Everyone sleeping on Helaena and Alicent (Helaecent? Alina?). It’s okay, I’ll run this ship alone if I must. Like even if there’s not a ton of interactions I still think Alicent is the character Helaena interacts with the most (and Helaena and Aemond don’t even really interact so we’re all working on what little we’re given anyway). Just cause Helaena is touch averse doesn’t mean she can’t have semi-romantic co-dependent mommy issues as well. I’m just saying I could totally see Helaena ending up kind of treating Alicent as a husband to seek comfort and protection in and to help raise her children, especially as the war goes on. Alicent being a wifely figure to Aemond while being a husbandly figure to Helaena. And being both to Aegon. Always happy to add more gender dynamic fuckery to this gang
With the popularity of Shadow & Bone, we'd just be inviting trouble if we named this ship alina, so helicent it is. 👽 It's true I haven't seen much discussion on this either, it truly is the neglected pair of the greencest circles. Much harder to conceptualize motherdaughter, perhaps bc it's so rare and avoided in media/fiction in general? The only remotely related example I can think of is Adora/Amma from Sharp Objects (man, I really want to watch that miniseries again).
LOVE your idea of Alicent fulfilling all the freaking familial roles for her kids, regardless of gender. 🤑 (<- moneyshot idea) Alicent in some ways is symbolically replacing herself with her own daughter? How many people give birth to both the future king and his future queen?) So there can be some mother-devouring mind-fuckery there. Helaena could also remind Alicent of Rhaenyra, although their personalities couldn't be more different, but maybe she looks like the daughter they could have had if nature allowed it? Or if Alicent were a Targaryen herself.
