House of the Dragon – The Black Queen

By: Kelly Kearney

Viserys is dead and everyone wants his crown but in this week’s season finale, the weight of gold hangs heavy on the Queen’s head. After Aegon II is crowned his father’s successor, Princess Rhaenys delivers the news to the pregnant Rhaenyra, and her reaction and the subsequent losses it creates, unleashes the infamous Dance of the Dragons, and an uncreatin future for the realm.

THE GREENS VS. THE BLACKS

We begin at Dragonstone, where Luke (Elliot Grihault) confides in his mother about not wanting to be the crowned Lord of Driftmark. Princess Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) understands, she wasn’t ready to lead when Viserys (Paddy Considine) chose her to succeed him, but duty is duty, and they are both bound by it. The mother/son chat gets interrupted by Princess Rhaenys (Eve Best), who arrives on dragon back with word about Viserys death and Aegon’s new title. The shocking and heartbreaking news causes Rhaenyra’s baby to kick–reminding her that now is not the time for war. Prince Daemon (Matt Smith) couldn’t disagree more; he is convinced his brother was slain by the Greens to steal his throne away from his wife–the rightful heir. Accordion to Rhaenys, Queen Alicent of the Hightowers (Olivia Cooke) asked for Driftmark to align with her son, and while Rhaenyra can’t believe her friend would do this, Daemon can’t believe Rhaenys passed up the chance to BBQ the whole lot of them. He is filled with rage and vengeance over his brother’s death, but the fact Rhaenys risked their anger to warn them speaks to her loyalty to her cousin, Viserys. “the Greens are coming for you and your children,” she warns them, and while this might not be Driftmark’s battle to fight, alerting Viserys oldest child of what’s coming is what her cousin would’ve wanted. Unfortunately, the bad news winds up sending Rhaenyra into early labor and her husband into vengeful rage.

Daemon, who’s wife says has “gone to madness; gone to plot his war,” gathers his men and loyalists to conscript the dragon keepers and prepare for an imminent attack. In the meantime, Rhaenyra, who is back at the castle sweating through labor pains, informs her oldest sons about the passing of their grandfather and the succession of their useless cousin, Aegon. Jacaerys (Harry Collett) is ready to join his stepfather’s war to defend his mother’s crown but the prince needs to chill his fire now that he’s the heir to the woman with a claim to the throne. This puts his life at risk and his mother warns him to obey her orders and stand down. Later, we see Rhaenyra screaming in pain for her husband; adding to more brutal births and absent husbands on this show. The Prince, is once again, too wrapped up in his battle haze to go to her, and instead, takes Jace to teach him some of the finer points of how to be a leader. Forcing his men by threat of dragon fire to bend the knee to Rhaenyra and her heir, Daemon avoids the horrors going on Inside the castle’s walls to gather his soldiers. Alone and refusing the help of her handmaids, Rhaenyra delivers her own stillbirth and the entire scene is spliced between roaring dragons and blood curdling screams, It ends with a devastated mother rocking her dead fetus close to her chest while her husband leaves her because he has never been one for tears. She is broken as her family wages war for her birthright while her body revolts against her. This is the very thing young Rhaenyra feared when she watched her mother die for her father’s legacy, and now she is burying her own rather than protecting the realm. Later, we see Rhaenyra wrap the fetus in its burial shroud as  Daemon grieves alone on Dragonstone’s beaches.

Like her father did at the start of the season, Rhaenyra says goodbye to her child with a funeral pyre, and all of Dragonstone comes out to grieve along with her– including Rhaenys, who stays to offer the Princess her support. Her change of heart is a far cry from the anger she felt previously over her son, Laenor’s, perceived death. The funeral gets interrupted by Ser Erryk (Elliott Tittensor) who shows up carrying Viserys’ crown. He bends the knee and swears fealty to Queen Rhaenyra–protector of the realm and successor to King Viserys. Daemon places her father’s crown on her head, takes a knee and says “my Queen,” as all of Dragonstone follows his lead and kneels in her honor. Rhaenyra, led by a mix of grief and pride, shares a silent message of understanding as Rhaenys stands but looks impressed with the mother of her grandchildren. It’s a touching moment of acceptance and apologies shared between the queen-who-never-was and the queen-who-should-be.

