WARNING: This article contains SPOILERS for House of the Dragon season 1, episode 2!Daemon Targaryen’s mistress Lady Mysaria (Sonoya Mizuno) has a difficult backstory in House of the Dragon from her origins in Essos. While Essos doesn’t play nearly as significant a role in House of the Dragon as it did in Game of Thrones due to Daenerys Targaryen’s story, there will still be a few key players that hail from the eastern continent. Alongside the first show villain Crab Feeder and those battling Daemon Targaryen in the War for the Stepstones, House of the Dragon season 1’s major character from this area is Lady Mysaria, but her roots are still fairly ambiguous.
Lady Mysaria begins House of the Dragon as a pleasure house worker in King’s Landing, with her high position in Flea Bottom’s criminal underworld leading to a close relationship with Prince Daemon Targaryen, whose time as the Commander of the City Watch earned him the nickname “Lord Flea Bottom.” In House of the Dragon season 1, episode 2, Daemon brings Mysaria with him when he occupies Dragonstone, which involves lying to King Viserys that he and Mysaria will be married and are expecting a baby. Little is known about Mysaria, but House of the Dragon does reveal how she came to Westeros, though the show doesn’t necessarily suggest her book and show origins will be the same.
In George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood book, Lady Mysaria is described as a Lyseni dancer with “skin pale as milk,” which contributed to her nickname the “White Worm.” However, House of the Dragon’s Mysaria is given more ambiguous origins, with her white dress seemingly being the basis for her moniker. Mysaria mentions in House of the Dragon episode 2 that she was first sold in a “homeland [she] can no longer recall,” suggesting the series may never actually reveal her true origins, or she simply can’t remember what it looked like due to being so young when she left. It’s unclear whether House of the Dragon’s Mysaria is still from Lys like her book counterpart, but it would still make sense when taking into account the backstories of the other two Game of Thrones characters from this part of the Free Cities.
How Mysaria Came To Westeros
Game of Thrones’ Lord Varys and Daenerys’ handmaiden Doreah were both from Lys and, much like Mysaria, were sold into slavery at young ages. Mysaria is confirmed to originally be from Essos, being sold numerous times before arriving at Westeros, working in Flea Bottom’s pleasure houses, and becoming the most trusted ally of Prince Daemon Targaryen. Mysaria later becomes notable in House of the Dragon for her ability to obtain vital information about her allies and enemies, with her talents culminating in her unofficial role as Rhaenyra Targaryen’s Mistress of Whisperers. Her trajectory somewhat reflects that of Master of Whisperers Lord Varys, who was sold as a boy before rising through Westerosi politics.
While it’s possible that House of the Dragon will never confirm Mysaria’s true birthplace if she can’t remember it herself, assuming her origins are in Lys still fits into what is known of other characters from this location. Additionally, it would be an interesting point as Daemon battles with Lys for the Stepstones, which would perhaps go deeper into Mysaria’s fading memories of her childhood there. Considering she’s shaping up to be one of the most interesting characters in the larger story of House of the Dragon, understanding Mysaria’s journey to Westeros and unlikely proximity to the crown is important for the series to properly explore.
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New episodes of House of the Dragon release Sundays on HBO/HBO Max.
