In an exciting penultimate episode, House of the Dragon drove fans crazy by confirming what many imagined, but which surprised the unprepared: the confirmation that Hugh Hammer (Kieran Bew) is the illegitimate son of a Targaryen princess: Saera. Many bet that she could be the mother of the loudmouth Ulf (Tom Bennett), but we still have to confirm the origin. The fact is that Targaryen bastards can tame dragons, something that – sorry! – Rhaenyra’s children had already proven to be possible.

I’ll talk about the episode separately, here’s the biggest revelation of The Red Sowing: the renegade and almost forgotten princess of the saga, Saera Targaryen, daughter of Jaehaerys I and Alysanne Targaryen, who defied customs and expectations, and who left behind life at Court to live a hedonistic and tragic existence is Hugh’s mother.

Known for her rebellious spirit and behavior considered scandalous by the standards of the time, Saera had several love affairs and, when her parents found out, she was punished, but she escaped and went to live in Lys, one of the Free Cities, where she lived the rest of her life as a courtesan and eventually became an influential figure.

Saera’s story highlights themes such as rebellion against social conventions and the consequences of personal choices. She is often seen as a tragic and complex character, reflecting the conflicts between duty, desire and personal identity. And now, mother of Hugh Hammer.

Aunt of Daemon and Viserys, Saera never accepted the rules imposed on women

Known as beautiful, brave and intelligent, Saera was destined to have noble children and live in the shadow of men, but, quick, witty, tempestuous, demanding and, above all, disobedient, she refused to fulfill her role. She wanted to be the center of attention and knew how to stay in the spotlight.

With special charm, she manipulated everyone around her, especially her father, Jaehaerys, only having no effect on her mother, Queen Alysanne. Saera was never or would be in the line of succession, but she had fun with her brothers Aemon (father of Rhaenys (Eve Best)) and Baelon (father of Viserys (Paddy Considine) and Daemon (Matt Smith)), and was hated by her sisters.

Part of her problem, the books say, was wanting to be the only daughter and being the ninth, dealing with six living brothers. She was what we would call “a pest”: always up to mischief, whether with her sisters or with the guards or the kitchen staff. Her “mischief” quickly turned into more serious problems when, at the age of 12, she was often drunk and causing trouble.

For a brief moment, she was considered a potential bride for her brother Vaegon, but her plans did not go ahead. One thing she knew from the age of 14: she wanted to be Queen. The problem was that she also fell in love easily and from the age of 15 she began collecting lovers, noble and otherwise.

The breakup and the escape to Lys

She chose three favorites: Jonah Mooton, the heir of Maidenpool, Roy Connington, the Lord of Griffin’s Roost, and Ser Braxton Beesbury, the heir of Honeyholt, in addition to always being with her friends. For Jaehaerys, Saera could marry any of his favorites, but Alysanne knew that their friendship was not platonic and expressed concern for her daughter. Mothers are never wrong…

Confronted about her honor, Saera confessed to having been intimate with all three men, but did not know which one to marry, wanting to adopt polygamy, she said, following the example of Aegon the Conqueror and Maegor the Cruel, much to her father’s despair and fury.

While she was being punished, Saera tried to steal a dragon and escape, but was discovered and isolated in a tower where she watched her friends being tried and punished, with Ser Braxton Beesbury requesting a trial by combat, where he faced King Jaehaerys himself and was killed, with Saera forced to watch from the window of her cell.

Desperate, the kings thought religion might help, and Saera was sent to Oldtown, where she would become a novice with the silent sisters. For over a year, the princess underwent harsh treatment that included cold baths, thick woolen robes, and a shaved head, in addition to being beaten when she was disobedient. Unsurprisingly, she fled, never to return.

Finding no understanding or support from her parents, Saera left the Seven Kingdoms and went to Lys, in the Free Cities. With no other option, she immediately turned to prostitution to survive, and the news left both Jaehaerys and Alysanne devastated. The King considered his daughter’s choice a betrayal and is said to have never been the same. The Targaryens broke off contact with the princess, but her mother always kept her informed, without ever being able to convince her husband to forgive her.

Powerful and independent: Saera was “erased” from history

Saera never searched for her parents. She stayed in Lys and eventually moved to Volantis, where she became the owner of a famous pleasure house.

Saera had three children and at the Great Council in 101 AC, which opened House of the Dragon, they came to present themselves as candidates for the succession. This did not happen in the series or we would have already met Hugh Hammer.

In the book, George R. R. Martin explains that Saera’s bastard children had different fathers, each fathered by a lover, one of whom was a Triarch of Volantis. At the time of the council, Saera did not make her own claim because, as the book says, she had “her own kingdom” in Volantis, with one of her sons looking very much like Jaehaerys.

A good connection to House of the Dragon
The decision to make Hugh Hammer one of Sa

Also in the book, it is clear that Jaehaerys had Saera as his favorite because before he died he mistook Alicent Hightower for her, showing his frustration and longing for his daughter’s bastards brings a deeper and more interesting context to his betrayal later on. The changes in the series had already placed him in King’s Landing and given him a family in need, driving him to despair and providing the dimension of Hugh’s personal pain as the seed of his wavering loyalty.

When, later on, he calls himself “Lord Hammer” and starts to believe he deserves more, we will have another perspective because he is the son of a Targaryen princess, it will not be exactly an unfounded delusion. And for now, it is ironic that the dragon tamed by Hugh – Vermithor – is precisely the dragon of his grandfather, Jaehaerys. More ‘proof’ that he is telling the truth and that somehow, Saera will have her path “avenged”.

And Ulf? Was he really the son of Baelon Targaryen as he says?

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