House of the Dragon lost one of its most important characters this week

[Ed note: This story contains spoilers for House of the Dragon season 2 episode 4.]

The Dance of Dragons has just claimed the most influential Targaryen yet. And no, we’re not talking about Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney) – we’re talking about Princess Rhaenys (Eve Best), who will be sorely missed after her gruesome, triumphant death in Episode 4. A key figure in Rhaenyra’s (Emma D’Arcy) council, Rhaenys went down with the same high level of grace, perseverance and morality that she displayed during her time in House of the Dragon.

And at least we get one hell of a dragon fight. We begin in the contested territory of Rook’s Rest, where Rhaenyra sends Rhaenys to destroy Criston Cole’s (Fabien Frankel) onrushing army. “We’re going back to battle, old girl,” Rhaenys says as she boards Meleys in Dragonstone. A real punch to the heart as the two begin what we now know will be their last ride together.

Before she meets her own end, Rhaenys steps in one last time and beats the drunken, uninvited Aegon. But when Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) comes aboard Vhagar, it’s the end for them all. Aegon goes down first. Then Vhagar sinks his teeth into Meleys’ neck. Meleys turns to her rider, a warning that her defeat is imminent, and Rhaenys just nods. Their journey together is over. But they did a damn good job together, didn’t they? As the pair sink to the ground together, Rhaenys’ expression is less one of fear and defeat and more one of peaceful resignation and understanding of what must be done.

While the loss of Rhaenys may be tragic, her death is magnificent and powerful. In fact, it might be the best scene of season two so far—at least the princess didn’t die in vain. As the episode comes to a close, an injured Criston crawls through the neighboring forest to find Aemond hunched over his brother and Sunfyre. Aegon is knocked out. Both he and Sunfyre appear to be either dead, dying, or injured beyond repair. Basically: Rhaenys’ death led to the greatest victory for Team Black—or the war—this season.

But that’s not to say this isn’t a major setback for Rhaenyra and her council. Rhaenys famously (or rather infamously) never sat on the Iron Throne and was referred to as “the queen who never was.” And yet Rhaenys was someone who could always lead within the Targaryen dynasty, a quiet, humble voice of reason. She understood the value of peace, such as when she dutifully passed the throne to her younger cousin Viserys (Paddy Considine). But perhaps more importantly, Rhaenys also knew when to disrupt that peace—such as when she fought tooth and nail midway through season one to ensure that Driftmark would pass to her should Corlys (Steve Toussaint) die. It’s the same energy to keep women in their rightful positions that was so beneficial to Rhaenyra in season 2.

In other words, Rhaenys understood the importance of choosing to fight. That’s a key skill in the midst of war: knowing which battles to fight and which to avoid at all costs. In her small council, Rhaenyra is surrounded by men who want to apply pressure and attack Team Green at every opportunity. At each impasse, Rhaenyra would glance at Rhaenys for some sort of nonverbal sign of disapproval or agreement on how to proceed with the ongoing Targaryen dispute. This silent communication occurs in almost every episode of season two so far, including Rhaenys’ final council meeting, a silent confirmation that sending Meleys into battle is indeed the best option, as dangerous as it will be.

Who will Rhaenyra turn to now when she needs a clear head? Daemon? As if. But Rhaenyra will surely have to find another driving force in her life, without Rhaenys. Perhaps she will have to turn to the next generation of women in her family – both for the sake of Team Black and because House of the Dragon should continue to look at its female characters through a feminist lens, as the series did with Rhaenys.

Because while the series gained a killer dragon fight scene, it also lost a feminist icon. Rhaenys’ loyal support of Rhaenyra was instrumental in the fight against Aegon—when the war began, Rhaenys could have easily sided with the same patriarchy that prevented her from becoming Viserys’ queen. If Rhaenys couldn’t be queen, why would she feel so inclined to keep fighting against the men (and women—I’m looking at you, Alicent!) who cast out the Targaryen women? But no—Rhaenys took the side that felt right, ultimately standing up for her morals, and helping the team that would provide the best future for her granddaughters, Rhaena (Phoebe Campbell) and Baela (Bethany Antonia).

Frankly, anyone who defeated Aegon Targaryen became an instant icon – but it’s wonderful that Rhaenys was the one who made the mark. She may never have been a queen in the literal sense, but in the more symbolic sense of the word, she will always be a queen in our hearts. She fought for the good of the kingdom and its women and became a true Targaryen legend.