House of the Dragon episode 9 ending: Why didn’t Rhaenys kill Alicent?

By Lewis Knight

Published: Tuesday, 18 October 2022 at 12:00 am

It was an epic outing with the penultimate episode of House of the Dragon season 1.

The Game of Thrones prequel has finally reached the true conflict in the series – the Dance of the Dragons.

The civil war is sparked following the death of the peaceful King Viserys I Targaryen (Paddy Considine) and the decision of his widow Queen Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) to place her son Prince Aegon Targaryen (Tom Glynn-Carney) on the Iron Throne.

This comes despite Viserys having long named his eldest child, Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy), as the future ruler of the Seven Kingdoms.

However, one person who does not go along with the plan of the Green Council is Viserys’ cousin, Princess Rhaenys Targaryen (Eve Best).

Towards the end of the ninth episode, however, Rhaenys makes a surprising decision concerning Alicent and her children.

**Spoiler warning for House of the Dragon episode 9**

House of the Dragon episode 9 ending: Why didn’t Rhaenys kill Alicent’s family?

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Olivia Cooke as Queen Mother Alicent Hightower, Tom Glynn-Carney as King Aegon II Targaryen and Fabien Frankel as Ser Criston Cole in House of the Dragon
Ollie Upton/HBO

At the conclusion of House of the Dragon episode 9, The Green Council, the coronation of King Aegon II Targaryen was interrupted by the arrival of Princess Rhaenys Targaryen on the back of her dragon Meleys.

After crashing through the floor of the Dragonpit’s main hall, Rhaenys squared up to the Greens on the stage.

At this moment, it appeared that Rhaenys would use Meleys to wipe out Aegon and his family, swiftly ending a civil war before it had a chance to begin.

Queen Mother Alicent Hightower stood in front of Aegon and locked eyes with Rhaenys before closing them, appearing to accept her fate alongside her children.

However, after the roar, Rhaenys fled on the back of Meleys and out of the open Dragonpit doors –  which Ser Otto Hightower had ordered not to closed.

So, why did Rhaenys not take this chance to kill Alicent and her family? 

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Eve Best as Princess Rhaenys Targaryen in House of the Dragon
Ollie Upton/HBO

Well, there are a number of reasons why this likely happened in the series. It should also be noted that this sequence is original to the show and is not present in the source material, George R. R. Martin’s Fire and Blood.

Firstly, Rhaenys had a newfound respect for Alicent herself following their very honest talk earlier in the episode about each of their histories, gender roles and power.

Secondly, Rhaenys would be declaring war on the Greens and their supporters (even if most had died in her acting out).

Finally, the most reviled action in Westeros is kinslaying and Rhaenys would be killing members of her own family had she acted out – impacting the view of her family, her cause and potentially cursing her surviving family.

However, actress Eve Best has also discussed why Rhaenys chose not to kill Alicent and her family.

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Eve Best as Princess Rhaenys Targaryen and Olivia Cooke as Queen Alicent Hightower in House of the Dragon
Ollie Upton/HBO

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Best said: “In a way, it’s also the most merciful and most graceful act. It’s because she’s so intelligent and in the end chooses to do the right thing, which is not to destroy. 

“It’s a truly forgiving moment and sort of a loving moment, in a weird way. She has all the ammunition, and the desire for revenge is so great. 

“She’s suffered so much loss, and for her own sake and on behalf of so many others, the urge to destroy is so strong. And yet the choice not to destroy becomes even stronger.”

Meanwhile, writer and executive producer Sara Hess told The Hollywood Reporter: “I think she just can’t do it. It’s not her war. The fight is between these two sides and she’s kind of not in it. She doesn’t feel like she’s the one to come in and do that.”

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Eve Best as Princess Rhaenys Targaryen in House of the Dragon
Ollie Upton/HBO

However, the presence of Alicent after the previous talk also played a role.

She added: “I also feel like that moment, she looks Alicent in the eye and Alicent walks in front of her kid to shield him. It’s one mother to another.”

Will Rhaenys come to regret letting Alicent and her children live?

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