House of the Dragon

thumb|The only thing that could tear down the house of the dragon was itself. House of the Dragon (2022–present) is an American fantasy drama airing on HBO about the events leading up to and surrounding the civil war known as the "Dance of the Dragons," which took place 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones. Season 1 The Heirs of the Dragon [1.01] Rhaenyra: As the first century of the Targaryen dynasty came to a close, the health of the Old King, Jaehaerys, was failing. In those days, House Targaryen stood at the height of its strength, with ten adult dragons under its yoke. No power in the world could stand against it. King Jaehaerys reigned over nearly sixty years of peace and prosperity, but tragedy had claimed both his sons, leaving his succession in doubt. So, in the year 101, the Old King called a Great Council to choose an heir. Over a thousand lords made the journey to Harrenhal. Fourteen succession claims were heard, but only two were truly considered. Rhaenys, the King's eldest descendant, and her younger cousin, Prince Viserys Targaryen, the King's eldest male descendant. King Jaehaerys I Targaryen: [flashback, the day of the Great Council] It is declared by all lords paramount and lords vassal of the Seven Kingdoms that Prince Viserys Targaryen be made Prince of Dragonstone. Rhaenyra: Rhaenys, a woman, would not inherit the Iron Throne. The lords instead chose Viserys, my father. Jaehaerys called the Great Council to prevent a war being fought over his succession. For he knew the cold truth. The only thing that could tear down the House of the Dragon was itself. Aemma: You will lie in this bed soon enough, Rhaenyra. This discomfort is how we serve the realm. Rhaenyra: I'd rather serve as a knight and ride to battle and glory. Aemma: We have royal wombs, you and I. The childbed is our battlefield. Otto: You've not been seen in the Vale or at Runestone for quite some time. Daemon: I think my bronze bitch is happier for my absence. Otto: Lady Rhea is your wife, a good and honorable Lady of the Vale. Daemon: In the Vale, men are said to fuck sheep instead of women. I can assure you the sheep are prettier. Otto: No one here can know what Daemon would do were he king, but no one can doubt his ambition. Look at what he did with the gold cloaks. The City Watch is fiercely loyal to him. An army two thousand strong. Viserys: An army you gave him, Otto. I named Daemon Master of Laws, but you said he was a tyrant. As Master of Coin, you said he was a spendthrift that would beggar the realm. Putting Daemon in command of the City Watch was your solution! Otto: A half-measure, Your Grace. The truth is, Daemon should be far away from this court. Viserys: Daemon is my brother. My blood. And he will have his place at my court. Mellos: Let him keep his place at court, Your Grace, but if the gods should visit some further tragedy on you, either by design or accident... Viserys: Design? What are you saying? My brother would murder me, take my crown? Are you? Please. Daemon has ambition, yes, but not for the throne. He lacks the patience for it. Otto: The gods have yet to make a man who lacks the patience for absolute power, Your Grace. Viserys: Did you say it? Daemon: I don't know what you mean. Viserys: You will address me as Your Grace, or I will have my Kingsguard cut out your tongue. "The Heir for a Day". Did you say it? Daemon: We must all mourn in our own way, Your Grace. Viserys: My family has just been destroyed. But instead of being by my side, or Rhaenyra's, you chose to celebrate your own rise! Laughing with your whοres and your lickspittles! You have no allies at court but me! I have only ever defended you! Yet everything I've given you, you've thrown back in my face! Daemon: You've only ever tried to send me away. To the Vale, to the City Watch, anywhere but by your side! Ten years you've been king, and yet not once have you asked me to be your Hand! Viserys: Why would I do that? Daemon: Because I'm your brother. And the blood of the dragon runs thick. Viserys: Then why do you cut me so deeply? Daemon: I've only ever spoken the truth. I see Otto Hightower for what he is. Viserys: An unwavering and loyal Hand? Daemon: A cunt! A second son who stands to inherit nothing he doesn't seize for himself. Viserys: Otto Hightower is a more honorable man than you could ever be. Daemon: He doesn't protect you. I would. Viserys: From what? Daemon: Yourself. You're weak, Viserys. And that council of leeches knows it. They all prey on you for their own ends. Viserys: I have decided to name a new heir. Daemon: I'm your heir. Viserys: Not anymore. You are to return to Runestone and your lady wife at once. And you are to do so without quarrel, by order of your King. Rhaenyra: Everyone says Targaryens are closer to gods than to men, but they say that because of our dragons. Without them, we're just like everyone else. Viserys: The idea that we control the dragons is an illusion. They're a power man should never have trifled with. One that brought Valyria its doom. If we don't mind our own histories, it will do the same to us. Targaryen must understand this to be King. Or Queen. [Rhaenyra looks at her father as his words sink in] I am sorry, Rhaenyra. I have wasted the years since you were born wanting for a son. You are the very best of your mother, and I now believe, as I know she did, that you could be a great ruling Queen. Viserys: There's something else that I need to tell you. It might be difficult for you to understand, but you must hear it. Our histories... They tell us that Aegon looked across the Blackwater from Dragonstone and saw a rich land ripe for the capture. But ambition alone is not what drove him to conquest. It was a dream. And just as Daenys foresaw the end of Valyria, Aegon foresaw the end of the world of men. 'Tis to begin with a terrible winter gusting out of the distant north. Aegon saw absolute darkness riding on those winds. And whatever dwells within will destroy the world of the living. When this Great Winter comes, Rhaenyra, all of Westeros must stand against it. And if the world of men is to survive, a Targaryen must be seated on the Iron Throne. A king or queen strong enough to unite the realm against the cold and the dark. Aegon called his dream "The Song of Ice and Fire." This secret? It's been passed from king to heir since Aegon's time. Now you must promise to carry it and protect it. Promise me this, Rhaenyra. Promise me. The Rogue Prince [1.02] Corlys: I fear that the eyes of our enemies are presently fixed on the Red Keep. The Queen has passed. A girl has been named heir to the Iron Throne, the first in its history. The King's brother, so disinherited, has claimed the Targaryen seat on Dragonstone without challenge. And now, a foreign power has established a colony in our most critical shipping lane. Viserys: You paint such an aspirant portrait of my reign, Lord Corlys. Rhaenys: It is an honest one, cousin. At the moment, the Crown is perceived as being vulnerable. Viserys: And a blind incursion in the Stepstones is the only way to demonstrate that we are not? Corlys: To elude a storm, you can either sail into it or around it. But you must never await its coming. Rhaenys: Whether it's to my daughter or to someone else's, your father will remarry sooner than late. His new wife will produce new heirs, and chances are better than not that one of those will be male. And when that boy comes of age, and your father has passed, the men of the realm will expect him to be heir, not you. Because that is the order of things. Rhaenyra: When I am Queen, I will create a new order. Rhaenys: How I wish that could be, Rhaenyra. But the men of the realm already had their opportunity to appoint a ruling Queen at the Great Council, and they denied it. Rhaenyra: They denied you, Princess Rhaenys. "The Queen Who Never Was". But they bent the knee to me and called me heir to the throne. Rhaenys: Do you remind your father's men of that as you carry their cups? Here is the hard truth, which no one else has the heart to tell you. Men would sooner put the realm to the torch than see a woman ascend the Iron Throne. And your father is no fool. Mysaria: I have been sold as property more times than I care to count, beginning in a homeland I can no longer recall. Most of my years have been spent living in terror. Daemon: You're safe with me, I swear it. Mysaria: You are Targaryen. You can afford to play your stupid games with the King, but I cannot. I didn't come into your service wanting gold. Or power. Or station. I came to you to be liberated. Daemon: Liberated. From what? Mysaria: Fear. Viserys: I wish I had known better what to say to you in the aftermath. I struggled to realize that my daughter had so quickly become a woman grown. But I know she understands what is now expected of me. Rhaenyra: The king must take a new wife. Viserys: I could never replace your mother. No more than I intend to replace you as heir. But you are my only heir and our line is vulnerable, too easily ended. And by marrying again, I may begin to ensure that we are better defended. Rhaenyra: Against whom? Viserys: Whomever may dare to challenge us. [pause] I do not wish to make us estranged. Rhaenyra: You are the king. Your first duty is to the realm. Mother would have understood this. Just as I do. Corlys: You've heard of the trouble in the Stepstones? Daemon: Some Myrish prince is feeding Westerosi sailors to the crabs. Corlys: I have been petitioning the King to send my navy into the territory, but he's denied me. Daemon: It was never my brother's strongest trait. Corlys: What? Daemon: Being king. Corlys: The Crabfeeder is backed by powerful entities within the Free Cities who wish to see Westeros weakened. And the King's failures have allowed him to accumulate strength. If those shipping lanes fall, my house will be crippled. And I will not have Driftmark beggared while our King idles himself with feasts and balls and tourneys. Daemon: I will speak of my brother as I wish. You will not. Corlys: Waiting in the Stepstones is a chance for you to prove your worth to any who might yet doubt it. We are the realm's second sons, Daemon. Our worth is not given. It must be made. Second of His Name [1.03] Viserys: Since you came of age, I've been slowly drowning in a lake of parchment flung from every corner of the realm. Marriage proposals, all. And I have tried often to discuss it with you, but you've refused me at every turn. Rhaenyra: That is because I do not wish to get married. Viserys: Even I do not exist above tradition and duty, Rhaenyra! Viserys: Many in my line have been dragon riders. Very few among us have been dreamers. What is the power of a dragon next to the power of prophecy? Alicent: The hour is too late, husband. Viserys: When Rhaenyra was a child, I saw it in a dream. As vivid as these flames, I saw it. A male babe born to me wearing the Conqueror's crown. And I so wanted it to be true, to be a dreamer myself. I sought that vision again, night after night, but it never came again. I poured all my thought and will into it. And my obsession killed Rhaenyra's mother. Alicent: Viserys... Viserys: I thought Rhaenyra was the way out of my abyss of grief and regret. And naming her heir would begin to set things right. Alicent: Oh, it did. Viserys: I never imagined I would remarry, that I would have a son. What if I was wrong? Alicent: Rhaenyra will be a good queen. Otto: It wouldn't matter if she were Jaehaerys himself born again. Rhaenyra is a woman. Alicent: What of my son? Would you have me raise a man to steal his own sister's birthright? Otto: It is Aegon that's being robbed. He's the firstborn son of the King. To deny that he is heir to the throne is to assail the laws of gods and men. The road ahead is uncertain, but the end is clear. Aegon will be king. Viserys: You have misjudged me, Rhaenyra. Rhaenyra: All know it. Jason