House of the Dragon
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Perhaps whispers are more important in a kingdom where everyone is already shouting their enmity.
And how many timesdoesa king need to declare that war, am I right?
Aegon has been sounding the bells since before his sons murder.
Or maybe Aegons uncle Ormund Hightower can do it when he arrives months from now.
No, Jason Lannister can do it when he gets there from Casterly Rock in a few weeks.
He suggests that he take Harrenhal personally, with whatever force he can muster from Kings Landing.
What his army lacks in size, it will make up for in speed.
you might be asking.
Nope, no dragons.
Its worth pondering, momentarily, what makes Ser Criston tick.
And I cant believe Criston has any real love for Aegon himself.
His whole purpose in this war still comes off as vengeance on the teenage girl who dumped him.
He also has a bit of a chip on his shoulder regarding his humble Dornish origins, it seems.
More important than whatactuallyhappened in the council meeting is what people aresayinghappened there.
Overall, this ruling thing is proving harder than it looks.
Criston finds them lounging on the castle steps like their high school seniors in June.
They laugh in Aegons face when he proposes they adhere to their vows of chastity.
Aegon is momentarily miffed by this insolence, but if you cant beat em, join em.
(As king, though, youd really think you could just beat em.)
Aegon is cruel, whereas Aemond is sensitive.
Aegon is feckless, whereas Aemond is lethal.
In Daemons absence, she now has Jace on one shoulder, nudging her toward battle.
And somewhere between them on the war/peace continuum sit the men on Rhaenyras borderline traitorous council.
The morbidity rate for royal sons is rising fast.
Lady Jeyne Arryn has agreed to ward Rhaenyras danger-magnet scion in exchange for the protection of a dragon.
Yes, the motherhood theme returns.
More explicitly, back in Kings Landing,Helaenaacknowledges how motherhood has rendered her indistinguishable.
Nightmares, too, penetrate his bedchamber on the wind.
Either way, Daemon appears to have slept walked into a small Strong family cemetery.
A long-haired woman standing nearby offers a premonition without elaboration: You will die in this place.
Of his own conscience?
Of assassination, as he feared at dinner?
Things are going even worse for Aegons advance party.
Instead, she brings the intel back to the council, who are frenzied.
(Rooks Rest is but a short sail from Driftmark and Dragonstone.)
In truth, though, the Black Queen does more than that.
There are no new terms for either woman to propose.
A civil war erupted because the Targaryens recycle their given names with alarming regularity.
Who cares if Viserys declared Aegon as his heir or if it was Rhaenyra?
In a hundred years, the truth will be lost entirely, if it isnt already.
Is it that someone stole someone elses crown?
Is it that someone attacked someone elses son?
And who was that, exactly?
There will be no careful accounting once the dogs of war have been let slip.
Did the Brackens and Blackwoods really kill each other because once upon a time Rhaenyras son blinded Alicents?
No, they did it because theyve wanted to kill each other since before either can remember.
You know what Aemond is, Alicent gives Rhaenyra by way of one last warning.
Its cryptic and apologetic, as threatened as it is threatening.
She has raised the dogs of war herself and knows the evil that her sons are capable of.
But already Rhaenyra has stopped listening.
Her eyes grow flinty as she stares out over a sea of prayer candles.
Aemond is evil, but he desires war more than he cares for its causes.
Rhaenyra may prove more dangerous still a true believer now emboldened to do her worst.
