As he tells Rhaenyra: marrying her is the only way out of the dishonorable hell he has created for himself. She wants the status quo to carry on while he can't stand to be her common whore while she's married to another man. That is simply just too many dishonorable things stacked on top of one another.
When confronted over his apparent bias towards teaching Alicent's children by Ser Harwin Strong (Ryan Corr) - Rhaenyra's lover and the biological father of her children - Ser Criston uses this opportunity to taunt Ser Harwin and also bully Rhaenyra's children.
So yeah, he will always love Rhaenyra. Cole certainly did not take Rhaenyra's rejection well; in fact, he beat a man to death because he was so salty about it. He's now taken a central role in the faction that opposes Rhaenyra's claim to the Iron Throne, and things are not going to get better.
The moment that causes the break in Rhaenyra and Criston's relationship is when Criston offers to elope with Rhaenyra, and she turns him down to pursue her ambitions. They break up after this and their love turns into bitterness and hatred. Most accounts in George R. R. Martin's books agree that this is what happened.
6 Betraying Rhaenyra For Petty Reasons
He was her sworn shield and her constant companion. However, this close relationship ends long before the Dance of the Dragons. Criston comes to hate Rhaenyra and becomes her most fierce opponent. Alongside House Hightower, he also becomes Aegon II's biggest supporter.
We last saw her find out the truth in "We Light the Way" that Rhaenyra lost her virginity to Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel).
In defiance of his allegiances and position as the Queen's Hand, Corlys warned Addam of his impending imprisonment, placing blood over political alliances. Addam fled the scene upon his dragon, Seasmoke, and Corlys was beaten and imprisoned for his treachery of Queen Rhaenyra's orders.
Back in her chambers, Rhaenyra's gaze lands on the handsome Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel). After some initial reluctance by Criston, who has much more on the line as a lowborn member of the Kingsguard, Rhaenyra playfully seduces her long-standing crush and they have sex.
Criston objected to Rhaenyra Targaryen, Princess of Dragonstone, or her husband, Prince Daemon Targaryen, holding power, and he also repeated the rumor that Rhaenyra's children from Ser Laenor Velaryon were bastards. Instead of Rhaenrya, the greens wanted to crown her younger half-brother, Prince Aegon the Elder.
Ser Criston Cole: According to Martin's The World of Ice and Fire, Ser Criston was born in 81 AC, making him 16 years Rhaenyra's senior. But Dragon's Ser Criston is likely much younger: Fabien Frankel, who portrays the knight onscreen, is 28 years old, only 8 years older than Alcock's young Rhaenyra.
Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for House of the Dragon Episode 6! “The Princess and the Queen” opens up with Rhaenyra giving birth to her third child, another boy. Laenor decides they'll name him Joffrey after his late lover who Criston beat to death right before he and Rhaenyra wed.
As is known from Fire & Blood, House of the Dragon will eventually lead to the Targaryen civil war between Rhaenyra and her half-brother Aegon: the Dance of Dragons. The reason why Criston and Rhaenyra having sex in House of the Dragon episode 4 is so important is due to Criston's loyalties during the Dance.
Daemon shows his genuine care and attention to Rhaenyra several times before the two marry. This doesn't take away from the many destructive and inappropriate parts of their relationship, but the books imply that Daemon does love Rhaenyra.
Alcock explains that Rhaenyra wants to be “seen” and Criston and Daemon are the “only two people who really see her. Both of them see her for different reasons.” She reveals that “she genuinely likes him. But I don't think she would pick him over Daemon, ultimately.”
Once she reached Dragonstone, Rhaenyra was betrayed by Ser Alfred Broome, whose men slew the remainder of her Queensguard. Her half-brother Aegon II then had her fed to his own dragon, Sunfyre, at Dragonstone.
Rhaenyra Targaryen is killed by her half-brother Aegon II Targaryen when he cruelly feeds her to his dragon Sunfyre.
The queen is unsatisfied with the king's justice, so she quite literally takes matters into her own hands. She yoinks Aegon the Conqueror's dagger from Viserys and tries to stab Rhaenyra.
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.
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 and her husband Daemon are now scrabbling for allies.
Criston and Alicent are now in a similar position that Criston and Rhaenyra were in over 15 years ago, with their close connection and trust undoubtedly fostering amorous desires. In House of the Dragon episode 9, Alicent implies that she knows Criston is in love with her, and uses his devotion to her advantage.
Overcome with anger and grief from having lost both of his children due to his relentless ambitions, Corlys leaves Driftmark, and returns to the fighting in the Stepstones after the Triarchy becomes resurgent.
She was brought to her brother Aegon II, who branded her a traitor of the realm. She was executed by his command. In a grisly and sadistic lesson, he had her body fed to his dragon as her son Aegon III watched.
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.
Daemon Targaryen
The story of the princess and her valiant knight did not end as a fairy tale, though. A sordid and controversial story began to spread that Rhaenyra lost her virginity to her uncle Daemon at age 16.
When finally did give birth to the baby, it is said that the child had a hole where her heart should have been, a tail, and scales for skin—a monster, as her mother had cursed her to be. Upon her death, Rhaenyra swore yet another vow. “She was my only daughter, and they killed her.