Who is Alyssa Targaryen? House of the Dragon character from Daemon’s Harrenhal vision explained

House of the Dragon gave us one of the most shocking scenes in recent times, and no, it wasn’t a character death. While Daemon is at Harrenhal, he has a lot of spooky visions. In one of these visions, he is making love to a beautiful woman, who turns out to be Alyssa Targaryen, his own mother.

Shocked fans were quick to point out that this scene does not appear in  George R.R. Martin’s novel Fire and Blood, on which the show is based. However, the novel does cover the life of Alyssa, as well as her siblings, which may explain some things about the inclusion of this scene. Here is everything we know about Alyssa Targaryen.

Read More: Everything we know about Meleys “The Red Queen” from House of the Dragon

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Who was Alyssa Targaryen?

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Alyssa Targaryen was the fifth child of King Jaehaerys I Targaryen and Queen Alysanne Targaryen. She appeared in Season 2 Episode 5 of House of the Dragon, in Daemon Targaryen’s dream sequence. In the bizarre scene, Daemon is making love to Alyssa, who was his mother. She calls him her ‘favourite son,’ referring back to the time when Viserys insisted to Daemon that she liked him better.

In Fire and Blood, Alyssa was long-faced and skinny and had dirty blond hair. She had mismatched violet and green eyes, big ears, a lopsided smile, and a crooked nose that had been broken once. She looks different in House of the Dragon, and many people theorize that this is because she died when Daemon was only 3, and as Alys Rivers later pointed out, he never really knew her. Therefore, she may appear different in Daemon’s vision.

Alyssa wore boys’ clothes and engaged in unconventional pursuits like riding and sword duels. She had a warrior’s heart, a trait that set her apart from her contemporaries. She was strong, quick, and reveled in her spirited charm, proudly declaring herself ‘as bawdy a wench as any barmaid in King’s Landing.’

When her brother Vaegon insulted their sister Daella, Alyssa retaliated by pouring a flagon of wine over his head. Vaegon trained in arms with Baelon and was generally disinterested in the activity. Baelon asked Alyssa to fight Vaegon, hoping that facing a woman would encourage him to put in more effort. During Vaegon’s arms training, Alyssa clad herself in men’s mail, dancing around and mocking him until he left the field in humiliation.

Alyssa Targaryen’s life in Fire and Blood

Credits: Paparinka Art

Alyssa shared a close bond with her brother Baelon, often accompanying him on his adventures. Her younger sister, Maegelle, sought the same connection with her. However, Alyssa avoided her younger sister’s attempts to form a similar bond.

In 72 AC, the connection between Baelon and Alyssa deepened during a tourney at Duskendale, solidifying plans for their eventual marriage. In 75 AC, Alyssa married Baelon.  People had a good laugh during their bedding ceremony, saying that Alyssa’s sounds of passion could be heard all the way to Duskendale.

In that same year, Alyssa tamed her own dragon. The Dragonkeepers persuaded her not to pick Balerion, the Black Dread, instead suggesting a faster dragon. Alyssa chose Meleys, a dragon that had never been ridden before.

Meleys would go on to be ridden by Princess Rhaenys, the Queen Who Never Was.

Alyssa and Baelon spent most of their time together, either flying on their dragons or in their bedchambers. In 77 AC, Alyssa gave birth to her first child, a boy they named Viserys.

Despite people’s objections, Alyssa wrapped baby Viserys in blankets and rode on Meleys with him when he was just nine days old. Then, in 81 AC, Alyssa had another baby, Daemon. Within two weeks of being born, she took Daemon on a ride in the sky on her dragon. These two boys would grow up to become King Viserys I Targaryen and Daemon Targaryen, The Rogue Prince.

Read More: Getting Ready For House of The Dragon : Meet The Dragons – Part 2

The Death and Legacy of Alyssa Targaryen

Credits: chillyravenart

In 83 AC, Alyssa learned she was pregnant again. The following year, she had another son, Aegon. The childbirth was lengthy and laborious, and Alyssa never fully recovered from it.

Despite this, Alyssa wanted to have even more children. Unfortunately, this was not to be. Alyssa passed away within a year at the young age of twenty-four. Aegon, her infant son, also passed away half a year later, not even reaching his first birthday. Alyssa’s death deeply affected Baelon.

Alyssa left behind her two sons, within whom she instilled a sense of fearlessness. The two brothers, Viserys and Daemon, would become major players in the wars after the death of their grandfather, King Jaehaerys I. Alyssa, and her son, Daemon Targaryen, are often compared.

Though Viserys inherited many qualities from his father, Baelon the Brave, Prince Daemon is more often compared to his mother. Daemon’s fierce nature, willingness to break social norms, and outright outrageous behavior are often attributed to traits he shares with Alyssa.

Read More: Rose Leslie on how her marriage to Kit Harington inspired her character in The Time Traveller’s Wife

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