House of the Dragon: TV Show vs. Book Differences
8 Ways "House of the Dragon" Puts a Spin on Plot Points From the Book
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Childbirth is dangerous in Westeros, and in both the book and the TV show, Laena Velaryon is one of the victims. Both versions of her story depict it ending mostly the same way: as she tries to give birth to her and Daemon's son, the labour goes wrong. Her son doesn't survive, and after a few days, she dies, too, unable to reach her dragon, Vhagar, for one last ride.
"House of the Dragon" adds a slightly different layer to her death. This time, Laena does reach Vhagar, knowing that she is dying. Instead of dying in childbirth, she fulfils her wish to die a "dragon rider's death" and orders Vhagar to kill her with dragon fire.