convey my sorrow and guilt for Jaehaerys’ death. I desired our brother’s head, and the gods played the cruelest trick of them all.” It is a truth none had dared to speak before, but one they all agree upon regardless.
“I know we can never get him back,” Rhaenyra pauses, her voice cracking as the remains of Arrax’s wings flash behind her eyes, “and bloodshed cannot be met with further bloodshed.” Aegon takes a moment to assess the honesty of her words, the anger on his face punctuated by a grief only echoed in the features of his older sister. And then, after what feels like an eternity, he nods in agreement.
Daemon begins to protest, but any issues the King Consort may have with this are quelled with a single look between husband and wife.
It is not the first time she has borne witness to such interactions, but it makes Daella wonder all the same, for she still does not understand how her parents can function as one entity at times, as if they were made knowing each other in their bones. Alicent cries tears of relief and Gwayne offers quiet thanks, but Queen Rhaenyra’s eldest takes her leave from a room which is too stifling for her liking now, the walls feeling like they are steadily closing in.
All her feelings erupt the moment she is safely behind the closed doors of her own chambers, and Daella screams until her voice gives out, this act the only recourse against the punishment inflicted upon her. Her dragon’s roars echo through the Dragonpit and the Red Keep, giving voice to the true depth of her pain and rage, and yet it is not enough. Because no amount of breaking goblets and ripping down curtains will change the fact that Lucerys is dead, and that the man who killed him will continue breathing his stolen air.
It is that injustice that takes her back to his rooms the second time, the guards letting the Heir through in the dead of night. The creaking door startles the prisoner awake and the tall man shoots up ramrod-straight, regarding her with a bleary gaze before she comes into focus. Daella does not give him an opening to speak, pulling her knees close to her chest before she begins.
“Did you know that we searched for ten days? I searched Blackwater Bay and beyond, and Mother flew all over the Kingdom and past the Narrow Sea to look for his remains.”
“That is of no concern to me,” Aemond responds plainly, but they can both hear the doubt in his voice, his mask of impassivity faltering in the face of her raw grief.
“Ten days,” she continues, her voice a hoarse croak, “of torturous hope, wishing against all logic and sense that somehow, Luke might have survived the encounter. That perhaps the reports were incorrect, the accounts of a tired fisherman with too much ale in him.” Oh, how fervently she had wished for that to be the truth. “Ten days,” her voice shakes, “of me combing the shores of my home, hoping against hope that my brother shall emerge from the waves, beaten but alive. It was only upon Mother’s return that my agony was put to rest - only for it to begin anew in another, crueler fashion.”
“Do you know what it is like to cremate your younger sibling?” She questions, reddened eyes spearing Aemond with a look so steeped in hatred it might as well kill him if it could. “Their faces are meant to be the last ones we see, their voices the last thing we hear before we depart this mortal realm. Yet there I was, tossing his first toy into an open pyre, lit by a torch because Arrax was not there to give his dragonrider the farewell he deserved. If the gods are just, they will let you send off Daeron in that fashion. Perhaps, unlike Syrax, Vhagar will get to pay her respects to Tessarion.”
She knows by the way that he tugs on his chains that she may have crossed a line (and judging by the venom in his good eye, she certainly has), but such sensibilities do not exist in the fog of grief and rage, especially when one is face to face with their brother’s killer. “I do not suppose I need to tell you just what I would do faced with such calumnies,” he hisses, and for once she witnesses a sliver of the human that lurks beneath the facade of a reaper.
So he does have a heart after all.
“And here I had thought that heart of yours had been replaced with another stone,” she spits back at him. “Tell me, did your lust for the throne outweigh your sense of loyalty once you learned of Jaehaerys’ death?” He had always been the better candidate, the competent spare compared to a drunken, whoremongering heir.
“You little fucking bitch—” Aemond growls, throwing his entire weight behind the chains as he lunges at her, but Daella is tantalisingly out of reach, just close enough to taunt him with the illusion of satisfaction. He continues to strain at his restraints, the metal creaking with each emphatic tug, but the iron chains stay their course. She can see the urge in his eye to strangle her and, for a brief moment, she almost wants to give him that. She wants him to end her misery with one fatal squeeze around her throat, the imprint of his fingers the ink signing her death warrant.
