SOME UPDATED ASOIAF HCS AND BEYOND
SOME ALT ASOIAF FANCAST PICKS
OLDER AEGON III TARGARYEN
Here are headcanons for Damian Hardung embodying an adult, reigning King Aegon III:
👑 The Presence and Demeanor
• The Haunted Gaze: Damian has highly expressive, heavy eyes. As Aegon, his gaze rarely meets anyone directly. Instead, he stares right through people, carrying the vacant, hollow look of someone permanently trapped in the ruins of the Dragonpit.
• The Weight of the Crown: He never smiles. If a courtier makes a joke, Damian's Aegon simply blinks slowly, letting the silence stretch until the room freezes. His smile died with his mother, Rhaenyra.
• Strictly Monochrome: He refuses traditional Targaryen red or gold. Damian's Aegon wears heavy, structured black velvet and dark grey doublets, buttoned strictly to the chin to hide his physical and emotional scars. He looks like a shadow moving through the Red Keep.
⚔️ The Trauma and Relationships
• Viserys’s Return: When his brother Viserys II returns, Damian plays the reunion not with loud tears, but with a sudden, full-body collapse of his rigid composure. Viserys is the only person allowed to touch his shoulder without Aegon flinching.
• The Shadow of the Dragons: Whenever a torch crackles too loudly or the smell of roasted meat fills a banquet hall, his jaw tightens, and his knuckles turn stark white. He cannot stand the heat; he prefers his chambers icy cold.
• With Daenaera Velaryon: He doesn't know how to love her loudly, but he shows it through quiet observation. If Daenaera mentions liking a specific flower, Damian's Aegon will silently command the gardens to be filled with them, never taking credit for the gesture.
🏛️ Ruling style as the "Broken King"
• The Silent Council: He rules with minimal words. During Small Council meetings, he sits completely still, resting his chin on his hand, observing the lords like a hawk. He lets them bicker for an hour before ending the debate with a single, sharp, unyielding sentence.
• The Touch-Averse Monarch: He strictly enforces the rule that no one may touch the King. If an over-ambitious lord tries to place a hand on his arm, Aegon’s eyes shift down to the hand with such cold, aristocratic disdain that the lord immediately retracts it in terror.
• Walking the Red Keep: He wanders the castle corridors late at night when they are empty. Damian captures that specific, slow, exhausted stride of a young king who feels like a ghost haunting his own ancestral home.
George MacKay captures the exact blend of deep trauma, quiet duty, and structural fragility needed for an older Aegon III Targaryen.
Visual Aesthetic & Presence
• The Broken King: George MacKay embodies a gaunt, hauntingly lean physical presence. He stands tall but carries a permanent, slight slouch, as if the physical weight of the crown is literally crushing his spine.
• The Silver-Gold Hair: His Targaryen hair is not flowing and majestic like Viserys's or Rhaegar's. It is kept short, slightly blunt-cut, and perpetually unstyled. It looks stark against his pale, angular face.
• The Dead Eyes: He possesses the classic "purple" Targaryen eyes, but they are completely devoid of fire. MacKay's performance relies heavily on a hollow, unblinking thousand-yard stare
• .The Mourning Garb: He refuses the traditional bright red and black silks of his house. Instead, he wears heavy, stiff wools and velvets in charcoal, ash, and midnight black. His only accessory is the simple, unadorned three-headed dragon ring of his father, Daemon.
Behavioral Traits & Mannerisms
• The Shield of Silence: He speaks only when absolutely necessary, using a flat, low, monotone voice. MacKay delivers lines with zero theatricality, making every word sound like a massive expenditure of energy.
• Aversion to Touch: He flinches subtly but noticeably whenever someone touches him unprompted. His skin crawls at sudden movements.
• The Phantom Scent: He is plagued by a psychosomatic phantom smell of burning flesh and sulfur. He constantly keeps a handkerchief steeped in mint or lavender pressed to his nose during court sessions to drown out the memory of Sunfyre.
• The Dragonless King: Whenever people bring up dragons, his jaw tightens. He doesn't hate the beasts out of malice; he fears and loathes them because they represent the violent extinction of his entire childhood innocence.
Dynamics with Other Characters
• With Viserys (His Brother): Viserys is the only person allowed in his personal space. MacKay's Aegon relaxes his shoulders only when Viserys enters the room. They communicate in a private shorthand of glances and nods. Aegon relies on Viserys to be his voice to the Small Council.
• With Queen Daenaera Velaryon: Their relationship is built on a quiet, mutual understanding rather than fiery passion. He views her as a gentle sanctuary. He never smiles, but he shows his affection by listening to her play the harp in complete, respectful silence.
• With the Small Council: He treats his regents and lords with absolute apathy. He lets them argue for hours, staring through them, before issuing a one-sentence decree that completely cuts through their political games.
Narrative Tropes & Themes
• The Survivor’s Guilt: Every decision he makes is dictated by a desire to ensure nobody else suffers a civil war. He rules with extreme caution, preferring peace at the cost of pride.
• The Haunting of the Red Keep: He spends his sleepless nights walking the hidden passages of the castle, avoiding the Great Hall where his mother perished.
Here are some headcanons for Nico Parker cast as an older Daenaera Velaryon—the second wife of King Aegon III Targaryen, famously described in George R.R. Martin’s lore as a girl of transcendent, ethereal beauty who brought light back to a broken king.
👑 The Ethereal Aegon III Era
• The Contrast of Light and Shadow: Nico’s soft, expressive eyes and striking features perfectly capture the "joy of the realm" aura needed to contrast Aegon III’s permanent gloom. In court, she looks like a living painting, bringing a warm, luminous energy into the cold, post-Dance Red Keep.
• The Velaryon Radiance: Her hair is styled in intricate, cascading silver-gold curls, woven with freshwater pearls and sea-glass beads from Driftmark. She favors gossamer gowns in seafoam green, deep teal, and Targaryen crimson, bridging her two families seamlessly.
