Daemon questions Rhaenys’ judgment in not killing Team Green and calls into question the premature conclusion of the conflict.
Daemon has a point, but eliminating the Greens might have damaged Rhaenyra’s standing.
House of the Dragon elucidates the subtleties involved in power dynamics and the intricacies of conflict.
Daemon Targaryen chastises Rhaenys in the first episode of House of the Dragon’s second season for what is maybe one of her worst errors. With everyone still reeling from the horrific House of the Dragon season 1 finale and the events that followed King Viserys’ death vivid in their memories, the HBO prequel series begins soon after. The last two episodes of the first season presented the conflicting viewpoints of the Black and Green factions debating what to do after the king’s death. The Greens threatened to lock court members captive in the Red Keep until the issues were resolved.
Rhaenys Targaryen almost avoided King’s Landing on a dragonback in Season 1, Episode 9, preventing Aegon’s coronation. She briefly has the entire Green group inside her field of vision, but she chooses to fly to Dragonstone rather than destroy them. One of the numerous revisions to the House of the Dragon book, this one elicited conflicting reactions from readers. Daemon berates Rhaenys for this in the second season opener, saying that she had the opportunity to murder Aegon and put an end to the conflict.
Early War Termination Might Have Saved Thousands of Lives
Daemon’s comments certainly have some merit, and it’s probable that this sequence was included to highlight the divergent ideologies behind Rhaenys’ actions. Daemon, like Aegon and Aemond in the Greens, is always pushing for swift and forceful acts on behalf of Rhaenyra, and he can easily see the advantages of Rhaenys eliminating the Greens without thinking through the consequences. After all, Lucerys would still be alive if she had prevented the battle from breaking out, theoretically saving thousands of lives.
Was Rhaenys still correct in not killing Alicent, Aegon, and the other green people?
Rhaenys Eliminating The Entire Green Faction May Have Damaged Rhaenyra’s Image
More intimately, Daemon is probably grieving for both his brother, Viserys, and for Lucerys on some level. Daemon has intensified his grief and insecurities by turning them into a grudge against the Greens. He can easily see the bright side of things since Daemon and Rhaenyra would be in charge of King’s Landing and Lucerys would still be alive. However, it’s not as simple as he believes. House of the Dragon makes it very evident that there are more subtleties at play and that dragons and unadulterated power are not sufficient to win battles.
Theoretically, everyone who came into contact with Rhaenys would come to despise her and her personal reputation would be damaged if she were to destroy the whole Green faction. Rhaenyra’s leadership, already called into doubt due to her gender, would be greeted with indignation and charges that she was a despot who had usurped the throne. Rhaenys didn’t think it was a risk she was willing to accept because there is a significant chance of instability and more strife. One of the things that makes House of the Dragon so captivating is the complexity of the decision.
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