Diksha Sundriyal
The second season of HBO’s ‘House of the Dragon’ escalates the war between the Blacks and the Greens as each tries to upend the other. Throughout the season, each side tries to make the moves that will give them an upper end, but by the end of the season, the tide seems to have turned in favor of Rhaenyra. Having claimed three more dragons, she finally has the manpower to go against Aemond and Vhagar. Meanwhile, Daemon has finally done what he set out to do. Despite his troubling times within the haunted halls of Harrenhal, he has succeeded in gathering the army he promised Rhaenyra. Meanwhile, the Greens have been mobilizing as well, especially with Tyland Lannister getting help from Essos to attack Corlys Velaryons’ blockade. Even with all this, the war has yet to reach its highest point. The final moments of the Season 2 finale give us a glimpse of what to expect from the next season. SPOILERS AHEAD
Why Does Alicent Make a Deal With Rhaenyra?
One could argue that it all started with Alicent Hightower misinterpreting the dying words of Viserys, but considering how everything was placed, the war would have been inevitable. Even without Alicent’s approval, her father, Otto Hightower, would have made his move. He had enough disgruntled people on his side to launch the coup. Even if that didn’t happen, one or the other lord of Westeros would have found it impossible to honor his house’s fealty to Rhaenyra as Viserys’ heir, and war would have broken out eventually.
At least, this is what Alicent tries to tell Rhaenyra when she surprises her by visiting her at Dragonstone. By this time, Alicent has seen the path of destruction laid down in front of her. After what happened to Aegon, with Aemond taking charge and pushing her out of the small council, Alicent feels entirely powerless. With her father gone, she feels a complete lack of authority. Moreover, Aemond getting more and more unhinged by the day concerns her even more about what is about to happen. Taking a break from King’s Landing, Alicent tries to get some clarity, and she comes to the conclusion that she must leave King’s Landing. She talks about it with Helaena, hoping to convince her to flee to Essos, where they can live out the rest of their days in peace. She becomes even more convinced of this approach when Aemond asks Helaena to ride her dragon into the war with him.
It has also dawned on Alicent that she may have made a mistake by overreaching. She convinces herself that war will happen eventually, but she cannot shirk the role she played in starting the current one. At the same time, she also wants to protect whatever is left of her family, especially her daughter and granddaughter, and ironically, Rhaenyra is the only one she can think of who can ensure that they are safe. In Aemond, Alicent sees nothing but fire and blood, but Rhaenyra has shown restraint time and again, and this convinces Alicent that putting her on the throne is the only way forward.
Alicent arrives in Dragonstone with an offer. With Criston Cole and his army marching to war, Alicent knows that Aemond will join them. This will leave King’s Landing completely unprotected because Sunfyre is out of the picture, and Helaena is not interested in joining the war. Alicent promises Rhaenyra that once Aemond is gone, she will have it arranged that the gates of King’s Landing are opened to her so she can march right in and claim her throne, ending the war. The only thing she wants in return is for her and her children to be given safe passage to Essos.
While the offer seems good enough to Rhaenyra, who never wanted bloodshed, she also points out that she will need to kill Aegon to prove that the war is won. As long as he continues to live, his supporters will not stop, and war will rage. Alicent finds it difficult to digest, but she knows that this is how it should be. Now, she must choose. If she lets Rhaenyra storm King’s Landing, Aegon must die. If she doesn’t do it, war will rage, Aemond will force Helaena to join the war, and she will die. It’s a very “Sophie’s choice” kind of situation she is in, but it is a choice she must make. This is the only way she can salvage anything out of the mess that she feels responsible for.
Why Does Aegon Flee King’s Landing? Where Does He Go?
While Alicent tries to have things her way, unbeknownst to her, other things are already in motion. Larys Strong found himself highly reduced in station when Aemond took over as Prince Regent. While he knew how to worm his way into Aegon’s mind, Aemond is a tougher nut to crack, and Larys prefers not to employ his usual tricks on the one-eyed prince, who already thinks rather low of him. Larys knows that the only way he can get back in power is if Aegon is back on the throne, but he is also scared that Aemond might make his move and kill his brother before Aegon recuperates enough. If that happens, any hope that Larys may have will be erased. All things considered, keeping Aegon alive is the best thing in his interest, and he is ready to do whatever it takes to make them happen.
