‘House of the Dragon’ Star Reveals Rhaenyra and Mysaria Kiss Was Unscripted

House of the Dragon had another surprise in store for fans in its latest episode — and for once, it wasn’t a dramatic death.

In episode 6, titled “Smallfolk,” efforts by Queen Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) to reclaim the Iron Throne took a turn in her favor thanks to the help of Lady Mysaria (Sonoya Mizuno) — who won favor for the deposed royal amid the titular smallfolk in King’s Landing. 

Later in the episode, Mysaria confided in the hopeful queen about her traumatic past, and the pair shared an emotional embrace — that shocked fans by turning into a passionate kiss.

Mizuno opened up to TheWrap following the episode, and admitted that the surprising scene wasn’t initially scripted as it aired.

“It wasn’t scripted as a kiss,” she revealed. “I think it was scripted as … there’s just breath between them or something, and then whatever happens is interrupted.”

The actress said she, D’Arcy and showrunner Ryan Condal talked through the moment over the course of “many conversations” — with D’Arcy ultimately suggesting how the scene could play out differently. It was important to all three to avoid the moment feeling “queer-baity in any sense,” she added.

“Mysaria has told this story, [D’Arcy] felt the instinct to hold her, to comfort her,” Mizuno recalled. “From that, it felt so organic to go into the kiss.”

“I don’t think either of them have been hugged like that in a long time, if not ever,” she added. “I think it was the hug — the intimate vulnerability of that hug — which which morphed into this very tender and passionate kiss, which was quite amazing. I think it’s very thrilling in the moment for both of them.”

While Mizuno noted that things could be complicated for the characters following the kiss — Mysaria has a romantic history with Rhaenyra’s uncle-husband Daemon (Matt Smith) — the actress said she feels the entanglement has actually brought the duo closer together.

“We would kind of discuss it as though it was two women who had the same ex-boyfriend, and they’d be like, ‘Oh, yeah, when he does that thing…'” she noted.

However, fans who hope for more between the two might be disappointed in HotD‘s final two episodes of the season, Mizuno teased — particularly as major moments loom in the war between the Blacks and the Greens.

“What I will say is that there is a huge war brewing so feelings and sexy times aren’t really the priority,” she admitted.

House of the Dragon airs Sundays at 9 p.m. PT/ET on HBO and streaming on Max.

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