But Daella cannot put her mother through such loss again, so she resists.
She curbs her own impulses every time she passes the ramparts of the Red Keep and stays her hand every time her eye drops to the catspaw dagger upon her belt. She thinks of the cliffs back at Dragonstone, of the sea that holds what remains of her little brother, and how easy it would be to succumb to either. Just an errant step off a crag, an ill-timed swim, and she would join Luke, Ser Laenor and little Visenya in the great beyond, no longer burdened by the punishment that is now living.
But hate and spite are strong motivators, and she will not give that one-eyed bastard the satisfaction of killing her too. And so Daella spends her days carrying out every duty meted out to her and when work falls short, she barricades herself in the Heir’s quarters, steeped in her misery away from prying eyes.
It is one such day when her presence is requested ‘by Her Grace the Queen.’
Not her mother, in a parental capacity, but the summons of a regent, an order she is duty-bound to obey. So Daella makes her way to the throne room, where Aegon sits in his wheelhouse by the Iron Throne. Dragged in soon after her is the family kinslayer, his chains draped around him like the coils of serpents, threatening to consume him whole with every step he takes. Yet he manages to stand with some modicum of dignity, his head held high despite the guards that ring him like a human noose, ready to tighten at the slightest provocation.
“Prince Aegon wishes to see you both punished,” the Queen Regent begins with no preamble, making her daughter’s muscles tense in apprehension. “Prince Aemond Targaryen, you are found guilty of the murder of Prince Lucerys Velaryon and are found guilty of the slaying of Princess Rhaenys Targaryen at the Battle of Rook’s Rest.”
She seems to derive no joy delivering the following statement, Rhaenyra’s features twisted in a grimace as she forces out each word. “Crown Princess Daella Targaryen, you are found guilty of abetting the murder of Prince Jaehaerys Targaryen.” Aegon gives no reaction to this declaration: his face is an impassive mask, with eyes that reflect nothing but the cold steel of the throne he once occupied.
“As kin—and Heirs Apparent—of both regents, you had acted under the aegis of your monarchs. In light of this knowledge, you are both spared the penalty of death.” She hears a scoff from her right, the sound softer than Daella would have expected her uncle.
“At this juncture, I will take the sword over these onerous proceedings, Your Grace,” he says, causing Daemon’s face to twitch in anger as the older man reaches for Dark Sister, the King Consort's fingers curling around the hilt.
Daella expects the Dowager Queen to reprimand her son for his lack of courtesy, but the woman has no words to offer, only a tear-stained face and a stricken countenance as Alicent Hightower clutches onto her daughter’s arm for dear life. Rhaenyra too does not rise to the bait as she resumes pronouncing her judgment, albeit with a look that suggests that the Queen has pulled the short straw.
“However, measures must be taken to dole out appropriate punishment and after much discussion, Prince Aegon and I have come to an agreement on the terms of your sentences. The two of you are to be exiled to Dragonstone for the indeterminate future.”
At first blush, one would consider being sent home a generous trade in her favor, but Daella knows better.
“In order for the Princess of Dragonstone to appropriately carry out her duties as Heir and gaoler to the kinslayer, she shall be barred from leaving the island unless explicitly requested by the Crown.” Gaoler to the kinslayer, the words register, the implication sinking into her stomach like ice blocks from the North. “She will only be allowed to travel to the capital for periods requested by the Queen, exceeding no more than one week per duration, and she will not be allowed to reside in the city until her ascension as Queen Regent of the Seven Kingdoms.”
She’s being exiled for life.
It wouldn’t be that great a loss if it meant being able to see her siblings again, the pain of that impending separation a growing ache in her chest. It is the following part of sentencing that seems to cause Rhaenyra the most distress, and Daella wonders just what her mother has in store that could possibly make this worse.
“As a final form of punishment, both riders shall have to surrender their dragons, Baelon and Vhagar, to the Crown for a period of one year.” There is uproar from both condemned royals, Aemond’s eye flashing dangerously as Daella’s fists curl by her sides. But before either party can pass any comment they are both cut off, this time by her father.
“Vhagar was chief in killing both Prince Lucerys and Princess Rhaenys,” he points out, daring his nephew to give him an excuse to unleash violence. “And while it is clear that her connection with her rider runs deep, she is an old and highly volatile beast.”
