House of the Dragon has been teasinga terrible civic warfare in Westerossince the foundations were laid in season one — and now , with House Targaryen bitterly divided , battlesare just over the horizon . This week , in instalment three , “ The Burning Mill , ” we see one last endeavour at reconciliation — as well as the beginnings of a few journeying , a mysterious new character , and some nervous - castle shenanigans .
Ah , the Riverlands . A lieu of dark-green fields , picturesque windmills , and coevals - long feud between adjacent houses , as we see when young knights from House Bracken and House Blackwood get in each other ’s grimace at the border separate their lands . These days , current events are bolstering their wrath : one side ’s fast to Queen Rhaenyra , the other calls her a “ babekiller ” and “ kinslayer ” and takes the side of Team Green . Insults chair to shoving , shoving result to swords , then the scene cuts and we see a full - on struggle has take aim place between the houses . The land is diffuse with bodies , and that quaint windmill is now a burned - out husk .
Speaking of bodies , there ’s a twofold burial happening on Dragonstone : the Cargill counterpart , reunited in their grave accent . As a melancholy Rhaenyra ponders her next move — a furious Jace want to keep the cycles/second of retaliation loss — Rhaenys , who correctly sense that Otto Hightower has been shoved aside and that the blackwash endeavor was the work of “ hot blood , ” sidles in with a suggestion , delivering the sea wolf lines we ’ve get word in House of the Dragon trailers . “ There may be another way : Alicent Hightower … she know war is coming and that it will be feral beyond all comparison , ” Rhaenys says . “ There is no war so hateful to the divinity as a war between kin . And no warfare so bloody as a state of war between dragons . ” Alicent could be their last hope to prevent a atrocious war . Rhaenyra ’s skeptical , but Rhaenys ’ run-in make her think of the raven that came from King ’s Landing bearing a message from her old friend after Luke was killed … which she has yet to read .
Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) and Baela (Bethany Antonia)Photo: Ollie Upton/HBO
Speaking of King ’s landing place , Ser Criston Cole – now Hand of the King , in plus to being Lord Commander of the Kingsguard – is dawdling before a Small Council meeting . When he gets there , warfare is ( unsurprisingly ) the main topic , with Aemond updating everyone about the Bracken - Blackwood engagement , and King Aegon bitchily expect what their next move is . There are many suggestions , to the point where everyone is spill the beans over each other and Alicent talk sharply about the Council ’s deficiency of subject , but Cole opines that the Riverlands are the keystone to winning the state of war , and that Harrenhal is the paint to the Riverlands . He ’ll lead the US Army there himself , he says — this is a guy who really does not want to attend any more of these meetings — with Aemond , but not Vhagar , who is call for on the menage front defending King ’s landing place . “ I ’ll issue forth too , with Sunfyre , ” King Aegon mop up in , an approximation nobody supports ; you get the sensory faculty it ’s part because they want to travel without drawing too much aid ( something a dragon always brings ) , but also because , let ’s face it , nobody wants Aegon in the mixture .
Back on Dragonstone , before a gorgeous sunset scene featuring a lonesome firedrake flapping around in the aloofness , Rhaenyra is hold a confabulation with Mysaria — who , having been collapse her freedom in last workweek ’s episode , wrench back at the last bit when she realize a certain poorly - substance twin had just arrived on the island . Mysaria , who tell she ’s still surprised that Rhaenyra was willing to let her go , would wish a reward : a place in Rhaenyra ’s court . She has valuable selective information about the intimate works of the Red Keep , and no love for the Hightowers ; she ’s also here to urge for the smallfolk , and fancy Rhaenyra is the ruler most likely to show them mercy . “ One crook for another , then , ” Rhaenyra say , and we can see a mutual esteem of sort forming between these two very differently pose cleaning lady .
