Book readers were surprised to see Maelor MIA but hoped that they’d see him in future seasons. But now Martin has dashed those hopes, confirming that he may “never” appear on the show. “The prince’s birth was no longer just going to be pushed back to season 3. He was never going to be born at all. The younger son of Aegon and Helaena would never appear,” he added.
In the books, Maelor played a crucial role especially during the infamous Blood and Cheese incident. When the former butcher and a rat-catcher enter Queen Helaena’s room, they ask her to choose which son to spare, Maelor or Jaehaerys. She chooses the latter but they kill the other son and tell Maelor that his mother wanted him dead.
This character also played a key role in Helaena’s tragic fate and ascent to madness in the books. Even if Maelor were to appear in the coming seasons, his gruesome death would have been difficult to portray on screen.
When Rhaenyra *book spoiler alert* attacks King’s landing and takes the throne, Maelor is sent away with Rickard Thorne to Oldtown while Helaena’s daughter Jaehara was entrusted with Willis Fell, who took her to the Baratheons. Jaehara reaches the Storm’s End safely but Rickard Throne is discovered as a Kingsuard in a tavern called the Hogs Head.
Despite fighting bravely, he doesn’t make it past the Bitterbridge. After Thorne’s death “Prince Maelor is torn from his arms… and then, sadly, ripped to pieces by the mob fighting over the boy and the huge reward that Rhaenyra has offered for his capture and return,” Martin writes in the book.
House of the Dragon season 1 and 2 are now streaming on Jio Cinema.