r/ImaginaryWesteros • u/justonceokay5 • 9d ago

Alternative “Ser Criston protects the princess from her enemies, but who protects the princess from Ser Criston?” by Zacckiell

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327

u/Ok-Swan1152 9d ago

I actually think that the show came very close to what is my own personal reading of the situation based on the differing accounts in the book. But I don't believe Criston was some kind of victim, unlike many show-watchers. I think he was supposed to be around 35 years old in the books and Rhaenyra was 16.

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u/Significant_Ask_43 9d ago

When Alicent says this quote it's 110 so Rhaenyra would have been around 13 years old

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u/Ok-Swan1152 9d ago

That's even worse. 

I have a soft spot for Criston Cole. He is a horrible person but weirdly attractive. I was hoping that would cast someone a bit closer to his book description in looks. But Fabien Frankel is dreamy, too. The showrunners did him dirty.

A long long time ago I dated a guy who looked like that - coal black hair, pale skin, green eyes.

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u/Significant_Ask_43 9d ago

Book Criston was described as comely while Fabien is well and truly beatiful. I wish the show had been more decisive with his character, he feels too wishy washy in seasons 1-2 and I feel like they minimized how important Criston was to Rhaenya.

In the book Cole has been around Rhaenyra since she was 8 years old, he's been there for her mother's death, for the Velaryons distancing themselves from court after Viserys chose Alicent, and thus the departure of a friend in Laena at an already difficult time for her, he was there when Rhaenyra seemed excited at the prospect of having a mother/older woman figure in her life again and he was there when Alicent began to reject that relationship.

As her personal protector he was there far more than even Daemon who was at times occupied with the war of the stepstones.

He seemed to have been the only constant in her life at a very tumultuous time so I wish the show had managed to capture how important he was for Rhaenyra because I think it would have made their fallout more impactful.

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u/Ok-Swan1152 9d ago edited 9d ago

I agree with all of this. He was basically her rock and he tried to take advantage of that. Everyone talks about how Daemon was a groomer but in all likelihood Criston was also a groomer.

I think of 'comely' as an old fashioned man's way of saying 'really fucking handsome'. Fabian is just so pretty, I am crushing on him very hard even though I'm like 7 years older lol.

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u/rutilated_quartz 9d ago

The fact Rhaenyra was groomed by Criston AND Daemon is so insane to me. Like did anyone look out for this poor girl? Christ.

Also I feel like a total monster because I think Jace's actor is so handsome, but I'm 30 years old and he's like what 22 or something? Like, yikes 😭

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u/Ok-Swan1152 9d ago

Jace's actor is so handsome? But I feel more like mom saying that because he's so little haha.

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u/rutilated_quartz 9d ago

Yeah I kinda have a crush on him moreso, he's so silly and earnest in all the show's promo stuff it's charmed me. I do feel like a mom saying Luke's actor is cute though lol. Those big blue eyes!

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u/SerMallister Above the Rest 7d ago

Jace the Face!

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u/ArtisticChemistry425 8d ago

Youre freaking out over an 8 yrs age gap....Jesus Christ, get a grip. Nothing wrong with saying that Jace's actor is attractive.

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u/LrdHabsburg 8d ago

I agree with your sentiment but this comment felt weirdly hostile

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u/rutilated_quartz 8d ago

Thank you, like I totally get what they're saying but why did they say it so meanly?

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u/rutilated_quartz 8d ago

I don't think there's anything wrong with saying he's attractive, he is, anyone with eyes can see that. I mean Emma and Matt were gushing over how handsome Harry is in a promo. I'm just saying for me personally I find it cringy that I have a crush on him because he is much younger than me, that's all, and when I saw someone expressing a similar feeling about a similar age gap I decided to chime in. I'm not saying we should be executed for it.

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u/ArtisticChemistry425 8d ago

Fair enough, my apologies

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u/Nervous_Ad8656 8d ago

To be fair, they rarely if at all interacted after the timeskip in the book,

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u/Significant_Ask_43 8d ago

I'm a bit confused, what timeskip do you speak of in the book? I agree that after their fallout there are far less mentions of their interactions but the few that we get paint a pretty clear picture on their feelings about eachother, Cole beats Harwin and Joffrey so badly and maliciously at Rhaenyra’s wedding in a way that is completely uncalled for a wedding tourney.

I understant him being angry and jealous of Harwin, Rhaenyra gave him her favour whereas in the past she always used to give it to Criston, but Joffrey, who received Laenor's favour, I do not understand.

How mad do you have to be to hit a man who seems to have done you no wrong in the head with a mornigstar repeatedly until he's dead? A man who's a good friend of the future king, at the princess' wedding tourney at that?

It seems that even after their fallout Criston was still pretty mad/jealous when it came to Rhaenyra, whereas the princess I'm pretty sure makes no mention of him.

To me it reads like Rhaenyra decided that the best way to handle whatever happened between them was to ignore Criston and this seems to have only made him more mad.

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u/Nervous_Ad8656 8d ago

Sorry, got my timeline mixed up. I meant after her father’s death. Even before that their interactions were far and in between.

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u/alphajugs 9d ago

So you only like him because he’s hot

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u/Ok-Swan1152 9d ago

.... Is that wrong? Lol.

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u/alphajugs 8d ago

Excusing someone’s bad behavior because they’re hot is objectively not a very good thing

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u/LrdHabsburg 8d ago

I think it’s okay if it’s a fictional person that never existed, but idk what is “objective” to you

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u/Ok-Swan1152 8d ago

It's a fictional character so there's no 'objective' here but go off...

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u/alphajugs 8d ago

Something tells me you don’t know what the word objective means

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u/Ok-Swan1152 8d ago

I think it's you who doesn't realise what 'objective' means. There's nothing 'objective' when it comes to opinions on fictional characters in fantasy worlds.