House of the Dragon episode 4 has extremely uncomfortable sex scene

Their interaction leads to significant consequences – and it’s left us feeling incredibly uneasy.

What happens between Rhaenyra and Daemon in episode 4?

Several years after Daemon was last seen in King’s Landing, having joined Lord Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint) in his fight against the Crabfeeder at the Stepstones, he finally returns, pledging his allegiance to his brother King Viserys I Targaryen (Paddy Considine) as they embrace to the delight of the lords ladies at court.

While chatting to Rhaenyra, he remarks that she’s ‘matured’ over the past few years while noticing she’s wearing the necklace he gave her, as she expresses her disgruntlement over having to deal with a long line of men vying for her hand.

Later on, Rhaenyra goes back to her bedroom to discover a bag filled with clothes, along with a hat to cover her recognisable silver-blonde hair, and a note instructing her how to leave the room through a secret passage without alerting Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel), who’s standing watch.

She meets Daemon, who whisks her outside the gates of the Red Keep to experience what life is like outside the palace walls.

Having watched a play where the audience boo at the prospect of Rhaenyra – a woman – being named the heir by the King, Daemon then takes her to a pleasure house, where he removes her hat, seemingly insinuating that it doesn’t matter if she’s recognised there.

With people in the pleasure house whispering and watching them as they go by, Daemon and Rhaenyra enter what looks like a more private room surrounded by several others, where Daemon explains this is ‘where people come to take what they want’.

Emphasising that having sex is about pleasure for women just as much as it is for men, the pair kiss and Daemon starts removing Rhaenyra’s clothes as he pins her up against the wall.

This scene is juxtaposed with another sex scene, as the Queen, Lady Alicent Hightower (Emily Carey), reluctantly goes to bed with her husband King Viserys after being woken up specifically to fulfil his desire.

However, while Rhaenyra wants to continue, Daemon eventually starts holding back before leaving his niece on her own, with her top undone and her bottoms disappeared.

Rhaenyra leaves the pleasure house to head back to the Keep, but she’s spotted by a young inconspicuous boy, who’s obviously spying on her.

What happens between Rhaenyra and Criston when she returns?

When Rhaenyra gets back to her room, she walks back through the front door right past Ser Criston, much to his surprise.

She manages to coax him into her room, teasing him by taking his helmet away before kissing him.

After initially appearing hesitant, Ser Criston returns Rhaenyra’s advances, as she helps to slowly remove his intricate armour before they have sex.

What are the consequences of Rhaenyra and Daemon’s dalliance?

The boy who saw Rhaenyra leaving the pleasure house informs Ser Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans), the Hand of the King, what happened between Rhaenyra and Daemon, who promptly tells the King what he’s been told.

Viserys insists straight away that the report is a lie, as Alicent goes straight to her former best friend Rhaenyra to ask her face to face if there’s any truth to it.

While Rhaenyra denies begin with Daemon, the Prince doesn’t deny it when he’s confronted by the King in the throne room, claiming that it was better that Rhaenyra’s first sexual experience be with him that ‘some whore’.

Daemon tells Viserys to let him marry Rhaenyra, recalling how their ancestor Aegon Targaryen also had two wives, but Viserys furiously tells him to return to the Vale to his wife.

When Viserys confronts Rhaenyra, she continues to deny the allegation as she’s told by her father that she will marry Laenor Velaryon, the son of the Sea Snake, Lord Corlys, and the Queen Who Never Was, Princess Rhaenys Targaryen (Eve Best).