“And since this is an unusually cruel punishment for any dragon and rider,” Rhaenyra adds, looking upon her firstborn with maternal sympathy, “it is only appropriate that Baelon be separated from his rider as well, for the role he has played in the initial attacks on Casterly Rock, Castamere and the Westerlands.”
“Those places were deserted castle holds!” Daella interjects, although she isn’t sure just quite what her plea will do to change her mother’s mind, who seems resolute in her ruling, much as it seems to grate on her. “Baelon killed no people, and he acted under my command.”
“He has slain thirteen people through collateral damage, and that toll would not have been incurred were you not in command of that dragon,” Aegon retorts, the scarred mass of flesh that is the left side of his face twitching in anger.
“Aemond and Vhagar burnt hundreds of men—ours and their own—at Rook’s Rest in combat, and knowingly burnt thousands of innocents at Sharp Point!” She fires back, clearly aggrieved by the injustice of it all. Why should Baelon have to suffer, when his crimes pale in comparison to those of the Queen of Dragons?
“Which is why he is being condemned to life in chains, and you still have your claim despite goading your father into murdering my little boy, you insolent girl,” Aegon hisses in return, his hands gripping the armrests of his wheelhouse until his knuckles turn white. She has no recourse to that statement, no way to discredit his claim.
And once the ire fades, she thinks that maybe this is what she actually deserves.
(users tagged are under the cut - like or reply to be tagged in future chapters!)
Keeping Up With The Targaryens, Episode 10: ...And We're Back!
After a misplaced joke by the crew led to Lord Bloodraven magically confiscating our recording equipment, the 'Keeping Up' team had to venture to a secluded cave to retrieve their tools, thus leading to our delay.
However, circumstances (and Lady Shiera) meant that junior PA Kevin had to be left behind as a toll payment - we'll miss you, Kevin.
Anyhow, onwards and upwards, where we meet the last of our rotating cast of characters - the lovely and talented Tanselle of Dorne!
game of thrones had one of the most insane shots and show twists with this and then just… ended like that.
because what they set up wasn’t just the bad guy gaining more power: they gave us a terrifying alternative, and a very good reason for why no targaryen ever took their dragon north of the wall.
they gave us an option that could fundamentally rewrite everything in the favour of the white walkers and showed why they were such an existential threat. because if they can take a literal dragon—a creature bound by magic and blood to a targaryen—and turn it into one of them, subject to the Night King's thrall, what chance do the humans have?
they also could have given us the ultimate deus ex machina.
viserion is now a wight. viserion is now a creature of ice. viserion is now susceptible to northern magic - specifically, a nifty little thing known as warging. and who out there has both a direwolf and the blood of the dragon?
jon being both a northerner and a targaryen — ice and fire — would have been a great way to execute his reveal not only as the prince who was promised, but also as aegon targaryen himself. and it would, in true jon snow fashion, be a reveal made only because the circumstances demanded him to play this hand.
imagine viserion at the final battle, laying waste to the human side with each exhale of icy fire. it all looks pretty bad - hopeless, even. except, for a brief second, the dragon stutters. just... stops in the air, as if paralysed by a greater force. neither side understands what is happening, but they cannot tear their eyes away. no one notices jon freezing in place too.
and then the dragon turns. his movements are halting at first, but he turns all the same. viserion, son of daenerys targaryen, cranes his long neck backwards towards his undead masters and lets out a giant plume of blue fire, an intervention not even the mother of dragons would have thought possible.
y'all, i'm a little wiped out - i had a great week, but god was it a BUSY one, so there's no guarantee of a new keeping up with the targaryens episode this weekend
however, there's also no guarantee that i won't be posting a new fanfic chapter or some other nonsense 👀
I think people forget that if Alicent had not pursued her ideals and installed Aegon to the throne then the result would have been the same—Rhaenyra would be compelled to kill him and his brothers to ensure her own rule and to minimize the chance of any uprising.
Show!Rhaenyra seems averse to the idea of killing her siblings to secure the throne, but the thing is, she would essentially have had to do it because it would pave the only way to legitimize her rule, as it were, and to hold it in place without any question. If all the challengers to the throne no longer existed, then no other rule would pose any threat to Rhaenyra, which means that her own reign would be secure.
