As the premiere season of HBO's House of the Dragon prepares to draw to a close, the tension between the Greens and the Blacks has never been higher. The Targaryen-centered series has introduced a new generation of dragons and their riders, and the conflicts that plague them. Joining these characters is an impressive number of Targaryens and non-Targaryens alike, whose questionable actions have been excused by some viewers. Despite the good nature of some characters, some have found themselves aligned with those who fail to share their values.
Among the extensive list of characters introduced by House of the Dragon thus far, is Princess Helaena Targaryen (Phia Saban). Helaena is the only daughter of Queen Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) and King Viserys I Targaryen (Paddy Considine). As the daughter of Alicent and Viserys, Helaena has found herself caught in the hopes of her mother and grandfather's ambition that seeks to put her brother and husband Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney) on the Iron Throne. Despite the cunning nature of her family, Helaena has proven that she is the best member of Team Green.
Where Viserys has tried to prove himself as a thoughtful and considerate man, Alicent has been shown to have a far more political set of arrangements. Neither Aegon nor Helaena had any desire to rule, and yet the crown has now been pushed upon them both. As difficult as it can be to name a dark horse on Team Green, Helaena is certainly the most undervalued. However, her premonitions could be useful to the Greens if any of them paid attention to Helaena long enough to hear what it is she has to say. Regardless of how other members of Team Green view her, Helaena is morally the best character on their side.
Helaena was first met in episode six, "The Princess and the Queen," shortly after Aemond had been mocked by his cousins and older brother regarding his lack of commitment to a dragon. In this episode, Helaena is introduced alongside her own attachment to bugs and creatures. She is heard muttering to herself, and it quickly becomes a habit of significance. It is also a habit that makes her the subject of Aegon's profound mockery, though it arguably makes Helaena one of Team Green's most profound assets.
In "The Princess and the Queen," Aemond tells Alicent that his cousins and older brother have mocked his lack of a dragon by presenting him with a pig with wings. During this exchange, Helaena continues to admire the bug in her grasp, acknowledging that "the last ring has no legs at all." This is the first of Helaena's prophecies and the only one that has yet to come to fruition. However, Helaena's words appear to foreshadow Aegon II's loss of his legs during the Dance of the Dragons. As Alicent coaxes Aemond by insisting he'll have a dragon someday, Helaena remarks, "he'll have to close an eye."
Unlike the prophecy regarding the loss of legs, Helaena's remark that Aemond will have to lose an eye foreshadows the fight between himself, Jacearys and Lucerys Velaryon, and Rhaena and Baela, over his claiming of Vhagar in "Driftmark." The fight between the five Targaryen-blooded children leaves Aemond one eye short, fulfilling Helaena's words. Aemond unintentionally acknowledges this, admitting that Alicent shouldn't be so upset about his loss of an eye, as he has gained a formidable dragon in return.
"Driftmark" features Evie Allen's second and final performance as young Helaena, and she makes another significant observation for the series prior to her departure. At Lady Laena's funeral, Helaena is seen doting over a spider, much to Aegon's disgust and amusement. Helaena chants, "Hands turn loom; spool of green, spool of black; dragons of flesh weaving dragons of thread," over and over. The spools of green and black refer to Team Green and Team Black, who will battle one another throughout House of the Dragon. Team Green consists of the Hightowers and those allied to Aegon II, including Helaena. On the other hand, the Blacks refer to those loyal to Princess Rhaenyra. Helaena's language in this particular prophecy is striking, as is her apparent action to crush the spider. The harsh decision to kill the spider may be a reference in itself to the fate and treacherous decisions that await Helaena's character; however, the mere tension between the two teams has already begun to take form.
"The Green Council" (episode 9) saw a frantic Helaena warn the others of a "beast beneath the boards." While "The Green Council" ended with Rhaenys Targaryen triumphantly crashing Aegon II's coronation atop Melys by bursting through the floor, this wasn't the first time this prophecy had been made. In the episode prior, "The Lord of the Tides," Helaena muttered to "beware the beast beneath the boards" while sitting at the dinner table alongside the other members of her family. It doesn't take long for the dinner to grow incredibly tense following the antics of her brothers and cousins, but her warning remains the same.
The pay-off for Helaena's warning doesn't appear to arrive until the very end of "The Green Council" when Rhaenys crashes Aegon's coronation. For Helaena to first mention it during another round of bickering between her brothers and other members of the family, it is undoubtedly fitting for a literal beast to be unleashed during a crowning moment for her family, that will ultimately wage war among them. However, Helaena's premonition could also be taken in a far more metaphorical sense in reference to her father's death and the beast of power that will swallow them all following his departure.
House of the Dragon is now streaming on HBO Max.