When HBO brought us all back on yet another adventure to Westeros in the prequel series, House of the Dragon, fans of the critically acclaimed original series, Game of Thrones were very much aware of the continent’s proclivity to kill off any character at any time. Dragon did not disappoint in its first season with the unexpected deaths of Lord Lyonel (Gavin Spokes) and Ser Harwin Strong (Ryan Corr). However, no death will change the course of Westeros than that which occurred in the skies above Storm’s End during the season finale. Steve Toussaint has spoken recently about how he perceives the news will affect his character.
The death of Prince Lucerys Velaryon (Elliot Grihault) at the hands of his uncle, Prince Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) will clearly solicit, as hinted at the end of the first season, a devastating response from his mother, Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy). While her response is sure to be swift and brutal, Toussaint has spoken about what the reaction might be from the much-feared Lord of the Tides, Lord Corlys. At the official Game of Thrones Convention, the actor spoke to Entertainment Weekly about how the Sea Snake might handle news of his grandson’s death. "I think he'd be devastated," Toussaint says. "I think it would unleash a certain rage in him. Somebody mentioned this to me today and I hadn't thought about it: the scene in episode 5 when I say to little Luke, your brother's gonna be king, but you get to do all this. And he says, I don't want it because if I do it then someone's dead. And that, I think, will resonate with Corlys when he thinks about that boy being dead."
It is important to remember that Lucerys isn’t actually Corlys’ grandson – by blood at least – but the Lord of High Tide had developed a strong affection for his grandsons despite knowing their true lineage. Toussaint is acutely aware of Lucerys’ disposition to the workings around him as he adds, "[Luke] didn't really want to be in this, and through the machinations of others, he's now dead," Toussaint points out. "I haven't seen scripts for season 2 yet, but I'm hoping that will be addressed because that's his grandchild."
The first season of House of the Dragon ended with a fiery-looking Queen Rhaenyra when the awful news came from Storm’s End. Her crown had been stolen by her half-brother Aegon II Targaryen (Tom Glynn-Carney) and now, her son has been taken by the other half-brother and his dragon stead, Vhagar. Toussaint has an idea of what is coming saying, "My understanding of what season 2 is, is pretty much it's the war." While clearing up that he hasn’t seen the script of what is to come and whether he is on the right side of history, Toussaint is clear that Lord Corlys is one who once set upon a path rarely turns from it. “He's forthright in his belief. So it's about that, about being comfortable in your certainty. Once he sets his mind to something, he doesn't really suffer from doubt. It's black or it's white. It's right or it's wrong. I think that's who he is," he says.
All episodes of House of the Dragon are available on HBO Max.