With Rhaenyra's relationship with Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel) seemingly over for good, it's a mystery. Until you watch Episode 6, that is. Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for House of the DragonHouse of the Dragon is an American fantasy drama television series created by George R. R. Martin and Ryan Condal for HBO. A prequel to Game of Thrones (2011–2019), it is the second series in the A Song of Ice and Fire franchise. Condal and Miguel Sapochnik served as the showrunners for the first season.https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › House_of_the_Dragon
The sides — nicknamed the Greens and the Blacks — dominate the latter half of the season, and any potential future seasons. Daemon, Rhaenyra and Alicent have 11 kids among them by the eighth episode, which is set about six years after the "Driftmark" episode.
So, who is the real father of Rhaenyra's children? In the show and in George R.R. Martin's Fire and Blood novel, it is heavily implied that Ser Harwin Strong, a knight and the captain of the City's Watch, is the true father of Jacaerys, Lucerys, and Joffrey.
In 117 AC, Rhaenyra gave birth to her third son, whom Laenor named Joffrey, in honor of Ser Joffrey Lonmouth.
Alas, the baby did not survive and while it wasn't shown very well on camera, there were debates among fans whether the baby was normal-looking or deformed.
Rhaenyra's three eldest sons all died fighting during the Dance of the Dragons, but her two youngest sons, the sons by her second husband, Prince Daemon, survived the civil war.
Ser Criston Cole, we have to understand, was never a good guy. He wasn't an honorable knight who went over to the dark side. He merely wore a chivalrous façade. He didn't want Rhaenyra to run away with him because he loved her despite his claims to marry “for love.” Nor was he heartbroken over her refusal.
But, while time may heal all wounds, 10 years certainly wasn't enough time for Alicent's wounds to heal over being lied to by Rhaenyra. We last saw her find out the truth in "We Light the Way" that Rhaenyra lost her virginity to Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel).
Rhaenyra and Daemon's sons Aegon, Viserys, and Visenya Targaryen. Sorry for the spoiler, but we did watch Daemon and Rhaenyra get married in last week's episode, so you probably knew this was coming! We haven't seen them yet in the show, but Daemon and Rhaenyra have three sons together.
The comes the final blow: Rhaenyra's baby daughter – whom they'd named Visenya, according to George R.R. Martin's Fire and Blood – is stillborn after a brutal, bloody labor. This is similar to the book, where the baby also has dragon-like birth defects, including a hole in her chest and a small tail.
Rhaenyra cradles her daughter and weeps. Though the Silent Sisters come to prepare the body, Rhaenyra wraps her child in funeral cloths by herself. Visenya is cremated on Dragonstone just as Ser Erryk Cargyll arrives with the crown of King Viserys I, and Rhaenyra is crowned queen at her daughter's funeral.
Rhaenyra and Daemon's Marriage
Soon after being widowed, Daemon and Rhaenyra marry each other in secret when he is 39 years old, and she is 23. Their marriage causes a huge scandal at court and another rift between Daemon and Viserys, but it is eventually accepted.
After this, when Cole was the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, Rhaenyra was arranged to marry Laenor Velaryon. Because of this, Criston Cole confessed his love for her - which she rejected, stating that, as a Targaryen, she was meant for more than being the wife of a sellsword.
Background. He is the head of House Cole, a minor house of the Dornish Marches sworn to House Dondarrion. He is the father of Ser Criston Cole.
In the book, Visenya was described as being born with dragon-like defects, including scales, a tail, and a twisted body. Rhaenyra's baby did end up having scale-like defects and a malformed body in House of the Dragon, which aligns with the occasional reports of Targaryen women bearing dragon-like stillborn children.
The moment happens in season 3, episode 4, “And Now His Watch Is Ended,” when Joffrey Lannister is chilling with Margaery Tyrell and giddily explains, “Rhaenyra Targaryen was murdered by her brother, or rather, his dragon. It ate her while her son watched.
It isn't explicitly stated in the show, but because we learn after episode six that all three boys have dark brown hair — and despite Rhaenyra and Laenor's matching blond color — it has been strongly implied that they are actually the children of Ser Harwin Strong, the Lord Commander of the City Watch.
Daemon seduces Rhaenyra in such a way to cast aspersions on her virtue so that Viserys has no choice but to let him wed his niece, Targaryen style.
Back in her chambers, Rhaenyra's gaze lands on the handsome Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel). After some initial reluctance by Criston, who has much more on the line as a lowborn member of the Kingsguard, Rhaenyra playfully seduces her long-standing crush and they have sex.
When Ser Harrold Westerling, Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, died in 112 AC, Criston was named his successor to lead the white cloaks. In 113 AC, King Viserys I Targaryen arranged for his reluctant daughter Rhaenyra, Princess of Dragonstone, to wed Ser Laenor Velaryon.
She told Laenor that though they couldn't negate the wishes of their fathers, after marriage, they could continue with their respective affairs. But Criston Cole wanted more. He didn't want his relationship with Rhaenyra reduced to just an inconsequential affair.
After reigning for a decade, King Baelor I Targaryen dies after fasting for 41 days, but some rumors suggest his uncle and Hand Viserys Targaryen poisoned him. Nonetheless, Rhaenyra and Daemon's youngest son becomes King Viserys II Targaryen, with the crown passing through his line.
In House of the Dragon episode 8, Rhaenyra Targaryen is pregnant with her daughter Visenya. Despite Rhaenyra and Daemon's excitement over having another child, their daughter will tragically never take a breath of air.
The shock of the loss of her father, combined with the Greens' ruthless betrayal sends her into early labor. Without modern medicine, a baby born so early had very little chance of survival in the best of circumstances - and in these terrible conditions the baby, a girl named Visenya, is stillborn.