Spoilers Alert: This article contains spoilers for House of the Dragon.Episode 6 of House of the Dragon had so much chaos. We learned the true nature of Larys Strong while experiencingHarwin Strong’s death. But, the incident that no one can forget isLaena Velaryon’sstruggle in the previous episode, which drags her to make the decision to take her own life.
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After witnessing the horror she has to go through, every viewer asks a very simple question, “Is Laena Velaryon dead?” And even if she is dead, why did she choose to get burned by her dragon, and if she meets the same fate in the books as well?
What Happened In The Episode?
The recent episode takes a time jump of 10 years, and things seem to have changed a lot in these years. Every major female character in the series has given birth to children, and Laena Velaryon is no different. She is already a mother to two young daughters, and her third child is on the way.
But unfortunately, she seems to have met the same pregnancy complications that Aemma had to suffer. According to Maester, the only way to save the baby is by cutting through the womb and taking it out. But. it does not guarantee the child’s safety, and Laena will certainly die in the process.
But, before Daemon can make his decision, we see Laena walking out of the castle where her dragon can be seen resting. She orders her dragon, Vhagar, to burn her, and after resisting for a while, the dragon listens to her call and frees her from her misery. Clearly, Laena dies in the fire as she meets her fate in the books under similar circumstances. Although, how she dies in the books differs slightly from the series.
Why Laena Velaryon Decided To Burn Herself?
The reasons for making such a dreadful decision for herself seem to be two-fold. Firstly, Laena has been in severe pain due to complications of pregnancy. So, getting burned alive in an instant seemed like a quick death to her, freeing her from her sufferings.
Secondly, earlier in the same episode, she confesses to Daemon her wish to die a dragon rider’s death. She couldn’t accept dying while giving birth, and the least she could do to get a dragon rider’s death was by getting burnt from Vhagar’s fire.
How Is Laena’s Death In TV Series Different From That In Books
Unlike the TV show, Laena is able to give birth to a son in the books. But, he is born twisted and malformed and dies within an hour of birth. The grief of losing her child sets so deep in her heart that no maester is able to heal her. On top of that, the sickness from giving birth also worsens her condition.
Before dying, her last wish was to ride Vhagar, but before she could reach her dragon, she collapsed on the stairs, where she died three days after suffering from sickness.
