When we first meet Rhaenyra and Alicent, it is clear that the two are best friends who grew up together. Despite that, the girls were not exactly equals as the princess always had the upper hand over the daughter of the Hand of the King. However, this changed in Episode 2 after King Viserys I Targaryen announced that he would be marrying Alicent.
When Alicent becomes queen, Rhaenyra doesn’t hide her disdain for her former best friend. Naturally, this leads to the girls steering clear of each other within the Red Keep but when the princess leaves King’s Landing, things change yet again. In House of the Dragon Episode 4, Alicent tells Rhaenyra that she was lonely while the princess was away. Rhaenyra admits that she missed their friendship which is later shown to have grown into a completely different relationship. When Alicent learns that Rhaenyra and her uncle Daemon were seen in a brothel, she confronts the princess who denies it. Alicent’s concern is more maternal than expected and there’s also a political side to the things she says to Rhaenyra. Unfortunately, it looks like the friendship between Rhaenyra and Alicent will never be repaired. Although some people are hoping that they will remain civil in the next episodes of House of the Dragon, there is little doubt that things will just get messier in the upcoming weeks. House of the Dragon Episode 4 is now available on HBO Max. House of the Dragon Episode 5 is titled We Light the Way and will premiere on HBO on Sunday, September 18, 2022.
