Episode 2 of “House of the Dragon” takes place six months after Queen Aemma’s passing. Even though Viserys and his daughter Rhaenyra are still mourning their loss, they do not acknowledge one another’s suffering. The absence of Aemma may have caused the father and daughter’s relationship to suffer, as it is clear throughout the entire episode. Additionally, Rhaenyra has a sneaking suspicion that her father doesn’t think highly enough of her to be the rightful heir to the iron throne. We could see in the first episode that she wished to challenge patriarchy. She wanted everyone to know how different she was from her mother. She wished to actively participate in state affairs.
She didn’t regard herself as a mere prop and was confident that, even if her father didn’t see it at the time, he would eventually discover what she was capable of. Lord Corlys was unhappy about his declining influence over the King in the middle of all of this. He yearned for the king to stand by his side because he felt weak and insecure.
Daemon was harboring hatred because he was asked to leave King’s Landing. He was like a volcano that was always about to erupt. Rhaenyra, Lord Coryls, and Daemon had just one thing in common: they all desired things they believed they earned. So let’s wait and see what Viserys’ course of action will be and see whether it can restore his power and return some stability to his realm.
House Of The Dragon Episode 2 Recap
The second episode opens with King Viserys Targaryen attending to some crucial things in the small council. Ser Ryam Redwyne, the Kingsguard’s Lord Commander, had passed away, and the council members felt that the Kingsguard should be promptly brought back up to its full complement of seven. Ser Harold had invited a few potential Kingsguard candidates to interview with him and Otto Hightower. Lord Corlys Velaryon burst into the room at that exact moment. One of the ships, he claimed, was flying under his flag, and he reported that four ships had now been lost. Lord Corlys was concerned about the developing rebellion within the kingdom.
Otto assured him that the crown would make up for his loss, but Corlys was certain that this was insufficient. He desired to go to fight with Craghas Drahar, also referred to as Craghas Crabfeeder. Craghas is identified as the head of the Triarchy, an alliance made up of the free cities of Lys, Myr, and Tyrosh, according to the book “Fire and Blood.” The long-established peace and order were disturbed a decade ago when Craghas overran Stepstones and massacred hundreds of pirates, but neither the lords nor the king’s advisors saw Craghas or the Realm of Three Daughters as a direct danger to the throne.
They reasoned that it would be best for them if the crown did not get involved if someone had taken on the responsibility of eliminating the pirates. Instead, the crown was helping them by covering their tolls so they could travel freely. Lord Corlys believed that a show of power should be made in order to eliminate the potential threat before it spreads and burns down everything in its path. But the free cities had never been attacked by the seven kingdoms. Additionally, Lord Corlys emphasized that the king’s brother Daemon had been residing in Dragonstone with his army of gold cloaks without facing any sort of opposition from the crown.
Rhaenyra Has A Different Approch
Viserys reassured Corlys that he had taken action and wasn’t just watching from the sidelines as the latter claimed. Men had been dispatched by Viserys to Pentos and Volantis. He was looking for a solution without using violence. He promises that the issue of Stepstones will be resolved. Rhaenyra, his daughter, who was listening in on the talk, didn’t agree with him. She believed that in order to retake control of the situation and instill terror in public, there should be a display of force. She advised Viserys to send Dragonriders to the region and to stop trying to communicate with the free cities because it made them appear weak. She herself rode the dragon Syrax from a young age.
The first scene of House Of The Dragon Episode 2 displays a distinct difference between Viserys and his daughter’s thinking style. Viserys took a more defensive approach, whilst Rhaenyra was more combative and forceful. Viserys instructed Rhaenyra to go with Ser Harold and help him in selecting a candidate to fill the opening in the Kingsguard in order to avoid the embarrassing situation. Ever since she saw Ser Criston Cole disarm her uncle at the tournament, Rhaenyra had been smitten. Otto Hightower gets in the way when she chooses him for the position.
Otto wanted to improve ties between the crown and several households since they were important friends. He wanted the princess to select a member of a noble house like House Mallister. Rhaenyra, however, was not the type of person to follow orders if she felt that what she was doing was appropriate for the land and her father. The role was formally filled by Ser Criston Cole. In addition to having a special spot for the soldier with dreamy eyes, Rhaenyra wished for someone with actual battle experience. Criston Cole satisfied each requirement.
Viserys Likes Alicent Hightower
Viserys enjoyed spending time in his room poring over the mock sculptures the stonemasons had created of the kingdom of Westeros. He had Alicent Hightower with him. It was clear that he loved her and had become fond of her. They discuss Old Valyria, the seat of power for the Valyrian Freehold. Alicent innocently asks him whether Westeros would one day surpass the greatness and power of Valyria. According to Viserys, Westeros will never be what Valyria once was until and until they acquire a thousand dragons and a navy big enough to cross all the world’s seas.
Viserys is aware of how closely Alicent was bonded to his daughter. He tells her to hide the frequency of their (private) encounters and the topics of their chats from Rhaenyra. It was embarrassing, and he knew it. He was drawn to a young woman who looked like his daughter. When Alicent first meets Rhaenyra, she tries to convince her that she needs to talk to her father. She explained to her that frequently, a person could not accurately analyze a situation unless and until they are aware of what they are going through. The girls bowed their heads and prayed.
Rhaenyra cried out. She expressed to Alicent her desire for her father to appreciate her as more than simply a young child. She wanted to prove her value. Princess Rhaenyra was never like other girls and was different from the start. She was aware that her responsibility went well beyond simply getting married and having children. She wanted to take part in the battle. She desired a say in the choices the kingdom would make. She wished to participate actively in the council. But one or more of the councilmen would always cut her off when she tried to express her opinion.
