All language subtitles for House.of.the.Dragon.S02E01(EN)

I, Viserys Targaryen,

Lord of the Seven Kingdoms,

do hereby name
Rhaenyra Targaryen heir...

to the Iron Throne.

♪

The King will die,
and if Rhaenyra succeeds him,

war will follow.

The realm will not accept her.

And to secure her claim,

she'll have to put
your children to the sword.

Criston Cole will be named

Lord Commander
of the Kingsguard.

I trust you and your loyalty.

I will not fail you.

I need you, Uncle.

Rhaenyra...

You wanted to know.

Aegon's dream.

The Song of Ice...

...and Fire.

The Prince That Was Promised.

- Aegon.
- Our son.

I understand, my King.

The King is dead.

Aegon is unfit to rule.

You tolerated the Prince's
proclivities for years.

Because it was my sworn duty,
Arryk.

When you install your grandson
on the throne,

remember it was me
who put him there.

I will remember.

All hail His Grace!

You are usurping the throne.

Lord of the Seven Kingdoms...

She will never bend the knee.

...and Protector of the Realm.

A war is like to be fought
over this treachery, to be sure.

I swear to ward the Queen.

Alicent has not forgotten
the love you had for each other.

No blood need be spilled,

so the realm can carry on
in peace.

That girl destroys everything
she touches.

Every man standing 'round
the Painted Table

urges her to plunge the realm
into war.

The enemy have declared war.

What are you gonna do about it?

You have the full support
of our fleet and house.

Prince Jacaerys will fly north

to Winterfell.

Prince Lucerys will fly south
to Storm's End.

We must remind these lords
of the oaths they swore.

I want you to put out your eye.

No.

Give me your eye
or I will take it, bastard!

♪ ♪

No!

The Greens
are coming for you, Rhaenyra.

♪

♪

♪

speaker:
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 10 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.

Coming?
What is this, then,

that falls from the skies
and shivers my bones?

This is only
a late summer snow,
my prince.

In winter,
it will cover
all you see,

and all memories
of warmth will be
forgotten.

It pleases me to think
that over a century ago

our ancestors treated
in this very place.

The Conqueror
and the King in the North.

You, at least,
had the mercy

not to threaten me
with your dragon.

My prince.

- My lord.
- My lord.

M'lord.

Surely the great
Torrhen Stark

would've sooner died
than bent the knee.

Unless he believed
the Conqueror

could bring unity
to the Seven Kingdoms.

You are right
in that.

That unity is
now threatened.

The realm will soon
tear itself apart...

if men do not remember

the oath sworn
to King Viserys

and to his rightful heir.

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.

Whilst your men
guard against

wildlings 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.

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 700-foot wall of ice

to keep out snow
and savages?

What does
it keep out?

Death.

I have thousands
of graybeards

who've already seen
too many winters.

They are...
well-honed.

So they're old?

I can ready them
to march at once.

If your graybeards
can fight,

the queen
will have them.

They will fight hard.

Like Northerners.

Stark captain:
My lord?

A raven's arrived.

Urgent news
from Dragonstone.

Take your mount again.
We're flying out.

I alone patrol over
a hundred miles of open sea,

endlessly,
to hold the blockade.

Meleys must gorge
and rest, as must I.

- We're going
to King's Landing.
- To what end?

Killing Vhagar.

I cannot face that
hoary old bitch alone.

With my dragon
and yours together,

we can kill Vhagar
and her rider.

Make it a son for a son.

- Was this the queen's command?
- The queen remains absent.

I should be
at Harrenhal
bending knees,

but I must instead
remain here to wage
her war.

Or perhaps, more simply,
to await her return.

She has been gone for days.
Too long. She is exposed.

- She is grieving.
- The mother grieves

as the queen
shirks her duties.

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.

She was a fool
to go alone.

What if Aemond were
to happen upon her?

Then I would pity Aemond.

The queen was wise
to recuse herself.

