House of the Dragon: Incest in the GoT spin-off – That’s why Aegon and Helaena are married

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As queen and mother, Alicent has risen to become a powerful person in the royal court in “House of the Dragon.” But many still see her rival Rhaenyra and not her son Aegon as the legitimate successor to Viserys and the heir to the Iron Throne.

In order to reinforce her eldest’s claim and secure the family’s future, she betroths him to his sister Helaena. What appears to be an affront to good morals not only has a long tradition among the Targaryens, but in this case also has many tactically good reasons.

A bond to strengthen the family

After 7 episodes of “House of the Dragon”, Alicent Hohenturm has become a shrewd and experienced “player” in the fight for the Iron Throne. Accordingly, her plan to marry her eldest son Aegon to her eldest daughter Helaena is extremely clever and gives her “Green Party” faction a huge advantage.

Instead of having thousands of suitors and lords of Westeros vying for her children’s hand in order to strengthen her own power, Alicent decided to keep power in the family. This means that no new, foreign, potentially dangerous parties will be brought into the royal court or into the ranks of the “Greens”. This shows even more that her children are true Targaryens. Because only these people were allowed by society and faith to enter into incestuous marriages. The Old King Jahaerys was the last Targaryen to take a sister consort.

A question of blood

The fact that her son and heir will now marry a bride who, like him, is of Valyrian blood underlines Alicent’s efforts to dispute Rhaenyra’s claim to the throne. Her son Aegon is the undisputed legitimate son of King Viserys I. It is now an open secret among Rhaenyra’s children that Jacaerys, Lucerys and Gottfrid are all bastards of the late Ser Harwin Kraft.

Aegon, Helaena and their children therefore have a greater claim to the throne due to their unmistakable Targaryen ancestry, including silver hair and fine facial features. Such external characteristics are particularly important to the common people, and Alicent knows this too.

This is even more important when you consider that Alicent’s children are also half Hightower through their lineage. With the arranged marriage between each other, she wants to prevent the bloodline from being further diluted by foreign houses. Something that the Targaryens have been doing among themselves for centuries to keep their family tree and line of succession as pure as possible.

If Aegon married a daughter of another great house, there would be a risk that their children could look “untypical for Targaryen.” This would open the door to unfounded rumors. The wedding of Aegon and Helaena is, first and foremost, a clever and important move by Queen Alicent to both protect her children and cement her family’s power and entitlement.

Once Rhaenyra has children with her new husband and uncle Daemon, they will be full-blooded Targaryens and will therefore be seen as the stronger heirs of Viserys in the eyes of many. Alicent wants to forestall this by marrying her children. Aegon and Helaena’s children, Jaehaera, Jaehaerys and Maelor, will play a large role in future seasons of “House of the Dragon.”

No kites for strangers

Another reason for Alicent’s planned incestuous marriage of her own children is almost as obvious – dragons. It has always been custom that all Targaryen children should have a dragon. Of course, many large houses also have their sights set on this instrument of power in their dynasty. Because the Lords of Hightower, Tully, Lannister, Arryn and Co. know full well that a silver dragon as a son or daughter-in-law also means a fire-breathing dragon.

In the “Dance of the Dragons” civil war that is about to break out, dragons will play a crucial role in the warfare. Through Laena’s children with Daemon Targaryen, House Velaryon has two potential dragon riders who would also fight for their father and the “Blacks” under Rhaenyra.

Of course, Alicent (and her father Otto, the Hand of the King) knows this and tries to shift the balance of dragon power back in their favor. By keeping her family whole through internal marriage, Alicent also ensures that no other houses that could theoretically switch sides come into the dragons’ possession.

Even if Aegon himself doesn’t see it, Helaena doesn’t care, and Aemond mourns it with envy, this engagement arranged by Alicent was extremely important. It offers two advantages at once, that of blood and dragons, and secures the claim to the throne and succession of her son and her family.

“House of the Dragon” will be broadcast on ProSieben on free TV until February 5, 2024. You can also watch the series streaming for free at Joyn. “House of the Dragon” season 2 is scheduled to start on HBO as well as Sky Atlantic and Wow in the summer of 2024.