House of the Dragon Season 1 episode 4 (SPOILERS) - Boys and Girls

The show begins with Rhaenyra dutifully interviewing applicants for future prince consorts. It is a frustrating business. From a man who could be her grandfather to a kid who could be her younger brother, none stir her appetites. Her constant companion is Ser Criston Cole, the Knight that she has chosen herself. They´d become close, thick as thieves, it seems. She escapes the room as a fight ensues, and heads to Kingslanding. As her ship approaches the city it is rocked my Caraxes: uncle Daemon is heading back home too, and it is clear that the girl is excited to see her uncle, who is also her crush.

Being a woman is not easy in Westeros, it is not easy in the real world either. GRRMartin´s fantasy world is as misogynous as our own and mimes our history. If only he did not copy reality so much, the final books of AWOIAF might have been already finished. 

I wish they´d left Matt Smith with some eyebrows. His invisible eyebrows are kinda weird. 

Rhaenyra slips into the throne room with the crowd. Daemon´s entrance is an expected bonus also because her father will not chastise her for yet another tour without choosing a suitor. And uncle does put on a show.

Matt Smith is not a very handsome man, as in stunning, neither he is a Benedict Cumberbatch who is sleek, elegant, oh, heck, mega super duper charming. However his work as Daemon Targaryen is mesmerizing. I can´t think of another actor in that role. 

Rhaenyra and Daemon repeat their constant dynamic: they are rivals on one level, but they feel the dragon pull. The reason I gloss over the incest thing is that in AWOIAF lore, Valyrians are almost a different breed, specially the dragon lords. They are bound by fire and blood to the dragons, who are magical creatures, therefore, they are also somewhat not human, but dragons made human, they need to live by their own laws and customs in order to survive as dragon lords, and to make it possible for dragons to hatch. Their fates and entwined. The Prince and the Princess are pulled to each other, regardless of love, perhaps.  

They start to dance around one another. First she is the young dragon following the larger male, skittish, but still flying around him, taunting, demanding attention, then he lures her in, so she follows him to his own territory, where he can seduce her. 

Cut to Alicent first: she is wife to a much older man. Her role is to squeeze out babies, future princes and princesses, and to run the castle life where it regards the family affairs and little public relations. She is a primary caregiver to the king, and must be obedient, surrendering her body to his desires whenever he demands, even though she feels absolutely no pleasure from the act. The sight of the much older man, full of scabs and bruises humping the younger woman, she laying limp, staring at the ceiling, faking a smile only when prompted to do do, then, when he is spent, Alicent staring at the rats walking at the bed rails... That is a woman who had no choice, who has never felt any pleasure with sex, she envies those who enjoy sex, she is jealous of her friend who might one day have a young husband who might fuck her good, while at the same time, she does not believe that any marriage is different from hers.

Back to D&R, she dresses and a page boy and slips out of the keep to the streets of king´s landing, to flea bottom, silk street, she drinks, she watches a popular play with political overtones, she steals from a street vendor, D runs after her. She runs into Ser Harwin Strong, who recognizes her, but lets her go (guy has a huge crush on her, which increased tenfold since the boar hunt), and D takes her into a pleasure house, where she can see people engaging in whatever sexual practices they want. They go to many rooms, observing other people, and people take notice of their silvery golden hair, and they talk, and get excited.

If you have ever been to a place like that, you understand that the environment makes you more... flexible, it is sexy and exciting. The general feeling is that everything is allowed as long as the parts consent, so both men and women can have equal pleasure in whatever they decide to do. R, a maiden of hot blood, a young woman who does feel sexual desires, is obviously overwhelmed by that sensual overload. They stand too close, bodies too close, their hands touching, they talk too close, lips almost touching, again it is a dance. Daemon kissed her and she corresponds, eagerly. She wants more, clinging to him, half undressed against a wall, and then he balks, as if holding back. She tries to kiss him, he ducks, she kisses him, he closes his eyes an in pain, and then he leaves her there, half naked and alone.

The scene was beautiful, cause it rings true to the experience of a first time in such places, and also because it also says a lot about how complicated Daemon and Rhaenyra are, how passionate, sexual they are and not only ambitious.

Rhaenyra returns to the palace alone and shuts herself in her room. Ser Criston Cole, worried sick that might be hurt, tells her he will call the captain of the guard. She says no and tricks him into entering her chambers, the young woman is still on fire, the memory of the pleasure house, her uncle´s kisses and touches, the feeling of a body close to hers in a sexual way, were all still burning in her flesh. She was feeling alive, free, powerful, and wanted the full experience.

Ser Criston Cole, who has always seemed to have nurtured a crush on the Princess was the one chosen by her to take her maidenhead. She is playful, soft and light and the young women she is. She does not pretend any great sexual prowess, only instinct, and delight in the man sharing that moment. Criston´s first response was very cautious, uncertain, fearful for his honour, but his sweet surrender, his undressing, tenderly touching his princess body, he fucked her in adoration, and the scene conveyed how amazed Rhaenyra was that such pleasure was possible. Of course that Ser Criston Cole felt awkward around the Princess afterwards. 

Rhaenyra achieves what Alicent could not achieve: sexual pleasure. She chose a partner who meant something for her, and had sex with him when she wanted, how she wanted, because she wanted, and it was good for both, and she knows that sex can be good for women too.

It is not just a game for boys. 

Back to Ser Criston Cole, he has broken his celibacy vows for her, there is no turning back, if he is discovered, he could be executed. So he takes each step towards the bed very slowly, he is running such risks because of a girl he has been serving as sworn sword for years, a girl who gave him opportunity, but who also confides in him, who treats him kindly and respectfully, a girl he loves as a woman, not just as his princess, a hopeless love, cause she could never marry him. Nevertheless she reaches out to him, happy, smiling, a little tipsy, but confident as always, eyes shining with excitement and desire, and he could not resist, no armour, no sword, shield, no weapon coulp protect his heart against her, when his heart was already hers. It is one of those moments when I wish I could be the character just to enjoy the scene, just to taste Criston Cole´s surrender to love and desire.

Daemon takes the fall, Viserys acuses him of taking Rhaenyra´s maidenhead, and he does not deny, and asks to marry her, as a second wife, since the can´t divorce the bronze bitch. We still don´t know why he decided to drink himself cold instead of doing his niece the benefit, and then, the next day, claim that he did the deed and ask to marry her. To spite the king, to take the throne? What are his real feelings for the girl? He knows that his niece will not be queen unless there is a war, so, he is not choosing an easy path, He is a "second son" and she is princess with a claim that will be immediately contest, the minute after her father dies, for the simples reason that she is a woman, so marrying her does not guarantee the throne, but a bitter war. Viserys would be protecting his daughter by giving her to his brother, for, as bad as he is, Daemon is not one to betray his kin.

She strikes a deal with her father: she will marry Laenor Velaryon, whom we will learn that is gay later on the show, if it stays true to the books, and Viserys fires Otto Hightower from his position of Hand of the King.

The last scene of the episode is the great maester serving her moontea just in case. The king had sent her some tea, just in case, to deal with any consequences. If she does not take the tea, and marries real fast, it might be that her first born is Cole´s. The series tries to explain one of the book´s misteries, the reason why Cole, who used to love her so much, begins to hate her so much that he turns against her and support´s her brother´s claim against hers.

It is only then that the Princess seems to realize what they are talking about. Unwanted pregnancy. Yes, a man has a bastard, it is a sign of virility, but a woman can not get pregnant from just any man. It dawns on her that she could have conceived a son from her white knight from the dornish marshes.

We also have a glimpse of Ser Harwin Strong, and I still want to know how will they get closer.

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