The King Needs A Wife
Corlys expressed regret to Viserys for his impoliteness in court. He explains to the king that he had been worried about the current situation and that, with Daemon having taken the Targaryen positions on the dragon stone and a foreign force having established a colony in Stepstones, he thought that the crown was in danger. Lord Corlys lived by a single ideology. According to him, the best way to avoid a storm is to sail into it or around it rather than waiting for it to come and destroy you. He believes that the king should take action before things get out of hand. Because Viserys lacked any male heirs, the kingdom was in danger.
He suggested that Viserys Targaryen wed Lady Laena Valaryon, his daughter. In his opinion, they might put the kingdom in a very strong position using the Targaryen dragons and the Velaryon fleets. Laena was just twelve, so Viserys was a little hesitant. He went to speak with Lord Lyonel and asked for his opinion. The identical idea was also advanced by Lord Lyonel. Viserys, however, was unwilling to take the Lords’ political viewpoint into account. He had been experiencing recent feelings of love for someone, which at that point overcame him.
Viserys was still suffering from bruises from his time on the iron throne. The wounds weren’t getting better, and the Archmaester was out of ideas. He tried every trick in the book, but the issue kept getting worse. In order to remove the dead skin and stem the rot, the Archmaester placed maggots on his hand. It appears that Viserys’ wounds symbolized the dangers that surrounded his realm. Viserys was not serious about it because he was unaware of the possible harm they might do. The free cities were now establishing an alliance while Daemon had started a rebellion. Both Daemon and Craghas Crabfeeder had not been stopped, and he had not taken any action to stop them.
The Dragon Egg
As soon as Viserys learned that Daemon Targaryen had stolen a dragon egg and carried it to Dragonstone, he was furious. The egg was the same one that Rhaenyra had selected for Baelon, her brother. It belonged to a female dragon named Dreamfyre. Viserys is enraged and baffled as to how Daemon managed to get away with stealing it while it was being protected by over fifty dragon keepers. It was discovered that Daemon had married Mysaria, a different woman. She was the same person Daemon frequently visited while she worked in the brothel. It was customary for Targaryen families to place an egg in the cradle of a baby, so he wished to do that.
Otto Hightower traveled to Dragonstone to get the egg with the assistance of Criston Cole and a small group of troops. Daemon, however, was not a person who was easily intimidated. He was among the most well-known warriors in the Targaryen family. He possessed an army of Gold Cloaks under his command, along with a dragon by the name of Caraxes. Otto understood that attempting to intimidate him was pointless. However, Daemon suddenly recognized a voice. He made an effort to look past the clouds to identify what it was precisely. With her dragon, Rhaenyra had unexpectedly arrived at the location. She boldly approached Daemon and informed him that she had been crowned the princess of Dragonstone by her father.
Therefore, he was basically living in her castle. As Daemon had informed the public, his new bride was not expecting a child. Rhaenyra made it apparent to him that she was the one blocking his path to the throne. She clearly stated that he would have to kill her in order to succeed as the heir. Daemon may have started a rebellion against his brother, but his niece was very special to him. Without a doubt, she liked him just as much as he did.
Daemon gives back the egg, and Rhaenyra takes it back to King’s Landing. When Viserys learned that Rhaenyra had left for Dragonstone without getting his approval, he was angry with her. Rhaenyra, however, informed him that she was the only one who could have recovered the egg without any casualties, and she had done so for the sake of her nation and her army. After learning about Daemon’s intentions, Mysaria felt let down. She explains to him that all she had ever desired was to be free. She didn’t want power; she didn’t want to be married to the one who sits on the Iron Throne. Mysaria simply wanted to stop feeling fear. Daemon’s actions once more made her experience the same feelings she had felt in the brothel.
The Wife That King Wants
Viserys had finally made up his mind that he would reveal who would be his future wife in front of the council members. Lord Corlys believed he was in complete control of the situation. He was aware that the king would wed his daughter. However, a surprising turn of events led Viserys to take Alicent Hightower as her new wife. Lord Corlys became furious. Both he and Rhaenyra Targaryen found it difficult to believe what they had heard. Many things began with this choice and ended with it. First of all, it resulted in Alicent and Princess Rhaenyra’s rivalry. Lord Corlys felt cheated out of something that was rightfully his.
Daemon Targaryen and Lord Corlys came together in an alliance. He was informed by Lord Corlys that joining forces to fight the Crabfeeder would be in their best interests as a pair. Even if it makes a strong case for a future alliance between Lord Corlys and Daemon Targaryen, it also shows the depth of Daemon’s devotion to his family. He did not react to his supposed well-wishers with ease as his brother did. He was extremely straight and honest with Corlys, saying that just because things had soured between them, it didn’t give anyone else the right to criticize him.
Perhaps if Viserys had decided to make him his hand instead of constantly sending him to places far away from the Iron Throne, he could have guarded the king against himself. Due to Otto Hightower’s close relationship with the king, the latter was able to cut ties with his own brother. Otto had achieved his goal when he learned that his daughter would soon marry the Viserys. The soldiers and the knights had never engaged in a real battle before. The last bloodshed we witnessed in Westeros took place almost 70 years ago, under the brutal rule of King Maegor, who ruled over the seven kingdoms before the ancient king, Jaehaerys. The Westerosi kingdom did not experience a real battle after that.
Also Read: Top 10 Best Game Of Thrones Episodes Ranked: From Battle Of The Bastards To Blackwater
