#aemond analysis

[mejcinta]

Hold up. This theory CLEARS.

Why did I never think of the relationship between Larys and Alys leading to a Aemond and Aegon link up?

[evespearl]

Thoughts on Aemond's sexuality in s2 of House of the Dragon

I want to briefly touch on how I've understood Aemond's sexuality in HotD, and what I think it reveals about his character and his relationship to women.

To me, Aemond exemplifies a man who feels compelled to perform masculinity and heterosexuality in ways that subjugate women while seeing them as inherently inferior — for example, his visits to the brothel on the Street of Silk and his remark to Aegon that "one whore is as good as another."

When you observe Aemond in the brothel scenes, it's clear he isn’t entirely comfortable, nor does he behave in a way one might expect from a man of his status, who could, essentially, have any woman he wanted without much difficulty. Not only is he uncomfortable, but when Aegon and his friends (other men) arrive, Aemond puts up a front: he schools his features, acts unaffected, and leaves without dressing, as if nudity is the most comfortable state for him — which I doubt it is, considering he even conceals his scar beneath an eyepatch.

By contrast, when Aemond is in the company of women such as Alicent, Helaena, or even the brothel madame, he doesn’t perform in a similar way. His dismissal of Alicent is undoubtedly a show of male power, but as soon as she touches his face, we see his facade crumble.

Aegon's masculinity in relation to Aemond's is amplified by the fact that he is his older brother and bully, which adds layers to their already problematic and unbalanced dynamic. The fact that Aemond alters his behaviour so much around Aegon is, at once, sad, strange, and comical to the viewer — though less so when you consider its darker implications.

I believe season 2 tries to portray how Aemond was left sexually traumatised by his childhood experience, when Aegon made him visit the brothel. I don't think he returns to the madame for sexual gratification; rather, he seeks intimacy and human connection, which he clearly cannot find at home. Being male, wealthy, and royal makes him feel justified to pay a woman to entertain his self-wallowing, though the madame really couldn't care less for his company. He is extremely lonely and emotionally repressed, which makes him unable to see how dishonest the whole arrangement is from the madame's part. All this makes him an interesting, if tragic, portrayal of a privileged medieval man.

And before anyone argues that Alicent should have "loved Aemond more so he wouldn’t have had to seek affection elsewhere" — that is simply blaming a woman for a man's actions and disregarding the fact that Westeros is a patriarchal society that enables men (especially wealthy men) to feel entitled to use women. Alicent did not create that system. She is Aemond's mother, but she is also a victim of the very same society her sons benefit from.

Ultimately, every man who pays women for sexual services chooses to do so — though that choice was likely not Aemond's to make as a child. S2 showcases how this toxic masculinity has influenced Aemond in ways that make him performative around other men, patronising toward the women of his family, and exploitative toward women of lower social and economic status.

[fan-goddess]

MY ANALYSIS OF THE SCENE BELOW

Gif and photo credit goes to @barbieaemond

A/N: First of all! I want to say these are personal opinions and ideas I have come up with and discussed further on! None of the things I will say are confirmed! I am merely speculating and debating theories! The start is less on topic but it gets more focused the more I talk.

I didn’t want to bother users by directly tagging but there users are there and in some cases links to their posts are added in bold. I also bolded certain quotes.

Okay, first of all I want to discuss the words they had playing when they showed this scene before we look into the scene itself. When listening to the voiceover I couldn't tell who it was who was saying the quote, but after putting on the captions I found its Larys Strong which is interesting given his character is pretty much the master of whispers. He's the man who knows everything on everyone the man behind the curtains as shown in season 1 when he manipulated Alicent to make her believe she was responsible for Harrenhals fire and therefore make her guilty enough for her to feel the need to keep Larys in kingslanding where hes at his most powerful. Why go back to Harrenhal and trust his birdies to bring him the information while he sits back when he can do the dirty work himself? That is a key aspect of his character which is why it makes the quote so noteworthy.

