he tried to start some mutually assured destruction bullshyt with cole
Nah, I think it was a classic case of someone who lives a charmed and sheltered life thinking everyone is on the same level.
As it came off to me, he was assuming that since he had no choice but to accept being Laenor's sidebussy, that Cole had already understood and accepted a role as royal emergency dikk in a field plate. He honestly could've entirely pulled that off if he'd just waited until later. Homie was still steaming off of learning that the absolute ceiling for his relationship was continually risking his life and reputation by being Rhaenyra's emergent dikk in a field plate. Probably has JUST kicked over a bushel of oranges on the way there. And then medieval Ezra Miller pulls up trying to blackmail him into not only accepting that ol' girl is for the realm, but PROTECTING her? That was a head cave-in that was easy to see from a mile away.