Warning! This article contains spoilers for House of the Dragon season 2, episode 1.
Summary
House of the Dragon’s infamous Blood and Cheese sequences made some changes to the book story, which will change another major Targaryen death. InHouse of the Dragonseason 2, episode 1’s ending, tragedy befell poor Helaena Targaryen as Daemon’s assassins, known only as Blood and Cheese, infiltrated the Red Keep. Initially supposed to kill Aemond Targaryen, the two found Helaena and murdered her son, Jaehaerys, the heir to the Iron Throne.House of the Dragonseason 2’s Blood and Cheesesequence has long been anticipated - or more aptly, dreaded - by fans of theFire and Bloodbook.
The sequence is a major turning point in the story and is one of the few moments that marks the true beginning of the Dance of Dragons in George R. R. Martin’sA Song of Ice and Firebook series. The same can be said for the moment as it was shown inHouse of the Dragonseason 2, regardless of the book changes it made. Interestingly, these changes will mark another major alteration later in the story, surrounding the death of another Targaryen.
House Of The Dragon Season 2: 25 Biggest Book Changes
House of the Dragon is back with season 2, and there are already significant changes to the source material in George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood.
The following sections contain spoilers for Fire and Blood, and likely House of the Dragon’s future seasons.
House Of The Dragon Removing A Huge Part Of Helaena’s “Choice” In Blood & Cheese Will Change Her Death
Helaena’s Choice Was Different In House Of The Dragon & Will Impact Her Death
Firstly, it is worth exploring the major difference made to the Blood and Cheese sequence inHouse of the Dragonseason 2. In the show, Helaena was forced to tell the two assassins which of her two children was male. Jaehaerys and Jaehaera were born as twins and shown to look identical inHouse of the Dragonseason 2. Given that Daemon’s instructions lent themselves to the title of the episode, “A Son for a Son,” Blood and Cheese needed to discern which of the twins was Aegon’s male heir.
Helaena tearfully chooses Jaehaerys inHouse of the Dragonbefore he is killed, though her choice is much different inFire and Blood. In the latter, Helaena has three children, one of whom is missing fromHouse of the Dragon.Aside from the twins, Aegon and Helaena also have another son named Maelor. In the book, Helaena’s choice surrounds her two sons; one of them has to die at the hands of Blood and Cheese, and she must choose which.
It is said that Helaena has trouble even looking at Maelor after Blood and Cheese due to her overwhelming remorse at sentencing him to death…
Helaena chooses Maelor as he is younger than Jaehaerys and will likely not understand. Furthermore, the latter is heir to the Iron Throne. However, Blood and Cheese decide to wake Maelor and tell the young prince that his mother wanted him dead, before killing Jaehaerys.Fire and Blooddepicted how Helaena fell into intense depression after this moment, partly because of Jaehaerys' death and partly because of her guilt at choosing Maelor to die. It is said that Helaena has trouble even looking at Maelor after Blood and Cheese due to her overwhelming remorse at sentencing him to death.
Eventually,Helaena’s depression leads to death by suicide, marking a tragic ending for another member of theGame of Thronesfranchise’s House Targaryen. InFire and Blood, it is mentioned that her guilt towards Maelor is one of the biggest precursors to Helaena’s death, which is now unlikely inHouse of the Dragonafter season 2’s changes to Blood and Cheese. With Maelor not even existing in the HBO adaptation, Helaena’s guilt will likely be exchanged for the trauma of picking Jaehaerys and watching him die, subsequently changing her death inHouse of the Dragon’s future episodes.
Why Helaena Chose Jaehaerys To Die In House Of The Dragon
Helaena’s Reasoning For Choosing Jaehaerys In House Of The Dragon Is A Subject Of Debate
Fire and Bloodmakes it clear that Helaena chooses Maelor to die due to his young age and his unlikelihood of succeeding on the Iron Throne. That said,House of the Dragonneglects to explicitly state why Helaena chooses Jaehaerys to die, instead leaving her motivations down to various context clues. One hint comes earlier in the episode when the king is searching for Jaehaerys to begin teaching him how to succeedKing Aegon the Magnanimous, with Helaena telling her husband that Jaehaerys might not want to be king.
It could be the case that Helaena has already seen Jaehaery’s death in dreams and accepted it would come to pass…
Helaena has seen the ways the Iron Throne can affect a person, either through making them cruel and power-hungry or depressed and miserable. As such, Helaena could have chosen Jaehaerys to die as a twisted form of mercy, meaning he will not have to grow up in a world where burdens, responsibilities, and thefates of the Seven Kingdomsare non-consensually thrust upon him. This could then stem into another reason for Helaena’s choice to spare Jaehaera’s life.
As is often the case in Westeros, Aegon had already shown signs of disregarding his daughter to groom his heir to be king. If Jaehaerys is killed,Jaehaera might then receive more love and attention from her father. This is an unlikely reason, but valid nonetheless. Finally,House of the Dragonhas made it evident that Helaena was a dreamer, with her mentioning she was afraid of the rats before Blood and Cheese. It could be the case that Helaena has already seen Jaehaery’s death in dreams and accepted it would come to pass, thus choosing him in the climactic scene.
Other Westerosi figures who have had premonitory “dragon dreams” include Aegon the Conqueror, Maester Aemon, and Daenerys Targaryen.
Could Maelor Targaryen Still Appear In House Of The Dragon?
The Third Targaryen Child Could Still Appear In House Of The Dragon
A burning question for those familiar withFire and Bloodis whether Aegon and Helaena’s third child, Maelor, could appear inHouse of the Dragon. It is admittedly unlikely given his absence thus far, and in such a consequential scene surrounding him such as Blood and Cheese. That said, there are a few ways Maelor could be introduced.
For one, it could be revealed Maelor has been born for years, and simply never seen on-screen. Another possibility is that he is born later, potentially out of desperation for Aegon to have an heir after Jaehaerys' death. This way, the third Targaryen child could play a part inHouse of the Dragon’s future seasons, despite being absent from a major book story centered around his character.
House of the Dragon
Cast
House of the Dragon is a 2022 fantasy drama set in the world of Westeros, chronicling the Targaryen dynasty at its height. The story revolves around King Viserys’s controversial decision to name his daughter Rhaenyra as heir to the Iron Throne, sparking tensions and divisions within the realm.