Lannister knows it. You said it yourself, the lords of the realm gather like vultures to a carcass, hoping to feast on my bones. Viserys: It is true that as rulers we must marry for advantage to forge alliances and bolster our strength. You have always understood this. I myself was promised to your mother when I was... Rhaenyra: Ten-and-seven years of age. The Vale had an army to rival the North. I've heard that story since I've had ears to. Viserys: I loved her. She made a man of me. I do not seek to replace you, child. You've been much alone these last few years. Alone and angry. I will not live forever. I wish to see you contented, happy even. Rhaenyra: You think a man will do it? Viserys: A family. Rhaenyra: I had a family. Viserys: What would you have me do?! Rhaenyra: If it was for advantage, you would've wed Laena Velaryon! Viserys: That is true enough. You must marry, strengthen your own claim, shore up your succession, multiply. As to your match, make it yourself. Search him out. Find one that pleases you, as I did. Rhaenyra, I did waver at one time. But I swear to you now, on your mother's memory, you will not be supplanted. King of the Narrow Sea [1.04] Rhaenyra: How angry is he? Alicent: The King went through great effort to arrange your tour. He is frustrated. But I am glad you are home. I find I have few friends lately. I like to believe I'm still the Lady Alicent, but all anyone sees when they look at me now is "The Queen." Rhaenyra: I've missed you, too. Daemon: You cannot live your life in fear, or you will forsake the best parts of it. Rhaenyra: I have no desire to live in fear. Only solitude. Daemon: Such a lovely prospect. Rhaenyra: Their wants are of no consequences. Daemon: They're of great consequence if you expect to rule then one day. Daemon: When I offered up my crown, you said I could have anything. I want Rhaenyra. I'll take her as she is, and wed her in the tradition of our house. Viserys: You are already wed. Daemon: That didn't stop Aegon the Conqueror from taking a second wife. Viserys: You are no conqueror. You are a plague sent to destroy me. Daemon: Give me Rhaenyra to take to wife and we will return the House of the Dragon to its proper glory. Viserys: Of course. It's not my daughter you lust for, is it? It's my throne. Go back to the Vale, Daemon, to your lawful wife. Strive to restore whatever scrap of honor remains in you. Or don't. Matters not to me. As long as you are gone from my sight for good. Viserys: My father was a hale and healthy warrior and dragonrider at the peak of his abilities. Jaehaerys named a great royal hunt to celebrate him being named the Hand of the King. Five days later, my father lay dead. Tourneys last longer. Baelon the Brave, rider of Vhagar, heir to the Iron Throne, dead of a burst belly. The gods have a dark wit. Otto: It was a grim day. I recall it all too well. Viserys: It was a good day for you. Jaehaerys named you Hand in Baelon's stead. Otto: That's hardly how I viewed it, Your Grace. It was a duty. Viserys: You served my grandsire nobly in his final days. You are the man that taught me how to be King. Otto: Oh, you honor me, Your Grace. Viserys: Just five days you went from being another man in Jaehaerys's court to the second most powerful man in the realm. I wonder, how long did it take you to choose yourself over your King? Otto: Your Grace? Viserys: I will never recover from Aemma's death. But Alicent, she took me through the worst of my grief. She was a calculated distraction. I only now realize how well-calculated it was. Otto: That is an absurdity. The Queen loves you as I know you love her. Viserys: Your interests no longer align with those of the realm. Your judgment has been compromised. Otto: A loyal Hand must tell his king a discomforting truth from time to time, Your Grace. If he doesn't, he's failed as a servant. Viserys: You were a faithful servant, Otto. The Crown and the realm both owe you a debt that can never be repaid. But I can no longer trust your judgment. We Light the Way [1.05] Alicent: I do not wish to see you go. Otto: Such is the king's decision. Alicent: A decision I most vigorously regret. Otto: And yet you made it possible. You chose Rhaenyra. Alicent: She swore her innocence. And I believed her. Otto: You wanted to believe her. As did her father. Alicent: Your informant was wrong. An honest mistake, perhaps, but I did not foresee this! Otto: You should have. Alicent: If you had not been so relentless in advancing Aegon as heir... Otto: Listen to me, daughter. The King will die. It may be months or years, but he'll not live to be an old man, and if Rhaenyra succeeds him, war will follow, do you understand? The realm will not accept her. And to secure her claim, she'll have to put your children to the sword. She'll have no choice. You know it. You're no fool and yet you choose not to see it. The time is coming, Alicent. Either you prepare Aegon to rule, or you cleave to Rhaenyra and pray for her mercy. Rhaenyra: I know that whatever agreement being struck up there will not change your appetites, nor will it change mine. Laenor: And what do you propose? Rhaenyra: That we perform our duty to our fathers and to the realm. And when it's done, each of us dines as we see fit. Rhaenys: We are placing our son in danger. Corlys: The lords of the realm bent the knee to Rhaenyra and swore obeisance to her. Rhaenys: That was before there was a true-born prince named Aegon Targaryen. Rhaenyra's succession will be challenged. Knives will come out, for her, her husband, and their heirs. Corlys: Our house controls the realm's navy and half its dragons. Anyone fool enough to challenge Rhaenyra's claim will be crushed. Rhaenys: To what end, Corlys? Wealth? Power? Pride? Corlys: Justice. By all rights, you should be Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. You were robbed of the crown by... Rhaenys: I never wore the crown because the realm would not have it so. Corlys: But I would remedy that small-minded error by any means necessary. Criston: Let us leave it all behind and see the world together, where we'll be nameless and free. Free to go where we like, to love as we like. In Essos, you could marry me. A marriage for love, not for the crown. Rhaenyra: I am the crown, Ser Criston. Or I will be. I may chafe at my duties, but do you think I would choose infamy in exchange for a bushel of oranges or a ship to Asshai? It is my duty to marry a nobleman from a great house and Ser Laenor will make a fine husband. But my, uh, my marriage does not have to be the end. Ser Criston, Laenor and I have an understanding. I've granted him leave to pursue his own interests. And in turn, he's granted me the same. Criston: So you want me to be your whοre? Rhaenyra: I want us to continue as we began, with you as my sworn protector, my white knight. Criston: I took an oath. As a, as a knight of, of your Kingsguard. An oath of chastity. I've broken it. Rhaenyra: I won't tell anyone... Criston: I've, I've soiled my, my, my white cloak. And it is the only thing I have to my fսcking name! I, I thought if we were married, I might be able to restore it. Rhaenyra: The Iron Throne looms larger than me, larger than anyone in my family. Viserys: Will I be remembered as a good king? Lyonel: Your Grace? Viserys: What will they say of me when the histories are written? I have neither fought nor conquered, nor suffered any great defeat. Lyonel: Some might call that good fortune. Viserys: It hardly makes a good song, does it? To be sung at feasts in a hundred years, five hundred. Lyonel: You have carried King Jaehaerys's legacy, and kept the realm strong. Is it not better to live in peace than to have songs sung after you are dead? Viserys: Perhaps. But there is a part of me wishes I'd been tested. I often think that in the crucible, I may have been forged a different man. Lyonel: Many that are tested only wish to have been spared it. The Princess and the Queen [1.06] Alicent: You are nearly a man-grown. How is it that you can be so shortsighted? If Rhaenyra comes into power, your very life could be forfeit. Aemond's as well. She could move to cut off any challenge to her succession. Aegon: Then I won't challenge... Alicent: You are the challenge! You are the challenge, Aegon! Simply by living and breathing! You are the King's firstborn son. And what they know, what everyone in the realm knows in their blood and in their bones, is that one day, you will be our King. Rhaenyra: Dark rumors are hunting us, Laenor. They nip at our heels. Questions about our sons' parentage. Vile, disgusting insinuations. Laenor: Insinuations, are they? Rhaenyra: They are our sons! Yours and mine. And their true father will not abandon them now to go carousing through the Narrow Sea, waggling his sword and winking at his sailors. Laenor: I am a knight and a warrior. And I have played my part here, faithfully, for ten years. I am owed some... Rhaenyra: You are owed nothing! For ten years, you have indulged yourself at court, bought the finest horses, drunk the rarest of wines, fսckеd the lustiest boys. This was our agreement. I have not begrudged you. But you do not desert your post when the storm lashes. Laenor: The wise sailor flees the storm as it gathers. Rhaenyra: Very well then. I command you. As your Princess and the heir to the throne, you are commanded to remain in King's Landing and at my side. Laena: You laud the virtues of Pentos, but you have no interest in it. If you did, you would venture into the city, but instead, you spend your time here, in the library, reading accounts of the same dead dragonlords whose legacy you claim has no hold on you. Daemon: Didn't know I was being so minutely observed. Laena: You do not sleep. Daemon: Well, how can I with you haunting my every move? Laena: Life has, I know, disappointed you. Perhaps, I too, am not the wife you would've wished for yourself. Daemon: Laena... Laena: It does not pain me. I have made my peace. But you are more than this, Daemon. The man I married was more than this. Jace: Is Harwin Strong my father? Am I a bastard? Rhaenyra: You are a Targaryen. That's all that matters. Larys: What are children but a weakness? A folly? A futility? Through them, you imagine you cheat the great darkness of its victory. You will persist forever, in some form or another. As if they will keep you from the dust. But for them, you surrender what you should not. You may know what is the right thing to be done, but love stays the hand. Love is a downfall. Best to make your way through life unencumbered if you ask me. Alicent: [referring to Lord Lyonel and Ser Harwin Strong] They're dead. Larys: You've heard the stories of Harrenhal, Your Grace. It was built in hubris by Harren the Black as a monument to his own greatness. Blood mixed into the mortar. It is said to be a cursed place. That it passes judgment on all who pass beneath its gates. Alicent: You, you passed judgment. Larys: The Queen makes a wish. What servant of the realm would not strive to fulfill it? Driftmark [1.07] Daemon: [after Otto Hightower offers his condolences] No matter how fat the leech grows, it always wants for another meal. Corlys: The crown was yours until those fools at the Great Council plucked it from your head. Is it such a terrible thing for your husband to wish to win it back? Rhaenys: Tonight of all nights, let us lay aside this falsehood. It is not justice for your wife that drives you. It is your own ambition. 