House of the Dragon
HBO ’s new fantasy seriesHouse of the Dragonpromises to be another rousing winner . replete with flying lizard and politics and great battles , it will chronicle , in part , the Dance of the Dragons , which tore the realm apart and dealt House Targaryen a blow from which it never fully recovered .
One of the key players in this dramatic event was Alicent Hightower , the second wife of Viserys I , who would put up him a son who would claim the potty in confrontation to his half - sister Rhaenyra . As such , it is important to take a flavor at some of the matter that only book readers get it on about this absorbing and powerful character .
She Had Several Brothers
Given that she was a member of one of themost powerful noble star sign in Westeros , it make sense that Alicent would have several siblings . One of these , her buddy Gawyn , would come to encounter a key role in the Dance of the Dragons , as his father wanted him to keep an optic on the current Commander of the City Watch .
He would detain firm loyal to his babe , up to the moment that he was kill for refusing to line up himself with the regime of Rhaenyra and her confederate .
She Accompanied Her Father To Court At A Young Age
Alicent ’s father , Otto Hightower , would ultimately become one of themost powerful men in the kingdom , peculiarly as he made himself essential to King Viserys ( and to his gramps before him ) . Thus , Alicent was brought to King ’s landing place at a very young years . This break her a fundamental opportunity to discover about how politics worked in the threatening world of the court .
As she would show as she grew up , she knew how to put these worthful example into praxis , arguably even better than her don ( who was himself very skilled at the biz of thrones ) .
She May Have Lost Her Virginity To Daemon
In addition to becoming a valuable part of the court at King ’s Landing , Alicent also learned the power of flirtation . One of the objects of her affection was Prince Daemon ( played in the series byMatt Smith , in what will surely occur to be seen as one of his secure office ) .
According to some rumors at the metre , chiefly from the fool , Mushroom , she actually lost her virginity to him . If this were true , it would surely explicate why Otto and Daemon modernise a hatred for one another which would have its own role to play in the Dance of the Dragons .
She Married Viserys Against The Advice Of His Council
In the world of the Seven Kingdoms , a king ’s marriage can affect an full region . Though he was wide regarded as one of the best king in the history of the kingdom ( or at least one of the most likable ) , Viserys made an error in splice Alicent .
This is especially notable because his council had actually counsel him against marrying her in the first place . Given this hostility , it makes sense why , later in her life , she would be so determined to hold onto power for both herself and her tiddler .
Her House Was One Of The Most Powerful In Westeros
Like many of thebest graphic symbol inGame of Thrones , Alicent hailed from a very powerful stately home . In her character , it was the Hightowers , who hold a very firm program line over Oldtown , the hindquarters of both the Faith of the Seven as well as the Citadel ( where the maesters rail ) .
As such , her firm has been capable to exert pregnant influence over the events of the Seven Kingdoms . Given her background , it spend a penny even more sense why she would do everything in her king to ensure that her son was able to ascend the throne .
She Was Originally Close With Rhaenyra
Rhaenyra and Alicent would come to be two of themost powerful adult female in Westeros . It is thus especially tragical that they would end up on defend sides , each of them set to bring about an end to the other .
This is noteworthy in that when they were both new they had really been quite close to one another . It was only the vagaries of power and heritage which take them to blast , and it is a reminder of the terrible impact that politics can often have on the relationship between individuals .
She Had Several Children
Though Aegon would become the most famed of her fry , Alicent really produced several children with her married man . This would cause enormous complications for the future of the realm , not least because her daughter , who became poove , put up from madness in her later life .
What ’s more , her own children took a unattackable disapproval to those who had been bear by Rhaenyra . Alicent , as was usually her way , often took her own tike ’s side , irrespective of who happened to be at fault .
She Helped Sow Doubt About Rhaenyra’s Children
Though Rhaenyra was one of the most powerful women in the Seven Kingdoms , this did n’t lay off her from being the germ of gossip . Much of this surrounded the stemma of her first several sons , who were said to be cocksucker . Alicent was one of those mainly responsible for fan the flames of this scandal .
It ’s clear to see why she would do such a thing , as it would make it less likely that the kingdom would take Rhaenyra ’s claim to the stool , not wish to have a bastard sit on the Iron Throne .
She May Have Poisoned Her Husband
Just as many important deaths happen inGame of Thrones , the same happened in this earlier menstruum of chronicle . One of the most noteworthy was Viserys , whose passing set the flame to the tinder and helped to heat the Dance of the Dragons .
Though it is out of the question to prove – given that Mushroom , who reach the title , was n’t in King ’s landing place at the sentence – it ’s believed by some that Alicent actually poisoned Viserys . It ’s easy to see why she would take this step , as it would allow her own Word to move up the throne without waiting for his father ’s demise .
She Had A Peace Plan
Once it became clear just how destructive the Dance of the Dragons was going to be , and how improbable it would be that anyone would emerge unscathed , Alicent proposed a peacefulness agreement that would divide the realm .
As is so often the case , it ’s soft to see why Alicent would do such a thing , as it would have spare both her and her sons any more needless death . unluckily for her , this was not a sorting of peace that Rhaenyra would ever take .
NEXT:10 Best Reactions To The Official House Of The Dragon Trailer On Reddit
