Phia Saban (Helaena Targaryen) has shared a deeply emotional explanation for why her character chose to hide her pregnancy from her mother Alicent in Season 3.
Quick read:
- Helaena is keeping her pregnancy secret to protect her unborn child
- She doesn’t wanna take the risk of even Alicent knowing
- She is not ready to lose another child to war
I’m sorry but Helaena doesn’t look any more pregnant than Alicent does, which is not at all, so what am I supposed to be looking at?? Her tits? By that logic Baela is carrying as we speak pic.twitter.com/uwmbhnvv0C
— Daenaera (Jacaela’s Version) (@Jacaelaerys) July 13, 2026
A sense of powerlessness
In Inside the Episode, Phia Saban explains Helaena’s decision stems from feeling completely powerless in her own life:
“I think she doesn’t tell Alicent because she feels so powerless in her own life. It’s something that just belongs to her, and that’s extremely sacred to her.”
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After everything she has endured, including the devastating loss of her son Jaehaerys; this pregnancy represents the one thing Helaena can truly call her own. Keeping it secret is her way of protecting the only piece of agency and privacy she has left along with daughter Jaehaera.
Unwilling to sacrifice another child
Saban also highlighted the protective instinct behind Helaena’s choice:
“And also because her son in season two was a casualty of this war, and she’s not willing to sacrifice another child.”
The trauma of losing Jaehaerys has made Helaena fiercely determined not to let the ongoing war claim another of her children. By keeping the pregnancy hidden, she is shielding her unborn baby from the deadly political machinations surrounding the Iron Throne.
An act of self-preservation
This secret adds a profound layer of tragedy to Helaena’s character. While she often seems detached or overwhelmed, her decision to protect her pregnancy shows quiet strength and her maternal instinct. It also creates new tension in her relationship with Alicent and raises the stakes for what will happen when the truth eventually comes out.
