Game of Thrones fanatics know all too well that no one was more upset with the end of House of the Dragon Season 2 than George R.R. Martin himself. The author infamously posted a brutal (now deleted) blog post slamming showrunner Ryan Condal‘s decision to cut the youngest Targaryen — Maelor — from the series.
However, the end of House of the Dragon Season 3 Episode 4 suggests that Condal might have took this note to heart and changed his original Season 3 outline. That’s because it seems someone is pregnant!
**Spoilers for House of the Dragon Season 3 Episode 4, now streaming on HBO Max**
Yes, it seems that Helaena Targaryen (Phia Saban) is pregnant. Towards the end of tonight’s all-new House of the Dragon, she struggles to squeeze into her normally loose nightgown. Then, when her mother tries to help her clasp her robe, Alicent (Olivia Cooke) realizes that her daughter is once again expecting. Helaena is immediately upset and withdraws, but Alicent knows this means that her daughter is expecting a potential new threat to Rhaenyra’s (Emma D’Arcy) rule.
Why is it such a big deal that Helaena is pregnant in House of the Dragon Season 3? Here’s what you need to know about Helaena’s unexpected pregnancy in House of the Dragon...
Is Helaena Pregnant in House of the Dragon? (And Who’s the Daddy?)
Yes, Helaena is pregnant in House of the Dragon, seemingly confirming a theory that DECIDER’s been nurturing since the Season 4 trailer came out.
If we consider that Helaena is probably five to six months pregnant, then it’s very possible that Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney) visited her bedchambers (as they say) shortly before the Battle of Rook’s Rest left him deformed. It’s also possible someone else is the father, but because Helaena is queen, any of her issue will be legally Aegon’s. Meaning, if she has a boy, that infant would be a threat to Rhaenyra and her rule.
Why is this important? Well, because in the books, Helaena has three children: Jaehaerys (who was murdered in Season 2 Episode 1), Jaehaera (who is still alive and well), and Maelor (whose tragic death precipitates all sorts of horrors)…
Will Maelor Be in House of the Dragon After All?
Yes, it looks like Maelor will be in House of the Dragon and that he will still die.
When George R.R. Martin wrote his viral “Beware the Butterflies” blog post, he explained that cutting Maelor from the show had grievous repercussions on future storylines. In Martin’s Fire & Blood, Helaena’s two surviving children, Jaehaera and Maelor, are snuck out of King’s Landing when Rhaenyra takes the Iron Throne. Jaehaera safely arrives at Storm’s End, but Maelor is literally ripped apart by Rhaenyra supporters hoping they’ll get a reward for the child’s death.
In Fire & Blood, Maelor’s death devastates Helaena and she dies by suicide. In 2024, Martin blogged major spoilers for Ryan Condal’s then outline for House of the Dragon Season 3: “Ryan’s outline for season 3, Helaena still kills herself… for no particular reason. There is no fresh horror, no triggering event to overwhelm the fragile young queen.”
Well, it looks like Condal has saved Maelor only to kill him after all! If Rhaenyra was already considering killing (the kid she thought was) Daeron, it stands to reason that if Helaena gives birth to a boy, Team Black might kill him in the cradle.That would definitely be a “triggering event to overwhelm the fragile young queen.”
No wonder Helaena doesn’t want anyone to notice she’s preggers.
House of the Dragon Season 3 Episode 4 is now streaming on HBO Max.
