Lady Alicent Hightower proves to be quite the wise queen. She is king Viserys’ support and crutch during times of need. She also advises him when he feels lost or confused. In House of the Dragon episode 3, she proves that she is much wiser and more intelligent than people give her credit for.
The matter of the Stepstones
The King was left torn between his wish to send help for his brother and the fear of looking weak as both Daemon and Lord Corlys had disobeyed him. The pressure to please everyone prevented him from making a decision. However, Queen Alicent Hightower gives him some extremely valuable advice. She tells him that the bottom line is whether he wants control over the Stepstones or he wants to let the Triarchy prevail. This finally encouraged King Viserys to send aid to Daemon and Lord Corlys.
The question of who will be the King’s heir
Queen Alicent once again shows her intelligence and empathy. The King talks to her about his dilemma regarding his heir. While he has already named his daughter Princess Rhaenyra as his heir, he wonders whether he has made the right decision. He tells Alicent regarding the dream he had of his son wearing Aegon the Conqueror’s Crown. Alicent however tells him to trust his gut and have faith in Rhaenyra. Although she would love to see her son sit on the throne as any mother would, she wants to prevent any more hostility or further bad blood and accept Rhaenyra as the future heir and Queen. In fact, she has faith in Rhaenyra and believes that she will make a great Queen.
Alicent Hightower tries to mend burnt bridges
Alicent lost her dear friend Rhaenyra once she wed her father and became the Queen in House of the Dragon. However, she still tries to mend the burnt bridges between them two. She realizes that the internal squabbles won’t help their family and instead tries to make Rhaenyra feel more included. Not only does this show her empathy but it also shows her keen political acumen and diplomatic decisions.
House of the Dragon Episode 4 teaser
In the episode 4 teaser she makes a judge of character of both Rhaenyra and Daemon. She claims that while Rhaenyra is not capable of deceit, King Viserys’ brother Daemon is more than capable. And her statement sounds pretty accurate. Alicent Hightower has been observing the happenings in the Red Keep from log before she became Queen and has picked up on small details that others miss out. She has a sharp eye and can judge people and what they are capable of. This makes her wary and cautious of the people around her.
