House of the Dragon Finally Reveals Wedding of Two Fan-Favorite Characters

By Joe Schmidt

As time continues to march in House of the Dragon, fans finally witnessed one of the most problematic unions in the Game of Thrones franchise with the marriage between Rhaenyra and Daemon Targaryen. Episode 7 of the fan-favorite series was packed with major developments setting up the inevitable Dance of Dragons, and while there are plenty of inciting incidents that take place, it is the bond of Rhaenyra and Daemon that might set off the powder keg that's been plaguing Westeros since the moment Viserys Targaryen named his daughter the heir to the Iron Throne.

Throughout the episode set at the funeral of Laena Velaryon after a complicated childbirth with her husband Daemon Targaryen, we see tensions escalate as Queen Alicent continues to sow distrust of her former friend Rhaenyra, which ends up exploding into a massive conflict between the Greens (those who are loyal to Alicent and her family) and the other Targaryens. Alicent and Viserys's son Aemond basically steals Vhagar, the dragon that belonged to Laena, right from under the noses of House Velaryon.

The resulting brawl among the Targaryen and Velaryon children results in Rhaenyra's son's nose being broken, Aemond's eyes being cut out, and bastard accusations being levied among the most prominent family. But Rhaenyra's husband Laenor is nowhere to be found.

Laenor is meant to appear as the father of Rhaenyra's children, even if it's a not-so-well-kept secret that they are the bastards sired by Ser Harwin Strong who was burnt to a crisp in the previous episode. But Laenor is obviously mourning the death of his sister, so he's not exactly well equipped to handle the trauma of the family squabble.

When he finally shows up, he seems dedicated to his wife and her children and promises to stick around, but Rhaenyra has other plans in mind. And while the history books seem to implicate that she and Daemon conspired to have him married, we see that she's much more generous in how she handles these complications. The episode reveals that Daemon pays Laenor's lover Qarl to create a public spectacle that results in Laenor's death, but in truth, the two can escape Driftmark and create a new life in Essos without the burden of the iron throne.

While it's a major reveal that changes everything we thought we knew about the history of House Targaryen, it also paves the way for Rhaenyra and Daemon to unite in marriage and strengthen the chosen heir's claim to the Iron Throne. The episode closes with the duo in a traditional Targaryen wedding ceremony, a stark contrast to the Westerosi marriage she shared with Laenor earlier in the season.

Fans have been speculating about this very problematic romance for a few weeks now, and House of the Dragon finally made it happen. How this affects the Seven Kingdoms and the future of the Game of Thrones franchise remains to be seen.

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