‘THE rogue prince’
Directed By: Greg Yaitanes / Written By: Ryan Condal
Original Airdate: August 28, 2022
Runtime: 54 minutes
Six months after Rhaenyra is named heir, Daemon occupies Dragonstone, supported by thousands of loyal Gold Cloak guards. Meanwhile, Craghas Drahar, known as "the Crab Feeder" due to his trademark habit of nailing his victims to posts on a beach and feeding them to the crabs, menaces the Stepstones at the Triarchy's behest. The Small Council presses King Viserys to remarry and propagate his royal line, which risks Rhaenyra's succession status. As Alicent Hightower continues comforting King Viserys at her father Otto’s urging, Lord Corlys Velaryon, husband to Princess Rhaenys, proposes his twelve-year-old daughter, Laena Velaryon, marry the King.
featuring
DANIEL SCOTT-SMITH as CRAGHAS DRAHAR / NOVA FOUEILLIS-MOSE as LAENA VELARYON and ANTHONY FLANAGAN as STEFFON DARKLYN
KING’S LANDING
As King Viserys and his small council discuss the recent death of Ser Ryam Redwyne, Lord Corlys Velaryon furiously storms into the chamber, raging that the Triarchy forces have now sunk four Westerosi ships, including one from the Velaryon fleet, and demands action, insisting he be allowed to use the Royal Fleet to clear out the Stepstones. Ser Otto Hightower and Lord Lyman Beesbury argue against starting a war with the Free Cities, who are financing Craghas Drahar's occupation, while Viserys explains that he has sent envoys to the Triarchy's enemies in Pentos and Volantis with the prospect of an alliance against their common foe. Corlys then retorts that further inaction will only strengthen the belief in the Free Cities that Viserys is weak, as evidenced by the fact he has done nothing to end his brother Daemon Targaryen’s illegal occupation of Dragonstone for almost half a year. Princess Rhaenyra speaks up, suggesting that the Velaryon fleet, backed by Targaryen dragonriders, could easily reclaim the Stepstones (a suggestion that meets with Corlys' approval). However, at Otto's urging, the king overrides her suggestion and dispatches her with Ser Harrold Westerling to consider the prospective Kingsguard replacements for Ser Ryam.
In Maegor's Holdfast, Princess Rhaenyra watches as Ser Harrold presents various knights to take Ser Ryam's place on the Kingsguard. Rhaenyra is dismissive of the knight from House Caron as well as House Mallister, asking Ser Harrold if any of these men have seen actual combat, rather than just tourney fighting. The sole candidate who has is Ser Criston Cole, the knight who beat her uncle Daemon during the Heir’s Tournament. Cole explains that he has previously fought Dornish raiders. Despite Otto's protests that a more politically valuable candidate should be chosen, Rhaenyra insists that she wants her father defended by a knight who can actually fight and picks Criston for the vacancy. Meanwhile, in his private chambers, Viserys speaks with Alicent Hightower while pondering over his model of Valyria, expressing his hopes to try and match old Valyria's glory. The conversation then turns to Rhaenyra, with Viserys admitting his uncertainty of how to speak with Rhaenyra in the wake of her mother Queen Aemma's death. Alicent advises Viserys to reach out to his daughter in order to bridge the gap, though she admits that she hasn't mentioned her dalliances with him to Rhaenyra for fear of her reaction.
Later that afternoon, Rhaenyra accompanies Alicent to the Grand Sept, where Rhaenyra expresses her distrust in the lords of the realm who are attempting to marry her father off and replace her as heir. Alicent asks Rhaenyra of her opinion on Viserys marrying again, stressing that he loves Rhaenyra and chose her as his heir. Alicent then invites Rhaenyra to pray with her, as she finds this as a way to be with her late mother. Using the same advice as she had for the king, Alicent encourages Rhaenyra to make the effort in speaking with her father, citing her own fraught relationship with Ser Otto. Meanwhile, in the Red Keep's gardens, King Viserys meets with Lord Corlys and his wife, Princess Rhaenys Targaryen. Viserys and Corlys exchange apologies over their terse words in the small council chamber, but Corlys repeats his advice of not allowing the Free Cities to think Viserys weak. Hoping for the king to heed his advice, Corlys explains that striking back at the Stepstones is a way to strengthen his reign. Rhaenys herself then vocalizes her support of Corlys’ next suggestion: a marriage proposal between Viserys and their young daughter Laena Velaryon, which would effectively unite House Targaryen's dragons and House Velaryon's fleet. Viserys is wary of a new marriage so soon after Aemma's death, but his cousin Rhaenys reminds him that it will be expected of him to remarry and produce more heirs to strengthen his line.
