Warning: Contains SPOILERS for House of the Dragon season 2, episode 2, “Rhaenyra the Cruel.”
Summary
Did Daemon Targaryen lie to Rhaenyra about his role in Blood and Cheese duringHouse of the Dragonseason 2, episode 2? Did the Rogue Prince really order thedeath of Jaehaerys Targaryenif Aemond could not be found? Even after an episode full of the fallout from Blood and Cheese killing Jaehaerys, theGame of Thronesprequel is leaving it a mystery.
There is obviously no denying Daemon played some role in it, but whether the death witnessed at the end of the premiere was a misstep on his part or a misunderstanding on theirs remains to be seen. Daemon is asked multiple times by Rhaenyra inHouse of the Dragonseason 2, episode 2whether he gave that command, and he repeatedly says he did not… but there’s reason to believe he’s not telling the truth.
House Of The Dragon’s “Greens” & “Blacks” Targaryen Split Explained
House of the Dragon’s Targaryen Civil War will be split between those who are loyal to the “greens” or the “blacks,” as led by Rhaenyra & Alicent.
Daemon Probably Is Lying About His Blood & Cheese Role
There’s More Reason To Believe He Would Order Prince Jaehaerys' Death
AlthoughHouse of the Dragonseason 2, episode 1’s endingleft it murky exactly what Daemon had told Blood and Cheese to do,there are some big clues that he gave the order for Jaehaerys' death. That it cuts away from Daemon right when the hired killers ask what to do if they can’t find Aemond is telling alone, but more so is that they later reveal he told them"a son for a son.“Obviously there’s missing context there, but it does imply he told them to kill another son if they could not find Aemond.
It makes sense that Daemon would give the order for Prince Jaehaerys' death.
Also, Daemon’s words to Rhaenyra do not, technically, outright say he didn’t tell them to kill"a son for a son"and that any would do. He says he was clear in his instructions - which is true, as we saw; he says they did not concern"a little child,“but that could simply mean he did not say those words directly; later, when riled up and looking like he might even admit the truth, he says"it was a mistake.“But that mistake could have been having another son killed.
It makes sense that Daemon would give the order for Prince Jaehaerys' death. He clearly wanted to take action, any action, rather than sitting on Dragonstone and just waiting for the war to happen. There’s a sense of him wanting to provoke the Greens. And while it makes Rhaenyra look bad, as he would surely have known, he’s more out for his own selfish ends and to give himself the feeling of being in power.
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The Point Isn’t Whether Daemon Truly Ordered Jaehaerys' Death Or Not
House Of The Dragon Leaves It Open To Interpretation By Design
In a way, whether Daemon really did order Jaehaerys' death is a moot point. It doesn’t matter what he actually did,what’s important is what he’s perceived to have done by both Rhaenyra and by the audience. For the former, it exposes her deep-rooted lack of trust in him; that even if he didn’t do it, she believes him capable, and cannot fully believe he did not, and therefore will struggle to have him by her side as theDance of the Dragonsprogresses. They obviously love each other in some way, but it shows how flimsy and toxic their relationship is.
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For the audience, it allows us viewers to make up our own minds. I, obviously, think Daemon did it; many others will disagree. And until there is a definitive statement within the show, there’s no real right or wrong, which allows for a wider degree of interpretation. It also means it is likeHouse of the Dragon’s spin onFire & Blood, where history is told with conflicting accounts from multiple sources, and readers can choose to believe one or the other or a combination or none, and, ultimately, I think that’s the more interesting choice as season 2 progresses.
New episodes ofHouse of the Dragonseason 2 release Sundays at 9pm ET on HBO and Max.
House of the Dragon
Cast
House of the Dragon is a 2022 fantasy drama set in the world of Westeros, chronicling the Targaryen dynasty at its height. The story revolves around King Viserys’s controversial decision to name his daughter Rhaenyra as heir to the Iron Throne, sparking tensions and divisions within the realm.
