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After that shocking cliffhanger, Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon is finally flying back on to our screens. But who should sit on the Iron Throne, really?
In Season 2, we’re looking at civil war between childhood friends, between the Black Council under the command of Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy), and the Green Council led by Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke), the latter of whom sees her son Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney) currently on the Iron Throne.
First of all, reacquaint yourself with the Targaryen family tree. In the very first episode of House of the Dragon, we learnt how King Viserys I Targaryen (Paddy Considine) won the crown over Princess Rhaenys Targaryen (Eve Best). King Jaehaerys, having no living sons, picked Viserys during the Great Council at Harrenhal because, well, he’s a dude. But as to Viserys’ own heir? Well, that got complicated last season.
In Season 1, successors were named, the Iron Throne usurped, and at the centre of it all stand two women trying to avoid all-out war in Westeros. But who technically deserves what Viserys calls “the most dangerous seat in the realm”? Ahead of Season 2, we’re looking at the pros and cons of the Black and the Green Councils in the forthcoming war of succession.
The case for the Black Council
Pro: Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen was formally named heir to the Iron Throne
Credit: Ollie Upton / HBO
You can’t get much better than a formal declaration of succession by the king himself. After his wife and son’s death in childbirth, King Viserys named Rhaenyra heir to the Iron Throne, moving her above her bitter uncle and future husband Prince Daemon (Matt Smith). Rhaenyra was the early pick of the Small Council over Daemon, but it wasn’t until he pissed off Viserys by calling the king’s stillborn son Prince Baelon “The Heir for a Day” that Viserys decided to make it official, telling Rhaenyra of her succession in front of the skull of legendary Valyrian dragon Balerion — a sacred place to do so.
Despite the fact that no queen had ever sat on the Iron Throne, a whole Great Hall of lords pledged their allegiance to the princess — and by the finale, the newly crowned Queen Rhaenyra was ready to strongly remind them of these oaths.
Throughout Season 1, Viserys swore publicly and to Rhaenyra (on her mother’s memory!) she wouldn’t be supplanted as heir, even when her teenage bestie Alicent was declared his betrothed. Yuck. Viserys confirmed his daughter’s royal inheritance again to Lord Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint), when they arranged marriage between Rhaenyra and his son Laenor (John MacMillan) — Rhaenyra’s succession was part of the bargain.
However, because Westeros is patriarchal as hell, Rhaenyra’s inheritance was technically always under threat by Viserys producing a male heir with Alicent. “Men would sooner put the realm to the torch than see a woman ascend the Iron Throne,” Rhaenys told a young Rhaenyra, having gone through all that crap herself. The king confided in Alicent of his doubts, providing a strong base for her motivation to wave the dubious paternity of Rhaenyra’s “Strong” sons around, as well as how she interpreted the most contested moment in the series: King Viserys’ final wish.
Con: Queen Alicent Hightower genuinely believes Viserys changed his mind
Credit: Ollie Upton / HBO
King Viserys died in his bed with Alicent by his side in episode 8. We never saw Viserys rename his heir, but in his last moments, the lucid king spoke of a dream had by King Aegon I Targaryen, a secret Targaryen prophecy passed from king to heir known as “A Song of Ice and Fire” that speaks of “The Prince That Was Promised” to protect Westeros from dark forces (read: white walkers). Viserys never told anyone but Rhaenyra of the prophecy, and his final words, which seem meant for his daughter, are: “It is you. You are the one. You must do this. You must do this.”
If you heard your dying husband speak your son Aegon’s name and the words “The Prince That Was Promised” with no context, you’d probably believe he’d renamed his heir too. While the Small Council believes it convenient, Alicent believes it to be the truth.
Notably, in the season finale, Rhaenyra realises Viserys never told Daemon of King Aegon I’s dream — her father never had any intention of naming Daemon as his heir, ever.
Pro: The Black Council has more dragons so…
Credit: HBO
If we’re talking soldiers, the Green Council might have the Black Council beat. But if we’re talking dragons?
The Black Council has: Syrax (Rhaenyra Targaryen), Meleys (Rhaenys Targaryen), Caraxes (Daemon Targaryen), Vermax (Jacaerys Velaryon), Tyraxes (Joffrey Velaryon), and Moondancer (Baela Targaryen) — they’re now without Arrax, who died with Lucerys.
They could also possibly have the legendary Vermithor, who Daemon sung to in the season finale. And it’s unclear who’ll be riding Seasmoke (once ridden by Laenor Velaryon) who resides on Driftmark, or Silverwing who lives on the Dragonmont — plus, Daemon’s incubating a bunch of dragon eggs there.
