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The Targaryen family and the Hightower family wage an all-out war for the Iron Throne in the Season 1 finale of HBO‘s House of the Dragon.
Last week’s episode revealed King Viserys (Paddy Considine) has passed away, with Queen Alicent (Olivia Cooke) installing her son Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney) as the new King… despite Viserys naming his daughter Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) as his successor years earlier.
Rhaenys (Eve Best) – The Queen Who Wasn’t – made her presence known at the coronation ceremony with her dragon, while then heading to Dragonstone to tell Rhaenyra what had happened.
War:Â The Targaryen family and the Hightower family wage an all-out war for the Iron Throne in the Season 1 finale of HBO’s House of the Dragon
Dragon:Â Rhaenys (Eve Best) – The Queen Who Wasn’t – made her presence known at the coronation ceremony with her dragon, while then heading to Dragonstone to tell Rhaenyra what had happened
 The episode begins with Rhaenyra finding her son Luke, who asks if the Sea Snake is going to die and he can’t be the new Lord of the Tides.
‘I’ll just ruin everything. I don’t want Driftmark,’ Luke says, but his mother says they don’t choose their destiny.
He says ‘I’m not like you. I’m not so… Perfect,’ though she insists, ‘I am anything but.’
‘My father looked after me and helped to prepare me for my duties. Your mother will do the same for you,’ she says when Lorent Marbrand arrives, saying Princess Rhaenys has just arrived on dragonback.
Rhaenys tells her Viserys is dead and Aegon has been crowned as his successor.
Rhaenyra says, ‘Alicent demanded you declare for Aegon. She did,’ and Rhaenys says, ‘I refused her.’
‘The High Septon crowned Aegon in the Dragonpit. I witnessed it myself just before I fled on Meleys,’ she says.
‘The Greens are coming for you, Rhaenyra. And for your children. You should leave Dragonstone at once,’ though Rhaenyra feels a pain and reveals her baby is coming.
The Maester says she hasn’t completed her term yet but she insists the baby is coming.
Meanwhile, Daemon meets with advisors to fortify Dragonstone against any attack from the Hightowers.Â
Rhaenyra tells her son Jace that Viserys has passed and he asks what will be done about it and she says, ‘Nothing yet.’
‘Whatever claim remains to me, you are now its heir. Naught is to be done but by my command,’ she tells him.
Bartimos Celtigar tells Daemon, ‘A raven flew in this morning. The Sea Snake’s fever has broken, and he has left Evenfall.’
Jace finds Daemon and finds him giving out orders but he says he’ll do no such thing since no action is to be taken.
‘It’s good you’re here, young Prince. You’re needed to patrol the skies on Vermax,’ Daemon says.Â
Daemon says, ‘Summon Ser Steffon. Our Kingsguard are needed on the Dragonmont,’ and tells Jace, ‘Come with me. I’ll show you the true meaning of loyalty.Â
Daemon tells the two Kingsguard members, ‘You swore an oath as knights of the Kingsguard. As do all who wear the white cloak, my Prince. To whom?’
‘So I’m presenting you with a choice. Swear anew your oath to Rhaenyra as your queen… To Prince Jacaerys as the heir to the Iron Throne Or… If you support the usurper, speak it now… And you will have a clean and honorable death. But if you choose treachery, if you swear fealty now only to later turn your cloaks… Know that you will die…’ Daemon sayss
He asks if they will swear fealty to Rhaenyra or not as his dragon looms overhead while Rhaenyra goes into labor… though the child is stillborn.
At the funeral, Jason Lannister arrives and pulls out a crown, stating, ‘I swear towards the queen, with all my strength. I’d give my blood for hers. I shall take no wife, hold no lands, father no children.’
Daemon takes the crown and places it on Rhaenyra’s head, bowing to her and stating,’ My Queen,’ as everyone bows before her.
A fire is lit under the huge map of the Seven Kingdoms, as the Queen arrives to speak with her advisors around the great table.
Daemon talks about defending Dragonstone and what houses are loyal to their cause and they speak of Winterfell.
Rhaenyra turns to Rhaenys, who says her husband Corlys is sailing for Dragonstone, though it’s unclear if he will swear to the Queen.
They speak of the Dragons but Rhaenyra says none of their dragons have been to war before.
The Queen is told that three ships have arrived as they prepare for the worst as Daemon grabs his sword before taking off.
