A new scandal involving Princess Rhaenyra and Ser Harwin Strong
Princess Rhaenyra has been involved in many scandals. Rumors of Rhaenyra and Daemon coupling in Silk Street had dire consequences and alienated Queen Alicent from House Targaryen. Then his decision to sleep with Ser Criston Cole also backfired. Well, if you were expecting all of that to go away now that she’s married to Laenor Velaryon, you’re in for a heck of a surprise. There is another scandal awaiting Rhaenyra in the future episode. And this one involves Ser Harwin Strong, his new sworn protector.
Princess Rhaenyra and Ser Harwin Strong
Ser Harwin Strong is now Princess Rhaenyra’s sworn protector. He was seen before supporting her. Especially when she came back from the forest after killing a boar. But according to rumors, he is much closer to Rhaenyra. In fact, some believe that Ser Harwin Strong is the real father of Rhaenyra’s children instead of Laenor her husband. However, these are only rumors and the parentage of Rhaenyra’s children has never been confirmed in the books.
After Ser Criston Cole killed Ser Joffrey Lonmouth, Laenor Velaryon also became somewhat alienated. According to the books, he spent most of his time at High Tide Castle. Meanwhile, Rhaenyra preferred to stay in the Red Keep and attend court as the heir to the Iron Throne. Ser Harwin was very close to Rhaenyra in the meantime. He had even courted her before in a tournament. This rumor spread mostly because Princess Rhaenyra’s three children were born with brown hair although Rhaenyra and Laenor had silver or platinum hair.
The flaws in this rumored scandal
Although they may be true, there are absolutely no guarantees. In fact, this could all be a ruse to damage Princess Rhaenyra’s reputation. After all, we know that Alicent Hightower doesn’t shy away from using such underhanded tactics. With the issue of succession becoming important, the Greens would do whatever they could to advance Aegon’s claim to the Iron Throne. This rumor could alienate Viserys from his daughter Rhaenyra and possibly even cause him to consider her an unfit heiress.
Another reason this may not be true is that the brown hair argument has many flaws. First, George RR Martin himself said that genes don’t work the same way in Westeros as they do in real life. What’s even more important is that neither Laenor nor Rhaenyra were one hundred percent Targaryen. Rhaenyra’s mother belonged to House Arryn. This house is known for its brown and dark hair. Robert Arryn had brown hair like the children of Rhaenyra. Likewise, Laenor’s mother, Rhaenys Targaryen, had a mother belonging to House Baratheon. Baratheons are also known to have black hair. So that could easily explain the hair color of Rhaenyra and Laenor’s children. Maybe they were unlucky in the gene department, no one can say for sure.
Another thing to note is that in a recently released clip from House of the Dragon, we can see Laenor present in the Red Keep as Rhaenyra gives birth to their son. This could mean that unlike the books, he rubbed shoulders with Rhaenyra and could very well have fathered her children.
House of the Dragon Episode 6 Preview
In the preview for episode 6, they gave many clues about this scandal and how Alicent will use it to turn Viserys against Rhaenyra. In the preview, Alicent can be seen saying that having a kid like that can be a mistake. But having three of these children is an insult. The Hand of the King, Lyonel Strong also claims that people have eyes. There is also a scene where Lord Larys tells how a father is compromised by the sins of his son and the plan approaches Lyonel Strong. Finally, there’s the next scene where King Viserys says the consequences of the allegation they both had can be disastrous. These two, while still unnamed, definitely include Rhaenyra and most likely Ser Harwin.
