House of the Dragon may have confirmed Helaena's pregnancy in its latest episode, but it still hasn't answered the one big question: who is the father of the unborn baby? Here's what fans have to say.

Everything ahead is a spoiler for those who haven't been following the show. Proceed at your risk.

The first hint at Helaena's pregnancy comes in Episode four of Season three, when Helaena's mother, dowager queen Alicent Hightower tries to help her adjust her robe, but the princess prevents her mother from getting a proper look at her stomach. By the fifth and latest episode, her pregnancy is confirmed, and it becomes clear that Helaena is resolved to keep the baby. But with no indication of who the father is, many fan theories have been on the rise.

This unexpected pregnancy took the viewers back to a now deleted blog from 2024 by George RR Martin, the author of Fire and Blood (the book on which the show is based). In Fire \& Blood, Helaena and her older-brother-turned-husband Aegon had a third child, Prince Maelon, and many book readers immediately assumed the show was bringing him back into the story.

Going by the books, this pregnancy could mark a delayed introduction to this character. Since King Aegon was Maelon’s father as per the book, viewers who had read the book believed it is him, the king currently on-the-run, to be the father of the child. Martin’s blog expressed dislike for its show adaptation's direction, as removing the toddler essentially also meant erasing the direct impact that his presence brought to the plot. The Prince was already around two years old by the start of the civil war, and had a pivotal role in shaping political and emotional events in the book.

You might be wondering how this would have been possible, considering Aegon tells Matthew Needham’s character Larys that a necessary part of his genitals is “destroyed” as a result of the Battle of Rook's Rest. The timeline, however, makes complete sense because seasons two and three do not have major time jumps, unlike season one.

Season three, episode four mentioned that Aegon was crowned "some months ago," implying that less than a year has passed since his coronation. This means Aegon and Helaena could have conceived before he left for the battle in Season two Episode four, making him the most likely father.

Here’s what is interesting: Some fans believe that Aemond Targaryen, Helaena’s younger brother, could also be the father. There has been a lot of online conjecture that Helaena’s relationship with Aemond is more intimate than just siblings. The show’s director, Geeta Patel, weighed in on this in an interview with TV Insider in 2024, stating, “Helaena was the one person that Aemond felt connected to, that could actually tame the beast that was Aemond.” His soft spot for Helaena as well as bitter rivalry with Aegon both fuel this theory.

However, Helaena is shown to keep the identity of the child's father to herself so far, and so it is hard to believe that she would have willingly ever been with anyone besides Aegon. This Helaena-Aemond angle would also thwart the natural progression of events in the show and would, in all likelihood, require much more showtime than left – especially after the Season showed that very awkward kiss scene between Aemond and his mother, Alicent, just three episodes back.

Until the show offers a definitive answer, fan theories will probably continue to circulate. Based on the evidence currently available, as well as the events of Fire \& Blood, Aegon II remains the most likely father of Helaena's unborn child.

Other questions also simultaneously surface: Will she go through with the pregnancy despite the danger it poses? How will the Green Queens escape captivity? As the Dance of the Dragons reaches its most devastating chapters, every decision could shape the fate of the war.

Meanwhile, the latest episode saw Rhaenyra, Helaena's half-sister and political rival, take control of King's Landing after taking the city from the Greens. Captive under this new rule, Alicent urges her reluctant daughter to abort the unborn child who could be a threat to Team Black. An injured Aegon remains in hiding as his supporters work to restore him to power. Meanwhile, Aemond's future remains uncertain following his confrontation with his uncle Daemon Targaryen at the Battle Above the Gods Eye.

The third season picks up immediately after the bloody events of Season two, with the Targaryen civil war entering the Dance of the Dragons, one of its most decisive phases. The conflict sees Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen and King Aegon II continue their battle for the Iron Throne, with both sides suffering devastating losses.

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Published On:

Jul 21, 2026 00:05 IST