Dragonstone is lit, quite literally, with flames smoldering beneath the painted table–a place where wars are planned. As Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen–Queen of the Andals and the Rhoyner and the First Men, Lady of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm,  is announced she enters her Black Council room with the applause of her supporters. Her name might be a mouthful but her Black Council has her back; they all meet to talk strategy and what’s to come of her little brother’s announcement out of King’s Landing. Daemon jumps right in to say Dragonstone’s army is small and untrained but the island itself is easy enough to defend. As of last they knew, Rhaenyra had some support from various houses who swore oaths to her father, as well as a few on the fence– like Lord Grover of Riverrun, who might be persuaded to join her side. Daemon is on it, and will offer Riverrun their support in war if Lord Grover agrees to back the Queen. His wife doesn’t look happy about this; she just lost a child and isn’t ready to dive into war and threaten allies but she never voices her opinion, she simply glares at him and he knows she isn’t pleased. Speaking of their side, House Stark is mentioned as one who sticks to oaths, but Rhaenyra thinks they might need to remind Lord Borros Baratheon (Roger Evans) of his father’s promises just in case he’s forgotten.  That’s when Rhaenys announced Driftmark’s support for the Queen, but since Lord Corlys is in a coma, they are at an impasse and have to abstain from the fight for now. It’s also mentioned that the Greens have the Lannisters, who the Targaryens never got along with and could add to their mess. Unless…dragons!

VENGEANCE AND DIVISION VS. FATE AND UNITY

To Daemons count the Targaryen’s have thirteen dragons between themselves, their allies and their offspring, to the Green’s four. There are also three wild dragons that nest on Dragonstone that could find riders if need be. Daemon also has a few eggs cooking just in case they need more dragon back up because he is a man on a mission and itching for war. That might come sooner than he thinks when they get word that The Greens have a ship on their shores. Daemon grabs his sword and meets Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans) at the bridge to get on the island. He brings news from the widowed Queen about the crowning of King Aegon the Conqueror and says he has a message for the princess’ eyes only and requests to see her at once. No problem, she’s the one flying above them on Syrax, screeching at the traitor– which she calls them when she, in her crown, comes face to face with her father’s Hand. Otto offers her a deal: back Aegon, and she and her family will all be welcomed home to court with important positions that sounds a lot like maids to the throne. “I would rather feed my sons to the dragons than have them carry shields and cups for your drunken usurper c*nt of a king,” Daemon responds, so we can guess that’s a no. The fact is, Aegon carries legitimate weight as ruler; he sits on the iron throne while carrying the name and sword of Aegon the Conqueror I. He was also crowned in front of thousands in King’s Landing, which will be hard to erase. Oaths to Viserys or not, Otto says it’s only a matter of time before Houses Stark, Tully, and Baratheon come around to their side. His attitude isn’t appreciated and Queen Rhaenyra rips The Hand’s pin from his lapel and throws it into the sea. He then hands her a message from his daughter and says, “Queen Alicent has not forgotten the love you once had for each other,” and how could she? Everytime she sees Alicent it’s a mix of passion, love, and rage, for who they were and how far from that they have become. Rhaenyra is noticeably shaken as she reads the letter Alicent sent, as Otto makes it known that blood need not be spilled over this. That’s when Daemon jumps the gun and orders the traitor’s head, only stopped by a single roar from Syrax that ends the skirmish because Momma Queen needs time to think.

Back at the castle, Rhaenyra expresses her worries over a dragon war. History has already proven everything will burn and nobody will win but the beasts. She isn’t so sure she wants that as her legacy since her father chose her to unite the Kingdoms, not rule over “ash and bones.”