'Tis desire for the throne. If not for yourself, then for the scions of your house. I gave up the idea of wearing a crown a generation ago. It is you, lord husband, who refuses to abandon this pursuit, even now, at the cost of our children. Corlys: What is this brief mortal life if not the pursuit of legacy? Rhaenys: Legacy may be why you live your life, Corlys. I want Driftmark to pass through Laena's line to Baela. To true Velaryon blood. Declare it now, while all are gathered here, and we will say that is how we will honor Laena's memory. Corlys: And disinherit our son? Rhaenys: He will be the King Consort. His son will one day sit the Iron Throne. Corlys: You would have me cast an even darker shadow over those little boys than already exists. Rhaenys: We are alone here, husband. You can speak the plain truth as we both know it. Rhaenyra's children are not of your blood. But Laena's are. They are her legacy. Corlys: History does not remember blood. It remembers names. Rhaenyra: [after stopping Alicent from blinding Lucerys] You've gone too far! Alicent: What have I done but what was expected of me? Forever upholding the kingdom, the family, the law, while you flout all to do as you please? Viserys: Alicent, let her go! Alicent: Where is duty?! Where is sacrifice?! It's trampled under your pretty foot again! Otto: Release the blade, Alicent. Alicent: And now you take my son's eye, and to even that, you feel entitled! Rhaenyra: Exhausting, wasn't it? Hiding beneath the cloak of your own righteousness. But now they see you as you are. Aemond: Do not mourn me, Mother. It was a fair exchange. I may have lost an eye, but I gained a dragon. Alicent: I disgraced myself. And ensured my husband's favor will forever rest on her. Otto: And yet I've never seen that side of you, my daughter. I even doubted its existence. Alicent: It was an ugly thing. I regret it. Otto: We play an ugly game. And now, for the first time, I see that you have the determination to win it. The Lord of the Tides [1.08] Viserys: I must admit my confusion. I do not understand why petitions are being heard over a settled succession. The only one present who might offer keener insight into Lord Corlys' wishes is the Princess Rhaenys. Rhaenys: Indeed, Your Grace. It was ever my husband's wish that Driftmark pass through Ser Laenor to his trueborn son, Lucerys Velaryon. His mind never changed, nor did my support of him. As a matter of fact, the Princess Rhaenyra has just informed me of her desire to marry her sons, Jace and Luke, to Lord Corlys' granddaughters, Baela and Rhaena. A proposal to which I heartily agree. Viserys: Well, the matter is settled. Again. I hereby reaffirm Prince Lucerys of House Velaryon as heir to Driftmark, the Driftwood Throne, and the next Lord of the Tides. Vaemond: You break law, and centuries of tradition, to install your daughter as heir. Yet you dare tell me who deserves to inherit the name Velaryon?! No. I will not allow it. Viserys: "Allow it"? Do not forget yourself, Vaemond. Vaemond: [points at Lucerys] That is no true Velaryon! And certainly, no nephew of mine. Rhaenyra: [to her sons] Go to your chambers. [to Vaemond] You have said enough. Viserys: Lucerys is my trueborn grandson. And you are no more than the second son of Driftmark. Vaemond: You may run your House as you see fit. But you will not decide the future of mine! My House survived the Doom, and a thousand tribulations besides! [looking at Lucerys hatefully] And gods be damned, I will not see it ended on the account of this... [pauses] Daemon: Say it. Ser Vaemond Targaryen: [glaring at Rhaenyra] Her children are bastards! [to Viserys] And she is a whore. Viserys: [forces himself to his feet and draws his dagger] I will have your tongue for that! [Daemon suddenly swings Dark Sister from behind, beheading Vaemond above the jawline] Daemon: He can keep his tongue. Viserys: It both gladdens my heart, and fills me with sorrow, to see these faces around the table. The faces, most dear to me in all the world. Yet grown so distant from each other, in the years past. [removes his half-mask, showing his missing eye and rotting face] My own face is no longer a handsome one. If, indeed, it ever was. But tonight, I wish you to see me as I am. Not just a king, but your father. Your brother. Your husband. And your grandsire. Who may not, it seems, walk for much longer among you. Let us no longer hold ill feelings in our hearts. The Crown cannot stand strong if the House of the Dragon remains divided. But set aside your grievances! If not for the sake of the Crown, then for the sake of this old man, who loves you all so dearly! The Green Council [1.09] Tyland: What is it that could not have waited an hour? Was Dorne invaded? Otto: The King is dead. We grieve for Viserys the Peaceful, our sovereign, our friend. But he has left us a gift. With his last breath, he impressed upon the Queen his final wish that his son Aegon should succeed him as Lord of the Seven Kingdoms. Tyland: Then we may proceed now with the full assurance of his blessing on our long-laid plans. Otto: Yes. There is much to be done, as we have previously discussed. Now, there are two among the captains of the City Watch who remain loyal to Daemon. Let us replace them. Lord Lannister? Tyland: The Treasury is well in hand. The gold will be divided for safe keeping. Otto: Let ravens be sent to our allies, Riverrun and Highgarden... Alicent: Am I to understand that members of the Small Council have been planning secretly to install my son without me? Lord Jasper Wylde: My Queen, there was no need to sully you with darkling schemes. Lord Beesbury: I will not have this! To hear that you are plotting to replace the King's chosen heir with an imposter... Tyland: His firstborn son is hardly an imposter. Lord Beesbury: Hundreds of lords and landed knights swore fealty to the Princess. Tyland: That was some twenty years ago. Most of them are now dead. Lord Jasper Wylde: You heard the Lord Hand. Plot or no, the King changed his mind. Lord Beesbury: I am six and seventy years old. I have known Viserys longer than any who sit at this table, and I will not believe he said this on his deathbed, alone, with only the boy's mother as a witness! This is seizure! It is theft! It is treason! Rhaenys: [after Alicent visits her while under house arrest] I will do you the considerable courtesy of assuming there is a good reason for the outrage of my treatment here this morning! Alicent: My sincerest regrets for the lack of ceremony. Rhaenys: The King? [Alicent nods] And you are usurping the throne. Alicent: It was my husband's dying wish. [Rhaenys scoffs] Believe it or no, it is of no consequence. Aegon will be king. I came here to ask for your support. Rhaenys: Well, I must credit you for your boldness. Alicent: House Velaryon has long allied itself with the Princess Rhaenyra. And what has it gained you? Your daughter dead, alone in Pentos. Your son cuckolded. Rhaenyra's heirs are none of yours. It is your husband who grasps so heedlessly for the throne. And even he has abandoned you. Gone these six long years to fight a desperate battle, returning grievously, if not mortally, wounded, leaving the Lady of Driftmark to chart her course alone. Rhaenys: The word of my house is not fickle. Alicent: No. But, dear cousin, you more than any soul alive understand what I say now. Princess Rhaenys, I loved my husband, but I will speak the truth we both know. You should've been queen. Rhaenys: I little thought to hear those words from you. Alicent: The Iron Throne was yours by blood and by temperament. Viserys would've lived his days a country lord, content to hunt and study his histories, but here we are. We do not rule but we may guide the men that do. Gently, away from violence and sure destruction and instead toward peace. Rhaenys: Is it in the name of peace that you've imprisoned me? And what of my dragon? Alicent: If we are overmatched, Rhaenyra will be tempted to strike us, and war will ensue. Without your dragon, she may be persuaded to negotiate. If it's Driftmark you want, you shall have it for you and your granddaughters to pass on as you see fit. Rhaenys: You are wiser than I believed you to be, Alicent Hightower. Alicent: A true queen counts the cost to her people. Rhaenys: And yet you toil still in service to men. Your father, your husband, your son. You desire not to be free, but to make a window in the wall of your prison. Have you never imagined yourself on the Iron Throne? Mysaria: [to Otto Hightower] There is no power but what the people allow you to take. Alicent: None of this is a game. Otto: And yet, you treat it as one. A charming contest, the prize a pouch of silver. We have relied on one another these many years and now, it is the good of the family we both desire. Whatever our differences, our hearts remain as one. Alicent: Our hearts were never one, I see that now. Rather, I have been a piece you moved about the board. Otto: If that is true, then I made you Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. Would you have desired it otherwise? Alicent: How could I have known? I wanted whatever you impressed upon me to want, and now the debt comes due. A debt you were happy enough to pay. Otto: A sacrifice. A sacrifice made for the stability of the realm. No King has ever lived who has not had to forfeit the lives of a few to protect the many! Though I understand your squeamishness... Alicent: Reluctance to murder is not a weakness! I have Aegon. We will proceed now as I see fit. We will send terms to Rhaenyra on Dragonstone. True terms that she may accept without shame. Otto: If she lives, her allies will mass behind her banners, looking for her return. Alicent: Then she must not return. My husband would have desired this mercy be shown to his daughter. Otto: Your husband? Or you, his daughter's childhood companion? Alicent: Criston Cole will be named Lord Commander of the Kingsguard. My son will be anointed tomorrow at dawn. The whole of King's Landing must witness his ascent. He will assume authority, there will be no more dithering. My son will take the crown of his namesake, the Conqueror, and carry Blackfyre, his sword. Let the people remember the ancient strength of House Targaryen. Otto: You look so much like your mother in certain lights. Alicent: Have the decency to look grateful. Do you know what has been done to give you this day? In an hour, you will be king. Aegon: And my father never wanted this. Alicent: That's not true. Aegon: He had twenty years to name me heir, and never did. Steadfastly he upheld Rhaenyra's claim. Alicent: He changed his mind. Aegon: No. He could have, but he never did. Because he didn't like me. The Black Queen [1.10] Rhaenys: Viserys is dead. I grieve this loss with you, Rhaenyra. My cousin, your father, possessed a kind heart. [pause] There is more. Aegon has been crowned as his successor. Rhaenyra: They crowned him? Daemon: How did Viserys die? Rhaenys: I could not say. Rhaenyra: How long ago? Rhaenys: A day past, perhaps two. I was made a prisoner in my quarters while the Queen made her preparations. Daemon: Viserys has been slain! Rhaenyra: Alicent demanded you declare for Aegon? Rhaenys: She did. I refused her. Daemon: And yet you are alive. Rhaenys: The High Septon crowned Aegon in the Dragonpit. I witnessed it myself just before I fled on Meleys. Rhaenyra: They crowned him before the masses? Rhaenys: So that the masses would see him as their rightful king. Daemon: That whore of a Queen murdered my brother and stole his throne, and you could have burnt them all for it! Rhaenys: A war is like to be fought over this treachery, to be sure, but that war is not mine to begin. I only rushed this warning to you out of loyalty to my husband and to my House. The Greens are coming for you, Rhaenyra, and your children. Lord Bartimos Celtigar: Pray forgive my bluntness, Your Grace, but talk of men is moot. Your cause owns a power that has not been seen in this world since the days of Old Valyria. Dragons. Rhaenyra: The Greens have dragons as well. Daemon: They have three adults, by my count. We have Syrax, Caraxes and Meleys. Your sons have Vermax, Arrax and Tyraxes. Baela has Moondancer... Rhaenyra: Daemon, none of our dragons have been to war. Daemon: There are also unclaimed dragons. Seasmoke still resides on Driftmark. Vermithor and Silverwing dwell on the Dragonmount, still