House of the Dragon is all about the Targaryen family, but there are a few other families scheming and dreaming in the Game of Thrones spin-off. Is everyone as obsessed as I am with House Velaryon, who we never saw in Game of Thrones? Like, who is Lord Corlys’s son Laenor Velaryon, and what’s his deal? The Sea Snake’s son has only made a brief appearance in the first few episodes, but may play a major part in House of the Dragon going forward. Spoilers ahead for the book House of the Dragon is based on, BTW.
In episode 2, Rhaenys and Corlys float the idea of King Viserys marrying their daughter Laena Velaryon. Even though Viserys and Rhaenys are cousins and Laena is twelve years old at the time, it is considered a strong match that would end the tension caused by the council choosing Viserys over Rhaenys to ascend to the Iron Throne. It would also allow Rhaenys, commonly known as the Queen Who Never Was, to gain a little more power as Queen regent or, at least, Queen mother. After meeting with the dragon-loving little girl, Viserys chooses Alicent Hightower instead. However, Laena is not Rhaenys and Corlys’s only child. Remember the boy sitting with Laena at the tournament in the first episode? Laena’s brother Laenor presents another opportunity to join House Velaryon and House Targaryen.
In the book Fire & Blood, we learn that Laenor is a dragon rider and a knight. He also marries Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen and they have multiple children—allegedly. It’s heavily rumored that Rhaenyra’s children are from various affairs. According to the book they don’t spend much time together and it is believed (the book that House of the Dragon is based on is a “history book” compiled from fictional various accounts and rumors) that Laenor was not sexually or romantically interested in women and instead had a series of male lovers in court, including a fellow knight named… Joffrey. Yikes! Good for him, but that’s kind of a cursed name in the Game of Thrones fandom.
Laenor Velaryon and Joffrey Lonmouth are far from the first gay characters in the Game of Thrones universe. You may remember Renly Baratheon and his boyfriend Loras Tyrell. Both of them, unfortunately, suffered pretty terrible fates on the show. Theon Greyjoy’s sister, however, made it to the end of the show in one piece—though I think her queerness was an invention of the show and not in the books.
So, if and when this happens on the series it’s likely to be a “safe” marriage for Rhaenyra as far as arranged marriages go, but not an exactly fun or passionate one. Rhaenyra and Laenor are also only second cousins. That’s an admirable match for House Targaryen. Typically, those crazy blondes just marry siblings to each other. I won’t say when, but Laenor eventually dies in what looks like a lover’s quarrel. So… you know… keep an eye out for what he’s up to. He may not care a lot about the Iron Throne, but he’s going to bring a lot of drama to House of the Dragon.
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