The quote itself though is this: The enemy without may be fought with swords. The enemy within is more insidious. Even the use of camera shots which are placed while he's saying that have meaning, as when he says the enemy without its showing Rhaenyra who has lost her daughter, her son, her crown and her throne. And when he says may be fought with swords Aegon shows to be possibly mourning the loss of Jaehaerys, and it's known that after finding out about blood and cheese Aegon went on a rampage killing all ratcatchers in the city. This is showing the shots they’re showing in this line have meaning, meaning we need to take into consideration the scenes/words they show next.

The shot saying The enemy within shows Daemon walking down in a dimly torch lit tunnel somewhere underground with no real indication of where he is. Perhaps they'll play around with blood and cheese by having Daemon come with them to show them the tunnels needed to get to Helaenas chambers, but that would not make sense as it's been highly discussed how Dyana (A maid shown in season 1 who had been a victim of Aegon) would be a part of season 2 for a few episodes, so its much more likely she'll be the one guiding blood and cheese to Helaenas chambers. Though I must say I feel Dyana will most likely be punished and killed for this as she has affectively been part of a plot to kill the innocent son of Helaena. I suspect her guilt will show, and maybe Alicent or maybe even Aegon himself can see that she knows something and questions her, leading to Dyanas confession and death.

Though the scene with Aemond as Larys says is more insidious, that is what caught my eye and no doubt brought you here. We can still that the whole line as part of the reasoning for the use of that scene, as I have discussed with @/anjelicawrites and we have thought of the possibility on this being Aemond crumbling down from his usual, "Tis I the younger brother who studies history and philosophy, it is I who trains with the sword, who rides the largest dragon in the world. It is I who should be-" This is a new side of Aemond. A version of him which we beleive is him finally directly suffering for his actions in the war, AKA killing Luke and indirectly causing the death of Jaehaerys. He looks as though he is becoming something that even he said he would never become as he even says to Criston, as Anjelica mentioned to me, that the two of them were people with morals. It's honestly quite an interesting take as by having the usually stoic Aemond break down in front of this woman, the identity of whom I will talk further on later, shows even he is not safe and that no one is truly immune to the grief of war and that sacrifices must be made by all.

Now we do not know the setting in where the photo takes place but if this truly is a brothel then maybe Aemond went back to the place which truly psychologically hurt him in order to enact punishment on himself, as what punishment can really be done after what Aemond has had to go through. Torture is not an option especially since he's already had to suffer through the major damages of loosing an eye which has already permanently damaged not only Aemonds vision but his whole nervous system. There is a post where a lovely individual goes through the medical side of Aemonds injury which I shall link here for those who would like to take a further look. Going to the brothels as well could be a sign of him becoming what he hates most of all. Aegon. Aegon has always been Aemonds biggest jealousy as he has everything Aemond wants. Aegon has the title of first born son, two eyes, a valyrian wife, heirs, even an actual inheritance and yet he throws it all alway and very easily wanted to when Aegon tried to convince Aemond to allow him to board that boat to wherever he was planning to run off too (Probably Lys when you think about all the people there who have silver hair and the violet eyes.) To see Aemond slowly develop into Aegon would be almost strangely poetic to see as he becomes the epitome of what he hates and wanted most, especially when its just the worst side of Aegon he becomes and not the good parts.

Now onto the context of the scene! The way Aemond is laid on the women suggests intimacy, as he has his hair put down naturally, has his sapphire eye on pure display, and most noticeably of all is naked as the day he was born. He also has his back to the person, which to him especially given his lack of vision on his left side, means he trusts them enough to be vulnerable. People are heavily implying that Aemond is in a brothel, but when you think about how Aemond reacted to the brothel owner in the first season, who it turned out to be the woman who SA'd 10 year old him, I do not believe he would go back there willingly with that much sense of vulnerability around those sort of people. But when you think about the idea of him going back there to punish himself for his misdeeds then it cannot be ruled out as a possibility. Though someone mentioned it didn't seem right how Aemond was the one in the nude while the woman he is laying his head on is still fully dressed, which is certainly odd especially when you remember that when we got a first glimpse of the whores they pretty much walked around the room stark naked with very little clothing. Perhaps Aemond walked in with her naked and demanded she dress in clothing that was either laying about or even brought her clothes for her to wear (possibly Helaenas or even his mothers) we will not know until we watch the scene on screen.

