Editor's Note: The following article contains spoilers for Episodes 1-4 from House of the Dragon.Ser Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans) is being blindsided for the first time in House of the Dragon. The loyal hand of King Viserys I (Paddy Considine) has managed to coerce his ruler into making several decisions that aren’t in his best interest. Although Viserys should have wed Laena Valeryon (Nova Foueillis-Mose) in order to satisfy an alliance with her father, Lord Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint), he chooses to marry Otto Hightower’s young daughter, Alicent (Emily Carey). Otto made the cunning decision to send Alicent to the King when he was in a state of grief and Viserys quickly formed an attachment to her.
However, Viserys began to doubt Otto’s loyalty in last week’s episode, “King of the Narrow Sea.” Otto receives word from his spies that Daemon (Matt Smith) had an incestuous affair with his niece, Rhaenyra (Milly Alcock). The King is shocked to hear about his daughter’s indiscretions and lashes out at Otto. However, Otto may have an ally on the inside who can help him make moves against Daemon that would undermine the Targaryen prince.
The White Worm Is Otto Hightower's Source
During the sequence where Daemon takes Rhaenyra to the pleasure house, a young boy watches them from the shadows. After the child sees enough to understand what Daemon’s intentions are, he scurries away into the distance before he can be seen. Later on, Otto receives a message from a contact referred to as “the White Worm.” It’s indicated that the young boy is working for a network of spies in King’s Landing that sends covert information about the residents’ secret dealings.
After Otto receives the information, the child meets with the “White Worm” herself, who is none other than Mysaria (Sonoya Mizuno). The child hands Mysaria a fee, indicating that Otto paid her to inform on Daemon’s activities. Prior to teaming up with Daemon, Mysaria was a slave in Essos. She escaped and became an influential figure within the criminal underworld of the capital. While she initially worked in King’s Landing as a sex worker, she rose within the ranks to become the head of a local brothel.
Mysaria’s knowledge of the underbelly of King’s Landing made her one of Daemon’s most trusted advisors. In the series pilot, “The Heirs of the Dragon,” he confides in her about his disagreements with his brother. Mysaria was last seen in Dragonstone with Daemon in “The Rogue Prince.” She stood at his side as he was forced to give the dragon egg back to Rhaenyra. Daemon has made several callous remarks about Mysaria in the time since, so perhaps his former ally has found reason to turn against him. He abruptly abandons her, and now seems determined to take on Rhaenyra as his new bride.
Mysaria Decided to Make a Career For Herself Outside of Sex Work
Prior to returning to King’s Landing, Daemon had been fighting in the Stepstones for many years, leaving Mysaria to make other alliances. Otto indicates to Viserys that the “White Worm” has never led him astray, so it's possible that they’ve been working together for many years. Mysaria plays things pretty close to the chest, so it’s unclear what her true motivations are. She certainly could be lashing out at Daemon for his infidelity, but she could also be just working with Otto because he’s paying her the most.
The depiction of Mysaria in House of the Dragon slightly deviates from George R.R. Martin’s character in Fire & Blood. In the novel, Mysaria earns the nickname “White Worm” because of her pale complexion. Her origin story is largely the same; she was a dancer in Lys who first met Daemon in a brothel in King’s Landing. After they begin to see each other regularly, Daemon makes Mysaria his chief informant. Their romantic affair continues, and she even becomes pregnant with his child.
In House of the Dragon, Mysaria is nearly always wearing a white dress, which may be the origin of her moniker. However, “White Worm” might be one of many secret identities that Mysaria has; Daemon even callously refers to her as “Lady Misery.” In Fire & Blood, Mysaria also earns the nickname “mistress of whispers.” She fulfills a similar role to the one occupied by Lord Varys (Conleth Hill) in Game of Thrones.
An alliance between Otto and Mysaria could have devastating consequences for Daemon. Despite his victory in the Stepstones, Daemon's night with Rhaenyra resulted in his exile (again) from the city, sending him back to his wife in the Vale. With his former informant now working against him, Daemon may be forced to make even more drastic decisions if he wants to win the Iron Throne.