• The Untouchable Grace: She possesses a quiet, serene dignity. While the court of King's Landing is full of plotting and malice, Nico's Daenaera moves through it with an air of gentle invulnerability, refusing to let the political rot change her nature.
• A Soothing Fire: She doesn't push Aegon to be happy; instead, she sits comfortably with him in his silence. Nico’s portrayal brings a grounded, deeply empathetic maturity to Daenaera, making it believable that she became Aegon's true sanctuary.
• Driftmark Fierce: Beneath the soft exterior lies the blood of the Sea Snake. When her children—the future King Daeron I and King Baelor I—or her husband are threatened, her voice drops its gentle tone, replaced by the cool, terrifying authority of House Velaryon.
• The People’s Queen: She is deeply loved by the smallfolk. Nico’s natural warmth shines in scenes where Daenaera visits the markets of King's Landing, distributing food and listening to the common people, cementing her status as the literal "joy" of a war-torn generation.
• With Aegon III: Their bond is built on subtle, non-verbal intimacy. A gentle hand resting on his shoulder, shared looks across a crowded small council table, and Nico capturing a rare, genuine smile from the Broken King when they are completely alone.
• With Viserys Targaryen: As Aegon’s brother and Hand, Viserys deeply respects her. Nico's Daenaera and Viserys share a sharp, unspoken understanding of how to manage the realm, often exchanging knowing glances when navigating court crises.
• Mother to Legends: She watches her son Daeron’s obsession with conquering Dorne with a mix of pride and fierce, maternal dread. With Baelor, she is the only one who truly understands his deeply spiritual nature, guiding him with unconditional love rather than judgment.
🎭 Visual & Aesthetic Headcanons
• The Valyrian Look: Her signature deep green eyes contrast strikingly with long, fine, silver-gold Targaryen hair, making her look uniquely otherworldly even among her own kin.
• The Ghost of the Red Keep: She dresses almost exclusively in muted, ghostly colors—pale silvers, soft seafoams, and faint weeping-willow greens—frequently veiling her face to avoid the heavy stares of the court.
• Haunting Wardrobe: Her gowns feature high collars and long, structured sleeves that she nervously clings to, physically protecting herself from a world that has taken everything from her.
👑 Character Arc & Court Dynamics
• The Silent Queen: After her marriage to Aegon III, they become known as the "Broken King and Ghost Queen." Their shared trauma creates an unspoken, deeply sorrowful bond; they rarely speak, but find comfort in sharing silent spaces.
• Uncanny Mannerisms: She retains her childhood habits, such as twirling her hair or obsessively smoothing her skirts when anxious, which unnerves her regents but brings out a fiercely protective side in Aegon III
• .The Shadow of Helaena: Courtiers frequently whisper that she looks and acts exactly like a younger version of her mother, Helaena Targaryen. She occasionally mutters cryptic, fragmented phrases that make people fear she has inherited the prophetic "Dragon Dreamer" bloodline.
• The Defiant Survivor: While the court perceives her as fragile and easily broken, she possesses a quiet, resilient spite. She subtly resists the manipulation of political players like Unwin Peake simply by refusing to play their games or acknowledge their presence.
• Aegon III: Their relationship is not passionately romantic, but rather a profound, protective partnership born from being the last remnants of a ruined era. He is the only person allowed to touch her hands without her flinching.
• The Remaining Dragons: She is deeply terrified of fire and large beasts due to her past, yet she finds a strange, calm solace in visiting the dying, stunted hatchlings in the Dragonpit, feeling a kinship with their fading magic.
• The Kingsguard: She forms a quiet, unspoken trust with the solemn knights assigned to guard her, preferring their silent, stoic presence over the scheming ladies-in-waiting who try to force her into courtly gossip.
Amandla Stenberg as Larra Rogare
Larra Rogare is a Lysene noblewoman from a powerful banking family who becomes the wife of Prince Viserys Targaryen (later King Viserys II) during the chaotic aftermath of the Dance of the Dragons. Introducing Amandla Stenberg into the world of House of the Dragon (HOTD) brings a distinct blend of ethereal Lysene beauty, sharp political intellect, and a profound sense of cultural isolation.
Visual Aesthetics & Presence
• Lysene Features: Classic Valyrian traits reimagined. Stenberg sports micro-braids or an Afro-textured blowout tinted in shimmering spun-silver and gold, paired with deep amber or striking purple contact lenses
• .The Wardrobe: Replaces heavy Westerosi velvet with fluid, gossamer Lysene silks. Her color palette features seafoam green, cream, and rich Tyrian purples, adorned with delicate, multi-layered body chains instead of bulky metal collars.
• Scent Profile: Always smells distinctly of Lysene orange blossoms, sweet milk, and rare eastern spices, contrasting sharply with the damp stone and woodsmoke scent of the Red Keep.
Personality & Palace Dynamics
• The Outsider's Shield: Uses a mask of serene, polite detachment to navigate Westerosi xenophobia. While the court dismisses her as a foreign curiosity, she actively studies the court's weaknesses.
• The Language Barrier: Speaks High Valyrian with a melodic, dialectal Lysene cadence that sounds like poetry. She intentionally plays down her understanding of the Common Tongue so lords speak freely around her, misjudging her awareness.
• Religious Solitude: Rejects the Faith of the Seven entirely. She maintains a private, sunlit sanctuary in her chambers dedicated to the Lysene goddess of love and beauty, keeping her worship completely hidden from the High Septon's prying eyes.
Relationship with Viserys Targaryen
• Trauma-Bonded Partners: Their relationship is built on shared survival rather than traditional romance. Both were prisoners of circumstance in Lys; they understand the heavy burden of being living political collateral.
• The Brain Trust: Behind closed doors, they operate as an intellectual duarchy. While Viserys handles the overt political strategy, Larra maps out the financial networks, mapping the vulnerabilities of the Westerosi lords through their hidden debts.
