House of the Dragon: Daemon’s vision of young Rhaenyra is worse than you think
HBODaemon’s latest vision in House of the Dragon Season 2 has a young Rhaenyra confront him in High Valyrian, but the English translation shows just how gutting the scene really is.
Throughout House of the Dragon Season 2, Daemon’s been running around the haunted Harrenhal, living out a horror movie of his own while others are in the throes of the Targaryen Civil War.
As he stays in the decaying walls of the castle, he begins to have visions (with a little meddling from Alys Rivers). Mostly, they involve young Rhaenyra, bringing about unexpected Milly Alcock cameos. In Season 2 Episode 4, Daemon has the most traumatic yet, with Rhaenyra sitting on the Iron Throne and talking to him in High Valyrian.
Only parts of her speech are subtitled in the show, giving the scene an eerie quality and placing the House of the Dragon viewers in Daemon’s confused and frightened mindset. Luckily, one fan has tracked down the translated speech in its entirety.
HBOIn English, Rhaenyra says:
“It’s been said that Targaryens are closer to gods than to men. In my eyes, you were a god, Daemon Targaryen. The Prince of the City. The Lord of Flea Bottom. I was an innocent. You exploited me and abandoned me, you sullied my name at court. You empowered my rivals, you tried to make my ruin.
“You put me on that throne. And you love me and you hate me for it. You created me, Daemon. Yet you are now set on destroying me. All because your brother loved me more than he did you. This is what you always wanted, is it not?”
The vision ends with Daemon chopping off Rhaenyra’s head, crown and all.
Rhaenyra’s words themselves are pretty tragic. Daemon’s own guilt and shame (however deep they’re buried) are working their way up, and one of his biggest insecurities (his brother’s love) is being used against him.
The fact that viewers are only allowed in on part of the speech not only portrays Daemon as being trapped in this nightmare state but also maintains a sense of mystery surrounding the Valyrian tongue.
As one fan noted on Reddit: “It’s more dramatic if you only understand the parts Daemon understands.” Another added: “[Director] Alan Taylor said Daemon didn’t understand High Valyrian in his nightmare.”
“I think it’s more just to communicate the surrealness of the dream. We have all had that happen in a dream where someone is talking or you are trying to read something but you can’t understand it. And yet somehow you know what it is supposed to be about,” said another.
For more HOTD nightmares, check out our guides to Criston Cole’s death, Aemond’s death, and Rhaenys’s death. We’ve also got a guide on all the Westeros mysteries too dark for House of the Dragon.