Why Rhaenyra sent Mysaria away after being intimate in House of the Dragon season finale

Rhaenyra’s relationship with Mysaria has been very complicated throughout House of the Dragon, but why did she send her away after sleeping with her in the season three ending?

The two had grown increasingly close, with Mysaria becoming one of Rhaenyra’s most trusted advisers before they slept with each other in episode seven. Then, in the finale, Rhaenyra suddenly dismisses Mysaria and sends her away to Pentos. The show does not give one explicit reason for the decision, but the timing and Rhaenyra’s changing priorities offer some clues.

So, why did Rhaenyra send Mysaria away?

The biggest change is Rhaenyra’s decision to fully commit to Daemon and the war. After learning that Aegon and Sunfyre are still alive, Rhaenyra turns to Daemon and orders the attack on Tumbleton. This is significant because Mysaria and Daemon have represented two very different influences on Rhaenyra. Mysaria has pushed her towards peace and consideration for the smallfolk, while Daemon represents a much more aggressive approach to winning the throne.

Rhaenyra has spent much of the series caught between those two approaches. By the finale, she appears to have chosen Daemon’s. Alicent had already warned Mysaria about this earlier in the season. She told her that Rhaenyra would eventually do what she had to do, even if that meant making terrible choices. And that there was only one person who could walk that path with her: Daemon.

There is also the issue of trust. Mysaria knows a huge amount about Rhaenyra and her court. She built an extensive information network in King’s Landing and had access to some of the queen’s most sensitive secrets. She also knew about Helaena’s pregnancy and had been considering whether to tell Rhaenyra.

The series never confirms that Rhaenyra dismissed Mysaria specifically because of what she knew. So that alone is not the definite explanation. But it does add another layer to their increasingly complicated relationship.

The timing is also significant. Rhaenyra and Mysaria sleep together shortly before Mysaria is dismissed, which makes the decision especially painful for Mysaria. Their relationship had developed over time, and Mysaria clearly had genuine feelings for the queen.

But can this affect Rhaenyra, later?

Mysaria being removed from Rhaenyra’s court does not mean she suddenly loses her influence. She has spent years building connections in King’s Landing, particularly among the smallfolk, and her power has never depended entirely on holding an official position. She knows how the city works and has information that could still be useful, or dangerous, to Rhaenyra.

After escaping her escorts, Mysaria witnesses Rhaenyra’s speech to the smallfolk. She later encounters Helaena and plants a seed that contributes to the events surrounding Helaena’s death.

That means Rhaenyra’s decision has immediate consequences. It also leaves Mysaria outside the queen’s control while she still knows a great deal about Rhaenyra and her court. Considering Mysaria’s history with Daemon and her growing resentment over how she has been treated, that creates another problem for Rhaenyra at a time when she already has enough enemies.

Well, was Mysaria ever actually team Rhaenyra?

Mysaria’s relationship with Rhaenyra was genuine, but she was never blindly loyal to her. House of the Dragon director Nina Lopez-Corrado discussed Mysaria’s motivations on The Official Game of Thrones Podcast: House of the Dragon.

She explained, “I think there’s a part of Mysaria deep down inside that will always have a love for Daemon, even though he betrayed her. And so, revenge is number one to her right now. But often, people that we love that hurt us… it’s so complicated and there are so many different layers.”

She added, “I do think [Mysaria] has feelings for [Rhaenyra]. As the season progresses, her feelings become stronger. The temptation of being the queen’s right-hand woman is very appealing to her.”

Mysaria also enjoys the fact that her closeness with Rhaenyra frustrates Daemon. As Lopez-Corrado put it, “The cherry on the top of the sundae is she also gets to drive this knife into Daemon, and every day that he sees them together, it’s driving him crazy, too. And I do think she genuinely wants to make life better for the small people.”

So, Mysaria did care about Rhaenyra, but she also had her own reasons for staying close to her. Now that she has been sent away, though, that decision could have serious consequences for Rhaenyra.

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Featured image credit: HBO