The tea is "moon tea" and is an abortifacient to prevent any unwanted pregnancies as a result of any sexual encounters Rhaenyra may have had.
Rhaenyra Targaryen takes moon tea prepared for her by Grand Maester Mellos on the order of her father King Viserys I Targaryen. Over fifteen years later, Talya gives Dyana moon tea on the orders of Queen Alicent Hightower, after the serving girl was raped by Prince Aegon Targaryen.
Rhaenyra does lose her virginity in this episode, but to Ser Cristan Cole, not to Daemon. Sending Moon Tea to Rhaenyra signifies that Viserys doesn't wholly trust his daughter. He takes a precautionary measure to prevent future complications as he still wishes for Rhaenyra to be Queen after him.
His legendary ancestor, King Aegon the Conqueror, had a vision that the world of men would fall, and understood that only his family of Aryan inbreds could save it. Viserys tells his daughter, Princess Rhaenyra, that Aegon “foresaw the end of the world of men.
In House of the Dragon, it was regularly used to ease the pain of King Viserys. Milk of the Poppy is a common treatment from the maesters, made from crushed poppy flowers and named for its milky appearance. The drink is effectively the show's version of morphine and is drunk by patients.
The tea can "rid" her of any "unwanted consequences" of her night out, but Rhaenyra does not seem to be overly enthusiastic to drink it. We never see her downing the drink, which could easily mean that she decides not to "rid" of the "consequences" at all.
Rhaenyra and Daemon are both shocked to see how far Viserys has deteriorated. He's essentially half-dead now, and by the way that Daemon sniffs his cup suspiciously, it's implied that the Hightowers have been either poisoning him, or else have been keeping him in a weakened state.
It is you. You are the one. You must do this. You must do this." In many ways, for Rhaenyra who has always felt the pressure of the realm preferring her younger half-brother over her, this would have been a solid confirmation that even in his last moments, Viserys does not regret naming her as his heir.
His way was one of resolution. Rhaenys is cut from the same cloth, and would be loathe to solve this problem simply by murdering everyone before any other bloodshed has occurred. She would become a kingslayer and a kinslayer. Superstition is strong in Westeros, as it was in our own Medieval era.
As for Rhaenyra Targaryen, she grew up believing she would rule Westeros. But when the time came, her enemies and family stole the crown from her. She answered with fire and blood and was destroyed by them. So while Rhaenyra may have been the first woman to claim the Iron Throne, she never ruled the Seven Kingdoms.
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 Takes the Iron Throne, but Only For a Moment. While the Green forces were away from King's Landing, they foolishly left the capital sparsely protected. That allowed Rhaenyra and Daemon to easily take the city, where she sat on the Iron Throne for half-a-year.
Viserys could not leave it to chance as Daemon had already told him he had got physically involved with Rhaenyra. Viserys could not judge who was telling the truth, so to avoid any mishap, he sent the Moon Tea via Master Gerardys to Rhaenyra.
Rhaenyra, recalling the death of her mother in childbirth, refuses help from her maidens as the pregnancy wreaks havoc on her body. Knowing something is wrong, she gives birth all by herself.
Just like with the last Dragonstone showdown, this tense encounter doesn't end in bloodshed, and it's all thanks to a message from Alicent. Otto hands Rhaenyra a piece of paper and she recognizes it immediately as a page from a history book that Alicent once quizzed her on, all the way back in episode 1.
The episode ends with Rhaenyra being served moon tea, a medicinal drink used to abort pregnancies, to prevent any "unwanted consequences." So it goes, but the consequences of her night with Daemon (and Criston) are likely to go far beyond what's potentially growing in her belly.
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.
Like when Alicent came to her to beg for her support, Rhaenys is hoping her message helps them all avoid needless bloodshed. As such, not killing Aegon and the Green Council is a decision that works on both a personal and character level. House of the Dragons' Season 1 finale debuts Oct.
With no one left to help her, Aegon II demanded his dragon Sunfyre to kill and then consume his older sister right in front of the eyes of her last remaining child and future king, Aegon The Younger.
He Mistakes Alicent For Rhaenyra
Viserys put a lot of stock in Aegon the Conqueror's dream. It's this dream that he relays to his daughter, to pass on as family lore and emphasize the importance of keeping power in the family.
After teasing their deep connection for weeks, making out in a brothel, and flirting their way through King's Landing, uncle and niece at long last did the dirty. Not only that, but Rhaenyra and Damon literally had sex on the beach.
It sounds like Viserys is telling Alicent she is "the one" to ensure this will happen; that the "Prince That Was Promised" comes from her line. This isn't the case, though: Viserys thought he was talking to Rhaenyra.
Not only does this prove Rhaenyra's legitimacy to herself, but it also reveals more about the nature of Daemon and Viserys' relationship. Frankly, Viserys didn't tell Daemon about Aegon's dream because he didn't trust him with it or believe he would give it the dedication it required.
The ring that Viserys kissed was the one Queen Aemma was wearing when she died.
Daemon Targaryen reveals that Viserys never told him about Aegon's dream in House of the Dragon, confirming Daemon was never going to be his heir. WARNING! This article contains SPOILERS for House of the Dragon's season 1 finale!