Although the story itself and the marketing campaign for House of the Dragon has made a huge point about choosing which of the two sides viewers and characters are on, it can be difficult not to argue that Team Black remains in a grim position. One advantage they do have is a leader in Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) who inspires loyalty among her followers and goes to war as a last resort, due to her knowledge of the greater duty she has as the queen of Westeros.

Unfortunately, much like Daemon (Matt Smith) during their marriage, the queen is surrounded by a council of men who are inexperienced at best and impulsive at worst. Most of them are openly dismissive of women in power, even when Baela (Bethany Antonia) provides them with crucial intelligence, and only Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint) has any real standing among them. Even when discounting her youngest children, Rhaenyra has only her oldest son Jacaerys (Harry Collett) to help her and, despite having the potential to become a great leader one day, he remains much too inexperienced to take the field on the back of a dragon. In a grim sense of irony, the only person who knows the horrific costs of war, the struggles of holding power as a woman, and has proper experience is Rhaenys (Eve Best), the one advisor they can’t afford to lose in the resulting battle at Rook’s Rest.

Rhaenyra Is Struggling With Her Own Council in ‘House of the Dragon’ Season 2

For so much of her life, Rhaenyra has possessed a front-row seat to just how patriarchal Westeros can be, even for the nobility. Both despite and because of that, she has made a very conscious effort to subvert traditional gender roles even while still a princess, something that has left Alicent (Olivia Cooke) with resentment. Now, she remains the most powerful woman in Westeros and, if she claims the Iron Throne, the first queen of the Targaryen dynasty. Even now, though, she still finds herself beset by many of the same flaws and pressures as most political rulers, which are only amplified by the misogynistic attitudes of her own lords and knights.

As a leader, Rhaenyra possesses remarkable political instincts and great restraint, even while grieving. This is a far cry from her counterpart in Fire & Blood, where she openly demands the head of Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney) for defying her, consents to the Blood and Cheese plot, and remains far more bloodthirsty in her pursuit of what she perceives as her birthright. Instead, the version of Rhaenyra in the show tries everything she can do to avoid war, in the spirit of a true leader, and only truly becomes committed once it becomes clear that peace is no longer an option. Given how destructive such a conflict is certain to be, however, time will tell if such restraint will last in the likely event that she faces even further tragedy.

Once she is fully committed to the war, Rhaenyra is determined to personally lead her own forces into battle out of genuine concerns, rather than the vanity that nearly gets Aegon II killed. Despite the horrific nature of the Battle of Rook’s Rest, Rhaenyra still wanted to prove herself worthy of being followed by leading her own men. Ultimately, her very status as a leader paradoxically makes Rhaenyra actually the least viable choice, as she is now indispensable to the war effort. Instead, Rhaenys deems herself expendable and volunteers for the mission, which ultimately proves to be her last.

In the Black Council, Men Are Boys Playing at War

A constant theme across the series is both the glory and horror of war, which varies based on perspective and can still be thrilling to watch as a mere spectator. Much like Aegon, the men on the Black Council remain all too willing to go to war and embrace violence, often without understanding the true carnage that can be unleashed, especially with dragons involved. Unsurprisingly, they are also very dismissive of the only two women in their ranks, who themselves are far more qualified to judge the scale of the conflict. Even though she has provided crucial intelligence thanks to her scouting on dragonback, Baela finds herself ignored. Similarly, even if she has the wisdom of age and absolutely should have been queen, Rhaenys is also sidelined by this group of men only because she was not named Rhaenyra’s Hand herself. Even with her experience and the power of her dragon, men only view noblewomen as legitimate if they possess the political symbols and titles that matter to them.

It remains telling that Jacaerys is the only one who manages to gain even a moderate amount of grudging respect from his fellow lords. Part of this is due to his own abilities, as Jace has proven himself to be a powerful presence in such a large and complex family, and has the potential to become a powerful leader someday. He still has little sway over the council, though, largely due to his own inexperience as a warrior, something which remains crucial in a war with so many dragons fighting each other. The only figure who manages to control the situation is Corlys Velaryon, who has decades of political manipulation under his belt, and he rightfully berates the other lords for their squabbling. The councilors are so dismissive of female political power that they provide a backhanded offer to their queen by shipping her away into exile for her supposed safety, unofficially forcing her to abdicate. Thankfully, the Black Queen still has the one thing that matters most in the form of her crown, and she quickly silences any dissent.

Rhaenys Knew the Folly of Going to War in ‘House of the Dragon’ Season 2

As a personal mentor to the queen she would later serve, Rhaenys acts as a role model for Rhaenyra and becomes a crucial member of her court. Having long been passed over by men, she knows more than anyone else that Rhaenyra faces a major balancing test. On one hand, the queen must ignore their wild impulses, especially with her knowledge of the prophecy giving her a greater purpose. On the other hand, Rhaenyra cannot afford to sideline her male lords entirely, as she has gained some important allies but is still usually struggling to gain support among the nobility for her cause.

Like her queen, Rhaenyra also knows how destructive and pointless war can be, having lost her own father in a brief skirmish with Dorne many years back. She also knows her history and what happened the last time dragons faced off in battle, making her reluctant to do so unless absolutely necessary. When such a time does come, she is fiercely determined to fulfill the mission herself without causing more harm than is necessary. Such an act does little to endear her to the lords of Westeros, but her fearsome fighting abilities earn her respect, if not outright envy, from Team Green.

All of this makes it grimly ironic that Rhaenys is the first member of the Blacks to see action in the Dance of the Dragons. No matter her hesitation, she was the first person to volunteer for a potential suicide mission. Except for Daemon and his dragon Caraxes, who both remain occupied, she is the most experienced dragonrider on either side, yet she is also the only one the Blacks can’t afford to lose. With Rhaenys’ death at Rook’s Rest, Rhaenyra has lost not only her best advisor, but also the only other person who understands her struggle as a noblewoman at war, leaving the Queen even more isolated than ever before.