Otto didn’t start the Dance. He was not solely responsible for it.
You lot understand that, right?
I saw one post describe Otto as ‘the man who started this war the moment Aegon was born’, and that’s very untrue.
Insomuch as there is one man who started the war, it was Viserys. And he did indeed do that the moment Aegon was born, by failing to abide by the laws of the kingdom and by the precedent set by his own crowning, and keeping Rhaenyra as his heir.
If Viserys had followed the law and named Aegon his heir then and there, there would be no war. Rhaenyra would get no allies without Viserys naming her his heir. No Lord in Westeros (as it is during the Dance, ie without Dorne) would back a woman over the king’s son and named heir.
But I disagree with putting all of the blame on Viserys. He’s dead when the Dance starts. No, it’s Rhaenyra who starts the actual war. If she had just accepted that she has to follow the law and she isn’t special, there would be no war. Her bastards would be alive and well (until Lucerys tries to be Lord of Driftmark, anyway. I doubt Vaemond’s sons and cousins will just go along with that).

















