(all those beautiful things)

However I think now that maybe the writers wanted to emphasize for the audience the grotesque reality:

she is the Queen, but she should act like a king—A MAN—to be a ruler. She can’t rule as she is—a woman. She must prove she is basically“a man who does a manly cruel thing” and deny herself and her femininity to earn their respect.

If Rhaenyra willingly swung Dark Sister with no hesitation at this point of story (again if I were her, I definitely would btw lol), this intention and her journey to “the cold-hearted Queen” narrative would be weakened. Thus, “no manly Rhaenyra here” portrayal, perhaps?

HOTD S3 Targaryens/Velaryon with violet! eyes

Freddie Fox as King Louis XIII & Juno Temple as Queen Anne

Luo Yunxi as Rong Qi & Zhang Xueying as Rong Le/Qin Man

Luo yunxi as 容齐