00:00Welcome back everyone.
00:07It is Amelia.
00:08I hope you are fine.
00:09Alicent Hightower is given a drink by a maester in House of the Dragons season 2 episode 4
00:14and it's one that carries a lot of importance for her story.
00:18The reveal of Alicent and Kristen Cole's relationship has made her story a surprising one in the
00:23Game of Thrones prequel's sophomore season, which continues even with Cole himself off
00:28to war.
00:29It is that relationship which drives a small but crucial moment in the episode, as Alicent
00:34is given a beverage called Moontea by Grand Maester Orville, though it's ostensibly not
00:39for her.
00:40It may not be quite as consequential overall when compared to House of the Dragons season
00:452 episode 4's ending, but it does say a lot about Alicent.
00:49Grand Maester Orville gives Alicent Moontea, which she herself drinks unbeknownst to him.
00:54Moontea is used throughout the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros to either prevent or abort pregnancies
01:00and is made by mixing together herbs called tansy and pennyroyal along with a few other
01:05ingredients such as mint and honey.
01:07This means Alicent was either pregnant or worried about becoming pregnant with Ser Kristen's
01:12baby.
01:13Alicent herself gave Moontea to Diana, who was sexually assaulted by Aegon in House of
01:18the Dragons season 1, so she is certainly well aware of it and what it does.
01:23Her relationship with Cole is seemingly only a few weeks old, so it is more likely this
01:27is a precautionary measure on her part, but the fact she holds her stomach does raise
01:31the possibility she knows she's pregnant.
01:34As a highborn lady, former queen, and current Queen Mother, Alicent cannot have children
01:39outside of marriage, as that would bring great shame and disgrace upon her.
01:43That the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard would be the father would only make things
01:47worse.
01:48Even if she never revealed it, she'd have to live with that knowledge, since they aren't
01:52supposed to have sex at all.
01:54That explains why Alicent drinks Moontea, but there is more to it.
01:57Now, years later, it's Alicent who is drinking Moontea after having sex with Cole.
02:02It really lays bare her hypocrisy and exposes her righteousness as nothing but a clue.
02:08Much like Rhaenyra said in season 1, such a parallel is presumably not lost on Alicent
02:13herself either, and should only feed into her self-loathing over her relationship with
02:18the Lord Commander.
02:19Which will make it more interesting to see if there's any continuation of that in House
02:24of the Dragon.
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