She has not acted
on the vengeful impulse
that others might have.

If you'd have
acted when you
had the chance...

Aegon's line would
be extinguished.

And Luke
would be alive.

Fly with me.

- It is a command.
- Would that you were the king.

♪

M'lord.

It's a marvel she was
able to return from
the Stepstones at all.

Barely done,
but done.

Seven more ships
put out to sea this morn'
to fortify the blockade.

The Gullet is vast,
and we're not like
to have the numbers

to cover all
that open water.

Corlys Velaryon:
I must have my ship back at sea

to lead the effort.

Alyn of Hull:
It'll be many weeks yet,
I'd wager.

But I'll have a word
with my brother...

to see what reinforcements
the shipwrights can muster.

The smithy delivered
this earlier.

M'lord?

I had this commissioned
for Prince Lucerys.

I was very sorry
to hear about your
heir's death.

'Twas the blackest
of treacheries.

Pardon, m'lord,
if it'll please you,
much to do.

They tell me that
you are the one

that dragged my body
out of the sea.

It was only
my duty.

I am indebted
to you, Alyn.

♪

Mind your posts!

Keep your focus, men!

- guard 1 : Dragon!
- guard 2 : Dragon!

Arm the scorpion!

guard 1:
Arm the scorpion!

Approaching
from the southeast!

Get around!

guard:
Scorpion ready!

- Arryk Cargyll : Halt!
- guard : Halt!

Stand down,
it's Vhagar!

guard 2:
Stand down!

guard 1:
Standing down!

Where is Jaehaerys?

Attending his lessons.

And those are where?

What do you
need of him?

Taking him
to the small council.

He'll be king one day.

He must begin
his instruction.

What if he does not
want to be king?

Where is he?

The library.

You must not
interrupt his custom.

I'm afraid.

Don't be.

They'd be fools
to come with Vhagar
protecting the city.

Not the dragons.

The rats.

The queen is
an enduring mystery...

is she not?

There's a chill
in the air.

Summer is well
and truly through.

We are expected
at the small council,
Your Grace.

We cannot.

Again.

Yes, Your Grace.

If you wouldn't mind?

♪

- Tyland Lannister: Your Grace.
- Alicent Hightower: Good day.

♪

Aegon Targaryen:
Hello! Jaehaerys must learn
the ways of the court

if he is to rule
one day.

Up we go.

Good morrow,
my lords.

Mother.

What news?

Otto Hightower:
Our letters to the Vale
and to the North

continue to go unanswered.

Cunts.

Otto:
The Stormlands should be ours

after Prince Aemond's
marriage pact

to the Lady
Floris Baratheon.

I anticipate their
sworn declaration.

My brother is raising
the strength of the West

to mass
at the Golden Tooth,
but we--

Yeah, thank you,
my prince.

That's, that's
very helpful.

My nephew,
Lord Ormund,

musters his forces
to sally forth from Oldtown.

They expect
to march quickly,

meeting little resistance,
until they reach the Riverlands.

My letters to Rhaenyra.
Has there been any answer?

An apology
for her dead son?

None, Your Grace.

Between that
and their blockade
of the Gullet,

we must presume
that the princess
has refused

the offered terms,

and that war
is now inevitable.

- Jaehaerys Targaryen: Na-na!
- Perhaps Your Grace might lend

- his voice to our outreach...
- Tyland: Stop! Enough!

...in hopes that new terms
might, might be negotiated.

Release it at once!
Would someone please?

Is the heir to the throne
bothering you, Tyland?

No. No, no, not,
not in the least,
Your Grace.

Because I think
he wants a ride.

- Alicent: Your Grace.
- Tyland: Uh, a ride?

A pony ride.

Wouldn't that be fun,
Jaehaerys?

Should the Master of Coin
be your royal steed?

Your Grace!

There are important
matters to discuss...

despite Sir Tyland's
interruptions.

Aegon:
Very well.

No time
for amusements,
Tyland.

