‘House of the Dragon’ Finally Did Right By Some of Its Gay Characters – Them

Warning: Spoilers for House of the Dragon follow.

HBO’s House of the Dragon may be a show full of giant dragons and spooky prophecies, but its decision to spare not one, but two gay characters seemingly destined for death somehow feels even more fantastical.

In a massive change from George R.R. Martin’s original novel Fire and Blood, the Game of Thrones prequel didn’t kill off Laenor Velaryon (John Macmillan) or his lover, Ser Qarl Correy (Arty Froushan) in Episode 7 (“Driftmark”). Instead, the pair faked their own deaths, leaving them free to start a new life together free of royal expectations.

It’s a welcome but lowkey confusing twist, so let’s break it all down. Viewers may recall that Laenor is in a purely political marriage with future Targaryen queen Rhaenyra. Knowing he preferred knights, Rhaenyra offered a compromise: Each of them could pursue their own relationships under the guise of their arranged union.

Ten years later, Laenor longs for adventure and freedom, despite his genuine friendship with Rhaenyra. After being reunited at a funeral for Daemon’s late wife Laena Velaryon, Rhaenyra makes it clear that she wants to marry her uncle in the face of a looming war (Targaryens are gonna Targaryen). But as Daemon points out, they couldn’t get married unless Laenor were dead. Cut to a pair of scenes in which Daemon and Rhaenyra seemingly recruit Qarl to murder his lover… yikes! I know it’s Game of Thrones, but to have our heroine working to kill the gay husband she says she loves in her own way just for some incest-y scheming? It’s gonna be a no from me.

Luckily, that’s not what happened. Daemon and Rhaenyra actually helped Laenor fake his own death at Qarl’s hand, using a half-burned corpse that Daemon killed in Laenor’s place. “I do love Laenor,” Rhaenyra says during her earlier conversation with Daemon, who replies, “Then grant him this kindness. Set him free.”

Cut to Laenor and Qarl in a boat, presumably sailing across the Narrow Sea to Daemon’s former home of Pentos. Laenor may be short a dragon, but here he and his partner can live as swordswomen and lovers, royal duties be damned.