I genuinely don't understand this conflict anymore.
Rhaenyra was the named successor. Sure.
But she doesn't really want the job, and has never wanted the job? She wants the title, but not the job. She had 20 years to prepare herself for the job, if Viserys wasn't going to do it. And at least Viserys made her a cupbearer, which, as Sam pointed out, was a way for future kings to prepare for their roles. She just never capitalized on that or learned from the small council meetings?
The majority of your job as a ruler is dealing with nobles. Rhaenyra has never liked the nobles, she spent all of s1 rolling her eyes at or insulting most nobles.
A part of the job is keeping the smallfolk if not happy, at least, not so desperate that they stage a rebellion because they have nothing left. And now, even though she's supposedly been ruling Dragonstone for maybe 10 years now, the petitions are a surprise to her and she has no problem solving skills? Like yeah, for sure she has no treasury so that's fucked, but like, there are ways around that. Sell dragon eggs that you know aren't gonna hatch like someone suggested. And now you kill the pope so that the smallfolk really do have nothing left?
Aegon is not necessarily that much better, but at least he didn't have 20 years to prepare. He fumbled because for some god damn reason even the conspirators didn't prepare him for his role? Which feels so contrived.
The Green council with Otto seems to have ruled competently for 10-15 years. The treasury has money and things were well until the Dance started. (if you compare with Robert's rule, where Little Finger had emptied the treasury). So at this point it seems like the best thing for the realm would've been to hide Viserys' death and just keep the Green Council ruling the realm? Keeping both Rhaenyra and Aegon from the throne.
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