House of the Dragon's sixth episode took us 10 years into the future, and a few steps closer to the war known as the Dance of the Dragons. King Viserys is, somehow, still alive, though poor Paddy Considine looks like he'd be a better fit for The Walking Dead than the world of Game of Thrones at this point!
However, it was elsewhere in this latest instalment that the prequel delivered one of its most horrifying and upsetting death scenes to date.
Lady Laena Valaryon, the dragon-riding wife of Prince Daemon Targaryen, is keen to return to her family in Driftmark after spending years in Pentos, but a happy ending simply isn't meant to be for her. When her childbirth goes wrong and Laena learns that the outcome will be fatal, she makes a decision that will have major ramifications for the show.
Rather than die giving birth, she runs out of the compound and to her dragon Vhagar. There, she screams "Dracarys" over and over until the dragon finally relents, burning her and her unborn child alive as Daemon watches on. Laena had said earlier that she wanted to die a dragon rider's death, and she gets the demise she hoped for.
It doesn't make for easy viewing, though, and her dragon now looks set to fall into Prince Aemond Targaryen's hands. That means Rhaenyra and Daemon will have to attempt to fend off Westeros' largest, most fearsome dragon during the Dance of the Dragons.
That will be no easy feat.
What did you think about House of the Dragons' latest, hard-hitting death scene? Are you excited for what comes next? Let us know your thoughts down in the comments section.
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