"House of the Dragon" has had queer characters before, but Rhaenyra and Mysaria's moment in the latest episode was a big deal for the show as a whole.
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Warning: Major spoilers ahead for season two, episode six of "House of the Dragon."
"House of the Dragon" has finally done it.
I'm not talking about unleashing dragon war. That was weeks ago, and yeah, it's cool, but we knew that was going to happen; it's in the book, after all. I'm also not talking about bringing back Paddy Considine to play King Viserys in this week's episode, though that was a delightful and welcome surprise.
No, I'm talking about one of the biggest character questions that "House of the Dragon" has ever raised — and as of season two, episode six has now answered definitively.
Rhaenyra Targaryen is bisexual. Rhaenyra Targaryen is bisexual!!!!!!!
Toward the end of this week's episode, Rhaenyra and Mysaria have a heart-to-heart — one that, in the span of a few minutes, adds great depth to both of their characters. And at the end of it, after a heartfelt-turned-sensual hug, they kiss in an unscripted moment that fans have been going wild over.
Like many others, I have long gotten queer vibes from Rhaenrya. But confirming her sexual identity has a deeper resonance on "House of the Dragon" — let's break it down.
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Rhaenyra being bisexual isn't much of a surprise, even if the show's decision to confirm it is.
As a teenager, Rhaenyra had a close relationship with Alicent Hightower. It was more than a little homoerotic, and that's something that actors Milly Alcock and Emily Carey felt themselves while filming. The pair, who played young Rhaenyra and young Alicent in the first half of season one, told The New York Times that there was a moment in episode four where they both felt like they were "about to kiss."
As Rhaenyra and Alicent grew older, they eventually fell to opposite sides of the war (though, as the season two, episode three sequence in the Sept showed, there's still potentially something there). Homoerotic friends can become homoerotic rivals!
HBO
"House of the Dragon" has always positioned Rhaenyra in conflict with Westeros' patriarchal norms for royal women. King Viserys' decision to name his daughter heir to the Iron Throne is the direct inciting incident of the show's war.
But past her claim to the throne, Rhaenyra has historically resisted governance of her own sexuality. She sought pleasure with Ser Criston Cole (and her uncle Daemon, but we can breeze past that a bit) before she was married, and even after that, she explicitly agreed with her gay first husband, Laenor Velaryon, to keep their marriage open in order to satisfy both of their sexual preferences.
That being said, Rhaenyra's decisions — and her closeness with Alicent — have resonance beyond her queerness. Alicent and Rhaenyra's relationship can easily be read as a singularly profound teenage bond, and given her position and personality, it would be more bizarre if Rhaenyra didn't buck against the patriarchal constraints that govern her.
That's why the decision to make her queerness explicit, and with Mysaria no less, is so striking.
Even prior to their direct interactions in season two, Rhaenyra and Mysaria have been tethered by one thing: They are both women who have been wronged by Daemon Targaryen.
In season one, Mysaria was the lady whom Daemon took to Dragonstone as his wife when he attempted to seize the ancestral seat of House Targaryen. Rhaenyra herself intervened during that incident, and Mysaria eventually realized that he had taken her as a political pawn and left him.
Theo Whiteman/HBO
By season two, episode two, Daemon has lied to Mysaria again, telling her that he would give her freedom in exchange for providing him Blood and Cheese, the assassins who killed Aegon's son Jaehaerys. But he fled Dragonstone before doing so — leaving her fate to Rhaenyra, who keeps her prisoner. Later in the episode, however, Rhaenyra decides to set Mysaria free. One good deed begets another, and Mysaria turns back to warn Rhaenyra of Arryk Cargyll's impending attempt on her life.
The result is a tenuous but equal bond. By granting her freedom, Rhaenyra has given Mysaria the one thing she wasn't able to successfully grant herself. But Mysaria has given Rhaenyra something of equal value: someone to whom she has already proven herself.
Amid a small council that constantly questions her, a husband who flees from her, and a son who doubts her, that relationship is invaluable. It also produces a kind of emotional intimacy that Rhaenyra hasn't displayed with any of her prior partners. With Mysaria, she doesn't have to be as strong as a King.
Theo Whiteman/HBO
In season two, episode six, Mysaria finally reciprocates. Rhaenyra had inquired after her neck scar when they first spoke, and now, Mysaria finally tells her that it came from her father, who raped her as a child and eventually rendered her sterile.
"I swore to myself I would never trust another, and that oath has stood me well," Mysaria tells Rhaenyra. "This world is cold, and cruel, and there are few in it who are steadfast.
"You, I think, are steadfast," she continues. "You have seen me as worthy, as an equal, even. Because of that, I will serve you. I believe you are meant to be queen."
Rhaenyra embraces Mysaria, who reciprocates and buries her face in Rhaenyra's neck. Mysaria presses a soft kiss against her skin, and Rhaenyra tilts her head back. The two kiss, running their hands down each other's backs and necks before they're interrupted by news of Seasmoke's new rider.
If not for the gravity of the situation, the moment would feel ripped straight out of a rom-com. Still, it's one of the show's most tender displays of affection yet, and the look Mysaria gives Rhaenyra as she leaves bears the promise of more.
Ultimately, the moment isn't just about Rhaenyra's sexuality — though, don't get me wrong, it's thrilling to get confirmation that she feels an attraction to women. It's also one of the most profound connections between two women in "House of the Dragon," transcending the chasm between mistress and wife, commoner and royal, and spy and Queen.
It's also what both Rhaenyra and Mysaria deserve: someone with whom they can let down their guard, and in the future, potentially seek out pleasure on equal footing.
