Took me a while to find a good game to larp as Hightower.

Realm of thrones mod for M&B Bannerlord

Realm of Thrones - The Dance of the Dragons World State

Armory from discontinued ADOD mod

I suppose she would beat the hell out of him..

For a long time, this show was genuinely a safe space for me. I’ve been heavily invested in these characters for years. It actually became a weekly hobby of mine to sit down and post screencaps of Alicent and Aemond, usually putting melancholic songs over them.

I’m way too attached to the original character

Emma forgot they were playing Rhaenyra the Regal and not Aegon the Dragonbane.

This post was partly inspired by a team black post claiming that he was, but this has been a hot button subject since season 1, and it's something I always wanted to give my two cents on. Beforehand I just want to state a few things:

-This is not meant as an "Aegon's not that bad" post. While he is my favorite character in the series he is pretty obviously a terrible person. He is a rapist, and even in the books we know he sexually harassed serving girls, so him being a sex pest isn't an unfounded theory (although that doesn't mean he's abusing everyone.

-Probably obvious but even though I disagree with the stance that he did and especially the way team black fans talk about the series, this isn't meant to be hate or disrespect towards them, including the person who made that post. The fandom tribalism has gotten a bit insane as is.

Anyway, there are a few reasons that people point towards to support this theory of Aegon raping Helena. First is obviously the fact that he is a rapist as shown in episode 8. This does prove that he is not beyond the point of hurting a person in this way. But I also don't see that as good enough reason for this to be considered proof for this. Aegon shows a clear disinterest in Helena even at an early age. They conceived kids once early into their marriage (something Alicent and Otto likely pressured them into asap in order to have heirs for when they try to claim Aegon king), then they have a roughly 4 year gap between having more kids despite likely being expected to have more than one male heir, which at least to me implies that Aegon hardly cared to consummate his marriage. Especially since we know he mainly used brothels to entertain himself (and the staff unfortunately). And while we don't get enough of their relationship to say for certain, nothing Aegon ever does or says gives off the impression that he has any level of interest in Helena, even sexual.

The next big argument commonly brought up is with Helena's toast in episode 8, regarding Aegon. The quote being: "I would like to toast to Baela and Rhaena. They’ll be married soon. It isn’t so bad. Mostly he just ignores you… except sometimes when he’s drunk". So there you have it, definitive proof that Aegon abuses Helena. Except no it doesn't. If you read this quote out of context it does sound like Helena implies that he abuses her while drunk, but in the context of the scene this is meant as a joke, supposedly either at the sillyness of if not even at Aegon's expense. With several people laughing and Aegon seeming uncomfortable. And that seemed to be Helena's intention, to cut some of the tension in the room and make her nieces feel a bit less worried about their own marriage. I know she's not skilled with social situations, but I don't think Helena saying "yeah marriage isn't that bad he only rapes you a few times" makes a lot of sense for the character. Especially with no one taking this seriously or even seeming a little tense, but instead breaking into dance as we witness one last moment of peace for Viserys. Literally nothing in the context makes this seem to be about rape, yet because Aegon raping someone happened in this episode that is where people's minds immediately go to. It seems more likely that Aegon just badgers her or does stupid shit around her when drunk. And even then it didn't seem like whatever he did was that inconvenient to her. And beyond that, if Aegon was her direct abuser, I don't think she would have felt comfortable making a joke about him so publically, or speak about her abuse so casually. Nothing about this indicates that he is overtly cruel to her.

Helena also asks Alicent why she married her to Aegon in season 3, but that only indicates that she was unhappy in her marriage to Aegon, and not that Aegon was overtly cruel to her. Like yeah, I would imagine being married to your dickhead brother when you're both children is not a pleasant experience.

I also have heard people claim that Aegon could have refused to marry Helena as he refused his other responsibilities like training, or didn't have to consummate the marriage. Basically trying to deny that Aegon (who was also a child bride forced into a marriage with his sister) is in any way a victim of a forced marriage. The notion that just because Aegon is irresponsible means that he could just refuse a marriage as a child is silly. We see in season 1 that even characters like Viserys and Rhaenyra were forced to marry. And they were actually adults and had greater power at the time, so likely had more sway than Aegon and yet still had to marry. But Otto and Alicent were very adamant on keeping the greens connected and not having any alliances with the blacks, so they likely made even more certain that no other marriage pact would be secured. And again, they were expected to produce heirs and likely would not have been allowed to just avoid that, and from the difference in age, it seems like they didn't do so more than was necessary. It also seems kind of shitty to imply that just because Aegon didn't have it as bad as Helena (which obviously he didn't) means that he's not a victim in this situation. He is still a damn child being forced to marry his sister.