Daemon meets Otto on the bridge, both flanked by several knights, as Otto says he is there on behalf of, ‘Dowager Queen Alicent, mother of King Aegon, Second of His Name, Lord and Protector of the Seven Kingdoms. I’ve been directed to deliver her message only to Princess Rhaenyra.’
He asks where she is as she arrives on her dragon as she says she’s not a princess but the Queen now.
‘King Aegon Targaryen, Second of His Name… In his wisdom and desire for peace, is offering terms,’ Otto says.
‘Acknowledge Aegon as king and swear obeisance before the Iron Throne. In exchange, His Grace will confirm your possession of Dragonstone. It will pass to your trueborn son, Jacaerys, upon your death. Lucerys will be confirmed as the legitimate heir to Driftmark and all the lands and holdings of House Velaryon. Your sons by Prince Daemon will also be given places of high honor at court: Aegon the Younger as the King’s squire, Viserys as his cupbearer. Finally, the King, in his good grace, will pardon any knight or lord who conspired against his ascent,’ Otto says.Â
‘I would rather feed my sons to the dragons than have them carry shields and cups for your drunken, usurper cunt of a king,’ Daemon says.
‘Aegon Targaryen sits the Iron Throne. He wears the Conqueror’s crown, wields the Conqueror’s sword, has the Conqueror’s name. He was anointed by a Septon of the Faith before the eyes of thousands. Every symbol of legitimacy belongs to him. And then there is Stark, Tully, Baratheon. Houses that have also received, and are at present, considering generous terms from their king,’ Otto says.
‘Stark, Tully, and Baratheon all swore to me when King Viserys named me his heir,’ she says.
‘The succession changed the day your father sired a son. I only regret that you and he were the last to see the truth of it. You are no more Hand than Aegon is king. F***ing traitor.
He hands her a drawing, adding, ‘Â Â Queen Alicent has not forgotten the love you once had for each other. No blood need be spilled, so the realm can carry on in peace.’
‘She can have her answer now, stuffed in her father’s mouth along with his withered cock. Let’s end this mummer’s farce. Ser Erryk, bring me Lord Hightower so I may take the pleasure myself,’ Daemon says, raising his sword.
Rhaenyra’s dragon roars and she says, ‘No. King’s Landing will have my answer on the morrow.
Daemon tells Rhaenyra later, ‘It’s no easy thing for a man to be a dragonslayer. But dragons can kill dragons. And have. The simple truth is this: We have more dragons than Aegon. Viserys spoke often of the Valyrian histories. I know them well.’
‘Everything burned. I do not wish to rule over a kingdom of ash and bone,’ she says and someone asks, ‘Are you considering the Hightowers’ terms, Your Grace?’
‘As Queen, what is my true duty to the realm, Lord Bartimos? Ensuring peace and unity? Or that I sit the Iron Throne, no matter the cost?’ she says.
Daemon says, ‘That’s your father talking’ but she says, ‘My father’s dead. And he chose me as his successor… To defend the realm, not cast it headlong into war.Â
‘Well, the enemy have declared war. What are you gonna do about it?’ he says and she tells everyone to, ‘Clear the room.’
She asks Daemon, ‘Does the promise of war excite you?’ and he says, ‘You cannot bend the knee to the Hightowers. They stole your birthright.’
He tells her it’s her duty as queen to crush rebellions and she says, ‘A Song of Ice and Fire. The coming war against the darkness in the North, The Conqueror’s Dream. Viserys shared it with me when he named me heir.’
She is surprised when Daemon starts choking her, adding, ‘My brother… Was a slave to his omens and portents.’
‘Anything to make his feckless reign appear to have purpose. Dreams didn’t make us kings. Dragons did,’ he says while releasing her.
‘He never told you… Did he?’ she asks.
The episode cuts to Corlys (Steve Toussaint) finally back by Rhaenys’ side, as she tells him he abandoned her.
‘Both our children stolen from us. I needed you. Baela and Rhaena needed you, and you abandoned us for more adventure at sea. As has always been your way,’ she says.
‘You were right, Rhaenys. I reached too far. And for nothing. Our pursuit of the Iron Throne… Is at an end. We shall declare for no one. We will retire to High Tide to be content… With our grandchildren,’ he says.
‘Jace, Luke, and Joff are claimants to the throne. Those boys’ll not be safe so long as Aegon is king,’ she says.
Corlys says Rhaenyra, ‘destroys everything she touches,’ but Rhaenys defends her.
