There are some character deaths we’re excited to see in House of the Dragon Season 2. There are others we’re dreading. Fire & Blood by George R.R. Martin gets us ready for some of the deaths, but that doesn’t mean we want to see them.
There are some deaths from Fire & Blood that we know will happen. One of those is the murder of Prince Jaehaerys, the son of Aegon and Helaena.
This death is a torturous one for Helaena. She watches it all play out. In fact, Blood & Cheese, the two men tasked with the murder, give Helaena a choice of her two sons: Jaehaerys and Maelor. She chooses Jaehaerys to live, and the murderers decide to kill him instead. Maelor is left alive.
Helaena’s heartbreaking story could follow in House of the Dragon Season 2
As any mother would be, Helaena is heartbroken over the events. Even though one of the attackers is captured and tortured, it doesn’t bring her son back. Plus, she lives with the knowledge that she chose between her sons. It was a real Sophie’s Choice, and a terrible moment for her to be put in.
After this, she pulls away from life at court and those around her. She no longer rides her dragon, Dreamfyre (who also has a heartbreaking ending) and keeps herself to her rooms the whole time. Even as Rhaenyra takes over King’s Landing, Helaena doesn’t put up a fight.
It’s during Rhaenyra’s reign that Helaena’s end comes. She takes her own life, by throwing herself from her room at Maegor’s Holdfast onto the spikes below.
Could Helaena’s death be held for House of the Dragon Season 3?
There are only eight episodes in House of the Dragon Season 2. There are a lot of questions of whether there is enough time to bring in Helaena’s death this season. There certainly could be if it’s left to the very end. Maybe we see Rhaenyra take over King’s Landing and then Helaena take her own life, closing out the second season in a similar way to closing out Season 1.
This could also be kept for a storyline in Season 3. We could see the huge buildup to Rhaenyra taking King’s Landing throughout the second season. We know we’ll see Jaehaerys’s death, but we need to see Helaena’s descent into madness after it to feel empathy for her. It’s just one of those deaths to be prepared for.