Warning: this article has House of the Dragon spoilers.
A new power couple has emerged in Westeros.
That's right, during the Oct. 2 episode of House of the Dragon, Rhaenyra (Emma D'Arcy) and Daemon (Matt Smith) stopped fighting their feelings for one another and finally got together. However, this was more than just an illicit liaison, as Rhaenyra and Daemon got married at the end of the episode.
So, how exactly did the princess and her uncle—yes, you read that correctly—find themselves in this entanglement? The episode kicked off with the Targaryens and the Velaryons reuniting at Driftmark for the funeral of Lady Laena (Nanna Blondell), Daemon's late wife.
As tensions remained high between Queen Alicent (Olivia Cooke) and Rhaenyra, the heir apparent confided in her uncle that questions about her children's legitimacy made her vulnerable. She confirmed that her marriage to Laenor Velaryon (John Macmillan) was merely for show.
"We did try to conceive a child," she shared with Daemon. "We performed our duty as best we could, but to no avail. There was no joy in it. I found that elsewhere."
The duo proceeded to make love on the beach, confirming that Rhaenyra and Daemon could not stay away from one another. Their blissful moment in the sand was derailed after Rhaenyra's younger brother Aemond (Leo Ashton) took custody of Vhagar, the late Laena's dragon. This caused a brutal fight between the young prince and his cousins, resulting in Aemond losing an eye.
When Alicent demanded justice for her son and attempted to take one of Rhaenyra's sons' eyes, she sliced Rhaenyra's arm in the process. As the schism between Rhaenyra's team and Alicent's team grew, Rhaenyra realized that her claim to throne was vulnerable and her marriage to Laenor was no longer useful.
"I cannot face the greens alone," she said to Daemon of the looming war. "Let us bind our blood, just as Aegon the Conqueror did with his sisters. With you as my husband and prince consort, my claim would not be so easily challenged. The Velaryon are of the sea. But you and I are made of fire. We have always been meant to burn together."
And, in result, she asked Daemon to marry her—and to do away with her first husband. After Laenor was seemingly murdered by his lover, who was paid off by Daemon, the prince and princess wed in an intimate ceremony attended by their children.
(For the record, Laenor is not dead, as he escaped with his lover.)
Though House of the Dragon has teased Rhaenyra and Daemon's union for weeks, we can't say we're entirely on board with it. For the obvious reason, we are against the pairing as it's incestuous. But we also worry that Daemon's reckless side and temper will bring the worst out in Rhaenyra. Case in point: She was ready to have Laenor—who was nothing but a loyal companion—removed so she could get what she wanted.
The marriage will likely further isolate Rhaenyra from her father, King Viserys (Paddy Considine), who was against the match several episodes ago. Will Viserys disinherit Rhaenyra over the match? Possibly.
Also, moving on so quickly will likely make an enemy of her powerful in-laws, Princess Rhaenys Targaryen (Eve Best) and Lord Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint). And with the inevitable Dance of the Dragons (a.k.a. the Targaryen Civil War) approaching, Rhaenyra needs all the allies she can get.
New episodes of House of the Dragon arrive Sundays on HBO and HBO Max.