Some might argue that “no, Rhaenyra wouldn’t have to kill her siblings if they’d sworn fealty to her and stayed put” but this is a foolish idea as per Westerosi/medieval standards because AS LONG AS ANY OTHER HEIRS WERE ALIVE there always was a threat to the current monarch’s reign. Anyone dissatisfied with Rhaenyra’s rule for any reason, big or small, could very easily inspire an uprising using the remaining Targaryen heirs as figureheads to pursue their own ideals. It is very important to me that people finally understand that, and eventually see the harsh reality that Alicent had to accept, and the necessity behind her decision to install Aegon to the throne. She knew that if she didn’t get to do it, then she might be risking his life and that of his siblings. So for Alicent and her sons, pursuing the throne was really the only available option, since they were, in fact, living in a patriarchal society, and they would never be viewed as anything LESS than pure-blooded, thoroughbred Targaryen heirs.
Making yet another parallel with Alicent and Margaret Beaufort: history proved that any living heir is dangerous to the rule of a rather new and controversial monarch, which is what both Henry VII and Rhaenyra are. Henry VII because he is a Tudor—Lancastrian heir instead of a York, and Rhaenyra because she’s a woman instead of a man in a patriarchal society. Therefore, for Rhaenyra to stay in power and secure it, she would have to eliminate all other possible heirs. Only then would the realm accept Rhaenyra as their rightful Targaryen ruler, as they finally accepted Henry VII as the unifier of the two houses when all the York heirs (along with their pretenders) were dead and buried.
the only way this could have ever been averted was if rhaenyra had daughter(s) of similar age to aegon and aemond, since marriage would make them political prisoners and also appease otto.
a/n: I will be doing this by House! Also, yes it doesn't make sense timeline wise but think of each as an alternate universe ✧˚ ༘ ⋆｡♡˚
𝑯𝑶𝑼𝑺𝑬 𝑻𝑨𝑹𝑮𝑨𝑹𝒀𝑬𝑵
𝑫𝒂𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒔 | 𝑴𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒇 𝑫𝒓𝒂𝒈𝒐𝒏𝒔
・She did as she promised and liberated Westeros.
・No Mad Queen, but sacrifices were made. However, all three of her dragons survived.
・The Long Night was vanquished because Dany was The Prince Who Was Promised.
・In a turn of events, Viserion was not a male dragon. Dany didn't have three sons... she had two and a daughter!
・Viserion laid her clutch of eggs not far from Dany as she wanted her to be the first person to see them.
・Her clutch of eggs produced three beautiful dragons; the biggest was a deep blue with flecks of gold and bronze. The second was a gorgeous pink egg with light orange accents and the last was purple with pearlescent swirling details.
・Dany became a grandmother and as soon as she saw them hatch, she cried.
・Barely anyone was allowed to see the dragonlings; even though she had risen to power, she still felt the eyes of enemies on her back. Many would love to hurt these new dragons.
・Dany still did not have a pregnancy that came to full term; so her dragons were truly her legacy, with Viserion keeping the magic back in the world.
・The hatching of these new eggs made the realm respect her even more.
・She didn't have a traditional way of ruling; yes she had councilors, and a small council.
・But the wealth was distributed equally. With smallfolk able to have jobs and acquire ones that usually only nobles had.
・Speaking of small councils, she had two of her closest bloodriders, Greyworm, Missendai (yes she is alive, well and thriving), Ellaria Sand and Samwell Tarly (Gilly and their son live in the Red Keep).
・As Dany could not have biological human children of her own, she basically saw every child/orphan as her own, in some way or another. She saw herself in them. Her childhood of always on the run, dirty clothes, knotted hair, clasping her brother's hand.
・She didn't want that for any child.
・So Dany spent a lot of her time building safe houses, schools, places where children could go and feel seen, heard and feel protected.
・A different Westeros was forming and many did not like that. Uprisings were frequent. Always from the Faith of the Seven & the old nobles.
・But every time they were stopped. However, those that repeated were thrown into prison (and therefore used to create new buildings) or were put to death.
(P.s., Ellaria Sand is her book self, not her show self because they are entirely different. Some events from the show never happened because it made no sense for Dany to wait so long to break the wheel.)
