But the death of Rhaenyra's son Lucerys at the hands of Aegon's brother Aemond—mistake or not—enraged Rhaenyra and kicked off a civil war that will play out over several seasons.
Rhaenyra's three eldest sons all died fighting during the Dance of the Dragons, but her two youngest sons, the sons by her second husband, Prince Daemon, survived the civil war.
As a result, more devastating and gruesome deaths are to follow, with one of the war's unfortunate victims being Queen Rhaenyra's son Joffrey Velaryon. In Fire & Blood, the source material for House of the Dragon, Joffrey dies when he tries riding Rhaenyra's dragon Syrax out of the Dragonpit and falls off of her.
In House of the Dragon's season 1 finale, Rhaenyra learns about the tragic death of her beloved son Lucerys Velaryon, after having sent the young boy to deliver a message to Lord Borros Baratheon.
9 Lucerys Was Killed By His Own Uncle
However, Lucerys was killed by his own uncle, someone he grew up with. Lucerys has been Aemond's archenemy ever since the boy took out his uncle's eye in their childhood.
Rhaenyra has had a tough couple weeks. First, she finds out that her half-brother Aegon II has usurped the throne and that she will have to fight for her claim as queen. Then, she gives birth to a stillborn child. And finally she loses her second eldest son Lucerys to a dragon battle.
Rhaenyra's baby died during childbirth.
We only briefly see Visenya in the TV series, but Fire and Blood, the book House of the Dragon is based on, gives a detailed description of the malformed baby.
The HBO series' Season 1 finale on Sunday ended with Princess Queen Rhaenyra receiving the news that her second-born son, Lucerys “Luke” Velaryon, had been killed by a dragon ridden by Alicent's son, Aemond Targaryen.
Prosthetic designer confirms: the baby was deformed
The dead girl had been named Visenya. “ The baby was clearly among those rare cases in the Targaryen line, where it was described that an unsuccessful birth had produced a stillborn baby with dragon-like features.
Visenya Targaryen
In what perhaps should've been accompanied by a warning for viewers, Rhaenyra has a stillborn daughter upon learning the news of her father's death and the subsequent coronation of Aegon II. The daughter was to be named Visenya, after one of Aegon the Conqueror's sister-wives.
Visenya being stillborn with dragon characteristics after Rhaenyra's anger and grief brought on her labor also connects to the blood of the dragon within House Targaryen.
Rhaenyra Targaryen has six children, but unfortunately has already lost two of them, including one during birth.
Aegon and Rhaenyra fought for the throne in the civil war the singers called the Dance of the Dragons, in which both siblings perished.
In 117 AC, Rhaenyra gave birth to her third son, whom Laenor named Joffrey, in honor of Ser Joffrey Lonmouth.
Rhaenyra has been pregnant with her daughter Visenya since House of the Dragon's latest and last time jump, and it is heartbreaking to see her deal with this loss. The way in which the scene plays out makes it especially disturbing. RELATED: House of the Dragon: Which Dragon is Daemon Singing To?
He died during the Storming of the Dragonpit trying to ride Syrax, his mother's dragon, in order to save the dragons in the Dragonpit, but the dragon rejected him and he crashed to the ground, dying instantly.
In Fire & Blood, the book House of the Dragon is based on, Daemon and Rhaenyra go on to have two boys: Aegon and Viserys. Yup, another Aegon and another Viserys. They also have a daughter, Visenya, but she is sadly a stillborn baby.
One of the first times we see Rhaenyra as truly angry throughout the entirety of Season 1 is during the traumatic miscarriage of her daughter Visenya.
It is quickly confirmed that Alicent is right, however. Rhaenyra's sons are bastards. They're the illegitimate children of Rhaenyra and Ser Harwin Strong (Ryan Corr). The issue of the children's legitimacy is an open secret at court, with people turning a blind eye because the king does.
When she brings up the Song of Ice and Fire prophecy, Daemon snaps and grabs her by the throat. “Dreams didn't make us kings,” he hisses as Rhaenyra struggles for breath. “Dragons did.”
Nonetheless, Rhaenyra and Daemon's youngest son becomes King Viserys II Targaryen, with the crown passing through his line. New episodes of House of the Dragon release Sundays on HBO/HBO Max.
Also betraying her was Lord Corlys Velaryon, who supported the Blacks at first but when the tide turned he turned to the Greens.
“She was my only daughter, and they killed her. They stole my crown and murdered my daughter, and they shall answer for it,” she said. The deaths of Visenya and her beloved son Lucerys would ultimately signal the beginning of the Dance of the Dragons.
Just as he had predicted, Otto was the first to be beheaded as a traitor by Rhaenyra after the fall of King's Landing in 130 AC.
Rhaenyra Targaryen is killed by her half-brother Aegon II Targaryen when he cruelly feeds her to his dragon Sunfyre. Don't worry, Aegon II and the Greens don't win the war, though the Blacks ultimately triumph and put Rhaenyra's son Aegon the Younger on the throne.