DISCLAIMER: The following contains spoilers for George R.R. Martin‘s Fire & Blood and HBO’s House of the Dragon. Proceed at your peril.
“The Princess and the Queen” came and went with a plethora of plot development. Lady Laena (Nanna Blondell) met her demise, going out like a badass dragonrider via Vhagar’s flames. Ser Harwin (Ryan Corr) and Lionel Strong (Gavin Spokes) perished in fires of another sort at Harrenhal. Their kin, Larys Strong (Matthew Needham), orchestrated their deaths.
We bore witness to births, brawls, dragonriding, parentage rumors and tense small council meetings. We also (against our will) watched while a young prince tugged his member atop a window sill in his birthday suit. I felt terrible for the poor King’s Landers going about their day beneath said window sill.
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So, in honor of episode 7, “Driftmark,” arriving this Sunday, I’ve compiled a list of predictions. I’ll reiterate — the night is dark and full of spoilers, especially from Fire & Blood.
Laenor Velaryon’s Death
Yes, folks. Like his sister Lady Laena Velaryon in last week’s episode, Ser Laenor (John MacMillan), Rhaenyra’s (Emma D’Arcy) husband, isn’t long for this world. According to Fire & Blood, Laenor’s lover, Se Qarl Correy (Arty Froushan), stabbed him to death while attending a fair in Spicetown. Spicetown is a town on Driftmark, where our crew will attend Laena’s funeral. Bystanders stated the pair were loudly arguing before they drew their swords.
Unfortunately, Qarl escaped justice, injuring whoever tried to bar him from fleeing. So, what caused the fight? Septon Eustace, one of the voices behind the historical accounts in Fire & Blood, claimed it was a crime of passion. Qarl was envious of Laenor becoming smitten with a new squire. Other accounts believed Daemon (Matt Smith) paid off Qarl to kill Laenor so that he could grow closer to Rhaenyra. Knowing House of the Dragon, they will likely favor the latter theory.
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It sucks that Lord Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint) and Princess Rhaenys (Eve Best) will have to mourn two children consecutively (and simultaneously).
Rhaenyra and Daemon Get Married
This wedding was inevitable, given the chemistry between Rhaenyra and Daemon. Rhaenyra is tenacious in holding fast to her inheritance and solidifying her claim to the Iron Throne. Daemon seeks to etch his name in the annals of Targaryen history. When they wed in Fire & Blood, Viserys (Paddy Considine) and the court were furious. It’ll undoubtedly be fodder for more juicy drama.
I won’t be upset if this prediction doesn’t come to fruition in “Driftmark.” I wanted to add it because this show seems to move through pre-Dance of the Dragon events at a breakneck pace. Notably, the inclusion of Harwin and Lyonel perishing at Harrenhal before Laenor’s death. There’s a good chance we won’t see the wedding until episode 8.
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Aemond Will Lose His Eye (Finally)
Okay, okay — I predicted this one for last week, and it didn’t come true. Am I lazy if I mention this one again? However, the promo for episode 7 hints at Aemond (Leo Ashton) losing his eye. The clip shows Baela (Shani Smethurst) and Rhaena (Eva Ossei-Gerning) revealing someone took Vhagar.
Aemond finds Vhagar and claims her as his dragon, circling above High Tide, the Velaryon ancestral seat, while clinging to her back. When he lands, the Velaryon boys await her — Jace (Leo Hart) and Luke (Harvey Sadler). Joffrey is with them, but since the show de-aged him, we likely won’t see a baby present for the impending fight.
Aemond pokes fun at Rhaenyra’s boys, calling them “the Strongs,” and Luke slashes Aemond across the face, removing his right eye. Thus, Aemond One-Eye rises to Targaryen prominence.
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Alicent and Rhaenyra’s Volatile Confrontation Will Be Over Aemond Losing His Eye
Remember the footage of Alicent (Olivia Cooke) drawing a blade, looking like the personification of rage, while Rhaenyra says, “Now they see you as you are”? Their bitter brawl will stem from Aemond losing his eye. Alicent will accuse Rhaenyra’s boys of disfiguring Aemond’s face, and she’ll demand Luke also lose one of his eyes. Rhaenyra will fire back that what Alicent suggests (the accusation part) is treason.
Even after a decade of simmering hatred, this part of the narrative will be the tipping point for both women—the point of no return. You throw children into the mix, and things will get heated, dancing precariously on the edge of fatality.
Viserys Secures a Betrothal Between Aegon and Helaena
Fun (but predictable) fact: Aegon (Ty Tennant) and Helaena (Evie Allen) eventually wed. Well, perhaps not “fun,” as the Targaryens are an incestuous bunch. Viserys sanctions the union, and the pair get to cranking out heirs. Once Aegon has someone to follow him to the Iron Throne, it puts him on par with Rhaenyra, further solidifying his claim to the Seven Kingdoms.
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The characters are young in the book — Aegon is 15 and Helaena is 13, and she births twins at 14 — so I wouldn’t be surprised if this doesn’t happen until episode 8 or 9 when they’re older on the show.
Alicent Will Travel to Oldtown to Bring Her Father Back to the Red Keep
In the promo for “Driftmark,” Alicent is seen on a ship. I believe she’s traveling to Oldtown to retrieve her father Otto (Rhys Ifans) and bring him back to King’s Landing. It would be awesome to see the Hightower ancestral seat. Larys mentions in last week’s episode that now they can reinstate Otto as Viserys’s Hand of the King, so Alicent feels less alone. Will Viserys be a fan of this choice? Probably not, but Otto does become his Hand again in the book, so this makes sense.
When Rhaenyra and Daemon marry, Viserys may apologize to Otto for ousting him unceremoniously all those years ago.
We’ll See the Beginnings of the Black Council Assembling
There’s one shot in the promo that screams, “black council.” We see Daemon and Rhaenyra standing with Corlys and Rhaenys. Corlys, Rhaenys and Daemon are staunch supporters of Rhaenyra’s claim to the Iron Throne. The black council forms to bolster Rhaenyra amid the Dance of the Dragons, but I wouldn’t be surprised if we see the beginnings of its assembly while Viserys still lives (barely) and breathes. It’s always good to plan!
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Otto Will Push Aegon Toward the Iron Throne
Oh, Otto Hightower — perpetually obsessed with power. I’m basing this prediction on Otto’s plea to Alicent in “We Light the Way” and a brief shot in the promo featuring Otto looking sternly at Aegon. Even as he departed for Oldtown a decade ago, Otto knew if Rhaenyra ascended the Iron Throne, his daughter and grandkids might not remain safe for long. In “The Princess and the Queen,” we see Alicent urge Aegon to accept he’s the true heir of the crown, not his sister.
Otto will further drive home this point, manipulating his grandson into playing dirty for the throne, just as he did while persuading Alicent to pay the grieving Viserys nightly visits in his chambers. There will come a day when Aegon stakes his claim in this fight.
What are your predictions for House of the Dragon’s seventh episode? Sound off in the comments below!
House of the Dragon drops new episodes every Sunday at 9 pm EST on HBO and HBO Max.
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