Inside the rook , we in the end spend more than a few passing second with Rhaena : Daemon ’s daughter , and the younger sister of Baela . ( In George R.R. Martin ’s text , they ’re twins , but she ’s definitely positioned as the 2d sibling here . ) Rhaenyra has a task for her , involving the jr. Targaryens : she ’ll take Joffrey ( Rhaenyra ’s youngest dark - haired son ) and his flying dragon to the Vale , where he ’ll become the ward of Lady Arryn ; then , Rhaena will become the de facto female parent figure for Rhaenyra ’s light-haired tike with Daemon ( Aegon and Viserys , and yes the repeated name are confusing ) , exact them to Pentos for safety . As we ’ve see , no cute little tiddler is safe in this particular state of war . “ Make this sacrifice willingly , for all of us , ” Rhaenyra urges her . Rhaena is n’t glad about it , but if there ’s one thing woman in Westeros jazz about … it ’s making sacrifices .
Cole (Fabian Frankel) after reading your opinions about him on social media.Image: Ollie Upton/HBO
And now , at last , we pick back up with Daemon as he vanish through howling nighttime lead into Harrenhal , the biggest castling in Westeros and also , need we remind you , the spookiest . It ’s also implausibly damp , thanks to all the equipment casualty it ’s taken over the yr , and Daemon stomp through puddle and snow flurry of bats indoors , killing a guard on the fashion just because he can . If this was a vintage repugnance moving picture , he ’d encounter Lon Chaney Jr. lurking in the darkness , but since this is House of the Dragon and not House of Dracula , alternatively he meets … Ser Simon Strong , play by British stage legend Sir Simon Russell Beale , experience dinner in one of the palace ’s few vaguely cosy rooms .
Ser Simon has no objection to yield control of Harrenhal to Team Black — he ’s no fan of his cunningly homicidal great - nephew , Ser Larys — though Daemon ’s skeptical of his cordial reception , and snarl at him for erroneously call him “ my Prince ” instead of “ Your Grace . ” For his part , Ser Simon thinks Daemon ’s programme to raise an army in the Riverlands is a in question one ; the neighborhood ’s liege lord , Lord Grover Tully , is a frail old adult male unbelievable to comprehend what ’s at stake . What ’s the endgame here , Ser Simon enquire ? This very droll interchange follows .
Daemon : “ We march on King ’s Landing and take the throne . ”
Cole (Fabian Frankel) after reading your opinions about him on social media.Image: Ollie Upton/HBO
Ser Simon : “ The pot ? ”
Daemon : “ It ’s a big professorship … made of steel . ”
In King ’s Landing , Cole ’s army fix to demonstrate with a newfangled face in tow : Ser Gwayne Hightower , Alicent ’s brother . He meets Cole with a polite but frosty attitude ( Gwayne ’s not thrilled Cole took Otto ’s place as the Hand ) , and things get a little weird when Cole suppose goodbye to Alicent , asking for her favor ( which drive the build of a handkerchief she pulls out of her cleavage ) as he departs , and Gwayne looks on questioningly . The camera pulls up as the emcee rides out , and in the foreground we see one of the rat backstop corpses from last week , looking a scrap more decayed , and with a gasconade making little work of its eyes .
That’s “Your Grace” to you. Matt Smith as Daemon.Photo: Ollie Upton/HBO
On Dragonstone , the tenseness is rising along with the anticipation of this army — which Team Black has yet to spot , but knows must be shape ; the fact that Daemon has n’t sent any update since he flounced aside is n’t helping . Rhaenyra ’s Small Council want her to act , be that by send Draco to burn all who oppose her , or hiding herself off and letting the council ( another manner of putting that is “ the menfolk ” ) prevail in her stead . After Rhaenyra depart in disgust , Rhaenys has another notable quotable to share , remind everyone that “ their Queen fatigue the crown of my grandsire , Jaeharys the Conciliator , a prudent ruler , the wisest of Targaryen kings , whose sovereignty outlasted every other , even Aegon the Conquerer ’s . ”
But Rhaenys knows there ’s hassle afoot , and she does n’t correct Corlys in the next scene , in a showery Driftmark tryst , when he cite to the Small Council as “ the ditherers of Dragonstone . ” The fundamental interaction between husband and wife , like so many of their meeting , is charge through with heart as well as subtle disagreements , including that former query of who should inherit Driftmark ( presently , it ’s little Joffrey , who ’s about to be spending the eternal sleep of his childhood far from the ocean ) . There ’s a new urgency to their talk of heirs , a disruptive subject — as we saw last time of year , when Corlys put up a great injury and it seemed Lucerys Velaryon ( RIP ) would be inheriting Driftmark sooner than expected . “ We are at war , ” Rhaenys remind the Sea Snake , and worries that something might happen to him .
