What is maternal love in Westeros? No one knows; as most die, it is essential not to get too attached to characters. The mothers in George RR Martin’s work are often seen as steadfast and strong and usually have a twisted sense of right and wrong. Look at Cersei Lannister for more on that. She ended up walking the streets naked and was shamed. Also, all her kids meant horrible fates, which shows what kind of mother she was, as she had a ton of enemies. Nothing was ever said for Rhaenyra Targaryen and her stepmother and former best friend, Alicent Hightower.
Before Cersei was even a thought when it came to mummy dearest, we had Rhaenyra Targaryen and Alicent Hightower. Both were queens and approached motherhood differently.
Alicent: The Mother Who Cares Only About Duty
For Alicent, bearing Viserys four children wasn’t about love. It was out of duty as part of their marriage. She didn’t marry him because she was in love with him. Marriage in Westeros was rarely about love and leaned more on allegiances. Let’s not forget that a comparison has been made between HotD and reality.
Alicent’s love for Rhaenyra started to wane when the rumour said that the Princess of Dragonstone had slept with Daemon. Otto tells his daughter that if the princess becomes Queen, she’ll put Aegon and Helaena to the sword. Before we continue, Aemond and Daeron hadn’t been born.
Would Rhaenyra have done this if Otto hadn’t made Alicent paranoid? Probably not. She would want to honour her father’s legacy by embracing her half-siblings. However, because she was usurped, this is no longer the case.
Regarding their children, Alicent and Rhaenyra show two very different temperaments regarding being a mother. So, let’s begin with the rightful Queen.
Rhaenyra: The Mother Who Doesn’t Yell Or Scream
Rhaenyra might’ve had three sons with Ser Harwin Strong, but they were everything to her. She didn’t care if they were bastards. Unfortunately, her arrangement with her husband, Laenor Velaryon, made them unable to conceive a child. Also, their union covered up that the heir to Driftmark was gay, a fact known to only a handful of people.
When their union was proposed, Rhaenyra suggested that they marry and produce heirs but continue having relationships with other people. This is where the relationship with Harwin comes in. During her conversation with Daemon after his wife Laena’s funeral in episode 6, the princess tells him that she and Laenor tried to have a child but couldn’t.
Despite her sons’ true paternity, Rhaenyra always believed Laenor was their father. He loved them as any father would. He also didn’t seem to mind that Harwin was constantly present in his sons’ lives. So when Jacaerys Velaryon, their eldest son, begins to question his true father, his mother tells him that he’s a Targaryen, which is all that matters.
Rhaenyra is genuinely affectionate towards her sons, as any sensible mother should be. At Laena’s funeral, she tells the boys to comfort their grieving cousins, Rhaena and Baela Targaryen, the daughters of Daemon and Laena. She even hugs and kisses Lucaerys before he leaves for Storm’s End, unaware it would be the last time she would see him.
She is also quite sweet to little Joffrey in one scene where she holds his hand while surrounded by most of her family. Rhaenyra also greatly respects her cousins/stepdaughters, Rhaena and Baela. Rhaena would become Rhaenyra’s cupbearer when she became Queen. Rhaenyra doesn’t try to be Rhaena and Baela’s mother.
Alicent: Unable To Keep Her Sons Under Control
Alicent is a mother who genuinely loves her children, but she cannot control her sons. However, she has little patience for, at least, Aegon’s antics. While we don’t see much of her interactions with her daughter, Helaena, it is evident that she loves her but is constantly fed up with two of her three sons.
We don’t know what Alicent’s relationship is like with her youngest son, Daeron, as he has not appeared onscreen as of yet. However, moving on to Aegon and Aemond, it is apparent that the Dowager Queen cannot keep the pair on short leashes.
Aegon is a sexpot and goes after the servant girls and any other woman who would love to get it on with him. He even raped one poor girl who Alicent had to pay off and gave her moon tea to stop a potential pregnancy. However, Alicent isn’t aware that her eldest son has multiple bastards running around in child-fighting rings. It is apparent that Alicent is horrified by his actions but can’t do anything to stop him.
If a bastard child has the Targaryen bleach blond hair, the odds of them being Aegon’s are pretty high. So, after the maid has spoken to Alicent, the Queen pulls Aegon out of bed and scolds him. Let’s not forget that she even grabbed him by the face when he was younger and still paranoid about Rhaenyra having him killed if she became Queen.
Finally, going over to Aemond, Alicent doesn’t appear to criticise him as much as she does with Aegon. On the contrary, she is seen as protective of him, especially when Luke takes his eye out when he and Jace defend Baela and Rhaena after their mother’s funeral.
