nothing is the same

everything alicent experienced as a child is still being carried inside her, trauma doesn't just stop affecting you when you grow up.

every time you see alicent instilling fear into aegon, remember otto preaching about how rhaenyra was going to put alicents children to the sword. when you see alicent crowning aegon, remember that little girl who didn't want to teach aegon to steal his sisters birthright was being told by otto that the kingdom wants him to be king. remember how alicent thought rhaenyra would make a fine queen but otto pushed alicent into a corner by sending people to find and crown aegon first, forcing her to step in herself so otto wouldn't advise him to kill rhaenyra.

it is the exact same is ormund pressuring daeron to be king and to kill that man. alicent is acting as an extension of ottos will, his voice is still in the back of her head. he groomed her and impressed the wrong ideals upon her and alicent is acting from a result of that manipulation and an instinct to gain ottos approval and love, something she has always had to earn instead of just be given, just like daeron.

he looks so sweet and adorable for a man so serious (i’ll build my personality around this photo)

Alicent Hightower “House of the Dragon” icons