House of Dragon star hints Season 2 will lean into queer fan theory

House of the Dragon Season 2 will center on the war between the Targaryens and the Hightowers, but star Olivia Cooke may have dropped a hint that it will also dive into a popular queer fan theory surrounding Rhaenyra and Alicent.

The actress posted an Instagram photo of herself and co-star Emma D’Arcy with the caption, “knowing me knowing you.”

The caption is a nod to the incredibly famous song of the same name by the group ABBA. It’s seen as their first record to address the breakup of a romantic relationship.

Cooke’ use of this particular song title suggests that Season 2 may finally address the popular queer fan theory that Rhaenyra and Alicent’s falling out had more romantic undertones than the previous season depicted.

instagram.com/livkatecooke

In House of the Dragon Season 1, the two women were shown to be best friends as they grew up together because Alicent’s father, Otto, was the hand to Rhaenyra’s father, King Viserys.

However, their relationship fell apart after Alicent was manipulated by Otto into marrying Viserys following the death of Rhaenyra’s mother, Emma.

Things only became worse when Alicent and Otto succeeded in crowning her son, Aegon, after Viserys’ death. Aegon usurped the throne from Rhaenyra as she was crowned her father’s heir in Episode 1.

While the show depicted the pair as very close friends, some moments between the two women were read to be romantic by fans.

“Alicent telling Otto that their hearts were never one and then handing him the book page she kept for a decade reinforcing the idea that no matter how much he manipulated her, he never could’ve stopped her from loving Rhaenyra,” one fan wrote on Twitter.

And it wasn’t just fans who noticed the romantic tension brewing between the two. Greg Yaitanes, who directed Season 1 Episode 2, made note of it as well in House of the Dragon: Inside the Creation of the Targaryen Dynasty.

“Oh my god — now I see how beautiful their relationship is,” Yaitanes said, “It was this generous gesture Alicent was doing by bringing Rhaenyra to the Sept, because she needed to heal. I saw the love and the romance of these two girls, which makes it all the more tragic”

The intimacy of their relationship was also called out in the latest trailer for Season 2 as Alicent’s middle son, Aemond, can be seen saying, “Alicent holds love for our enemy, that makes her a fool.”

Many fans clung to this quote as evidence that the pair did, in fact, hold romantic feelings for one another. One fan noted, “Reeling over the fact that while Alicent is supposed to love her children she really doesn’t like them very much at all but Rhaenyra, who she hates, will always be the recipient of a love she can’t give to anyone else and they all know it.”

House of the Dragon Season 2 premieres on June 16, joining June’s slate of incredible new TV shows. For more Game of Thrones, check out our guide to A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.