• Quiet Intimacy: They share a unique habit of speaking exclusively in High Valyrian when alone together, using the language as a private sanctuary where the plotting ears of the Red Keep cannot reach them.
Cultural Clashes & Court Politics
• Dietary Rebellion: Refuses the heavy, greasy meats of King’s Landing. She employs her own Lysene chefs to prepare fresh fish, figs, and chilled wines, sparking quiet rumors that she is terrified of being poisoned by the Westerosi court.
• The Whispering Campaign: Strongly distrusts the Kingsguard and the local servants. She builds her own tight-knit network of spies using Lysene immigrants, sailors, and lower-tier merchants working the bustling docks of King’s Landing
• .Maternal Fierceness: Intensely protective of her children (Aegon, Aemon, and Naerys). She fiercely combats any court whispers labeling them "foreign bastards," ensuring her children are fully educated in both their Targaryen heritage and their proud Lysene roots.
Here are some rich headcanons for Simone Ashley as Larra Rogare:
• The Lysene Contrast: Instead of the standard pale Valyrian look, Larra brings the ultra-luxurious, sun-drenched aesthetic of the Free Cities. Picture Simone Ashley wrapped in heavy, metallic Lysene silks—vibrant teals, deep golds, and rich purples that sharply contrast with the stark, utilitarian black and green fashion of King’s Landing.
• Sensory Overload: She smells permanently of expensive Essosi oils, bitter orange blossom, and foreign spices. Her presence completely changes the air of the Red Keep, making the Westerosi court feel provincial and damp by comparison.
• The Hair: Towering, intricate Lysene braids interwoven with freshwater pearls, gold filigree, and small silk flowers, defying the simpler Westerosi styles.
Relationship with Viserys II
• A United Front: Viserys and Larra are trauma-bonded from their time in Lys. While Viserys is quiet, calculating, and deeply scarred, Larra is his fierce protector. She acts as his emotional anchor in a court that views him as a political pawn.
• The Secret Language: They speak exclusively in High Valyrian or the Lysene dialect when they want to exclude the Westerosi lords. It infuriates the Small Council, especially when they share sharp, private laughs during tense meetings.
• Quiet Intimacy: Behind closed doors, away from the court's judging eyes, she unbraids his hair and lets her regal, defensive guard down completely. They are equals in a world trying to split them apart.
Court Dynamics and Politics
• The Exoticised Outsider: The Westerosi lords distrust her, calling her a foreign temptress or a spy for the Rogare Bank. Larra uses this to her advantage. She plays into their xenophobia by acting aloof, while secretly gathering blackmail on every single detractor
• .Clash with the Septons: Larra strictly worships the gods of Lys. She refuses to bow her head to the Seven, creating a cold, silent war between her and the High Septon. Her private chambers are filled with cats, silk tapestries, and foreign idols, which the servants whisper are cursed.
• Protecting Aegon III: She feels a deep, maternal pity for the broken King Aegon III. She introduces him to Lysene sweets and music, trying to bring a sliver of color into his melancholic life, earning Viserys's eternal gratitude.
• The Poisoned Cage: As the Rogare family falls from grace, King’s Landing becomes a prison. Simone Ashley would masterfully portray the transition from a vibrant, confident noblewoman to a suffocating bird trapped in a grey castle.
• The Heartbreaking Choice: Her decision to abandon her children (Aegon IV, Aemon the Dragonknight, and Naerys) and return to Lys isn't done out of malice, but pure survival. Her final goodbye to Viserys is silent, devastating, and fueled by the realization that Westeros will eventually kill her if she stays.
Here are headcanons for how this casting and character dynamic would play out in House of the Dragon:
🎭 Character Vibe & Persona
• The Diplomatic Prodigy: Unlike his brother Aegon III, who is hardened and silent, Louis’s Viserys uses charm as a shield. He smiles easily, but his eyes are always calculating.
• Lysene Sophistication: Having grown up in Rogare-ruled Lys, he dresses in fine silks, speaks fluent Valyrian with a distinct, musical Lysene accent, and possesses a refined taste in wine and art.
• The Anchored Brother: He acts as the emotional anchor for Aegon III. Louis plays him with an intense, protective loyalty, serving as the social interpreter for his deeply traumatized, silent brother.
• With Aegon III: Absolute devotion. While Aegon sits like a statue on the Iron Throne, Viserys stands at his elbow, whispering counsel, softening his brother's harsh dictates, and taking the political heat.
• With Larra Rogare: A passionate but politically doomed romance. Louis portrays the young husband trying desperately to protect his foreign wife from the xenophobic Westerosi court, feeling utterly helpless when she eventually chooses to leave.
• With the Regents: He is highly underestimated by the older lords. They see a pretty, Lysene-spoiled boy, while Viserys is quietly memorizing their financial debts and political weaknesses to destroy them later.
🎬 Standout Scene Concepts
• The Reunion: The moment he returns to King's Landing. Louis plays Viserys stepping off the ship, looking polished and calm, until he sees Aegon. The mask drops, and the two brothers share a silent, weeping embrace that breaks the court's tension
• .The Small Council Debut: Sitting in on a meeting at just 12 or 13 years old. A regent tries to mock him, and Viserys delivers a devastating, polite insult disguised as a Lysene compliment, completely disarming the room.
• The Secret Grief: A quiet night scene where he unrolls a map of Valyria or Lys, staring out the window of the Red Keep. Louis captures the profound loneliness of a boy who belongs to two different worlds but is trapped by the duty of his bloodline.
