#If Rhaenyra won’t have the guts to kill them. Daemon sure as hell will.

[alicent-archive]

It must have been horrifying for Aegon, Aemond, and Helaena in the years before the dance, all three of them experiencing varying levels of heightened paranoia and unrest every single day.

Viserys was sicky-looking even in ep 6, and the chance of him dying (even then) was pretty high. I can’t imagine that uncertainty breeding anything but fear and worry among everyone.

From their inception, the kids lived in this constant “flight or fight” state, not knowing if Rhaenyra would ever return to the Red Keep, not knowing if Daemon would just turn up at the gates and demand their heads, not knowing if one day Viserys would just disinherit them at the request of his ‘only child.’

Aegon getting drunk every night because the alternative would be thinking of his (very likely) visit to the executioners block; Aemond throwing himself into every lesson, every practice fight with Criston, every flight with Vhagar, because he knows that this period of peace is a farce; Helaena flinching at every touch and sound because she simply doesn’t know whether that’s a friend, or whether the beasts have finally caught up with her.

Alicent going to bed each night, knowing that in the morning, her children’s heads might decorate the walls of the Keep. That one day, she’ll go into Helaena’s rooms and find her missing; that Aegon may never return from his visits to the city; that Aemond may just take the fight to Dragonstone just to end the painful wait that Rhaenyra has (unknowingly, which makes it worse) subjected them all to.

That if her father messes up again, Viserys will send him away (again), that she’ll be alone (again) in a castle that doesn’t want her (again), without allies or friends (again).

Can you imagine living in that state for a week, let alone two decades?

#when TG’s (legitimate) fear of death is brought up #the most common response is ‘oh but Rhaenyra wouldn’t do that’ #…are we sure? #are we…totally sure? #alright so what has she done to prevent that fear? #name me one thing she has done to assure her half-siblings that she won’t kill them #…yeah that’s what I thought #she was on Dragonstone for like a decade #had no communication with her father or Alicent or the Small Council #let alone Aegon or Helaena or Aemond #the last time something happened and their half-sister was in the room. Aemond was called to be tortured by her. #so yeah I think the fear was founded on solid grounds. #and Daemon? Every single person is afraid of Daemon and no that is not a flex that is a fear-mongering tactic. #If Rhaenyra won’t have the guts to kill them. Daemon sure as hell will. #but yeah no wonder they looked so drained at the dinner #they just wanted the fuckery to end #hotd #house of the dragon #hotd meta #team green #alicent hightower #aegon ii targaryen #helaena targaryen #aemond targaryen #text #my own