Helaemond

SPOILER WARNING! this article may contain major plot or ending details

Helaemond
GENERAL
Game of Thrones
Character	Helaena Targaryen
Character	Aemond Targaryen
Canonical?	Fanon
Status of Relationship	Siblings Siblings; deceased (books)
IN FANDOM
Type (?)	Het Family
Also Known As	SapphireSpider 🕷️💎
Tropes	• Incest • Brooding Boy, Gentle Girl • Ship Tease • Will They or Won't They? - Audience expected an affair between them in season 2. • Not So Different • Longing Look • Opposites Attract • Sibling Yin-Yang

6 6

Aegon II Targaryen – “You marry her, then.”

Aemond Targaryen – “I would perform my duty, if mother had only betrothed us.”

— Aemond about marrying Helaena in House of the Dragon, Season 1, Episode 7

Helaemond is the het/family ship between Helaena Targaryen and Aemond Targaryen from the Game of Thrones fandom.

Canon

Books

In the book Fire and Blood, Helaena and Aemond are the second and third children of Alicent Hightower and Viserys Targaryen, born one year apart. However, there is no reference in the book to the nature of their relationship. It is noted, however, that they both died on the twenty-second day of the fifth moon of the year 130 AC. In the book The World of Ice and Fire, it is stated that:

“On the twenty-second day of the fifth moon of the year 130 AC, Aemond One-eye and Daemon Targaryen entered their last battle. On that same day, chaos and death seized King’s Landing [...] Queen Helaena then fell to her death, impaled on the spikes surrounding Maegor’s Holdfast—a suicide some said, and others a murder. And that night, the city burned as the Shepherd’s mob marched on the Dragonpit, attempting to slay all the dragons within.”

— The World of Ice and Fire

House of the Dragon (HBO)

Season 1

Episode 6: The Princess and the Queen

After being mocked by his brother, Aegon, and his nephews, Jacaerys and Lucerys, for his lack of a dragon, an annoyed Aemond attempts to steal one of the eggs laid by one of the dragons in the Dragonpit. After being attacked with fire, he is found by the guards and brought to Alicent, who is spending time with Helaena. Helaena glances at an angry Aemond and whispers, "He did it again," suggesting that his behavior of trying to steal eggs is repetitive. When Aemond vents to Alicent about his frustration at not having a dragon and being mocked for that, Alicent comforts him by saying that he will one day have one, to which Helaena unnoticedly mutters, "He'll have to close an eye," prophesying the loss of Aemond's eye.

Episode 7: Driftmark

A young Aemond looks at Helaena while talks with Aegon about marrying her

After Laena's funeral at Driftmark, Helaena is playing on the ground with a spider, absorbed in one of her prophecies. Aemond watches her, along with their brother Aegon, who has by now become her betrothed. The latter complains to Aemond about having to marry Helaena, saying they have nothing in common. Aemond tells him that she is their sister, to which Aegon replies that he should marry her instead. Aemond, unfazed by the idea, replies that he would have performed his duty if only his mother had betrothed them. Aegon scoffs, emphasizing the "if only." Aemond then goes on to explain that their union would strengthen their family and keep their Valyrian blood pure. When Aegon retorts that Helaena is a fool, Aemond replies that she will be Aegon's future queen.

Helaena is present at the altercation after Aemond loses his eye, after claiming Vhagar.

Episode 8: The Lord of The Tides

Aemond and Helaena watch, along with their family, the hearing on Lucerys's legitimacy for her claim to Driftmark. When Vaemond calls Rhaenyra a whore, Aemond smiles, and Helaena gives him a look of disgust.

Aemond looks at Helaena dance with Jacaerys

During dinner, Helaena declares that marriage isn't so bad, since your husband ignores you most of the time. Jacaerys then asks her to dance, to which Aemond looks on in disgust. Helaena enjoys dancing, and Aemond turns his chair to watch her dance with Jacaerys. When Lucerys laughs at Aemond, remembering one of the jokes they played him as a child, Aemond angrily rises and gives a speech highlighting his nephews' "strong" traits, alluding to their Strong blood. Helaena at first smiles and claps, believing it to be genuine praise, but when Jacaerys responds and the fight escalates, she watches from the sidelines with displeasure.

Episode 9: The Green Council

Helaena and Aemond look at each other

When Alicent arrives at the room where Helaena is with her children to look for Aegon, Helaena says he is not there. Then, Alicent tries to talk to her about the death of Viserys, to which Helaena interrupts her with another prophecy. Alicent tries to touch Helaena and she rejects her approach. Then her gaze turns towards the door and her expression changes when she sees Aemond. Both share a look.