Here are some updates on the design models and such on those ASOIAF characters ( at least, in the books )
. Tamara Rojo ( movement/dance model )
. Sophia Loren ( Yasmin Azir ) in Arabesque and Golshifteh Farahani ( appearance model )
. Yasmine Naghdi ( movement/dance model )
. Morena Baccarin and Penelope Cruz ( appearance model )
. Carmen Aviles ( movement/dance model )
. Irene Papas and Alessandra Ferri ( appearance model )
. Cristina Cazorla ( movement/dance model )
. June Duprez in Thief of Baghdad ( Princess Fatima ) and Medallion Rahimi ( appearance model )
. Shakira Baksh Caine ( movement/dance model AND appearance model )
. Nora Fatehi ( bonus movement model )
. Simone Ashley ( another appearance model, especially for young Myriah )
. Jace Coronado ( movement/dance model AND appearance model )
. Rami Malek ( bonus appearance model )
. Disney's La Esmeralda ( movement/dance inspo )
. Gratiela Brancusi ( appearance model )
. Antonia Salib and May Calamawy
. Gina Lollobrigida's Esmeralda ( movement/appearance model )
Nymeros VIII Martell - Antonio Banderas and Oded Fehr
Apollodora Martell - Alessandra Ferri
. Federica Greco ( movement/dance model )
. Various Sicilian folk dancers and Ancient Sicilian royal princesses ( appearance inspos )
Aegon III Targaryen - Rudolf Nureyev and Mike Faist
Viserys II Targaryen - Tom Holland and Frederick Ashton
Daenaera Velaryon - Tilly Evans Krueger and Bailey Bass
. Miroslava Safrankova in Little Mermaid 1976
. Aegon I Targaryen - Jeremy Irons. Enough said
. Sinead Cusack ( younger and older )
. Evanna Lynch ( especially for young Rhaenys )
. Emma Thompson ( younger and older )
. Lagertha in Vikings HBO ( especially for younger Visenya )
. Orys Baratheon - Gerard Butler
. Torrhen Stark - Hugh Jackman
. Mairead Mormont - Kelly MacDonald ( especially with Helena Ravenclaw and Queen Elinor )
. Gerold Lannister - Kenneth Branagh's Benedict, and also Henry Cavill
. Setareh Fowler - Nazanin Boniadi, and Kosem Sultan in the Magnificent Century universe
The aesthetic and systems of Rhohynar Caliphate and the Skahazadhani Shahshanate is also inspired by the Goetia and Lust courts
The aesthetic and systems of Lenghi Islands ( Southeast Asian fantasy ) and Lesser Moraqi ( South Indian fantasy ) is also inspired by Atlantean, Lemurian and Envy Ring courts
The Mossovian ( Slavic fantasy ), Lhazareen ( Tibetan Fantasy ), and Jogos Nghai ( Mongol Fantasy ) are also inspired by the Sloth court systems
Skahazadhan, throughout the ages
. Golden Age of Valyria era - Achaemenid then Parthian period
. Doom of Valyria era - Sassanid period
. Conquest of Dorne era - Islamic Golden Age Persia period
. Aegon's Conquest era - Seljuk Era Persia
. Dance of Dragons era - Mongol Rule era Persia
. AKTOSK era - Timurid era Persia
. GOT era - Safavid era Persia
Its clear, no matter which part of rhe ASOIAF world, every civillization and every social tier refused to recognize Daenerys as a Queen
Westeros shunned her. The Free Cities loathed her, and the Far Essos ignored her
She was like the Stella of ASOIAF world - a petulant, meglomaniacal tyrant who almost burned the world over the throne that was never hers
And she was bullied and exploited by her brother for a ' higher power '
Daenerys treated everyone else like filth as she gained " power ', enslaving entire populations and causing her own conquered legions to be bankrupt within a couple of years
By the time she died, all the world celebrated and erased her name across records
Daenerys is all the worst Targaryen traits wrapped in one
Everyone else just refused to fight Daenerys
The only clan stupid enough to actually fight Daenerys was the Lannisters, and Daenerys straight up butchered the entire line within a SINGLE night
When Daenerys tried to conquer the North, entire towns and villages are empty
The smallfolk all moved to the Wilding forests. Even the Northern Highlords camped near there, refusing to even acknowledge her
Daenerys' entire xenophobia and conquest was built on the lies Viserys III told her growing up
And the world regarded her name with pity and scorn, honestly
The Starks wiped out the Freys, Boltons and Baratheons with such terrifying, genocidal hatred
That all the world isolated the North as a result
Vengeance really is never worth it
For the smallfolk, the end of the Iron Throne is cosmic justice
The entire age of Iron Throne is built upon succession wars, genocides, black magic and corruption, all built on lies
No wonder the citizens quietly walked away from the thrones and built their own communities in the end
The Quiet Exodus & The Empty Iron Chair
• The Phantom Queen’s Court: In the ruins of King's Landing, the smallfolk tell stories of Daenerys Targaryen sitting alone on a melted chair, ruling over nothing but ash and ghosts. They mock how her entire invasion—fueled by Viserys’s delusional, xenophobic bedtime stories—ended in total isolation. The common joke in the newly built, free villages is: "She came to conquer the world, but the world simply walked away and left her to rule the weeds." [1]
• The Lannister Midnight: Street singers in the Reach compose dark, cynical satirical songs about the final night of House Lannister. They laugh at the absolute stupidity of the lions, who were the only ones arrogant enough to face her dragons while everyone else packed their bags. The smallfolk say the Lannisters spent three hundred years hoarding gold just to buy a single night of absolute extinction.
The Desolation of the Northern Wolf
• The Wolf’s Blood Tax: Down in the Riverlands, the smallfolk look toward the isolated, blockaded North with absolute revulsion. The total, genocidal slaughter of the Freys, Boltons, and Baratheons by the Starks stripped away the myth of the "honourable northerner" forever. Travelers say the Starks traded their honor for a crown of ash, becoming so monstrous that the rest of the world built a wall of silence around them, leaving them to freeze in their own hatred.
• The Forests of the Free: Northern smallfolk who fled into the deep Wildling forests laugh at the High Lords who now camp in the freezing mud nearby, completely ignoring Daenerys’s empty declarations of war. The common gossip among the campfires is that the Starks became the very monsters they used to guard the realm against. The smallfolk say: "The wolves growled so loud they scared away their own pack. Let them rule the snow; we have the trees."