𝑹𝒉𝒂𝒆𝒏𝒚𝒓𝒂 | 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑸𝒖𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒐𝒇 𝑫𝒓𝒂𝒈𝒐𝒏𝒔
・She won against her brother and sat the Iron Throne with a tired heart. Rhaenyra lost a lot more than she could handle and her days were spent fighting off her grief.
・That did not stop her from being the best queen she could be.
・Her energy was given to the people, to the dragons and to the restructure of House Targaryen.
・Since the Greens had nearly torn what it was to be a Targaryen, Rhaenyra had a lot to do. So, she depended on those who were loyal to her. Baela, Addam, Corlys, etc.
・Oh, and not to forget Syrax.
・Syrax kept a lot of people in check when they came to court.
・As the dragon pit was partially destroyed (the dragons were okay though, they survived, help came just in time!) the living dragons now roamed to find a proper place to live. Dragonstone became a lot more populated.
・The love of the dragons would be reintroduced. One way she would do that, would be to reinstate the idolisation of the dragons. I.e., basically showing off the dragons.
・So, more royal processions atop dragons.
・As a skilled dragonrider herself, Rhaenyra may have placed greater emphasis on the role of dragons and their riders in the defense and governance of the realm.
・It would not always be easy. Especially with the fact that Rhaenyra's rise to power involved the killing of her own nephew, Aegon II. This would cast a long shadow over her reign and create lingering resentment among some factions.
・But through the influence of Mysaria, the smallfolk and those less fortunate would definitely be focused on. No more fighting pits! (Let's remember that Aegon frequented them...)
・Additionally, through Rhaenyra's victory, there would be a shift in the balance of power among the noble houses. For example; The Hightowers, who backed Aegon II, might have lost influence, while the Velaryons and other supporters of Rhaenyra might have gained prominence. This is all up in the air however, as Rhaenyra did have a forgiving heart... (I mean, before all the war...)
・What I know to be true, is that Rhaenyra would have maintained a strong dragon presence in King's Landing. Positively - this would have deterred potential threats and rebellions. And also led to a more prominent role for the dragonriders in the governance of the realm.
𝑹𝒉𝒂𝒆𝒏𝒚𝒔 | 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑸𝒖𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝑾𝒉𝒐 𝑾𝒂𝒔
・Is in history books as one of the best rulers
・Balanced, open-minded and level-headed; Rhaenys didn't need a council - she was one all on her own.
・She grew up never thinking she would rule; so she was quiet and watched everyone's moves
・The Sea Snake was a brilliant King-Consort, still the leader of Driftmark
・Meleys was truly The Red Queen; her own horns and spikes resembled Rhaenys' crown and when they were together, they were utterly breathtaking
・As said before with the others, with Rhaenys and her dragon, Meleys, in a position of power, the presence of dragons would have been more pronounced in the governance of the realm. This could have deterred potential rebellions and solidified her authority
・A lot of her reign would reflect her own grandmother's - The Good Queen Alysanne. 100% Rhaenys would continue with the women's councils.
・The women of Westeros would be given opportunities. I think Rhaenys would take a lot of inspiration from Dorne. And how women were equal to men, because why the hell not?
・And as a dragon rider, who was going to tell her no? Meleys was definitely not about to let anyone defy her either.
・However, one of her greatest allies was the North.
・And due to the North's historical resistance to female leadership, her ability to assert authority and govern effectively would sway Northern lords to reconsider their biases against women on the throne.
・So, by demonstrating strong leadership, it fostered greater acceptance of her rule among Northern houses, and increased their loyalty.
・This is only one example of how she got herself written in the history books.
𝑩𝒂𝒆𝒍𝒂 | 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑸𝒖𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒌𝒊𝒆𝒔
・Known for her bravery and strong character, Baela brought a fresh perspective to the Iron Throne. She prioritized unity among tTeam Black and Team Green and those that chose between Rhaenyra and Aegon.
・Baela addressed the grievances from various houses and the common folk alike - making a more equitable society.
・Jace's death was a great grief. As was ... basically all her family. It was quickly pushed forward that she needed to marry.
・Baela shut that shit down quick.
・She swore that if she were to marry, she would choose who and when.