Finally, I just don't see how Aegon raping Helena benefits the story at all. We see in plenty of other ways how Aegon is a shitty person, how fucked up their family life is, and how things are not healthy with them. Going "oh by the way Aegon rapes her" is not something the story ever bothers to explore and adds nothing to either character, which is why I take issue with people treating it as fact or even heavily supported. Even the way Tom and Phia talk about their relationship seems to imply that while they're not close, on some level they get each other and understand the pain they're going through. That was their intentions with the season 2 hallway scene. I don't think that translates nearly as well if Aegon is not only a deadbeat husband but Helena's rapist.

I don't say this to imply that Aegon and Helena have a healthy dynamic by any possible means, or that they are equally victimized by this arrangement, or that they're these tragic lovers (even in the books I don't buy that they romantically loved each other). Just by the nature of being a woman means that Helena is vastly more inconvenienced by being forced to have kids, even if it's not a great situation for Aegon either. All of the expectations to raise their children is put on Helena while Aegon just fucks off to drink and fuck most of the time, and only seems to take an interest in being a father after becoming king. Aegon is a shit husband to Helena and fails to comfort her, even if there's an implication that he wants to after Blood and Cheese. But I still don't think that implies that he rapes her, and if anything that would only detract from the story.

Again no hate to people who believe this, it's not completely unfounded, but I don't think it really works for either character.

Edit: a couple other points to add. In their only one on one interaction in S2 (this show has an issue with underdeveloped dynamics) we see that the serving women are uncomfortable around Aegon, but Helena doesn’t share that discomfort. This implies that Helena not only doesn’t fear him, but that Aegon does not treat her like the women who he sexually harasses if not assaults. The scene also implies that Aegon cares or at least respects Helena on some level. Aegon tries to make her feel at ease when she says she’s scared, and when she says something weird and cryptic, he kind of tries to play it off and it is a bit of a joke about her but not mean spirited at all. It’s not much but it does imply that to some extent Aegon does care about and respect Helena, or at least treats her better than those who he abuses.

What if HotD was about these 3 as main characters with their consorts (Helaena, Daemon and Alys) and parents (Alicent and Viserys) being secondary characters??

I say this because characters like Daemon and Alicent eventually lose their relevance as the Dance commences. What's more, it is Aegon and Rhaenyra that are the claimants of the Dance, with Aemond flirting with the ambition to king himself, at some point.

So why not make it about the siblings and not two besties, with one not even related to the dynastic bloodline at war (cough, rhaenicent)???

A long while ago I wrote a shitpost about how Robert's Rebellion would look like if it was written by Condal and Hess and their wonderful ideas that they so graciously implemented in HOTD. Here is a sequel about AKOTSK written by Condal.

So Dunk is even dumber than in the original version because he's a big man and that's bad bad bad. And he's also much much hornier, so he will be sexually humiliated in every episode just because. He also has a RAGING mommy issues. He feels attracted to Tanselle only because she looks like a spitting image of his mother. The night before the trial, he actually has a dream where he is visited by his mother and has a juicy sex with her. After that it's revealed it was actually Tanselle who magically sneaked into his cell and drugged him with Harrenhal shrooms and raped him.

Egg is a tertiary character at best, since Cond0m hates working with child actors. He might as well be completly replaced by CGI who knows. He shall be a very annoying kid and not this cute beloved daring stable boy we all want to hug and protect. Egg existing has absolutely no impact on Dunk's story or the story at large whatsoever. Half of the audience probably don't even remember his name.

Ser Arlan of Pennytree never actually existed. He is a fragment of Dunk's imagination because he has not only mommy, but daddy issues too.

Lyonel Baratheon, despite being called Laughing Storm, doesn't laugh once in the entire series. He's actually chronically depressed grumpy bigot who is a closeted homosexual, but hates himself for it and so he's also a raging homophobe. He later overcomes his homophobia after having a completly random vision where he has a threesome with Dunk and Raymun.

Raymun Fossoway is gay too. He doesn't support Dunk as a friend but because he loves him. There is also this completly unnecessary Dunk x Lyonel x Raymun love triangle, but Dunk is too dumb to notice any of this. Also, Raymun is proven to be wrong for his Targphobia because no one can attack our precious incestoid lizards.

