With each new episode of House of the Dragon, the antipathy between Rhaenyra Targaryen and Alicent Hightower only grows stronger. If at the beginning of the series they were close friends, then by the end of the first season their relationship turned into an open confrontation. There are many factors to blame for this, the main one being the rivalry for power and the throne, as well as personal disagreements about duty and morality.
It all started with the fact that Alicent, having been raised in strict religious traditions, was a supporter of the succession of the throne through the male line, while Rhaenyra, despite her titles, did not agree with these restrictions. When Rhaenyra broke tradition by starting a secret affair with Daemon Targaryen, and then openly marrying Laenor Velaryon, this finally separated them. Alicent felt that Rhaenyra had betrayed all the principles and foundations on which their friendship was built. The moment was especially acute when Rhaenyra claimed her right to the throne, which threatened the ambitions of Alicent and her family.
When the situation turned into an open struggle for the throne, the personal relations of the two heroines deteriorated to the limit. Each of them saw her role in the future of the Targaryens in her own way: Rhaenyra sought power and independence, and Alicent to preserve the status and power of her family through her husband, King Viserys. All this turned into a tragic conflict in which one woman was ready to fight for her place on the throne, and the other ,protect the future of her children.
