‘House of the Dragon’ Episode 6: Why Did [SPOILER] Kill Herself?
House of the Dragon Episode 6 jumped forward 10 years in time. After the death of his first wife, Rhea Royce, Daemon Targaryen remarries Laena Valaryon. Unfortunately, Laena faces complications during the birth of her third child and makes a heartbreaking decision.
[Spoiler Alert: This article contains spoilers for House of the Dragon Season 1 Episode 6.]
Daemon married Laena Valyron in the 10-year time jump
Daemon’s first marriage to Lady Rhea Royce was a loveless one. In episode 5, Daemon bashed her skull in with a rock after she fell off her horse, leaving him a single man. He later flirts with Laena at Rhaenyra’s wedding to Laenor. House of the Dragon Episode 6 jumps forward 10 years in time. Laena and Daemon live in Pentos with their daughters, Rhaena and Baela and Laena is heavily pregnant with their third child.
The prequel series has already shown just how dangerous childbirth can be. Unfortunately, Laena is met with difficulty while giving birth. The doctor tells Daemon that the child won’t come out, which fans know from Queen Aemma means the mother will die. This doctor also suggests to Daemon that they could cut open Laena’s womb in an attempt to save the child, just as Viserys did with Aemma.
Why did Laena Valyron kill herself in ‘House of the Dragon’ Episode 6?
In House of the Dragon Episode 6, Laena doesn’t wait for Daemon to decide how she will die. She slips away to find her dragon, Vhagar. Then, Laena orders Vhagar to give her a Dragonriders’ death by fire, as she had ominously foreshadowed earlier in the series.
“We’ve already had one person die in their childbirth bed, and I just felt like Laena doesn’t go that way,” said writer and executive producer Sara Hess in a featurette.
“She’s unwilling to go the same way that Aemma did, and the irony there is that Daemon is faced with the same decision that Viserys was in the pilot, and Daemon made a joke of it,” co-showrunner Ryan Condal added.
After Aemma and her child Baelon died, Daemon was rumored to be celebrating, toasting Baelon as the “heir for a day.” Condal continued of Laena, “She’s a Dragonrider. She wants to die a Dragonrider’s death.”
Laena’s death varies slightly in the books
House of the Dragon Episode 6’s depiction of Laena’s death varies slightly from George R.R. Martin’s novels. In the books, Laena fell gravely ill shortly after giving birth to her third child, who died within an hour of his birth.
Laena died days later, attempting to reach Vhagar to fly one last time before collapsing. Daemon carried her body back to bed.
How to get help: In the U.S., call the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988 or 1-800-273-8255. Or text HOME to 741-741 to speak with a trained crisis counselor at the free Crisis Text Line.
House of the Dragon airs Sunday nights at 9 p.m. ET on HBO.
