The Dance of the Dragons is ready to begin in House of the Dragon, and the Green propagandists are already hard at work. After the death of Lucerys Velaryon, Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy) and Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) are ready to rain fire and blood on King’s Landing. With the first strike of the war firmly on the shoulders of the Greens, they will need to prepare for the coming assault by more dragons than they can hope to muster.
New footage captured from the set of House of the Dragon by Twitter user House the Dragons reveals that the Greens already appear to be playing for the public’s opinion, and the internet is in uproar over the sight. Check out the posts below:
The footage appears to show a funeral procession, complete with a coffin being led before Alicent Hightower and her daughter Heliolisk Targaryen. A crier stands at the head of the procession, beating a drum and proclaiming that all look upon the work of “Rhaenyra the Cruel“. It’s a dark moment, but the internet appears to be firmly on Rhaenyra’s side.
What Rhaenyra The Cruel Really Means
While previous set footage has shown a dragon’s head being paraded through the streets of King’s Landing, this coffin is considerably smaller. It could only fit a human being, which means that Rhaenyra may be seeking justice the same way that Alicent did in House of the Dragon season one. At this point, Rhaenyra could want an eye for an eye after Lucerys’ death.
If so, it’s easy to see why the Greens would proclaim that Rhaenyra is cruel. That isn’t just a generic title, however. The House of the Dragon universe puts significant emphasis on any title that ends in “the Cruel“. After all, long before Rhaenyra’s birth, the Targaryen king Maegor the Cruel wreaked havoc on Westeros. Maegor destroyed a church filled with parishioners — much like Cersei did in Game of Thrones — and executed any of his wives who were unable to bear him a son. Maegor also slaughtered thousands of his own citizens with little justification or care, while waging several wars and butchering every builder who worked on his Keep.
To compare Rhaenyra’s reign to Maegor’s is certainly an insult. Without knowing her actions in House of the Dragon season 2 yet, it’s hard to say if the title has been earned. After Rhaenyra lost her beloved son at the end of season 1, there’s no telling how far she’ll go. Daemon Targaryen is going to push her into open war, and Rhaenyra will need to decide if she really wants to be called “Rhaenyra the Cruel” for the rest of her life. As the war of succession rages on in House of the Dragon, she may be sinking lower than she had ever thought to go.
Source: Various (see above)
