House of the Dragon – The Princess and The Queen

By: Kelly Kearney

This week we say goodbye to Milly Alcock (young Rhaenyra) and Emily Carey (young Alicent) as we flash forward a decade from last week’s episode. Slipping seamlessly into the roles is Emma D’Arcy as the older Rhaenyra, Olivia Cooke as her former bestie and current evil stepmother, Queen Alicent. The divide between these two has only grown further over the years and it’s all thanks to that lie Rhaenyra told about her virginity–a lie that has thrice-fold only gotten worse now that Rhaenyra has fulfilled her duties and given birth to three heirs, none of whom resemble their father. We pick up Rhaenyra in labor with her third son; a scene that somehow manages to one-up her mother, Aemma’s deadly cesarean.

SECRETS AND LIES 

It’s been ten years since the time of Rhaenyra and Laenor’s brutal wedding, and the older and a bit rougher around the edges Princess is giving birth to her third son, who bears no resemblance to her husband whatsoever. Before she even passes the afterbirth, she and her husband are summoned to the Keep so the King and Queen can put eyes on the boy Laenor named Joffrey. With a trail of blood leading to and from the Queen’s chambers, Rhaenyra grits her teeth as Laenor (John Macmillan) practically carries her and their baby to meet his grandparents. Alicent, a mother of three herself and still rocking that war banner green wardrobe, knows this child (like its siblings) is not a product of Rhaenyra’s marital bed. In fact, it seems the baby daddy in question is none other than the Hand’s son and Commander of the City Watch, Harwin Strong (Ryan Corr). She makes her suspicions known when she coos over her new step-grandson, only to hand him back to his “father” with hopes the subsequent offspring might one day resemble the Valeryon house. Alicent has mastered the passive-aggressive dig and the only one who seems lost in her accusatory tone is her very poorly aged husband, Viserys (Paddy Considine). After he congratulates his daughter on her new heir, Alicent tries but fails to get Viserys to see that his daughter has shamed him by breaking her vows of marriage, not to mention the deal he struck with Lord Corlys. Royal children born from infidelity are a dark cloud waiting to rain problems down on the Targaryens and Viserys refuses to acknowledge it. In fact, he all but orders his wife to keep her accusations to herself. If this rumor were to take hold, the lives of their family– especially the Princess and her children, would be at risk. Her marriage helped to unite the two oldest houses and strengthen their claim to the Iron Throne and her affair and illegitimate offspring would ruin that. It’s better to stay quiet than to whip a hornet’s nest into a frenzy, and that’s exactly what the truth would do now that there are troubles in the Triarchy again.

Unhappy with her husband’s refusal to see Rhaenyra’s actions as a threat to the throne, Alicent runs off to chirp her anger into the ears of Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel) – her confidant in all things Rhaenyra. He is the perfect person to complain to since he still hasn’t gotten over the Princess choosing the crown over his proposal. His anger shows when he practically spits when hearing the new mother’s name. As much as Viserys wants to ignore the truth about his grandchildren, his wife is determined to bring it to light and her favorite Knight couldn’t agree more. He couldn’t care less about the throne, he is consumed with anger thanks to his bruised ego and wants nothing but the worst for his ex. Talk about the quickest fall from grace in Thrones history! Ser Criston went from a sweet Romeo to villainous jealous Tybalt in one episode! His rage is over the breakup but Alicent’s seems seeped in jealousy for how the Princess managed to get around her arranged marriage when she never could. While she was smiling through the late-night thrusts of an elderly King, her bestie was living outside the confines of marriage, and that truth seems to be the driving force behind her need to out the affair. Well, that and her need to ensure her oldest and bratty son, Aegon (Ty Tenant), ascends his father’s throne. Otto told her to prepare the boy to be King one day, and Alicent never misses an opportunity to remind him of his future.

