House Of The Dragon's Eve Best Delves Deeper Into Rhaenys' Dragon-Rider Armor And Its Importance
"House of the Dragon" roared onto screens with a heart-stopping and explosive penultimate Episode 9. Rhaenys Targaryen's (Eve Best) scene-stealing moment on her dragon Meleys decimated the Dragon Pit, launching her headfirst into the deadly game of thrones. While she may have spared Alicent (Olivia Cooke) and Aegon II Targaryen (Tom Glynn-Carne) from dragon fire, her deafening outburst proclaims to the entire realm that The Queen Who Never Was isn't to be underestimated.
On Meleys' fire-breathing back is a battle-ready Rhaenys in her revealing and dazzling red-and-black dragon armor, crashing in from the ground below. This new wardrobe announces that Rhaenys is ready for war. The dragon rider has recently endured a devastating amount of loss including the tragic death of her daughter Laena (Nanna Blondell), the duplicitous "murder" of her son Laenor (John Macmillan), and nearly losing her beloved husband Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint), whose fate still hangs in the balance. Rhaenys is understandably guarded and this exciting exertion of power reclaims her formidable status as The Red Queen's (Meleys) fearsome counterpart.
This adds an unexpected element to the Targaryen civil war, known as the Dance of the Dragons. It strays from George R.R. Martin's original source material, which the series has done before, and tees "House of the Dragon" up for a sure-to-be thrilling season finale. Actor Eve Best was even surprised and moved by the scene, which she shared with Entertainment Weekly.
Rhaneys and Meleys are prepared for the Dance of the Dragons
As Alicent's daughter Helaena (Phia Saban) eerily prophesied, Meleys is "the beast beneath the boards," ridden by Rhaneys into the Dragon Pit. Her eye-popping display shakes off Alicent's desperate attempt to assuage her grief and steal Rhaneys over to the Greens' side. This act loudly proclaims that Rhaneys isn't in need of saving as she flies off with the roaring Red Queen (named for her collar adorned with a crown of spikes), wearing a red and black dragon scale armor.
Eve Best indicates Rhaneys was ready for the fight in an interview with Entertainment Weekly: "She's packed it. She's traveled to King's Landing with it because it's part of her dragon-riding equipment. Also, probably in that moment of knowledge in Episode 8, she's flying into tricky waters... She hasn't worn it for a very, very, very long time and the fact that she's wearing it means business. It's like, 'This is it. No more games.'" This is clearly evident in her disruptive exit from Aegon II's coronation, scattering debris and flames instead of applause and cheer.
To add insult to numerous injuries, this also serves as an obvious answer to Alicent's demeaning proposal to ally against Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy). This throws yet another dragon-riding Targaryen into the mix as the destructive Dance of the Dragons ensues.