A brand-new “House of the Dragon” artwork emphasizes the early friendship of Rhaenyra Targaryen and Alicent Hightower, who would grow up to be fierce competitors. Parts of George R.R. Martin’s 2018 book Fire & Blood, which details the history of House Targaryen, inspired the eagerly awaited Game of Thrones prequel series. “House of the Dragon,” from Thrones alumni Ryan Condal and Miguel Sapochnik, will have a similar premise to its predecessor as noble men and women compete for the Iron Throne.
The Iron Throne will be occupied by King Viserys I Targaryen (Paddy Considine), who is portrayed in House of the Dragon as a “kind, kind, and good man,” with Ser Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans) serving as the King’s hand. Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen (Milly Alcock/Emma D’Arcy), Viserys’ firstborn and chosen heir, and Lady Alicent Hightower (Emily Carey/Olivia Cooke), the daughter of the Hand of the King, are two of the show’s main female characters. Beginning as childhood friends, Rhaenyra and Alicent soon find themselves on opposing sides of the impending Targaryen civil war as they get older and political tensions to rise.
The childhood friendship between these two main female characters is now hinted at in a recently released “House of the Dragon” picture. According to Empire, the picture depicts what appears to be a sweet moment between the two childhood pals in a peaceful garden as a young Rhaenyra puts her head on Alicent. View the updated picture below:
This picture probably depicts a rare moment of peace in a show that will be full of political strife and fire-breathing dragons. While D’Arcy and Cooke will eventually fill the roles, the photograph shows Rhaenyra and Alicent’s friendship when they were younger. Rhaenyra and Alicent are portrayed by Alcock and Carey, respectively. When Lady Alicent weds King Viserys, Rhaenyra’s father, and ascends to the throne as Queen of the Seven Kingdoms, their relationship will appear to deteriorate. However, their bitter rivalry will start when the King passes away, and Rhaenyra stakes her legitimate claim to the throne, even though her new stepmother, Alicent, would prefer that her eldest son, Aegon, succeed him.
With Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, a tough dragonrider with political ambitions, and Alicent in the forefront, it appears “House of the Dragon” will have plenty of strong female characters, just like Game of Thrones did. However, one of the many significant issues the prequel program will consider through these two multifaceted female characters at the center of the narrative is whether or not these women actually have any agency or are merely pawns of the patriarchy. As HBO will begin airing “House of the Dragon” on August 21, the wait is almost over.
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