• The Iron Curse Broken: Across the newly founded, self-governing farming communities, the Iron Throne is remembered not as a seat of kings, but as a cursed monument to three centuries of incest, black magic, succession massacres, and high-born lies. The elders tell the children that the throne was forged in dragon fire and quenched in smallfolk blood, so it was only right that it ended in complete, pathetic irrelevance.
• The Great Walking Away: The ultimate joke shared among the newly free citizens is how the high lords spent generations killing millions for a seat, only for the common people to simply get up, pack their tools, and walk away. The smallfolk toast with sour ale to the cosmic joke of the century: "They promised us fire and blood, they promised us winter, and they promised us justice. In the end, we just gave them our backs, and left the monsters to starve in their own empty castles."
During the early ages of the Free Cities, the Macklyns dressed like the Ancient Schiaparellis - resplendent Byzantine glamor mixed with Venetian majesty
And then in the Blackfyre era of the Free Cities, when the Blackfyres tried to wipe put the Macklyns, the Macklyns went into incognito and changed surnames, even putting on disguises, using shadow ops to ally with sealords and merchants
They even soon allied with the fallen Rogares, who once sided with the Blackfyres until the Rogares went bankrupt
And then the Free Cities citizens overthrew rhe Blackfyres by exposing how stupid their false claim is
And Braavos was reconstructed as an oligrachy of sealord houses, with the Macklyns being contented in thejr renewed position of power
Daemon wanted to destroy the Phoenixes
Its like how Lorenzo de Medici and Rodrigo Borgia infamously tried to destroy the Schiaparellis
Now the Schiaparellis run a global fashion empire, and the Borgia and Medici names are left in the dust
The Macklyns in the era of GOT dressed in a surrealist mix of Ancient Greek, Byzantine and Venetian renaissance splendor, with a more ' modernized ' twist resembling Mason Schiaparelli gowns and robes
The Macklyns have several nods to the Schiaparellis, the Macklyns can have the Schiaparelli black hair and blue eyes, since those features are so iconic
The noble clans of the Free Cities have several nods to the royal houses of the Venetian Republic ( the Schiaparellis, the Foscaris, the Dolfinis, etc )
The Secrets of the Canal Whispers
• The Shadow-Stitched Silks: In the lower-class taverns of the Ragman’s Harbor, old sailors drink to the Macklyns’ legendary disappearance. The smallfolk tell tales of the Blackfyre era, when the Macklyns vanished into the fog of the canals, shedding their majestic Venetian gowns to don the rough, salt-stained linens of common dockworkers. The common gossip is that the Macklyns never truly stopped dressing like kings—they just hid their priceless Byzantine silks beneath the heavy, dark cloaks of shadow operatives while plotting with the Sealords [3].
• The Rogare Redemption Joke: Braavosi coin-clippers laugh endlessly about the twist of fate involving the fallen Rogares. The smallfolk joke that the Rogares went bankrupt trying to buy a crown with Blackfyre promises, only to be saved from the gutter by the very Macklyns they tried to help suppress. The street saying goes: "A Blackfyre gives you a sword and demands your blood; a Macklyn gives you a mask, a new ledger, and a second chance at a fortune."
The Day the Pretenders Bled Lies
• The Stripping of the Dragons: The smallfolk of the Free Cities remember the day the Blackfyre regime crumbled not as a grand battle, but as a massive public exposure of sheer stupidity. Street performers re-enact the day the common citizens simply laughed the Blackfyre claimants out of the palaces after exposing the mathematical and historical absurdities of their false claims. The weavers joke that while Daemon Blackfyre tried to burn down the "Phoenixes," he only succeeded in setting his own house on fire, leaving the Blackfyre name as nothing more than a synonym for a bad business deal
• .The Medici Mockery: Fans love to compare Daemon Blackfyre to the ancient, failed tyrants of Earth’s history, like Lorenzo de’ Medici or Rodrigo Borgia. They point out how those despots infamously tried to crush the Schiaparelli spirit, only for the Borgias and Medicis to rot into forgotten dust while the Schiaparelli style conquered the world. The theatrical crowds toast to the Macklyns: "Let the tyrants hold the steel; the Macklyns hold the shears, and it is the shears that reshape the world."
The Surrealist Return to Power
• The Piercing Blue Glare: Among the flower markets and stone bridges, the smallfolk instantly recognize a true Macklyn by the iconic Schiaparelli traits: raven-black hair paired with eyes as sharp and blue as a winter sky. The common people say that when the Macklyns stepped back into the light after the oligarchy was formed, their eyes were so bright they cut right through the Braavosi fog. The street urchins shout in admiration: "You can change your surname and hide in the shadows for a hundred years, but you cannot disguise a Schiaparelli stare!"
• The Living Statues of Braavos: In the current era, the smallfolk watch the noble Macklyns glide through the Moon Pool squares in gowns that look like a beautiful, feverish dream. The citizens gossip about the modern twist on their old attire—how they take Ancient Greek drapery, heavy Byzantine gold, and Venetian Renaissance majesty, and fuse them with surrealist, modern shapes that defy gravity. The seamstresses whisper in awe that the Macklyns do not wear clothes; they wear armor disguised as art, proving that while empires fall and thrones melt, true style is entirely immortal.
