House of the Dragon star Milly Alcock shares her thoughts on how Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen and Queen Alicent Hightower’s relationship changes between episode 2 and 3. Set approximately 200 years before the events of the hit HBO show Game of Thrones, the new fantasy-drama series is focused on House Targaryen during the peak of their reign over Westeros. Following King Viserys I Targaryen (Paddy Considine) naming his daughter Rhaenyra (Alcock) as heir to the throne, members of the king’s council and family conspire against him, leading to the civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons.
Six months after Rhaenyra is named Viserys’ heir, House of the Dragon episode 2 ends with King Viserys surprising much of his council with his decision to marry Alicent (Emily Carey) over one of several choices from the major houses of Westeros. However, Rhaenyra takes the news especially hard, as she feels betrayed by Alicent, her longtime best friend. Episode 3 begins with a three-year time-jump that sees that Alicent has already given birth to a son and has a second child on the way. Rhaenyra has distanced herself from Alicent and her father where possible.
In the latest episode of The Official Game of Thrones Podcast: House of the Dragon, Alcock discusses how Rhaenyra and Alicent’s relationship has changed between episode 2 and episode 3. The actor believes their friendship has “completely deteriorated” following Alicent’s actions with Rhaenyra’s father. Alcock explains the decision and subsequent pregnancies have caused a lot of anger, a “rage” that Rhaenyra has held over those years. Read what the actor says below:
I think fundamentally their relationship had completely deteriorated. It’s like you picked a side and it wasn’t me. You also didn’t have the balls to stand up for yourself. So she’s just angry. She’s angry at the world. She’s angry at everyone. She’s angry at her dad. She’s got a lot of rage and I think that [episode 3] especially explores that rage which was so much fun.
Alcock recognizes that King Viserys’ decision to wed Alicent has changed everything between Rhaenyra and her friend. Although the Princess understands the nature of royal obligations, she still feels betrayed by the only real friend that she had in the realm. But, more importantly, Alcock understands that Rhaenyra feels betrayed by her father, creating a wealth of rage within her toward him and anyone else within arm’s distance.
Rhaenyra was promised the throne, but with the new male additions to the family, it appears to her that her father wishes to replace her with his new son. However, House of the Dragon episode 3 finds Rhaenyra finally voicing her fears to her father, who doubles-down on his decision to name his eldest child as his heir. Although it appears that Rhaenyra still has the backing of her father and the houses who pledged their allegiance to her, the threat of abandoning tradition still lingers among the powerful lords of the Seven Kingdoms.
