I haven't seen anyone talk about this, but Rhaenys' death possibly is the most pointless death in the show. Everyone was so focused on the Targaryen girlboss moment, loyal Meleys, and the shot of Rhaenys falling in slow motion like a bird with a broken wing, that they didn't see that the writers literally destroyed the entire point of her fight and death.
In the books, Rhaenys fought bravely against two dragons and was defeated, but not before she managed to cripple the enemy king and his dragon, taking them out of the fight for a year or so. This also played a role later on - if Aegon and Sunfyre were at their peak, they could have easily torn Baela and Moondancer to pieces. But instead, they took even more damage, and Baela lived.
In the show, she... scratched the enemy dragons? Kinda? Bite once or twice? If Rhaenys had just done a lap of honor and go home, within a week or two Aegon would have fallen down the stairs onto a knife 28 times, or choked to death on Sylvie's boobs, or something equally ridiculous and random and completely unrelated to his vengeful one-eyed brother being insulted by drunken barking. In an attempt to further destroy tg, the writers are humiliating their own beloved tb, it would be funny if it weren't so sad.
Ps. Not native speaker and dgaf about mistakes, english can suck my imaginary dick
The thing Alicent (at least in season two because season one Alicent seemed cognizant of that fact), the showrunners and their defenders ignore and what makes her deal with Rhaenyra be nothing but pure is that the Dance of Dragons is a war of annihilation.
Rhaenyra is absolutely not going to forgive Aemond for murdering Luke and Rhaenys. Everyone in Rhaenyra's faction would turn against her if she did so.
Aemond has an army and rides Vhagar, the largest dragon in the world. Even if he is outnumbered, Aemond has no reason to kneel to Rhaenyra since he knows for a fact it is either winning or dying for him.
Rhaenyra cannot bring the peace she desires without getting rid of Aemond and his army. Cole and Gwayne, both who have been nothing but loyal to Alicent, are in that army.
The deal Alicent cut with Rhaenyra in S2E8 does not buy safety for her family. It doesn't guarantee that Aemond, Criston, and Gwayne will surrender, or that any attempt they make to surrender will be honored by the Blacks. It doesn't guarantee that Daeron and the Hightowers will stand aside and watch as Rhaenyra murders their King and crown prince.
Alicent didn't just sell Aegon to Rhaenyra. She sold her sons, her lover, her brother, her father, and her entire extended family.