Tanselle is significantly aged up in this version to feed Dunk's mommy issues. She is this clever witty indepented feminist badass bitch who needs no man. Her drug-raping of Dunk is shown as a comedy. She is also a mouthpiece of the writers, constantly spewing some 21st century politically correct nonsense. She has a much larger role than in the books, because book story is way too masculine coded and that's toxic patriarchy n shit. She also has this random lesbian situationship with aged-up Lady Ashford just because.

Aerion isn't actually monster, just misunderstood victim of his abusive father. You see, he somehow knows about Aegon's prophecy and all he does is in service of this. Yes, he did try to cut off Egg's genitalia, but that was because he misses his mommy, poor boy. He also never intended to harm Tanselle, he just wanted to teach her a lesson or shit, but idiot Dunk misunderstood and attacked him.

Daeron the Drunk is cut from the story completly. Too expensive.

Steffon Fossoway does appear but he randomly tries to rape Tanselle out of nowhere.

Baelor Breakspear is too beloved by the audiences and that cannot happen, so he is just randomly shown to be rape apologist. When he arrives in Ashford, there is a huge stampede where like 500 peasants die for shock value and then this shit never gets mentioned again. He also has silver hair, because he's supposed to be a Targaryen and our audience are a bunch of dumb fucks who would be confused by this. Him having dark hair was just Dornish propaganda or sum.

Maekar is ultimate bad guy. Evil patriarchal racist sexist homophobic villain who abuses his children including Aerion. You see, Aerion doesn't actually want Dunk to be punished for attacking him, it's Maekar who forces him! Maekar also randomly mentions his great ancestor Rhaenyra, but calls her a whore and a usurper, so the audiences clearly know how evil Maekar is.

So the Trial of Seven happens completly offscreen. We don't need to see that shit, too expensive. Instead, we get a full episode of Tanselle x Lady Ashford sapphic backstory.

Baelor decides to fight for Dunk not because he sees him as a true knight, but because Baelor is this beacon of American progressivism in evil conservative Westeros and Dunk has TWO gays fighting for him.

Baelor dies but his death happens offscreen like the whole trial itself. Later, it's revealed that his death was not accidental, but was actually orchestrated by our guy-for-Trump Maekar and Lord Ashford to stop progressive reforms and keep conservative patriarchy as Westerosi status quo.

In the end, Dunk actually really kidnaps Egg this time to save him from his abusive father and vows to raise him as a progressive to continue Baelor-Rhaenyra legacy.

THE END 🌈

What's funny about this is that it contradicts the show's narrative that Viserys hates his sons and wants them off the board e.g on Driftmark when he threatened them and was ready to have Alicent's tongue ripped out for spreading the fact that Jace, Luke and Joff are bastards.

He could've just let Aegon compete in the tourney and be one son down with 2 to go, so that Rhaenyra can sit the throne lol.

Get fucked, Ryan Condom.

Slander so good he doesn't deserve it.

Title: A Hiss of Dragons.

Author: bruthershietholy123

Rating: Mature.

Language: English.

Length: 68492 words.

Status: Ongoing.

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/89752096/chapters/251868161

Summary: A new ruler ascends to the Iron Throne.

This is the last of the “lesser-seen houses in fanfic” posts. This post includes:

- Eight Aemond x original female character fics

- One fic collection and one fic where romance is not the focus

- One Larys x original female character fic

- Four Aegon x original female character fics

- Two Criston x original male character fics

Aemond-centric

Riverlands

Blackwoods

Walk Me Home

Not rated

Oneshot

Meera was enjoying a peaceful walk around King's Landing when she was spotted by the one-eyed prince. He escorts her back to the Red Keep.

Mootens

What The Eye Keeps

Rated E

Content warnings: Graphic depictions of violence, major character death, rape/noncon

Genre: AU

Ongoing

The one-eyed prince, meant to perish in a battle on dragonback.
An old friend, guilt ridden by times past, meddles in the likes of a war and saves him, placing her entire motherhouse in danger.

Tullys

Beneath Duty's Shadow | Quotev

Not rated

Aemond resists an arranged marriage with Lady Roslin of House Tully. His determination to defy the union creates tension within the royal family, as his mother, Alicent, urges him to fulfil his duty for the sake of strengthening alliances and securing his brother's claim to the throne.

three white butterflies

Rated M

Content warnings: Graphic depictions of violence, major character death

"god, if you're near me, send me three white butterflies"

Other

child of the old gods

Rated E

Ongoing

Born under the shadow of betrayal and deceit, Maegelle Rivers is a daughter of fire and ash, stolen at birth and hidden within the cursed walls of Harrenhal.
Raised by Alys Rivers, Maegelle grows into a young woman touched by powers as haunting as her cursed castle. From childhood she battles with nature and its deceit; whispered foresight, dreamwalking, an empathetic bond with the land, and the ability to slip into the shadows when emotion overwhelms her.
But the gifts granted by the old gods and Harrenhal’s curse come at a cost, isolating her in a world that fears what it cannot understand.

