There were a few major moments that set the tone for the loss of Rhaenys Velaryon in House of the Dragon. One of those moments was setting an example Catelyn Stark would fail to follow in Game of Thrones.
While many people are talking about the loss of Rhaenys and her dragon Meleys in House of the Dragon, the episode started with her compassionate side. She headed to the docks, where she met with Alyn of Hull, and she knew exactly who Alyn was.
Alyn is the illegitimate son of Corlys Velaryon. He is also the man who pulled Corlys out of the sea, giving Rhaenys a reason to be thankful for him. Rhaenys didn’t just show compassion to Alyn, though. Her words offered compassion to his mother.
Rhaenys made it clear an illegitimate child is an innocent in House of the Dragon
In the interaction, Rhaenys pointed out that Alyn’s mother most be beautiful. She didn’t say this with malice or anger. She said it with compassion, making it clear who was to blame for the affair.
When Corlys appeared on the docks, Rhaenys pointed out that she knew who Alyn’s father is. She doesn’t need Corlys to confirm it, as she has always known this. Yet there is no anger. Maybe it’s just the fact that it’s the time period House of the Dragon is set in this fictional world. Highborn women tend to expect their men to have affairs and have illegitimate children. It could also be that Rhaenys simply moved on from the betrayal and the anger.
One thing that she did point out though was that Corlys’s actions were nothing to do with Alyn. It’s not Alyn’s fault that he is a child of an affair.
This is something Catelyn Stark should have always remembered in Game of Thrones. It wasn’t Jon Snow’s fault that he was the result of Ned’s affair. We would later find out that Ned didn’t have an affair. Jon wasn’t actually Ned’s son, and it made Catelyn’s treatment of Jon all the worse.
The loss of Rhaenys is a huge blow to the Blacks. It’s also a blow to the Greens when you want someone with courage, morality, dignity, and compassion to inspire to be.