Daemon disagrees and doubles down after she tells him about their ancestor, Aegon’s dream. Isn’t the prophecy about the North more important than sitting on the Iron Throne? Daemon doesnt thik so and this is what starts to form the crack in the Rhaenyra and Daemon union. With anger he grabs his wife by the throat and almost strangles her in his madness as he tells her it is her duty to vanquish the usurpers and take back her throne. He will not allow his wife to squander the Targaryen’s legacy to go chasing after some silly ancestor’s dream. Sorry, Matt Smith fans, if you had Daemon Targaryen on your fantasy boyfriend list, probably stick a red flag next to his name because this guy is full of them.

THE DANCE OF THE DRAGONS BEGINS

Back to Princess Rhaenys, who watches as her husband, Lord Corlys (Steve Toussaint), wakes up from his coma and realizes his quest for the Iron Throne cost him his children and brother. He tells her he is done obsessing and wants to stay out of this Green-Black business. Rhaenys reminds him their grandsons are the heirs to Rhaenyra’s throne, so they are in it whether he likes it or not. The couple might hold a grudge against the new Queen for what happened to their son, Laenor, and now beheaded brother, Vaemond, but  Rhaenyra has grown on Rhaenys. She tells her husband the Queen is like Viserys– a uniter, whose best trait is restraint while in a room surrounded by blood thirsty men. She is the stable leader that Driftsmrk can count on. So, when the couple arrives at Dragonstone, they give Rhaenyra their support and join her Black Council. Even better, Lord Corlys did not come empty handed. In his last battle he took the Stepstones and control of the Narrow Sea. A trade and travel blockade should stir up the Green’s hornet’s nest, while Rhaenyra unites the houses behind her reign. There is just one problem, she has no plans of attacking King’s Landing! She reminds everyone that she was tasked with uniting the realm, not asking them to needlessly die for her. Instead of forcing their allies to her will, she sends her sons on dragonback to Aryn and Winterfell, as ambassadors of the crown. She makes them promise to keep this peaceful, as Jace is ordered to meet with Lord Cregen Stark to shore up their alliances in the north, and Luke–to the south to meet with Borros Baratheon in Storm’s End. Rhaenys and her dragon, Melyes, will keep watch over the shipping channels and the Gullet, to stop any advances making their way to Dragonstone, once again proving she has truly put their past behind them and is fully supportive of the new Queen.

We follow Luke as he and his dragon, Arrax, fly through the rainy skies of Storm’s End only to be greeted by his least favorite cousin’s dragon, Vhagar, looming over him when he lands. The young Prince tries to keep his cool like his mother made him promise, but after Lord Baratheon makes it clear he’s leaning towards King Aegon–unless Luke knows someone who can marry his daughters, things go from tense to deadly in the matter of seconds. Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) is still holding a grudge over losing his eye so hechallenges Luke in Baratheon’s court to cut out his as proof he wants to move on from their past. Luke manages to get away with both eyes and a no answer from Storm’s End, but doesnt get very far before Vhagar starts chasing him and Arrax though the rainy skies. He deflects the attack once by using his dragon taming skills to control Vhagar, but it is short lived and he is forced to try and out maneuver the massive beast by flying Arrax between the tight corners of the mountainous landscape. Vhagar is too big to follow, and just when Luke thinks he’s lost his cousin and he’s going to make it back to Dragonstone unscathed, the monster’s crushing jaws fly out from the clouds and snaps Luke and and his pipsqueak of a dragon in two! This boy was not ready to be a warrior and now all that’s left of him and Arrax is his shredded cape falling from the sky. Whether or not Aemond meant to kill Luke or just scare him doesn’t matter now, his actions will have deadly consequences that put the Greens directly in the crosshairs of the Black Queen and her fleet of fire breathers. It does not matter if he admits to his part in the killing of Rhaenyra’s son, the boy’s death will ignite the infamous “Dance of the Dragons” resulting in more death than TV fans are probably ready for.

Back at Dragonstone, Queen Rhaenyra finds out about Luke from Daemon in front of her entire Black Council. The woman who said she doesn’t want to rule over “ash and bone” looks like she wants to torch the entire realm out of existence. United in vengeance and fire, there is no prophecy terrifying enough to squelch the rage of a woman who lost her father, two children, and rightful throne, all in one episode. It is time to show Westeros what a Mad Queen can do…  let the dragon wars begin!