Many fans are eager to learn more about House of the Dragon's Helaena Targaryen, specifically after the ending of the Season 2 premiere.
The HBO show's sophomore season began with a bang, with the premiere episode ending with a shocking conclusion surrounding Helaena Targaryen.
However, although the show is based on George R.R. Martin's Fire & Blood novel, many fans still have much to learn about House of the Dragon's version of Helaena since she is a bit different than the character from the source material.
Who Is Helaena Targaryen?
Helaena Targaryen is the only daughter of King Viserys I Targaryen and Alicent Hightower.
She has three full brothers in both the source material and the show, Aegon II Targaryen, Aemond Targaryen, and Daeron Targaryen (who has not been shown on-screen yet but has been confirmed to exist thanks to the Season 1 opening credits).
It is also important to mention that she is the half-sister of Rhaenyra Targaryen.
Helaena is married to her eldest brother, Aegon II, who is also currently serving as King of the Seven Kingdoms in King's Landing.
In Season 1, Rhaenyra proposes that her son, Jacaerys Velaryon, and Helaena be wed so that the two branches of the Targaryen family can join together, but Helaena's mother, Alicent, refuses.
Who Is Helaena Targaryen's Dragon?
Just like the rest of the Targaryens, Helaena has her own unique dragon. Although she has only been shown riding her one time in the show, Helaena is bonded to Dreamfyre.
Fans will remember that, in the series premiere, Rhaenyra took a dragon egg and placed it in the cradle of her unborn brother.
This same egg was also the one that Daemon stole in Season 1, Episode 2, and took to Dragonstone.
That egg was one of Dreamfyre's which is the dragon that eventually becomes Helaena's.
It is also important to mention that, early on in Season 1, Aemond tried to bond with Dreamfyre, but was unsuccessful, leading to her bonding with Helaena.
Interestingly enough, Helaena seems to be what is known as a Dreamer, meaning that she has prophetic visions and dreams, thus making it all the more ironic that she rides a dragon named Dreamfyre.
It is also worth noting that, in the books, Dreamfyre is known for laying several clutches of eggs. Some in-universe figures in Fire & Blood imply that Daenerys' three dragons seen in Game of Thrones came from Dreamfyre, but that was never officially confirmed (although it is still possible).
Is Helaena a Prophet?
As mentioned, House of the Dragon has laid the groundwork for Helaena Targaryen to be some kind of prophet, as she often says mysterious things that can be interpretive.
For example, after Aemond tries to bond with Dreamfyre and is unsuccessful, Alicent tells him that he will one day have his own dragon. Helaena then quietly says, "He'll have to close an eye."
This directly came to pass when Aemond had his eye cut out before claiming Vhagar as his dragon.
Another example of Helaena's prophecies comes later in Season 1 when she says, "Beware the beast beneath the boards." While not knowing exactly what she meant, fans quickly learned that it was a prophecy for Rhaenys breaking through the floor of the Dragonpit on her dragon, Meleys.
However, it could have had a double meaning as Aegon used "under-the-floor" methods and passageways to meet women and father bastards around King's Landing.
House of the Dragon Season 2, Episode 1 also included one of Helaena's prophecies, and it directly related to the death of her son, Jaehaerys.
Early in the episode, Helaena is in her room with her daughter, Jaehaera, when Aegon II walks in and asks where Jaehaerys is.
Helaena tells Aegon that Jaehaerys is in the library, and then admits to him that she is scared. After he reassures her that they are protected, she reveals that she is scared "of the rats."
Not knowing what she is talking about, Aegon just dismisses her comment, but fans learn at the end of the episode that she must have had a prophetic dream of Blood and Cheese breaking into her chambers and killing Jaehaerys.
House of the Dragon will likely expand on Helaena's prophecies in future episodes, and, considering the tragedy that took place at the end of Season 1, many have to wonder if her family members will come to heed her warnings.
[ House of the Dragon Family Tree Explained: Which Targaryens Have Dragons and Which Don't? ]
Who Are Helaena's Children?
In House of the Dragon, Helaena has two children with her husband and brother, King Aegon II.
Her two children are young twins named Jaehaerys and Jaehaera, and both of them were shown on-screen in Season 2, Episode 1.
As depicted at the end of the Season 2 premiere, Jaehaerys was tragically murdered by Blood and Cheese by order of Daemon Targaryen (however, it is important to remember that the initial target was Aemond Targaryen).
However, in Fire & Blood, Helaena and Aegon had a third child, another boy whose name was Maelor.
Maelor has not yet been born in House of the Dragon, but he is expected to come along at some point in the future.
It is important to note briefly that Maelor played a major role in the Blood and Cheese sequence in Fire & Blood, so the fact that he has not been born yet in House of the Dragon is a pretty major change from the book.
House of the Dragon Season 1 is available to stream on Max, and new episodes of Season 2 are released every Sunday at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and on Max.
Read more about House of the Dragon:
Why Did Aegon Marry His Sister Helaena In 'House of the Dragon'?
Who Becomes King of Westeros If Aegon Targaryen Dies Now?
House of the Dragon Season 2 Release Date Breaks a Frustrating Game of Thrones Franchise Record
House of the Dragon Season 2 Release Date Schedule of Episodes Revealed
