#doesn't mean you get to take away basic rights willy nilly

[lemonhemlock]

Do you think Aemond would have made a much better king than both aegon ii and rhaenyra

Thanks for dropping by, Anon! What a loaded question! I suppose the matter of contention here would be "which Aemond?"

Book!Aemond is villainous to the point of caricature and offers little in the way of characterization. The historians of the time do not dive into his personality or motivations. Is he genuinely like that or has he suffered some breakdown of sorts? Does he become too far gone or can his trauma be overcome?

The problem with Aemond is that he reveals nothing in the direction of policy, both in the books and in the show, so it's very difficult to appraise his potential for kingship when we don't know his ideas. This is true even of Aegon. We know Aemond will burn the Riverlands, but what are his starting-point policies for peace times?

Meanwhile, characters like Daemon and Rhaenyra have had more time to make political decisions, just by virtue of being older. We already know Rhaenyra is not an astute political actor, because she proved herself before the war began. We already know Daemon relies on a combination of throwing tantrums, running away, murder and waging war as a means of problem-solving, because he has lived a full life before the start of the war.

This will get long. :))

Show!Aemond fortunately has received much needed humanization and characterization, even so much as to become a fan favourite with little screen time. His appearance on-screen suggests that, as a child, he is well-behaved, dutiful, sensitive and kind. He doesn't cause trouble, doesn't get into fights, is studious and a rule-follower. He has low self-confidence because he is the only boy in his cohort without a dragon and is hurt that he is not accepted. He has no problem confiding in his mother and seeks her out for comfort. He respects and cares for his sister. These are all good qualities to have in a king.

Not low-confidence, but the fact that he doesn't retaliate to his bullies and takes it patiently on the chin says something. He doesn't resort to cruelty as his first reaction. He instead tries to prove himself over and over, which is why he is often scolded for annoying the dragons and putting himself in danger. That can also be interpreted as recklessness, but it's not exactly thrill-seeking behaviour. This is dragons we're talking about and it's basically the only way he can gain one: by claiming one. Taking risks is kind of inevitable in this situation. Aemond is not a hatcher, else a dragon egg would have hatched for him already.

There are also shades of Targaryen exceptionalism in him: he must have a dragon and marrying your sister is normal and even opportune. But he doesn't look down on his mother for not being a Targaryen and he doesn't seem jealous of Rhaenyra or Daemon for having "purer" blood than him (gosh) or even of the Strong boys for claiming to have "pure Valyrian blood" (my god, I sound like a Slytherin). I think Aemond was a pretty respectable, sweet kid that yearned for connection with others (his brother, sister, mother, I think he would have accepted even Jace and Luke had they been nicer to him) and was saddened when he got rejected within his tiny circle. He tries very hard to prove himself worthy, in the hopes that he will one day gain that sense of belonging.

I think little Aemond really wanted some friends and would have responded very well to people treating him kindly, but he isn't a pushover and not necessarily the type to cede to peer pressure. He could haven taken his cues from Aegon and shared in his vices out of a desire for closeness with his brother (perhaps that is why he agreed to go with Aegon to that brothel?), but he didn't. He has his own moral code and isn't comfortable with breaking it willy-nilly.

Based on this, I think that, with the right councilors, Aemond could have been a pretty decent king. Again, he hasn't released his Manifesto yet, so I have to base my assumptions on something. 😅

People look at his fight with Jace/Luke/Baela/Rhaena and claim he is insensitive and disrespectful and violent. I disagree (obviously, lol).

He went out in search of Vhagar unarmed, through the fields of Driftmark, after dark, perhaps because violence wasn't really his modus operandi.

He was brave enough to approach Vhagar and claim her. Riding Visenya's dragon is obviously supposed to be evocative and symbolic, but Vhagar doesn't necessarily bond only with the serial killer gene. She was also Laena's mount, who is not presented as any kind of psycho and seemed to be a generally well-balanced person.

That was probably the best moment of his life, finally gaining the confirmation he craved for. Getting a little cocky and talking shit afterwards is not a crime. Defending yourself after being assaulted 4-1 is not a crime.

After he got maimed, with half his face stitched up, he demonstrated enough emotional intelligence and political awareness in order to diffuse the situation twice in favour of his mother. That's good indication for his political acumen if he ever were to become king.

However, unfortunately, this incident obviously traumatised him and he will not the same afterwards. He is now disfigured, disabled, suffered through a great injustice and was betrayed by his literal blood relatives. I can't imagine what that would do to someone's self-esteem. Even claiming the biggest dragon in the world wasn't enough to gain him acceptance and appreciation.

