Nathaniel Carrion
NatetheGreat
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- Jul 23, 2020
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"Your mind is the starting point of all war and all
strategy. A mind 
that is easily overwhelmed by emotion
, that is rooted in the past instead of
the present, that cannot see the world with clarity and urgency, will create strategies that will always miss the mark." — Robert Greene, The 33 Strategies of War."The child who is not embraced by the village will burn it down to feel its warmth." — African Proverb
"Only those who do not seek power are qualified to hold it." — Plato
"The true soldier
fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves 
what is be-hind him." — G.K. Chesterton"The general who advances without coveting fame
and retreats without fearing disgrace, whose only 
thought is to protect his country and do good service for his sovereign, is the jewel of the kingdom." — Sun Tzu, The Art of War.Well, that's an understatement of the year. It actually baffles me so much how Aemond's family (both Blacks and Greens) themselves are so willfully ignorant to the fact that they are the ones who're responsible for his own trauma and warped state of mind in the first place and then got the audacity to question later why he's so monstrous and cruel when they are really the root causes of him being this way. I hope that Adara makes them all admit to this fact and own up to their follies. Metaphorically speaking, Aemond is the quiet kid at school who was disabled and bullied by the other kids, but he found his confidence in solitude, learned the art of war and combat. Then he returned to his old stomping ground to kick their ass. Adara knows those types, she's seen that face...she probably saw it in her own reflection everyday. Unlike his family, she'll come to fully understand him and perhaps, intentionally or unintentionally, motivate him to be better and not care about anyone else says or thinks anymore if they don't actually contribute to his own happiness and growth as a human being.
Of course, he's so easy to dislike, but he's actually such a nuanced character as well. Look at his life as we've seen. Constantly doubted, overlooked, and forgotten. Then, he pairs with Vhagar and feels like he belongs, finally finding a dragon, and one of the strongest at that. Then, as he said to Cole, he was the one who took his position as a successor seriously, while Aegon didn't. And he took it personally that he was never even considered by his mother or father. I believe him acting the way he does, is him lashing out for never receiving the love his siblings had. He's desperate to prove his worth when he already has. But few to none acknowledge it and I think that makes him internally angry. He wants validation and has never gotten it, so he chooses to rule from fear rather than gaining respect from his steadfastness and intellect. Because he lives in Westeros which has always been a feudal and martial society. Since, the lords and knights, particularly those living in the South, tend to care more about martial glory and battle rather than chill and appreciate more intellectual pursuits such as wonders of science, nature, technological uplifts and stuff like "counting coppers." In short, a bunch of overly proud, ambitious and shortsighted fools who lack vision. Sadly, none of the Targs (except Rhaenys, Helaena and the children who are too young such as Jaehaerys, Jaehaera, Maelor, Aegon III and Viserys II) are actually exempt from having any of these flaws either.
Which is another major reason why Adara has been thrust into the role of being commander-in-chief for House Targaryen and the realm as a whole. Since, a good general does not rush into battle just to gain recognition or praise. They do not make decisions based on emotions or fear of repercussions, even if it means making difficult choices. Their primary concern is the safety and welfare of the people they lead; making them a valuable asset to the army or nation. Because essentially, a good leader puts the people's interests and needs above their own reputation or self-preservation. Which's what Adara had more or less done in the past and as a reward for all her selfless acts; she was betrayed in the end by her own people. And that's why she still so reluctant to deal with human beings anymore and why she wants to make sure whether or not the Others are an enemy that she and her best friend Frostsinger can't simply deal with by themselves. Since, she doesn't trust anybody anymore and therefore refuses to basically rely on the prophetic words of the Three-Eyed Raven. Because information can easily be the difference between victory and defeat, or war and peace. Knowledge gives one the power to persuade opponents to compromise or to lead them into making mistakes. The phrase 'knowledge is power' is often spoken since it emphasizes the importance of information in gaining power and victory over one's opponents. However, without understanding how to utilize this knowledge effectively, its potential remains untapped. So, knowledge combined with both intelligence and decisive action is what makes it truly powerful. Hence, Adara wants to confirm the veracity of the Raven's claims and to personally gather intelligence on the enemy in order to make correctly informed decisions and think over on how to develop the right plan of attack afterwards before calling the shots.
