House of the Dragon’s Matt Smith breaks down Daemon and Rhaenyra’s unique relationship
**Warning: This article contains spoilers for House of the Dragon episode 1**
House of the Dragon’s premiere re-introduces us to the world of Westeros where Targaryens are in charge and the fight for the Iron Throne is as contentious as ever. After King Viserys (Paddy Considine) risks everything to get an heir and fails, the choice is left up to him: should he name his younger wayward brother Daemon (Matt Smith) as his heir – or buck tradition to give the title to his only daughter Rhaenyra (Milly Alcock)?
By the end of the episode, we know his choice, which is about to send ruptures through Westeros. But there’s another complication – what does this mean for the unique bond between uncle and niece duo Daemon and Rhaenyra? After all, 'The Heirs of the Dragon' has just set up the pair’s close, and complex, dynamic.
"I think there's only really two people in the whole kingdom apart from his dragons, that he will sort of concede to," Smith tells Total Film of their relationship. "And one of them is Rhaenyra and the other is his brother. I think, you know, there's a deep affection and intimate understanding of one another, really – more so than he has with any other characters."
As Smith points out, Daemon clashes with almost everyone else in Westeros thanks to his unconventional, and bloodthirsty, ways – but not Rhaenyra. When Daemon sneaks back into King’s Landing, she’s the one who finds him; they only speak in their secret language of High Valyrian to one another, and when her mother dies, it’s Daemon by her side at the funeral.
By the end of episode one, however, the pair are now on opposing sides – Rhaenyra as the heir, and Daemon banished. While Smith is keeping his cards close to his chest on how their new dynamic
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