On nearby Dragonstone , Rhaena bids farewell , preparing for her journey with small children and little dragon in towage . She ’s resentful ; Baela , who ’s not only older , but has her own dragon to ride , gets to abide behind and take an participating part in the war effort . But there ’s a softening when Rhaenyra shows Rhaena that she ’ll also be caring for a clutch of cherished tartar eggs ; if the worst happens in Westeros , she ’ll be an important source of promise for the Targaryen hereafter .
Rhaenys (Eve Best) and Corlys (Steve Toussaint)Photo: Ollie Upton/HBO
After Rhaenyra says good - bye to her sons ( except Jace , he buzz off to bide ) , we skip to King ’s Landing , where Alicent and Heleana have a poignant conversation about motherhood , heartbreak , and exit . And the elephant in the room come out : “ I forgive you , ” Heleana tells her teary-eyed - eyed mother , and we all have sex she mean her mother ’s forbidden affair with Cole . In a nearby bedroom , King Aegon ( “ the magnanimous ” ) is being fitted with … Aegon the Conquerer ’s own snazzy armor . He ’s design to fly into engagement , despite everyone else agreeing it ’s a terrible idea . Ser Larys appears , as always armed with a bit of information that ’s on the QT handling in disguise , and says there ’s talk that Aegon has been tricked into going into battle because that ’s what his Small Council , including Alicent , want , so that she and Aemond can rule in his absence . As Aegon is pick out this in , he take a leak another impulsive engagement , naming Larys his Master of Whisperers .
And it form ! Aegon decide that rather than going to fight , he ’ll … spend another boozy night out on the township instead . In a setting that swallow up us in King ’s Landing after hour , we converge a new character . It ’s a brief mo , but it ’s of import , since this is the bastard son of Baelon Targaryen — which have him Daemon and Viserys ’ half - brother , and Rhaenyra ’s uncle . Why he ’s portion out this information with random strangers ( look tight ; one is Samson Kayo from Our Flag Means Death ) in a tap house is n’t vindicated , and we learn no more for now because just then King Aegon , who ’s unaware of the serviceman ’s identity , shows up quick to party his facial expression off .
Awkward menage reunion averted – until Aegon walks in on Aemond snuggled up with his favorite lady of the night , to Aegon ’s hooting , tease pleasure . Aemond ’s reaction is to stand on the table — classic Game of Thrones - panache full - frontal nudeness alert , though there ’s tasteful tailing — and haunt out of the room ( wearing not a stitch , not even his eye while ) , pretending he ’s wholly unbothered .
Rhaena (Phoebe Campbell) and Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy)Photo: Theo Whiteman/HBO
On Dragonstone , a contemplative Rhaenyra determine that now , at last , is the moment to spread out her message from Alicent . We ca n’t read the message , but the Bible “ female parent ” definitely seem .
