Laena Velaryon

Laena Velaryon
Biographical information
Born	100 AC High Tide, Driftmark
Died	126 AC (aged 26) Pentos
Political information
House(s)	Velaryon Targaryen (by marriage)
Personal information
Culture	Valyrian
Father	Corlys Velaryon
Mother	{Rhaenys Targaryen}
Spouse(s)	Daemon Targaryen
Issue	Baela Targaryen Rhaena Targaryen
Sibling(s)	Laenor Velaryon Paternal half-siblings: Alyn of Hull Addam of Hull
World of Westeros
Series	House of the Dragon
Season(s)	1 · 2
Appeared in	6 episodes (see below)
First seen in	"The Heirs of the Dragon"
Last seen in	"Regent" (vision(s))
Died in	"The Princess and the Queen"
Portrayed by	Nanna Blondell Savannah Steyn (adolescent) Nova Foueillis-Mosé (child)

"I want my child to be born where I was born, on Driftmark, in my lord father's castle. I want my daughters to be raised in their homeland with their family according to their birthright. And at my end, I want to die a dragonrider's death. Not that of some fat country lord."

―Laena Velaryon

Lady Laena Velaryon was the daughter of Corlys Velaryon and Rhaenys Targaryen the younger sister of Laenor Velaryon and the second wife of Daemon Targaryen. She was the rider of the dragon Vhagar.

Biography

Background

Laena's mother, Rhaenys Targaryen, was passed over as heir to the Iron Throne due to her sex when the assembled lords of Westeros at the Great Council at Harrenhal instead voted that Rhaenys's cousin Viserys should be the heir.

House of the Dragon: Season 1

Laena attends the Heir's Tournament with her family. When the combatants break into brutish violence, she is visibly distressed, clutching her older brother Laenor's arm.

Five months following Queen Aemma Arryn's death, Laena is proposed by her parents as a marriage candidate for King Viserys I Targaryen. They arrange a meeting between Laena and Viserys, during which the young lady asks the king about the dragons Balerion and Vhagar. She also admits to the king that her mother told her, should he marry her, Laena wouldn't have to bed the king until she turned fourteen. Despite the political advantages of the proposed marriage, Viserys rejects the match on account of Laena's age, and decides to marry Alicent Hightower.

Laena claims Vhagar in 115 AC.

In 116 AC, Lord Corlys returns to Driftmark from the War for the Stepstones, and begins negotiations to betroth Laena to the son of the Sealord of Braavos. An alliance between House Velaryon and one of the Free Cities is viewed as deeply troubling by the Small Council.

Due to this King Viserys begins to negotiate for a marriage pact with House Velaryon. Laena politely welcomes the King and his retinue at High Tide, she happily departs with her cousin Rhaenyra for breakfast.

Laena never fulfills her marriage pact to the Sealord's son; soon after the beginning of the negotiations, Laena dances with Daemon Targaryen at the wedding of Rhaenyra Targaryen and Laena's brother, Laenor, and the two are eventually married.

In 126 AC, ten years after Rhaenyra and Laenor's wedding, Laena and Daemon reside in Pentos and live there for some time alongside their two daughters, Baela and Rhaena. Laena suffers from complications during her third pregnancy. After Daemon is informed that it would perhaps be possible to save the baby through the use of a caesarean section, Laena resolves to die a dragonrider's death, walking to Vhagar and commanding the dragon to incinerate her. Vhagar reluctantly complies, burning Laena alive in front of Daemon. Laena is buried at High Tide according to the customs of House Velaryon, her sarcophagus being dropped into the sea. Her eulogy is delivered by her uncle Vaemond Velaryon.

Later that night, her mother suggests to her father that Driftmark should pass through Laena's line. Lord Corlys rejects this suggestion.

Alicent tries to sway Rhaenys into supporting the Greens, by pointing out the losses House Velaryon's suffered due to their alignment to the Blacks, refering to amongst other: Laena's death away from her home. Alicent offers to let pass Driftmark through Laena's daughters.

After Laena's father awakens from recovering wounds taken in the Stepstones, his wife Rhaenys accuses him of having abandoned their familiy, Corlys admits this, insisting that adventuring was a coping mechanism to deal with the deaths of their children; including Laena's death.

House of the Dragon: Season 2

Laena's death is recalled by her mother, as Rhaenys tries to make Daemon understand the grieving process of a mother.

At Harrenhal, Laena suddenly appears to her husband Daemon; she's dressed in the same outfit as when she died and was pregnant. She serves him wine, looks at him but says nothing. In the following days, she appears to him a second time, approaches him, tells him that a terrible war is raging in the Riverlands. She asks him if he has looked after their daughters.

Personality

Laena is a valiant dragonrider.

