Spoiler Alert: This recap will cover the entire episode, guts and all.
Trigger Warning: this story discusses themes of violence and slavery.
Young Rhaenyra Targaryen has just been named heir to the Iron Throne, much to the chagrin of her uncle Daemon Targaryen.
Now her father, King Viserys I, wants to teach her all about ruling and the dangers that face the family.
(ICYMI here’s the House of the Dragon episode one recap.)
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This episode we get treated to the full opening credits. The music is the Game of Thrones’ opening theme and the visual style is similar but this time, instead of a map of Westeros, we follow a river of blood through a grim looking dungeon.
We were promised more blood this season and the showrunners are delivering.
We open, six months later, on a beach battlefield. The pirate situation at the Stepstones has gotten worse.
Back at the Red Keep, King Viserys I is reluctant to fight the pirates since they’re backed by the Free Cities but the Master of Ships, Ser Corlys Velaryon, is losing ships and demands to see action.
Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen suggests sending dragon riders as a show of force – but Hand of the King Otto Hightower shuts down her idea. Sensing tension, Viserys removes her from the council chamber to go help choose a new member for the King’s guard
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Our mysterious knight, Ser Criston Cole, from the previous episode, returns and Rhaenyra seems very keen to see him. The Princess wants him to join the Kings guard but Otto reminds her about the political implications of choosing a knight that isn’t from a major house. Rhaenyra tells him her father ought to be protected by knights who have actually seen battle, and Ser Criston is the only applicant who has.
Meanwhile Viserys is giving Allicent Hightower a history lesson about old Valyria. The two have bonded over their grief and Viserys uses their time together to learn more about his own daughter.
Next Allicent and Rhaenyra visit the Temple of the Seven and the two discuss the possibility of Viserys remarrying. Allicent doesn’t reveal her secret meetings with Viserys or that Otto is pushing her to become the next Mrs Viserys Targaryen.
Allicent urges Rhaenyra to be more open with her own father, likely relieving her of duty of being Viserys’ spy.
In the Red Keep garden, Viserys meets with his cousin Princess Rhaenys and her husband Corlys. Corlys warns Viserys that he is in a precarious position following the death of his wife Aemma. Rhaenys echoes her husband’s warning.
Corlys suggests merging their family, with Viserys wedding his young daughter Laena, who is 12.
That evening Rhaenyra and Viserys have a tense dinner together in the King’s chambers. Rhaenyra explains why she chose Ser Criston and Viserys appears to support her decision.
After dinner it’s revealed that Viserys is suffering from the grey rot, the disease that destroyed Valyria. Viserys tells Otto and Grand Maester Mellos about Corlys suggestion. The Maester is in favour of the marriage but Otto appears to suggest the King hold off.
Viserys meets with Laena and we’re reminded she is merely a child. Laena delivers a rehearsed speech about how she would give Viserys many children and the King is clearly uncomfortable with the meeting.
From a nearby balcony Rhaenys reveals her dislike for the situation to Rhaeynra and warns the young princess that she would likely be replaced as heir if Viserys remarries and has a son.
“Men would rather put a torch to the realm than see a woman on the Iron Throne,” she says.
In a touching gesture, Allicent gives Viserys a stone dragon figurine but their moment is interrupted by Otto who has called an emergency small council meeting.
A dragonkeeper tells the council that Prince Daemon Targaryen has stolen a dragon egg. Daemon left a note saying that he intends to wed his concubine who is allegedly pregnant with his child. The egg will be placed in the baby’s cradle to be raised alongside the child.
The dragonkeeper admits the egg Daemon took was the one Rhaenyra chose for baby Baelon before his untimely death.
Viserys wants to go at once but Otto says he’ll meet with Daemon in his place.
Otto travels with a small group of advisers to Dragonstone to retrieve the egg from Daemon. The Prince meets him with a large entourage of gold cloaks. The Hand demands Daemon return the egg and end his occupation of Dragonstone.
Daemon offers him the egg, knowing Otto would have to kill him to take it. Otto asks if Daemon is prepared for war, and threatens his unborn child, which causes Daemon and all the knights in attendance to draw their swords.
Daemon’s dragon Caraxes appears at the top of the cliff – reminding Otto and his knights that they would be fried in an instant – but the King’s men are saved when Rharynra flies in on her own dragon.
Rhaenyra tells Daemon Dragonstone is her keep and asks him why he is provoking the King.
Daemon says he is merely following the traditions of his family by taking a second wife and raising a child along with a dragon, as custom for royal Targaryens.
Rhaenyra asks if his new wife is with child and Daemon sheepishly admits that she will be one day. She goads Daemon into killing her but he stalks away, giving her the egg before he leaves.
Daemon is fuming when he returns to the keep and his bride, Mysaria, feels similarly. She reveals she cannot bear children and asks if Daemon can truly protect her if he continues to anger the King.
Mysaria reminds Daemon that she has spent her life as a slave and while he is protected by his name, she would not fare so well if she is to be captured by the Kings men.
Meanwhile, Viserys meets with his Master of Laws, Lyonel Strong to ask his opinion about rejecting Corlys marriage proposal. Strong reminds him that if war was to break out in the Stepstones then they would need Corlys’ support.
The meeting is interrupted by Rhaenyra’s return and it is revealed the King did not know she had flown to Dragonstone.
He scolds the Princess for acting without the King’s leave but Rhaenyra is unbothered by his temper. She reminds him that she was successful in retrieving the egg without spilling a drop of blood, an outcome Otto could not have achieved.
Viserys tells Rhaenyra he still grieves his wife and they bond over the loss of Aemma. They discuss the possibility of Viserys remarrying and he assures her that Rhaenyra would never lose her place as heir. Rhaenyra gives her blessing for him to remarry, assuming he is to wed Laena, the 12 year old.
The small council meets and Viserys announces his intention to remarry, but not to Laena. To Allicent Hightower.
Corlys and Rhaenyra are both shocked by this news. Corlys shares his displeasure, while Otto looks on smugly. Rhaenyra fights back tears before storming out.
In a dimly lit room, Corly meets with an unseen guest and divulges his family’s history, which is older than the Targaryens. He tells his guest he feels they are “made from the same cloth” and it is revealed he is meeting with Daemon.
Corlys suggest they combine forces to retake the stepstones. The true horror of what is happening there is shown as we see pirates nailing Westerosi sailors to driftwood and waiting for the crabs to eat them alive.
Told you the showrunners were delivering on the “more blood” promise!
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