When discussing the position Aemond is in with the woman too like I said earlier defenitely gives an idea on intimacy, possibly bordering on motherly. We know that when Aemond returns from storms end and tells his family of what he had done, 'Queen alicent went pale when she heard what he had done, crying "mother have mercy on us all." nor was ser otto pleased. "you only lost one eye" he is reported to have said. "how could you be so blind?" In the books it is said that since Aemond did kill Luke with intention to kill, he was expecting to revieve pretty much a heroes welcome. But since they changed that and make Lukes death accidently Aemond will no doubt go back to kingslanding feeling grief and regret, with maybe some happiness that he finally in his own way got revenge back for Luke taking his eye. Going back to the almost motherly seeming position he is in, I suggested that perhaps Aemond went to the brothel for a sort of motherly comfort for what he has done as Alicent almost certainly will not be giving it to him for what he has done. Perhaps he went there to get comfort from women but not in a sexual way but in an emotional way so he can feel less at fault for what he has done, even when the physical reminder haunts him daily.

Some people have suggested this to be Alicent who he is with, and whilst that makes sense given the intimacy of the position he's in it does not make much sense to me as why would he be naked with his mother. That to me is more of an Aegon move than an Aemond move. Though it was also brought up how she possibly came into his chambers at night whilst he sleeps nudes which very well could be a possibility so I've decided not to rule out that idea.

Another possible idea on who the woman is is the brothel lady from season 1 who I talked about earlier as being the one who SA’d Aemond when he was 10 years old. When looking at how other people have viewed the picture and came across a user named @/scaly-freaks who gave great insight on this topic which I shall leave a link for here. Firstly they mention how of course CSA is a sensitive topic, I want to mention that first. Though what they further talked about what how in some cases a victim can subconsciously find traits of their abusers in romantic partners (which thinking about it may be why he went for Alys given that she was a much older woman similarly to the brothel worker) or they can return to their abuser even at an older age. I won’t discuss these two points further as consideration for those who may feel triggered with this topic and so I will just say to click on the link for the post and read the rest there. Like I said about Alicent, I will not rule out this brothel woman as a possibility especially as it’s supposedly been confirm that she has filmed some nude scenes for season two. We do not know if she will be the woman in the scene, especially since in the picture the woman is seen wearing clothing, she may have filmed some general brothel scenes involving Aegon. I read another user @/lovelykhaleesiii theory about who the woman was and she said it was the brothel women and that it was her, as possibly Aegon may have taken him to the brothel to celebrate Luke’s death as we’re apparently getting scenes of Aegon at the whore house. This would make a lot of sense given the evidence shown and makes it a lot more believable as to why Aemond is in a brothel in the first place as like I had mentioned earlier it’s a more Aegon thing to do not really an Aemond act. Also a user named @/magnificentdelusionr has spoken out about how apparently the woman Aemond is with and the brothel lady share the same scar, so my belief in this being the woman has increased I’ll tell you that now. Though like I said, I will not rule her out as a possibility. The evidence for the brothel is bellow. I think this may be the most likely theory honestly given all the evidence that has been shown for her to be the one Aemond is with.

Now, this third possibility for who the woman is technically unknown as we do not know who she is. The actress from the scenes shown appears to be a dancer and the theory as it shows in the photo shown bellow is that she may have been sent by Mysaria as a distraction for Aemond. But looking at the scenes (pictures of which are shown in the twitter post down bellow) I don’t believe the scene in the top right is of Aemond and her, purely from the fact Aemond does not wear rings and the fact it looks very similar to Daemons ring. Furthermore the woman looks as though to be a younger Aemma purely from her face shape so that is why I’ve decided to rule out this theory. I will admit that it’s a high possibility that Aemond would be seduced by a dragonseed, as in my mind Aemond wants tradition of his culture. If he could’ve he would’ve married Helaena, as those are the ways of his people and the culture he cares for. He also, as was shown in the scene where Driftmarks inheritance was called into question, is seen to have a great admiration for Daemon who has married two women of Valyrian blood and has fathered technically 6 children (two of which did not survive past the womb). Aemond in my mind if the war never happened would’ve 100% been a sort of student under Daemons wing so in my mind it is not hard to imagine Aemond as wanting to mimic Daemon in his own way, that way being bedding a Valyrian woman. Yet even so when looking at the dragonseed people believe to be the woman Aemond was with I believe she plays a different part of season 2, my belief is that her role of season 2 is to be one of the dragonseeds team black or team green hunt down to try and recruit, as it was said team black went around Westeros finding anyone of dragon blood and offering them a chance of a dragon. So I do not think she is who Aemond is with.

