House of the Dragon: Is Alicent pregnant? Moon tea explained 

House of the Dragon’s newest episode features Alicent covering up a secret, leading many to believe she might now be pregnant.

Amid the ongoing events of House of the Dragon Season 2, a surprise pregnancy would be the last thing on anyone’s wishlist. While Team Green plot the Battle at Rook’s Rest and Daemon continues his nightmare adventures at Harrenhal, Alicent is dealing with her own issues in King’s Landing.

One secret exchange with the Grand Maester calls back to two similar moments from the first season, and has fans wondering if her affair with Criston Cole might have led to something rather complicated.

Here’s what we know about whether Alicent is pregnant, as well as theories on who the father could be. (Warning: spoilers ahead!)

Is Alicent pregnant?

Although nobody says it aloud, it does seem as though Alicent is pregnant and attempts a termination by drinking moon tea from the Grand Maester.

In Season 2 Episode 4, Alicent is shown holding her stomach on more than one occasion. She also has a secret meeting with Grand Maester Orwyle, wherein he gives her a moon tea (a drink in Westeros used to prevent and abort pregnancies.)

HBO

It’s possible she might have taken the moon tea to prevent pregnancy, but once she consumes it, she’s later shown experiencing cramps. Taking hot rocks wrapped in cloth and holding them to her stomach, she appears to be in discomfort. 

What we can deduce from this is that Alicent is indeed pregnant, and she’s chosen to have an abortion.

What is moon tea?

Moon tea (also known as tansy tea) is a herbal tea used in the Seven Kingdoms and beyond the Wall to prevent and abort pregnancies.

It’s made by maesters and wood witches, using tansy, mint, wormwood, honey, and pennyroyal.

It’s considered safe to use, though has been known to sometimes have dangerous side effects. One instance of moon tea’s negative effects was in 282 AC, when Lysa Tully was given it by her father after becoming pregnant with Petyr Baelish’s baby. She almost died after drinking it, and never forgave her father for forcing it on her.

For the Faith of the Seven, it’s considered a murderous act to drink moon tea.

The moon tea is also the same thing Alicent gives Dyana, the maid who was raped by Aegon in Season 1 Episode 8.

Earlier in Season 1, Viserys also orders moon tea to be sent to Rhaenyra after unsavory rumors of her and Daemon circulate King’s Landing, fearing that she might fall pregnant. 

Who’s the father of Alicent’s baby?

All signs point to Criston Cole being the father of Alicent’s baby.

The two have embarked on a (highly unpopular) secret sexual relationship during the course of House of the Dragon Season 2. Scenes of them in bed together (most notably during the Blood and Cheese incident) have been rampant, so it should be no surprise that he’s the father of her child.

That said, not much time has passed between the events of Season 1 and Season 2, so there’s some possibility that it could belong to Viserys. But considering how ill he was towards the end of his life, it’s pretty doubtful that he and Alicent would have gotten around to conceiving another baby. 

As for why she’s terminating the pregnancy, it’s very possible that she doesn’t want to bring a baby into the current state of affairs, on the cusp of a major and bloody war.

In the book House of the Dragon is based on, Alicent only has four children, all of whom are accounted for in the TV show. Therefore, it’s to be believed that the abortion worked. 

For more House of the Dragon details, check out our explainers on Alys Rivers, Larys Strong, and Hugh Hammer. We’ve also got a breakdown of all the Targaryen kings, too.