Your Grace.

Aegon:
Off you go, Jaehaerys.
Good boy.

Where were we?

Rhaenyra's blockade has
placed King's Landing
under strain.

And those pressures
will multiply quickly.

Well, we should've
just killed her when
we had the chance.

Regrettably, the opportunity
for surprise has been lost,

and with it,
the chance to end
this conflict quickly.

We must play
the board before us.

Tyland:
If we are to break
the Sea Snake's blockade,

we will need to bolster
both the Lannister
and Hightower navies.

We do have need
for a new Master of Ships.

We could offer
the title to the young
Lord Dalton Greyjoy.

Aemond. What is
your business here?

The king summoned me.

You do not have a seat
at this council.

Aemond is
my closest blood
and our best sword.

I welcome him.

Path to King's Landing
is through the Riverlands.

We must establish
a toehold there,
at Harrenhal.

Aegon:
The Riverlords will
either declare for me,

or they will meet Vhagar
and Sunfyre together.

Ah, and-and we can
burn the blockade
while we're at it.

- Rhaenyra has dragons as well.
- Mine are bigger.

If we lose the dragons
to war, there'll be
no calling them back.

- We must proceed cautiously.
- No.

Fat, old Lord Tully
will either raise my banner
or see his burn.

We should fly
to Riverrun.

You are the king,
Your Grace.

You must not put
yourself at risk.

And Vhagar is needed here
to deter Rhaenyra from attacking

in retribution
for the death of her son.

Errors were made
in the hours following
King Viserys's death.

We mustn't
compound them.

You've already demonstrated
your might, Your Grace.

- We must now favor
patience and restraint.

I send ravens
by the hour.

Many and more houses
will declare for you
in time.

History and precedent
will come to your side.

Good morrow,
Your Grace.

Good morrow,
Lord Larys.

I had come earlier
to have a word

before the small
council convened,

but your handmaiden said
that you were indisposed.

What is it
you wish to discuss?

I have completed questioning
the whole of the castle staff.

They produced rather
interesting details,

but I am satisfied
I have exposed all who
betrayed our trust.

And what of them?

They no longer
breathe our air.

I have chosen your
new staff personally.

St-- Gi-Give me that.

maidservant:
Your Grace?

Just leave me.

Just le-- Just le--
Just leave me.

♪

♪

- It's a dragon wing!
- Let's have a look!

- It's a wing.
- Who cares what it is.

Dragon!

♪

♪

Leon Estermont:
All hail King Aegon!

"Aegon the Magnanimous,"

Second of His Name,
King of the Andals,

and the Rhoynar,
and the First Men,

Lord of the Seven Kingdoms,
and Protector of the Realm.

Hail King Aegon!

"The Magnanimous"?

Your Grace.

Let's have
the first petition,
my good Lord Hand.

Good morrow,
my, uh, Your Grace.

Aegon: It's alright.

There's no reason
to be nervous.

What's your name?

Gr-- Uh, Jerard,
Your Grace.

Good morrow,
Jerard.

And how might your king
be of service?

'Tis my flock.

Uh, a-a-a tenth
of them taken by...

the Crown on...

on the cusp
of winter.

- If I'd had the time to plan--
- We should return them.

- Your Grace?
- Aegon: Well, you need

your goats
for the winter,
don't you?

- Sheep, Your-Your Grace.
- Aegon: Sheep, even better.

I shall make your
flock of sheep whole.

We already made a promise
to all the Crownlands

that a tithing
of livestock

would be necessary
to sustain the dragons

for their
increased activity

and, pray not,
eventual fighting.

Right... Right.

Perhaps we could
just return his sheep.
He came all this way.

If you return
one herder's sheep,
Your Grace,

you will soon find
them all at the foot
of your throne

expecting the same.

They won't know.

When the king speaks,
Your Grace, all hear it.

After further thought,
I have decided that

I cannot restore
your sheep.

