All language subtitles for House.of.the.Dragon.S02E09.1080p.WEB.H264-SuccessfulCrab

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.