would've could've should've | the dance of the dragons

the dragon king

When Viserys died, nobody gave an explicit reaction to it. Of course, people were sad but the anxiety of what will happen next suppressed any other emotions.

Otto was still in exile in Oldtown, with young prince Daeron on his side. The boy was only eight and yet, he wasn't that sad about his father's death. Meanwhile, Otto wept secretly for his friend's passing, and Daeron only thought about his brother's lost eye. That was more concerning for him than his own father's death. Viserys had sent him there nearly four years ago, not knowing what to do with him. He remembered his mother's objections and cries but nevertheless, he found himself in this big, old, foreign city. And through the years he didn't even receive one letter from his father. So he decided not to grieve for someone he didn't know. His daily life continued for him.

Helaena, ever the sweetest soul was sad despite all. Viserys was her father after all, and even though he never showed her any affection losing him broke her delicate heart. She preferred to stay in her chambers, busying herself with her little friends. But her main sadness was caused by her mother's defining grief, not the loss of her father. She couldn't miss someone who was never there, to begin with.

Aemond took his death really hard. Blamed himself even. If only he didn't claim Vhagar, if only he would just lay there and let the others kick him, if only he would just pretend everything was okay. Criston said his father was sick already and that was the Gods' doing, had nothing to do with him. But Aemond still carried the heaviness in his heart. But his guilt wasn't comparable enough to Alicent's.

She was torn between love and hatred. She loved the man despite the odds, despite everything he had done to her. She was raised to be a dutiful wife and that was what she was. She gave fourteen years of her life and four children to him. If she couldn't find a way to love him she would lose her mind. But her hatred grew each day. Every time he summoned her in the middle of the night for a distraction, every time he passed over her to take care of Rhaenyra, every time he disrespected her in front of people, her hatred grew and grew and reached a point that she couldn't suppress it anymore. And the next day Viserys died, great timing truly. He didn't let her have peace even after his death.

For Aegon, what happened in the past 24 hours was an eye-opening experience. Alicent has been telling him how dangerous Rhaenyra could be to him and his siblings for years. Aegon never actually cared about her words. She would have a quarrel with Rhaenyra and would go to his room after she calmed down, and would warn him how Viserys' affection towards his half-sister could be his doom one day. Aegon thought they were nothing more than a mother's usual worries. But then her kids took his little brother's eye and yet their father blamed a little boy. Not his daughter or not her children. Aegon realized that day how little he and his siblings meant to Viserys and how pointless it was to gain Viserys' love and favour. He was trying for something he could never achieve. Suddenly all of Alicent's words started to make sense. His mother was the only one to see his sister's true face and nobody believed her for a decade.

Rhaenyra was with Laenor and the kids when she first heard the news. She mistook Viserys' kindness for a guarantee for years and thought nothing could hurt her or her kids. Never imagine what she would do if Viserys dies. Sure, she was his heir but who would accept her rule? Why would anybody believe her after her son took another child's eye and everybody saw the way she reacted? Painting Alicent as the mad one, as the one who lost control, was easy. She knew where to hit, she knew how to turn the tides to her side. But now Viserys was gone and Alicent was the one with the reins. And suddenly all of her mistakes started to hit her head.

Daemon saw the perfect opportunity. Alicent just took a huge strike the other night. If the whole realm didn't know up until this point, they now knew that the king doesn't care about his kids with her. And she meant nothing. And Rhaenyra was ready to throw herself to his feet, she roamed around him the whole day before the incident. And though nothing has happened, Daemon was sure that she would come to him soon, he worked really hard to guarantee that. Surely Rhaenyra would be the queen and getting rid of both Harwin and Laenor was easy. And where she would go in times of despair and grief? Losing a father, a husband and a lover, all on the same day would be too hard for her and she would need someone to calm her down. Who was the better option than Daemon? And if he could manage to put the blame for Viserys' death on Alicent, he could take the throne with little to no fight.