What works in Larys’ favor is that Aegon knows Aemond is ready to kill him. Aegon never wanted to be king, but Aemond always preferred that power, especially since he gained Vhagar and found himself more powerful than anyone could imagine. He had already burned Aegon at Rook’s Rest, and he hadn’t shown any emotion to convey his guilt or regret on the matter. So, when Larys Strong says that Aemond will definitely kill him, Aegon believes it.
The only way out of this predicament is for Aegon to slip away when no one notices. Aemond is busy burning towns since he found out that Rhaenyra has three more dragons, ridden by common folk, who can stand against him. No one really cares about what is happening with Aegon, and Maester Orwyle is the only one who looks in on him regularly, apart from Larys. If there were ever a time to flee, this would be it. Despite his initial hesitation, Aegon decides that this is the best course of action. He must save himself while Aemond and Rhaenyra fight each other and burn the whole realm to the ground. When they are done, and the war is over, Aegon can return to claim his place. This will ensure his survival and his victory without any blood on his hands.
Unbeknownst to Aegon and Larys, the decision to leave King’s Landing when they still have time will prove fruitful when Rhaenyra eventually takes over. She made it clear to Alicent that she would have Aegon killed when she won. So, it is great timing on Aegon’s part not to be present there when the inevitable happens. Interestingly, he doesn’t bother taking Helaena or his daughter with him. This is probably because Aegon knows that no matter who sits on the throne (Aemond or Rhaenyra), Helaena and her child will not be harmed. It doesn’t make sense to force them to leave when they are not even in danger. Moreover, taking them along would have attracted attention. It would have also required more resources to handle more than one person in hiding, which wouldn’t have been worth it. His leaving would also lighten some of Alicent’s guilt as she will now be able to claim that she had no part in Aegon’s disappearance, keeping her deal with Rhaenyra while being relieved that her son wouldn’t be killed now.
Does Rhaena Claim Sheepstealer?
While the rest of Westeros has been steeped in war, with people claiming dragons and then raining fire on their enemies, one person has been on a journey of her own, with no one knowing what is going on with her. Daemon’s daughter, Rhaena, is the only Targaryen who hasn’t claimed a dragon yet. She tried time and again but failed. Now, because she is a girl without a dragon, no one sees any value in keeping her around. While her sister, Baela, has been given important responsibilities, Rhaena has been kept on the sidelines, sent with Rhaenyra’s children to act as their mother while the war is being fought.
While Rhaena is told that the responsibilities she has been given are very important, she knows that she would most likely have received some other task if she had a dragon. She feels incredibly left out, and this doesn’t sit well with her. If only she had a dragon, she could join the war like others. This desire leads her to do something risky and bold, but also something that might change her role in the war.
When Rhaena is sent to the Vale with Rhaenyra’s kids, she discovers that a dragon lives around the place. Burned carcasses of sheep are discovered, and when enquired, Rhaena is told that this dragon is wild and untameable. To any other person, the description of the dragon would have been a deterrent, but Rhaena is determined to have a dragon. Even if one of the eggs hatches now, it will not do her as well as having a full-fledged dragon who can be taken to war. If Rhaena could tame this dragon, she could return to Dragonstone and fight alongside her family. This leads her to seek out the dragon as she traverses the wilderness of the Vale, looking for the dragon. In the end, she finds it. But will the dragon allow her to claim it?
According to the books, the dragon in question, Sheepstealer, is claimed by a girl named Nettles during the Red Sowing. Like Hugh and Ulf, she is a dragonseed and the only woman to claim a dragon during the Sowing. Nettles plays an important role in the wars fought for Rhaenyra’s claim and also forges a bond with Daemon Targaryen. Some accounts see her as Daemon’s mistress, but according to others, he treats her like a daughter. Later, when Rhaenyra is told about Daemon and Nettles’ affair, the Queen orders Nettles to be executed. However, when the news reaches Daemon, he lets Nettles flee on Sheepstealer, never to be seen again.
