This is not the romance, thank god

HOUSE OF THE DRAGON

Game of Thrones is not exactly known for its sweeping love stories, and often when it tries them you get awful nonsense like Jon Snow hooking up with Daenerys Targaryen.

In fact most romances across Thrones and now House of the Dragon are meant to be messed up. Rhaenyra and a guardsman creating bastards posing as trueborns. Viserys marrying his daughter’s best friend when she was little more than child. Rhaenyra and Daemon getting together despite being uncle and niece. It’s all pretty gross.

But last night we got what is arguably the most compelling, intimate romance I’ve seen in either series, one that did not need incest or sex scenes to be significant. That would be between Mysaria, the prisoner turned spymaster and Rhaenyra herself. For weeks, fans have said the two have so much chemistry they couldn’t believe they weren’t hooking up. Well as of last night, that changed, and that chemistry was in fact there for a reason.

Rhaenyra needs someone in her corner when everyone is doubting her every move, all her counselors and even her own son. Daemon has all but abandoned her and she believes he’s just amassing power for herself, which he is. Mysaria, meanwhile, keeps reinforcing the idea that she believes Rhaenyra is an excellent warrior queen, while Mysaria is getting the intimacy, trust and respect she has never gotten from anyone her entire life. This has been building all season and erupted at the perfect time with last night’s kiss.

HBO

HOUSE OF THE DRAGON

Here’s Mysaria actress Sonoya Mizuno who told The Wrap the kiss wasn’t even supposed to happen originally:

“It wasn’t scripted as a kiss. I think it was scripted as … there’s just breath between them or something, and then whatever happens is interrupted… “Because we were separate in the room … [and] Mysaria has told this story, [D’Arcy] felt the instinct to hold her, to comfort her,” she added. “From that, it felt so organic to go into the kiss.”

And Emmy D’Arcy telling Variety if Daemon needs to know about this:

I don’t expect that she will have any intention of telling him. But I imagine that she feels quite proud, and feels quite emboldened. I imagine she quite likes the idea of him finding out. There’s such a power struggle in their relationship, that hooking up with his ex, I can only think, would feel like a useful point on the board.”

There’s also clarification that no, this is not some ploy by Mysaria to turn on Rhaenyra or seize some amount of power. This is authentic. And that’s certainly how it came across.

But this is the world of Westeros. And who ever has happy endings here?