‘That “Girl”… Is holding the realm together at present. Every man standing ’round the Painted Table urges her to plunge the realm into war. Rhaenyra’s the only one who’s demonstrated restraint.Â
Corlys arrives to see Rhaenyra, as she tells him, ‘Lord Corlys. It brings much relief to see you hale and healthy again.’
‘I’m very sorry about your father, Princess. He was a good man,’ he says as he mentions she has too few allies to win a war.
‘Your father’s realm… Was one of justice and honor. Our houses are bound by common blood and common cause. This Hightower treason cannot stand. You have the full support of our fleet and house. Your Grace,’ he says.
‘You honor me, Lord Corlys. Princess Rhaenys. But, as I said to my bannermen, I made a promise to my father to hold the realm strong and united. If war’s first stroke is to fall, it will not be by my hand,’ she says.
‘You do not mean to act? Taking caution does not mean standing fast,’ he says but she adds, ‘I wish to know who my allies are before I send them to war.’Â Â
‘The consequence of my… Near-demise in the Stepstones… Is that we now control them. I took care to fully garrison the territory this time. A total blockade of the shipping lanes will be in place in days, if not already. The Triarchy have been routed. The Narrow Sea is ours. If we… Further seal the Gullet, we can cut off all seaborne travel and trade to King’s Landing. I shall take Meleys and patrol the Gullet myself,’ Corlys says.Â
Bartimos adds, ‘When we drain the Narrow Sea, we can surround King’s Landing, lay siege to the Red Keep, and force the Greens’ surrender.
‘If we are to have enough swords to surround King’s Landing, we must first secure the support of Winterfell, the Eyrie, and Storm’s End,’ she says.
Jacaerys adds, ‘We should bear those messages. Dragons can fly faster than ravens and they’re more convincing. Send us.’
Corlys adds, ‘The Prince is right, Your Grace’ as she agrees and adds, ‘Prince Jacaerys will fly north. First to the Eyrie to see my mother’s cousin, the Lady Jeyne Arryn, and then to Winterfell to treat with Lord Cregan Stark for the support of the North. Prince Lucerys will fly south to Storm’s End and treat with Lord Borros Baratheon. We must remind these lords of the oaths they swore. And… The cost of breaking them.’
Rhaenyra is talking with her sons, making them promise not to fight, adding they are messengers, not warriors.
‘You must take no part in any fighting. Swear it to me now under the eyes of the Seven,’ she says, as they both swear to her before taking off on their dragons.
While Viserys had been insistent on Rhaenyra taking the Iron Throne after he was gone, it was his misconstrued death bed speech that lead to Aegon taking the throne.
After naming Rhaenyra as his successor, he told her the secret tale of the Prince Who Was Promised and the rise of the White Walkers, which had been passed down from King to King for centuries.
On his deathbed, Viserys was speaking with Alicent…Â though it seemed that he thought he was actually talking to Rhaenyra.
Insistent:Â While Viserys had been insistent on Rhaenyra taking the Iron Throne after he was gone, it was his misconstrued death bed speech that lead to Aegon taking the throne
When he mentioned Aegon from the story, she assumed he meant that his dying wish was to have Aegon take the Iron Throne, and she made it happen.
Rhaenyra’s new husband/uncle Daemon (Matt Smith) tells Rhaenyra that she cannot ‘bend the knee’ to the Hightowers since they, ‘stole your birthright.’
One of Rhaenyra’s advisors tells her to ‘lay siege to the Red Keep’ as her sons volunteer to head into battle.Â
Stole: Rhaenyra’s new husband/uncle Daemon (Matt Smith) tells Rhaenyra that she cannot ‘bend the knee’ to the Hightowers since they, ‘stole your birthright’
Volunteer:Â One of Rhaenyra’s advisors tells her to ‘lay siege to the Red Keep’ as her sons volunteer to head into battle
House of the Dragon was already renewed for a second season on HBO, though no production details were released quite yet.
The series was created by Ryan Condal and Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin, with Condal and Miguel Sapochnik serving as showrunners.
The show is based on the book of the same name by Martin, which chronicled House Targaryen’s 300-year reign over Westeros.Â
Renewed:Â House of the Dragon was already renewed for a second season on HBO, though no production details were released quite yet
Book:Â The show is based on the book of the same name by Martin, which chronicled House Targaryen’s 300-year reign over Westeros
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