Now the final idea on who the woman is is Alys Rivers. I have seen people freaking out over the idea of Alys changing her looks to seduce Daemon, and that is who we see in the scene shown at the top left of the twitter post screenshotted above. But that is not Alys style as there is honestly less of a chance she could get shit done with Daemon. What there is though is a chance she could use Aemond given he was younger, more naive and ultimately more emotional and needing an outlet she is happy to become to ensure her freedom. Though in context with the scene, when discussing the idea about Alys with @/anjelicawrites, she brought up the idea about Alys possibly visiting Aemond in a dream. This lead me to think about her doing this which would ultimately force Aemond to come to Harrenhal and fulfil his ‘duty’ of coming to Alys and giving her a son of pale hair. I spoke to her saying how I like the idea of Alys visiting Aemond in his dreams, as this would further the witch allegations. With the context of the scene though I believe she could put this image of a finally calm Aemond who is finally at peace with himself in his mind and make him crave that part of himself. This would ultimately force him to come to Harrenhal in the future. One thing I do want to bring up is this connection that was brought to my attention by user @/boundlessfantasy. They made the connection about Alys possibility being the woman holding Aemond in a dream since Ewan said in the interview with TGC where they discussed three scenes from season 1, that the process of killing Luke haunts his dreams possibly hinting at a dream aspect of the season. This may end up being just a sarcastic comment, but if this actually a hidden Easter egg then I must applaud Ewan for being so sneaky. There is a screenshot of the interview down bellow with the line also a link to the interview here.

We cannot see the woman’s face therefore we cannot be sure on this woman’s identity, but out of these four main theories on the woman’s identity I think this is most strongest in my opinion. Though us could very well be some random women we’ve never seen in the series before so I very much am not exoecting my theories or anyone else’s to be particularly right. I accept them all (pretty much) but am expecting pretty much for the unexpected.

Some other theories though I would like to take into consideration is the idea it’s Helaena in the picture. I do like that idea as it brings further this idea of Helaemond, a ship I do enjoy personally, especially as they hinted at the idea that Aemond was the father of Helaenas children. The clothing the woman is wearing by the looks of it does seem to be a similar shade of blue that Helaena is usually seen wearing, and there are seem similarities in the hands (this idea was brought to my attention by @/lady-phasma who has talked on this idea on their account) Though I do suggest you click on the photos bellow to see them much more up close as then it’ll be a clearer image. Helaena and Aemond have been shown to be close together so it’s no surprise if he’d want to break down and show weakness with her. It’s a very intimate position as his back is to her showing he in his own way trusts the woman, making it believable this woman could be Helaena. I haven’t made this a main theory as there are some more compelling evidence for the other cases but still I will say this theory is quite strong especially when looking at other theories like the idea the woman is Alicent.

And the final theory on who the person is which I would like to take into consideration is that the person Aemond is with is Aegon. Now I’m sorry to have to break it to the Aegmond shippers but I do believe out of all these 6 theories I’ve talked about this one is least likely. For one it’s clearly a woman who Aemond is with, given the way the body is shaped, even when we cannot see her breasts. I will admit I have seen people though speculating it’s Aegon which is why I’ve decided to mention it and discuss it. One user named @/cyeco13 has done some incredible art of what it would look like if Aegon was the person Aemond was with and I shall link it here for those who wish to go see it (I do recommend it!)

Okay, out of the six Ive decided to rank those that I believe are most believable to be the woman!

1) The brothel madam

2) Helaena + Alys (as I’m tied with these theories not gonna lie)

3) Alicent

4) The unnamed dancing dragonseed woman in the trailer

5) Aegon

This is all I really can say on the matter as there are constant new theories daily and sad to say I cannot directly talk about them all. Still send me your favourite theories I am interested in hearing and if people would like debating them with me.