riderless. Then there are three wild dragons, all of whom nest here. Rhaenyra: And who is to ride them? Daemon: Dragonstone has thirteen to their four. I also have a score of eggs incubating in the Dragonmont. Now, we need a place to gather, a toehold large enough to house a sizeable force. Here, at Harrenhal. We cut off the west, surround King's Landing with the dragons, and we can have every Green head mounted on spikes before the fucking moon turns! Otto: Princess Rhaenyra. Rhaenyra: I'm Queen Rhaenyra now, and you are all traitors to the realm. Otto: King Aegon Targaryen, Second of His Name, in his wisdom and desire for peace, is offering terms. Acknowledge Aegon as King and swear obeisance before the Iron Throne. In exchange, His Grace will confirm your possession of Dragonstone. It will pass to your trueborn son, Jacaerys, upon your death. Lucerys will be confirmed as the legitimate heir to Driftmark and all the lands and holdings of House Velaryon. Your sons by Prince Daemon will be given places of high honour at court; Aegon the Younger as the King's squire, Viserys as his cupbearer. Finally, the King, in his good grace, will pardon any knight or lord who conspired against his ascent. Daemon: I would rather feed my sons to the dragons than have them carry shields and cups for your drunken usurper cunt of a king! Otto: Aegon Targaryen sits the Iron Throne. He wears the Conqueror's crown, wields the Conqueror's sword, has the Conqueror's name. He was anointed by a septon of the Faith before the eyes of thousands. Every symbol of legitimacy belongs to him. And then there is Stark, Tully, Baratheon. Houses that have also received, and are at present, considering generous terms from their king. Rhaenyra: Stark, Tully and Baratheon all swore to me when King Viserys named me his heir. Otto: Stale oaths will not put you upon the Iron Throne, Princess. The succession changed the day your father sired a son. I only regret you and he were the last to see the truth of it... Rhaenyra: [removes and discards Otto's Hand badge] You are no more Hand than Aegon is King, fucking traitor! Otto: [Hands Rhaenyra a page she once tore from Alicent's book, detailing the conqueress Princess Nymeria; Alicent sent it as a gesture of good-will] The Queen has not forgotten the love you once had for each other. No blood need be spilled, so the realm can carry on in peace. Queen Alicent eagerly awaits your answer. Daemon: She can have her answer now, stuffed in her father's mouth along with his withered cock. Let's end this mummer's farce. [Draws his sword, Dark Sister] Rhaenyra: No - King's Landing will have my answer on the morrow. Rhaenyra: Lord Corlys. It brings much relief to see you hail and healthy, again. Corlys: I'm very sorry about your father, Princess. He was a good man. Where is Daemon? Rhaenyra: There were other matters which demanded the Prince's attention. Corlys: Hmm. [limps forward to the Painted Table] Your declared allies? Rhaenyra: Yes. Corlys: Too few to win a war, for the Throne. Rhaenyra: Well, we would also hope, to have the support of Houses Arryn, Baratheon and Stark- Corlys: Hope is the fool's ally. Rhaenyra: Both Arryn and Baratheon share blood with my House, but all of them swore oaths to me- Corlys: As did House Hightower, if I remember? Rhaenyra: As did you, Lord Corlys. Corlys: [looks briefly to Rhaenys, their granddaughters and Rhaenyra's sons] Your father's realm was one of justice, and honor. Our Houses are bound by common blood, and common cause. This Hightower treason cannot stand. You have the full support of our fleet, and House, Your Grace. [bows to her] Rhaenyra: You honor me, Lord Corlys. [she follows his gaze to Rhaenys, who smiles] Princess Rhaenys. But, as I said to my bannermen, I made a promise to my father to hold the Realm strong, and united. If war's first stroke is to fall, it will not be by my hand. Corlys: You do not mean to act? Rhaenyra: Taking caution does not mean standing fast. I wish to know who my allies are, before I send them to war. Corlys: The consequence of my... near-demise in the Stepstones is that we now control them. I took care to fully garrison the territory this time. A total blockade of the shipping lanes will be in place in days, if not already. The Triarchy have been routed; the Narrow Sea is ours. If we further seal the Gullet, we can cut off all seaborne travel and trade to King's Landing. Rhaenys: I shall take Meleys and patrol the Gullet myself. Lord Bartimos Celtigar: When we drain the Narrow Sea, we can surround King's Landing. Lay siege to the Red Keep, and force the Greens to surrender. Rhaenyra: If we're to have enough swords to surround King's Landing, we must first secure the support of Winterfell, the Eyrie and Storm's End. Maester Gerardys: I'll prepare the ravens, Your Grace. Jace: We should bear those messages. Dragons can fly faster than ravens, and they're more convincing. Send us. Corlys: The Prince is right, Your Grace. Rhaenyra: Very well. Prince Jacaerys will fly north. First to the Eyrie to see my mother's cousin, the Lady Jeyne Arryn, and then to Winterfell, to treat with Cregan Stark for the support of the North. Prince Lucerys will fly south to Storm's End, and treat with Lord Borros Baratheon. We must remind these Lords of the oaths they swore, and the cost of breaking them. Lord Borros Baratheon: If I do as your mother bids, which one of my daughters will you wed, boy? Lucerys: My lord, I am not free to marry. I'm already betrothed. Lord Borros Baratheon: So you come with empty hands. Go home, pup. And tell your mother that the Lord of Storm's End is not some dog that she can whistle up at need to set against her foes. Lucerys: I shall take your answer to the Queen, my lord. Aemond: Wait, my Lord Strong. Did you really think that you could just fly about the realm trying to steal my brother's throne at no cost? Lucerys: I will not fight you. I came as a messenger, not a warrior. Aemond: A fight would be little challenge. No. I want you to put out your eye. As payment for mine. [he tosses a dagger to Lucerys] One will serve. I would not blind you. Plan to make a gift of it to my mother. Lucerys: No. Aemond: Then you are craven as well as a traitor. Lord Borros Baratheon: Not here. Aemond: [charges at Lucerys] Give me your eye or I will take it, bastard! Lord Borros Baratheon: [storms to his feet] Not in my hall! The boy came as an envoy, I will not have bloodshed beneath my roof. Take Prince Lucerys back to his dragon. Now. Aemond: Vhagar, NO! [Vhagar consumes Lucerys Velaryon and Arrax, marking the beginning of the Dance of the Dragons] Season 2 A Son for a Son [2.01] Cregan Stark: Duty is sacrifice. It eclipses all things; even blood. All men of honor must pay its price. The North owes a great duty to the Seven Kingdoms. One older than any oath. Since the days of the First Men, we have stood as guardians against the cold and the dark. Through its long tradition, the Night's Watch cultivated its strength from doomed men who had their life as their only possession. But my ancestor, Torrhen Stark, began a tradition by making an offering at the onset of winter: one in ten men from our household was to be chosen to fortify the Watch. This is not a sentence, but an honor. A duty embraced by all who serve the North. Even by mine own kin. The North must stand ready. Winter is coming. Jace: The realm will soon tear itself apart if men do not remember the oath sworn to King Viserys and to his rightful heir. Cregan Stark: Starks do not forget their oaths, my prince. But you must know that my gaze is forever torn between north and south. In winter, my duty to the Wall is even more dire than the one I owe to King's Landing. I need my men here. Jace: Whilst your men guard against wildings and weather, the Hightowers plan to usurp the throne. If my mother is to defend her claim to hold the realm united, she needs an army. War is coming to the whole of the realm, my lord. We cannot wage it without the support of the North. Cregan Stark: My father brought King Jaehaerys and Queen Alysanne to see the Wall. His Grace stood at this very outlook and watched as their dragons, the greatest power in the world, refused to cross it. Do you think my ancestors built a seven-hundred foot wall of ice to keep out snow and savages? Jace: What does it keep out? Cregan Stark: Death. Rhaenys: It was a raven that brought me news of Laena's death. I existed for weeks in torment, refusing to believe what I'd been told. It was only when I saw my daughter's mortal remains that I could begin to mourn her. A raven has told Rhaenyra that her son is dead. She needs to know it for certain. Daemon: She was a fool to go alone. What if Aemond were to happen upon her? Rhaenys: Then I would pity Aemond. The queen was wise to recuse herself. She has not acted on the vengeful impulse that others might've. Daemon: If you'd have acted when you had the chance, Aegon's line would be extinguished and Luke would be alive. Erryk: [after Mysaria is arrested on Daemon's orders] Forgive me, my prince, but the lady speaks the truth. She was no agent of the Hightowers. Daemon: What's it to you? Erryk: A matter of honor. Daemon: Was it honor that made you stand by and watch as the Hightowers usurped the throne? You and your traitorous twin? Erryk: No, my prince. I'm shamed by it. It's why I abandoned the Kingsguard and my brother and came here. Daemon: I don't care. Aegon was in your grasp. You should've killed him yourself. Erryk: Arryk and I were named to the Kingsguard at just eight and ten. And we swore the same oath: to defend the whole of the royal family. So what were we to do when they turned against one another? Aemond: My brother is hostage to my grandsire and mother, and they tell him that a war of dragons can yet be avoided. Criston: 'Tis inevitable. They must see that. Aemond: Otto fears to upset the order of things. And Alicent is simply angry. Criston: Angry? Aemond: She blames me for starting this war after she plotted with my father's council to usurp his throne. "Her Grace" speaks with two tongues. Criston: She has a gentle heart. And Rhaenyra is a cunning spider. Long ago, she drew Alicent into her web, intoxicated her. It is not your mother's fault. Aemond: She holds love for our enemy. That makes her a fool. Helaena: They killed the boy. Rhaenyra the Cruel [2.02] Aegon: [smashing model of Valyria, screaming] I'LL KILL THEM! I'LL KILL THEM ALL! Traitors and villains! They dare strike at me! Servant 1: Your Grace. Aegon:[pointing sword at servant 1] I am the king! Servant 1: Your Grace! Yes, yes. Aegon:[pointing sword at servant 2] I am the king! Servant 2: Yes, Your Grace. Uh, please, Your Grace. Aegon:[looking back at model] Traitors and villains! Fire from the sky. This is war! I declare war! I declare war! Aegon: And where were the members of this council while the murderer threatened their king? Tyland: Were you also threatened, Your Grace? Aegon: I COULD HAVE BEEN! Aegon: My son is my legacy! My son is heir to the Iron Throne! [addressing Criston] And where were you, the Lord Commander of my Kingsguard? Criston: I was abed, Your Grace, having ordered the night's watch. Aegon: Abed. ABED! Instead of safeguarding the sanctity of my family! Otto: This is not the time for blind accusations, Your Grace. We’ll know who did this soon enough. Aegon: Who did this? Who d-What? Is there any question who did this? Who would do this save the bitch queen of bastards, the smug cunt of Dragonstone! There she sits, across the bay, on her rock, laughing at me, she's fucking laughing at me! Alicent: When the people share our grief, they draw closer to us. Helaena: I don't want them closer. I don't know them. Alicent: Sometimes, we have to pretend. Helaena: Why? Alicent: We are representatives of the throne. We have a duty. Lord Bartimos Celtigar: It must be said that the damage to our position is immeasurable, at a time when we most need