Ah, the Riverlands.
The land is riddled with bodies, and that quaint windmill is now a burned-out husk.
There is no war so hateful to the gods as a war between kin.
Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) and Baela (Bethany Antonia)Photo: Ollie Upton/HBO
And no war so bloody as a war between dragons.
Alicent could be their last hope to prevent a terrible war.
(In George R.R.
Cole (Fabian Frankel) after reading your opinions about him on social media.Image: Ollie Upton/HBO
Martins text, theyre twins, but shes definitely positioned as the second sibling here.)
As weve seen, no cute little kid is safe in this particular war.
Make this sacrifice willingly, for all of us, Rhaenyra urges her.
Cole (Fabian Frankel) after reading your opinions about him on social media.Image: Ollie Upton/HBO
Whats the endgame here, Ser Simon wonders?
This very droll exchange follows.
Daemon: We march on Kings Landing and take the throne.
That’s “Your Grace” to you. Matt Smith as Daemon.Photo: Ollie Upton/HBO
Ser Simon: The throne?
Daemon: Its a big chair… made of swords.
We are at war, Rhaenys reminds the Sea Snake, and worries that something might happen to him.
Rhaenys (Eve Best) and Corlys (Steve Toussaint)Photo: Ollie Upton/HBO
Hes planning to fly into battle, despite everyone else agreeing its a terrible idea.
As Aegon is taking this in, he makes another impulsive appointment, naming Larys his Master of Whisperers.
In a scene that immerses us in Kings Landing after hours, we meet a new character.
Rhaena (Phoebe Campbell) and Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy)Photo: Theo Whiteman/HBO
We cant read the message, but the word mother definitely appears.
En route to the Riverlands, Cole and Ser Gwayne Hightower continue to not like each other.
Stealth is now the way forward for this armyand no fucking inns, Cole hisses.
King Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney) is the comic relief so far this season, in a truly awful way though.Photo: Ollie Upton/HBO
When Baela reports back to Rhaenyra and her Small Council, again they urge its time to take action.
Past time, really.
He encounters an impossible tableau: young Rhaenyra, played by a returning Milly Alcock.
Alicent (Olivia Cooke), a nice church-going lady.Photo: Theo Whiteman/HBO
Always coming and going, arent you, she sighs at Daemon.
And I have to clean up afterwards.
As the camera comes around we see shes stitching little Jaehaerys Targaryens head onto his neck.
And its quite a powerful moment.
Rhaenyra opens with a memory we all share: the tournament that kicked off in season one.
Men trained for battle are eager to fight, she reminds her old friend.
I know you do not have that desire within you.
But Alicent knows the Dance of the Dragons is past the point of no return.
There are no terms they can come to.
Too much has happened now.
Wrong Aegon, Alicent!
But for Alicent, its too late, no matter how much Rhaenyra protests that theres been a mistake.
Theres been no mistake, Alicent insists.
As Alicent stalks away, Rhaenyra sets her jaw.
Time to go to war.
New episodes of House of the Dragon arrive Sundays on HBO and Max.
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