・The scars left by the civil war were still fresh in the minds of many houses. Those that aligned with the Greens, sought to undermine Baela's rule, viewing her as a representative of the Blacks. This historical animosity had led to plots and conspiracies aimed at destabilizing her reign
・But it is mainly through the dragons that Baela remained in control. As charming, bold and brave Baela can be, Moondancer ... reinforced people's loyalty. With the death of the majority of Team Green as well as their dragons, there was only other Houses to oppose her.
・She was also known as 'Our Queen of the Skies'. And after ruling for more than 20 years, the people saw Baela as a goddess.
・Some say she was part dragon herself, with how much she was in the air, flying on Moondancer (who many, many children adored.)
・Many rumors grew which made Baela seem impossibly mysterious
・It made the people respect her; and therefore they listened to what she had to say.
・Even the others in court grew to respect her.
・Baela, much like Alysanne, had a ladies court in which she listened to the problems they had.
・Spare food was always given to the smallfolk, unlike other rulers who gave it to the dogs or horses.
・Baela's approach to governance altered the trajectories of other key figures in the realm
・Her leadership focused on healing the divisions within the realm, strengthening alliances, and leveraging the power of dragons to maintain peace and order.
𝑹𝒉𝒂𝒆𝒏𝒂 | 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑷𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆'𝒔 𝑸𝒖𝒆𝒆𝒏
・Yes! her name reflects Princess Diana's real life title, 'The People's Princess'!
・Her reign would be known as one of peace.
・Well, not only peace, but a unique one as well.
・Rhaena addressed the grievances of the common folk and fostered goodwill among the people of both regions through fair governance and an empathic approach.
・The People's Queen shocked many, many people with how strategic she showed herself to be.
・She did this by navigating the political landscape and carefully addressing the concerns of powerful houses in both the North and the South which led to stability.
・Used her access to dragons as a symbol of authority and a powerful military asset to deter rebellion and reinforce her position.
・Rhaena's dragon Morning, hatched during the Dance of the Dragons and kept growing
・She was a very friendly dragon - similar to Silverwing, and didn't mind being paraded around
・Her experience with the devastation of the Dance of the Dragons, made Rhaena prioritize healing the rifts within the realm.
・Rhaena had strong ties to both the dragonriders and the great naval power of House Velaryon. This continued an emphasis on the Targaryen dominance of the skies, and the Velaryon's dominance on the seas.
・Rhaena's reign ushered in a cultural renaissance. The People's Queen promoted the arts, literature, and education. Her leadership style encouraged creativity and innovation, reflecting a more progressive and enlightened era in Westeros.
on one hand, i do think that having meleys killing so many small folk at aegon ii’s coronation and then having them say that it’s an ill omen to parade meleys’ head around is quite contradictory. on the other hand, not everything is so black and white or without it’s complexities.
imagine growing up in king’s landing. every time a shadow looms over you, you look up to find meleys patrolling the skies and keeping you safe. from a child watching with wonder at the skies above to an adult who has grown used to dragons flying to and from the dragon pit.
the small folk don’t experience the intimacy or familiarity that we as the audience do with the dragons. to them, dragons are a living tale plucked from myths and ancient stories. there is nothing in the world that is in anyway comparable to dragons, and the terror and magnificence surrounding them essentially ends up deifying them.
now imagine you’re one of the small folk being ushered to witness aegon ii’s coronation. time and time again during viserys’ reign you’re told that rhaenyra is the heir to throne, yet it’s aegon being crowned before you. and all of a sudden, a dragon bursts through the floor in front of you. yes, hundreds die, but the gods have now spoken.
i do believe that rhaenys’ killing of so many smallfolk should have had more direct consequences in relation to her, but it also does reinforce the horror behind the parading of meleys’ head. they know the small-scale destruction and death that dragons can bring, and now they witness something so revered being mockingly made a spectacle of, now believing that rhaenyra (and the multitude of dragons on her side) will not let this treachery go unanswered nor unpunished.
that last part!! i wonder if the small folk saw that head and thought “the gods will punish the greens for their sins and by extension, us, because we were there” and then being starved and growing sick, only to be saved by rhaenyra’s supplies.
i can only imagine how much that reinforced the myth of dragons being gods to some, and how that might have made the sacking of kings landing all the easier.
then again, i wonder how many of them, like hugh, had the veil lift from their eyes completely.
