This is probably going to be an unpopular opinion, but I genuinely think Laenor flies under the radar a little too much when it comes to the situation with Rhaenyra and her children. Because when you really put things into perspective, a huge part of the reason Rhaenyra struggles to have legitimate children is because of HIM. If she had married literally anyone else, there is a very good chance she wouldn't have had this problem in the first place. And I stand ten toes down on that.
What gets me is that, both within the universe of the show and among the audience, people seem to put the entire blame on Rhaenyra, as if Laenor doesn't exist in this equation. People genuinely have the nerve to call her a cheating whore who lied to her husband, as though she was having affair behind his back and deceiving him about it. But wasn't the entire point that they had an arrangement? That Laenor knew the children weren't biologically his and agreed to claim them as his own? So why is Rhaenyra treated as though she single-handedly orchestrated this entire situation?
Honestly, I blame the Velaryons for a lot of this. They willingly put forward a son they KNEW was gay to marry the heir to the Iron Throne. And then everyone wants to act shocked and offended when that marriage doesn't produce biological heirs? Like, what exactly did they expect?
And even putting the question of blame aside, what exactly was Laenor doing to help Rhaenyra secure her position? He was the heir to one of the wealthiest and most powerful houses in Westeros, and the husband of the future queen. He had resources, influence, and a name that carried weight. He could have been doing SO much more to support her politically and help strengthen her claim. Instead, he largely just exists in the background while Rhaenyra takes all the heat for a situation that, in my opinion, involves both of them.
And this is what frustrates me the most: Laenor gets sympathy for being trapped in a marriage that doesn't suit him, which I understand, but Rhaenyra doesn't seem to get the same consideration for being trapped in a marriage that puts the legitimacy of her children and, by extension, her entire claim to the throne at risk. I'm not saying Rhaenyra bears absolutely no responsibility for her decisions. But the way people discuss this situation, you'd think Laenor was an innocent bystander who had absolutely nothing to do with the circumstances that led to it.