Rhaenys and Meleys have been bonded longer than any other rider and dragon duo in House of the Dragon, with decades of history prior to the show’s events. House of the Dragon season 2’s timeline is set roughly 170 years before the events of Game of Thrones when House Targaryen ruled the Seven Kingdoms with a plethora of dragonriders. During this period, the Targaryen dynasty even had a system of dragon breeding to provide eggs and hatchlings for their young family members, to replenish old dragons that had died out.

Meleys, also known as the Red Queen, is one of the many dragons in House of the Dragon, regarded for her great quickness and speed. She’s not as massive as Vhagar or as battle-experienced as Caraxes, but Meleys is considered a formidable dragon, and Rhaenys is well-respected as a rider. This is in large part due to their shared history, with a bond dating back to the reign of King Jaehaerys I Targaryen, decades before the events of the Dance of the Dragons. Sadly, the pair met their demise at the Battle of Rook’s Rest in season 2, episode 4 of the HBO prequel.

Meleys & Rhaenys Were Bonded After The Death Of Her Former Rider Alyssa Targaryen

Daemon & Viserys’ Mother Was Meleys’ First Rider

Image via Max

Meleys’ date of birth is questionable, likely during or around 75 AC, putting her on the younger side of dragons during the Dance. For example, Vhagar was born in 52 BC, decades before Aegon’s Conquest of Westeros, and dragons continue to grow as they age. Oppositely, Jacaerys Velaryon’s Vermax was born roughly 10-15 years before the Dance, hence the dragon’s smaller side. Rhaenys was only an infant in 75 AC, so Meleys’ first rider was Alyssa Targaryen, daughter of Jaehaerys and the mother of Viserys I and Daemon Targaryen.

Alyssa was a fully grown woman at the time she bonded with Meleys, and she brought her sons with her on early rides. So Viserys I and Daemon’s first dragon rides took place on the back of Meleys with their mother riding. Tragically, Alyssa died giving birth to her third son, Aegon, who also died shortly after, leaving Meleys riderless. Three years later, Rhaenys claimed the dragon, beginning their companionship, which would last until their death in 129 AC, when they’re killed by Vhagar and Aemond in HOTD season 2, episode 4’s brutal ending.

Meleys & Rhaenys Joined King Jaehaerys I Targaryen On His Royal Progress In Highgarden

Meleys & Rhaenys Went With King Jaehaerys To Greet The Realm’s Subjects

One of the first recorded events with Rhaenys and Meleys is that she traveled to Highgarden with King Jaehaerys Targaryen on his royal progress. This is a tour conducted by the monarch of Westeros to visit with their subjects across the realm. Because of Jaehaerys’ extended period of peace as the longest reigning Targaryen monarch, he managed to get around to several royal progresses. Viserys is seen having his own royal progress in House of the Dragon when he visits the Westerlands and Riverlands with young Rhaenyra in season 1.

Rhaenys and Meleys attended Jaehaerys’ final progress in the Reach in 89 AC, decades before the Dance of Dragons. She and the king flew around the Shield Islands together, and just a few years later, he was given his leave to marry Lord Corlys Velaryon. She arrived at her wedding with the Seasnake on the back of Meleys. The dragon was truly present for many of the most important recorded events of her life.

Game Of Thrones’ Books Reveal That Meleys Fought In Battles Before HOTD

Meleys Has Battle Experience… But It’s Not Exactly Clear How

The book Fire & Blood is the source material for House of the Dragon, and it claims that “Meleys was old, cunning, and no stranger to battle.” So it’s specified that Meleys has battle experience, which seems likely given her prowess against Sunfyre and Vhagar in “The Red Dragon and the Gold.” She destroys Sunfyre almost instantly and puts up an incredible effort against Vhagar, who was a veteran of Aegon’s Conquest and is far larger. However, it’s not entirely clear what battles Meleys fought in.

As previously mentioned, King Jaehaerys’ reign was renowned for its decades of peace and prosperity. There were no uprisings for Rhaenys to put down and no wars with other nations to contend with. She’s also not mentioned as fighting in the War of the Stepstones with Daemon and Lord Corlys. It’s not impossible that she appeared there to fight briefly, but Caraxes and Seasmoke are the two primary dragons that aided the Velaryon forces in the war.

Another opportunity for Rhaenys to have seen battle was in some international conflict, supporting Lord Corlys. He famously went on nine great voyages, but these primarily occurred before the two had married and had children. But House of the Dragon shows Corlys to be restless and have a wanderlust, so it’s possible that the two shared some brief adventures and faced minor conflicts against groups from Essos. Rhaenys and Meleys have been shown in the TV series going on sky patrol, protecting the Velaryon fleet, so this could’ve been happening for years.

Why Meleys & Rhaenys Turned Around To Fight Vhagar In House Of The Dragon Season 2

Rhaenys Resigned To Her Fate And The Responsibility Of Unleashing Dragons In War

The big Rhaenys decision in House of the Dragon saw her turning around to face Vhagar at the Battle of Rook’s Rest, following Sunfyre being sent to the ground. The conflict could’ve been an astounding victory for Rhaenyra and the Blacks, with 900 of the Greens’ troops killed and King Aegon taken out in some capacity. Unfortunately, Rhaenys and Meleys turned to go for another round, eventually being caught off guard and killed by Aemond and Vhagar. Rhaenys’ actress Eve Best spoke on the matter in an interview with Variety. Read part of her statement below:

“It has to be, because effectively, she’s starting a nuclear war, and she has been the one character throughout who’s done everything she can to stop them. Because she’s the one that knows from bitter experience, and all the younger generation are running around, saying “Send in the dragons!” She and Corlys are really the only adults left in the room who know, who’ve been there and seen it — what they’re facing.”

The actress compares the dragons to nuclear war in the context of House of the Dragon. Essentially, she’s saying that the dragons have been unleashed due to the hot-headedness of the younger generation leading the war. There’s an element of self-sacrifice to Rhaenys’ decision. Knowing what’s begun, she doesn’t want Rhaenyra to carry the burden of unleashing dragons, so she handles it for her. Rhaenys goes into battle with Meleys for the last time in House of the Dragon, resigned to the possibility that death could happen.