Crazy New HotD Theory Says Queen Alicent Hightower Is A Targaryen Bastard 

New House of the Dragon theory says Queen Alicent Hightower has Targaryen blood running in her veins. How? Let us explain

By Ishita Chatterjee
November 21,2022
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Team Green vs team Black is the most hotly debated topic on social media ever since House of the Dragon premiered. Alicent Hightower’s rampage against Rhaenyra Targaryen has prompted many to hate her and some to understand where she’s coming from. But a crazy theory can change all of it. If this turns out to be true then Queen Alicent will be a Targaryen herself, thanks to Saera Targaryen.

Theory: Saera Targaryen Is Alicent Hightower’s Mother

Jaehaerys Targaryen
Jaehaerys Targaryen

Saera Targaryen is King Jaehaerys Targaryen and Queen Alysanne Targaryen’s 9th child. In the show it’s said that Jaehaerys’ children, especially his daughters gave him the most trouble, and this might reference Saera the most. She was a problem child who was sent to Oldtown become a Septa (an order of religious women priests) of the Faith of The Seven by the King and the Queen.

This was because she had lost her maidenhood before her marriage and almost stole a dragon to try to escape Westeros when initially her parents had ordered her to be locked up in her room. But she was never one to obey orders and so she escaped from the religious order, reached Lys, and became a pleasure woman while still in the garb of a novice of the faith. This caused a huge scandal in King Jaehaerys’ court and he declared that she had always been a whore.

The King also forbade the Queen from going to Lys on dragonback to bring Saera back as that action could plunge the realm into chaos. So in the eyes of the rulers of Westeros, their daughter was dead. Later on, it was learnt that Saera had moved to Volantis, where she ran her own pleasure house.

When Jaehaerys called The Great Council to decide his successor (that ultimately selected Rhaenyra’s father, Viserys Targaryen as the next King), many of her illegitimate sons came with a claim. But even though Saera’s claim was greater than that of her sons, she never showed up to the Council, claiming that she had own kingdom now.

How Is Saera Targaryen Alicent Hightower’s Mother?

Otto and Alicent Hightower
Otto and Alicent Hightower

In George R.R. Martin’s world, the Targaryens are seen as queer and ethereal with their white hair and purple eyes. The dragonlords have always fascinated the commonfolk and high houses of Westeros. So many wanted to mix their blood with the Targaryens, either legitimately or the illegitimately. And also because they wanted to have a claim to the throne in some way. And this is where the theory starts.

Many think that when Saera Targaryen was fleeing to Lys, Otto Hightower helped her with passage. He then sired a child with her, Alicent Hightower, who he and his now-deceased wife, adopted. This theory is made credible because when King Jaehaerys was on his deathbed, Alicent used to read to him and he mistook her for Saera. So there must be facial resemblance between the two.

Now you might ask- why didn’t Otto Hightower leverage this Targaryen connection immediately? Why did he instead opt to send Alicent to Viserys’ room after Aemma’s death to win him over? It’s because Saera was a disgraced Targaryen princess who became a common prostitute. So if Otto had revealed this connection, Viserys would probably have never married Alicent. And in an extreme situation, Otto and his daughter might have been exiled.

But this theory isn’t totally watertight.

Why This Theory Doesn’t Work

Prince Aemond Targaryen makes his Strong boys speech in House of the Dragon episode 8
Prince Aemond Targaryen makes his Strong boys speech in House of the Dragon episode 8

Nowhere in G.R.R Martin’s books, is it hinted that Otto Hightower had any connection to Saera. So this theory is quite like a fanfiction that’s entirely based on an ‘What if” scenario rather than on factual hints. Also, King Jaehaerys mistaking Alicent Hightower for his daughter Saera might have been because he was losing his mental faculties in his old age. And also because he might be regretting not bringing Saera back.

However, if this theory is indeed true, then it would ultimately be hypocritical of Alicent and her sons to constantly taunt Rhaenyra’s bastard sons. Also, it’s quite possible that Saera is alive during the Dance of the Dragons and might make an appearance if the showrunners want to add more drama into their show.

However, that would be going against what George R.R Martin wrote to create their own canon. And this might make them face the same kind of backlash that the Game of Thrones showrunners faced in the last season of the show. But it will certainly be an interesting twist to see.

What do you think of this theory? Let us know.