Eve Best Talks About Rhaenys After THAT Battle in 'House of the Dragon'

SPOILER ALERT: If you are not up to date with Episode 4 of Season 2 of House of the Dragonwe give you a big spoiler alert for the next note.

The fourth episode of the second season of House of the Dragontitled “The Red Dragon and the Gold”left the audience in absolute amazement after witnessing The first battle of the Targaryen civil war referred to as the dance of the dragonswhich has already officially begun after what marked the first clash between dragons at the Battle of Rook's Rest. This of course, without taking into account the impulsive meeting between Prince Lucerys (Elliot Grihault) and Prince Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) in the season 1 finale.

The battle of Rook's Rest culminates by showing us The final fate of Princess Rhaenys Targaryen (Eve Best), nicknamed as “The queen who never was.” The way she fought until the absolute end and said goodbye to both her character and Meleys, her dragon, is worthy of all the admiration in the 7 Kingdoms and the viewers.

The Battle of Rook's Rest is the result of Ser Criston Cole's plans (Fabian Frankel), nicknamed “affectionately” among the Spanish-speaking audience as Lord Naranjas, who led an army fighting in the name of King Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney) and the cause of the green side. When information about their intentions is passed on to the black side, Princess Rhaenys Targaryen (Best) offers to fly with her dragon Meleys on behalf of the rightful queen Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy). Only this was an ambush by Criston Cole, who had gone to Prince Aemond (Mitchell) who was hiding under branches and tall trees riding his dragon Vhagar, to emerge and end the lives of Princess Rhaenys and her dragon Meleys in a heartbreaking sequence.

The episode concludes the arc of Rhaenys, who we met in the series as the female member of the Targaryen clan passed over to assume the Iron Throne because she was a woman, in favor of her cousin, Viserys (Paddy Considine), Rhaenyra's father. Princess Rhaenys suffered untold losses, including the deaths of both of her sons. After King Aegon II assumed the Iron Throne, ignoring his father Viserys's wishes that Rhaenyra succeed him, Princess Rhaenys allied herself with her cousin Rhaenyra and championed her cause until her tragic end.

We won't talk about what happened with King Aegon II and his brother Prince Aemond in the most recent episode. We'll go straight to the words offered by the actress who plays Princess Rhaenys to Variety:

“Talk to [el director del episodio] Alan Taylor. We had a session where we talked about what was going on with his emotions, because I felt very strongly that there were really important moments that we needed to mark. In particular, the knowledge that this is very likely a kamikaze mission. It has to be, because she is indeed starting a nuclear war and has been the only character doing everything in her power to stop them. Because she's the one who knows from bitter experience, and the entire younger generation is running around saying, “Send in the dragons!” She and Corlys are actually the only adults left in the room who know, who have been there and seen what they are facing.”

“The context of nuclear war was very, very useful, because for us [en la serie] Is the equivalent. And I knew that when she proposed, she knew that she had to take on that responsibility, if anyone was going to carry that weight. It couldn't be Rhaenyra. [Rhaenys] He had to do it. I think he knows he has to sacrifice himself for the team. Another journalist described her as Lancelot, Rhaenyra's Lancelot, in many ways. I felt that was very appropriate.There's such a deep reluctance. At the end of the first season, she makes a conscious decision not to start a war, not to bomb everyone. Ever since then, everyone's been saying, “Why didn't you bomb them?” Everyone takes it personally. and she's all the while looking at the bigger picture. All the while rising up, putting the personal aside and rising above.”

“The point is that ultimately, no matter what we feel, no matter how attached and devastated we are, the big picture is that we should not send dragons to war.we must not resort to nuclear energy at all costs. So when she says: “I will be the one to do this,” she knows there will be no life after that. The decision to go, that second return to dive with Vhagar, is an absolutely kamikaze mission. For me, that's when she felt very samurai. It was the last resistance of the noble warrior. She could have run away and maybe they could have let everyone deal with it. But she turns around because she knows that's what she has to do, morally and spiritually..”

Will Rhaenys feel at peace in those final moments as she remembers everything she was denied as heir to the throne? Best explains:

“I don't think that will give him peace, but I felt like the trajectory of season 2 was a kind of increasing detachment, letting go and letting go and letting go. She just felt like she was getting lighter and lighter until that final moment on Meleys' back.. I think that's the only time when he suddenly finds peace. Literally, letting go. She's been carrying all of his stuff, and almost everyone else's too, certainly for Season 2. The weight of this unimaginable burden, and just letting it goIt was truly peaceful. Whatever it is, whatever you call it. It's happiness or connection..”

Long live Princess Rhaenys Targaryen!

House of the Dragon premieres the episodes of season 2 on Sundays at 7pm (CDMX time) on HBO and MAX.