House of the Dragon S02E05 Ending Explained: Who Does Rhaenyra’s Maid Meet?

After the action-packed fourth episode, things continue to escalate in House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 5, titled “Regent.” With Aegon II horribly burned, the small council makes Aemond the Prince Regent. Daemon’s plans to subdue House Bracken go terribly wrong, and he finds himself facing the ire of many Riverlords and ladies. Meanwhile, as people have begun to die for her cause, Rhaenyra feels frustrated. On Mysaria’s advice, she sends her maid or lady-in-waiting Elinda Massey to King’s Landing on a secret errand.

Here is everything that happens at the end of House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 5.

What happened at the end of House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 5?

Toward the end of episode 5, on Dragonstone, Rhaenyra sends Ser Alfred Broome, one of the biggest critics of her choices despite being a staunch supporter of her cause, to Harrenhal to meet with Daemon and figure out whether the Rogue Prince wishes to raise an army for her or himself. Later, Jacaerys returns after convincing The Freys to join the Blacks, and together, the mother and the son figure out a plan to recruit more dragonriders, which will likely lead to Addam of Hull, Ulf, and Hugh Hammer emerging as dragonseeds.

In Harrenhal, Daemon continues to have vivid and disturbing dreams. In one of them, he sees himself being sexually intimate with his mother, Alyssa, which is a bit too much even for the Targaryens. When the Brackens refuse his join the Blacks despite being threatened with a dragon, Daemon surmises that he needs men like them and tells Willem Blackwood to get creative with his attempts of persuasion. This prompts the Blackwoods, who still pray to the Old Gods, to destroy septs and attack the common people. This, in turn, almost inevitably makes the other Riverlords and ladies angry, and they show up at Harrenhal one night to declare that they will never fight for a tyrant.

Who does Rhaenyra’s maid Elinda meet in House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 5?

Rhaenyra’s maid or lady-in-waiting Elinda Massey secretly goes to King’s Landing to meet Dyana (Maddie Evans), a young woman who first appeared in Season 1 Episode 8. She used to work as a maid in the Red Keep until Aegon II sexually assaulted her. Alicent later has her drink moon tea to avoid pregnancy. In Season 2 Episode 3, Dyana re-emerges as a barmaid at a tavern.

Why Dyana is important in House of the Dragon Season 2?

By sending her most trusted lady-in-waiting to meet with Dyana, Rhaenyra is setting up something significant. This episode underscores how important it is to control the information that reaches the masses during war. The Greens commit a massive blunder by parading Meleys’ head through the streets of King’s Landing. Mysaria points this out to Rhaenyra, noting the unrest it has caused. Moreover, Aemond has ordered to shut down the gates of the capital, further agitating the populace.

In House of the Dragon, Aegon II seems to have some supporters among the people, as he readily agrees to help them while holding court in one of the previous episodes. Given the setting of House of the Dragon, what happened to someone as disenfranchised as Dyana is unlikely to get the people to rise up against the ruling class. However, the Blacks probably hope that when Dyana’s ordeal comes to light, people will become even more aggrieved, and the shimmering unrest will turn into a full-blown rebellion.