Is Meleys The ‘Beast Beneath The Boards’ In ‘House Of The Dragon?’

House of the Dragon’s penultimate episode ended on yet another shocking cliffhanger but there was at least one person who saw it coming, literally.

In episode nine’s “The Green Council,” the Hightowers set in motion their plan to crown Aegon as king of the Seven Kingdoms. Queen Alicent reasons that it was her husband’s dying wish — though she gravely misunderstood the meaning behind “Aegon’s Dream” when Viserys, still high off the milk of the poppy, told her he believed the prophecy to be true. Yet Otto Hightower and the rest of his allies at court just don’t want to see a woman sitting on the Iron Throne. Their motivations for usurping Rhaenyra’s claim may differ. Still, their end-games align, so most of the episode is spent hunting down Aegon — who’s presumably drunk and hiding somewhere in Flea Bottom — and culling the Red Keep of any Targaryen sympathizers. That includes Rhaenys Targaryen, who’s locked up in her room following Viserys’ passing. Alicent eventually comes to her with an offer to join Team Green, but she escapes the palace with the help of a loyal Kings Guard instead. Soon after Aegon is crowned in the Dragon Pit, with all of King’s Landing in attendance, Rhaenys and her dragon, Meleys, burst through floors, rising from the caves below to stare down Alicent and her family before flying off to Dragonstone.

The Beast Beneath The Boards

Though Rhaenys’ coronation crashing moment surprised most of Team Green, fans are now theorizing that Helaena Targaryen knew this was coming episodes earlier. The only daughter of King Viserys and Queen Alicent has always been a bit of an oddball in her family thanks to her abilities as a “dreamer,” i.e. someone who has visions of the future. It’s a gift that pops up throughout the Targaryen line, but few pay attention to Helaena’s warnings, something that could hurt Team Green in the future.

In fact, not heeding Helaena’s weird ramblings has already cost the Hightowers. In episode eight, before her speech at the dinner table, Helaena kept muttering “Beware the beast beneath the boards.” After learning of her father’s death, she echoes that warning in episode nine. When Rhaenys and Meleys spring up from under the Dragon Pit to challenge Aegon’s claim and make it clear that at least one member of House Targaryen will not bend the knee to this usurper, the true meaning behind Heleana’s prophecy becomes clear. Rhaenys was the beast beneath the boards, and the Hightowers are lucky she wasn’t in the mood to flambe her enemies.

This isn’t the first time one of Helaena’s predictions has come true. Earlier in the season, she predicted that her brother Aemond would indeed ride a dragon, but he’d have to “close one eye,” in order to do it. And, during the funeral for Laena Velaryon, Helaena kept repeating the phrase, “Hand turns loom, spool of green, spool of black, dragons of flesh weaving dragons of thread,” which some now believe predicted the Hightower’s plan to usurp the throne. Otto is the “hand,” turning the loom, placing the greens in power, and setting up a war with Team Black. Dragons of flesh could refer to Viserys’ children, while dragons of thread could mean Rhaenyra’s sons by Harwin Strong. Or Helaena could be referring to the “dragonseeds” rho House Targaryen will eventually recruit in their fight.

Either way, episode nine’s ending makes it clear, more people need to be listening to Helaena Targaryen.