Actor modifications had been removed from the one jarring factor of HBO’s Home of the Dragon, episode 6. Sunday’s episode of Recreation of Thrones prequel sequence ended with a fiery bang for one character. It was surprising and never in a great way for some. Let’s focus on within the spoiler-filled part beneath.
Warning: Spoilers forward.
King Viserys was Laena’s first suitor.
HBO
What choice does Laena make?
Two large decisions come up on the finish of episode 6.
Much like Aemma Targaryen, Laena Velaryon suffers a tough childbirth, unable to push the toddler out. The maester suggests to Laena’s husband Daemon Targaryen that he may “lay open the womb, attempt to take away the toddler by the use of the blade.” However there are not any ensures the newborn or the mom would survive.
In contrast to Aemma — who dies after King Viserys permits his surgeon to function on her — Laena realizes what is going on on early sufficient to take issues into her personal palms. Earlier than Daemon can have a say, Laena escapes the birthing room and limps exterior, imploring her dragon Vhagar to breathe fireplace onto her. “Dracarys!” she instructions — the Excessive Valyrian (language of the outdated Valyrian Freehold) phrase for “Dragonfire.” Vhagar hesitates, visibly confused by his rider’s surprising request. However finally he appears to grasp her ache and helps to finish it, incinerating her in a robust blaze.
Why does Laena kill herself?
Sadly, earlier than going into labor, Laena was already in a foul place.
We first meet Laena when she’s 12 years outdated, having been carted as much as King’s Touchdown as a younger bride supplied to King Viserys. Greater than three years after Viserys rejects her, Laena reunites with the King’s youthful brother Daemon. Daemon, childless, had simply murdered his spouse. He instantly takes a shine to Laena in episode 5.
Ten years later, the pair are married with two daughters. However as Home of the Dragon by no means fails to remind us, sons are what everyone seems to be after. In a scene earlier than Laena’s demise, she and Daemon speak in regards to the struggles of their marriage. Daemon is stressed, unable to sleep. Additionally they focus on Rhaenyra, Daemon’s ex-lover, delivering one other son. Laena clearly laments she hasn’t produced one for Daemon.
“Maybe, I too, am not the spouse you’d’ve wished for your self … It doesn’t ache me. I’ve made my peace.”
This scene seems to foreshadow what’s to return. Even the scene during which Laena speaks to her youngest daughter Rhaena appears to supply a contact of vital exposition, making it clear Laena is sure to Vhagar, “the biggest [dragon] on the planet.”
Within the birthing room, Laena overhears the maester inform Daemon that she will not survive a cesarean part to take away the toddler. With out with the ability to see Daemon’s response or hear what choice he makes, Laena instantly flees. This means she is aware of Daemon will undergo with the surgical procedure, sacrificing her for the smallest probability their baby will survive. She thinks Daemon will make the identical selection as his brother Viserys.
It seems Laena, caught in an sad marriage, thinks she’s going to die it doesn’t matter what. Fairly than undergo with the surgical procedure and bleed to demise, she has the company to decide on her ending, one which no prince or king decides for her. Albeit this means she sacrifices any probability, even a small one, for her son to outlive.

Laena reunited with Daemon as an adolescent.
HBO
One other studying: Daemon needed to avoid wasting Laena
Laena’s birthing scene mirrors the identical state of affairs King Viserys confronted with Queen Aemma. Nonetheless, on this case, the maester does not current Daemon with a powerful probability his son will survive a C-section. After Daemon discovers his spouse would die from such a surgical procedure, he seems to present a tiny shake of his head, indicating he does not want to undergo with it. In contrast to Viserys, Daemon does not need to danger his spouse’s life.
On listening to in regards to the birthing issues, Laena probably feels disgrace that, as soon as once more, she won’t be capable of produce Daemon a male inheritor. She decides to finish her life, after failing to fulfil the aim she was introduced up from a younger age to honor.
Laena additionally seems to need the perfect for Daemon. They focus on Daemon losing all his time studying accounts of “the identical useless dragonlords.” Laena says, “However you might be greater than this Daemon. The person I married was greater than this.” Laena seems to have accepted the concept that she has upset Daemon. By taking herself out of the image, she permits Daemon to be free to discover a new spouse and have one other probability at producing the male inheritor he needs.
Within the e-book
In George R. R. Martin’s Hearth & Blood, the e-book Home of the Dragon is predicated on, Daemon is not pressured to decide on whether or not to place Laena via a life-threatening C-section. As an alternative, Laena suffers a troublesome beginning and delivers a boy who, like Aemma’s son Baelon, dies after a short while. Laena turns into severely sick from grief and fever. Daemon orders a famend maester to avoid wasting her, however he arrives too late. Laena makes an attempt to fly Vhagar one final time earlier than she dies however, fatigued and sick, she passes away earlier than she will be able to attain the dragon.