Aegon III Targaryen was only 13 when he hosted the Green Trial after the Dance of the Dragons
Instead of having the Maesters hosting it for him due to his age, he hosted it himself
He screamed, roared and howled the absolute worst projections to the Hightowers, and he was really about the incinerate them all by wildfire where it not for young Viserys II ( then 10's ) tearful pleas for a semblance of mercy
And he laid the ultimate final decree - Alicent will be kept prisoner at a lonely tower at Oldtown, ALL ( and I mean ALL ) ties between the Targaryens ans Hightowers are severed....and in exchange for their lives, Jaehaera is to wed him on her 14th birthday
The Hightowers are disgusted, but young Aegon III Targaryen coldly said, ' Jaehaera was only a sweet girl. I merely was doing her a favor. Wed her to me unto my 16th year, and at least, your lives are spared. '
That explains why Jaehaera jumped off the tower later
Aegon III terrorized the Hightowers with brutal, cold politics even as just a boy
It was the day that many thought the boy Rhaenyra held died and came back a cold effigy
And many feared and pitied Aegon III Targaryen, honestly
His Valyrian blood oath, the severence of trade and diplomatic ties between Dragonstone and Oldtown, helped crumble Westerosi economy for generations to come, even fueling the genocide of dragons in Robert's Rebellion
Here are the headcanons of how the ordinary people of King’s Landing and the Reach speak of Aegon III Targaryen in whispers, divided by fear and pity.
• The Boy Who Roared: Flea Bottom tavern tales claim Aegon did not speak for a year after his mother's death because he was "saving his voice to curse the Hightowers." They say his screams at the Green Trial were so loud they cracked the mortar in the Red Keep's walls.The Wildfire King: Commoners in the Alchemists' Quarter whisper that Aegon’s eyes turned a unnatural bright green during the trial. They swear the smell of sulfur and wildfire followed the young king for weeks after he threatened to burn Oldtown.The Effigy of Rhaenyra: Street performers and puppeteers strictly avoid portraying the Green Trial. A common superstition holds that if you mock the boy king, his "cold effigy" will appear at your bedside, staring down with his mother's vengeful eyes.The Shattered Coin: Merchants in the Riverlands and the Reach still curse his name over the severed trade ties. Old traders tell their apprentices that Aegon III "starved the realm to feed his spite," blaming him for every winter famine that followed.
• The Brother's Tears: Washerwomen at the Red Keep pass down the story of ten-year-old Viserys II begging for mercy. They say the only time Aegon III looked human after the war was when his little brother wept, proving the boy king was already dead inside.Jaehaera’s Ghost: Maidens in Oldtown pity Jaehaera, believing she jumped from the tower because she was caught between her ruined family and a husband who looked at her like a political hostage. They leave white flowers at the base of lonely towers to honor her.The Blood Oath Curse: Smallfolk septons quietly preach that Aegon's Valyrian blood oath cursed the Targaryen dynasty. They believe the violence of Robert's Rebellion was the gods finally punishing the realm for the absolute hatred unleashed at the Green Trial.The King Who Never Smiled: Mothers in King's Landing use Aegon as a cautionary tale for sad children. They tell their babies, "Eat your porridge, or the Broken King will steal your smiles to patch his own missing heart."
Years later, when a young adult Aegon III married 18 year old Daenaera, the realm are stunned to discover that Daenaera was sweet, warm and possesses a dignified spine of steel. She becomes popular with the smallfolk, bringing back the sun and laughter back at the Red Keep through art patronage, and is amongst the only people who can bring a soft smile to Aegon III's face
Aegon III Targaryen refused to meet any of the Hightowers, Lannisters and Baratheons ( aka the ' Green Trifecta ' ), and if any of the Green trifecta members show up, Aegon III completely shuts himself out and lets Viserys II and Daenaera handle the political meetings with the Green Trifecta
Here are the headcanons of how the Smallfolk of Westeros speak of Queen Daenaera, the woman who ruled the court while the Broken King hid from his ghosts.
• The Lady of Laughter: Street singers in Flea Bottom compose songs about "The Day the Red Keep Smiled." The Smallfolk swear that on the day Daenaera married Aegon, the heavy grey smog over Blackwater Bay cleared for the first time in a decade, chased away by her laughter.
• The Softening of the King: Kitchen maids and stable boys pass down whispered rumors about the King’s private chambers. They swear they heard a sound no one had heard since the Dance of the Dragons—Aegon III chuckling softly. The gossip in the markets is that Daenaera is the only creature in Westeros who can melt the "ice in the dragon’s veins."
• The Queen’s Canvas: Daenaera’s patronage of the arts completely revitalizes the city's economy. Cobblers, weavers, and painters bless her name because she fills the grim, wildfire-scarred Red Keep with bright tapestries, music, and flowers. The Smallfolk say she is literally painting over the bloodstains of the war.
• The Shield at the Dragon's Door: The Smallfolk deeply respect her fierce protectiveness. They all know the King breaks whenever the "Green Trifecta" (the Hightowers, Lannisters, or Baratheons) comes to court. The commoners whisper with immense pride about how Daenaera steps directly in front of the Iron Throne, her eyes flashing Velaryon fire, to shield her husband from his triggers.
• The Silent Hand: At the markets, merchants joke that King's Landing has two Kings: Viserys II who handles the coin, and Daenaera who handles the lords. The Smallfolk deeply admire her "dignified spine." They say she can stare down a Lord Paramount with a polite smile that makes his blood run cold, all while Aegon sits safely behind locked doors.
• The Protector of the Broken: Mothers in the city view Daenaera not just as a queen, but as a guardian angel. They tell stories of how she fiercely commands the Kingsguard to bar the gates whenever a Hightower banner is spotted on the horizon, ensuring her traumatized husband never has to look at the people who ruined his childhood.
• The Velaryon Pearl: Sailors at the docks toast to her as the "Pearl of the Sea." They believe her warmth is what keeps the realm from plunging into another devastating economic depression, acting as the perfect, steady anchor to Aegon's volatile, wildfire-scarred mind
• .The Queen Who Cares: While the Green lords whisper that she is too proud, the Smallfolk know her spine of steel is reserved only for the powerful. To the poor, she is entirely sweet and warm, often walking among the market stalls without a heavy guard, handing out bread and listening to the troubles of ordinary women.
