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‘House of the Dragon’, what happened to Laenor Velaryon in season 2? Here’s the fan theory
Rhaenyra and Daemon made a deal with Laenor to fake his death, but what if the character died off-screen?
In the first season of ‘House of the Dragon,’ Rhaenyra Targaryen and her husband Laenor Velaryon realize that their marriage is unsustainable. Despite their agreement to fulfill their marital duties, all of the couple’s children are actually by another father, the princess’s lover, Ser Harwin Strong. When the time comes, Rhaenyra decides to marry her uncle Daemon Targaryen. The big stumbling block is that divorce is only possible if her husband dies. Laenor enjoys the company of his lover Qarl Correy, to whom he wants to be unattached. As it is, he conspires with Rhaenyra and Daemon to fake his death. The question is, is he still alive in the second season?
Nothing official has been said. No character in the series has put Laenor Velaryon’s death into words. And yet some fans theorize about it. They do so based on dialog from Rhaenyra herself in ‘House of the Dragon’ Season 2 Episode 6, where she says that the bond between Laenor and her dragon Seasmoke has been broken. When a rider successfully claims one of these beasts, an emotional bond is formed between the dragon and the rider. In most cases, this bond is broken the moment one of the parties dies. Does this mean that Laenor is dead? Not necessarily.
Seasmoke chooses a bastard son of the Velaryons
Neither the show nor the books explain exactly what the requirements are for the bond to be broken. Laenor may have left, never to return, bidding farewell to Seasmoke, who, left to her own devices, has finally decided to betroth herself to another human. It is no coincidence that his choice is Addam of Hull, the bastard son of Ser Corlys Velaryon, Laenor’s father. Moreover, in the novel “Fire and Blood,” the bastard’s parentage is unclear: some think he is Laenor’s son, while Mushroom assumes that he is the product of an extramarital affair with Ser Corlys. In the context of the series, it is more than likely that he is the latter’s.
The first 6 episodes of ‘House of the Dragon’ are now available on Max. There are only two left to complete the season, although the show has already confirmed its return for a third season.