loyalty to our cause. Rhaenyra: But it's a lie. Having lost my own son, that I would inflict such a thing on Helaena, of all people... an innocent. Ser Alfred Broome: The death of Prince Lucerys was a shock and an insult. A mother so aggrieved might, naturally, seek relief in retribution. Rhaenyra: Are you suggesting, Ser Alfred, that my grief drove me to order the decapitation of a child? Ser Alfred Broome: I merely thought, perhaps, an action taken in haste... Rhaenys: Mind yourself. Rhaenyra: Do you accept me as your queen and ruler? Or do you cling, even now, to what you think you lost? Daemon: What I think I lost? Rhaenyra: You did not lose it. You gave it away. Because you thought only and ever of your own glory, and not of my father in his grief, who needed you. Daemon: Your father was a coward who knew I was the stronger son, that I was the leader of men and he was afraid to be seen in my shadow. Rhaenyra: Is that what you understand of your own brother? Daemon: Oh, you know him better than I do, who was raised by his side? Do you believe he made you heir because of your great wisdom? Because of your virtue? Rhaenyra: How dare you... Daemon: Or did he merely use you as a tool to put me in my place because he was afraid of me? Because he knew your legacy, unlike mine, would never outshine his own. Rhaenyra: He was not afraid of you, Daemon! He could not trust you any more than I can trust you. Daemon: He was a fool who sought greatness but shrank from spilling blood to achieve it. And I see you will suffer the same fate. Mysaria: I was brought to Westeros with nothing. I toiled in service, I stole. I sold my own body for coin or bread. And I listened. I collected confidences. I made myself valuable to powerful men. Bit by bit, I earned my living. A house, a household, a home. Then they set it all aflame. Rhaenyra: Who did? Mysaria: The Hightowers, I can only assume. The Hand did not like it when I showed my teeth. But I thank him for it. For too long, I made it my aim to be of consequence. But now, I see that was the wish of a child. Daemon. Otto Hightower. Makes no difference. They will never accept me. I might as well have remained a whοre. Otto: [after learning Aegon and Ser Criston's plan to assassinate Rhaenyra] Instead of judgment, you display impetuousness, and diminish us in the eyes of our enemy! Ill-considered, trifling! Do you never think of your father? His forbearance? His judiciousness? His... his dignity. Aegon: Fuck dignity! I want revenge. My father is dead. Otto: He is, and we are the poorer for it. He was right about you. Aegon: He made me King. Otto: [laughs] Is that what you think? The Burning Mill [2.03] Lord Jasper Wylde: The Blackwoods and the Brackens have feuded for centuries. This is nothing more than an excuse for them to indulge their ancient grudge. It's no true war. Aegon: Call it what you will. I call it war. And so will Dragonstone. Rhaenys: The young men have taken the bit in their teeth. They wish to punish, to avenge. Soon, they will not even remember what it was that began the war in the first place. Rhaenyra: That is easy enough. They usurped my throne. Rhaenys: That is one answer. Or was it when the child was beheaded? Or when Aemond killed Luke? Or when Luke took Aemond's eye? We teeter now at the point where none of it will matter. And the desire to kill and burn takes hold and reason is forgotten. There may be another way. Alicent Hightower. Rhaenyra: When last we met, Alicent said I would make a fine queen. You've seen what has happened since then. Rhaenys: She came to me in the hours after your lord father's death. She knows war is coming and that it'll be savage beyond all compare. There is no war so hateful to the gods as a war between kin. And no war so bloody as a war between dragons. Daemon: I'm claiming Harrenhal. Ser Simon Strong: Apparently so. [walks over to Daemon and goes to one knee] I, Ser Simon Strong, castellan of Harrenhal, pledge fealty to Rhaenyra of House Targaryen, First of Her Name. I swear this by the old gods and the new. Supper is venison with black cabbage and peas. No redcurrant. Sorry about that. Alys: [encountering Daemon in Harrenhal's godswood] You will die in this place. Helaena: I feel sad about Jaehaerys. But I ought not to, I think. People die all the time, especially babes. They're so little, so they're taken so easily. Alicent: Sadness is a condition of motherhood. Helaena: There's naught to be gained from it. That horrid procession where the smallfolk all stared at me. I warrant they thought I had no more right to grief than they do. Surely they lose their babes more than highborn ladies. Alicent: The Stranger comes for us all, queen and commoner. You have as much claim to grief as anyone. Rhaenyra: We watched the tourney together, you and I, the day my brother was born. We knew, even then, that men trained up for battle are eager to fight, to seek blood and glory. But you are ... I know you do not have that desire within you. Rhaenys has counseled me. She said she saw in you a wish to avert the worst of what may now come. Alicent: So, you've come to surrender then? Rhaenyra: I have come to see if we may uncover some path towards peace. My dragons are restless. They smell battle. But if you and I may come to terms... Alicent: There are no terms now. You have no army, your allies turn from you when they hear of your depravity, your hands are bloodied in a crime I could never have imagined you... Rhaenyra: The trespass was not mine. Think what you will. I am a mother, too, and you have yet to answer for the murder of my son. Alicent: I repudiate that act with all my heart. Rhaenyra: Of course, you do. And the usurping of my rightful inheritance? Have you now stooped so low that you will countenance the suffering and death of thousands in order that your feckless son... Alicent: Your father changed his mind. Rhaenyra: Oh, so you say. And so your father has proclaimed to the realm. I saw the king that night. Mere hours before I left him, he had affirmed my right to the throne. A right he upheld steadfastly every day of his life after my mother died. And yet, you will maintain that his mind was changed in an instant? Alicent: I will. Rhaenyra: You lie. Alicent: No, Rhaenyra. Rhaenyra: My father loved me, Alicent, and I believe he loved you, too. Did you betray him at the very last? When was your plan first laid? Was your ambition so keen... Alicent: He changed his mind, Rhaenyra! He changed his mind. I swear this to you on the memory of my mother. I have been, at times, unkind, but never untrue. I pronounced before all gathered in that room that you would make a fine queen. Do you think me capable of such naked deceit? The Red Dragon and the Gold [2.04] Aegon: [after hearing about Aemond's secret dialogue with Cole] The two of you have been plotting without my authority? Aemond: [in High Valyrian] You had more pressing matters to attend to. Such as holding court, choosing your sobriquet, and naming imbecilic lickspittles to our Kingsguard. Do you have a wiser strategy, my king? If so, you should voice it to your council. We all await your answer. Larys: If I may be so bold, my Queen, you have not seemed yourself of late. Alicent: Only weeks ago, my lord husband was alive, and the realm was at peace. Now, I've barely had the hours to grieve one tragedy before suffering the next. I regret if I have not been myself. Larys: Hmmm. [examines several books on the table between them] I did not know you shared your lord husband's love for the histories. Alicent: If not his love, certainly an abiding interest. The voices of history guided Viserys. He knew his wisdom could only reach so far. Larys: Do you think that is why he changed his mind, in the end? No matter how suited he thought Rhaenyra for the crown, the, uh, voices of history, as you say, would have told him how the realm would react to her succession. Alicent: It was impossible to know what steered his thoughts in those final hours. Larys: Do you now doubt his intentions? Alicent: Rhaenyra's supporters will believe what they wish, and so will Aegon's. The war will be fought, many will die, and the victor will eventually ascend the throne. The significance of Viserys's intentions died with him. Daemon: You are a strange kind of woman. Alys: I'm no woman at all. I'm a barn owl, cursed to live in human form. Ser Alfred Broome: An enemy host, growing in constitution, marches somewhere, in the vastness of the Crownlands. We could, perhaps, act if we had a host of our own. Or someone here to lead us. Jace: Mind your tongue, Ser Alfred. Ser Alfred Broome: Does it speak falsely, my prince? This council is rudderless. Rhaenys: I'm doing my best to steer it, Ser Alfred. Ser Alfred Broome: Why should your voice be any louder than ours, Princess? The Queen did not name you Hand. It is her voice, and that of the King Consort, that we need to raise alliances and command our vassals. But they are gone. Corlys: What has come of this council? Ser Alfred Broome: My lord... Corlys: Our enemy is on the march. Is there naught to be done in the absence of the queen, but to grouse and claw for power? We do not know the queen's doings. But we must trust that she seeks the same as each of us at this table. An end to this conflict. Alicent: It was my hope that once enthroned, you would honor the burden of your new duties, be silent, and strive to learn from the more studied minds around you. In the hope that you might be half the king your father was. Aegon: Tread carefully. Alicent: Or what? You'll hang me, as you did your ratcatchers? Or have me banished, as you did your Hand? I ruled in your father's absence throughout his long illness, and Otto Hightower was as cunning a statesman as ever lived. You should humbly be seeking our opinions and counsel. You have no idea the sacrifices that were made to put you on that throne. Aegon: What would you have me do, Mother? Alicent: Do simply what is needed of you. Nothing. Criston: [to the Green host] On your feet! To Rook's Rest! To battle! Gwayne: [to Criston] It's broad daylight! We must hold here and ready ourselves to lay siege at nightfall. Criston: We shall move now and strike by day, they will not expect it. Gwayne: They will not expect it because it is fucking madness. Did you forget the little encounter we had on the road to Rosby? Criston: I did not. Gwayne: Dragonstone and their dragons are just across the bay. What? Grown tired of living, have you? Criston: Are you afraid, Ser? Gwayne: Worse. I'm rational. Criston: We advance. Regent [2.05] Rhaenyra: Do you take issue with me, Ser Alfred? Ser Alfred Broome: My loyalty to you is proven, my queen. Rhaenyra: Your loyalty, perhaps, but not your willingness to give me deference in a time of war. Ser Alfred Broome: I could never doubt your capability, or your quickness of mind. It is merely that the gentler sex, heretofore, has not been much privy to the strategies of battle, or their execution. Rhaenyra: There has been peace in our lifetime. You've seen no more battles than I have. Daemon: I came here to raise swords, not corpses. Lord Willem Blackwood: But now you see what my house has known for generations. They are pigheaded, intransigent. They would rather burn than succumb. Daemon: Exactly the kind of men I need. It may yet be possible, I think, for both of us to achieve our ends. Lord Willem Blackwood: We have fought them for an age and more. Daemon: Then perhaps you could try less fighting and more persuading. Lord Willem Blackwood: They are unyielding in battle. But every man has a weakness. Daemon: You take my meaning, then. There are things the Crown itself must not been seen to do. Show them your worst. Rhaenyra: The way they spoke at my small council today. Mysaria: Do they hold you responsible for Rhaenys and her dragon? Rhaenyra: I would rather they had. They speak around me, not to me. They would make me queen, but they wish