Diksha Sundriyal
In the sprawling universe of the world created by George R.R. Martin, every character holds importance in the greater arc of the narrative. It held true for ‘Game of Thrones,’ and the same goes for its sister series, ‘House of the Dragon.’ The HBO series focuses on the civil war that paved the way for the destruction of House Targaryen. The second season opens at a very important juncture, and what makes it even more interesting is the introduction of a couple of new characters who will play important roles in the future. Alyn of Hull and his brother, Addam, are among them. SHOW AND BOOK SPOILERS AHEAD
Addam and Alyn’s Hull Parentage Makes Them Valuable
While most of the conflict in ‘House of the Dragon’ comes from the legitimacy of a succession of the Iron Throne, one can’t ignore the importance that illegitimate children play in all of this. While largely ignored by their fathers, bastard sons were an important plot device in ‘Game of Thrones’ and ‘House of the Dragon’ walking down the same path. In the first season, Rhaenyra Targaryen’s sons were the butt of all the jokes about being illegitimate children, but in the second, we will see the focus shift towards the two illegitimate sons of the Velaryon bloodline.
In the first episode of Season 2, we meet Alyn. The scene has Corlys Velaryon visiting his ships, taking stock of his navy, and thanking Alyn for pulling him from the water and saving his life the last time he was on the sea. There is a visible tension between the two, but the show cleverly foreshadows the future of Alyn as well as the Velaryon bloodline in an interaction between the two. In this scene, Alyn gives a dagger to Corlys, which the latter reveals he had commissioned for Lucerys, the heir to Driftmark. What’s interesting about this scene is all that fate has in store for Alyn and his brother Addam, with a connection to the Velaryon bloodline.
In the books, Addam and Alyn of Hull come into the picture when Jacaerys sends a call to anyone who can claim one of the rogue dragons and join their side in the war. With several unclaimed dragons, scores of people line up in the hopes of changing their destiny in one stroke. A lot of people die in the effort, but Addam of Hull is not one of them. He succeeds in claiming one of the dragons, and interestingly, it is Seasmoke, the dragon of Leanor Velaryon, on whom he lays claim. While Alyn tries to claim another dragon, he doesn’t succeed, but that’s not the end of his story.
What makes matters more interesting is that once Addam claims Seasmoke, Corlys Velaryon asks Rhaenyra to declare Addam and Alyn as the legitimate sons of the Velaryon bloodline. Rumors swirl about their origins. Some claim that they are the illegitimate sons of Laenor, but considering that almost everyone knew about his preference for men, these claims are considered unfounded and not paid much heed to. What makes more sense is for Addam and Alyn to be the illegitimate children of the Sea Snake, Corlys Velaryon, himself. This makes more sense because Corlys had spent many a day at Hull and is more likely to have found himself in the arms of a woman.
The show, too, leans towards Corlys as Addam and Alyn’s father right from the first episode of Season 2, and we see a softness inside him when he talks to Alyn. It feels more pronounced in the aftermath of Luke’s death, Corlys’ remaining heir following his son, Laenor’s death. By now, both his children have died, and only his granddaughters from his daughter, Rhaena, remain in his bloodline. In his situation, it is no surprise that he has turned towards his sons, the only ones left alive, and would look to have them be acknowledged and legitimized, especially if he wishes to keep the Velaryon line going.
Addam and Alyn Hull Have Significant Parts to Play in the Targaryen Civil War
To their credit, Addam and Alyn prove to be incredibly valuable to the Blacks. With Seasmoke as his dragon, Addam adds another powerful dragon to Rhaenyra’s arsenal. He participates in some very important battles, including the siege of King’s Landing, and remains loyal till the very end, even when his loyalty is called into question and he is forced to flee to save his life. While Addam proves himself valuable on the dragon, Alyn remains equally valuable off the dragon. He takes over Driftmark while his brother and Corlys are off fighting. He holds the fort and remains prepared to launch an attack whenever the fleet of Driftmark is called upon.
Like his brother, Alyn remains loyal to Rhaenyra’s cause till the end and establishes himself as a force to be reckoned with even in the aftermath of the Targaryen civil war. In the end, he succeeds Corlys as the Lord of Driftmark and merges with the Targaryen bloodline by marrying Baela Targaryen, but this happens much later. For now, the show focuses on the impending war, and without a doubt, Addam and Alyn are going to prove themselves invaluable to the cause.
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