Viewers who returned to Westeros for the Game of Thrones prequel series House of the Dragon this weekend saw more than the expected gore and violence that made the original show a worldwide phenomenon. In the pilot episode, "The Heirs of the Dragon," viewers met Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen and Lady Alicent Hightower, characters whose friendship left many speculating that they might be more than just friends.
That speculation turned out to be right. In an interview with Insider published Monday, actresses Milly Alcock (she/her) and Emily Carey (she/they), who portray the 14-year-old versions of Targaryen and Hightower, confirmed that their characters are a “little bit in love” with each other. The pair explained that they intentionally brought a romantic dynamic to their performances as queer subtext, and made sure that "it was purposeful."
“It was something I was immediately conscious of when I read the script as a queer woman myself,” Carey added.
In the first half of the episode, Rhaenrya lays on Alicent’s lap and the two exchange longing glances at one another, as well as dress each other, subtle moments that lend weight to the idea that their friendship is more than platonic. "I think any woman could think back to the best friend that they had at 14 years old, and it's a relationship and a closeness unlike any other,” Carey told Insider. “You do toe the line between platonic and romantic. Milly [Alcock] always says it's like a tactile closeness and emotional closeness, especially when it's put in the context of this world where they are the only two young girls in the Red Keep. It's 100% something we were conscious of. And so if it reads on screen, it was purposeful."
Throughout Game of Thrones’ tenure, some warriors in Westeros were revealed to be queer and did have relationships, though most were telegraphed and not depicted as a pair as explicitly as some heterosexual couples on screen. Despite that lack of on-screen representation, the series also didn’t resort to easy tropes or “bury its gays,” and we did get to follow key queer characters like Yara Greyjoy.
Olivia Cooke, who portrays the adult version of Alicent, commented on her character's relationship with Rhaenyra as well. “When you have your first intense friendship, you're throwing all these emotions at the other person and seeing which one sticks,” she told Insider. Emma D'arcy, who portrays the adult version of Rhaenyra, also agreed with her co-star's sentiments. "There's an erotic energy in most intense teenage relationships because it's a period of trying to work out what one is and what one wants,” D’Arcy said.
Viewers of the show, which was HBO Max’s most-watched debut of all time, will get to see how the two girls’ relationships unfolds — and whether or not the “bury your gays” trope gets deployed — when the show airs Sunday nights on the streaming service — if it even still exists.
Get the best of what’s queer. Sign up for Them’s weekly newsletter here.