Aegon II Targaryen was made King through the scheming and mechanizations of his mother and uncle in House of the Dragon season 2. Although this singular act caused a rift between House Black and House Green, Aegon has yet to prove he’s deserving of the throne. As Alicent’s oldest child, he’s forced to take the throne despite his initial reluctance.
Known historically as “The Usurper” King, Aegon, though the oldest child, displays the least maturity of Alicent sons (as shown in House of the Dragon). Although initially strived to be a benevolent King, Aegon has taken Otto’s advice for toughness a bit too far. Mad with power, audiences have watched Aegon make consequential mistakes since the start of House of the Dragon season 2.
Undermining Members of His Secret Council
At the start of House of the Dragon season 2, King Aegon II’s Secret Council, which acts as his royal advisory council, is chiefly dominated by members loyal to House Green. More importantly, these members played an active part in ensuring Aegon usurped the throne. Aegon bringing his son to the meeting to teach the child Prince about the matters of the state was an impressive move. However, openly disrespecting Ser Tyland Lannister in the manner he did only spells doom for him. Even his uncle and mother couldn’t show less disgust for Aegon’s behavior. Although the Lannister family is not yet as politically powerful as shown in Game of Thrones, the Lannisters are a powerful house Aegon should be careful to disrespect.
Publicly Hanging the Palace Ratcatchers Was Ill-Conceived
Aegon’s anger and desire for revenge was totally understandable. Not only had King’s Landing been infiltrated, assassins had made their way into the Red Keep to murder the heir apparent. So far, from Game of Thrones to House of the Dragon, the Targaryen have shown a reputation for making the silliest mistake when in grief. However, Aegon ordering the public execution of the ratcatchers ranks as one of the silliest mistakes ever made by a Targaryen King, as shown in the series.
Although the loss of a child is devastating, having a procession through King’s Landing was an excellent move. As the episode was rightly titled (“Rhaenyra the Cruel”), House Green had won the love of the people. This would have ultimately jeopardized Rhaenyra’s standing with the people, as well as their loyal allies and spies within King’s Landing. Even her Small Council at Dragonstone was having doubts. Yet, with a single, ill-conceived move, Aegon put his house in a worse position than they were before.
Blood had confessed to having a ratcatcher as an accomplice. Since the palace was well aware of all the ratcatchers in their employ, anyone with half a brain would have lined them up for Blood to identify. As Otto remarked, the citizens of King’s Landing only see fathers and husbands hanged for an alleged crime. Although they’re still centuries away from having “The Mad King” (Aerys II Targaryen), Aegon’s action was nothing short of madness!
Replacing Ser Otto Hightower With Ser Criston Cole
Although not really a great fan of Ser Otto Hightower, there’s no denying he’s a better man for the job. His years of service as Hand of the King and experience in tactical warfare cannot be downplayed. More than ever, Otto is of more value to Aegon as the Hand than Ser Cole. Besides usurping the throne with Otto’s connections, most of the alliances House Green has secured in war have been because of his uncle. Judging solely from the turn of events in the series, without Otto by his side, Aegon is now, more than ever, unrestrained to launch an attack on Dragonstone.
However, while not a tactically advantageous move, it’s a welcome development for many viewers. Ser Otto had it coming a long time ago. His quest for power and control often sees him cross the lines between the Hand of the King and his grandfather. Since he lit the match that started the war, it would have been nice to have him around to watch it all play out. Notwithstanding, it’s relieving to know he’s been fired twice from the job, first by a close friend and now by his own grandson.
Aegon’s Quest for War
While being a young King may have its perks, Aegon’s quest for war evidently shows he’s never been in one. Even his uncle, whose greed to have his family in the royal bloodline knows no bounds, knows charging toward Dragonstone at the moment jeopardizes their military advantage. Aegon seems to be spurred on by Aemond and Vhagar’s triumph over a young Lucerys and his dragon.
Although Aemond undoubtedly rides the biggest ridden dragon in Westeros, House Black still has the number advantage with dragons and skilled riders. With Ser Cole as Aegon’s new Hand, his next predictable move will be to destroy the shipping blockade of the Gullet. At this point, with the inevitable Dance of the Dragon, audiences can’t wait to see how it all goes down. If you enjoyed reading about Aegon’s mistakes in House of the Dragon, here’s why House of the Dragon’s latest season proves things will get worse before they get better.
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