The Choice that would have CHANGED Westeros Forever! 🐉🌊

What if Viserys had chosen the Sea Snake’s daughter over the Hand’s daughter? Imagine a world where the “Greens” never even existed. No Alicent Hightower as Queen, no Otto pulling the strings, and a Targaryen-Velaryon alliance so powerful it would have made the Iron Throne untouchable.

Would this union have prevented the Dance of the Dragons, or just created a different kind of war? With Vhagar—the world’s deadliest dragon—on the side of the Crown, who would have dared to challenge Rhaenyra’s claim? But here’s the real kicker: in a world where the Velaryons have everything, would the Targaryens still be the ones in charge, or would Corlys finally be the puppet master of the Seven Kingdoms? 🏰👑

The ultimate “What If” that could have saved the dragons and the dynasty. Was Viserys’s greatest mistake a matter of the heart, or a catastrophic failure of politics? 👇

In the history of the Seven Kingdoms, few moments are as pivotal as the choice King Viserys I made in his Small Council chamber: to marry for “duty” or for “love.” By choosing Alicent Hightower, he inadvertently split the realm in two. However, the alternative—marrying Laena Velaryon, the twelve-year-old daughter of Lord Corlys Velaryon—offered a path that would have likely prevented the Dance of the Dragons as we know it, yet potentially created a maritime empire the likes of which the world had never seen.

1. The Erasure of the ‘Green’ Faction

The most immediate consequence of marrying Laena is the total absence of the “Green” party. Without Alicent Hightower as Queen, there is no mother to champion the claims of Aegon, Aemond, and Helaena. Otto Hightower would have remained a loyal (if disgruntled) Hand, or more likely, been sent back to Oldtown as his primary path to the throne was severed.

By marrying Laena, Viserys would have united the two most powerful Valyrian houses. As many lore experts on Reddit suggest, this “Super-Alliance” would have left no room for any other Great House to maneuver. The Hightowers, while wealthy and influential through the Citadel and the Faith, simply could not compete with the combined dragon and naval might of House Targaryen and House Velaryon.

2. The Vhagar Variable

In the original timeline, Vhagar—the largest and deadliest dragon in the world—fell into the hands of the Greens when Aemond Targaryen claimed her. This single event gave the Greens the firepower to stand against Rhaenyra.

If Viserys had married Laena, Vhagar would have remained firmly within the “loyalist” camp. Laena would have still claimed Vhagar, but as the Queen Consort, her dragon would have been a symbol of the Crown’s absolute authority. A challenge to Rhaenyra’s succession would have been suicide when faced with the combined strength of Syrax, Caraxes, and the monstrous Vhagar [00:08:45].

3. Rhaenyra’s Succession and the ‘Strong’ Scandal

One of the major points of contention in the Dance was the questionable legitimacy of Rhaenyra’s sons. In the original timeline, Rhaenyra married Laenor Velaryon to mend the rift Viserys caused by not marrying Laena.

In this alternate kịch bản, that marriage might not have been necessary. With the Velaryons already tied to the Crown through Laena, Rhaenyra could have been married to a different Great House (perhaps a Stark or a Baratheon) to broaden the Crown’s support. This would have eliminated the rumors of “Strong” bastards, as she wouldn’t have been trapped in a loveless marriage with a man who could not provide heirs. Rhaenyra’s claim would have been undisputed, backed by both the Sea and the Sky.

4. The Rise of a Velaryon Hegemony

However, this path is not without its own risks. Lord Corlys Velaryon, the “Sea Snake,” was an incredibly ambitious man. If his daughter were Queen and his grandchildren were heirs to the throne, Corlys would have effectively become the most powerful man in Westeros.

There is a theory among ASOIAF scholars that a Targaryen-Velaryon union would have made the Targaryens too dependent on the Velaryons. Over time, the “Blood of the Dragon” might have been eclipsed by the “Blood of the Sea.” While the dragons would have survived, the political landscape might have shifted toward a more maritime, trade-focused empire, potentially leading to a different kind of civil war generations later between the dragon-riders and the merchant lords.

5. Conclusion: A Golden Age or a Silent Coup?

Ultimately, Viserys marrying Laena Velaryon was the “smart” political move that he was too emotionally exhausted to make. It would have preserved the dragons, secured the succession, and united the realm’s greatest powers.

While it might have turned the Targaryens into puppets of House Velaryon, it would have spared the smallfolk the horrors of the Dance. In the game of thrones, Viserys chose a path that felt safe in the moment but led to the ruin of his house. The “Sea and Dragon” alliance remains the greatest “What If” of the era—a golden age that was sacrificed for a Hightower’s ambition.