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'House of the Dragon' Writer Responds To Theory About Queer Romance Between Show's Leads

screenshot of Princess Rhaenyra and Queen Alicent in 'House of the Dragon'
HBO

Writer Sara Hess addressed fan theories about Princess Rhaenyra and Queen Alicent's relationship.

McKenzie Lynn Tozan
By McKenzie Lynn TozanJan 03, 2023
McKenzie Lynn Tozan
McKenzie Lynn Tozan has been a part of the George Takei family since 2019 when she wrote some of her favorite early pieces: Sesame Street introducing its first character who lived in foster care and Bruce Willis delivering a not-so-Die-Hard opening pitch at a Phillies game. She's gone on to write nearly 3,000 viral and trending stories for George Takei, Comic Sands, Percolately, and ÜberFacts. With an unstoppable love for the written word, she's also an avid reader, poet, and indie novelist.
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Since the beginning of season one of House of the Dragon, the spin-off prequel series to Game of Thrones, there's been a not-so-subtle theory circulating about the true nature of the relationship between two of the main female characters, Princess Rhaenyra—portrayed by Emma D'Arcy—and Queen Alicent—portrayed by Olivia Cooke.

While they have been portrayed as childhood friends, now thrown apart by the politically-charged wartime they find themselves in, there have been theories of a queer romance hidden from their younger years together.

Undeniably, this would explain the intensity of their verbal exchanges in the show's present, as well as their frequent long-lingering glances and physical contact.

The most recent development involved Queen Alicent's son who accidentally killed Princess Rhaenyra's son.

Though Rhaenyra appeared to be supportive of declaring war on King's Landing to take back the Iron Throne, fans questioned if the intensity of Rhaenyra's response was due to the death of their child or their underlying feelings for someone who was involved in the death of their child.

Actor Olivia Cooke shared her personal headcanon for the pair of characters, explaining she felt amidst their intense, emotional childhood friendship their feelings for one another likely led to a more physical connection at some point.

And fortunately for fans of the potential romance, House of the Dragon writer Sara Hess was not opposed to the idea.

Hess said this about the relationship:

"There’s an element of queerness to it. Whether you see it that way or as just the unbelievably passionate friendships that women have with each other at that age."
"I think understanding that element of it sort of informs the entire rest of their relationship… Even though they’re driven apart by all these societal, systemic elements and pressures and happenings, at the core of it, they knew each other as children, and they loved each other and that doesn’t go away."
"Olivia has told me she believes, and this is her headcanon, that they at some point kissed or made out or had some kind of physical interaction that Alicent’s mother found out about and forbade."
"And that was Olivia’s head story, ‘Oh, I can’t do that. That’s not right.’ And that’s the background for her in their relationship going forward."
"I would be 100% down with that."

Some fans on Twitter were all for a romance between Rhaenyra and Alicent at least at some point in their timeline together.







But some viewers just didn't want to see it come to fruition.




Whether or not fans are interested in the potential romantic undertones of these characters' relationship, there's no denying how a past romance would intensify the storyline and the characters' motivations, especially now going into a war for the throne.

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