If war were
to break out,

my dragons
will require feed.

Bring the next.

guildmaster:
Salts always run scarce
on the road to winter,

Your Grace.

We rely on ships
from Essos

for our supply.

But now,
with a blockade in place
and war threatening--

Yeah, that treasonous
blockade won't last long.

I plan to send Vhagar
to burn it to ash.

Bring the next.

Hugh, Your Grace.

The smiths
are all proud

to support Your Grace
against Rhaenyra.

But?

But...

iron costs have grown.

A lone scorpion
takes weeks to build.

To put it simply,
we are struggling.

If we could but have
the Crown's coin before
we started work,

it would bring
great relief.

Not just to me,
but to all the smiths
serving your cause.

You shall be paid
and paid well.

My army cannot win a war
without your weapons.

You should continue
their making.

Our victory depends
on the efforts
of the smallfolk.

You have my most sincere
gratitude, Your Grace.

Aegon: I'll hear
the next petition.

Larys Strong:
Your Grace, it filled my heart
to see you on the Iron Throne.

I was only a boy when Jaehaerys
last graced the seat,

but you brought forth
memories of him,

and you have
such a deft touch
with the smallfolk,

just as your father did.

Thank you, my lord.

I wonder,
do you have a moment
for a quiet word?

It is the Hand's wont
to keep a firm grip
on things.

Mm.

He controlled
your father
the same way.

Viserys had
a certain reputation
as being pliable.

I am aware.

I would think,
as we find ourselves

standing within a hair's
breadth of war,

that you would wish
to be viewed differently.

How?

Otto Hightower...

was your father's Hand,
Your Grace.

Daughter.

I requested
an audience hours ago.

There were
many petitions.

Alicent:
I find myself wondering...

do we pursue the same end?

I must admit,
there are days where
I myself can't be sure.

I shall tell you mine.

It's victory.

And how would you
define "victory"?

Rhaenyra bending the knee

and Aegon sitting
the Iron Throne, in peace.

As Viserys wished.

Well, if that's how
you describe it,
then we are aligned.

- Then be my ally.
- I am.

An ally would not
repeatedly cut my legs

from beneath me
at that table of men!

- I sit there
and I feel your anger.
- Frustration.

These critical days
since Viserys's passing

- haven't gone to plan.
- That's not my fault.

My sons both see you
as the great example.

The Hand to three kings.

Aegon is ever-eager
to prove himself

and Aemond...

Aemond is angry.

Rhaenyra's son took his eye
and was never punished for it.

- What he did, however vicious--
- The caprice of youth.

I could only hope.

Aemond erred.

But he is fiercely loyal.
He wishes to please.

And Aegon
still heeds me.

In private,
at least.

But if you
undermine my voice,

both those boys
will grow deaf to it.

I hadn't seen it
that way.

We only need to mind Aegon

until the novelty
of rule is spent.

Once he tires of it,
you and I can steer
our cause to victory.

A fine strategy, daughter.

But you must accept
that the path to victory
now is one of violence.

I know it.

But that does not mean
it must be wanton.

No.

solider:
Prepare to be boarded!

By the order
of Lord Corlys Velaryon!

Erryk Cargyll:
Search the hold for stowaways!

♪

You.

When last we met,
there were two of you.

"The White Worm."

Mysaria:
Did you think I would
wither in your absence?

I did not think you
would flower a traitor.

You speak
of highborn games.
I am common-born.

How long have you
been selling secrets
to Otto Hightower?

As long as he had gold
to pay for them.

Who sent you fleeing
from King's Landing
in such disrepair, hm?

You put Aegon
on the throne.

That was
the Hightowers'
conspiracy.

I merely profited
from knowing Aegon's
movements.

But you delivered him.

He would've returned
home eventually
for gold and for respite,

as he always does.

I simply... simply sped
the business along.

"Business" that
ended with the theft
of the queen's throne

and the murder
of her son.

You only blame me
because your true enemies

are out of reach.