Helaena and Aemond during Aegon's coronation

During Aegon's coronation, Helaena, overwhelmed, stands by Aemond's side. When Meleys appears, she grabs Aemond's arm. They both watch the beast rise before them and then depart.

Season 2

Episode 5: Regent

During the night, Aemond watches the Iron Throne when he senses Helaena's presence. When he turns around, she confronts him, asking if it was worth the price.

Episode 8: The Queen Who Ever Was

Outnumbered and desperate, Aemond demands that Helaena go with Dreamfyre into battle, which she refuses. She doesn't want to hurt anyone. Aemond, furious, then tries to force her to go with him, to which Alicent intervenes. Alicent reminds Aemond that Helaena is still queen, to which he confronts Alicent, telling her that it was her weakness that had brought them here, and that they were in more danger than ever. Alicent confronts him, asking if it was danger that made him burn innocent people, and that he now seeks to corrupt his sister, whom he should protect as the gentlest of her lineage. Aemond replies that no one could protect her if she didn't protect herself. Defeated, he decides to leave the room.

Aemond asks Helaena to go with him to Harrenhal

Later, he finds Helaena alone on the balcony and tries to approach her. Aemond, his eyes watering and his tone softer, tells her they share the same blood and therefore have a calling to heed. One her mother could not understand. He asks her to come to Harrenhal with him to attack Daemon and his army, to which Helaena challenges him by asking if if she refuses, he will burn her like her sister Aegon. Aemond, stunned, declares it a lie, and Helaena confesses that she saw everything. Cornered, he tells her that what she is saying is treason, so she tells him that she saw that Aegon will be king again, and that he will die in the Gods Eye. In the end, Aemond, his face pale, tells her that he could have her killed, to which she replies that it would change nothing, and leaves him alone with his eye full of tears.

Quotes

“I would perform my duty, if Mother had only betrothed us.”

— Aemond to Aegon, about marrying Helaena

“He'll has to close an eye.”

— Helaena prophesying Aemond losing an eye

“Sister. We share the same blood, you and I. I know you wish no harm to anyone. But in a time like this, when the good of the realm depends on us... Our mother is not a dragonrider. She cannot understand that you and I have a truer call to heed. Come with me… to Harrenhal?”

— Aemond asking Helaena to go with him to Harrenhal

“[...] and now you seek to corrupt your sister, of all our line, the gentlest and most deserving of your protection.”

— Alicent to Aemond about Helaena

“Was it worth the price?”

— Helaena confronting Aemond

Behind the Scenes

“The issue is that [Helaena] knows [Aemond], and she loves him.”

— Phia Saban, actress of Helaena, for Variety

“I think Aemond is capable of that love.”

— Ewan Mitchell, actor of Aemond Targaryen, when asked about Helaena and Aemond's dynamic during S2

“It just felt like Helaena felt safer with Aemond than she did with Aegon and that they’ve got something, some affinity there.”

— Phia Saban when asked about "Helaemond"

“[Ewan and I] had a strong feeling that they have a sort of connection, or like a knowingness to each other.”

— Phia Saban about Helaena and Aemond

“You know, [Helaena] is so powerful and scary to Aemond and Aemond feels that big. [Pinches fingers together to show how small Aemond actually feels.] He goes to Helaena and he ultimately begs for her to mount Dreamfyre and to join him [...] Aemond is rebuked and Helaena divulges knowledge that, on one hand could make Aemond an enemy, or on the other hand, actually in a way, make Helaena a very valuable ally. You know, that foresight, that power that she possesses. If Aemond, in some way, shape or form, is able to harness that power to see blows coming before they land, that would be quite dangerous. So going into Season 3, I cannot wait to explore that even further. And yeah, I love their relationship. 'Helaemond.' I’m a fan.”

— Ewan Mitchell about Helaena and Aemond during the balcony scene

“She’s saying all these things because she can. I am interested to see where they go because she has a power that nobody else has over him.”

— Geeta Patel, director of season 2 episode 8, about Helaena and Aemond's dynamic

“Helaena is the only person that can really get to Aemond’s heart. He cares about her in a way that breaks through his armor. And he doesn’t have that with anyone else … when [his mother] Alicent interacts with Aemond, he puts his armor on in defense. But Helaena is the only person that can keep him as Aemond, and can see him as the child he is.”

— Geeta Patel for the New York Post

“Aemond is probably the one person in this family that's been more tuned to Helaena.”

— Ryan Condal, showrunner, about Helaena and Aemond

“Aemond shuts everyone out [...] When he sees Helaena she is the one person who stands out; she is the exception.”