Unlike Aemond, Adara doesn't have second son syndrome or has some sort of inferiority/superiority complex (and if she ever did then she doesn't have it anymore at this point) that she wastes brainpower angsting over. She's able to recognize her own power and doesn't underestimate her own capacity for harm as Frostsinger's rider. While Aemond doesn't seem to realize nor care how much harm he can potentially cause with Vhagar altogether. I think this is the exact point Viserys was trying to make when he told Rhaenyra that dragons are a power men should never have trifled with. He rode Balerion which I'd imagine was a similar experience to claiming Vhagar. We don't know exactly the nature of the bond but you have to think they feel each other's feelings and experiences to some extent (remember when Caraxes reared his head back and screamed in pain when Daemon got hit by that arrow) Balerion and Vhagar are veterans of 100 battles and have killed thousands upon thousands of people. We can only imagine what that would feel like to the rider. The interesting difference between Viserys I and Aemond is that Viserys seems to have recoiled from what he experienced when he bonded with Balerion and Aemond has embraced it. I'm definitely stoked for any future information we can learn about bonding and dragons in general. When the next volume of GRRM's Fire & Blood is finally released. On a side note, I find it hypocritical and stupid of the Blacks to say that Aemond had no 'right' to Vhagar because of who her previous rider was. Even if that were true, (power always goes to those willing to take it, fire is power, and dragons are fire made flesh, dragons are power made flesh) it was not Rhaenyra's children's place to enforce it. Also, if dragons were living heirlooms then Daemon would be riding his mother's dragon Meleys and Rhaenys would be riding her father's mount Caraxes.
Concerning the Driftmark incident. For me, it's difficult to assign blame to either party. Rhaena pushed Aemond because he claimed her mother's dragon, brung up her dead mom and insulted her. Baela punched Aemond because she sees her sister getting smacked around by a bigger boy. Jace jumps in because he sees two girls being punched by an older boy and Luke follows because he sees his brother getting beaten up. Meanwhile, Aemond is being ganged up on by four kids all at once. Aemond grabs a rock for defense but he also tells a six-year- old boy he's going to kill him by fire while holding said six-year-old in a chokehold, after breaking the six-year-old's nose, so I can't exactly fault Jace for bringing out a dagger to defend his brother, just like I can't fault Aemond for defending himself. I also can't fault Luke for using a knife when he sees Aemond standing over Jace holding a rock, especially considering the fact that Aemond has said that he's going to kill them. It's tragic to me because I feel like all the children are acting purely on instinct that's been shaped by their parent's obvious hatred towards each other. I mean, all Aemond's ever heard about Jace and Luke is that they're bastard abominations who are stealing his family's birthright. Neither side is blameless, which is of course the theme of the entire story. But what I don't understand is why people are so intent on blaming any of the children. The adults are the ones at fault for the whole thing. Period. All those Velaryon and Targaryen household guards and all goddamn seven knights of the Kingsguard were present yet not one of them knew where any of these five children were. For real, how did they lose an entire fucking herd of royal blooded children? Also, nobody heard the commotion first with Vhagar then with a bunch of kids screaming at each other in an echoey ass cave? How did nobody notice five kids running around unattended? And Aemond entering the castle without a single person stopping him? That's bullshit. Their parents...when you teach your children to hate they're gonna hate. If it hadn't been this incident it would have been something else at some other time—violence between these children was inevitable. The way the so-called adults handled things was completely unreasonable. Yes, all of them. Rhaenyra's manipulation, Alicent's violence (her anger was warranted, the stabbing was not), Viserys' favoritism, Daemon's flippancy, Cole's negligent deflection of his duty, and Corlys standing there like an NPC in his own castle. They all acted like dumbasses so, of course, nothing was resolved. This is one of the reasons why the tale of Fire & Blood and House of Dragon highlights really well that no side commands a moral high ground in war and that history is written by the victors.