Now, the next time we see Aemond, he is undoubtedly framed in a villainous way. He has a pirate eyepatch, looks like an anime villain, has obviously been studying the blade and is kind of a dick to his bewildered, nice-guy nephews. But is that so out of the ordinary? He hates Jace and Luke's guts. He has no reason to be nice to these expired coupons.

I'm not gonna lie, Aemond has his own issues. He has thrown himself into his studies and training as a means to cope with his new eyeless existence. He has anger issues and a desire for vengeance. How would that translate into being king? Well, for starters, he is still very kind to his mother and sister. He stands up for his Aegon, even though he's a lecherous street rat. He's still "doing the right thing" and abiding by his own morals like a good little boy. He prays with Mummy at dinner. Aemond is a trauma-survivor (now of sexual trauma, too, thanks to Aegon) who deals with it via perfectionism and repression, but he doesn't strike me as someone who wouldn't listen to reason. He still longs for connection. I have made another super-long post about how Aemond basically insinuates himself into Criston's quest to find Aegon just because he wants to shoot the shit and process his past troubles.

Should he become King at this moment, I think he'd continue to be a good little boy and listen to Mother & Grandsire, but probably take his duties way more seriously than Aegon ever did. As downsides, Aemond has a chip on his shoulder now, probably has more low-confidence because of his mutilation, and is really, really mad at Lucerys for taking his eye.

I don't know what he'd do to Luke and Jace if he became King. When constrained by social norms, i.e. at dinner, with Viserys still alive, he tries his damndest not to react to anything at all, probably an attempt to control himself. He is dead silent and only reacts to look after Aegon and Helaena. He already thinks this situation is humiliating. When Luke laughs at the pig, it's literally the final straw for him. And still! What he says is a mere insinuation, not even mentioning the word "bastards". The people present already know the truth and it's a private event anyway.

He wanted to ruin their night and did it in the most low-effort way possible. He is astute enough to figure out this will get under their skin, mirroring Criston's behaviour when he provoked Harwin into that outburst. But we don't know if this is a true talent for reading people or if he just knew how to read Jace and Luke because with them he made the extra effort.

To those sat at the table, his outburst could have appeared out-of-nowhere, but he has been nursing this grudge for nigh on 6 years, since he's been literally disfigured and disabled because of them. I mean, if THAT doesn't earn you the right to hold a grudge, nothing will. I get why he would feel it so disrespectful to be forced to dine with them when he hasn't even received an apology. I don't blame him here, since I'd probably also try to make these guys' lives as hellish as possible.

When these social constraints disappear (Viserys dies and they are on the verge of going to war), Aemond feels like he can finally have his revenge and sets out to terrorize Luke. So, from his perspective, he let loose one time and ended up doing something catastrophic, that can have terrible consequences for his own family. He is obviously shaken and regrets it immediately. He's never done anything of this magnitude in his life and must feel panicked and in need of guidance ASAP. For a King, that's not very good, because he'd be the person to impose these social constraints in the first place. It doesn't bode well if the King himself lets loose and this happens.

So, I guess we'll have to see where they go with his characterization from here. At the moment, he should be feeling very vulnerable and is possibly in a headspace that allows him to be manipulated. From what I can gather, Aemond is not the type of person to thrive on his own. He needs connection and genuine bonds with people in order to not feel swallowed up by his feelings of inadequacy. If left to his own devices, he'll probably spiral. In a way, he is similar to Aegon, who also craves love and validation more than anything.

Unfortunately, after Blood & Cheese, I think everyone will be consumed by their own anguishes and left incapacitated to give themselves the comfort that would allow themselves to heal. Aemond himself is likely to become riddled by guilt and have some kind of mental breakdown.

The answer to your question is, therefore, dependent on several variables.

When does Aemond become King? Does Aegon succeed in running away to Essos? I have spoken about how/if he could realistically become King in that scenario. If he does manage it somehow, I feel he probably would abide by Alicent's advice. The question is how he would approach Luke and Jace down the line, with his desire for revenge. In that scenario, he would probably not go to Storm's End himself, but maybe send Daeron or some other emissary.

Does he become King because Aegon succumbs to his injuries and dies in the war? Is this before or after the battle with Daemon? Does Helaena still die? Does Brothel Queens happen? Does Maelor still die? He will be forced to set Alys aside and marry a proper noble girl. How would he handle that? What kind of character is Alys? We don't really get a look inside his head from the text, so we'll see how they approach his characterization in the show, but each new tragedy will be an opportunity for depression and agony.

Is Aegon the second son or does he even exist in this version of the story? If he is the first-born, Aemond is going to come with different emotional baggage.

#aemond targaryen #house of the dragon #asoiaf #aemond as king #j/k we all know aemond is a communist king women's rights scholar and environmental activist #he'll be gr8 #you're doing amazing sweetie!!!! #ask #anon