Family

Paternal

Daemon Velaryon Deceased

Lady Velaryon Deceased

Aenys I Targaryen Deceased

Alyssa Velaryon Deceased

Corwyn Velaryon Deceased

Wife Deceased

House Targaryen

Marilda of Hull

Corlys Velaryon

Rhaenys Targaryen Deceased

Vaemond Velaryon Deceased

Alyn of Hull

Addam of Hull

Laenor Velaryon1

Rhaenyra Targaryen

Daemon Targaryen

Laena Velaryon Deceased

Jacaerys Velaryon

Lucerys Velaryon Deceased

Joffrey Velaryon

Baela Targaryen

Rhaena Targaryen

¹ While Jacaerys, Lucerys, and Joffrey are officially Laenor's, he and Rhaenyra never had any biological issue. Their three sons were in fact fathered by Harwin Strong.

Maternal

Rhaena Targaryen Deceased

Aegon Targaryen Deceased

Viserys Targaryen Deceased

Jaehaerys I Targaryen1 Deceased

Alysanne Targaryen Deceased

Vaella Targaryen Deceased

Aemon Targaryen Deceased

Jocelyn Baratheon Deceased

Rodrik Arryn Deceased

Daella Targaryen Deceased

Baelon Targaryen Deceased

Alyssa Targaryen Deceased

Corlys Velaryon

Rhaenys Targaryen Deceased

Aemma Arryn Deceased

Viserys I Targaryen2 Deceased

Alicent Hightower

Daemon Targaryen

Rhea Royce Deceased

Daemon Targaryen

Laena Velaryon Deceased

Laenor Velaryon3

Rhaenyra Targaryen2

Daemon Targaryen

Aegon II Targaryen

Helaena Targaryen

Aemond Targaryen

Daeron Targaryen

Baela Targaryen

Rhaena Targaryen

Jacaerys Velaryon

Lucerys Velaryon Deceased

Joffrey Velaryon

Aegon Targaryen

Viserys Targaryen

Jaehaerys Targaryen Deceased

Jaehaera Targaryen

¹ Jaehaerys had thirteen children in all. For simplicity, only the direct ancestors of future generations are on this family tree and they are not in the exact order of birth. The thirteen children in correct order are: Aegon, Daenerys, Aemon, Baelon, Alyssa, Maegelle, Vaegon, Daella, Saera, Viserra, Gaemon, Valerion, and Gael.

² Due to the nature of their respective births and deaths, Baelon Targaryen, son of Viserys and Aemma, and Visenya Targaryen, daughter of Rhaenyra and Daemon, are not included on this family tree.

³ While Jacaerys, Lucerys, and Joffrey are officially Laenor's, he and Rhaenyra never had any biological issue. Their three sons were in fact fathered by Harwin Strong.

Behind the scenes

On October 5, 2021, HBO announced that Savannah Steyn had been cast in the role of Laena Velaryon for House of the Dragon. Her character description reads as follows:

"Daughter of Corlys Velaryon and Rhaenys Targaryen."

In the books

In Fire & Blood, Laena was born in 92 AC. She inherited her mother's beauty and her father's bold, adventurous spirit. She loved to fly; before the age of twelve she claimed Vhagar, the oldest and largest of the Targaryen dragons since the passing of the Black Dread.

Laena's family schemed to advance her in a marriage alliance, but she herself was disinterested in politics, and more interested in flying. Nonetheless she was considered a great feminine beauty and admired at court.

Laena was betrothed from the age of twelve to a son of the current Sealord of Braavos, but the father died before they could be wed, and the son turned to be a wastrel fool.

When Daemon came to Driftmark, he met Laena, who was 22 years old, tall, slender, and surpassingly lovely, with a great mane of silver-gold ringlets that fell downpast her waist. Daemon fell in love with Laena (some people believe he saw Laena as a means to further his ambition), and asked Corlys for her hand in marriage. Daemon taunted Laena's fiancé, and the latter foolishly challenged him. Daemon easily killed his opponent and wed Laena in 115 AC.

Since Daemon knew his brother would be displeased with his marriage, they moved to Pentos. A year later, Laena gave birth to twin daughters, Baela and Rhaena. When the babies were half a year old, Laena sailed with them to Driftmark.

When Laena was 27 years old, she gave birth to a third child, but the babe was twisted and malformed, and died within the hour; Laena died three days afterwards. During her final hour, it is said she rose from her bed, intending to reach Vhagar for flying one last time. She collapsed and died, however, before she could reach the dragon.

The deaths of Laena and her third child were the first two of the multiple tragic events which occurred in 120 AC, known as Year of the Red Spring.

Appearances

• – "The Heirs of the Dragon"
• – "The Rogue Prince"
• – "Second of His Name" (mentioned)
• – "King of the Narrow Sea" (mentioned)
• – "We Light the Way"
• – "The Princess and the Queen"
• – "Driftmark" (mentioned)
• – "The Green Council" (mentioned)
• – "The Black Queen" (mentioned)
• – "A Son for a Son" (mentioned)
• – "The Burning Mill" (mentioned)
• – "The Red Dragon and the Gold" (vision(s))
• – "Regent" (vision(s))
• – "The Queen Who Ever Was" (mentioned)

External links

• Laena Velaryon on A Wiki of Ice and Fire (potential spoilers for House of the Dragon)
• Laena Velaryon on The Official Guide