Is it just me, or does anyone else find Alicent’s character arc similar to that of Macbeth? A faithful follower of the Faith of the Seven, Alicent fears a higher power that rules us all. Yet, in her heart, she aspires to have everything that her best friend, Queen Rhaenyra, has always had. So, the question here is: has Alicent finally started to show her true colors when no one’s looking? In the seventh episode of House of the Dragon, Rhaenyra pointed out that her childhood friend hid beneath the cloak of her own righteousness. And after watching the first episode of House of the Dragon season 2, I believe Rhaenyra wasn’t wrong.
Spoiler Alert
There was a time when a father’s dotting daughter, Alicent, cherished Rhaenyra’s free and wild spirit. But as the time and tides changed, Alicent started to envy the same because she herself couldn’t gather enough courage to revolt against her father’s wishes like Rhaenyra did in the past. For Alicent, who saw her friend with eyes of envy and bitterness, Rhaenyra was a spoiled and privileged brat. But to be honest, Alicent wanted to become that same person so she could save herself from her father’s draconian control. Rhaenyra, on the other hand, never bent the knee, nor will she ever. After a period of time, Alicent finally realized that she could never match Rhaenyra’s wild spirit. Therefore, she tried attacking her character to break her spirit and taint her reputation.
Alicent questioned Ser Criston Cole about his affair with the princess, and that vile man didn’t flinch before vomiting all the poison he had for Rhaenyra in his heart. And mind you, it was the same Alicent who mocked and shamed Rhaenyra for fooling around with Harwin Strong. Hypocrisy literally died a million times when Alicent herself “showed” her bare feet to Harwin’s brother, The Clubfoot, to fulfill his fetishes so that she could use his support in her battle against Team Black. And coming to the hottest topic of episode 1, it was the same Alicent who didn’t mind letting Cole into her chambers to satisfy her needs, which Viserys, the most peaceful one, was incapable of doing.
I mean, calling Viserys peaceful makes more sense now because the late king indeed did everything very “peacefully,” therefore forcing his wife to seek comfort with wild men. But I am sure Alicent didn’t get physical with Cole because of her sexual needs; she did it because Rhaenyra had an affair with the most decorated knight of the kingdom, and poor Alicent wanted everything her best friend had. Their intimate relationship also changes their dynamics outside the bedroom. One can see Cole defending Alicent in the court meetings and in front of her son, Aemond, who believed his mother had gone too soft and was too sympathetic towards the enemy. The one-eyed conqueror even went on to say that Her Grace speaks with “two tongues,” and it was exactly at that moment when Cole tried to hide his face and defend Alicent in the most subtle manner he could.
But I think things are going to change after Jaehaerys’ death. A traumatized Helaena saw her mother in a state she had never imagined in her wildest of dreams. At the beginning of the episode, Alicent tried to make it clear to Cole that it was the last time they were seeing each other behind closed doors, but both of them knew that it was going to happen again. However, Jaehaerys’ murder is going to cast a long shadow on House Green, especially Aegon, Helaena, and Alicent, who might drown themselves in guilt and sorrow for not being able to save their heir from an attack.
Alicent, indeed, isn’t going to let her guard down again, and her relationship with Cole might face a tragic end as she reminds herself of the responsibilities she has towards her children and their subjects. At the time when she should be taking care of her grandchildren, she is fulfilling her ambitions to compete with her best friend’s sense of entitlement. Additionally, Helaena’s mental condition might not recover after the incident, and because of this, Alicent might have to step in to take care of the remainder of her grandchildren.
Based on what we know about Cole, it’s safe to assume that he isn’t very good with handling breakups. He still despises Rhaenyra because his fragile ego couldn’t handle the rejection well, and I am certain that if Alicent does the same, Cole will show his true colors to her as well. He might join forces with Aemond to overshadow his mother and take charge of the court. Aemond already hates his grandfather, Otto, for having too much control over the politics of the kingdom. The young blood, Aemond, doesn’t want to sit and wait for the right opportunity to strike back, as he is always yearning to take his dragon out and burn it all to the ground. His lack of patience forces him to take a stand against his own mother and her father, and considering Aegon too might support Aemond’s violent cause after Jaehaerys’ death, Otto and Alicent might be thrown out of the picture. So, did Alicent’s ambitions and desires cost her heavily? Maybe, yes. Alicent never actually knew what she really wanted. It was her father who dictated the terms to her. And when Alicent decided to write the rules herself, she just fell short of words.
