After the Game of Thrones Season 8 debacle, fans had given up all hope from the franchise. George R. R. Martin’s creation, often considered one of the best works in fantasy, lost fans very quickly. But out came House of the Dragon to the rescue, and proved that his works can stand even the toughest of times.
Though Game of Thrones was criticized for going off the rails, way more than Martin would have liked, the prequel show House of the Dragon has taken its own liberties as well. But so far, these have worked in favor of the showrunners, as the response has been largely positive.
One of the changes made to the Targaryen conflict was the initial contender against Viserys at the beginning of the saga. Though Rhaenys is presented as a prime candidate, Martin’s Fire & Blood chose someone else.
Rhaenys was not Viserys’ main competition for the Iron Throne
House of the Dragon Season 1 begins about 200 years prior to the events of Game of Thrones at the Great Council of Harrenhal. After losing both of his sons and heirs to the Iron Throne, Aemon and Baelon, Old King Jaehaerys I Targaryen has to choose an heir from his descendants as his health is failing. In the show, he has to make a choice between Viserys, Baelon’s son, and Rhaenys, Aemon’s daughter.
Rhaenys is known as ‘The Queen who never was’ because she always had the bigger claim to the Iron Throne, as her father was the initial Prince of Dragonstone, and she was the oldest. However, as shown in the prequel, the Lords of Westeros sidelined her, and voted in favor of Viserys, simply because of her gender.
In Fire & Blood, it is her son who was among the final two contestants for the throne, not Rhaenys. She was long overlooked as the heir after her father died, and his brother, Baelon, was chosen instead of her as the heir. By the time the Great Council is held, her role is reduced to being on sidelines, supporting Laenor’s claim instead of hers. But in the end, Viserys emerges as the King of the realm.
Spoiler Alert: The following information is based on recent trailers and text from Fire & Blood. Read at your own discretion.
Rhaenys will play a bigger role in House of the Dragon Season 2
Yes, Rhaenys was given more spotlight in the series than in the books, as we see a couple of scenes from her lens, how she witnessed a part of herself in Rhaenyra. It was one of the reasons why she sides with her in the civil war, known as the Dance of the Dragons.
However, her best is yet to come, and will be seen in House of the Dragon Season 2. She will be a part of the biggest battle of the second season, which might be on the scale of the Battle of Bastards in Game of Thrones, if not bigger. In one last swan song, Rhaenys will prove herself as the warrior queen she was supposed to be, almost winning the war for Rhaenyra.
But as Game of Thrones fans know, most stories in Westeros don’t have a happy ending. And Princess Rhaenys will be no exception. Facing the massive Green army in the Battle of Rook’s Rest, Rhaenys and her dragon, Meleys, the Red Queen, will be outnumbered, and despite fighting valiantly, meet a gruesome end.
House of the Dragon is available for streaming on Max
