Why Did Criston Break Up with Rhaenyra in House of the Dragon? Answered

House of the Dragon, a prequel to HBO’s uber-successful series Game of Thrones, is now streaming its first five episodes on HBO Max. While the prequel can be watched without watching the main show, there are elements that may be confusing to viewers who haven’t seen Game of Thrones. For instance, a question imbued with elements from the main series is why Criston chose to break up with Rhaenyra in House of the Dragon. Well, if you have this question, Twinfinite has the answer for you.

Why Did Criston Break Up with Rhaenyra in House of the Dragon?

There are a few reasons why Criston ended up breaking up with Rhaenyra, but the biggest one has to do with how he had broken his Kingsguard oath of chastity by having sex with the princess. As a member of the Kingsguard, you are not allowed to have any outside distractions as your sole purpose is to protect the King and any family the King wishes you to.

So why does Criston feel the pressure of his oath? It is because Criston does not come from a long line of nobles, so being a member of the Kingsguard is really the only thing he has to his name, something that he feels he has betrayed.

The final nail into the coffin that is Rhaenyra and Criston’s relationship, though, is that the princess is not willing to run away with him and get married. Criston likely views doing so as the only way to restore his integrity with his oath. Thus when Rhaenyra says that she still wants their relationship to be secret, it results in Criston feeling that their relationship has no future as he doesn’t want to be her “whore.”

That is everything you need to know about why Criston broke up with Rhaenyra in House of the Dragon. Twinfinite is the home to numerous coverage on the Game of Thrones prequel, some of which can even be viewed down below.