If only they paid more attention.

One of the reasons why the conflict between Team Black and Team Green is so difficult to resolve, family ties aside, is that both sides have their righteous claims, but are just as flawed as the other. While some characters are easier to sympathize with than others, they still make some of the worst mistakes, like completely ignoring each other.

Ignoring Helaena Targaryen’s prophecies has already cost Aemond his eye, and Team Green lost Rhaenys as a hostage, not to mention giving her a chance to destroy them all. However, the neglect they’re all accustomed to giving her affects their positions far worse than just the prophecies.

Why Did King Aegon Kill the Ratcatchers?

After the gruesome murder of Helaena and Aegon’s son Jaehaerys, it became clear that war was inevitable. Of course, thanks to Otto Hightower, even the death of a child ended up being a tool to gain more support among the noble houses, but this death could have been prevented if the Hightowers had even thought to protect Helaena.

The neglect they all showed for a girl who ended up being a queen was evident throughout the second episode of the series. From Alicent trying to approach her in a moment of grief with a conversation about her and Cole, to Aegon II walking past her even though they both just lost their son.

Not only was Helaena not given her own sworn protector to guard her chambers, but even after the tragedy, she was left alone. From a practical standpoint, no one thought of her. Since she was at the scene of the murder, she could have easily pointed out the rat-catcher Blood was talking about, but no one bothered to ask.

Not that anyone expected anything but rash decisions from King Aegon II and Ser Criston Cole, but it seems that even Larys Strong didn’t think about how the queen could help the cause. Instead, all the ratcatchers were hanged, leading to the inevitable reaction of the smallfolk.

In George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood, Helaena slowly descends into madness over the death of her son and the feeling of emptiness and loneliness. The same fate will most likely befall her in House of the Dragon. Not only will this branch of the Targaryen family lose another child, but Team Green will also lose a valuable dragon rider.

If you are interested in how the show will handle Helaena’s future, you can tune in to House of the Dragon season 2 every Sunday on HBO or Max.