My arrangement
with the Hand

was purely
transactional.

I held no loyalty to him.

Certainly do not now.

Otto Hightower was to me
as I am to your noble ilk,
fodder to be cast off.

What else do you
know of him?
His plans?

Little and less.

I possess nothing
of value to you, Daemon.

Have her moved
to the cells.

She is to be treated
as a traitor to the crown.

Erryk:
Forgive me, my prince...

but the lady
speaks the truth.

- She was no agent
of the Hightowers.
- What is it to you?

- A matter of honor.
- Was it honor that made
you stand by and watch

as the Hightowers
usurped the throne?

You and your
traitorous twin.

No, my prince.

I'm shamed by it.

That's why I abandoned
the Kingsguard,

and my brother,
and came here.

I don't care.

Aegon was
in your grasp.

You should've
killed him yourself.

Arryk and I were named
to the Kingsguard at just
8 and 10.

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?

♪

Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen,
the First of Her Name,

Queen of the Andals,
and the Rhoynar,
and the First Men,

Lady of the Seven Kingdoms,
and Protector of the Realm.

♪

Did you find
what you needed?

Your council stands
at the ready, Your Grace.

I will fly to Harrenhal
at your command

and set our toehold
in the Riverlands.

Your Grace,
my lord husband's
blockade of the Gullet

moves into place.

All seaborne
travel and trade

to King's Landing
will soon be cut off.

♪

I want Aemond Targaryen.

♪

In your years
as a merchant
of gossip,

you surely
accumulated spies
within the Red Keep.

Servants who knew
the comings and goings.

Scheme with someone
else, Daemon.

I was once
in your thrall,
but no longer.

A transaction, then.

Your knowledge
in exchange
for your freedom.

Your Grace.

♪

Lady Jeyne Arryn has
pledged her support

in exchange for a dragon
to guard the Vale.

And Lord Cregan Stark...

has promised 2,000 men--

♪

♪

Alyrie Florent.

♪

Viserys Targaryen.

♪

♪

Lucerys Velaryon.

♪

A tribute.

Commander?

Never gone for long.

I'm told
you bear a mislike
for the Hightowers.

Fuck the Hightowers.

Keep walking.

Don't make trouble.

Daemon Targaryen:
The White Worm said

you're one of
Aegon's ratcatchers.

You must be busy.
That castle positively
crawls with them now.

I heard
the White Worm
were dead.

Her ghost told me
you were a betting man.

- Fighting pits?
- Dogs... and bones.

How deep are
your debts?

I was also given
to understand
that you possess

a unique knowledge
of the Red Keep.

Maegor's tunnels.

Great big
rat's nest, it is.

I know them better
than the shape
of my own cock.

This is my friend.

Tonight, he's going
to be your friend.

You're to find and slay
the Prince Aemond Targaryen.

He has silver hair
and one eye.

Should be easy
enough to find.

But I understand
he's quite good
in a fight.

You'll want
to take caution.

That's one half.
You'll get the other
when it's done.

Alright.

What if we can't find him?

We've wasted
precious days in this war
of quills and ravens.

Words are wind.

You should be leading the van,

and I should be flying
cover on Vhagar.

No castle would dare
to raise Rhaenyra's
banner against us.

We would bring the whole
of the Crownlands
to heel in weeks.

Well, mayhaps
we could petition
the king,

privately,
to send us out.

Rosby and Stokeworth,

small castles
right in the shadow
of King's Landing.

They would not want
us for enemies.

We could add their
levies to our own.

Our host growing
as we advance.

Uh, it is
a canny scheme.

But moot.

My brother is hostage
to my grandsire and mother,

and they tell him
that a war of dragons
can yet be avoided.

'Tis inevitable.
They must see that.

Otto fears to upset
the order of things.

And Alicent
is simply...

angry.

- Angry?
- 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.

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.

She holds love
for our enemy.

That makes her a fool.

Lord Hand.

