In one of the most infamous wars in Westerosi history, many of the Targaryens go down in flames of glory. The Dance of Dragons, the fifth novel in George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Fire and Ice series is the backdrop to which House of the Dragon is based and was famous for pitting dragon against dragon in a fight for the Iron Throne.
The generational war starts when Viserys Targaryen (Paddy Considine) dies, leaving his succession up for question. Though Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) is the named heir, her sex makes this a divisive issue. The king’s wife, Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke), puts forth her son, Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney), to usurp the throne under the belief that it was what Viserys wanted.
It is only in season 2, episode 3 of House of the Dragon that Alicent understands her error in judgment. This marks the point of no return for the women of the series. Alicent understands her mistake, but there is no going back. The war will begin in earnest now and will end tragically and bloody. Rhaenyra and her uncle-husband, Daemon (Matt Smith), make history books for their part in the war and their ultimate ends. But what becomes of the less flashy participant, Queen Dowager, Alicent Hightower?
What happens to Alicent in House of the Dragon?
Warning: The following section contains spoilers for The Dance of Dragons and possibly House of the Dragon.
In The Dance of Dragons, many Targaryens die in this fraught war in the most brutal ways. Rhaenyra has perhaps one of the most famous deaths when her half-brother, Aegon, feeds her to his dragon. However, Alicent goes quietly into that good night. She outlives all of her children until the last days of the Dance of Dragons. While Aegon wins his conflict with Rhaenyra, he dies two years later when conspirators poison him.
The throne then goes to Rhaenyra’s son with Daemon, Aegon III. To calm the fraught waters, Aegon becomes betrothed to Alicent’s granddaughter by Aegon II, Jaehaera. This unites the two warring factions, though Alicent never trusts the Blacks again. In one instance, she advises Jaehaera to slit her lord husband’s throat. She was only eight at the time of the marriage.
For her part, Alicent is considered too dangerous to be let go but does not meet the sword either. The Crown understands that executing her may lead to another uprising. Instead, she is confined to her apartments for the last year of her life. In her remaining year, she contracts what is known as Winter Fever, which was an epidemic at the time. Alone with only her septa and chambermaids, Alicent develops a habit of talking to herself, lamenting what she had lost.
“I want to see my sons again, and Helaena, my sweet girl, oh… and King Jaehaerys. I will read to him, as I did when I was little. He used to say I had a lovely voice.”
She also comes to detest the color green, the very color that represented her role in the bloodiest civil war that Westeros had experienced. Alicent dies thanklessly which is perhaps exactly what she deserves after the crimes she had committed against her friends and kin.
Time will tell how faithfully HBO adapts House of the Dragon from its source material. Were the show to keep George R.R. Martin’s intended ending, it would no doubt make for a rather depressing conclusion. That said, it could prove an enjoyable departure from Game of Thrones‘ neatly wrapped bow of a series finale.