Reblogging to add onto this because I have more thoughts.
Maekar sees Aemond, a hot tempered ultra-Targ boy with a bit of a tendency towards violence, but with the intelligence to be smart about it, and immediately adopts him as his new baby boy. He’s Aerion but not overly cruel or infuriatingly stupid.
Then he meets Helaena. Female!Daeron without the alcoholism? Happy days for Maekar.
(Maekar loves all of his children, regardless of their issues, to be clear. This is all happening when he’s accepted he’s in this new time and won’t see his children again. His new babies are not loved more than his old babies.)
Baelor, he’s adopted Daeron, the good boy. Is Maekar slightly annoyed that even in a new time with new children Baelor’s new son is still the only well behaved normal one? Yes.
Aegon…well, neither brother thinks much of him at first. Yes, he as an alcoholic sad boy reminds them of Daeron, but still. They’re not keen on him.
Then they claim Vermithor and Silverwing and need to learn Dragon Riding 101. Aegon volunteers to teach them and they’re skeptical. What does this drunken fool know of dragons?
Joke’s on them there, because Aegon is the best of the Greens’ dragonriders, and probably better than any Blacks too. He has the closest bond with his beloved Sunny and the two of them are ridiculously in sync.
This makes Maekar and Baelor realise there’s a lot more to Aegon, especially when they see how happy he gets when they compliment his dragon riding skills. Clearly this poor boy is in need of much love and affection.
Now Maekar may not be the best dad around, but if any Targ dad knows how to smother his children with love it is him. He is in full mother hen dad mode, locked in. Aegon will be loved, dammit.
Neither of them give any kind of fuck about Rhaenyra’s children. Maekar already fucked up once by ignoring Aerion being cruel to his siblings. He will not allow cruel sadistic brats around his new children, so Rhaenyra’s bastards stay the fuck away.
Baelor has some fellow feeling for Rhaenyra’s bastards because he too has been scorned for not having the Targ look, but the difference there is that he looks like his mother and is legitimate. Rhaenyra’s sons are bastards and look like their mother’s extremely ill chosen lover.
He’s also appalled by their unprovoked and vicious attack on Aemond and their complete lack of any remorse, guilt or apology for it. He does not care what Aemond said- it does not justify permanent mutilation and a life long disability.
So, yeah, Baelor and Maekar coparent the Green kids and teach Aegon- through love and affection and compassion, all things he didn’t get from his absentee father and abusive mother and grandfather- how to be a good king.
They also use their battle experience and considerable strategic skill to thoroughly thrash the Blacks when Rhaenyra still tries to claim the throne she has no right to. Their dragons help too.