#the war

I'll shout this from the roof tops if need be. Every fucking thing can be traced back to Otto Hightower. From the beginning of Viserys rule Otto has been there. From the start of the Dance to the end Otto Hightower's actions cause it all.

Aemma dieing could not have been more perfect. A queen dead with no male heir, the King believes his brother a irresponsible, uncontrollable nuisance, and a girl who's greatest friend is his daughter. It could not have been more perfect.

A King in need of a wife, not for an heir, but for comfort. A girl raised to obey her father without question. A girl scared and dressed in ill fitting dresses reading to a drunk mourning King. Her only opposition a girl younger than the King daughter. A 12 year old girl who's mother is the King's cousin, a dragon rider.

Now his daughter is the queen. She is queen and she gives birth to a boy. Aegon, the boy who will surely be made heir. Now all that needs be done is to marry of Rhaenyra to an ally who will keep her contained.

But despite it all Aegon is not replaced. The King upholds his daughters claim, and your daughter speaks in favor of Rhaenyra. You urge the King to name Aegon heir, and he refuses, you urge your daughter to speak to the king about naming Aegon heir and she refuses. She holds Rhaenyra close to her heart, she was her dearest friend and you and the King stole that from her.

And even still there is affection between them both. There is love and care. Even while pregnant with the King's next child Rhaenyra is concerned for Alicent and Alicent publicly speaks in Rhaenyra's favor.

He must rid them of that affection so that she is willing to displace Rhaenyra for Aegon. So he makes Alicent paranoid. He makes her fearful. Because despite it all Alicent loves her children. Even if she hates being Queen. Even if it forced she and Rhaenyra apart, even if it stole her happiness she loves her children.

So now she must keep Rhaenyra small and hurt. She must ensure Rhaenyra can never gain enough power to kill her children. And she makes her children fearful as she was made by her father. She spews hate, and poison. She teaches her children to be as hateful and afraid as she. She does to her daughter what was done to her and betrothed her to Aegon at a young age.

And when her daughter is 14 she has children. Twins no less. So her heir has an heir. And her father is back in court as the hand. And Otto has his power and influence over the realm once more.

And then they hide the King's death, and they usurp Rhaenyra's crown. Rhaenyra losses the first of her children, little Visenya. And Alicent wants peace, wants Rhaenyra alive. Sends a book page and a bullshit line of childhood love that everyone knows still lingers.

But then Luke is killed by Aemond, and Jaehaerys is assassinated by blood and cheese. And on and on the war rages and everything could have been stopped and none of it had to happen had Otto Hightower never been King Jaehaerys hand.