We open, as we must, with stirring reactions to the events oflast weeks episode.
Corlys and Rhaenyra separately express silent moments of grief.
The loss of Rhaenys is heavily felt.
Olivia Cooke as Alicent on House of the Dragon. Photo: Ollie Upton/HBO
Dont they realize we won the battle?
Youve seen no more battles than I have, she reminds him.
And in truth, nobody in the room knows what the hell to do next, other than argue.
Photo: Theo Whiteman/HBO
Certain absences (the late Rhaenys, along with Corlys and Daemon) are pointedly felt.
But Daemon, for once, isnt wandering around a hulking old castle sipping witchy potions at the moment.
You have no choice but to submit!
Photo: Theo Whiteman/HBO
They dont get into specifics, but as we all know, Daemon recently engineeredthe murder of a toddler.
I havehunting houndsthat are more fearsome, Lady Arryn sneers.
Rhaena does her best to hold her own in this exchange, but shes in over her head.
Photo: Ollie Upton/HBO
(This is the only scene in the Eyrie in this episode; its brief, but telling.)
Rhaenyra, meanwhile, turns to her wisest advisor: Mysaria.
Of her Small Council, she says, they speakaroundme, not to me.
Photo: Ollie Upton/HBO
But she admits to her weaknesses.
They are afraid, she tells Rhaenyra.
The king has fallen.
Photo: Ollie Upton/HBO
They whisper to each other that when Viserys lived, there was peace.
There is more than one way to fight a war.
Might Daemon be willing to, ah, ask Queen Rhaenyra to chip in?
Photo: Theo Whiteman/HBO
Then, he instructs Ser Simon to address him as My King rather than Your Grace.
Not King Consort, but King.
Seems like those royal delusions are really starting to fester, arent they?
Hes done all he can do, and the kings fate lies with the gods now.
The time has come to name a Regent to rule in Aegons place.
And if looks could kill, hed drop dead from Alicents glare.
We agree, frankly.
Aemonds in charge now, everybody!)
has ordered the gates to Kings Landing closed and locked.
Nobody in, nobody out.
Martin was so fond of!)
when Alicent corners him.
A dragon rider should lead us.
(She also snaps at him not to address her so casually, using her first name.
Also, quite frankly, everyones deathly afraid of Vhagar.
He also tries to bargain with them, asking what they want in return for their support.
Turns out they want Harrenhal.
The timing cant be coincidental as Alys saunters by for a chat.
(Now we get an idea of what Willem Blackwood meant by everyone has a weakness.)
This is not war, Alys says.
These are crimes against the innocent that any upright man would repudiate.
The scene ends as Ser Simon enters and tells Daemon that the Brackens have yielded to the Blackwoods.
She has a message from Rhaenyra: shed like him to serve as Hand of the Queen.
I will see Rhaenyra ascend the Iron Throne as Rhaenys wished.
As Rhaenys herself should have, Baela says.
Impressed, he offers to make Baela his heir, but she says its not for her.
I am blood and fire, she says.
Driftmark must pass to salt and sea.
He would not dare!
Ser Alfred responds in shock.
Have you known Daemon to lack in daring?
is her perfectly weary response.
Speaking of, Daemon is deep asleep when hes interrupted yet again by Ser Simon with urgent business.
The River Lords have arrived amid a violent rainstorm and are demanding an audience.
Daemon protests that wasnt his doing, but the River Lords are through with him.
They storm out, declaring dragon or no, we shall not raise our banners for a tyrant.
At the gates of Kings Landing, Rhaenyras maid begs to be let inside.
She has an errand to run for Mysaria, and a sympathetic guard lets her through.
Theres Corlys, deep in thought, considering what to do about Rhaenyras Hand of the Queen offer.
She asks, Was it worth the price?
Then we come to Rhaenyra, engrossed in a stack of history books.
Jace appears with the news that the Freys want Harrenhal as payment for joining Team Black.
Shes still upsetbut not at Jace.
The talk then turns to an absolutely crucial step in winning the war: neutralizing Vhagar.
I need dragons, she tells her son.
Not just anybody can hop on a dragon; they have to have the right kind of blood.
Then Jace has another idea: what about all those Targaryen-adjacent folks out there?
Those who married into other noble houses, their children born with other names?
Its a mad thought, she says.
But is there any other solution?
New episodes ofHouse of the Dragonarrive Sundays on HBO and Max.
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