House of the Dragon: First Look at Daemon’s Estranged Wife Rhea Royce

The last episode of House of the Dragon may have teased a romance between Daemon and Rhaenyra, but we do know that Daemon has already been betrothed to the “Bronze Bitch” Rhea Royce (Rachel Redford). Rhea will actually be appearing in the next episode of HOTD and we have our first look at her in her bronze ancestral armor.

Check her out:

Rhea Royce, first wife of Daemon Targaryen will be making her first appearance in #HouseOfTheDragon this Sunday. pic.twitter.com/DHhs4HcALI

— House Of The Dragon Source (@HOTDsource) September 15, 2022

Besides the ‘Bronze Bitch’ moniker that Daemon had given her, Rhea is actually referred to as the Lady of Runestone, and she is considered to be a vassal of the more popular House Arryn that watches over the Vale.

Admittedly her lore is pretty sparse in the books, but the series does have a lot of room for her to grow. We don’t know exactly why Daemon would be so spiteful of the Lady Royce, but fans have joked that Daemon can only be truly attracted to his relatives—hence his budding romance with Rhaenyra.

If anything, House Royce was not an essential player in any way during the time of Game of Thrones, so the fate of the house is pretty much up in the air. While I could see some kind of ruin befall her, I think it’s only fitting that Rhea Royce would come out on top, especially with the way that Daemon has been treating her—then again this is Game of Thrones we’re talking about, so there are no narrative moralities to follow here.

Catch the next episode of House of the Dragon when it premieres on HBO Max this Sunday.