[evespearl]

How do you think Aemond and Cordelia would approach parenthood? What would be the similarities and differences in their parenting styles?

If they had a son/daughter who did not abide by traditional masculine/feminine gender roles, how would each of them react? Tbh while Aemond yearns for fatherhood often, I don't feel the same with Cordelia. Like motherhood for her is just something inevitable (because it often is for noble ladies) rather than a desire.

Love green tides btw!

Thank you so much, these are great questions!! I’m sorry my response is so long haha, but I loved answering them.

So, as you said, motherhood isn't something Cordelia longs for; rather, it is an expectation placed on her and women more broadly. Because she was the youngest in her family and never had to be around babies, she's a bit awkward around children.

Although she doesn't dream about parenthood, I think having children (daughters especially) could be healing for her. Of course, children shouldn’t be expected to heal a parent's childhood trauma, and that’s not what Cordelia is seeking, but I think a daughter would allow her to rebuild the kind of mother-daughter relationship she lost at nineteen. It's also kind of why Aemond wants to be a father — because he wants to be the father Viserys never was.

While Cordelia doesn’t fantasise about motherhood, she understands her duty to secure her husband's bloodline. So, she's not going to protest, because the expectation was grilled into her from a very early age.

In comparison, Aemond’s desire to become a father reflects a very traditional, male craving for legacy. He wants a large family, which he mentions in I think ch 33 and again in ch 36. Unlike a lot of Westerosi men, however, I think GT Aemond wouldn't be completely blind to the struggles of childbearing, as he cares for Cordelia. But his longing for "many children" nonetheless reflects the reality that he isn't the one expected to do the physical and emotional work that comes with pregnancy, childbirth, et cetera.

When it comes to parenting styles, I think Aemond and Cordelia would have their own roles within a somewhat traditional family structure that would not overlap very much.

Aemond is definitely a girl dad. He wants daughters, and he wants to be a father they can look up to. Because I headcanon that he admires Visenya, I think he would want his daughters to learn at least some martial arts, strategy, and warfare.

Targaryen female dragonriders possess significantly more military power than non-Targaryen men. That gives them a level of autonomy that women like Alicent or Cordelia lack. Since Aemond is a Valyrian blood supremacist (let’s be real lmfao), he would want his daughters to embody Visenya or Rhaenys-like ideals. The Conqueror sisters were very different (Visenya being traditionally more ”masculine” and Rhaenys more "feminine"), but both were powerful. That's what Aemond wants: daughters who will uphold the dynasty by any means.

That said, Aemond is no feminist lol. He supports male primogeniture; I have no reason to believe otherwise given his blatant misogyny in F&B and how he treats women in HotD. So, although he wants his daughters to be competent, his sons are the ones expected to rule.

Aemond would be the strictest on his oldest son and heir. He wouldn’t tolerate a son like Aegon at all, nor would he tolerate incompetence in general. This is because I believe he'd view his children as an extension of himself, which means he’d expect them to excel.

If a younger son (not the heir or the spare) displayed ”feminine” traits (like being nurturing or not wanting to learn swordfighting) Aemond would probably be like, ”Alright, you can do that, as long as you make yourself useful somehow." He'd allow some leeway there simply because the younger children aren't as politically important. But his oldest sons... yeah, they would have to become proficient in a traditionally ”masculine” way: combat, politics, strategy, and what have you.

Cordelia… honestly I don’t think she’d want incompetent sons either, but she would focus more on her daughters. Since she was left out of important conversations as a child, she would want her daughters to be more prepared and independent. If a daughter wanted to learn how to wield a sword, for example, Cordelia would allow it and perhaps even encourage it. Conversely, if a son was gentle or ”feminine” in some other way, she would view it as a good thing, because she’s been around plenty of hyper-masculine men (*cough* Medrick, Aemond) and knows they aren't always the happiest.

However, Cordelia would largely leave her sons’ education to Aemond. If they had disagreements (like if she thought he was being too harsh) she would voice her opinion privately, but she wouldn't necessarily oppose him. He is the patriarch, after all (help).

