House of the Dragon is known for many things: succession, war, dragons, and even incest. You name the most unhinged family tradition you can think of, and chances are, the Targaryens have been there and done that. However, perhaps one aspect the family isn’t particularly known for is pursuing romance.
Technically, there’s plenty of romance throughout the show, albeit often more physical than emotional. Yet, hardly anyone on the show marries for love; rather, they are, more often than not, compelled by duty. Even Rhaenyra Targaryen, daughter of Viserys I and the anointed future Queen of Westeros isn’t exempt from such customs. She becomes a prime example of these backward practices when she is forced to marry Laenor against all better judgment. But does this mean that at any point in the series she was attracted to women?
Is Rhaenyra in love with Alicent?
While we can’t confirm or deny Rhaenyra’s feelings for Alicent, we can at least attest to the fact that Rhaenyra is very likely not gay. That does not, by any means, negate the possibility of her being canonically queer in some way. Perhaps the biggest debate among fans stems from Alicent and Rhaenyra’s relationship, which many find to be incredibly queer-coded. While we’re inclined to believe this, we must also look at the facts.
Rhaenyra, despite marrying Ser Laenor Velaryon, who much prefers the company of men, has long pursued her own romantic (read: physical) encounters with men. From Ser Criston to her uncle Daemon Targaryen, and even Ser Harwin Strong, who would later father her two eldest sons, Jacaerys and Lucerys. One can hardly claim that she finds men repulsive.
Nonetheless, women in House of the Dragon, especially, lack a remarkable amount of free will, living in a heavily patriarchal society that favors men and their wishes above all. At the same time, we know Rhaenyra is cunning and extremely intelligent, leading to her relationship with her uncle often interpreted by fans as purely strategic.
Moreover, considering Rhaenyra’s young age during her first sexual encounter, one can argue that being groomed at 14 years old by her own uncle did not give her many chances to pursue other feelings she might have had. Instead, we see her pursuing men, time and time again, who embody qualities she wishes she had herself. Daemon was strategic, Criston was adventurous, and Sir Harwin was strong.
Overall, Rhaenyra, albeit not gay, has been caught in a society that enforces the idea of marriage and compulsory heterosexuality upon its members. The show was, and continues to be, about two women: Rhaenyra and Alicent. Consistently, it shows that they share a love that goes well beyond the norms of a doomed friendship, though we may never know how deep it grows.