DISCLAIMER: The following contains spoilers for George R.R. Martin‘s Fire & Blood and HBO’s House of the Dragon. Proceed at your peril.
It’s hard to believe we’re in the second half of Season 1. It seems only yesterday that young Rhaenyra and Alicent dreamed of riding Syrax across the Narrow Sea while feasting on copious amounts of cake. Last week’s episode marked the end of an era as powerhouse performers Milly Alcock (Rhaenyra) and Emily Carey (Alicent) took their final bow on House of the Dragon, passing the baton to Emma D’Arcy and Olivia Cooke, the older versions of their characters.
Rhaenyra and Alicent’s actors aren’t the only ones changing for episode 6, titled “The Princess and the Queen.” We’ll see an older Laena Velaryon, portrayed by Nanna Blondell, and her brother Ser Laenor, played by John MacMillan. Meanwhile, most of the “adults” from previous episodes will maintain the same performers. Ah, the magic of makeup.
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So, in honor of this changing of the guard between two central figures in Targaryen history, I’ve compiled a list of predictions for Sunday’s episode. I’ll reiterate — the night is dark and full of spoilers, especially from Fire & Blood.
The Strongs
If you recall, Ser Harwin Strong (Ryan Corr) carries a torch for Rhaenyra. We could see the beginning stages of this love in episode 3, “Second of His Name,” during Aegon’s nameday celebration. Then, in last Sunday’s episode, we saw why Harwin is nicknamed “Breakbones” when he slugged everyone standing in his way to deliver Rhaenyra to safety while Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel) brutally murdered Joffrey Lonmouth (Solly McLeod).
In Fire & Blood, a rumor circulates that all three of Rhaenyra’s sons with her husband Laenor aren’t, well, Laenor’s. She gives birth to Jacaerys, Lucerys and Joffrey (named after Laenor’s late lover), but those in court believe they resemble Harwin. They don’t possess the typical physical traits of Targaryens — no white blonde hair, for starters.
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In the episode 6 trailer, we see Alicent confront her husband, King Viserys (Paddy Considine), about the true father of Rhaenyra’s kids. Viserys brushes it off, thinking it too nasty to be believed. When the kids get older and grow alongside Alicent’s sons (Aegon, Aemond and Daeron), a nickname takes root for the Velaryon boys: “The Strongs.”
Aemond One-Eye
Since House of the Dragon aged the younger characters considerably and tossed in a 10-year time jump to kickstart episode 6, it’s safe to say the show’s timeline might differ from Fire & Blood‘s chronology. Certain events might occur sooner or later than readers expect. In “The Princess and the Queen” trailer, we see Aemond stand before a dragon. I’m assuming this is Vhagar since Aemond rides her later. Aemond choosing Vhagar happens directly before a violent altercation with the Velaryon boys.
When the fight escalates, Aemond loses his right eye courtesy of Lucerys slashing a dagger across his face. The prince acquires the nickname “Aemond One-Eye” following that incident.
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Specific events transpire before Aemond loses his eye, so I’m curious to see whether the writers move some things around to accommodate particular plot points.
Betrothals
Now, in the book, Daemon (Matt Smith) and Laena’s twin daughters, Rhaena (Eva Ossei-Gerning) and Baela (Shani Smethurst), are betrothed to Rhaenyra and Laenor’s sons, Jacaerys (Leo Hart) and Lucerys (Harvey Sadler), at two years old. So, while there’s a chance said betrothals already happened off-screen, the show might decide to pair them when they’re a bit older, giving us another glimpse into marriage politics among the Targaryen and Velaryon clans.
The Blacks and the Greens
Remember Alicent’s stunning green gown from “We Light the Way”? It was her raising the banner of war against her former best friend. In the episode 6 trailer, Alicent mentions that Aegon (Ty Tennant) will be king. Last week’s episode saw Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans) depart King’s Landing after Viserys fired him. Before he left, he urged Alicent to prepare Aegon to rule.
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For those unfamiliar, “the Blacks” are supporters of Rhaenyra ascending the Iron Throne, while “the Greens” are supporters of Aegon becoming the next monarch. While these two groupings don’t go full throttle in campaigning for their chosen rulers until after Viserys’s death, we see the seeds of the Dance of the Dragons (or the Dying of the Dragons) planted early on.
I believe, in episode 6, we’ll know where each character stands regarding allegiances. Do they support Rhaenyra, who Viserys selected as his heir, or Aegon, Viserys’s firstborn son?
A Deliciously Wicked Alicent Line to Laenor
This next prediction ties in with “The Strongs,” but it’s such a juicy, catty remark. I love it when TV adaptations pluck dialogue straight from their source material. Game of Thrones did that quite a bit in Season 1. In Fire & Blood, Alicent says to Laenor, “Do keep trying. Soon or late, you may get one who looks like you.” Of course, the debate of the Velaryon princes’ true parentage is a mark in Aegon’s favor, especially if they are Harwin Strong’s sons.
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I expect we’ll get a ton of sick verbal burns (and literal ones because dragons) as Martin has a penchant for literary theatrics, never shying away from the drama of it all. Plus, the Targaryens are the most dramatic family in Westeros, so there’s that.
Generational Hatred
The bitter enmity between Rhaenyra and Alicent trickles down to their children, and Aemond losing his eye to Lucerys is only the beginning. Once the Dance kicks off, it’s blood for blood. An eye for an eye. The limbs of generational hatred take root as the Targaryen and Velaryon boys partake in a searing rivalry. I believe we’ll see the foundation of said rivalry, at least in terms of what’s on camera. Mind you, we’re returning to this narrative after a decade has passed on the show.
The Loathing Between Rhaenyra and Criston Gets Worse
There’s a fine line between love and hate, right? Criston loved Rhaenyra once; he desperately wanted to whisk her away from King’s Landing and marry her. However, Rhaenyra’s duty is to her family and inheritance. Criston joins the Greens, almost instantly switching allegiances from Rhaenyra to Alicent. He then becomes Alicent’s sworn protector. So, he comes to despise Rhaenyra, which contributes to the Dance significantly. I think we’ll see that hatred snowball between them.
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Laena Will Give Birth by the Episode’s End
As you probably noticed in the episode 6 images floating around, Laena Velaryon is pregnant with her third child. Judging by the photo above, she’s due any day now. If you’ve read Fire & Blood, you know what unfolds when Laena goes into labor. Unfortunately, she perishes, along with her son. I’m not a fan of saying goodbye to this character, especially having yet another woman die during childbirth. Really, having any woman die horrifically in this universe.
However, Laena’s death catalyzes a chain of events that play a major part in the Dance. While she might not die by the episode’s end, she might go into labor, and we’ll see what transpires the following week. On the plus side, the show gave Daemon and Laena more years together than Martin did in the book.
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My Wish: Show Us Valyria
Okay, this is a wish, not a prediction. Daemon knew Viserys would disapprove of his marriage to Laena, so the pair essentially honeymooned across the Narrow Sea. Laena rode Vhagar while Daemon flew Caraxes, of course. There’s a rumor in Fire & Blood that the newlyweds flew to Valyria “in defiance of the curse that hung over that smoking wasteland, to search out the secrets of the dragonlords of the old Freehold.” I would love at least one glimpse of Valyria, even if it’s a pile of ash. Just a taste of the Targaryen/Velaryon ancestral homeland.
We’ll see the ramifications of Daemon abandoning his Stepstones kingdom after marrying Laena, as “The Princess and the Queen” trailer opens with the small council discussing more chaos therein.
What are your predictions for House of the Dragon‘s sixth 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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