Speaking of the next generation of royals, we head to the dragon training pit with Rhaenyra’s two oldest sons –Jace (Leo Hart) and Luce (Harvey Sadler) as well as Alicent’s children Aegon and Aemon (Leo Ahston). The lesson of the day is training their dragons to breathe fire on command and for Prince Jace things are going well. Rhaenyra’s oldest son yells out “Dracarys!” and even though he lacks the obvious physical signs of a Targaryen–unlike his very blonde cousins, he has the skills it takes to get the pet to barbeque a lamb. All the children have their own dragon to train except the King’s middle son, Aemon. His egg never hatched and his brother and cousins never miss a chance to remind him of what he’s missing. They even dress up a pig like a dragon and bully the boy to almost tears pushing Aemon to risk his life and wander down inside the dragon’s lair where he is almost scorched to a crisp by a less than welcoming adult dragon. Singed and blackened by the fiery smoke, Aemon interrupts his mother having a very awkward conversation with his naked brother Aegon about his role as their future King. Apparently, the Queen caught her oldest son jerking his Princely member off onto the people below his bedroom window–behavior not exactly befitting of a King. It’s not the lewd behavior that worries her as much as his refusal to understand his position in the line of succession. She worries about making sure he is ready to challenge his aunt for his father’s throne, and whether he realizes it or not, Aegon’s entire existence is a challenge to Rhaenyra. The Kingdom’s support for the future Queen will be divided and she practically pounds that truth into Aegon’s bare chest. In comparison, she is less harsh with Aemon but still reprimands him for letting the other boys bully him into almost getting killed. Alicent has her hands full with these boys, which she seems to prefer over the deeply introspective mind of her daughter, Halaena (Evie Allen).

HOW TO MAKE AN ENTRANCE 

After being exiled from King’s Landing we get an update on Daemon (Matt Smith) and his pregnant dragon-riding wife, Laena (Nanna Blondell). The two are headed to Pentos to discuss what they think is an offer to marry off one of their daughters. Their entrance to the lavish island is epic, as they fly through the air diving and racing through the flames of their dragons. The two know how to make an entrance! At a dinner hosted by Pentos’ Prince Reggio (Dean Nolan), we discover this meeting wasn’t about a child bride but a plea for help, something Daemon’s ancestor, Aegon the Conqueror, gave the people freely. We learn Pentos was an important place for Aegon and Prince Reggio hopes Daemon will feel the same now that the Triarchy made a deal with the Martells in Dorne. An uprising is brewing in the Stepstones which puts Pentos at risk for a pirate sacking. If Daemon and his family were to make Pentos their home and offer up the use of their three dragons (only three because one of the daughters’ eggs never hatched) as protection, then Reggio would give them a beautiful mansion, sprawling grounds, a working vineyard, and all the riches they could dream of. The King of the Narrow sea could live an easy life–just kicking back, riding dragons, making babies, and trying not to think of home. He tells Prince Reggio he will think about it and from his wife’s reaction, we can tell she isn’t interested in calling this place home. It is beyond obvious that something is off with Daemon and not just because he yanks his hand away when his wife tries to hold it; his passion and fire have dulled and for as glorious a dragon rider as his wife is, their marriage also seems to be struggling. After dinner, Daemon tries to smooth things over with Laena by trying to convince her they would have a good life in Pentos, as they would be free to do as they please. They would live and be worshiped like Kings if they gave the people peace of mind during these unsettling times. Paid Kings–that’s the part Laena can’t stomach since they aren’t for hire! The offer cheapens their ranks and royal bloodlines,“we are the blood of old Valyria! We don’t belong here,” she says. Daemon reminds his wife that old Valyria no longer exists so they kind of don’t belong anywhere these days. If that is true then his family might as well stay in the lap of gold and luxury, but doesn’t that mean their baby will be born in Pentos? Laena wants to deliver in her homeland of Driftmark and wants her daughters to be raised there too. She also makes sure he knows that she has no interest in dying as a fat country girl, her death will be one fitting of a dragon rider.  A life that ends in flames.

