Aemond's calculated action is to remove Alicent from the Small Council.
Younger brother of Aegon II Targaryen, Aemond Targaryen has become powerful in the turbulent House of the Dragon. Including an unexpected choice to remove his mother, Alicent Hightower, from the Small Council, he has taken a strong and merciless attitude to the continuous war with the Blacks.
Aemond's Drive: An Ice Heart
Although it would seem like yet another instance of Westerosi sexism, actor Ewan Mitchell—who plays Aemond—showcases a more nuanced, deeper motivation behind the choice. Aemond feels driven to become a merciless warrior to finish the war fast and at last spend time with his mother, he says.
"Every time I performed a scene with Olivia Cooke, I always imagined Aemond and Alicent seated on a Dornish beach, just sipping piña coladas. Far from conflict. In an interview with Vanity Fair Mitchell said, "He can finally have that time with his mum that he's always craved, that he never really had."
Aemond's drive to the war comes from his yearning for a quiet life with his mother. Believing that love is a weakness, he distances Alicent and quiets his feelings. Showing sensitivity worries him since it will compromise his capacity to lead effectively. Believing that love would expose him and impede his war efforts, he follows the "never get attached" theory.
Alicent's Influence: An Essential Counterbalance
Alicent's attendance on the Small Council has always had a moderating effect. She stands for reason and compassion, so countering the more militant inclinations of her group. Her influence has dropped, though, as Aemond has grown.
Aemond made a calculated choice in deciding to withdraw. He feels he should be totally committed to the war effort and that Alicent's presence might compromise his aggressive goals. Still, her absence might finally prove negative.
The perils of ruthlessness: Aemond's possible fall from grace
Alicent's influence could be absolutely vital in keeping Aemond from acting impulsively. Without her moderating voice, Aemond might make choices with terrible results. Still unresolved is whether Aemond's ambition and merciless quest of power finally brings him success or a tragic end.
Aemond might think that love is a weakness, but his great loyalty to his mother drives him. Eliminating Alicent from his life, he hopes to guarantee a faster triumph and finally savor the quiet life he so long for with her. Long term, though, this choice might cost him greatly. Aemond runs the danger of losing himself and finally jeopardizing his own objectives by stifling his emotions.
The Greens' Future: Aemond's Legacy
Aemond's acts in House Of The Dragon season 2 reveal his ambition and merciless nature. To get hold of power, he is ready to make tough decisions and employ extreme means. Aemond might be paving himself a road that finally results in his own destruction by alienating his mother and those who might provide him a sense of humanity, though.
The Greens' future is dubious. Aemond's ambition and merciless nature would help him to win in the near future, but his unrelenting quest of power could finally bring him down. Only time will determine whether Aemond's merciless strategies will finally bring the Greens triumph or open the path for his own collapse.
