Milly Alcock Addressed Rhaenyra And Daemon's Weird Vibes On HOTD

House of the Dragon may be a new Game of Thrones story, but it’s still got that ever-controversial edge that had fans of the original show cringing. Namely, incest. OK, House Targaryen hasn’t gone full family-lovin’ just yet, but the series premiere definitely foreshadowed a particularly skeezy romance that’s likely to come between Rhaenyra and her uncle, Daemon. Recently, the actor who plays the young Iron Throne heir, Milly Alcock, addressed Rhaenyra and Daemon’s weird vibes in the House of the Dragon premiere, revealing there’s definitely more happening “under the surface.”

The House of the Dragon premiere set up a whole new game of thrones, which is set nearly two centuries before the events of the original HBO series. With the Targaryens firmly in control of Westeros, the Iron Throne’s successor is thrown into question when King Viserys I fails to produce a male heir. Two of the clearest claims to the throne are Viserys’ daughter, Rhaenyra, and his younger brother, Daemon. Although the two are rivals for the crown, it’s clear Rhaenyra and her uncle deeply care for one another... maybe a little bit too much. The pair’s interactions in the first episode set off alarms for fans, particularly when Daemon gifted his niece a piece of jewelry and remarked upon how beautiful she looked wearing it.

No, you weren’t just imagining those incestuous vibes. Alcock told the New York Post in an Aug. 21 interview that Rhaenyra’s love for her uncle often blurs the line between a platonic familial devotion and romance. “I think Rhaenyra is at an age where she can’t tell the difference between platonic love, romantic love, and lust, because she hasn’t lived long enough and gone through those experiences,” Alcock said. “So, I think that she understands that there’s a feeling here [with Daemon], but she’s not quite sure where it lands, and how to behave with it and navigate it, which is what makes that dynamic so interesting.”

Alcock also confirmed she and actor Matt Smith, who plays Daemon, were indeed injecting some subtle flirty vibes into their performances. “Me and Matt came to a mutual understanding: that [the relationship] is charged, but it’s under the surface,” said Alcock. “It’s almost like they’re having two conversations in every scene. It’s like what they’re actually saying, and what they’re saying in their body language, and in their eyes, and in their tone.”

The chemistry may just exist in meaningful glances for now, but fans of George R.R. Martin’s books know what comes next. Spoiler alert: Don’t read on if you want to avoid potential House of the Dragon spoilers. In the books, Rhaenyra develops a romantic relationship with Daemon, which actually results in the birth of both Daenerys Targaryen and Jon Snow (AKA Aegon Targaryen) several generations later. Yep, both Jon and Dany are direct descendants of Rhaenyra and Daemon. And it already looks like the show is laying the groundwork for one of House Targaryen’s most chaotic romances, so get ready for a wild ride.

New episodes of House of the Dragon air Sunday nights at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.