[Ed note: This story contains spoilers for House of the Dragon season 2 episode 4.]
The Dance of Dragons has just claimed the most influential Targaryen yet. And no, we’re not talking about Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney) — we’re talking about Princess Rhaenys (Eve Best), who will be sorely missed following her harrowing, triumphant death in episode 4. A key player in Rhaenyra’s (Emma D’Arcy) council, Rhaenys went down with the same high level of grace, persistence, and morality she’s held steadfast through her time on House of the Dragon.
And at least we get one helluva dragon fight out of it, too. We begin in the contested area of Rook’s Rest, where Rhaenyra sends Rhaenys to demolish Criston Cole’s (Fabien Frankel) encroaching army. “We’re off to battle again, old girl,” Rhaenys says as she boards Meleys in Dragonstone, a real tug at the heartstrings as the pair begin what we now know will be their final ride together.
Before she meets her own demise, Rhaenys has one last hurrah, pummeling the living daylights out of a drunken, uninvited Aegon. But once Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) arrives aboard Vhagar, it’s all over for the lot of them. Aegon goes down first. Then Vhagar sinks his teeth into Meleys’ neck. Meleys turns to face her rider, a warning that defeat is coming, and Rhaenys simply nods. Their journey together is over. But they’ve done a damn good job together, haven’t they? As the pair spiral to the ground together, the look on Rhaenys’ face is less one of fear and defeat and more reflecting a peaceful resignation and understanding of what must be done.
While the loss of Rhaenys may be tragic, her death is magnificent and powerful. In fact, it might just be the best scene of season 2 thus far — at least the princess did not die in vain. As the episode comes to a close, a bruised Criston crawls through the neighboring forest to find Aemond crouched over his brother and Sunfyre. Aegon is down for the count. Both he and Sunfyre appear to be either dead, dying, or injured beyond repair. Basically: Rhaenys’ death led to the biggest win for Team Black — or the war — this season.
But that’s not to say this isn’t a major setback for Rhaenyra and her council. Rhaenys famously (or, rather, infamously) never sat atop the Iron Throne, known as the “Queen Who Never Was.” And yet, Rhaenys was someone who could always lead from within the Targaryen dynasty, a quiet, humble voice of reason. She understood the value of peace, like when she dutifully handed over the throne to her younger cousin Viserys (Paddy Considine). But perhaps more importantly, Rhaenys also knew when to disrupt that peace — like when, back in the middle of season 1, she fought tooth and nail to ensure Driftmark would pass down to her should Corlys (Steve Toussaint) pass. It’s that same energy to keep women in their rightful positions that has been such an asset to Rhaenyra in season 2.
Photo: Ollie Upton/HBO
Photo: Ollie Upton/HBO
In other words, Rhaenys understood the importance of picking a battle. That’s a key skill in the middle of a war: knowing which battles to pursue and which to avoid at all costs. In her small council, Rhaenyra is surrounded by men who want to push buttons and attack Team Green at every opportunity. At any given impasse, Rhaenyra would cast a small gaze toward Rhaenys for some sort of nonverbal seal of disapproval or approval on how to move forward with the ongoing Targaryen spat. This quiet communication happens in nearly every episode of season 2 thus far, including in Rhaenys’ final council meeting, a silent confirmation that, yes, sending Meleys into battle is the best option, as dangerous as it’ll be.
Now, who will Rhaenyra look toward when she needs a clear head? Daemon? As if. But Rhaenyra will certainly need to find another guiding force in her life without Rhaenys. Perhaps she needs to look to the next generation of women in her family — both for Team Black’s sake, and because House of the Dragon should continue examining its women characters through feminist lenses, like the show did with Rhaenys.
Because while the show gained one killer dragon fight scene, at the same time, it lost a feminist icon. Rhaenys’ faithful support of Rhaenyra was monumental in the fight against Aegon — by all means, when the war began, Rhaenys could have sided with the same patriarchy that barred her from becoming queen over Viserys. If Rhaenys couldn’t be queen, why would she feel so inclined to keep fighting against the men (and women — looking at you, Alicent!) that cast Targaryen women aside. But no — Rhaenys took the side that felt right, ultimately standing up for her morals and helping the team that would provide the best future for her granddaughters Rhaena (Phoebe Campbell) and Baela (Bethany Antonia).
To be fair, anyone that took down Aegon Targaryen was going to become an icon the instant they did it — but it’s wonderful that Rhaenys was the one who made the mark. She may have never been a queen in the literal sense, but in the more symbolic sense of the word, she’ll always be a queen in our hearts. She fought for the better of the realm and the women of it, and in doing so, became a true Targaryen legend.