Helaena Targaryen is the real victim in House of the Dragon, and here's why

Let's shine a light on one of the most tragic and pure characters to grace the pages of Fire & Blood and the screen of House of the Dragon: Helaena Targaryen.

This dragon dreamer doesn’t get nearly enough love, and it’s high time we set the record straight. So, grab your goblet of wine (or ale or Coke Zero, I don’t judge), and let’s dive into why Helaena Targaryen doesn’t deserve the horrors she endures and why she's the true heart of the Targaryen clan.

SPOILER WARNING: Please continue to read at your own risk. I will be talking about Helaena's tragic life and fate from Fire & Blood and the second episode of House of the Dragon's second season.

The princess of prophecies

First off, let’s talk about Helaena's unique gift (or curse, depending on how you see it). Helaena isn’t your run-of-the-mill Targaryen with a penchant for riding dragons and swinging swords. No, this girl has the mysterious ability to foresee the future through her dreams, and yet nobody listens to her, ever. She’s like the Oracle of Delphi, but with more dragons and less ambiguous riddles.

These prophetic dreams should make her one of the most revered figures in Westeros, right? Wrong. Instead of being treated like the wise and powerful seer she is, Haelena is often ignored or brushed aside as strange or just... weird. Her warnings are cryptic, sure, but that’s how prophecies work! She’s trying to help, people, but no one’s listening. It’s like watching someone scream “Fire!” in a burning building, only for everyone to calmly keep knitting.

A pawn in the game

Let's pause and get into the nitty-gritty of Helaena’s life for a hot minute.

Born into the ruthless and power-hungry Targaryen dynasty, Helaena never stood a chance. From the moment she could walk, she was nothing more than a pawn in the grand game of thrones. Her marriage to her brother Aegon II was arranged not out of love, but out of political convenience. Much like every woman in that universe, while other girls dream of fairy tale weddings or at least marrying someone they truly love, Helaena was being shuffled into a political marriage with her own brother. Talk about a rough start.

But Helaena, ever the pure-hearted soul, tried to make the best of it. She was a loving mother and a devoted wife, even though her husband was... well, let’s just say Aegon II isn’t winning any Husband of the Year awards anytime soon. Despite his neglect and cruelty, Helaena remained steadfast, embodying the virtues of loyalty and compassion.

In a world where betrayal and backstabbing are as common as breakfast, Helaena’s goodness is a breath of fresh air.

The unfair suffering

If you thought things couldn’t get worse for Helaena, buckle up. Her suffering is a tragic tapestry woven with loss and heartbreak. In the book, Helaena loses two of her beloved children in the Dance of the Dragons, the brutal civil war that tears her family apart. This isn’t just any loss — it’s the kind that breaks a person. As a mother of twins myself, I can only imagine the pain she suffers as her children perish before she does. The Blood and Cheese incident, which was completely different in Fire & Blood than what we just witnessed in the second season premiere of House of the Dragon, acts as the catalyst for the rest of the unfair and brutal suffering Helaena goes through.

In Fire & Blood, Helaena has two sons — Jaehaeyrs and Maelor — whereas on the show only has Jaehaerys. In the books, Blood and Cheese force her into a Sophie's Choice where she is asked to pick which one of her sons will die:

“An eye for an eye, a son for a son. We only want the one, t’square things. Won’t hurt the rest o’ you fine folks, not one lil’ hair. Which one you want t’lose, Your Grace?”

Once she realized what he meant, Queen Helaena pleaded with the men to kill her instead. “A wife’s not a son,” said Blood. “It has to be a boy.” Cheese warned the queen to make a choice soon, before Blood grew bored and raped her little girl. “Pick,” he said, “or we kill them all.” On her knees, weeping, Helaena named her youngest, Maelor. Perhaps she thought the boy was too young to understand, or perhaps it was because the older boy, Jaehaerys, was King Aegon’s firstborn son and heir, next in line to the Iron Throne. “You hear that, little boy?” Cheese whispered to Maelor. “Your momma wants you dead.” Then he gave Blood a grin, and the hulking swordsman slew Prince Jaehaerys, striking off the boy’s head with a single blow. The queen began to scream.

Just re-reading this makes my skin crawl.

This incredibly painful moment was done differently in the show, with Blood and Cheese asking Helaena which one of her children is Jaehaerys, promptly murdering the boy in his own bed while leaving his twin sister Jaehaera alone. Yes, this was a different way to bring that scene to life, but it does not take away from the bottom-line horror: Helaena has to witness one of her children dying and deal with the consequences of something she has had nothing to do with in the slightest. Yet she endures it with a quiet grace that is nothing short of heroic.

Helaena’s mental health suffers terribly. Her prophetic abilities and the trauma of her losses lead to a fragile state of mind, and in the book she eventually take her own life. In a time when mental health wasn’t understood, let alone treated, Haelena’s struggles were met with judgement, misunderstanding, and isolation. She was a woman ahead of her time, burdened with a gift that was more of a curse, in a society that didn’t know how to support her.

The symbol of innocence

In a world filled with morally gray characters and outright villains, Helaena stands out as a symbol of innocence. She embodies the purity that is so rare in the bloody history of Westeros. Unlike her siblings and other family members, Haelena’s actions aren’t driven by power or vengeance. She doesn’t seek the throne, doesn’t plot against her kin, and doesn’t harbor any malicious intent. She’s like a dove in a den of lions, always striving to bring a bit of peace and kindness to those around her.

Perhaps the most heartbreaking aspect of Helaena’s story is how misunderstood she is. Her prophecies, her kindness, her suffering; all are overlooked or misinterpreted by those around her. Every. Single. Person. She’s seen as the strange Targaryen, the one who talks in riddles and lives in her own world. But in reality, Helaena is deeply connected to the very fabric of Westeros' fate. Her dreams hold the keys to the future, yet she’s dismissed as irrelevant. It’s a classic case of not realizing what you have until it’s gone.

Despite her tragic life and end, Helaena’s legacy is one of light and hope.

She reminds us that even in the darkest times, there is room for kindness and compassion. Her story is a powerful reminder of the cost of power and the human toll of the Targaryen legacy. Helaena’s life may have been marred by suffering, but her spirit remains a beacon of purity in the stormy seas of Westerosi history.

So why doesn’t Haelena Targaryen deserve the suffering she endures? Because she is, at her core, a pure and innocent soul caught in the crossfire of her family’s ruthless ambition. She’s a tragic figure, a martyr of prophecy, and a symbol of the goodness that can exist even in the most brutal of worlds.

Next time you’re diving into the tumultuous history of the Targaryens, spare a thought for Helaena. Remember her dreams, her suffering, and most importantly, her unyielding goodness. In the brutal world of Westeros, she is a shining example of the power of a pure heart.

And that, dear readers, is something truly worth celebrating.

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