That evening, Viserys and Rhaenyra silently have dinner together where they eventually come to commiserate over the loss of Queen Aemma. Rhaenyra reports her choosing of Ser Criston into the Kingsguard before then apologizing to her father regarding her interruption during the small council, stating that she thought she could provide some insight in dealing with the Triarchy. To her disappointment, Viserys tells her to pay no mind as she is young and will learn. Afterwards, Grand Maester Mellos treats the king’s infected finger by placing his hand in a bowl of maggots, in hopes that they will eat the dead flesh and seize the advancement of rot. Viserys declares to his Hand that he held an audience with Corlys and Rhaenys, as they then discuss the potential of his union with the twelve-year-old Laena. Ser Otto seethes at Corlys' ambition, stating to his king that these discussions should not be held outside of the small council. Mellos expresses his support in the union, remarking that it would go a long way to healing the rift between Houses Targaryen and Velaryon left by the Great Council of 101 AC, which resulted in passing over Princess Rhaenys for the Iron Throne. Otto admits that the Grand Maester’s reasoning is sound, however, manipulates the conversation by using his own wife’s death as an attempt to convince Viserys that replacing Aemma for “duty’s sake” is not enviable.
The following day, an anguished Lord Corlys watches his daughter Laena walking through the gardens of the Red Keep with Viserys, who is visibly uncomfortable with the prospect of marrying this child. Laena herself, however, is more interested in hearing about Viserys' experience as the last dragonrider of Balerion, as well as pondering the whereabouts of Vhagar. Viserys informs her that Vhagar has made her nest along the coast of the Narrow Sea. Laena then cordially annouces that it would be a great honor in joining their houses. Hearing her father Corlys’ voice in her choice of words, Viserys asks what her mother Rhaenys has to say about this proposal. Laena declares that her mother said she wouldn’t have to bed him until the age of fourteen. Meanwhile, Rhaenyra and Rhaenys both watch from a balcony of the Red Keep, as Viserys continues to walk with Laena. Though bothered by the union of her young daughter to the king, Rhaenys nonetheless asserts that she understands the order of things. She then bluntly informs Rhaenyra that she, however, does not understand. Rhaenys declares to the younger princess that whoever Viserys takes as a wife, should the king have a son, the men of Westeros will expect that son to be his heir, not Rhaenyra. Rhaenys notes that given her own passing over during the Great Council, the men of Westeros would “sooner put the realm to the torch than see a woman ascend the Iron Throne.”
Later that evening, Viserys dines privately in Alicent's company, where she commiserates with him over his reluctance at wedding a new queen and gifts him a repaired model of a dragon for his miniature of Valyria. Ser Otto interrupts the meal to inform the king that he has called an emergency meeting of the small council. One of the dragonkeepers is present at the meeting, who informs Viserys that an egg has been stolen from the Dragonpit. The culprit is none other than Daemon, who left a missive announcing his intention to take his mistress Mysaria as his second wife, flippantly inviting his brother and council to attend. As Mysaria is now with child, Daemon wishes to place a dragon egg in the infant's cradle in keeping with Targaryen tradition. King Viserys, furious at this latest display of insolence by his younger brother, declares his intention to retake Dragonstone from Daemon, but Otto insists the king cannot risk himself, warning that Daemon is unpredictable and has fortified the island and castle with a private army of his gold cloaks, and volunteers himself to lead efforts to expel Daemon from Dragonstone. Rhaenyra is also left angry when she learns that the egg Daemon had stolen was the same one she had picked out for her deceased brother Baelon.