The Black Dynasty ( the Targaryen/Velaryon dynasty ) collapsed due to their own hubris and greed
The Sand Snakes Dynasty ( the Martell/Dayne dynasty ) barely survived because they fled back to Rhohynar and Skahazadhan during the Red Purge of Dorne after Myrcella died
In Robert's Rebellion, Rhaegar burns down Oldtown
And the genocide of the Targaryens began
Night after night, the streets of Westeros are filled with screams and cries of the Lannister, Baratheon and Hightower blades and poisons killing every last man, woman and child bearing or even aasociated with the Targaryen name
Most of the Dornish royals either died or fled to Free Cities or smth
The smallfolk are absolutely TERRIFIED
The dreaded Green Grudge runs DEEEEEEP
However, karma is not mocked
And the Green Trifecta's downfall in GOT is seen by the smallfolk as a cosmic justice
In the era of Aegon's Conquest, the Hightowers dress like the Medici in their heyday - ostentatious jewels with deep, layered silks of different shades of green, and often wearing literal gold coins as accessories
Their wealth significantly diminished since the Dance of the Dragons
By the time the GOT era came, the Hightowers often dress like nuns and monks in the remnants of their green silks, and the smallfolk often laugh about how the ' mighty ' had fallen due to their own hypocrisy and corruption.
Here are several headcanons capturing how the smallfolk of Oldtown gossip about the dramatic, generation-spanning fashion downfall of House Hightower:The Gossip at the Docks
The "Mint-Turning" Legend: Elderly dockworkers tell stories passed down from their great-grandfathers about the Conquest era, back when Hightowers would step off their pleasure barges dripping in literal gold dragons. The smallfolk joke that back then, a Hightower couldn't sneeze without dropping enough gold to buy an inn. Now, looking at a modern Lord Hightower in a drab, high-collared habit, they say, "They used to wear the mint; now they just wear the misbehavior."
The Dying Green: Sailors and weavers down in the markets love to squint at the Hightowers' current attire. They point out how the "pious" green cloaks are clearly decades old, sun-bleached, and turned into drab Olive. A common joke among the port-side seamstresses is that House Hightower didn't find religion; they just couldn't afford the imported Essosi dye anymore after the dragons burned their treasury.
The Tavern Talk & Public FestivalsThe Maiden’s Day Contrast: During the festival of the Maiden, when noble girls are supposed to look pure, old-timers laugh about how the ancient Hightowers used to show up looking like gilded idols, layered in twenty shades of jade and emerald silks. Today, they show up looking like weeping septas. The tavern regulars toast to the change: "From looking like the gods' own treasure chests to looking like the poor souls begging outside the Great Sept!"
The "Miser's Cowl": Because the modern Hightowers hide behind massive, somber hoods to mimic monks and project "pious humility," the smallfolk have given the garment a nickname: the Miser's Cowl. Street urchins will pull their own dirty rags over their heads and do impressions of Lord Hightower, whispering, "Look at me, I'm so holy, please don't ask me to pay my debts!"
The Laundresses and Merchants
The Hidden Opulence Scams: The smallfolk who actually wash the linen and mend the clothes for the Citadel and the High Tower know the truth. Laundresses snicker about how the Hightowers sew coarse wool over the shredded, threadbare remnants of their old ancestral silks just to keep warm. The common gossip is that their "holy poverty" is a convenient excuse because if they dressed like lords, everyone would see how thin their gold actually stretches.
The Hypocrisy Tax: Merchant guilds joke about how the Hightowers used to pay in actual clothes—shaking gold coins loose from their heavy sleeves to tip a servant. Now, when a Hightower patronizes a shop, they offer "blessings" and lectures on modesty instead of silver. The merchants whisper behind closed doors: "They traded their gold coins for prayers because prayers don't have to be declared to the Iron Bank."
In the era of Aegon's Conquest, the Lannisters dress like the Borgias in their heyday - outrageous red garments ( often dyed in literal lions' blood ), with outrageous gold ornaments and garish silks
Much like the other houses, the Lannisters' wealth diminished after the Dance of the Dragons
In the era of GOT, the Lannisters wore bare scraps of their silks and far less gold
Here are several headcanons capturing how the smallfolk of Lannisport and King's Landing mock the fading, blood-soaked opulence of House Lannister:
The Gossip at the Docks and Dices
• The "Iron-Stained" Pride: Old sailors tell tales of the Conquest era, when Lannisters walked the docks looking like walking bloodbaths, wrapped in heavy, garish silks dyed in literal lions' blood. The smallfolk joke that back then, a Lannister smelled of fresh slaughter and mint gold. Now, looking at a modern Lannister wearing faded, sweat-stained crimson wool with barely a copper trim, they whisper, "They used to bleed for their gold; now they just bleed through their trousers."
• The Dying Red: Dyers in Lannisport love to criticize the Lannisters' current attire. They point out how the "mighty" crimson cloaks are now just cheap, patchy madder-red that runs in the rain. A common tavern joke is that House Lannister didn't learn modesty after the dragons burned the fields; they just ran out of beasts to slaughter for the dye pot.
The Tavern Talk & Knightly Tourneys
• The Bare-Necked Lions: During modern tourneys, when Lannister knights ride out with plain steel buckles instead of heavy gold chest-pieces, the squires and stableboys laugh behind their hands. They remember stories of the old days when a Lannister's armor was so gilded it would blind a man in the midday sun. The tavern regulars toast to the change: "From looking like walking treasuries to looking like hedge knights who stole a red rag!"
• The "Scrap-Collector's" Velvet: Because modern Lannisters patch the elbows of their tunics with mismatched, threadbare remnants of ancestral Borgia-style silks, the smallfolk have given the look a nickname: The King's Regret. Street urchins will flash a tiny, rusted copper ring and mockingly strut like a Lannister lord, shouting, "Bow down, I have two links of a chain and a dream of Casterly Rock!"
The Laundresses and Goldsmiths
• The Gilded Lie: The smallfolk who wash the clothes for the Rock know the truth. Laundresses snicker about how Lannister ladies sew coarse, cheap linen behind the few scraps of ancient, stiff gold brocade just to keep the dresses from falling apart in the wash. The common gossip is that their fierce pride is just a curtain to hide the fact that their vaults are filled with more cobwebs than coin.