Back to the Royal Gen-Zers, who we see sword training with their instructor, Ser Criston Cole. Viserys and Lyonel Strong (Gavin Spokes) watch on with pride–talking about the bonds the sparring boys will build once they mature and fight battles together. The playful mood on the mock battlefield turns ferocious when Harwin accuses their instructor of pitting the stronger Aegon against the less-skilled Prince Jace.  The knight doesn’t like to be questioned–not by the man who he knows is Jace’s father so,  the two trade barbs until it spills over into a no-mercy takedown between the Princes. The truth is, Cole doesn’t respect Harwin or his attempts at protecting his son from what he accuses Cole of being neglectful mistreatment. Harwin’s accusations of cruelty rubbed Cole the wrong way and he orders Aegon to attack the young Jace with a no-mercy attitude. Harwin stands in his son’s corner as the fight gets rough almost immediately, with Aegon tossing Jacaerys down and the defeated Prince rage-tackling his older cousin until the lesson stops and a full-on brawl breaks out! The entire moment plays out like the two older men are competing through the boys. Harwin finally puts a stop by snatching Aegon up before he can do any more damage to Jace. Aegon screams like a typically spoiled Prince, “Do you know who I am?” prompting Cole to loudly– loud enough for the King to hear, accuse him of taking a fatherly interest in Jace. Harwin finally loses it with Cole and gets a few good punches in before he’s yanked off the bloody but laughing knight. His outburst–while it was satisfying, did nothing but prove Ser Criston’s point; Harwin is very passionate about a child he has no connection to.

RUMORS CAN DETHRONE A KING

When Rhaenyra hears about what happened in weapons class she goes to talk to Harwin, but instead hides when she overhears his father chastising him for bringing, “shame, treachery, and treason,” to their family name. Harwin plays dumb, but Lyonel reminds him that fathering those children could get them all killed. He disregards his son’s excuses and lies, claiming he is done turning a blind eye to his sins and will be sending him back to their homeland and far away from Rhaenyra. She knows Lyonel Strong is right and the only way to quell these rumors is for her and Laenor to face them together. The picture-perfect family will be a tough sell when she is suffering through swollen breasts waiting for her milk to dry up(yes, the royals use wet nurses) while her drunken husband galivants around King’s Landing with his “friend” Qarl (Arty Froushan). Eventually, the two men come barreling into her chambers cheering about the war in the Stepstones. Now that the Triarchy made a deal with Dorne they are back to waylaying ships and stealing cargo. Laenor is very excited about this. He tells Rhaenyra that Qarl even nabbed a whole bag of sapphires from one pirate and he can’t wait to get back to sea and start fighting. War, he claims, is the change he needs to get over his boredom. Nothing would stir up his excitement more than bedding soldiers after a much-needed bloody battle. He is so in… or is he? With the rumors of infidelity nipping at their heels, Rhaenyra fears if he leaves they will only get worse. Their lives could be in danger and he doesn’t seem to care because he is a warrior and they have needs.  His wife reminds him that a warrior would not leave their post when the waters got rough but didn’t he fulfill his promise to her? They married and produced heirs, when does he get to live his life as he sees fit? Apparently never because she knows duty never ends if you are the Queen’s consort. Realizing she cannot talk sense into Laenor, Rhaenyra is forced to pull rank and order him to stay by her side. He is not happy, but to disobey his wife would be treason.

Back in Pentos where we learn Daemon and his family decided to stay as the paid security for the island. We see the Prince in the library teaching his daughter Baela (Shani Smethurst) about their family’s history. He seems distracted, which is a complaint from his other daughter Rhaena (Eva Ossei-Gerning) when Laena catches her trying to heat up her dragon’s egg hoping to make it hatch. The poor girl has been waiting for eight years for her dragon and with a new sibling on the way she doesn’t want to be the only child without one. Not to mention, she worries Prince Reggio won’t let her stay in Pentos unless she has a dragon she can ride at his service. Her mother tells her to be patient because she didn’t get her dragon until she was 15 years old and now she rides Vhagar– the biggest dragon in the world. All the child needs to do is choose to be a rider and the bond should follow. When Laena says her father would tell her the same, Rhaena fires back that her father avoids her so probably wouldn’t tell her much about dragon bonds. All he does is hide in the library and read about history–he has no time for his family or even sleep. Being exiled from his home and maybe his niece has not bode well for his mental health which is obvious when Laena finds him on the roof of their mansion forcing down the golden liquid that passes for wine in Pentos. She is there to tell him about Rhaenyra’s new baby and mentions how much she misses her brother, Laenor. Daemon shrugs and says he misses the Westerosi wine, but not enough to return home. His wife doesn’t believe him for a second and the two argue a bit about returning to King’s Landing until Laena lets it spill that she knew he never loved her. She says she has made peace with it and seems to love him regardless, but this version of him is unrecognizable to the one she married. A husband who spends his nights in a library reading about legends instead of being one is a pity. He seems to appreciate her honesty. He might not have chosen her to be his wife but they do share a certain level of mutual respect and care and it comes through in this scene.

