'House of the Dragon': Why Did Rhaena's Earlier Attempts To Claim A Dragon Fail?

WARNING! SPOILERS for House of the Dragon season 2.

In season two of House of the Dragon, Rhaena Targaryen, the daughter of Prince Daemon Targaryen and the late Lady Laena Velaryon, has rather reluctantly accepted the task of escorting Queen Rhaenyra's youngest sons to safety in the coming war, with Prince Joffrey staying to ward with Lady Jeyne Arryn in the Vale, and Princes Aegon and Viserys travelling to the free city of Pentos.

However, while awaiting a ship to transport her and the younger Princes, Rhaena has learned of a large wild dragon living in the Vale. In what would be a diversion from the sourcebook Fire and Blood, in which this dragon is claimed by a Dragonseed orphan named Nettles, some fans theorise that Rhaena will claim the Vale's dragon, Sheepstealer, as her own. Fans will know that Rhaena has long coveted the idea of her own dragon, after her cradle-egg failed to hatch. However, according to Rhaenyra, an earlier attempt by Rhaena to claim a dragon ended in near disaster. Why would Sheepstealer be different?

Well, there's a few theories as to why Rhaena's earlier attempt failed.

Rhaena may not be as fluent in High Valyrian as her twin sister, Baela

While the egg placed in Rhaena's cradle did not hatch, the cradle egg of her twin, Baela, hatched the dragon Moondancer. Season one of House of the Dragon subtly implies that the twins' Father, Daemon, favours Baela over the dragonless Rhaena, as he is seen to spend more time with her, helping her study the High Valyrian language. While all Targaryens study High Valyrian, it is possible that Rhaena, without the extra help from their Father, has not attained the same level of mastery over the language.

Throughout both Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon, Dragons have been shown to better respond to commands given in High Valyrian. Rhaena doesn't technically need to be fluent in High Valyrian to claim a dragon. Her cousin, King Aegon II, is seen to command Sunfyre in English, and Jon Snow quite capably controls Rhaegal in the later episodes of Game of Thrones with little knowledge of High Valyrian.

That being said, knowing the dragons' favored language probably helps the early stages of the bonding process run much more smoothly.

Rhaena may have attempted to Claim Seasmoke. This would not have worked.

After the death of her Mother, Laena Velaryon, Rhaena has plans to claim her dragon, Vhagar. Unfortunately, these plans are scuppered when her cousin Aemond beats her to it, claiming Vhagar for himself. Rhaena's wish to claim her Mother's dragon suggests she might have liked one with an existing connection to her Family. If so, the next obvious choice would be to attempt to claim Seasmoke, the dragon of her Uncle, Laenor, who as far as Rhaena knows, died shortly after Laena.

There's just one little problem with that plan.

Laenor is not actually dead. His death was faked by Daemon, allowing him to run away with his lover, Qarl, and freeing Daemon and Rhaenyra, now both 'single', to marry.

The bond between dragon and rider lasts the entirety of the rider's life. They will not accept a new rider while their current rider lives. If Rhaena tried to claim Seasmoke in the aftermath of her Uncle's faked death, she would have been rejected, likely quite violently. If this was the case, it explains Rhaenyra's story behind Rhaena nearly nearly killed in her last attempt to claim a dragon.

Early in season two, Seasmoke becomes restless and lonely, which many fans took as proof that Laenor had died offscreen. Had Rhaena attempted to claim Seasmoke at this time, things may have gone differently, but unfortunately, she did not know there was a reason to try.

Seasmoke has since sought out and allowed himself to be claimed by Addam of Hull, proving that a lot of the choice in claiming comes down to the dragon's preference as much as the rider. If Rhaena's failed claiming came with one of Dragonstone's other riderless dragons, Vermithor or Silverwing, they may simply not have been the right fit for her, or she for them.

Perhaps, Sheepstealer will be just the dragon Rhaena needs.