We Need To Talk About Daemon And Rhaenyra’s Relationship On HOTD

Targaryens intermarrying within their immediate family was a tradition first started by Aegon I Targaryen when he arrived in Westeros. Since then, an obsession with keeping the bloodline pure kept intermarriage a significant component of many of their marriages. Though some, like Viserys and Rhaenys, chose to marry outside the family, others fell in love with their immediate relations. However, it’s questionable if Daemon is in love with Rhaenyra or if he sees her as a means to the throne.

Warning: Spoilers for House of the Dragon Episode 4 follow. Since Rhaenyra and Daemon had their first scene together in the House of the Dragon premiere, viewers have been all over their chemistry. In Episode 2, the air between them fairly crackled when she rode out on her dragon to challenge his stealing her dragon egg. Episode 3 kept them apart, but when they finally saw each other again in Episode 4, Rhaenyra had matured into a young woman, and Daemon had a new hot hairdo.

But it was on the moment Rhaenyra returned to her chambers to find a peasant’s disguise and instructions to make her way through the maze of passages that ran through King’s Landing. Daemon was waiting, hooded and hungry, taking Rhaenyra out to Flea Bottom to show her a good time. At first, it was drinking; then, it was lessons about how the small folk saw her. But it was evident there’d be trouble once Daemon took Rhaenyra to a brothel. Within minutes, they were all over each other, unaware they were being watched, until Daemon finally came to his senses enough to pry himself off the princess rather than take her like a common wench in a filthy room.

Poor Rhaenyra went home itching and far enough from sober to entice Cristian Cole into her chambers for an all-night ride. But too many people had seen her out, and by morning, Otto Hightower had informed Viserys she and Daemon had been spotted, with the insinuation they’d gone much farther than they had.

Rather than confront his daughter, Viserys dragged Daemon into the throne room, still stinking with booze. Daemon didn’t deny he’d had his way with Rhaenyra, a surprising choice, considering it wasn’t true. Had he been so intoxicated that he didn’t remember what they’d done? He was pleased for Viserys to think Daemon had ruined Rhaenyra because he assumed Viserys would have them engaged immediately. He lay there almost begging Viserys to give him Rhaenyra, not caring he was still married to his (very much alive) wife.

But is Daemon actually in love with Rhaenyra? Rhaenyra may be smitten; she’s also not an idiot. When her father announced he was engaging her to Laenor Valyron, she did not protest. Daemon’s motives are more suspect. He thinks of himself as a superior ruler to Viserys and is still after the Iron Throne. Marrying Rhaenyra would get him there, and he’s ruthless enough to ruin her to get what he wants.

But there’s also a real spark between them. Uncle and niece are similar in how they think and their character (Rhaenyra’s ability to bald-faced lie to Alicent about still being a maid proved it.) They could have made a love match had they been promised each other. Sadly, or perhaps for the good of the realm, it seems not to be.

House of the Dragon Season 1 continues with new episodes every Sunday at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.