to keep me here, confined. Mysaria: They betray their own smallness. Rhaenyra: In truth, I cannot fault them. I am now the sovereign. I cannot do as I please. And war has ever been for men to make. Mysaria: You are your father's chosen successor. Rhaenyra: He did not prepare me to fight. If I had been a son, a sword thrust into my hand the moment I could walk. Instead, I was given my father's cup, taught the name of every lord and castle between Storm's End and the Twins, but not the difference between hilt and foible. And they know it. And Daemon as well. Kat: Are we not beggars already? Have you been paid for those machines you were forced to build? Hugh: The king has promised payment. Kat: The king has lied! By all means, stay and wait for his empty promises, husband. With them, you can feed the mouths of ghosts. Daemon: You should address me as "my king." Ser Simon Strong: But you're the prince. Daemon: What would you call the husband of the Queen? Ser Simon Strong: Well, the King... Daemon: There it is, then. Ser Simon Strong: ..consort. Daemon: That last bit seems unnecessary, don't you think? Smallfolk [2.06] Aemond: Remind me of your place on the small council. Alicent: You know very well I represented your father during the last years of his life, and I have been a councilor to Aegon. Aemond: Capably so. My father's dead and Aegon is ... You served the realm well at a time of need. That need is ended. You are no longer obliged. Alicent: It's not a matter of obligation. This council has need of a tempering voice. Aemond: We have more than enough of those, if you ask me. Alicent: You have the impetuousness of youth and its arrogance, neither of which is to be desired in a king. Aemond: I release you of your seat, such as it was. I'm sure you'll be much pleased to return to more domestic pursuits. Alicent: Have the indignities of your childhood not yet sufficiently been avenged? Aemond: You have the gratitude of the crown. Ser Steffon Darklyn: [after Rhaenyra suggests that he become a dragonrider] I am but a man. The dragons are gods. Your Grace honors me beyond what I deserve. Rhaenyra: You understand your peril, Ser Steffon? I do not compel you to do this. It has never been attempted before. To claim a dragon, you must also be prepared to die. Ser Steffon Darklyn: I well understand the risk and I accept it with gladness. I swore to ward my queen with all my strength, and to give my blood for hers. That is my oath, Your Grace. Rhaenyra: Then perhaps the gods will favor us. Daemon: There's something wrong with me. Someone poisoned me. The food, the wine. Or else it's this swamp air, or... Alys: The ghost of Harren the Black moaning his curses from Kingspyre Tower? Daemon: Drivel! All of it! The ghosts, the curses, the blasted weirwood bed! I'm done with it! Alys: Ah, yes. It is your way, is it not? When something does not please you, you run. Dragonstone, the Stepstones, Pentos, Harrenhal. Daemon: I awake and I do not know where I've been. Alys: There are older things in this world than you or I, or living memory. You are not the player, but a piece on the board. As am I, for that matter. Daemon: I am not like you. Alys: In some ways, no. You struggle to see there's an anger that blinds you. Daemon: She never even wanted it. The crown. She spared no thought to it. Alys: Well, that's perhaps why your brother gave the crown to her. Perhaps those who strive for it are the least suited to wear it. Daemon: Don't lecture me! Alys: Viserys never wanted it himself, if you recall. It came to him, and he did his best. It’s not a prize to be won, but a burden to bear. Larys: Take heart, Your Grace, you've already written yourself into legend. You survived dragonfire. But I'm afraid you will never be whole. Orwyle has exhausted his abilities. He's bound your leg, but you will never run again. Your mind is all that remains to you. I do not say that gladly. I came screaming into the world in the bowels of one of Harren's great towers. My lungs were strong, but my foot so twisted that my father named it sorcery. Accusing a member of our household of casting maligned spells. Well. People will pity you either behind your back or in your presence. And they will stare at you, at you, or turn away. And they will underestimate you. And this will be your advantage. Aegon: No, n… No. Larys: Your brother rules in your place now, which means that your life is in danger. But I think you know that. Aegon: [weakly] Help me. Rhaenyra: I do not think I can win this war. Mysaria: I think you are tired. Rhaenyra: My own son questions my capabilities. He thinks I need Daemon at my side. And Daemon himself. Mysaria: He has ever done what suits Daemon. Rhaenyra: He was everything I wanted to be. Carefree. And dangerous. A man. And I was what he wanted. Cherished by my father and made my father's heir. We were halves of a whole. Mysaria: He's never been at peace. Rhaenyra: He wished to possess me, but not to be possessed and to see me take hold, finally, of what he always believed to be his. I fear what he may now do. I fear he may have turned against me. Mysaria: It is more his way to disappear. Rhaenyra: In either case, I have lost him and Caraxes with him. Rhaenys and her dragon are dead. I have Syrax and two young beasts. We cannot take on Vhagar alone. And I have no army. Mysaria: You have the Velaryon fleet and the men who fight in it. Rhaenyra: It’s not enough. And even if we somehow prevailed, how will I rule a kingdom when my own son doubts me? Mysaria: You have me. Rhaenyra: You have my thanks. Truly. Mysaria: It was my father. I was still a child. He had his pleasure with me. And when, after many months of this, it became evident that his seed had taken root. [points to her groin] There is a scar here as well. I cannot bear children. He left me for dead. But I lived. Rhaenyra: I'm so sorry. Mysaria: Swore to myself I would never trust another. And that oath has stood me well. This world is cold and cruel, and there are few in it who are steadfast. You, I think, are steadfast. You have seen me as worthy, as an equal, even. Because of that, I will serve you. I believe you are meant to be queen. The Red Sowing [2.07] Rhaenyra: You stand before the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms, with a dragon of House Targaryen. Addam: I had no design upon it. Rhaenyra: What do you want? Addam: To learn the ways of dragonriders. And to serve my Queen. [kneels] Your Grace. Rhaenyra: [approaches cautiously] You kneel quickly for a man so suddenly elevated. Addam: This Dragon came to me, not I to him. I have sweated blood in service to House Velaryon. I may appear lowborn, but I know much and more of service. And if the Gods call me to greater things, who am I to refuse them? Rhaenyra: Stand. [Addam stands] What is your parentage? Addam: My mother was a shipwright. My father is no one of consequence. Rhaenyra: And your ancestors? Any of House Targaryen? Addam: We're not the sort of family to keep annals, Your Grace. Rhaenyra: What is your name? Addam: Addam. Rhaenyra: You have done something I feared impossible, Addam. I am glad of it. Do you think you can get him to Dragonstone? Addam: I can try. Rhaenyra: Seasmoke chose him. He surely has Targaryen blood in him somewhere. The dragon must sense it. There will be others. We will find riders for Vermithor and Silverwing. Mysaria: You trust this man? Rhaenyra: What choice do I have? He has a dragon. Without him, I have only Syrax who may give Aemond a second thought. The question is where to look. Targaryen blood was perhaps too thin in Ser Steffon Darklyn. If I can find others with a more direct line of breeding. Mysaria: Forgive me, Your Grace, but you are better served looking under the sheets and in the woodpiles. I once worked in a pleasure house where generations of Targaryen princelings had their revels. There are four score of their bastard progeny at least, that are known to me. There are sure to be more. Perhaps some here, on Dragonstone, the misbegotten offspring of your house. Rhaenyra: You speak of the lowborn. Mysaria: They are as like to serve you as highborn lords or ladies, perhaps more. Rhaenyra: But in the highborn houses there is an ancient fealty. There is honor. Mysaria: Your royal half-brothers, Aegon and Aemond, whose blood is pure, who wage war against you for your throne, are they bound by honor? A common shipwright vows to serve you while your brothers seek to destroy you. The order of things has changed, Your Grace. Why not embrace it? Rhaenyra: For twenty years, the lords of this realm levied insults at my sons, behind my back. [pause] Well then. Let us raise an army of bastards. Jace: The lowborn claiming dragons, was it her idea? Lady Mysaria? Rhaenyra: You were enthusiastic enough when Ser Steffon made his claim. Jace: He was the Lord Commander of the Queensguard, heir to the Dunfort. These people are... Rhaenyra: Courageous. Jace: Mongrels! Rhaenyra: Jace, think what is at stake. Jace: I know well what is at stake. House Targaryen is the blood of the dragon. If any may lay claim to it, what are we then? Rhaenyra: The rightful rulers of the Seven Kingdoms. Jace: And what if one of your baseborn, silver-haired dragonriders decides he wants to rule the Seven Kingdoms? Did the Conqueror's Dream foretell that? Rhaenyra: What else would you have me do? Prosecute a war, which we will lose, in which thousands will die? Or fly against Vhagar myself? Or perhaps you will fly against her on Vermax? Jace, with these riders, we can end a needless war. I may take my rightful place on my father's throne. Jace: And when you die? Rhaenyra: You are my heir! Jace: Did you think I would have dark hair? When you took Harwin Strong into your bed, did you think I might favor him, or did it not cross your mind? Rhaenyra: Jacaerys... Jace: I'm no fool, Mother! The proof is here for all to see! Yet I might argue my legitimacy to succeed you because I have a dragon. And now you say you will strip that from me too. Rhaenyra: I mislike all of this. Jace: Then don't pursue it. Rhaenyra: But I cannot gainsay that which the Gods have laid before me. Rhaenyra: I used to think I knew what it was to claim a dragon, but I understand now that what I thought I knew is ash in the wind. Perhaps it is blood. Or worth. Or perhaps it’s something else. Each of you has left behind a life to answer this call. A life to which you might never return. If you survive, you will be transformed. No man or woman can face a dragon and be otherwise. Some of you may welcome the prospect of change, even death, given the alternatives: privation, starvation, war. This is our purpose, to end those hardships. For you, for your kin, for all the realm. With these two dragons added to our number, the enemy will have no choice but to give way. And peace will be restored, suffering will be ended, and without bloodshed gods willing. Lord Oscar Tully: You'll forgive me, Your Grace. I am green in this sort of matter, as you so kindly point out, but it does seem to me that you've made rather a mess here, countenancing barbarities in the Queen's name. Daemon: Whose side are you on? Lord Oscar Tully: The Riverlands are held together by oaths. House Tully swore an oath to King Viserys. We recognize the authority of the named heir, Queen Rhaenyra, and your own as her king consort. Daemon: Good. Then we shall go to face your vassals and you will call your banners to war. Lord Oscar Tully: That might be difficult, my king. Daemon: Well, I was told they would come to heel when House Tully declared its allegiance. Lord Oscar Tully: That may be the case, though it is yet to be seen that they will heed my authority as young as it is. And there is another problem. They all hate you. Daemon: I don't need their love. I need their swords. The Queen Who Ever Was [2.08] Aegon: I am the King. Why must I run? Larys: Because the Prince Regent is going to kill you. You were in