WARNING! This post contains SPOILERS for House of the Dragon season 1, episode 5 AND George R.R. Martin's Fire & Blood!Rhaenyra ascending the Iron Throne and producing heirs. Since George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood book was written from the perspectives of unreliable narrators, some of the most important events and character descriptions were left unconfirmed. However, as House of the Dragon tells its version of the story’s truth, the validity of each Fire & Blood rumor is finally verified, with Laenor’s sexuality being a significant confirmation.
The beginning of House of the Dragon episode 5 sees Rhaenyra and Laenor officially betrothed after the Targaryens venture to Driftmark. While Viserys discusses the logistics of Rhaenyra and Laenor’s marriage with Corlys and Rhaenys, such as the name that their firstborn child will take, the newly-betrothed couple takes a walk on the shore. Speaking through euphemisms, Rhaenyra informs the dragon-rider Laenor Velaryon that she understands he’s gay. The Princess then proposes an agreement in which they each “dine” as they please while still upholding their duties as a married couple. As such, Laenor is able to maintain his relationship with Ser Joffrey Lonmouth, while Rhaenyra can keep her own paramour.
Laenor and Rhaenyra having an amicable marriage means she’ll have the strength of House Velaryon behind her as she fights for the Iron Throne, but there are still certain obstacles the couple will face in multiplying her succession. House of the Dragon episode 6 is expected to pick up 10 years after episode 5’s ending, indicating Laenor and Rhaenyra will both have taken new lovers during this time. Rhaenyra and Laenor’s union is a prime example of marriage being a political arrangement in Westeros, with Laenor being gay actually allowing the pair to act on their own desires without forcing an unwanted consummation. As Rhaenyra mentions in House of the Dragon episode 5, Laenor was the best possible option for her forced marriage, with the reverse arguably being true as well.
What Laenor Velaryon Being Gay Means For Rhaenyra's Marriage & Children
The most significant issue with their marriage arrangement is that Rhaenyra and Laenor will need to produce heirs, as this is the most crucial way to strengthen her claim to the Iron Throne. Like Viserys, Rhaenys and Corlys are apt to insist on this considering how desperately they want Game of Thrones, namely in that Laenor won’t want to have sex with Rhaenyra. However, Rhaenyra and Laenor will ultimately find a way to produce heirs – they just won’t have his blood.
Rhaenyra and Laenor stay in their marriage due to its enormous political impact, as the Princess and heir to Driftmark both have duties to their families and titles. Laenor also understands the importance of his family having such close proximity to the Iron Throne, so even if Rhaenyra’s heirs aren’t technically his, what truly matters is that he claims them as Velaryons. However, Rhaenyra Targaryen’s children with Laenor end up sharing no Valyrian traits with their parents, so Rhaenyra and Laenor’s deception is visible to the rest of the realm. House of the Dragon will continue to see the true parentage of Rhaenyra and Laenor’s children questioned by Targaryens and Velaryons alike, but with the of King Viserys, such allegations end up having little impact on their standing.
What Happens To Laenor Velaryon In House Of The Dragon
While Laenor Velaryon’s influence will continue to be felt throughout the Dance of the Dragons, the character only has a brief arc in House of the Dragon’s series. George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood indicates that Laenor and Rhaenyra spend most of their marriage apart, with the heir to the Iron Throne staying in King’s Landing while the heir to Driftmark returns home. However, Laenor returns to court alongside his wife for important events, and is said to be at her side with Harwin Strong when Rhaenyra's children are born. When Rhaenyra leaves King’s Landing for Dragonstone, Laenor still visits his wife and children frequently, with their third son being named “Joffrey,” after Joffrey Lonmouth. Despite Rhaenyra’s sons supposedly being fathered by Ser Harwin Strong, Laenor Velaryon continues to claim the three boys as his own.
According to Fire & Blood, Laenor Velaryon dies long before the Dance of the Dragons in a duel with his friend and rumored lover Ser Qarl Correy. The two were seen arguing in Spicetown before their blades came out, with different rumors explaining why. One source believes that Qarl killed Laenor out of jealousy, as he supposedly became enamored with a new and younger man. Alternatively, it’s rumored that Rhaenyra's uncle Daemon Targaryen ordered Qarl to kill Laenor, but this explanation is considered inaccurate due to a lack of evidence. Even after Laenor dies in House of the Dragon, he’ll continue to be a relevant figure in regard to Rhaenyra’s children, the succession of Driftmark, and the discovery of more dragonriders who claim to be Laenor's bastards.
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