Return to your post,
Lord Commander.

I must have a word
with the prince.

It would concern me,
grandson,

if plans were
being considered

beyond the ears
of your king and his Hand.

You have
a zeal to act.
I understand.

I was young
once myself--

I only wish to serve
my king and my house.

You and Vhagar

are the greatest single
power in the realm.

If it wasn't obvious before,
it certainly is now.

But there are many
pieces at play here...

some of which
you can't yet see.

I promise you, Aemond,
you will have

all the vengeance
that you seek,

but you must
keep a grip
on your impulses.

We both know that
your brother cannot.

Cheese: Alright.

♪

♪

Take that.

Bring the dog.

♪

Aegon:
I need to be a symbol
for the smallfolk,

- as well as the nobility.
- Cheese: Wait.

speaker:
You could always be

"Aegon the Strong."

Aegon:
My nephew's already
taken that one.

Leon: Well, which would
Your Grace prefer?

- It's the king.
- Leon: To be loved or feared?

Aegon:
I need to be both.

My mother
and grandsire

mind me like some
helpless duckling.

Oh, well,
you're the king.

Who gives a shit
what they say?

My brother, at least,
knows his place.

He's as loyal as a hound.

I can set him
and his dragon
on my foes at will.

- Cheese: Keep your eyes down.
- Aegon: I need a style that

demonstrates power
and commands respect.

Eh, no-no one knows
what "magnanimous" means.

Leon: You could be
"Aegon the Generous" then.

- That would charm the smallfolk.
- Aegon: I like that.

Martyn Reyne:
Is there more strong wine?

- Leon: "Aegon the Dragonheart."
- Aegon: Better.

Leon:
"Aegon the Dragoncock!"

Aegon: Yes, yes!

Yeah,
the untamable beast!

♪

How do we
get upstairs?

The royals
live up there.

Right.

Well, it's
off limits, it is.

Different group
of ratcatchers
work the upstairs.

If we're to kill
a royal fucking prince,

where do you think
we're gonna find him?

I got you in the castle.

I thought the rest
was your bit.

I could end you
right here,

take the rest
of the gold meself.

I know a way upstairs.

I just don't know
my way 'round.

Show me.

♪

Fuck off.

This way.

♪

The royals live
on this level.

♪

No one's here.

Blood:
We need to keep looking.

I've told ya,
I'm not supposed
to be up here.

Did you not
hear the prince?

No head... no gold.

♪

- Set a trap.
- Huh?

- Blood:
For appearances.
- Oh.

I'll search
the next room.

♪

For the rats.

♪

Cheese: Quiet.

Quiet.

Stay still.

Who the fuck is she?

She's the queen, she is.

"A son for a son,"
he said.

Well, does she look like
a fucking son to you?

Over there.

♪

We need to get
our head and get out.

Shh.

They both look the same.
Which one's the boy?

- Maybe that one.
- Well, look for a cock.

The mother knows.

Do anything
but what I ask,

and I'll bleed
the whole lot of ya.

Shh.

Which?

I have a necklace.

It's of great value.

That's not a son.

N--

Wait.

It's the other one.
She's not gonna give up
the king's heir that easy.

No.

She's telling true.

♪

Blood:
Hold him down.

No.

♪

♪

♪

Alicent:
Helaena!

What's happened?

They killed the boy.

♪

♪

♪

I'll kill them!

I declare war!

You have wounded me.

Weakened my claim to the throne.

I cannot trust you, Daemon.

Rhaenyra's supporters
will believe what they wish.

And so will Aegon's.

The significance of Viserys'
intentions died with him.

There is a war brewing.

This war will not be won
with dragons alone

but with dragons flying
behind armies of men.

The Riverlands
are the key to the war.

Harrenhal is the key
to the Riverlands.

Perhaps the presence of a dragon

will sharpen minds
round these parts.

The path I walk
has never been trod.

There is more than
one way to fight a war.

I will not be seen as weak.