danger before, and now? He is thwarted. He is angry. There's no telling what he will do. We have an opportunity while he is away... Aegon: An opportunity to push him out. Take me to my throne. And once he returns I shall take him prisoner. Larys: And what then? When Rhaenyra descends upon you with her seven dragons, and you without Vhagar, what then? I have, over the years, in anticipation of little bumps in the road, moved the greater part of Harrenhal's gold reserves to the Iron Bank of Braavos. We can live well, and remain until what is coming has passed. Aegon: [laughs bitterly] You want to take me to Essos, to live with the goatfuckers. Larys: It's best to live, I think, however you do it. Aegon: Is it? My dragon is dead. I am burned and disgusting and alone. And I'm a cripple... Larys: You're not alone. Aegon: My cock is destroyed. Did they tell you that? Burst into flames like a sausage on a spit. Larys: Do not despair, Your Grace, there are better days ahead. Let your brother and the pretender destroy themselves in blood and bitterness. And when they are spent, and their armies in tatters, we will return. And the people will rise up to meet us. Aegon: I can't even piss without it running down my leg... Larys: They will be tired of endless deprivation and fear. They will hail the returning King. His father's true heir. Aegon the Victorious, risen from the ashes. Aegon the Peacemaker. Aegon the Rebuilder. Aegon: [smiling, convinced] Aegon the Realm's Delight. Gwayne: [holding his sword at Ser Criston's throat] Do you think nothing of your oath, "Lord Commander?" Criston: I think of nothing else, My Lord. Gwayne: A steward's son from Dorne fucking the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms? Criston: Former Queen. She has broken no oaths, for all I may have done. Gwayne: I could send you to the Wall. Criston: You could. And stain the Hightower name for a generation. The King's mother and his Hand... Gwayne: She is my sister! Criston: She saved my life. Twice. Once from the headsman's axe and once from myself. Since then, she has been the beacon I follow. [Ser Gwayne sighs and lowers his sword] Do not think I have no shame in me, Ser. Desire for women has brought me grief after grief. Gwayne: Then resist it! Criston: Oh, would that it were so simple. Gwayne: Your brothers in the Kingsguard find a way. Criston: Do they? Perhaps they do. Or perhaps all men are corrupt. And true honor is a mist that melts in the morning. Gwayne: That is a bleak philosophy. Criston: I have no philosophy. Or rather, my philosophy was this. [picks up his sword] Protect the righteous and dispense justice upon the rest. But now? [lowers his sword] You saw what I saw. The dragons dance, and men are like dust under their feet. And all our fine thoughts, all our endeavors are as nothing. We march now toward our annihilation. To die will be a kind of relief, don't you think? Aemond: [pulling Helaena roughly by the arm] They have defiled our birthright, made commoners into dragonlords! It is a sin and must be punished! Alicent: May I remind you your sister is still the queen? Aemond: As you were once! And you see now what is the consequence of your weakness! We are in peril today more than yesterday! Alicent: Was it peril that moved you to burn the town of Sharp Point? Peril or basest fury at your own humiliation? [Pulls Helaena away] You wish to rule the Seven Kingdoms, but you rain ruin and death upon its smallfolk when you've been insulted because it makes you feel strong, and now you seek to corrupt your sister, of all our line, the gentlest and most deserving of your protection. Aemond: And who will protect her if she cannot protect herself? Alicent: And who will she be if her mind is broken? Aemond: 'Tis no longer our rule that is threatened, our very lives! Would you not have us prevail? Alicent: Not like this. Not like this! Daemon: I wasn't expecting you. Rhaenyra: That seems rather a lapse in foresight. [looks around at the gathered army] I see you have done well here. Daemon: They are sworn to me. And not a moment too soon. Rhaenyra: And to whom are you sworn? Daemon: [in High Valyrian] The world is not what we thought it was. This war is just the beginning. Winter is coming. And with it, darkness and doom. Rhaenyra: [also in High Valyrian] You sound like my father. Daemon: I saw it. I saw that we cannot withstand it. And yet, somehow, we must. [switches back to Common] The Realm's only hope is a leader that can unite it, and my brother chose you. [bends the knee] You are the true Queen. Rhaenyra, First of Her Name, Protector of the Realm. I am meant to serve you. And all of these with me, until death, or the end of our story. [The entire army behind Daemon bends the knee] Rhaenyra: [in High Valyrian] Leave me again at your peril. Daemon: [rising] I could not. I have tried. My Queen. [turns and addresses the army] For every one of us who falls, a hundred of them! [draws his sword] There will be no mercy! We fight for our Queen! Corlys: We join the blockade and are like to find ourselves in peril, sooner than late. I wish to set out on good terms with my First Mate. Alyn: Have I been remiss in my duties? Corlys: You've done what is asked of you, and more. But you are curt, silent. The men find you distant. You cannot lead if you do not inspire. Alyn: I have not asked to lead, as you well know. Corlys: You have been given a position to which all who serve me aspire. Alyn: Forgive me, My Lord. I will endeavor to improve myself. Corlys: I am trying to help you! Alyn: You want to help me? Is this the "help" you offer after all these years? A reminder to be grateful? Corlys: I meant no offense. You may go. Alyn: Do you know what it was like for us? To grow up fatherless? To be sneered upon as bastards? Never sure of the bread to feed us? Do you know what hunger does to a boy? What grief does? Or shame? Corlys: You are dismissed! Alyn: I sold fish in the market from cold dawn until sunset, putting up my coppers to stave off the winter. And I watched the man who sired me walk past with his son and heir, with furs around his shoulders, choosing sweetmeats to eat after supper by the fire. And now that boy is dead. And his sister before him. And the heir that took his place. And now, now, now you remember I live! Now you wish to suddenly scatter the crumbs of your favor! I am an honorable man, and I will serve you because I must. But if it is all the same, I will decline any offers of help. If I survive this war, I will continue as I began. Alone. Aemond: Sister. We share the same blood, you and I. I know you wish no harm to anyone. But in a time like this, when the good of the realm depends on us… Our mother is not a dragonrider. She cannot understand that you and I have a truer call to heed. Come with me… to Harrenhal? We will lay waste to Daemon and his army. Let our enemy see that we will answer outrage with outrage. Helaena: And if I refuse? Will you burn me as you did Aegon? Aemond: That is a lie. Helaena: I saw it. You burned him and you let him fall. Aemond: What you say is treason. Helaena: Aegon will be king again. He’s yet to see victory. He sits on a wooden throne. And you… you’ll be dead. You were swallowed up in the God’s Eye, and you were never seen again. Aemond: I could have you killed. Helaena: It wouldn’t change anything. Rhaenyra: Why have you come here? Alicent: Aemond will soon fly to join Cole in the Riverlands. When he's gone, Helaena as queen will be the Crown's authority. If you come then to King's Landing, I will see to it that our guards throw down their arms. We will open the gates, we will shed no blood. You will enter as a conqueror. Already you have the stronger hand. Once you take the throne, this senseless war must end. Rhaenyra: What of Aegon? Alicent: He's broken beyond recognition. He lies in the dark, in pain and terror. He has many faults, but he still heeds his mother. I believe I can prevail upon him to bend the knee, if indeed... Rhaenyra: No! Still you defend him. Still you imagine you can have all you want without paying too high a price, a price I had no choice but to pay. Alicent: What I want is to set things right. Rhaenyra: If I am to take the throne, I must put an end to the opposition. I must take Aegon's head. And I have to do it for all to see. You know this. However you may try to evade it, you know this. Choose. Will you shrink from what you set out to do? Or will you see it through and make your sacrifice? A son for a son. [after a long moment, Alicent nods] You are much changed. Alicent: Let us be done with this, please. Rhaenyra: And what do I do with you now? Alicent: You let me go, to do what I promised. And you fly to the Red Keep in three days' time, and you take your throne. Or you take me for a liar. I have neither weapon nor armor. My life itself is forfeit. I cast myself on the mercy of a friend who once loved me. Rhaenyra: History will paint you a villain. A cold queen grasping for power, and then defeated. Alicent: Let them think what they must. I am at last myself with no ambition greater than to walk where I please and to breathe the open air. To die unremarked and unnoticed and be free. Rhaenyra: You speak as if from a distant dream. Alicent: Come with me. Rhaenyra: My part is here, whether I will or no. It was decided for me long ago. Season 3 Salt and Sea, Fire and Blood [3.01] Larys: Take heart, my king. These are dark hours, but brighter days lie ahead. Aegon: No. No. I'm the king of nothing. With raven shit for a throne and a cripple for a protector. Oh, I'm fucking pathetic. Rhaenyra: I have to believe that Alicent's offer was genuine. Jace: It is a ruse, cloaked in stale friendship! Rhaenyra: The risk she took in coming here is beyond question... Jace: And the risks she now asks you to take? To fly to the Greens' stronghold, based on her word alone? It is a trap, Mother, to lure you and Daemon into Vhagar's jaws! Ser Roderick Dustin: We have come to die for the dragon queen. Daemon: Very good. We've got more lions to hunt. Ser Criston: Look around you, Ser Gwayne. Look to the sky; to the horizon. Doom and ruin surround us. We will all become beasts before our end. Ser Gwayne: Only if we abandon our principles. Ulf: What do I need with a fucking horse? I've got a dragon. Addam of Hull: You'd be Ser Ulf, and men would have to show you respect. Ulf: Men would have to show me respect 'cause of the big fucking dragon! Helaena: Aemond's frightened, too. After he claimed Vhagar, he forgot what fear was. But he remembers now. He knows that if he has to face Rhaenyra's dragons, he'll die. Corlys: I cannot fully mend the breach between us. But I do accept that it was of my making. I was fond of your mother. For... whatever we had together. I did try to provide a life for you, for your brother. Alyn of Hull: A life, perhaps. But never a name. Queen's Landing [3.02] Ser Lorent: My queen, I have failed you. My life must be forfeit. Rhaenyra: And what good would that do? Will it wake my son? Will it change the truth of his folly and yours? [to Baela] And yours? All of you, who knew what Jacaerys had done and stood by. Are your lives, too, not forfeit? Have you not betrayed your queen? Daemon: I would thank you for your help, but I'm not sure yet what your purpose has been. Alys: I’ve done the queen a service. I put 40,000 rivermen at her call. Tell her I want Harrenhal. I've lived there all my long life, and I've seen it given from hand to hand. And yet none seem to cherish it. Why should it not come to me? Daemon: You have neither name, nor title, nor noble husband. The crown is not in the habit of giving out castles to midwives. Alys: And is midwife the sum of what you think I am? Daemon: I will speak with her. Perhaps there is some other reward she may extend your way. Alys: "Some other reward." I ask for food, and you offer me rubies. For all their worth, they will never satisfy my hunger. Go