Anyway, Aemond, whether he realizes it or not, has now found a new role model (or rival depending on his perspective) whom he doesn't seek to kill and couldn't even if he wanted to or tried (because it's obvious that Aemond somehow idolizes Daemon but never wanted to be his uncle per se. People say that Aemond wants to be like Daemon, but I think that Aemond wants to be BETTER than Daemon. Aemond wanted Daemon to see him as an equal and a potential threat, because then, it would prove that Daemon approved and respected him as a warrior. Before he finally killed and surpassed him. After all, to become a legend, you have to slay a legend. At least, that's the impression I had when I saw their initially one-sided rivalry at the start of Season 2 of the series. Aemond wanted the glory of killing the Rogue Prince, he wanted to be the one to kill Daemon Targaryen (considered by many to be the most dangerous man in all of Westeros). To become the most dangerous man in Westeros you need to win the title by killing the most dangerous man in Westeros, Aemond needed to kill Daemon to win that title but had ultimately failed in the canon). Even though, she's a few years younger than him. And in the near future, she'll possibly act and be like the mature, intelligent and responsible sibling who he always needed to keep his head straight or properly bond with in terms of martial and intellectual pursuits. A role which Rhaenyra and Aegon II had failed and never cared to fulfill throughout his entire life. Since, she'll make it totally clear to everybody that she won't ever conform nor bend to the rules, customs, traditions and norms of their backwards society where it's taught that girls are solely good for giving birth, looking pretty and not learn how to defend or think for themselves while men are the only ones who should fight, lead armies or rule. And anyone who's foolish enough to think that they can threaten, manipulate and indoctrinate her into such a dull and rigid system or attempt to demand her obeisance (like Daemon and Otto) will severely suffer the consequences. Thus, she's actually more of a rebel than Daemon himself is or could ever dare to be in this regard. In more ways than one, she is now the most dangerous and unpredictable person in Westeros, with or without her ice dragon, not the Rogue Prince. And everyone in the Seven Kingdoms will come to know this fact soon.
Reactions in King's Landing to Aemond's warnings about Adara are anticipated to be dismissive, with Aegon (totally agree with TheEmpyreanSpeaks in one of his latest videos. Aegon II is the best character of House of the Dragon: Season 2. Because of Tom Glynn-Carney who is such a good actor since he made his character so sympathetic and compelling in such a tragic way. In the show, Aegon's inability to do some things makes him very human. I also don't get the sense that he is outright stupid, he comes off as someone lazy. He isn't better at certain activities because he doesn't have drive and discipline, not because he is inherently incapable. I think starting him off as this non-threatening person who everyone perceives as weak, who is then forced by circumstances to become more ruthless and strategic makes for a better story. In the book, he was mostly an irresponsible hedonist before the coronation and the Dance forced him to change very fast. When I was reading it, I didn't expect much from him after Rook's Rest and he proved me wrong. But my expectations were low after Rook's Rest not because I thought he was weak or that people thought he was weak. I just imagined all the trauma and injuries he suffered would crush him. I found his storyline in the book very impressive and that's how he became one of my favorite characters. The actor Tom says he hopes Aegon will be more cold and calculating from this point on (in Season 3 and beyond). He will try to portray the character in this way as best he can, and he might mention it because he will have a say in some parts of the writing of his character, but we'll see what the incompetent writers decide. I too would love to see a cold, calculating, ruthless and vengeful Aegon because that's the Aegon in the book, especially after his scars. In Season 3, I think him and Aemond may switch places and people will be surprised Aemond will become more mad and reckless and less calculative as we saw so far and Aegon who everyone underestimated; we'll see that he is actually a dangerous person and not stupid at all as everyone thought. He'll no longer seek love since he was betrayed too many times now. He will be on the real path to revenge soon just like his book counterpart. Both brothers weren't born monsters. They became tragic villains due to being molded in the worst way possible because of their stupid and dysfunctional family as well as the decadent society that they were born into. Anyway, I like to think of Book Aegon II as the sibling most similar to Viserys. Had he lived in peace like Viserys did, he would have grown up to be like his father, but the war shaped him into an angrier, harder form. In your story, I hope that Aegon II will eventually aspire to be the opposite of his petty, spineless, spiteful, negligent and stupid manchild of a father, Firewillreign.) likely to laugh it off until he sees the words of the prophecy lit from a fire upon his father's dagger. Alicent and Otto may patronize Aemond due to the fact that Vhagar has long held the heavyweight title of being the world's largest dragon. Criston Cole and Helaena might be the only ones to take Aemond seriously. Rhaenyra at Dragonstone might consider her son's words more seriously after hearing him say that a girl who rides a dragon bigger than Vhagar saved him, but her initial skepticism about Adara's warnings may persist until Luke mentions the Song of Ice and Fire. I doubt Daemon will believe the warnings, and Jace may trust his brother's words. But I don't think he or anyone else will fully believe them unless they see Adara and Frostsinger for themselves.
