House of the Dragon has enthralled audiences once again with its much-anticipated return after an 18-month break. As the series continues to unfold on Sky Atlantic and HBO, fans are eager to uncover the fates of their favourite characters, as originally told in the book series that serves as the foundation for the show.
One character whose ultimate fate has sparked particular interest is Alicent Hightower. In George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood, the novel that details the history behind House of the Dragon, Alicent does not meet a fiery or violent end, as some other characters do. Instead, her demise is marked by sorrow, loss, and eventual illness.
Alicent’s downfall begins when Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen seizes control of King’s Landing. Following her victory, she condemns Alicent’s father, Otto Hightower, for treason. However, rather than ordering the execution of Alicent and her granddaughter Helaena, Rhaenyra decides to imprison them instead.
Although Alicent survives the brutal conflicts of the war, her later years are defined by isolation and despair. Unlike many characters in the world of Westeros, who meet dramatic and often gruesome ends, Alicent’s passing is a quieter tragedy. She is left to spend the remainder of her life confined within a tower cell, mourning the loss of her children. Eventually, she succumbs to Winter Fever, a deadly illness that claims her life.
The book describes her final days in poignant detail, stating that she outlived all of her children and spent her last year in solitude. Her only companions were her septa, the servants who brought her meals, and the guards stationed outside her door.
While Alicent’s story may not have the same dramatic spectacle as some other characters in House of the Dragon, her fate is a tragic reminder of the consequences of power struggles within the Targaryen dynasty. As the series progresses, viewers will no doubt be eager to see how closely the show adheres to this version of events or whether Alicent’s fate will take a different turn on screen.
