However, the show has given little information regarding Rhaenys' dragon, Meraxes.
Before their marriage, Rhaenys claimed Meraxes, the second largest of the three Targaryen dragons.
LikeBalerionand Vhagar, Meraxes was named after one of the ancient gods of Valyria.
Image via HBO
She was described as a large silver-white dragon who could swallow a horse whole.
Though House Baratheon began as allies of the Targaryens, over time the relationship would become more strained.
Bolstered by these victories, Rhaenys left her siblings to go south and convince Dorne to surrender.
The reign of House Targaryen begins with this prequel to the popular HBO seriesGame of Thrones.Based on George R.R. Martin’sFire & Blood,House of the Dragonis set nearly 200 years beforeGame of Thrones, telling the story of the Targaryen civil war with King Viserys.
This gave the Dornish more knowledge about how to survive dragons than the rest of Westeros.
She also had Aegon’s first son, Aenys.
Eventually, Aegon decided to finish what he started and claim Dorne.
Aegon tried to claim this as a victory anyway and set up his own lords to govern the region.
What followed were years of escalating conflict.
The Dornish retaliated by raiding deep into the Reach and Stormlands, looting towns and setting forests on fire.
How Did Rhaenys and Meraxes, Die?
Six years into the conflict, Rhaenys and Meraxes attacked the Dornish castle of Hellholt.
However, the Dornish had begun to fortify their castles with massive ballistae called Scorpions.
Image via HBO
One of these Scorpions shot Meraxes through the eye, sending her and her rider crashing to the ground.
It wasn’t until Meria Martell finally died that the war found an end.
The theory goes that the Prince of Dorne would end her suffering if Aegon agreed to peace.
Image via HBO
In any case, Aegon agreed, andwouldn’t invade Dorne again for the rest of his life.
Now, more than ever, both sides of the impending Dance feel just as divided within as without.
What Does Meraxes' Skull Symbolize in ‘House of the Dragon’?
This quick demonstration of cinematic mirroring has a lot of beautiful symbolism behind it.
The most obvious is the manner of Meraxes' death, which happened during a war.
This serves as a grim but inevitable reminder that even an adult dragon can be killed.
Image via HBO
The upcoming Dance of the Dragons will see the most draconic and Valyrian blood spilled sincethe Doom of Valyria.
Meraxes' skull, for now, serves as little more than set dressing.
House of the DragonSeason 2 is available to stream on Max in the U.S.
Watch on Max
