The character I have the most problems with in this Green versus Black conflict is Viserys. Of course, there’s the facts that if he didn’t order the mutilation and death of his first wife Aemma to rip a baby out of her and if he didn’t marry a teenage girl and then treat her like a baby-making machine, there wouldn’t have been any ‘’challenge’’ to Rhaenyra’s claim and there wouldn’t have been any foundation laid for this conflict. However, moving past all of that, there’s also the facts that he simply does not follow through on anything he does. After overlooking Rhaenyra for a decade and a half, he decides to make her heir, which to be fair, isn’t a problem in and of itself. However, the reality is that she hasn’t been groomed for the position and he makes zero efforts to provide her with the resources, proper education, training, teachers and political lessons in order to ensure that she’s equipped for the position. Despite being in the position himself, he doesn’t even take her under his wing to prepare her to properly navigate the royal court, let alone handle the throne. He just lets her run around and do whatever regardless of the consequences, which, quite honestly, would have not been a problem, if he didn’t make her next-in-line to the most powerful position in the seven kingdoms without doing anything to set her up for success.
Even in regards to the succession laws, Viserys’ lack of commitment to his actions shows itself in how he chooses to ignore them to allow himself this one ‘’exception’’ to them. If he really wanted Rhaenyra to take power in this rigid patriarchal society, he would have needed to spend the last decade and a half of his life facing these laws and the conservative political climate of Westeros (or at the very least, of King’s Landing) head-on in order to create an environment that would properly accept a woman as the rightful heir without any loud contestation. His own people are creating whole plays to the population about how Rhaenyra isn’t the ‘’rightful’’ heir because she lacks ‘’male parts’’ and people are showing up to celebrations and parties assuming and talking about how Aegon II will be heir, and he’s simply not doing anything of note about this culture that’s undermining his decision and his heir. He may not directly face consequences for this neglect to act, but his heir will.
Anyhow, going back to this ‘’challenge’’ to Rhaenyra’s claim, it’s important to highlight that the reality is that Alicent was an non-consenting participant to their sexual activities but due to living in a culture and society that doesn’t give her much of a choice, she had to endure it. On the other hand, Viserys initiated it over and over again and yet it’s only Alicent who ends up taking responsibility for the children that come out of it. If Viserys wanted to foster a positive environment between these children (that could potentially challenge and oppose his desired heir) and Rhaenyra and her children and if this man wanted them to navigate life and society the way he expected them to, all he had to do was actually raise them. Simply take care of his children. Instead, he was so neglectful and inactive in raising his children that they spent practically every day walking around wearing Hightower green, representing rebellion against the crown and his wishes.
Viserys could have guided Aegon II towards strongly desiring another position/career and basically fight against Alicent’s efforts. He could have cultivated certain values and ideals that would promote unity and cooperation with the rest of the family. He could have made sure his children wore Targaryen black and red and brought these two sides of his families together himself if he willed it. However, he did nothing for the children he decided to have. He emotionally neglected them and naturally enough, their path in life ended up not intersecting at all with his vision or wishes, and instead ended up tied to the vision and wishes of their mother as she actually raised them and actively spends time with them. Though again, considering Viserys wants Rhaenyra to be the uncontested heir to the throne, it’s quite imbecilic of Viserys to not step up as a parent and instead let the only major parental influences in his other children’s lives be the person who has waged war against the crown, and the people working under her. Viserys could have been a far stronger influence on them (considering how he’s the one with the most power) than anyone else and could have guided them towards the path he wanted if he had just committed. Try to blame others all you want and throw pity-parties about how Viserys only wants everyone to be cordial and peaceful but at the end of the day, this conflict started and only was possible due to him murdering his wife and grooming a teenage girl. Not only that but he also could and should have prevented the conflict from escalating on many levels and in so many ways but instead, he did nothing. Now, he’s reaping what he sowed but didn’t nurture, and I have zero sympathy for him in regards to that.