Considering that the Red Sowing has already happened and, so far, there has been no mention of Sheepstealer at Dragonstone, it is fair to assume that the writers of ‘House of the Dragon’ have tampered with the events mentioned in the books. If Rhaena is to claim Sheepstealer in the show, it means that Nettles has been removed from the story, and whatever part she played in the story will now be taken over by Rhaena. The decision is quite intuitive regarding the show because it would not make sense to introduce a new character and focus on her when there is already an established character who can explore in depth. It also feels justified, considering that removing Nettles from the picture wouldn’t really make any difference in how the events turn out. At the same time, Hugh and Ulf are necessary because they have more important roles to play in the events to come.
Rhaena actively joining the war wouldn’t just give her a huge boost, but it would also be incredible for her character development and those around her. The show could also go down the line of exploring Rhaena and Daemon’s relationship, which would mirror Daemon and Nettles’ relationship in the version where he saw her as a daughter, which would be much more interesting than seeing him indulge in an affair, causing a rift between him and Rhaenyra, which has already been explored in Season 2. All things considered, it is all but confirmed that Rhaena will ride Sheepstealer into war in the next season of ‘House of the Dragon.’
Where is Otto Hightower?
While Alicent’s misinterpretation of Viserys’ last words may have put the wheels in motion, Otto Hightower had already masterminded the whole thing. Since Aemma’s death and the lack of male heirs for Viserys, Otto had planned to have his house installed on the throne in the form of his grandchildren. But after all the planning and whatnot, when the war actually begins, Otto is thrown into the sidelines by Aegon, who fires him as the Hand of the King, naming Criston Cole in his place.
This happened in the third episode of Season 2, and Otto hasn’t been seen since. The last we knew of his movements was when Alicent advised him to go to Highgarden and get the Reach in control. Since then, there has been no word from the man. No updates of his plans with the Tyrells have been heard, and Alicent mentions that he hasn’t answered any of her letters. Later, Aemond decides to have Otto called back to the council, but there is no sign of him, not even a word. It is at the end of Episode 8 that we discover why he has been MIA for so long. It turns out that he has been held captive, which explains why he hasn’t been answering Alicent’s letters and why he didn’t come to King’s Landing when Aemond called for him.
While we don’t see who has been holding Otto captive, it is clear that this has to do with the unrest going on in the Reach. In an earlier episode, it is mentioned that the Reach is at war because House Beesbury has risen against the Hightowers to avenge the death of Lord Beesbury, who was killed by Criston Cole in the council meeting held immediately after the death of King Viserys. He was the only one who spoke out against the coup and supported Rhaenyra’s claim as heir and had his head smashed into the marble by Cole. The Hightowers tried to keep his death a secret because they knew that it would push his house to rebel against them, and this is exactly what happened.
House Beesbury is a minor noble house in the Reach and was sworn to the Hightowers. For reference, the Reach also hosts notable houses like the Tyrells and the Tarlys. It is also one of Westeros’s wealthiest parts, making it a key location to win over. With the Hightowers placed there, the Reach was secured in all but name, as the noble houses would have raised their banners for Aegon to support the Greens. But then, Lord Beesbury was murdered, and this drove a rift between the houses.
In the book, several houses declare for Rhaenyra, which causes a lot of trouble for the Greens. The second season doesn’t go in-depth when it comes to what’s really going on at the Reach, but the final montage featuring Otto Hightower imprisoned and the Hightowers marching with Daeron Targaryen on his dragon hints the next season will expand upon these problems. It also makes things more interesting for Otto, who, according to the books, is executed at King’s Landing when Rhaenyra takes over. But with him caught up at the Reach, things could turn out differently for him, as minor characters from Hightower house could be removed entirely with Otto playing their parts, making his arc even more significant and, to some point, redeeming in the show.
Read More: House of the Dragon: What Happens to Sunfyre? Is It Dead?