DRAGONSTONE
Prior to his departure from King’s Landing, Ser Otto Hightower meets with his daughter Alicent in private and urges her to continue her liaisons with the king. Ser Otto's forces, consisting of himself, Ser Harrold Westerling, Ser Criston Cole, and twenty of his household guard, then arrive on the island of Dragonstone, the ancestral seat of House Targaryen. Daemon Targaryen, accompanied by Mysaria and a detachment of his gold cloaks, intercept them on the bridge leading to the castle. Otto relays Viserys' demands that Daemon is to relinquish the stolen dragon egg as well as the castle, disband his private army, and banish Mysaria, whom he refers to as a whore several times during the altercation. Daemon refuses, insulting Otto and Ser Criston in the process, insisting he is merely following his house's traditions. When Otto threatens Mysaria, Daemon draws his Valyrian steel sword Dark Sister, prompting both sides to draw their own weapons, though Otto orders his men to sheathe their weapons when Daemon’s dragon Caraxes appears in order to defend his master. Before the tension can spill into open conflict, Princess Rhaenyra suddenly arrives unannounced with her dragon Syrax. She dismounts and brushes past a protesting Otto so she can confront her uncle Daemon personally. Rhaenyra then dares her uncle to kill her if he truly wishes to reclaim his former status as his brother's heir, but Daemon cannot bring himself to murder his niece in cold blood, even for his old position. When he reveals that his mistress is in fact not pregnant but will be one day, an angered Mysaria exits the standoff back towards the castle, having been unaware of Daemon’s false claim to the king. Daemon then begrudgingly tosses Rhaenyra the dragon egg before retreating with his retinue back into the castle. Rhaenyra turns the egg over to the care of the dragonkeepers before riding off with Syrax. Afterwards, within the castle, Mysaria berates Daemon for provoking Viserys by using her for his manipulations, further stating that she ensured long ago to never be threatened by childbirth, alluding perhaps to an intentional procedure preventing her from conceiving. She then declares that while Daemon enjoys a degree of protection as a Targaryen, she does not and would likely end up the one who pays the price for Daemon's antics. Mysaria asserts that she did not come into his service wanting gold, power or higher station, adding that she only sought out liberation from the fear of her previous life as a lowborn whore who has been sold more times than she can count. Daemon nonetheless reassures Mysaria that he will protect her.
KING’S LANDING
Back in the capital, Viserys meets with Lord Lyonel Strong for an impartial opinion about a prospective marriage to Laena Velaryon. Although Lyonel acknowledges Viserys's discomfort at marrying a child, he adds that strengthening an alliance with House Velaryon could temper Corlys's bitterness over the Great Council's decision, unify the last descendants of Valyria, and ensure the Crown has access to the Velaryon fleet should the situation in the Stepstones deteriorate into open war. The meeting is interrupted by Grand Maester Mellos informing Viserys of Rhaenyra's departure and return from Dragonstone. The Kingsguard escort Rhaenyra to her father's chambers where he angrily chides his daughter for taking off without his leave and risking her life. However, he does concede when admitting that only Rhaenyra could have recovered the egg and ended the situation with Daemon bloodlessly. They then speak about Aemma for a time, Viserys noting that Rhaenyra has inherited a lot from her mother, before reluctantly broaching the subject of the prospective marriage alliance. Viserys insists that he cannot replace Queen Aemma, but with only Rhaenyra as his heir, were anything to happen to her, House Targaryen would come to an end. While Viserys insists that he will not replace Rhaenyra as his heir, he still rationalizes with his daughter that if he were to have sons from a new marriage it will ensure the continuation of their line.
