The Dragon's Kiss and a Heart Full of Fury: The Tragic End of Rhaenyra and Daemon
In the heart-stopping season 2 finale of House Of The Dragon, Rhaenyra and Daemon, a pair whose relationship is about as wild and chaotic as a dragon's breath, are finally back together. After a heart-to-heart (well, maybe a little more dragon-to-dragon) at the weirwood tree, Daemon sees the light and drops his own personal ambitions in favor of helping Rhaenyra. It seems like their love story, which started a little more, let's just say "incestuous", and has been as rocky as a dragon's landing, could finally blossom into something beautiful. Or maybe not.
Rhaenyra might have said "leave me again at your peril", but don't be fooled, history repeats itself, and spoiler alert, Daemon is a man who, apparently, loves the thrill of the chase more than the girl chasing him. In fact, if you’ve already read George R.R. Martin's Fire & Blood, the prequel novel for the show that delves into the Targaryen history (and Game Of Thrones fans are used to a sprinkle of misery and death) you already know the sad truth - they aren’t destined for a happily-ever-after.
Daemon's Betrayal: A Dragonslayer’s Deadly Game
After Rhaenyra finally secures the Iron Throne as her own, Daemon decides it's time to head back to the Riverlands. This is where the lines blur for their love story, which was already shaky like a drunk dragon trying to land. Now, he leaves her again for an almost-suicide mission – finding and, essentially, ending, his nephew, Aemond Targaryen (you know, the one who's riding Vhagar, the biggest, baddest dragon around). While this may look like a good tactic, Rhaenyra is starting to get real paranoid about what Daemon is up to.
Now, House Of The Dragon might not be going through exactly the same plot as Fire & Blood, especially with the writers kind of messing with a character named Nettles. But this second trip to the Riverlands seems like the tipping point. Not because Daemon might be tempted by some hot, dragon-riding lady (I mean, he did kinda sleep with his sister-in-law, Laena Velaryon, in the past) but because his commitment to her is getting questionable again.
Paranoia in the Red Keep: Doubting Your Dragonslayer
Rhaenyra isn’t exactly a fragile, fainting, "oh my god, how could he leave me" type of Queen. This woman is strong, fierce, and determined. But still, having the man you love wander off during a time of civil war? Yeah, that’ll shake up the strongest of queens. Let’s face it, after the whole "incest" thing, this dragon lady's got reasons to be nervous! Imagine what a modern dating app profile for her would look like: "Dragon-riding Queen seeks dependable and honest mate." Good luck with that.
Honestly, Daemon could’ve gotten a lot further by just saying “I’m going out, maybe, if you are lucky I'll be back by nightfall!" Maybe if they communicated their feelings better they could've avoided all this "who’s the most powerful dragon in the skies" business.
Daemon's Downfall: The Dragon’s Kiss and a Tragic Death
It’s time to get to the big one! You’ve got your suspicions, your heartbreak, your rage-filled moments when a queen needs her warrior king at her side. And here’s the ultimate twist: It ends badly. Badly as in, “death by dragon-dueling in the Battle Above the Gods Eye” badly. Now, in the grand finale of the second season, we see the prophecy come true: Daemon dies in a dragon duel. Not a graceful landing, but at least he dies doing something cool… if you love dragon duels.
As if it weren’t bad enough, the dude isn't just “dying” and then coming back to haunt Rhaenyra's sleep. It is confirmed; there is no coming back. Even if there were any chance, Rhaenyra has her own troubles to deal with after her son’s betrayal. We hear that Rhaenyra will finally find the tragic end she always feared - ending up burned by a dragon - but the question remains - how long does the next season go on before that moment?
The Dance of the Dragons and its Future: What's Next for Our Dragon-Loving Queens?
There are a lot of dragon seeds, new dragons (we’re looking at you, Nettles), and twists left to be unveiled in the next season. If Rhaenyra had to face the choice of "do you believe in me? I'm going to go make out with dragons in the sky. I love you, sort of", who would've predicted she would be outplayed so completely in the Dance? What comes next for our Dragon Queen? Let’s hope House of the Dragon isn’t finished with its dragon lovers quite yet, or we're in for a lot of bloodshed, rage, and betrayal in season three!
