Rhaenys Targaryen tries convincing Corlys to let Driftmark pass through Baela, but her idea slightly deviates from Baela’s real HOTD future.
WARNING! This article contains SPOILERS for Fire & Blood and House of the Dragon season 1, episode 7!
Rhaenys secretly foreshadows Baela Targaryen’s future after House of the Dragon, but not exactly in the way that she intended. The succession of Driftmark will become a major plot point in House of the Dragon season 1, which is due to the fact that Lucerys, the heir to the “deceased” Laenor Velaryon, is actually fathered by Ser Harwin Strong. Following Laena’s tragic death, Rhaenys Targaryen declared that Driftmark should pass through Laena’s bloodline to her eldest daughter Baela Targaryen, as Baela actually has Velaryon blood while Lucerys does not.
While Rhaenys’ suggestion to make Baela the heir to Driftmark was a logical move considering Laenor left no true heirs, Corlys Velaryon does not grant her this title. However, George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood reveals that Driftmark still does, in fact, pass through Baela’s bloodline. After the Dance of the Dragons, Baela will marry Alyn Velaryon, the legitimized bastard son of Laenor (who is heavily implied to actually be the son of Corlys). Following the deaths of Rhaenyra and Laenor’s sons Jacaerys, Lucerys, and Joffrey, Corlys convinces Rhaenyra to legitimize Laenor’s bastards Addam and Alyn, with the latter becoming the Lord of the Tides after Corlys’ death. Baela and Alyn Velaryon end up having an unknown number of children, one of whom inherits Driftmark and carries on House Velaryon’s legacy.
Why Baela Isn’t Made Heir To Driftmark In HOTD
Baela not being made heir to Driftmark exposes the hypocrisy of Lord Corlys Velaryon, who refused to grant Rhaenys’ request to make Baela the future Lady of the Tides. However, Corlys is the one obsessed with getting justice for Rhaenys, who was the rightful heir to the Iron Throne but was passed over due to being a woman. Corlys is doing the same thing to Baela in House of the Dragon episode 7, as his granddaughter could easily abandon her Targaryen name for Velaryon and become the heir.
Corlys is more obsessed with creating a grand legacy for House Velaryon in House of the Dragon, citing that “names” are remembered more than “blood.” As such, Corlys wants Driftmark to pass through one of the heirs to the Iron Throne, with Lucerys being the brother to the future King of Westeros. Corlys still intends to keep his grandchildren in the highest positions of power in Westeros, as Baela is eventually betrothed to Jacaerys while Rhaena is betrothed to Lucerys. This allows Velaryon blood to still be passed through the Iron Throne and Driftwood Throne, and gives both families substantial dragon power. The devastating developments of the Dance of the Dragons will put a wrench in Corlys’ original plans, but still ends with Driftmark passing through Baela’s blood.
What Happens To Baela After The Dance Of The Dragons
Baela Targaryen is one of the few major House of the Dragon characters to survive the Dance of the Dragons, with Daemon’s daughter playing a significant role in debilitating King Aegon II Targaryen. Upon Aegon’s death, Baela and Rhaena’s half-brother Aegon the Younger (son of Rhaenyra and Daemon) stands to inherit the Iron Throne. Baela and Rhaena are thus used by Aegon III Targaryen’s regents for political purposes, as marriage pacts through Daemon’s daughters would help reunite the realm after the Targaryen civil war.
The regents considered making Baela the heir to Aegon the Younger, but was ultimately rejected when she defied the marital plans concocted by Tyland Lannister. The council decided that Baela would wed the much-older widower Thaddeus Rowan, but upon hearing this plan, Baela fled to Driftmark, confided in her cousin Alyn Velaryon, and married the new Lord of the Tides shortly after. Later, when young King Aegon III Targaryen’s wife Jaehaera dies, it’s Baela who brings him his next bride, her ward Daenaera Velaryon. Baela Targaryen’s future after House of the Dragon’s civil war is complex, but sees her become an influential figure in the early reign of her younger brother.
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