re: House of the Dragon S1E7: “Driftmark”--Official Thread

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alicent knows she has to play the long game and keep that guy happy or he will screw her over or liekly even kill her.

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Whats his end game if he kills her? Without her, Larys has no status. It wasn't blackmail because he doesn't have a leg to stand on. She could have had him arrested on the spot and thrown in jail but she knows that he is useful toward her cause so she kept him around.

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egarding cole, turning him over to the king would be something a dumb person like Ned Stark would do.

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Your whole argument is that Alicent is the good guy because she is honorable and dutiful and then you turn around and chastise one of the most honorable and dutiful guys in the history of the realm?

Talk about wanting your cake and eating it to...

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They've made Cole out to be a huge piece of shite, but I think he decided not to maim one of the Velaryon kids on his own.

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I don't think he is any less of a POS and if he and Alicent had broken up the fight in the dragon pit then he'd have maimed the kid but he was smart enough to realize how that would look in front of so many spectators.

Basically, I don't think he is too honorable top hurt a child, I think he was just smart enough to save Alicent from herself in that moment and play the long game.

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But would it? The entire Realm knows R's kids are bastards. The marriage would have been a farce. What was to stop the other kids from challenging the bastard's legitimacy and going to war anyway?

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Who else would challenge? the marriage would make both sides joined at the throne and the heirs to both families would inherit the throne.

No need for a civil war if everyone with a dragon is content with their family's status.

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It's not like the Hightowers are the only ones who see her children for what they are. Daemon has been in Pentos for years and even he made a quip to his wife about it EVERYONE seems to know that is why Alic ent is frustrate. I can't fault the Green party for not supporting Rhaenyra, in their eyes she is the one who is usurping her brother's right to rule as the King's first born son. Even if they supported her ascension there is no guarantee that she wouldn't seek to have her half brothers removed as a threat. Now that she is married to Daemon they have even more reason to fear her reign as he has proven how ruthless he is and is no friend to the Hightowers.

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All of this is irrelevant if the Hightowers would just show support for Rhaenyra’s place as heir. Of course now that the Hightowers have started their bullshite, they should fear Rhaenyra and Daemon, but if they would’ve just supported them from the beginning then there would be nothing to worry about. As I stated before the Hightowers created a self fulfilling prophecy of fear of Rhaenyra, which is going to lead to a civil war. It’s a power grab, it has nothing to do with morality, or birthright.

I was referring to Alicent's kid's being betrothed to each other

Love the Westeros mindset

“We’ll they frick their siblings… but they do have dragons.”

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I'm late to the party here but am I the only one who supports the Greens?

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I can't fault the Green party for not supporting Rhaenyra, in their eyes she is the one who is usurping her brother's right to rule as the King's first born son.

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You mean the son that only exists cause the Hightower family weaseled their way into the Targaryen bloodline using the Hand’s 14 year old daughter as an emotional weapon to manipulate the king with after his wife’s tragic death and destabilize what was to be a very straightforward marriage binding the Valeryon and Targaryen’s with Rhaenyra named as successor?

Literally every move and major inflection point has involved the Hightowers acting with pure self interest behind the scenes as a means to arrest power from the ruling family. Including Alicent’s father poisoning her mind into paranoia.

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You mean the son that only exists cause the Hightower family weaseled their way into the Targaryen bloodline using the Hand’s 14 year old daughter as an emotional weapon to manipulate the king with after his wife’s tragic death and destabilize what was to be a very straightforward marriage binding the Valeryon and Targaryen’s with Rhaenyra named as successor?

Literally every move and major inflection point has involved the Hightowers acting with pure self interest behind the scenes as a means to arrest power from the ruling family. Including Alicent’s father poisoning her mind into paranoia.

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I think you make some good points against the Greens in your various posts. However, I'll argue a couple here. Viserys wasn't an invalid when he decided to marry Alicent. They also didn't force him to make the decision. They used their assets to influence the throne and gain standing in the realm. All houses do this.

Second, let's say they never made this move or Viserys decided as a big boy to marry Laena. Let's say they have a son. We would be in the same position, except it would probably be worse because House Velaryon is more powerful than Hightower. Corlys has been looking for any way to right the wrong on Rhaenys (whether she wants it or not). What better way than to make the move to put her grandson on the iron throne. It would also be more lopsided due to Rhaenys, Laena, and Laenor having dragons while Daemon would likely be on Rhaenyra's side since he would have never married Laena.

I don't blame Viserys for naming Rhaenyra his heir. At the time, he had no intention of remarrying and could see no future with him having sons. At the time, he did it to protect his line. However, as long as he had a son afterwards, it was going to lead to problems.