"When in 1806 the Prussian generals...plunged into the open jaws
of disaster by using Frederick 
the Great's oblique order of battle, it was not just a case of a style that had outlived its usefulness but the most extreme poverty of the imagination to which routine has ever led. The result was that the Prussian army under Hohenlohe was ruined more completely than any army has ever been ruined on the battlefield." — Carl von Clausewitz, On War."What limits individuals as well as nations
is the in-ability to confront reality, to see
things for what they are. As we grow older, we become more rooted in the past. Habit takes over. Something that has worked for us before becomes a doctrine, a shell
to protect us from reality." - Robert Greene, The 33 Strategiesof War."Repetition replaces creativity. We rarely realize we are doing this, because it is almost impossible for us to
see it happening in our own minds . Then suddenly a young Napoleon 
crosses our path, a person who does not respect tradition, who fightsin a new way. Only then do we see that our ways of thinking and responding have fallen behind the times 
️." - Robert Greene, The 33 Strategies of War."Never take it for granted that your past successes
will continue into the future. Actually, your past successes are your biggest obstacle: every battle, every war, is different, and you cannot assume that what worked before will work today. You must cut yourself loose from the past and open your eyes to the present. Your tendency to fight the last war
may lead to your final war
." - Robert Greene, The 33 Strategies of War."The greatest military
disasters in history have more often than not originated from leaderswho lack strategic wisdom." — Robert Greene"No battle can be won in the study, and theory without practice is dead." — Alexander Suvorov
"The knowledge
of higher leadershipcan only be acquired by the study of military history 
and actual experience." — Napoleon Bonaparte"I never read any treatises on strategy
....When we fight, we do not take any books with us." — Mao Tse-TungP.S. In the near future, Aemond and the rest of the teenage dragonlords will also likely be a bit jealous and envious of Adara at first. When they learn that Winterchild was practically a child soldier who had her fair share of battles in a prehistoric age rife with sword and sorcery. Then, they'll feel shocked and a bit queasy when she bluntly describes her experiences on the battlefield in explicit detail. All of them (especially the bloodthirsty ones like Aegon, Aemond and Baela) will begin to realize that war itself isn't as glorious as it's cracked up to be. Furthermore, once she assumes command and control over House Targaryen. She may introduce 'new' ideas, tactics and strategies to the already outdated and traditional styles and doctrines of Westerosi and dragon warfare during her war council meetings with the Targaryens. Like Aemond and Daeron, she possesses tactical intelligence and a keen understanding of warfare. Unlike them and the rest of the royal children, however, she also possesses strategic wisdom and battlefield experience that cannot be simply simulated and honed by just training and reading books alone.
https://powerseductionandwar.com/tactical-hell-or-strategic-heaven/#:~:text=The incompetent and stupid are,leaders who lack strategic wisdom.
Strategic Thought and the Military Officer
In its complexity of ways, means, and ends, strategy is more than just another level of war. Perhaps this is why the record of strategy is so marked by error and failure. Failure in war is most often a failure of strategy. For the officer, this means all the effort, sacrifice, and success at the tac
thestrategybridge.org
https://www.reddit.com/r/HouseOfThe.../the_loss_of_aemonds_eye_was_everyones_fault/
https://www.tumblr.com/the-daily-dr...ns-saying-aemond-was-right-losing-his-eye-was
https://collider.com/house-of-the-dragon-aemond-targaryen-beyond-fire-blood-book/
https://collider.com/house-of-the-dragon-aemond-vhagar-ewan-mitchell-comments/
https://collider.com/house-of-the-dragon-season-2-aemond-kinslayer/
https://collider.com/house-of-the-dragon-season-2-daemon-aemond-betrayal/
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eudSWhruUNA
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jAAvT5t0QEw&pp=ygUQYWVtb25kIHRhcmdhcnllbg==
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=esJ6fSY2CQI
https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLH82oMJTcOXJrZ4hXNguTOkRznztDFgIc
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JfXG9JUQHHE&list=PLycRb3yDtW4Z91FlhOO_JPCxA6x47zunr&index=33&pp=iAQB
Season 1 - The first battlefields in Europe.
In season 1 we will visit many of the early battlefields across Europe.
m.youtube.com
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that comes with them. Therefore, opponents have no choice but to face them in total darkness when they come down and invade.
maintains
himself
with more difficulty than he who comes to it by the aid of the people." — Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince.
are deliberately keeping knowledge to themselves. They don't want most people to be able to read and write. They don't want books to be easily copied. They want to be people's only source of knowledge). Westeros is also NOT densely populated. The Targaryens remaining stagnant is in their advantage due to dragons. If you have fighter jets, you don't want your subjects to develop tanks or anti-aircraft technology themselves. AGOT is darker and deadlier than the regular Middle Ages so science can be slower. Also, the middle ages are really long and GoT doesn't have an absurdly long timeline. Then consider that industrialization is NOT something that happens naturally in the growing process of any civilisation. It's a step where a lot of civilisations got stuck and couldn't move past. Like China, Japan or Rome. Industrialisation takes a ton of luck and ingenuity to figure out.