Bloodshed is nothing new in the world of House of the Dragon. Characters who are nothing more than pawns in the game of power are often discarded without mercy. One such character could be Laenor Velaryon. In the first season, the character had a mysterious ending after faking his own death to escape the brutal world of politics. 

But did Laenor survive after the events of Season 1 and live in Season 3? The mysterious events of the second season hint at a different ending for Laenor Velaryon's fate.

The fate of Laenor Velaryon, who was married to Rhaenyra Targaryen, is uncertain in season 3 of House of the Dragon. He faked his own death in Season 1 when he pretended to fight his lover, Qarl Correy, in the Hall of Nine. Later, in the absence of a sole witness, Laenor and Qarl placed the body of a servant near a fireplace, allowing everyone to believe that Laenor had been killed.

The two then secretly escaped the Seven Kingdoms and moved away to Essos. Later, Laenor's parents discovered the charred body and believed it was their son's. Although Laenor survived, the events of Season 2 paint a new doubt over his fate through his dragon, Seasmoke.

As fans know, dragons are generally believed to reject a new rider while their previous rider is still alive. This was evident when Rhaenyra attempted to claim Seasmoke for Ser Steffon Darklyn, only for the dragon to burn him to death. However, just days later, Seasmoke emerged from the Dragonpit and chose a new rider, Addam of Hull, who is the illegitimate son of Lord Corlys Velaryon and Laenor's half-brother.

This event raises two intriguing possibilities. One is that Seasmoke, like the rest of Westeros, somehow believed Laenor was dead. The other is far darker, which is that Laenor may not have survived after escaping to Essos. While Season 1 appeared to give Laenor a happier ending than the one in the source material, Season 2 leaves his ultimate fate in mystery. 

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The books, however, offer a far grimmer ending for the Velaryon heir.

Laenor Velaryon's fate is even more shocking and tragic in George R.R. Martin's Fire & Blood. In the book, Laenor gets into a fight with his lover, Ser Qarl Correy, in Spicetown, with several witnesses present. The confrontation escalates into a duel, during which Qarl kills Laenor. He does not appear again in the book. 

House of the Dragon, which showed tragic deaths in season 3, however, took a creative liberty by giving Laenor a more hopeful end in season 1, allowing him to fake his death and escape. At the same time, the darker version of events in Fire & Blood raises questions about whether Rhaenyra Targaryen had any role in orchestrating Laenor's death. While the book provides a definitive end to Laenor's story, it leaves fans debating Rhaenyra's possible involvement.

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What do you think about Laenor's fate in House of the Dragon and the books? Share your take.