The following morning, a small council meeting has been called upon by Viserys where he announces his decision in taking a new wife. The lords of the small council, as well as Rhaenyra, wait on bated breath as Viserys struggles to declare the announcement with ease, knowing the potential repercussions. Moments before Viserys reveals his intention to marry Alicent Hightower instead of Laena Velaryon, Rhaenyra looks over at her best friend, who stands beside her father Otto nervously. Only Ser Otto looks pleased with the king's decision while the rest of the small council sit in silent shock. While Alicent averts her eyes from Rhaenyra’s wounded stare, Lord Corlys defiantly stands from the table and calls the king’s decision “an absurdity”. Furious with this latest insult to his family, Corlys then leers at Ser Otto with disdain before storming out of the chambers, effectively resigning from the small council. Rhaenyra then quickly exits the chambers as well, disgusted and hurt by Viserys and Alicent both keeping this arrangement from her.
DRIFTMARK / the stepstones
Enraged at the snubbing of his daughter by Viserys, Lord Corlys invites Daemon Targaryen to High Tide, House Velaryon’s holdfast which is situated on a small island off the coast of Driftmark. Corlys rages at Viserys' lack of respect for his family and loyal service, citing Daemon's own fall from the king’s good graces as proof that they now share a common cause. Corlys asserts that they are both men of action who were forced to make their own way in the world, never receiving due respect or appreciation for their efforts. Although Daemon chides Corlys for speaking disrespectfully of his brother, he is nonetheless intrigued when Corlys proposes a joint expedition between their forces in order to eliminate the Crabfeeder, clear out the Triarchy forces from the Stepstones, and simultaneously claim wealth and glory for themselves, while proving their value to the dissenters at Viserys' court. Meanwhile, in the Stepstones, Craghas Drahar continues to routinely execute shipwrecked sailors by nailing them to posts on the beach to either drown or be slowly eaten alive by the crabs drawn by the tide.
*Episode descriptions from GOT Wiki
“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. ”
“When I ascended the Driftwood Throne, I knew what I wanted. So I went out and seized it. Unlike every other lord of the realm, I can say that I built my house’s high seat with the strength of mine own back. ”
“It was never my brother’s strongest trait. Being King... I will speak of my brother as I wish. You will not. ”
“When I am Queen, I will create a new order... They denied you, Princess Rhaenys. “The Queen Who Never Was”. But they bent the knee to me and called me heir to the throne. ”
“I didn’t come into your service wanting gold. Or power. Or station. I came to you to be liberated. ”
“To elude a storm, you can either sail into it or around it, but you must never await its coming... With the Targaryen dragons and the Velaryon fleet bound in blood, you can show the realm that The Crown’s strongest days are ahead... not behind. ”
INSIDE THE EPISODE
did you know?
The title of the episode derives from The Rogue Prince, or, A King's Brother - a slightly abridged version of the "Heirs of the Dragon" chapter in Fire & Blood, released as a stand-alone novelette in an anthology in 2014. The title of the novelette itself refers to Daemon Targaryen.
After the cold open in the premiere episode at the Great Council, this episode introduces the new title sequence: it uses the same theme song as Game of Thrones (Ramin Djawadi has returned as music composer on this prequel), but instead of the camera moving through an animated astrolabe map of the world, it moves through an animated version of the model Viserys was building of Old Valyria's capital city.
The scenes in the royal gardens were filmed at the Jardines de Santa Clotide in Lloret de Mar, Catalonia, Spain. The brief scenes at the beginning and end of the episode in the Stepstones, previewing their full appearance next episode, were filmed on the southern coast of Cornwall, England. The Dragonstone exteriors actually did not return to the real life causeway on the coast of northern Spain which was used to film that location in Game of Thrones Seasons 7 and 8, even though production did return to Spain. As explained in behind the scenes videos, the camerawork they wanted to use in the scene would have been impossible on such a narrow causeway (i.e. overhead crane shots), so the entire sequence was filmed on the "Volume" virtual set at Leavesden Studios.
In the books, Ryam Redwyne died in 105 AC, the same year that Aemma Arryn died, and he was then replaced by Harrold Westerling as Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, and Criston Cole was added to fill the open space as the seventh knight in the order. Harrold later died in the middle of Viserys's reign, in 112 AC. The TV series has expanded Harrold's role so that he lives beyond this (based on shots in the trailers that clearly show him alive at later events than he was in the books).
