HOTD: Princess Rhaenyra and Prince Daemon
The first episode of House of the Dragon introduced us to two very interesting characters. This uncle-niece duo share a very special bond. It is obvious from the start that they are extremely close. They seem to be the only two people who understand each other. After the first episode, Milly Alcock’s Princess Rhaenyra and Matt Smith’s Prince Daemon were the two characters that stood out the most. They showed a lot of potential for future storylines. Through several moments of the first episode, the creators have perfectly established the particular but complex dynamic between the two. Rhaenyra is the only one who does not come into conflict with Daemon. While Daemon is the only one who sees Rhaenyra’s true potential and power. They are also connected as they have both been overlooked and overlooked by King Viserys and know what that feels like. So, let’s explore the dynamic between the two and what the future might hold.
Rhaenyra meets Daemon in the throne room
When Rhaenyra learns that her favorite relative has sneaked into King’s Landing and is waiting on the Iron Throne, she excitedly rushes to the throne room. She keeps her presence a secret from her father and it’s pretty obvious that she doesn’t see her uncle as a monster at all. There’s a sense of ambiguity in the scene as we don’t quite understand if the feelings they showed are platonic, romantic or something else. They playfully tease each other in Valyrian High and Daemon has a gift for the princess, a Valyrian steel necklace. It gives them another connection like The Demon’s Sword, the Dark Sister, is also made of Valyrian steel. He helps her put the necklace around her neck and tells her she is beautiful. Their eyes, their looks and their body language say a lot more than the words in this scene.
Daemon comforts the princess
Rhaenyra loses her mother as she dies during childbirth. Like any girl, she was shaken and grieving consumed by grief. Part of her blamed her father and his decision to choose his unborn heir over her mother. She even expresses her disdain saying that she hopes the king is happy to have had a son even if it was only for a few hours. Meanwhile, her father, King Viserys, does not say a word to her. But there is someone who comforts her and acts as a support system. It’s none other than Daemon. He stands right next to her during the funeral, they speak in High Valyrian, and he gives her the courage and strength to do what was needed. He also shows empathy at this time by telling her that her father needs her right now, instead of fueling her negative feelings.
They speak in High Valyrian
It’s one of the things that alerted me to writing about their relationship. They speak High Valyrian as if it were their own secret language. It shows how close these two characters are and gives them an added angle of mischievous co-conspirators.
The Tournament to celebrate the heir
During the jousting when it’s Prince Daemon’s turn to choose an opponent and duel, you can see the excitement and love in Rhaenyra’s smile. She is not frightened or fazed by Daemon’s apparent cruelty. She then goes to congratulate her uncle on his first victory. Next, Ser Creston Cole was to bow out with Prince Daemon. As they fought on the ground with weapons, Rhaenyra watched in amazement hoping for her uncle’s victory.
Rhaenyra is named heir to the Iron Throne
The episode ends with King Viserys naming Princess Rhaenyra as his heir and the king’s council pledging their allegiance to the princess. The King’s seemingly impossible task of choosing between his brother and his daughter has been made much simpler by Daemon’s actions. Prince Daemon was banished and ordered back to Runestone due to his cruel comments regarding the King’s dead newborn son. Prince Daemon marked Baelon as the heir for a day. Considering Daemon’s claim to the throne and his constant struggle for the same, these decisions put a big question mark over the bond between Daemon and Rhaenyra.
Those who have read the books probably have a better idea of the relationship between the two and what the future holds. All we can say is that this pair is not going away anytime soon. Things will get more and more interesting over time.
