Miniature of Princess Rhaenyra and Lady Alicent
After a long wait after Daemon’s triumph at Stepswe came back to Dragon House with the release of Episode 4. In one of the scenes, Queen Alicent is seen exchanging words with Princess Rhaenyra wishing to be in her place.
That’s a huge “wish”, given that Alicent is now Queen of the Seven Kingdoms and has more power and control over anyone compared to her old friend Rhaenyra.
So what made her think that? Let’s find out.
Unlike Alicent, Rhaenyra can choose who to marry
Alice’s expression betrayed her sense of loss. She looked good and completed her tasks, but inside she felt like a prisoner in her own house. She wanted to be in her friend’s shoes. She explains that it was quite unusual for a princess to have two suitors to choose from, but she was lucky to have so many options.
Despite this, Rhaenyra reassured her that the number of suitors didn’t matter, all she really wanted was to find someone who could truly love and appreciate her. As far as he knew, all they cared about was getting his name and the blood of ancient Valayria in his children.
While talking with Rhaenyra, Alicent felt a little pressure. She had gone from being a person to something guys could use as bargaining chips. She married a man more than twice her age when she was still a teenager. She was forced to do so by the hand of the king and her father Otto High Tower, and unlike Rhaenyra, she lacked the confidence to defend herself.
Like other women of her time, she kept her emotions in check. She was raised to respect those in authority and do as she was told without questioning her superiors. It has always been morally and ethically acceptable in the patriarchal culture to deny women equal status, and those who fought against it were branded as corrupt and dishonest.
Rhaenyra feels that Viserys and Alicent betrayed her.
Rhaenyra knows that the king must remarry because of the weight of the Iron Throneit is duty. However, she has no idea how the throne is really controlled. Because of this, Rhaenyra could not anticipate the betrayal perpetrated by Viserys and the person she had always considered her closest friend, Alicent. She was completely oblivious to their relationship. She had no idea that her best friend – the only person who had been there for her throughout her mother’s death – was secretly plotting to replace her with a new mother and betray her together.
In truth, Otto Hightower forced her hand and told her to canvas the mourning king, though she always said she never would if given the chance. Alicent only thinks of him in terms of a father figure. Unfortunately, Rhaenyra doesn’t know this, and she still thinks Alice cheated on her. Just like her father, who married his closest friend when he knew how upset it would upset her.
Due to her youth and naivety, Rhaenyra has yet to see how far a man like Hightower will go to gain control. Or, how a powerful position could taint someone like Viserys. She is young, however, and will grow. Rhaenyra will need to understand how the game works and that no one is her friend and those who are can stab her in the back at the first opportunity.
It’s clear that the lives of Alicent and Rhaenyra couldn’t be more different from each other. As the Princess savored her unexpected independence, the Queen lamented being confined by her royal status. She had no idea how her situation was developing. She wished for the freedom that Rhaenyra enjoyed.
Despite her status as a queen and her access to all material possessions, Alicent Hightower felt internally empty and distant from others. Knowing that she didn’t have many friends, she valued Rhaenyra’s presence in her life.