Cordelia largely subscribes to traditional gender roles due to her conservative upbringing. By modern standards she's conservative, though by Westerosi standards she's ordinary. The Faith of the Seven, which is kind of her moral compass, centres on a seven-faced god divided into three masculine and three feminine faces (plus the genderless Stranger). The female roles (Maiden, Mother, Crone) are very much tied to children and family, while the male roles (Father, Smith, Warrior) are more about profession and protection, I guess. So, she would expect her daughters to become mothers and her sons to become strong and proficient.

So, would Aemond and Cordelia accept some flexibility in gender roles? Yes, but only to a degree, and it would depend on the child's position in the line of succession.

Faith, culture, and tradition would clash quite a bit in Aemond and Cordelia’s case. They come from different cultural backgrounds, after all (northern/Reach/riverlands vs. Valyrian/Reach/crownlands), and have different mother tongues. Plus, Targaryens practice sibling incest... but I will not poke that beehive today lol.

Cordelia is religious, so I think she'd want to instill the Faith into her children. She'd be disappointed if they didn't want to learn the scripture or go to the sept with her. However, because she'd be married to a non-religious Targaryen, she'd have to make compromises. I don’t think Aemond would personally care about his children’s religious beliefs, but he needs the institution of the Faith on his side, so he would teach his children to maintain good relations with Oldtown and the High Septon to prevent another religious uprising.

Language-wise, Aemond would definitely speak High Valyrian with his children. He wants to keep the language alive and continue whatever Valyrian traditions he upholds. Cordelia isn't super tied to northern customs, and is a bit more culturally southern (the Manderlys value knighthood and the Seven), so she wouldn't feel the need to raise her children as "northerners". In fact, I believe she would want them to be as culturally Valyrian as possible... hm. Perhaps we'll get into that more later!

Thank you so much for the ask! <33

[mejcinta]

I'm so ready for Prince Regent Aemond's 'Reign of Terror' (not to me, it ain't, ok?? 🔥🔥) starting from ep 5.

I'm certain that Aegon hangs the ratcatchers in ep 3 going by the Flea Bottom Gold Cloak raid leak, though.

Can't wait for the boys to wreck havoc. Unstable kings!!

[mejcinta]

We see him confront Alicent in this episode and basically accuse her of having too much compassion. Does Aemond see her as an enemy? Is there any affection remaining?

"I think there is. One of the main motivations I’ve played from the beginning of Season 2 was this idea that he wants his mum. In every scene I played with Olivia Cooke, who plays Alicent, I always envisioned Aemond and Alicent sitting on a Dornish beach far from war. Aemond won it for them, and they’re just sipping on piña coladas during peacetime.

In Michael Mann’s Heat, [Robert] De Niro’s character has a line where he says, “Never get attached to a character you’re not prepared to walk out on in 30 seconds flat when you feel the heat around the corner.” It goes back to that line from Heat. What if Alicent is actually the kryptonite of that code? He found a surrogate maternal affection in the madam [in the pleasure house]. He found it in some way in Vhagar, this older she-dragon. But is that enough? He’s always craved for his mom’s affection. I think he’s heartbroken when he says “Would you not have us prevail?” and she says, “Not like this.”

That’s not part of Aemond's vision. When he sent Alicent away in Episode 6, he said, “Look, let me deal with the war. You just wait by the margins, and then when I’ve won this war, we can pick up and work on our relationship.” But the fact that she rebukes him at that moment in Episode 8, he’s heartbroken. It’s horrible for Aemond to comprehend that his mom isn’t on his side."

(Ewan Mitchell for Inverse on Aemond's affection for Alicent.)

[mejcinta]

We next see him talking about the smallfolk having to sacrifice for the war effort. What is Aemond sacrificing?

"It goes back to that moment when Helaena’s by the throne, Aemond’s just gazing up at it, and Helaena says, “Was it worth the price?” Ultimately, what he sacrificed is his humanity. It’s that theme that is so prevalent throughout our series: whether love trumps duty or duty trumps love. In Aemond’s eye, love is a weakness."

(Ewan Mitchell for Inverse on Aemond sacrificing his humanity for power.)

[mejcinta]

Aemond taking it upon himself to lead his faction because Aegon's severely unstable/suicidal from grief and Alicent seemingly hesitant to make the necessary hard moves. I kind of get him.