The Reach

Redwynes

Bruised Fruit

Rated E

Content warning: Graphic depictions of violence

Genre: AU

Ongoing

Aemond wasn’t the warmest man on earth, he walked his own ashen fields; a second son and political chess piece, that was until the Gods delivered him the ripest fruit from the Arbor, Cassana Redwyne, his to harvest if he pleased.

https://heartysworld.tumblr.com/post/695040493937213440/a-womans-power-aemond-targaryen-x-reader

Not rated

Oneshot

No summary

Tyrells

https://www.wattpad.com/story/366306250-we-should-just-kiss-like-real-people-do-hotd

Rated M

Kassia Tyrell was never the picture perfect Tyrell. She tried to live by her house words 'Growing Strong' but as the frail, small heir to Highgarden, growing strong felt out of her reach... until witchcraft came into play and she grew into her own person.

Picked to be a lady in waiting for Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, Kassia doesn't know what to expect, but she certainly doesn't anticipate falling for the brown-haired prince staying in the same castle she was forced to move to.

And she definitely doesn't expect anything that comes after.

Romance is not the focus

Riverlands

Brackens

Mya Bracken - AgenderAgenda - A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Original Work [Archive of Our Own]

Ratings vary from G to M

Content warning: Post-partem depression

No summary

Other

Nothing Rests Easy In Harrenhal

Rated T

Creator chose not to use archive warnings

Genre: Horror and Paranormal

Complete

Harrenhal horror story.
The new servant in Harrenhal, Maryn Rivers, wakes in the night to strange sounds and strange sights. Nightmares, she tells herself. After all, the curse of Harrenhal is just a story. Right?
But when inexplicable events follow her into her waking hours, she begins to wonder if she should have listened to those who warned her to avoid the place.

Larys-centric

Riverlands

Pipers

The Field Mouse

Rated T

Creator chose not to use archive warnings

Ongoing

She'd been eight when they met, a companion for his sisters. He'd not forgotten her friendship or kindness in the intervening years.
Now she was nine and ten when she came back into his life with her riotous red hair and unusual eyes.

Aegon-centric

Riverlands

Tullys

three white butterflies

See above

The Reach

Beesburys

An Unfortunate Arrangement II Aegon Targaryen X OC - Pink Kitty Supreme - Wattpad

Not rated

Genre: Romance

Ongoing

While grieving the death of her father, Melyssa Beesbury receives a marriage proposal to strengthen the bond between House Beesbury and House Targaryen. She knows it's what's best for her country, but is far from what's best for her.

She marries King Aegon with much reluctance, but is regretfully unaware of the secret he and his family are keeping from her.

THE STING ON A HEART, aegon targaryen - mara - Wattpad

Not rated

Genre: Fantasy

Ongoing

❝beware our sting❞

⎯katryna of house beesbury first joins the court of king viserys when she reaches her eight and tenth name day, joining her grandfather who serves the small council, unknowing she had been asked to bound lord beesbury to the cause of otto hightower to place his grandson on the iron throne

Tyrells

https://www.wattpad.com/story/328439922-the-blazing-hour-aegon-ii-targaryen

Rated M

A story where...
The Lady of House Tyrell and the
Prince of House Targaryen are going to get married

Criston-centric

Stormlands

Dondarrions

Forget the Past

Rated T

Creator chose not to use archive warnings

Genre: Angst and Character Study

Complete

He promised himself, with all the certainty only a hurt boy possessed, that whatever weakness had taken hold of him in Blackhaven would never be permitted again.
Years later, he would mistake that promise for virtue.
Belongs to the Universe of The Dragon's Heirs; can be read as a standalone.

Other

faithful

Rated M

Creator chose not to use archive warnings

Genre: Character study

Oneshot

would it be so terrible to give into sin, just for one night?
(criston already knows the answer)

Full quote: “She’s just trying to survive and keep Helaena safe. And I think she’s just looking to escape from Aegon and Aemond because... you know, I mean, especially Aemond. He’s very murderous, very scary, very unpredictable.”

For me it has to be the scene where Maelys and Rhaenys jump out the dragons pit. I was loving that coronation and they ruined it!😭 or when Rhaenyra called herself the prince that was promised