In ‘House of the Dragon’ Season 2, Mysaria spoke what Rhaenyra needed to hear

A great deal of unspoken tension culminated in some dramatic verbal exchanges on Sunday’s episode of House of the Dragon. Following Jaehaerys’ death, Otto (Rhys Ifans) confronts Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney) about his brutality and snap decisions. Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) ultimately informs Daemon (Matt Smith) that she can’t trust him. While these two sequences are incredibly captivating, one of the most insightful dialogues in Episode 2 is between Rhaenyra and Mysaria (Sonoya Mizuno), also known as the White Worm. Rhaenyra is opened up by Mysaria’s strategic yet sympathetic monologue, even if there is much less melodrama.

The tone of their talk shifts as she learns that Mysaria is the lady Daemon used as a pawn in his act to capture King Viserys’ (Paddy Considine) attention all those years ago. Their shared history with Daemon forges a special bond between them. One of the main themes of House of the Dragon and one of Rhaenyra’s greatest anxieties are brought up in their talk: regardless of the validity of a woman’s claim to the throne, she would never be seen as an equal or a suitable candidate to rule just because she is a woman.

Though Rhaenyra doesn’t like it, she sees herself in Mysaria

Mysaria is brought back to Dragonstone as a prisoner after being found as a stowaway on a Velaryon ship. There, Daemon questions her about her actions as a spy in King’s Landing. Mysaria is only loyal to herself, and sharing information with the Hightowers does not imply that she is a Green supporter, especially in light of the fact that Larys Strong (Matthew Needham) would subsequently burn her house on fire with Alicent’s (Olivia Cooke) consent. Though Rhaenyra does not trust Mysaria at first, she does hint that Mysaria may be an ally in her quest.
In an effort to gain Rhaenyra’s trust and demonstrate that she has no loyalty to the Hightowers and no motive to betray them, Mysaria is prompted to share a little portion of her life narrative with her. She talks about her life as a slave, how she had to labor hard and sell her body to make ends meet until rising to the position of informant and having all she had worked so hard for destroyed by the Hightowers. “For too long, I made it my aim to be of consequence,” says Mysaria as she concludes her statement. But looking back, I can see that was a child’s hope. Otto Hightower, Daemon, doesn’t care. I will never be accepted by them. I could have easily continued to be a whore.”

As Mysaria says this, a long view shows Rhaenyra understanding in real time that she’s been in a similar circumstance. However, the term “whore” seems to turn on a switch in Rhaenyra. With a chilly expression on her face, Rhaenyra says, “How did you get that scar?” pointing to the white mark that Mysaria’s former slavery left around her neck. Rhaenyra found that Mysaria’s remarks resonated a little too strongly, especially in light of her most recent chat with Daemon, in which he informed her that Viserys had selected her heir only as a means of getting even with him.

Her response to the term “whore” also harks back to the first season, when she and her kids were humiliated by Vaemond Velaryon (Wil Johnson), who branded her as a whore in front of King Viserys and the court. Although it’s a clear case of double standards, Rhaenyra’s illegitimate offspring with Harwin Strong (Ryan Corr) have only served to undermine her claim to the kingdom and cast doubt on her moral character and ability to govern.

Rhaenyra finds it awkward to recognize herself in Mysaria. Despite her being kind enough to believe Mysaria when she says that Daemon would fulfill his vow and release her, Rhaenyra first makes it clear that they are not the same. During their talk, Rhaenyra learns that Mysaria is attempting to draw comparisons between their circumstances in an effort to win her trust and maybe influence her choices. Her inquiry on Mysaria’s scar serves as a sharp reminder for Rhaenyra to stay in her lane. In the end, Mysaria will always be a slave to another master, while Rhaenyra is descended from royal Targaryen blood.