Bethany Antonia explains why Baela Targaryen turned down Driftmark

House of the Dragon season 2 episode 5 dealt with grief, loss, and the pain of being alone in this cut-throat world. The war is on the precipice of exploding into something more deadly, and the people of Westeros are trying to cope as best as they can. In the meantime, the Blacks and Greens are facing the consequences of adding dragons into the mix and taking destruction a notch higher.

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Corlys Velaryon offers Driftmark to Baela

Being her eldest granddaughter and one of the only two living relatives, Corlys Velaryon offers the reigns of Driftmark to Baela Targaryen. After the death of Rhaenys, Corlys feels lost and alone. To get his affairs in order, he speaks to Baela and tells her that she is the heir to Driftmark now.

Though she is honored by the gesture, Baela is reluctant to take such a responsibility. Eventually, she declines her grandfather’s proposition. She claims, “Driftmark must pass to salt and sea. I’m blood and fire.”

Baela Targaryen spends her childhood with her grandmother Rhaenys in Driftmark. After her mother kills herself, Baela and Rhaena are left to fend for themselves as their father Daemon neglects them too. With Rhaenys, Baela learns the ways of war and managing an estate. She learns how to be fierce and strong in the face of adversity.

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Why does Baela turn down Driftmark?

Credits: Ollie Upton/HBO

The same brave Baela has the power to deny what most kids dream of. Consequently, actress Bethany Antonia shares the reason behind Baela saying no to Driftmark in House of the Dragon season 2 episode 5. She tells Decider,

“But I think in Baela’s point of view, at this point, it’s kind of like, “You had time to do this and you haven’t. You’ve overlooked us at every opportunity. You’ve never considered Baela or Rhaena for this position.” You know, we’ve seen him almost laugh at the idea of Rhaena being heir to Driftmark. And I don’t think that’s lost on her.”

Moreover, the anger and fiery spirit translate into Baela’s decision not to take up Driftmark. Even with Rhaenyra’s cause, the Black Queen trusts her to venture out alone and stake the land. Therefore, her courageous demeanor takes Corlys by surprise too.

“And I think her way of kind of coping with that was to lean into the fact that she was a Targaryen and she was Laena’s daughter. She was going to honor the memory of Laena in everything that she did. So the idea of now being in charge of his ships and this castle that kind of feels alien to her, is just not one that she likes. Yeah, it felt really powerful to say. She’s passing up on something that everybody would want in their life, and she’s just dedicated to the life that she’s chosen.”

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