In Episode 4 of House of the Dragon, we saw that Rhaenyra’s heirship was in danger. After being caught in a pleasure house at the White Worm with Daemon, she exposed herself to numerous political problems, which could have led to Viserys disinheriting her.
However, Viserys I is wiser than we think. He doesn’t take any rash steps and orders Rhaenyra to marry Ser Laenor, son of the Sea Snake. Furthermore, he also relieves Otto Hightower from his duty as the King’s Hand.
This looks pretty good for Rhaenyra’s ascension. But, anything can happen in the show. So, the question people still asking is, Will Rhaenyra Targaryen become the Queen and sit on the Iron Throne?
In the books, Rhaenyra does become Queen of the Seven Kingdoms and sits on the Iron Throne. However, this is much after Alicent’s son, Aegon II, is crowned and later dethroned by Rhaenyra.
So far, the show is pretty close to the books. There has been no major diversion, so we’ll likely see the narrative flow according to the books. If you haven’t read the books and are watching the show, prepare yourself. Quite a bit is going to happen in the next few episodes.
As mentioned earlier, Rhaenyra will become Queen, but not before her half-brother, Aegon II. Let me lay it all out for you.
1. How does Rhaenyra become the Queen?
When Viserys I dies in his sleep, Queen Alicent and Otto Hightower do not tell Rhaenyra until Alicent’s son, Aegon II, is crowned. After the coronation ceremony, Rhaenyra comes to know, and she doesn’t consider this fair. After all, Rhaenyra was named the heir to the throne by Viserys.
I. Who does Rhaenyra marry?
Before Viserys’ death, Rhaenyra had married Ser Laenor as she promised in episode 4 of House of the Dragon. Although she has three sons with him, there’s a rumor that one of them is a bastard.
Due to an unfortunate incident, Ser Laenor is killed. After a few months, Rhaenyra marries her uncle, Daemon. This is because the two are quite fond of each other, as we saw in episode 4, and Rhaenyra decides that this is her chance to marry for desire and not for a political settlement.
II. How did Rhaenyra defeat Aegon II?
When Viserys died, Rhaenyra and Daemon were married. The two start scouting for houses to be on their side and do find support. Eventually, she leads an army to King’s Landing, which leads to the beginning of the civil war called Dance of the Dragons.
Rhaenyra easily overpowers the counterattack by Aegon II and his mother, Alicent. Aegon II escapes, Alicent and her daughter are imprisoned, and Otto Hightower is beheaded for treason. This way, Rhaenyra becomes the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms.
2. How does Rhaenyra Targaryen die?
When Rhaenyra sits on the Iron Throne, she suffers multiple cuts from the throne. This is similar to what we see with King Viserys in House of the Dragon. This shows that the throne doesn’t accept her as the ruler.
Moreover, time and circumstances had turned Rhaenyra into a cold and ruthless person. She started beheading people in court and was being compared to Maegor The Cruel.
Besides this, she also started raising taxes and losing her supporters. The last straw is the incident with Alicent’s daughter, where she kills herself. However, a rumor spreads in the city that the Queen had ordered her death, and riots began.
The people storm the dragon pit, and one of Rhaenyra’s sons, Joffrey, dies. However, Rhaenyra flees and escapes to Dragonstone. Thus, Rhaenyra’s hold over the Iron Throne lasted only half a year.
After a few years, when she is at Dragonstone, she is betrayed by one of her senior knights, who leads Aegon II and his army to the place. He catches her by surprise and easily defeats her.
Later, he makes his dragon Sunfyre burn Rhaenyra alive and eat her as her son Aegon III watches. This is how the complete arc of Rhaenyra Targaryen comes to a tragic end.
Now, we’re far away from this point in the show. The TV series still has six episodes to go in Season 1, and the show has already been renewed for Season 2. So, it is likely that Rhaenyra’s ascension to the throne is a little far, and her death is farther away.
4. About House Of The Dragon
House of the Dragon is the prequel series to HBO’s blockbuster Game of Thrones based on George R. R. Martin’s book Fire & Blood.
Set three hundred years before the events of Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon will show Westeros under the Targaryen family’s rule before the dragons went extinct. It will follow the Dance of the Dragons, the Targaryen civil war between siblings Aegon II and Rhaenyra, who fought for the throne after the death of their father, Viserys I.
Directed by Ryan Condall and Miguel Sapochnik, the show stars Paddy Considine as Viserys I Targaryen, Emma D’Arcy as Rhaenyra Targaryen, Olivia Cooke as Alicent Hightower, Matt Smith as Daemon Targaryen, Tom Glynn-Craney as Aegon II Targaryen, Rhys Ifans as Otto Hightower, Steve Toussaint as Corlys Velaryon, Eve Best as Rhaenys Velaryon, Sonoya Mizuno as Mysaria, Fabien Frankel as Criston Cole, and Graham McTavish.
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