Parading Meleys' Head Through King's Landing Hurts the Targaryens' Image
Alicent Hightower and her allies walk Meleys' dragon, Rhaenys Targaryen, across King's Landing's streets in the most recent episode of House of the Dragon. Although this would seem like a smart way to disseminate propaganda and assert victory, over time this terrible choice damages the Targaryen name.
Because they are dragonriders, House Targaryen frequently sees themselves as better than other houses in Westeros. Aegon I defeated the Seven Kingdoms with his dragons, thus this belief stems from fear: the Targaryen dynasty has ruled for more than 130 years. But, as Rhaenyra Targaryen noted in the first season, their power isn't predicated just on dragons. They are like everyone else without them.
A big component of Targaryen power are dragons, which inspire awe as well as fear. Walking Meleys' head across the streets feels as though one is disparaging the gods themselves. Like the skulls deposited in the Red Keep, fallen dragons should be revered rather than treated disrespectfully. In the view of the people, this behavior renders the Targaryens weak and cruel, so running the danger of the wrath of a higher power.
Meleys's head causes King's Landing's much worse problems.
Meleys's head, an emblem of dragon power and the Targaryen lineage, set the people of King's Landing on edge. The audience was not in awe of silence; rather, they were terrified and spoke candidly, which stoked possible reaction.
Rising expenses and food shortages already plague the city, thus this act of disrespect toward a dead dragon could be the turning point. It reveals to the common people that the Targaryens are unable to solve the problems of the city and show their apathy for them. Meleys's head is a large step towards anarchy and disturbance in King's Landing, while riots simmer in the background.