You're already seen as weak,
Aegon.

Beware how you speak
to your king.

We must seize the hour
and act before our enemy does.

Is there naught to be done
but to claw for power?

♪

What we must do is terrible.

Will you preside over it?

We must break the will
of our enemy.

There will be no mercy!

♪

We have given the war
to the dragons.

♪

Duty is sacrifice.

It eclipses all things,

even blood.

In the making of season one,

we knew half that season
is a prologue

and half of it
is the first act of this war.

To have season one land
the way it did,

with a rabid audience,

fans of George and his books
the way I am.

We were excited to get into it

because this is the juicy part
of the drama.

♪

The North owes a great duty
to the Seven Kingdoms,

one older than any oath.

Winterfell is the one place,
the one corner of this world

where news of Luke's death
has not yet reached,

and it is this hearkening back
to a simpler time.

I wanted to go to a place
where we could experience that,

if only briefly,

and the North just felt
completely the right way to go.

Ryan, when we did speak,
it really, really helped me out

because we would have
conversations

about how important
these negotiations are

for Team Black

and the difference it makes
in the war.

War is coming to the whole
of the realm, My Lord.

We cannot wage it without
the support of the North.

Well,
it was all about history.

There were pledges
that were made back in the day,

and Jace is sent to remind
Cregan Stark of those pledges.

If your greybeards can fight,
the Queen will have them.

They will fight hard,
like Northerners.

Rhaenyra heard
the news that Luke has died

on a mission
that she sent him on,

so there's guilt involved.

And she's a mother
who's lost a son

and has to go through

the sort of necessary
grieving process

that Daemon, her husband,

can't really appreciate
or understand.

She goes and tries to make peace
with Luke's demise,

but she cannot settle in it

because it is
unsettled business,

until part of Arrax
washes ashore.

Going in search of evidence is

quite fundamentally important
to her.

I guess one of the sort of
maddest things about death

is that it seems
sort of impossible,

especially because really
the overriding feeling often is

you just sit with the absence.

And so, anything that has, like,
a tangibility about it

I think is vitally important.

Her son's cloak,
the wing of his dragon,

I think it's devastating,

but I think it galvanizes
a vengeful feeling,

one that maybe she hasn't
paid so much mind to previously.

I think that Rhaenys is probably
one of the few people

that Daemon knows
he can't mess with,

although I suspect
probably wants to.

We're going to King's Landing.

- To what end?
- Killing Vhagar.

When those two meet,
it's kind of like

a panther meets
a kind of electric eel.

Really dangerous combination.

He's essentially ready
to go to war and get payback.

It was nice
to throw those characters

into conflict with one another.

I think you can tell
from even her demeanor

the way Rhaenys
thinks of Daemon.

Daemon believes that he's,
of course,

completely in the right

and has the power
to order Rhaenys around.

Fly with me.

It is a command.

Would that you were the king.

Where is Jaehaerys?

What do you need of him?

I'm taking him
to the Small Council.

He'll be king one day.
He must begin his instruction.

What if he does not want
to be king?

Where is he?

One of the things I loved
about Game of Thrones

was the character humor.

And, you know,
we can spend a lot of time

being dour in this world,

and it's so important
to have humor.

And when I first saw

what Tom Glynn-Carney was doing
with Aegon,

I thought, "He's finding humor
where I didn't know it existed."

And it's painful,

a guy who's way in
over his head,

who really wants to do well

but just can't make
a right move...

...no matter what he does.

Aegon the Magnanimous.

Hail King Aegon!

The Magnanimous?

I think Aegon is
the kind of father

that encourages bad behavior
because he finds it funny.

He loves his kids.

I have no doubt about that.

He loves his kids dearly.

But he's not one
to discipline them.

If anything, he's, you know,

having competitions
with his children

to see who can be
the most rebellious.

And Aegon often wins.

He took my piece.

Is the heir to the throne
bothering you, Tyland?