After realizing her secrets are in danger of being outed, Rhaenyra stands up in a small council meeting and attempts to make peace with her former friend and current stepmother. The tension between the two had spilled over into a discussion on funding a war vs, funding to prevent one in the Stepstones. The two cannot agree on a solution and they are making everyone else at the table uncomfortable. Once again, what is not spoken is heard the loudest between these two, who have more issues with each other than a dwindling war chest. Tired of the back and forth, Alicent calls the meeting to a close and everyone seems relieved but Rhaenyra isn’t finished and stands to apologize to the queen by offering up a union between crowned Prince Jace and Alicent’s daughter, Halaena. It’s a peace offering to ally their two sides of this bickering family and this puts a huge smile on Viserys face. Alicent seems less than thrilled so Rhaenyra also offers Aemon one of the dragon eggs from Joffrey’s clutches. She hopes both gifts are enough to put their issues aside and build back their friendship. Alicent says she will consider it but later tells the King she would give her daughter to the “plain-faced child when I am cold in the grave.” Harsh!

She isn’t the only one in a foul mood after the meeting, Lynoel takes a meeting with the King and attempts to resign as the Hand, but Viserys forbids it when the man refuses to say why. They both know why, but to follow through with the resignation would legitimize the rumors. King Viserys orders Lyonel back to his post after he escorts Harwin home.

VENGEANCE CARVES A PATH TO SUCCESSION

As Harwin and Lyonel settle back into their home, we see Alicent having a secret dinner with Larys Strong (Matthew Needham), who is inspired by the Queen’s anger over his father retaining his role as the Hand. She assumed Harwin’s shameful behavior would open the door to her father’s return to the castle and Larys agrees that his father is compromised. Isn’t her father too? She barks out her indifference towards that fact and says at least Otto would be on her side in the political maneuverings within their castle walls, right now she is on her own. Larys, who by the way, refers to the Queen by her first name, is “Team Making Alicent Happy” at all costs, and concocts a plan that requires the help of three condemned prisoners whose tongues he has cut out to prevent them from talking.

As the episode draws to a close, we head back to Pentos where Laena is struggling through a difficult labor. The baby is breech and the doctor tells Daemon he could cut it out but there is no telling if either will survive it. Daemon struggles to come up with a decision but it doesn’t matter because he married a woman of action. After practically begging her dragon Vhagar to end her suffering, the beast answers her screams of “DRACARYS!” and Daemon watches her die a rider’s death. He failed to get to her in time and now his pregnant wife has been reduced to ashes.

While her uncle is left with three devastated daughters and no idea how to relate to them, his niece also lost her children’s father, Harwin. She has no idea and is all smiles as her family, along with Qarl, decides to also leave King’s Landing for Dragonstone. Her eldest son caught on to the rumors surrounding his parentage and when Harwin said his heartfelt goodbyes, the question of “am I a bastard?” was instantly answered. Instead of dodging looks from everyone in the castle, they will live their lives on the island of her birthright and we can assume with the hopes that Harwin will one day visit. When they eventually arrive at Dragonstone her joy is overshadowed by a voice-over from Larys about children being a parent’s weakness–a fact that is ignored in the name of bloodlines and immortality. His speech takes us to the three released prisoners as they follow Larys’ brother and father home. Later that night while the Strong men sleep, the assassins burn down their home with the men in it. Harwin and Lyonel are dead thanks to Larys, who thought patricide and fratricide was an honorable gift befitting his Queen. Alicent is anything but happy when Larys admits to what he did and how he expects something–someday, from her in return. She is horrified by her friend’s crimes; yes, she wanted her father to return to his role as the Hand, but not at the cost of Lyonel and Harwin’s lives! Larys just added more fuel to the fire that is already smoldering under the reign of King Viserys…Dracarys! Indeed.