En itinerary to the Riverlands , Cole and Ser Gwayne Hightower keep to not wish each other . Gwayne has decided to take his lieutenant to a nearby tap house so they can revel some creature comforts , while Cole ’s man are all camped on the hard dry land . “ We will rendezvous with your army at first luminousness , ” Gwayne says breezily , as the camera tilts up to show us the current position of the sun , and — hey now , what ’s that in the sky ? Dragonnnnnn ! Cole , Gwayne , and Gwayne ’s men extend for the safety of nearby Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree screen as Baela , riding Moondancer , swoops in viewgraph . She ’s there merely to observe , not engage , but you may see in her face she ’s got a bit of that season - one Rhaenys “ I need to set you all on fire ” urge in her , and she turn over the gentleman a good scare . Ser Gwayne , for one , look like he might have puddle his pant a little , and finally admits Cole might know what he ’s doing after all . Stealth is now the way forward for this army—“and no fucking inn , ” Cole snort .
When Baela reports back to Rhaenyra and her Small Council , again they cheer it ’s time to take activity . preceding time , really . She takes it in and says she ’ll believe their contestation , as we cut to Rhaenys — and can tell she ’s realize Rhanyra is at long last going to take her advice .
King Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney) is the comic relief so far this season, in a truly awful way though.Photo: Ollie Upton/HBO
But first , you may be wondering , as the Small Council on Dragonstone certainly has been : what the hell has Daemon been up to ? cast around the ruin of Harrenhal , it ferment out — a position full of dripping weewee , barricaded doorways , and voicelessness from the past . He encounter an impossible tableau vivant : young Rhaenyra , played by a returning Milly Alcock . “ Always coming and going , are n’t you , ” she sigh at Daemon . “ And I have to make clean up afterwards . ” As the camera comes around we see she ’s stitching little Jaehaerys Targaryen ’s promontory onto his neck . In an instant , the vision is gone , and a strange woman — someone we saw earlier alongside Ser Simon — appears and tell “ You will die out in this spot . ”
With that inquietude lingering , we turn back to Dragonstone ; there ’s no sneaking into King ’s landing place without the advice of Mysaria , so Rhaenyra perplex all the intel she demand to engineer a face - to - face clash with Alicent . This include what camouflage she ’ll need ( a septa ; it ’s not the first sentence this sequence , nor this time of year , that someone points out most smallfolk wo n’t recognize a royal out of context ) and where she ’ll be capable to witness the Dowager Queen alone ( in the Great Sept of Baelor , say her prayers ) . And then , it bump : a view between Rhaenyra and Alicent , something we were not bear to see at all this season .
And it ’s quite a herculean moment . Alicent ’s shock when she agnise who ’s come to call is one matter ; it rase up when she realise Rhaenyra is n’t there to stamp out her . Rhaenyra opens with a remembering we all share : the tourney that recoil off in time of year one . “ man trained for battle are eager to fight down , ” she reminds her old friend . “ I have it off you do not have that desire within you . ” But Alicent knows the Dance of the Dragons is past the detail of no restitution . There are no terms they can come to . Too much has happened now .
Alicent (Olivia Cooke), a nice church-going lady.Photo: Theo Whiteman/HBO
As they whisper - argue over Luke and Jaeharys , the real meat of the conversation come to the fore : what did the dying King Viserys say to Alicent that made her mean he ’d change his head about Rhaenyra being his heir ? Rhaenyra ca n’t trust her auricle when Alicent , who unwaveringly believes she was honoring her married man ’s wishes , allege he muttered about “ Aegon ” and “ the prince that was promise to unite the realm . ” Rhaenyra knows , as we did when we see it last season , that Viserys was referring to the Song of Ice and Fire , a dream that Aegon the Conquerer had . Wrong Aegon , Alicent ! Wrong Aegon . But for Alicent , it ’s too late , no matter how much Rhaenyra protests that there ’s been a mistake . “ There ’s been no mistake , ” Alicent insists . Otto ’s been kick back out of Margaret Court , Cole is on the march , “ you bang what Aemond is , ” and it ’s too recently . As Alicent stalking away , Rhaenyra sets her jaw . Time to go to war . At last ?
New episodes of House of the Dragon arrive Sundays on HBO and Max .
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AegonGame of ThronesGeorge R.R. MartinHouse of the DragonRhaenyra
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