Navigating Westerosi bloodlines is like trying to follow a map with too many twisty paths and not enough dragons to guide you. Take the Targaryens, for instance — their family tree is more tangled than a Dothraki braid. You see, they kept their lineage tight and tidy through some good ol’ fashioned inbreeding, all in the name of preserving their Valyrian charm.
But then there’s Rhaenyra’s brood — Jacaerys, Lucerys, and Joffrey — who throw a spanner in the works. Half-Targaryen, with brown hair no less, which is a dead giveaway they’re not full-blooded Valyrians sporting those coveted silver locks. It’s like trying to find a Lannister without a golden mane — rare and perplexing.
And here’s the kicker: these kids sparked a civil war faster than you can say “Winter is coming.” Rumor had it they weren’t even Laenor’s spawn, despite Rhaenyra’s best efforts and whispers of their alleged legitimacy. Turns out, Harwin Strong, not Laenor, was playing footsie under the table with Rhaenyra. You can practically see the sparks flying in that ball scene from episode 5, and by episode 6, their glances were more loaded than a dragon’s breath.
Now, there were murmurs about Ser Criston Cole being in the running for daddy dearest, but really, that guy’s bitterness towards Rhaenyra doesn’t scream “loving father material.” Harwin, on the other hand, stepped up to the plate, sparring with Alicent’s brood as if they were his own. That’s a fatherly gesture if I’ve ever seen one, unlike Cole, who seems more interested in sharpening his sword than sharing sweet fatherly advice.
But don’t worry, Aegon and Viserys, the twins? Definitely Daemon’s. No one bats an eye at that, not even the skeptical viewers sipping Dornish wine in their cozy Westerosi nooks. When it comes to paternity in the Seven Kingdoms, some things are crystal clear — even amidst the chaos of a civil war over who’s the rightful heir.
