Warning: This list contains spoilers for House of the Dragon.After the explosive fifth episode, Dragon House will go through another jump in time. It’ll be a much bigger leap, thrusting audiences further into the future and aging several characters.
Not only will Viserys’ toddlers be bigger, but Rhaenyra Targaryen will no longer be a teenager. This time jump means that Milly Alcock will no longer play the character, with Emma D’Arcy taking on the role of an older version of Rhaenyra. Although she won’t be playing the role again, Alcock has had several powerful lines throughout her tenure as princess.
“I would rather serve as a knight.”
Her discomfort with the birth of a child
One similarity between Rhaenyra and Daenerys Targaryen is their interest in getting in on the action. While neither of them is seen wielding a weapon and engaging in hand-to-hand combat, they both run into danger on the back of a dragon.
In the first episode, Queen Aemma tells her daughter that the birthing bed is their battleground. This quote is Rhaenyra’s response to her mother’s remark. She has no interest in following the traditional norms imposed on women and yearns to go her own way.
“Without them, we are like everyone else.”
His vision of dragons
A clear trait of King Viserys is his love for his daughter, Rhaenyra. Despite his frustrations with her throughout the first half of the season, he proves it in the way he can talk to her privately about serious matters.
When Rhaenyra says this to her father, she makes it clear how much she respects the dragons that made her lineage so powerful. She proves to her father that she is humble in her vision for House Targaryen and therefore proves that she will be a thoughtful leader.
“[Syrax Is] Completely protective of me.”
Put Otto in his place
Rhaenyra respects her father as king, but she repeatedly insists that she does not take orders from others within the court. When she shows up to help retrieve Daemon’s dragon egg, she fires Otto when he tries to get her to leave with guards.
She says this, warning the guards under Otto’s control that they shouldn’t do anything too reckless as her dragon, Syrax, is there to defend her. While the previous line proves that she respects dragons, she also realizes that dragons put her in a position of power.
“As I keep reminding myself of.”
Sass his father
Rhaenyra displays her power in court in an obvious way, but she also reminds the audience that she is still a teenager. As a teenager, she is often seen quarreling with her father and fighting against his decisions for her lifestyle.
When they go hunting in episode three and Viserys reminds the princess that she has duties, she slams him saying this. She may recognize that she has princess duties, but she’s clearly sick of being reminded of them.
“None of them have ever held my position.”
Her Princess Duties
Rhaenyra knows she comes from an extremely privileged position, but she often sees this as a burden. As a princess, she has access to a lot of things that others don’t, but also has a lot of responsibility for a young lady.
When Ser Criston remarks that many others would like to be in her shoes, she makes this remark. She seems less aware at this point that she comes from a position of luxury compared to regular people. However, she also realizes that others see more glamor in her life than reality.
“I will not submit to the same fate.”
Views on the death of his mother
Her mother’s death during childbirth impacted Rhaenyra’s vision of having children. Before her mother’s death, Rhaenyra didn’t care about the idea, but afterwards she expresses fear of it.
When she and Daemon talk about marriage, she says so, expressing her desire to avoid childbirth and the risks that come with it. Although the novels prove that Rhaenyra ends up having children with both of her spouses, it proves that she understands the risks of having children and disagrees with the pressure on women to provide heirs.
“So, you accuse me of slanders that you have heard? »
His pun
It has been clarified that Rhaenyra is attracted to her uncle, Daemon. In episode four, they have a sexual experience in a brothel but do not have sex. While that might have been for the best, it clearly upset Rhaenyra when he ran away and left her alone.
When Rhaenyra is confronted by Alicent about her and Deamon, she does not lie about the encounter but sidesteps the truth to avoid admitting wrongdoing. She also proves that she can easily use her mind to turn things around, saying this line after Alice admits she has no real evidence to back up her accusations.
“Each of us eats as he pleases.”
His agreement with Laenor
One thing book fans know about Rhaenyra is that she married twice. However, at this point in the series, she has just married Laenor Velaryon. It is clear that these two, although married, do not love each other, but rather respect each other.
Although her father eventually forced her into marriage, Rhaenyra is unwilling to end her affair with Ser Criston or deny her sexual appetites. Knowing that Laenor has a male lover, she says this line to prove that she understands his sexuality and wants them to respect each other’s estranged desires once they are married.
“You must first make yours as king.”
She gets Otto fired
When Viserys tells Rhaenyra that she must marry now and take responsibility for her duties as a princess, she in turn points out that he must do his duties as a king first. She points out that Otto as Hand of the King is problematic because he is too focused on his own power.
Otto Hightower’s most problematic trait is his cunning and overbearing personality. Although it works for him for years, it leads to the removal of his position. Rhaenyra has proven she has power over her father’s decisions when she convinces him to remove this highly respected man from his position of power.
“The Iron Throne is bigger than me.”
Respect for his position
One of the most heartbreaking moments in episode five is when Criston asks Rhaenyra to run away with him, and she refuses. However, it proves that the princess understands that her duties as an heiress are more important than her desires.
It’s unlikely that Rhaenyra left with Criston even if she wanted to, as she repeatedly emphasized her desire to be queen and lead her people. By choosing it
reigns over a laid-back life, she respects the history of her house.
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