From the sizzling chemistry depicted in the still above, it’s no surprise that House of the Dragon‘s Rhaenyra and Daemon Targaryen have children.
The real question is how many. After all, Rhaenyra and Daemon head up Westeros’ best patchwork family, both bringing children from their first respective marriages into one happy(ish) family. With Rhaenyra being the true Queen of the Seven Kingdoms (fight me, Greens), the children she has and with him are important for the future good of the realm.
With that in mind, let’s dig into the children she has with Daemon—and their futures. Warning: spoilers ahead at first for season 1 and 2 of House of the Dragon and later for Fire & Blood as well.
‘We were always meant to burn together’
Rhaenyra and Daemon conceived three children together, but only two made it into infancy: two sons named Aegon III and Viserys II, named after the couple’s father/brother (thank you Targaryen family trees). Rhaenyra was also pregnant with a daughter, Visenya, but tragically lost the child in a stillbirth, after being sent into an early labor with the news that her father was dead and her half-brother Aegon crowned in her stead.
Aegon III and Viserys II are both toddlers at the beginning of House of the Dragon season 2, so will likely steer clear from much of the serious action in the TV show. They are slightly older in Fire & Blood, the book the show is based on, so it’s unclear whether their storylines will be the same.
Warning: this is where spoilers for Fire & Blood and possibly future season of House of the Dragon begin.
If it does stay close to the original plot, Aegon and Viserys will be separated from one another when being sent to Essos by ship for their own safety during the war. When their ship, the Gay Abandon, was captured by ships of the Triarchy, Aegon managed to escape capture by flying away on his dragon Stormcloud, taking to the air for the very first time.
This resulted in leaving his brother Viserys behind and the ultimate death of Stormcloud, after being severely wounded during the flight. Aegon made it back to Dragonstone but would never ride a dragon again. This fear of dragons was later cemented when he was forced to watch his mother, Rhaenyra, being eaten be Aegon the Elder’s dragon Sunfyre. Although Aegon would eventually ascend the throne, he was never the same, described as having a deep sadness within him.
While Viserys was first believed to be dead, he actually made it to Lys and was eventually ransomed back to Westeros during his brother’s reign. Aegon had never gotten over the guilt of abandoning his brother during the Battle in the Gullet. Viserys’s return was reportedly the only real happiness he found in his reign. For the rest of Aegon’s life, Viserys was the only person Aegon ever fully trusted, serving as his Hand for many years.
(featured image: Max)