— Geeta Patel for The Daily Beast

“Patel says that Aemond’s only acts of compassion of the season are tied to his sister, for whom he may have deeper feelings.”

— TV Insider in conversation with Geeta Patel

Fanon

Since there wasn't much backstory to their relationship in the books, Aemond and Helaena's relationship remained largely unexplored in the fandom until the series aired. After the final episodes aired, the couple began to gain popularity among shippers and general audiences. The performances of Phia Saban (Helaena) and Ewan Mitchell (Aemond) were praised for their subtlety and the implicit chemistry between their characters. Even in short scenes or glances, they managed to convey a potential connection that resonated with the audience.

In contrast to her relationship with their brother Aegon, Aemond seemed more protective and positive toward Helaena and the idea of ​​marrying her. She, likewise, seemed more comfortable with him, and he seemed reassuring to her. An example of this is when, stressed, she tells Alicent about one of her prophecies, to which Alicent proceeds to touch her, and she rejects her. However, she seems to calm down when she sees Aemond enter. Or when she leaned into him during the coronation where she's overwhelmed and touched him after they were attacked by Meleys. This subtlety, and the contrast with her relationship with her brother Aegon, led the public to speculate about the true nature of their relationship.

A theory that became very popular among both the fandom and the general public was that Helaena's children, Jaehaerys and Jaehaera, were actually Aemond's children. This theory became so popular that entertainment media outlets addressed it, even discussing it with the cast.

Their dynamic on-screen also generated a growing interest in the relationship among the fandom, leading to a significant increase in artwork for the ship, as well as a rise in the tag on AO3. To this date, Helaemond is the second most written ship for Helaena, and the third most written for Aemond. There are currently over a thousand works in the Aemond "One-Eye" Targaryen/Helaena Targaryen tag on AO3.

Helaena and Aemond as sun and moon, by @visssenya (X).

Fanon works tend to explore their relationship primarily in the series, delving into the nature of their relationship and exploring different possible dynamics, from works leaning more toward hurt/comfort and fluff, to angst, codependency, and dead dove dynamics. However, there are also works dedicated to their book counterparts.

In the early stages, there were also visual representations where Helaena and Aemond were portrayed as the sun and the moon, respectively, considering their stark contrast —she with her cheerful and warm nature, and he with his gloomy one—, because of the way she was dressed in gold and he in black, and how he orbited around her. This also represents them as integral parts of each other’s lives, with their actions and stories being deeply intertwined.

Fandom

FAN FICTION

Aemond "One-Eye" Targaryen/Helaena Targaryen tag on AO3

Aemond "One-Eye" Targaryen & Helaena Targaryen tag on AO3

TUMBLR

Helaemond tag on Tumblr

Helaemond posts on Tumblr

Helaena x Aemond tag on Tumblr

Helaena x Aemond posts on Tumblr

helaemondedit tag on Tumblr

TWITTER

Helaemond hashtag on Twitter

Helaemond posts on Twitter

@helaemondaily on Twitter

@helaemondfiles on Twitter

@HelaemondLatino on Twitter

@helaemondtheory on Twitter

TIKTOK

Helaemond tag on TikTok

Trivia

• Before starring as Aemond and Helaena in House of the Dragon, Ewan Mitchell and Phia Saban had already shared the screen as uncle and niece in The Last Kingdom.

  

  Official still of Helaena and Aemond during Aegon's coronation.

• In May 2023, Max Nordic posted on their Instagram a still of Helaena and Aemond during the coronation, with the caption "Side by side". The image was accompanied by other canon couples from the show, leading viewers to speculate about whether the show would actually explore that route.
• After interviews with Ewan Mitchell and Phia Saban, the phrase 'Do it for Helaemond' became a well-known slogan among fans.
• In January 2025, HBO posted a still of Helaena and Aemond in the throne room, with the caption, "His ambition before him, his conscience behind him", with his conscience being Helaena.
• In the book Game of Thrones: House of the Dragon [Season 2]: Inside the Dawn of the Targaryen Civil War emphasis is placed on how Helaena and Aemond's costume designs contrast with each other: "In sharp contrast to the soft and ethereal designs McCall crafted for Helaena, the costumes she crafted for [...] Aemond, were sharp and militaristic". This reflects their contrasting personalities and roles within the narrative. This visual distinction serves to emphasize Helaena's delicacy and her more mysterious, mystical, and dreamlike nature, and Aemond's more aggressive and warlike nature.
• Helaemond was officially recognized by HBO as the second ship name following Daemyra.

  

  Gif posted by the official account of Game of Thrones with the tag "Helaemond".

Gallery

Main article: Helaemond/Gallery