The secret love of Alicent and Rhaenyra is in the spotlight

Since the first episode of game of Thrones-found out House of the Dragon The series aired in August 2022 and has gained a fan base that even its predecessor could not reach. From fan accounts dedicated to Team Black to the official Succession Twitter account championing Team Green, the impact of this show has definitely exceeded initial expectations. But in a story full of beheadings, dragon fire, and hot drama, it’s a friendship that remains one of the most compelling parts of House of the Dragon—and has caused an uproar among his fans, whether gay or straight.

When House of the Dragon begins, young Rhaenyra Targaryen (Milly Alcock) and Alicent Hightower (Emily Carey) are best friends. We meet them both when Rhaenyra dismounts from her dragon and walks to a carriage where Alicent is waiting. As they casually stroll arm in arm through the Red Keep, they are the perfect picture of a childhood friendship. But as the series progresses, for many fans, the friendship develops into a romance. The two exchange longing glances and touches, and Rhaenyra dreams of a life in which they “ride on the back of a dragon, see the great wonders across the Narrow Sea, and eat only cake.” However, any chance of love is quickly nipped in the bud when Alicent’s father Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans) begins planning his daughter’s engagement to King Viserys Targaryen (Paddy Considine) after his wife Aemma (Sian Brooke) dies in childbirth.

The truth is game of Thrones Alicent is forced to become the stepmother to her childhood companion, setting off the downward spiral of their relationship. At the end of the first season, an older Alicent (now played by Olivia Cooke) has usurped Rhaenyra’s (Emma D’Arcy) throne and made her son Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney) king; meanwhile, her other son Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) has killed Lucerys (Elliot Grihault), Rhaenyra’s child. Although it seems like a point of no return for the two women, season 2 makes it clear that they are still the heart of the series.

In the first episode of this season – aptly titled “A Son for a Son” – we see Rhaenyra and the black faction on Dragonstone holding a funeral for her son Lucerys. As the family mourns, the scene is interrupted by Alicent lighting candles for the fallen in King’s Landing. She stares for a moment at the last candle to be lit before whispering the name of Rhaenyra’s son and finally lighting it. The series makes it clear that even at the height of grief and sorrow, Rhaenyra and Alicent are still connected.

While some fans find the idea of ​​the two still loving each other after everything that has happened ridiculous, it is undeniably a more interesting way to develop their relationship than in Fire & Bloodthe George RR Martin novel the series is based on. Despite all the child murders on both sides, Alicent desperately sends letters to Rhaenyra that go unanswered, and she asks about her like a spurned lover. Even though Alicent has her own difficulties, Rhaenyra is clearly always on her mind. While I’m not sure if the queer-coding of Alicent is intentional, she certainly feels like a woman grieving over what could have become of her relationship with Rhaenyra had they lived in a more progressive society. When the two factions finally split after Lucerys’ death, I wasn’t sure if “Rhaenicent” would survive. But thankfully, it has.

They pursue each other throughout the season, but it is not until Episode 3 that the two see each other in the flesh again. Disguised as a Septa, Rhaenyra disguises herself as one of Alicent’s most important pillars and dares to enter King’s Landing to meet her former best friend. During her marriage and the war, faith was one of the only things that kept Alicent alive. By having Rhaenyra wear this disguise, the writers suggest that Rhaenyra Is for Alicent a form of religion, or it is as important as prayer.

When the two meet, however, their relationship is as strained as ever. Alicent looks at Rhaenyra as if she were a ghost, and Rhaenyra wants nothing more than to share that she had nothing to do with the beheading of Alicent’s grandson, Jaehaerys. Rhaenyra leaves King’s Landing with the two still at odds, and while nothing is resolved here, it does make you long for a time when D’Arcy and Cooke were on screen together more often. After D’Arcy and Matt Smith (who plays Rhaenyra’s husband, Daemon Targaryen), these two have the best chemistry on the show. It feels like the writers knew that too, and they wrote this scene not only for the two characters to come together, but for the actors to do so as well.

Rhaenyra and Alicent meeting again in a house of worship is perhaps one of the strangest things the series has done so far. Alicent clearly harbors a lot of shame in her life, and in episode 2, after her grandson is murdered, she tells her father Otto that the gods are punishing her for her sins. While this could be a reference to her scandalous relationship with Criston Cole, we can also assume that she is also talking about her attraction – and love – for Rhaenyra. Head writer Sara Hess shared in an interview with diversity that Olivia Cooke once told her that in her opinion, “at some point (Rhaenyra and Alicent) kissed or made out or interacted physically with each other in some way, which Alicent’s mother found out about and forbade it.”

Cooke’s mindset for these characters explodes the scene into a cacophony of queerness, recontextualizing not only Alicent and Rhaenyra’s childhood friendship but also their relationship over the course of the series. Though they know deep down they should hate each other, their increasing ostracism within their own factions reminds them of the women and girls they once were. It feels like every time Alicent and Rhaenyra are rejected, they think of each other, as if they wish their then-best friend was there to defend them. Even in the midst of family deaths they blame the other for, these two still yearn for a relationship that’s impossible in the world they find themselves in, and that makes it all the more tragic.

Theo Whiteman/HBO

In Episode 3 it is clear that the creatives behind House of the Dragon claim that Rhaenyra and Alicent will always remain connected despite the impending war. Whether through letters, face-to-face encounters, or even an invisible connection, their relationship remains one of the most visceral in the series. For better or worse, the series’ narrative revolves around the love they once felt for each other, and I can’t help but admire the writers for this bold departure from the novel.

It’s clear from the marketing for season two that the two aren’t going anywhere, and for that, Rhaenicent fans can thank writers Sara Hess and Ryan Condal. The disintegration of their friendship leaves a lot of “what ifs” open, and in a kinder world, maybe the two could actually be together. At least now we have that reunion between the two women, and I have a feeling it won’t be the last time we see them together on screen.