home, Daemon. But do not come back here! Remember what I told you. Alicent: Rhaenyra Targaryen approaches, Ser Freddryk. She comes with Prince Daemon and more besides. The king has abdicated; the prince regent himself has fled the city. Will you fight and be burned, and King's Landing along with you, or will you suffer her to enter, and hope for peace? Ser Rickard: You are brazen; I credit you this. Brazen or thick. Daemon: I suppose that depends on whether I win or lose. Daemon: [as he brings in Otto Hightower] The rats in the Black Cells have grown uncommon big! Rhaenyra Triumphant [3.03] Rhaenyra: I am my father's heir, and the gods themselves decree that I must rule the Seven Kingdoms. Have they not raised me up and cast the usurper into ruin? High Septon Balman: That has happened; it is true. Rhaenyra: How has it happened if they did not will it? A dragon appeared to me in my greatest need. High Septon Balman: My gods do not deal in dragons. They are a profane magic, created in darkness and pride and lust for power, for impunity. They destroy, but they do not create. There is not good that can come of them. Rhaenyra: You have made your position exceedingly clear. High Septon Balman: With respect, I advise you. Do not make an enemy of the Faith. It exhorts and comforts and binds together your people. Underestimate it at your peril. Corlys: Will you not bring your Small Council here from Dragonstone? There is much to take in hand. Rhaenyra: They betrayed me in their silence, if not in deed. I'm done with them. Daemon: [about Vhagar and Sheepstealer] They cannot hide for long. You will have justice. Rhaenyra: I will never have justice. But what crumbs of it may be snatched, I will devour. Alicent: You may not rule and remain yourself. There are choices to be made and you may, on occasion, have to turn your face away while people suffer and die. There is, in you, a door that must shut. You will do things that your heart would have recoiled from before you came to the throne. Rhaenyra: I acknowledge the struggle, but I dispute that I must become what I am not. Alicent: Time will tell. Rhaenyra: My father remained himself. Alicent: Your father lived in a world of his own construction. You and I have never set foot there. Daemon: Lord Ormund surrendered - we have your little prince. Though I still say we should have incinerated them all. Rhaenyra: [shakes her head] I must justify my father's faith in me; rule as he would have wished. Daemon: At any rate, we must begin. Rhaenyra: [after meeting Daeron] He's... younger than I imagined. Daemon: He's a claimant to the throne. You're going to have to kill him. Tumbleton [3.04] Alicent: I bore Viserys three Targaryens. But with the last, my last, I wanted him to be a Hightower. In truth, I'm glad I waged that battle, seeing now what came of our other sons. Perhaps sending Daeron away was my truest act of motherhood. Though I do not know now what fate that choice has consigned him. Rhaenyra: Fathers have a maddening capacity to at once inspire and incense, don't you think? Ormund: So, you swore to her out of fear? Sharis: We swore because she is the Queen. Ormund: Is she? [Ormund rises slowly from his bath] Or is she a bitch with a dragon? Hugh: I understand that Ser Ulf is to be sent to Tumbleton. Rhaenyra: He is. Hugh: If it pleases Your Grace, I offer to take the watch on Vermithor. Rhaenyra: Your wife is at Tumbleton, is she not? Ser Ulf has no stake in the matter. Hugh: Send me, because I do. I will not tire of watching when one I love is below. Alyn: My Lord Hand, the queen has requested your presence at her small council. Corlys: I'm her Hand, not her mouth. Leave the talking to those who relish it. Ormund: [about Borros Baratheon] That lackwit sealed a marriage pact between Prince Aemond and one of his horse-faced daughters. And yet, where is he now? Send another raven that he can understand; this one mayhaps with drawings rather than letters. [Daemon tries to persuade Rhaena to leave Sheepstealer] Daemon: He's not like the others, Rhaena. He is wild; he cannot be trusted. Rhaena: He is mine! He is a part of me. I have been alone all my life; a Targaryen without a dragon. Disregarded, or-or worse, pitied. Can you yourself say you ever gave me more than a passing thought? Rhaena, the unfortunate; Rhaena, the least among your children. Daemon: Come back with me, then, to King's Landing. Rhaena: No. Daemon: We will... speak to her, together. We will tell her it was a mistake! Rhaena: How can I ever stand before her again, after what I have done? No, I can never return. I will remain here, alone and in exile. That is my penance. Daemon: She will hunt you down. Is hunting, now! Rhaena: Let them grieve me and think me lost to sea. Unless you betray me. Daemon: You ask me to deceive her? That is betrayal. Rhaena: I have asked you nothing, Father, in all my life. I ask this one thing of you now. Unbowed and Unbent [3.05] Ser Criston: We have endured much. Suffered much. This I know. And though we languish now… in the darkness… we will not lose heart. The Seven watch over us even now. Let the Maiden grant us vision. For the way ahead is blessed. Let the Warrior lend us his sword that we do not falter in our resolve. And the Smith… Let the Smith bless us with his strength. The Crone lights our way. Ours is the path of righteousness. The Mother gives her comfort. The Father, his protection. And the Stranger… The Stranger offers us rest. Larys: [to Aegon II] I must say, Your Grace, all this time we've been together, from the moment you were injured, flying drunk into a battle to which you were not invited, you've done nothing but whinge and self-flagellate with a tenacity I find astonishing. You, who had every advantage in life, you who had every chance to shine, first-born son, prince of the realm, the finest tutors, the finest knights instructing you in the sword, a dragon so beautiful they named him after the sun itself. You could have risen to greatness, but instead you trampled your birthright in the mud. You lazed, revelling in mediocrity, fucking anything in sight and drinking yourself into oblivion with your sycophantic friends. I will tell you the truth: you were a terrible king, but worse than that — you are a terrible man. Faceless Men [3.06] Daemon: I'll hear no more from those whose greatest battle has been with their own indigestion. [Ser Criston and his men are trapped by a numerically superior Black army commanded by Lords Oscar Tully and Roderick Dustin] Oscar: Criston Cole! Traitor, usurper and defiler of justice! Come forth and to hear your fate! Ser Criston: If I strike my banners, will you spare my men their lives? [Roderick chuckles] Oscar: I made a promise to the dead, Cole. I told them I'd build a sept out of traitors' bones. I don't have near enough bones yet! Ser Criston: If there is to be battle here, many of you will die as well. Roderick: That's why we've come! What better way to die than blade in hand?! Ser Criston: As you will it. [He ties Alicent's handkerchief around his sword's hilt] Let us begin here then, one of me against the two of you. Will that be enough to make a fight of it? [An arrow loosed by Alysanne Blackwood strikes Criston in the stomach. She looses two more shafts, fatally wounding him] The Dragon in Winter [3.07] Ormund: I have had word since we last spoke of a most distressing incident. My whisperers tell me that Daemon Targaryen struck you. In the street. In front of all the commoners passing by. An intolerable insult to someone of your stature. But then, it's almost to be expected from those people. Ulf: She did tell me not to go into town. To be fair. Ormund: Ludicrous. A man needs his sustenance and cheer. But it is obvious Rhaenyra and her ilk regard you only as a tool. To be used and reprimanded. Whereas I understand who you really are. Ulf: You said last time that you could give me a lordship. And a castle. Honeyholt. Ormund: Honeyholt? Honeyholt is a trifle. It seems that Driftmark itself may soon be without a master. Lord of the Tides. What do you think of that? They will laugh at you no more when they see you as you are. Ulf: No. They will burn. The Treasons at Tumbleton [3.08] <div align="justify">Aemond: Why do you care whether I am alone? Whether I live or die? I'm a kinslayer, Alys. My own brother is dead by my hand. I have been damned for my trespasses and cursed to suffer. You should abandon me. Lest you bring mine own fate upon yourself. <div align="justify">Alys: When the dragon Balerion burned this place, it was to end Lord Harren's line. But his line was not so easily ended. A child, a boy, lived on. Burned terribly, but alive. His mother would have given anything to save him. She summoned maesters from across the Seven Kingdoms, but to no avail. So, she turned to older cures. She uncovered incantations more ancient than the land. She treated with things that lived in the forest. But none of it could unmake what dragonfire made. And when the boy was gone, she tried to go with him. And that is when she learned the cost. She discovered then she was cursed to live on, to remain within the bounds of the river kings of old. Cursed for sharing in Harren's avarice. Stripped of her name, her title, her castle. And sentenced to serve every ha'penny lord who came here to rule it. <div align="justify">Aemond: That was a hundred years past. <div align="justify">Alys: It's a long time to be alone. Corlys: Two paths diverge before you, Daemon, but both lead to the same end: Rhaenyra sitting the Iron Throne, ruling the Seven Kingdoms. All that remains for you to decide is what you want from this war. Victory, or a mountain of dead Hightowers? Daemon: What do you think? Gwayne: You would callously cast away the lives of thou... Daemon: [takes Gwayne by the throat] No one will rule but Rhaenyra, the ordained Queen of the Andals, of the First Men, of beggars and thieves and cowards like you! A new Valyria will rise from the ashes of her usurper half-brothers and of the Hightowers of Oldtown! Now, you came to me under a banner of peace, so I will give you the choice. Die here, or behind those walls, like the rodent you are! Lord Corlys is my prisoner. Hightower may return to alert his cousin to our imminent coming. Bring up the ladders and the rams and prepare to march. The next man to stall on this attack will be tied to the front of my fucking horse! High Septon: [after Rhaenyra threatens him] I am the High Septon of the Faith! To harm me is to declare war upon the Starry Sept, to damn your soul to the deepest of the Seven Hells! Rhaenyra: [to Alyn] You are the blood of Old Valyria. You answer to higher gods than his. To them, this house is an empty work of brick and stone. Cast Paddy Considine - Viserys I Targaryen Matt Smith - Daemon Targaryen Emma D'Arcy (adult) / Milly Alcock (teenage) - Rhaenyra Targaryen Rhys Ifans - Ser Otto Hightower Olivia Cooke (adult) / Emily Carey (teenage) - Alicent Hightower Steve Toussaint - Lord Corlys Velaryon Eve Best - Rhaenys Targaryen Sonoya Mizuno - Mysaria Fabien Frankel - Ser Criston Cole Graham McTavish - Ser Harrold Westerling Matthew Needham - Larys Strong Jefferson Hall - Lord Jason Lannister / Ser Tyland Lannister Harry Collett - Jacaerys "Jace" Velaryon Tom Glynn-Carney - Aegon II Targaryen Ewan Mitchell - Aemond Targaryen Bethany Antonia - Lady Baela Targaryen Phoebe Campbell - Lady Rhaena Targaryen Phia Saban - Helaena Targaryen Kurt Egyiawan - Grand Maester Orwyle Kieran Bew - Hugh Hammer Abubakar Salim - Alyn of Hull Tom Taylor - Lord Cregan Stark Clinton Liberty - Addam of Hull Tom Bennett - Ulf White Ellora Torchia - Kat Freddie Fox - Ser Gwayne Hightower Gayle Rankin - Alys Rivers Simon Russell Beale - Ser Simon Strong James Norton - Lord Ormund Hightower Joplin Sibtain - Ser Jon Roxton External links 11198330 Category:American fantasy TV shows Category:HBO shows Category:Current shows Category:Game of Thrones