WARNING: This article contains SPOILERS for House of the Dragon season 2, episode 6, and Fire & Blood.
Summary
House of the Dragonseason 2’s latest episode has made the show’s oldest Rhaenyra and Alicent theory much more plausible. As the list ofHouse of the Dragon’s changes from the bookcontinues to grow, HBO’s adaptation ofGeorge R.R. Martin’sFire & Bloodgets to take the story in unexpected directions.Rhaenyra and Mysaria’s kissis an example of creative liberty that does not necessarily contradict anything established in the book and adds another layer of complexity to the story of the Black Queen.
Much likeGame of Thrones,House of the Dragonhas the chance of confirming and debunking theories that those who are familiar with the source material have had for years. The fact thatFire & Bloodis told from the perspective of multiple unreliable narratorsand must not be taken as a fully accurate piece of in-universe historical document also allowsHouse of the Dragonto take liberties and deviate from the source material in very interesting ways. Alicent and Rhaenyra’s relationship in particular is somethingHouse of the Dragonhas changed significantly and might continue to explore.
House Of The Dragon Season 2, Episode 6 Ending Explained
House of the Dragon season 2, episode 6, offers plenty of new material to break down. Here’s our explanation of the episode’s climactic moments.
Alicent And Rhaenyra’s Relationship May Not Be Just Platonic
Perhapsthe most popularHouse of the Dragontheory is that Rhaenyra Targaryen and Alicent Hightower have always had romantic feelings for each other.By reducing their age gap compared to the book and making their friendship far more important to the larger story thanFire & Blooddid,House of the Dragonwelcomed theories and speculation about what Rhaenyra and Alicent truly feel for each other.House of the Dragon’s timelinebegins when the princess and the Hand’s daughter were still teenagers and, as young Alicent’s actor Emily Carey put it (via Variety),“don’t know the difference between platonic and romantic.”
It’s just, if you want to read into it and see it like that, do it. If you want to see them as more than friends, do it. If you don’t, then don’t. … They’re 14-year-old girls, they don’t know the difference between platonic and romantic.”
By the timeHouse of the Dragonjumped a few years into the future and introduced adult versions of Rhaenyra and Alicent, their relationship had changed a lot. However, it was still informed by the connection they had as teenagers. When discussing Rhaenyra’s feelings for Alicent back in season 1, older Rhaenyra actor Emma D’Arcy mentioned an“erotic energy”that had been present in their early relationship (viaVariety). They also pointed out howwhat Rhaenyra feels for Alicent is different from other relationships she has in her life, particularly with Daemon and her children.
Rhaenyra Kissing Mysaria Makes The Alicent Romance Theory More Likely
Rhaenyra Being Bisexual Would Add Another Layer To The “Rhaenicent” Theories
WhileRhaenyra started to explore her sexuality inHouse of the Dragonseason 1through her relationships with Criston Cole and Daemon Targaryen, season 2 has offered more context about the character that may tie into how she feels about Alicent. Rhaenyra kissing Mysaria indicates that the former is bisexual, thus putting her feelings for Alicent in an entirely new perspective. That said, assuming that Rhaenyra had never been with another woman before, she may still be discovering herself and might not be sure about what this means for her feelings toward Alicent.
House of the Dragonhas framed the Dance of the Dragons as the tragic fallout between Alicent and Rhaenyra (…)
When asked whether they had always perceived Rhaenyra as a queer character, D’Arcy pointed out that the word“queer”is not in the character’s lexicon. Given thatthere are so few known examples of queer stories Rhaenyra would be familiar with– her ex-husband Laenor Velaryon being one of them – it would be difficult for her to identify herself as such. Still, as the actor notes, Rhaenyra is a sexual character who answers to what her body is telling her. There is also the matter of the connection Rhaenyra felt with Mysaria at a time when the queen was so isolated.
It’s hard, because I don’t think the word “queer” is a word that is in any way within Rhaenyra’s lexicon. There are so few images or stories within that world that she has access to that allow one to identify in that way. What I do think is that she is really sexual. Maybe that’s one of the real joys of playing her, is that I think she’s a super-embodied character, who knows when her body is sort of saying something.
Regardless of what will happen between Rhaenyra and Mysaria going forward, Rhaenyra discovering more about her sexuality does make the Alicent theory more likely. There is not such a thing as a Mysaria and Rhaenyra kiss inFire & Blood, meaning this is an angle thatHouse of the Dragoncan explore in a way that the book did not.Rhaenyra being bisexual does not necessarily mean that she has romantic feelings for Alicent,but it does make it more plausible. At the very least, it invites audiences to look back at their relationship from a different perspective.
Will House Of The Dragon Ever Confirm Alicent & Rhaenyra’s Romance?
House Of The Dragon Has Already Made Big Changes To The Book
House of the Dragonhas made some significant changes to the relationship between Alicent and Rhaenyra compared to the book, starting with their age gap. The show has also given them more moments together thanFire & Blood,including scenes that were not mentioned or addressed in the source material at all like Rhaenyra secretly meeting Alicent in King’s Landing when the war had already started.House of the Dragon’s version ofthe Dance of the Dragonsalready has an identity of its own, soit would not be surprising if Rhaenyra and Alicent’s relationship continued to diverge from the book.
By making Rhaenyra bisexual or at least confirming she is still exploring her sexuality,House of the Dragonhas made it easier for a potential Rhaenyra and Alicent romance to happen. Of course, this does not necessarily mean that Alicent and Rhaenyra will be romantically involved or will ever admit ever having feelings for each other. Additionally,there is also the matter of Alicent’s sexuality and how she feels about Rhaenyra.When discussing this relationship in season 1 (viaVariety), older Alicent actor Olivia Cook said that her character might not be“self-aware in terms of what she’s feeling.”
I don’t know if Alicent knows what it feels like to feel those things now. There’s layers and layers of repression; sexuality and lust are probably a prehistoric, sedimentary layer by now.
Did Rhaenyra Have A Romance With Alicent Or Mysaria In The Book?
Rhaenyra And Alicent’s Dynamic In The Book Is Very Different
Rhaenyra does not have a romance with either Alicent or Mysaria inFire & Blood.AlthoughFire & Bloodis technically an in-universe historical book whose content comes from different sources and is not entirely accurate to the “real events,” nothing is ever brought up regarding Rhaenyra and Alicent or Rhaenyra and Mysaria. Much of the storyline involving Mysaria and Rhaenyra inHouse of the Dragonseason 2 was created for the show and cannot be found in the book. Likewise,Rhaenyra and Alicent’s strong bond is exclusive to the show.
Alicent is 10 years older than Rhaenyra inFire & Blood.
House of the Dragonhas framed the Dance of the Dragons as the tragic fallout between Alicent and Rhaenyra caused by the circumstances around them, which is a very interesting change fromFire & Blood. By making Alicent and Rhaenyra around the same age,House of the Dragonadded a more human aspect to theTargaryen civil warinstead of just having another “game of thrones” in which monarchs and lords would fight for the throne. Even if Rhaenyra and Alicent never have a romance inHouse of the Dragon, their relationship is already at the core of the series.
House of the Dragon
Cast
House of the Dragon is a 2022 fantasy drama set in the world of Westeros, chronicling the Targaryen dynasty at its height. The story revolves around King Viserys’s controversial decision to name his daughter Rhaenyra as heir to the Iron Throne, sparking tensions and divisions within the realm.
