WARNING! This article contains MAJOR spoilers for House of the Dragon season 2, episode 1 and George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood book, on which the show is based.
Summary
This article contains potentially distressing discussions of graphic violence, child death, and suicide.
HBO’sHouse of the Dragonseason 2, episode 1 concludes with the tragic death of Jaehaerys Targaryen, with Helaena being given the brutal choice of pointing out the “correct” child to Blood and Cheese. Ahead of the prequel show’s release, the most dreaded impendingHouse of the Dragonmoment was “Blood and Cheese,” which stood out asone of the most agonizing and cruel scenes in George R.R. Martin’sFire & Bloodbook. WhileHouse of the Dragonseason 2 makes several important changes to how Blood and Cheese commences in the book, one detail that remains is a harrowing choice Helaena must make about her children’s fates.
On the orders of Daemon Targaryen, Blood (a City Watch guard) and Cheese (a ratcatcher employed by the crown) sneak into the Red Keep intending to kill Aemond Targaryen as revenge for thedeath of Lucerys Velaryon. When they can’t find Aemond, they move to the chambers of Helaena Targaryen, where they intend to kill the young Jaehaerys Targaryen, the son and heir of King Aegon II Targaryen. Unable to tell Jaehaerys and his twin sister Jaehaera apart,Helaena is ordered to point out the boy. She does so honestly and Blood proceeds to decapitate Jaehaerys, with Helaena swiftly fleeing to Alicent’s chambers with Jaehaera in her arms.
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Why Helaena Let Blood & Cheese Kill Jaehaerys To Save Jaehaera
The reason in House of the Dragon is different from the book
While Helaena could have pointed to Jaehaera in an attempt to spare Jaehaerys, she correctly identifies her son before he’s brutally murdered. This “choice” happens quite differently in the book, as Helaena and Aegon actually had three children: two sons, Jaehaerys and Maelor, and one daughter, Jaehaera. After offering herself in their stead, Helaena is forced to choose which of her sons will die, and she chooses Maelor given he’s the youngest and wouldn’t understand what’s happening. Blood and Cheese proceeded to kill Jaehaerys anyway in the book, butthe absence of Maelor creates a different reason for Helaena’s decision.
Helaena’s decision is seemingly based onher fears for Jaehaerys’ future and his inevitable moral corruption as the heir to the Iron Throne. Earlier in the episode, Aegon sought out Jaehaerys to begin training him, with Helaena remarking, “What if he doesn’t want to be King?”Helaena being a dragon dreameralso indicates that she may have some insight into Jaehaerys’ future, perhaps sensing that he would live an unhappy life being twisted by the guidance of Aegon and duties to the Iron Throne. Of course, in the larger narrative, Jaehaerys needed to die in order for Aegon to lose his heir inHouse of the Dragon.
What Jaehaerys' Death Means For Helaena’s Future In House Of The Dragon
Helaena’s future is grim in House of the Dragon
As can be expected, Jaehaerys’ death leads to more horrific and tragic developments for the Targaryen Greens. In George R.R. Martin’sFire & Bloodbook,Helaena is severely depressed after Jaehaerys’ death, with it being made worse by the fact that she “chose” one of her children to die. Helaena wouldn’t eat, bathe, or leave her room, andFire & Blooddescribed her as sinking into “madness” after the tragedy. Later, while Aegon is able to make an escape, Helaena is taken captivewhen Rhaenyra takes King’s Landing.
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If following the book’s chain of events, the aftermath of Jaehaerys’ death inHouse of the Dragonwillculminate in Helaena Targaryen dying by suicide. According to Westerosi sources, Helaena jumped from her window in Maegor’s Holdfast, not unlike thedeath of King Tommen Baratheon inGame of Thrones. Helaena’s death goes on to be the subject of speculation, with some vile rumors suggesting that Rhaenyra killed her or Mysaria had goaded her into her death. Overall, the realm is torn by the tragic loss of Helaena Targaryen, who was deemed so innocent by both sides of the war.
New episodes ofHouse of the Dragonseason 2 release Sundays at 9 p.m. 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.