Viserys tells Corlys that he has sent overtures to Pentos and Volantis to make common cause against the Triarchy, which is a triple-allaince between the Free Cities of Lys, Myr, and Tyrosh. Their enmity towards the Triarchy was stated in the books as well.
Viserys states that at its height, Old Valyria possessed over 1,000 dragons. The books never gave an exact count, but the highest number provided so far is that the Valyrians were able to send 300 dragons to crush the Rhoynar. The detail Viserys provides that the "blood-ma.ges" in Valyria's capital worked in a special building called the "anogrion" is not from the books. Linguist David J. Peterson came up with the term as part of his expansion of the High Valyrian language.
Laena Velaryon is 12 years old in both the books and TV series when she's proposed as a new wife for Viserys - she wasn't aged-up like Rhaenyra was because it's a plot point that she was too young for Viserys to be comfortable with marrying her. A detail from the books is that Laena herself wasn't upset about Viserys rejecting the marriage pact, as it was noted that she was "more fond of flying than boys" (by that point she had already claimed a dragon for herself).
Costume designer Jany Temime said that she intentionally "gave Laena the dress of a girl older than her age, to highlight the absurdity of the situation" - that this 12 year old is being put forward as a potential wife to a king who has a daughter older than she is.
In the book, Viserys didn't command Daemon to return to his wife in the Vale after the "heir for a day" incident, when he named Rhaenyra heir instead of him. Daemon was simply so frustrated by this that he retired to Dragonstone on his own, sulking there for half a year with Mysaria. He didn't attempt to fortify the island with his Gold Cloaks and didn't flippantly claim to still be the lawful heir.
Daemon says he intends to take Mysaria as a second wife in Valyrian tradition: polygamy was not common among the Valyrians, but it was not unheard of either. Aegon the Conqueror himself was simultaneously married to both of his sisters. This was a major point of contention during the Faith Militant uprising: the main reason for the revolt was Targaryen incest marriage, but Maegor the Cruel went on to take multiple concurrent wives (he was the second and last of the Targaryen kings who had polygamous marriage).
There is no mention of a dramatic confrontation like this in the books, between Daemon, Otto, and Rhaenyra. It simply says that Viserys commanded Daemon to stop, on pain of permanent exile from the royal court, and he grudgingly yielded up the dragon egg and sent Mysaria away. It was only at this point in the book version when Viserys outright commanded Daemon to return to his lawful wife Rhea Royce in the Vale, which he briefly does. All of this combined makes Daemon's actions in the TV version even more scandalous, but the end result is the same: he backs down and leaves the royal court in shame, but then makes common cause with the also-shunned Corlys Velaryon to seek his fortune fighting in the Stepstones.
First mention of the dragon Dreamfyre, when it's said that the egg Daemon stole was the one of her's that was picked out for the dead baby Baelon. The book doesn't mention which dragon's egg it was. Dreamfyre is noted to have laid several clutches of eggs in the books, and it is somewhat implied that she might actually be the mother of Daenerys Targaryen's three dragons: in Fire & Blood, three dragon eggs are stolen and taken to the Free Cities, strongly indicating they eventually passed down to Daenerys, though the vague wording of the text makes it unclear if they specifically came from Dreamfyre. Thus this egg could be the sibling of Drogon, Rhaegal, and Viserion.
As Viserys explains, he only briefly flew Balerion before he died from old age. In the books, he only flew him exactly once: he circled King's Landing three times, and had intended to fly to Dragonstone, but realized the old dragon didn't have the strength anymore so he turned back. Balerion died only half a year later. This left Vhagar as the last of the original three dragons from the Targaryen Conquest.
Criston Cole says that he fought for a year in service to House Dondarrion, against a "Dornish incursion". As stated in dialogue in the previous episode, there hasn't been a major war in over sixty years. From the books, the Third and Fourth Dornish Wars happened during these years, but they were both small-scale skirmishes. The Third Dornish War happened almost fifty years ago and was against a minor bandit-lord, while the Fourth Dornish War was over 25 years ago, and lasted a single day - when a Dornish invasion fleet was destroyed from dragon-back (and thus no regular soldiers participated in it).