We see him come into
a Small Council meeting

with Jaehaerys,

and, you know,
he's spurring him on.

He's wanting him to be
more of a-- more of a rebel,

more of a nuisance,
just like his old man.

- I think he wants a ride.
- Your Grace.

- A ride?
- A pony ride.

Wouldn't that be fun,
Jaehaerys?

Should the Master of Coin
be your royal steed?

It's meant to be
a moment of fun, a bit.

And yes, like Aegon brings
his four-year-old to work.

But I think on a perhaps
nuanced character level,

this is the thing that Viserys
never did for Aegon.

And Aegon did not study
at the feet of his father.

His father had his male heir
and then essentially said,

"Well, that box is ticked."
He was ill.

I think he enjoyed having a son,

but didn't put in the work
the way he did with Rhaenyra

when he was a younger man.

And I think Aegon resents that

and feels that
part of the reason

that he's not seen
as being suited

for the crown
or the throne

is because he didn't get
that training from his father,

so now he's going to
make up for that tenfold

with Jaehaerys.

Alicent's been
in a marriage that was loving,

but not exactly romantic
or physical for quite some time.

Cole has got a lot of issues.

One thing I love
about the character

is that he is a knight
in shining armor

and sort of classically handsome

and probably the most
messed up person in the story

in many ways.

You know, clinging to notions
of purity and duty

and just flagrantly
breaking them left and right.

So, there's a lot
of complex things

driving the moves
closer and closer

between Alicent and Cole.

And it takes a leap forward.

But nothing is simple with them,

so for every leap forward,
there's a push back.

We cannot... again.

There's a lot
of wonderful tension there.

I mean, I think there's love,
but there's a lot of mess too.

- Your Grace.
- Good day.

I think, ultimately,

they're two very lost people
in a pretty unforgiving world.

And I think there's always been,

you know,
since the very first episode,

Alicent, you know,
had her eye on Criston Cole.

And then she was a young lady,

and now she's
the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms.

It's paramount
that she keeps it a secret

because not only
would her respect

completely disintegrate,

but her stay in the castle.

And Aegon is so unpredictable.
Who knows what he would do

if he found out
that his mother was having sex

with his
Commander of the Kingsguard?

I mean, not only is it
an embarrassment,

it would bring deep, deep shame.

I want Aemond Targaryen.

Rhaenyra has literally one line
in the first episode,

and the one line she says,

Daemon takes
as pulling the trigger.

In our first episode,
we see him unleash something

that is sort of famous in
the lore of House of the Dragon,

a nasty event that he triggers.

When Rhaenyra declares
that she wants Aemond,

I think it's an admission
of a possibly shameful desire,

and I think that admission
is made directly to Daemon.

I think it's also an admission
of their similarity.

She sort of discloses
another way in which

they actually share a darkness.

"I want Aemond Targaryen"
becomes the battle cry

that then resonates
across the entire season

because that is
the next domino to fall

in this back and forth
that sets in motion

a horrible attack
and counterattack

that continues,

and the atrocities grow worse
and worse as they go.

In our story,
it's Mysaria,

who has got her tentacles into
every part of King's Landing,

who is able to provide
the connections

for Daemon to exact revenge.

I think it really is a big deal
for the fans

because it keeps
getting referred to.

And I don't know
the characters' actual names.

They're forever in lore
as Blood and Cheese.

Who the fuck is she?

She's the Queen, she is.

"A son for a son," he said.

The boldest thing that
I think we did there

was decide to give the last
ten minutes of the episode

over to these two characters
that we have never met before

and rely on them to take us
through the end of the story

and to see, hopefully,

as they go deeper and deeper
into the Red Keep

and as we're spending more
and more screen time on them

that something horrible
is going to happen in there,

and knowing that you're watching
Game of Thrones

and you don't know what is going
to come for you from where.

And seeing that play out
hopefully is the fun

and the horror for the audience
that's yet to come.

♪ ♪

♪