Editor's Note: The following contains spoilers for Season 1 of House of the Dragon.HBO’s highly-anticipated Game of Thrones prequel series House of the Dragon came to a (literally) fiery conclusion with the epic season one finale “The Black Queen.” While the first season certainly took its time in three distinct time jumps spelling out the history of the Targaryen lineage, it looks like the Dance of Dragons that we’ve heard so much about is finally coming to fruition. With Daemon (Matt Smith) and Rhaenyra (Emma d’Arcy) united in Dragonstone against the newly crowned King Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney) in King’s Landing, it looks like war has come to Westeros once more.
Although the first season broke records for HBO’s viewership, it also received its fair share of criticism. Some fans of George R.R. Martin’s novels were bothered by the changes to the original text, and some casual fans felt that the time jumps came at a disruption to the story. As with Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon also received its fair share of blowback for the excessive use of violence and sexual content.
However, Season 2 is set to begin rolling cameras early next year, and it’s nearly certain that new exciting cast members will be added in the coming months. Here are some of the biggest questions that House of the Dragon fans have to ponder while they wait.
Will Rhaenyra Tell Daemon About A Song Of Ice and Fire?
One of the biggest changes to the Fire & Blood novel was the reason Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) believes that her son, Aegon II, should be King of the Seven Kingdoms. She misinterprets King Viserys’ (Paddy Considine) final words about the “A Song Of Ice And Fire” prophecy and believes that he is referring to her son, and not Aegon the Conqueror. This secret family responsibility is known to only a select few; based on Rhaenyra’s conversation with Daemon, he doesn’t seem to know what she’s talking about.
It will be interesting to see if Rhaenyra reveals her father’s mission to Daemon. Daemon has had his suspicions about Viserys’ trust in prophecies and dreams, and he may feel that Rhaenyra is doomed to fall into the same madness that plagued his brother. At the same time, Rhaenyra may feel that the burden is too great for him to bear or that he simply won't take it seriously.
Where Is Laenor Velaryon?
Although Lord Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint) believes that his son, Laenor (John MacMillan), is dead, we last saw Laenor escaping King’s Landing after his murder was staged. Laenor may have just gone on beyond the Narrow Sea to disguise his identity, but we know he has a fighting spirit after his bravery in the Stepstones. The return of Laenor could certainly give Alicent the chance to prove once and for all that Rhaenyra’s children are illegitimate.
What Is Aemond’s Blue Gemstone?
Before accidentally slaying his nephew, Lucerys (Elliot Grihault), above Storm’s End, Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) revealed that he had replaced his eye socket with a mysterious blue gemstone. According to Fire & Blood, this is a blue sapphire that looks suspiciously similar to the eyes of the Night King from Game of Thrones. Perhaps it’s just a cool new look for Aemond, but does this menacing new look have a backstory of its own?
Who Will Aegon Name To His Council?
After his coronation ceremony was disrupted by the arrival of Princess Rhaenys (Eve Best), Aegon II will have to put together a war council to defend his kingdom. Aegon II may be a drunken, abusive fool, but he’s no strategist. Aegon II doesn’t generally heed his mother’s advice, but he may look to add some of Alicent’s allies to his inner circle. Perhaps, he will approach Ser Otto (Rhys Ifans) or Larys Strong (Matthew Needham) to join his war council.
Is The Triarchy Truly Defeated?
One of the oddest recurring storylines in the first season was the recurring threat of the Triarchy. The Free Cities of Myr, Lys, and Tyrosh in the Valyrian Freehold play an important role in the trade system of Westeros, but early on they’re threatened by the rise of the pirate-lord Craghas Dragar (Daniel Scott-Smith). However, the Triarchy didn’t end up being the “big bad” we may have expected; Daemon takes down their army in “Second Of His Name,” and Corlys mentions in “The Black Queen” that these criminals have been defeated once more. Maybe this is the last we’ve heard of the Triarchy, but they do have a habit of showing up when everyone assumes they’re gone for good.
How Does the North Factor In?
The search for allies will be important for both the Blacks and the Greens as they stake their claims. We know that Rhaenyra has dispatched Jacaerys (Harry Collett) to the North to approach the Lord of Winterfell, Lord Cregan Stark, about joining their alliance. This will obviously come with great interest to fans who want to see the ancestors of many of Game of Thrones’ most beloved heroes. House Stark seems to be relatively uninvolved in the events of King’s Landing, but they also take their oaths seriously. Will they choose to honor the pledge to Viserys’ named heir, or will they decide to side with king on the throne?
Are There Any Other Dreamers?
Viserys is one of the “dreamers” in his family that is granted with mysterious prophecies about the future. Many of the most influential Targaryens in the history of Westeros had “dragon dreams” that gave them great insight; Daenys Targaryen foresaw the destruction of Old Valyria, which led the family to relocate to Dragonstone. It’s suggested that Alicent’s only daughter, Helaena (Phia Saban), may also be a dreamer based on some of her odd predictions about Aemond having to “close an eye”, saying the “greens and blacks” will be in conflict, and talking about the "beast beneath the boards" before Rhaenys and Meleys break out of the Dragonpit. Aegon II doesn’t seem to respect his sister-wife all that much, but her insights may provide him with some critical information if he wants to be a strong ruler. At the same time, Targaryen dreamers often misinterpret their dreams.
What Are Mysaria’s Goals?
Daemon may have intended to give a dragon egg to his mistress Mysaria (Sonoya Mizuno), but he abandoned her after taking an interest in Rhaenyra. In the years that follow, Mysaria has become the “master of whispers” in King’s Landing, a role that would be inherited by Lord Varys (Conleth Hill) in Game of Thrones. Mysaria is willing to provide some information to Otto, but she has goals of her own. She presses the Hand of the King to put an end to the child slavery rings in King’s Landing. It will be interesting to see if she pushes her demands further next season.
Does Larys Strong Side With Alicent or Otto?
In terms of characters that we love to hate, Larys Strong seems to have inherited the role that Littlefinger (Aidan Gillan) played on Game of Thrones. The Lord Confessor with a foot fetish managed to burn both his father and brother in service of Alicent, even though she never commanded him to do so. Since Alicent seems to be on the rocks with Larys, he ended up offering his assistance to her father. Larys may be a creep, but his ruthless methods will be a benefit to anyone attempting to influence the King.
Will Aemond Be Held Accountable?
One of the biggest changes to Fire & Blood was the intentionality of Aemond’s attack on Lucerys in Storm’s End. Although the book doesn’t indicate that this was accidental, it’s clear in the show that Aemond had no control over Vhagar and seemed to regret kinslaying and inadvertently starting a war. This could certainly test his relationship with Aegon, Alicent, and all the other members of his family.