• The Blood-Penny Debt: Goldsmiths and money-lenders joke about how the Lannisters used to melt down massive gold ornaments just to pay for a single feast's entertainment. Now, when a Lannister enters a shop, they demand credit based on a name alone. The merchants whisper behind closed doors: "They used to wear enough gold to buy a fleet; now they wear just enough to remind us of what they owe."
In the era of Aegon's Conquest, the Targaryens and Velaryons wore the most opulent silks and jewels of Old Valyria - the Targaryens often dress like the Julio Claudians and Plantagenets in their heyday, and the Velaryons often dress like the Byzantines and Philopathors in their heyday
By the time Robert's Rebellion came along, the Targaryen/Velaryon dynasty ( aka the ' Black Dynasty ' ) wore bare scraps of their once priceless Valyrian silks
When Rhaegar set fire to Oldtown, it gave the Hightowers, Lannisters and Baratheons ( aka the ' Green Trifecta ', which is bound by a blood pact hosted by Alicent Hightower during the Dance of the Dragons, as a desperate and tyrannical plan to push her children to the Iron Throne and kill off the remaining Blacks ) a ' perfect excuse ' to commit genocide on the Targaryens
Night after night, the streets of Westeros are haunted by the screams and cries of every last Targaryen and Velaryon ( man, woman or child ) and their respective associates under the blades and poisons of the Greens. Alerie Hightower ( Margaery's mother ) is known to have the Mannerisms of a saint yet the mind of a snake, and she was also in on the Hightowers' web of poisons to wipe out the Targaryens. The generational ' Green Grudge ' against the Targaryens since the Dance of the Dragons run deep
In the era of GOT, the Green Trifecta fell apart disastrously as they eventually turn against each other, and the citizens see it as a cosmic justice of the end of the ' Black ' and ' Green ' tyrants at last
The Ghostly Shrouds of Valyria
• The Bleaching of the Dragons: Old crones by the waterfronts tell stories of the Conquest, when Targaryens walked like silver-haired god-emperors in flowing imperial tunics, and Velaryons wore heavy Byzantine robes stiff with sea-pearls and purple dye. By the end, the smallfolk whispered that the dragons had been plucked naked. Tavern gossip in the lead-up to the rebellion mocked how Rhaegar and his kin went about in faded, frayed silks so thin they looked like they were already wearing their own funeral shrouds.
• The Barnacle Princes: Dockworkers in King's Landing and Duskendale used to laugh bitterly at the remaining Velaryons. Once the masters of the sea who dressed like eastern emperors, they were reduced to patching their ancient, saltwater-stained brocades with coarse sailcloth. The smallfolk joked that the "Seasnakes" had turned into barnacles—clinging to the scraps of an empire that had long since rotted away.
The Midnight Purge & The Saintly Poisoner
• Alerie’s "Merciful" Green: Street singers and midwives whisper dark rumors about Alerie Hightower’s role in the bloody, systematic purge of the Targaryen loyalists. They mock her public image as a pious, soft-spoken saint, knowing she orchestrated the silent poisonings of Targaryen-allied midwives, squires, and children. The smallfolk have a dark saying about her favored shade of court dress: "Beware a Hightower lady in pale green silk; the softer the fabric, the swifter the hemlock."
• The Screaming Silks: For years after the rebellion, superstitious smallfolk claimed that if you walked the alleys of the capital at midnight, you could still hear the weeping of the slaughtered Valyrian bloodlines. Street urchins joked that the Greens didn't just steal the Targaryens' lives, they stole their clothes too—pointing out how certain Hightower and Lannister guards suddenly showed up to duty wearing boots and cloaks clearly ripped from dead dragon-loyalists, still stained with the blood of the purge.
The Cosmic Collapse of the Trifecta
• The Three-Headed Traitors: In the taverns of the Flea Bottom during the War of the Five Kings, the laughter is loud and cynical. The smallfolk watch the Lannisters, Hightowers, and Baratheons tearing each other to pieces and call it the "Belated Bill." They joke that the blood pact Alicent Hightower signed in secret during the Dance was finally being paid in full. The common consensus is that the Greens built their alliance on a pile of Targaryen corpses, so it is only fitting they are now choking on each other's blood.
• The Doom of Both Houses: Street preachers standing on overturned barrels declare the total ruin of both the Blacks and the Greens as cosmic justice. They shout to the crowds that the gods grew tired of tyrant kings in tattered Valyrian gold, but grew even more disgusted by hypocritical lords in blood-soaked green silks. As the realm burns in the current war, the smallfolk toast to the empty thrones: "The dragons are ash, the lions are starving, and the towers are falling. Let the high lords rot in the rags they fought over!"
Joffrey is poisoned, and Cersei eventually launched a genocide on the Tyrell line
Myrcella was killed, and Cersei unleashed a purge across Dorne
Tommen jumped from the tower because he cant stand see the bloodshed caused by Cersei anymore
Viserys III having strangely incestuous feelings for Daenerys
Andrealphus' lampshaded Incestuous comments to Stella
But I doubt he actually SLEPT with Stella 😬
Still, Andrealphus is so creepy around Stella
Aside from Stolas' tragic tyranny, another reason why Stolas' entire staff unit left is cuz Stella literally threatened to kill ALL of Stolas' former staff and their FAMILIES
No wonder the Sins and Goetias run safe houses and Charlie helps protect those families
Stella is an epitome of nihilism and spite 😬
Thank God the nightmare is over
The DiGalaxis are kinda like the Borgias, Medici, Bourbons and Hasburgs
Basically they are like the Green Trifecta of Hellaverse 😬😬😬
In the end, nobody truly won the Dance of Dragons
Nobody truly won the Game of Thrones
The only ones who truly won are those who walked away from the flaming chessboard entirely
