Want to know about Rhaenys Targaryen’s dragon Meleys? Here’s everything you need to know. Everyone watching the House of the Dragon knows that as fun as it is seeing the Targaryen family implode, the real stars of the show are the dragons. We’ve heard tales of the awe-inspiring Balerion the Black Dread, witnessed the ferocity of Caraxes, and seen the power of Vhagar, the she-dragon.
In House of the Dragon episode 9, we met another awe-inspiring creature, Meleys the Red Queen. We’ve seen what a deadly combination the scarlet she-dragon and her rider Rhaneys make when the pair burst out of the Dragon Pit, crushing all who stood in their way, but we were curious about her history.
To that end, we’ve consulted the maesters and spoken to the great historians of the land to bring you everything you could possibly want to know about Meleys, both in the fantasy series and George RR Marin’s books. We’ve even taken a look to the future to see what fate awaits Rhaenys and Meleys.
Who is Meleys the Red Queen?
Meleys is a lithe scarlet she-dragon who became known as the Red Queen for the colour of her scales. In her prime, Meleys was thought to be the fastest dragon in the Seven Kingdoms, even outpacing smaller dragons like Arrax and Syrax, but as she grew older, the dragon slowed down due to laziness.
Meleys early life explained
The exact year of Meleys birth is unknown, but her sheer size and power suggest she’s an ancient dragon, perhaps even born from Balerion, Vhagar, or Meraxes, the dragons Aegon the Conqueror brought with him to Westeros.
We do know that she spent a number of years living in the Dragon Pit without a rider. That is until Princess Alyssa Targaryen, the mother of King Viserys Targaryen and Daemon Targaryen, claimed her as her personal mount.
Alyssa loved flying on Meleys and would reportedly take her sons up on her dragon when they were just babies. Unfortunately, just a few years after bonding with Meleys, Alyssa passed away in childbirth, leaving her dragon without a rider.
Meleys spent many years without a companion, presumably living in the Dragon Pit, until a young Rhaenys claimed her. The pair presumably went on many adventures, and it’s said that Rhaeny’s insisted that she ride Meleys to her own wedding to Corlys Velaryon.
Meleys in The Dance of the Dragon
We see during the TV series House of the Dragon that Alicent and the Greens attempted to keep Rhaenys and Meleys prisoner following the death of Viserys, but she managed to escape. When reunited with Meleys, the pair made a dramatic escape from King’s Landing coming face to face with the newly crowned King Aegon II in the process.
Flying to Dragonstone, Rhaenys warned Rhaenyra of the Green’s treachery, and so Rhaenys, Meleys, and the Velaryon’s navy joined the Blacks. Meleys was a powerful ally for the Blacks, and she and Rhaneys were called to the front lines of the war.
Unfortunately, Meleys and Rhaenys wouldn’t live to see peace again. In the first year of the war, Meleys and Rhaneys took part in the battle of Rook’s Rest, where Prince Aemond attacked them on Vhagar and King Aegon II on his dragon Sunfyre.
While Meleys was able to wound Sunfyre, she was no match for Vhagar, and the three dragons crashed to the ground. Meleys was killed in the fall, along with Rhaenys. Still, the pair did manage to strike one final blow on the Greens. Aegon was left seriously wounded following the battle at Rook’s Rest and never again took to battle.
If you love the Seven Kingdoms, check out our guide to the best House of the Dragon characters, or we’ve got deep dives on Daemon Targaryen, Larys Strong, Ser Criston Cole, Alicent Hightower, Rhaenyra Targaryen, Otto Hightower, and The White Worm, the major players in the Dance of the Dragons.
We also have an article all about House of the Dragons season 2, and we’ve even looked into the possibility of Game of Thrones season 9 (No, Daenerys Targaryen won’t return). Finally, check out our feature breaking down where the Game of Thrones cast is now.
Our sister site Wargamer also has a guide to the best Game of Thrones board games if you want to play this deadly political game for yourself.