The Green Council has: Dreamfyre (Helaena), Sunfyre (Aegon II Targaryen), and Vhagar “Queen of all Dragons” (Aemond Targaryen, who claimed her over Rhaena Velaryon, who was hoping to claim her from her late mother, Laena Velaryon).
However, as Rhaenyra wisely advises her council in the finale, dragons in war means everything burns, promising “a kingdom of ash and bone” for whomever is left.
Con: Rhaenyra’s problematic uncle-husband is a murderous liability
Believing himself the true heir to the Iron Throne, Viserys’ brother Prince Daemon has craved kingship for an age. After Viserys picked Rhaenyra as heir, Daemon made a few power plays, declaring himself the Prince of Dragonstone, stealing Prince Baelon’s dragon egg, starting a war in the Stepstones alongside Corlys without Viserys’ permission and basically finishing it himself. But none of this worked as effectively as marrying his own niece.
Rhaenyra and Daemon make for one supercharged, incestuous, toxic Targaryen duo. Daemon comes with some advantageous territory, having been named King of the Narrow Sea after he smashed the Triarchy. The pair have Driftmark and the shipping lanes in hand through their marriages with Laena (Nanna Blondell) and Laenor, and subsequent alliances with Rhaenys and Corlys, therefore commanding the mightiest navy of Westeros.
But should Rhaenyra completely trust her uncle-husband? He’s an absolutely terrible spouse, who inherited all of Runestone by murdering his first wife. Sure, Daemon makes the Kings’ Guard swear allegiance to Queen Rhaenyra (under pain of dragon fire), but he’s constantly challenging her in front of her council and is privately violent toward her.
Big Pro: Rhaenyra has “The Queen Who Never Was” and Lord Corlys’ fleet on side
Credit: Ollie Upton / HBO
Let’s not forget Rhaenys Targaryen, “The Queen Who Never Was”, was up for the Iron Throne herself once. In fact, she and her husband Corlys came close to the Iron Throne by almost having their daughter Laena married to King Viserys…when she was 12. Thankfully instead, they solidified their connection to the crown through Rhaenyra’s marriage to their son Laenor and Daemon’s marriage to Laena — however, Laena endured the most horrific death of the series, and Laenor faked his own death.
After Viserys’ death, Rhaenys was held captive in the Red Keep and told to swear allegiance to the Greens. (Nice try.) Alicent tried to sway Rhaenys, insisting Aegon’s succession was her husband’s dying wish and playing the “you should have been queen” card.
“House Velaryon has long allied itself with the Princess Rhaenyra and what has it gained you?” Alicent asked.
“The word of my House is not fickle,” is all Rhaenys needed to say.
Obviously, incarcerating Rhaenys and her dragon Meleys was not the move. In their dramatic escape from King’s Landing, the pair chose not to kill the newly crowned Aegon by fire and kickstart the war. Instead, she and Corlys pledge the support of House Velaryon and its mighty fleet to the Black Council’s cause.
Credit: Ollie Upton / HBO
So, Green probably can’t beat Black on the sea or the sky. But they have their own pros and cons in legitimately claiming that all-important Iron Throne.
The case for the Green Council
Pro: Alicent Hightower has fought her way from political pawn to power player
Credit: Ollie Upton / HBO
While she might not be a dragonrider or a princess, Queen Alicent Hightower has endured a lot to get to where she is. In one of the most WTF moments of House of the Dragon so far, 17-year-old Alicent was forced by her father, Hand of the King Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans), to “comfort” a much older, grieving Viserys — a move that cut her off from her best friend and ally in the Red Keep, Rhaenyra. Though she does care for him, she’s essentially made to marry the king, have unwanted sex with his decaying body, and bear him four mostly awful children. Alicent also endures the horrors of an alliance with the creepy Larys Strong (Matthew Needham), is constantly undercut by her scheming father, and she treads lightly within a power structure that will never protect her or her children by default.
Though she threw Rhaenyra under the bus by obsessing over her sons’ paternity, Alicent has found moments of reclamation where she can. Mashable’s Belen Edwards wrote a whole piece about why Alicent’s green dress in episode 5 is such an iconic power move. After Viserys’ death, Alicent lambasted her father for making her a pawn, even making a personal appeal to Rhaenyra with a token of their childhood together to convince her ex-friend away from war.
Yes, Alicent has wed her son Aegon to her daughter Helaena (Phia Saban) to bolster their “pure blood” claim to the throne over Rhaenyra’s alleged bastard sons, a move that’s classic Targaryen but still gross and politically problematic. But it’s not the only gross and problematic thing around here — there’s Aegon himself.
Con: Aegon is a total dropkick who threatened to sail on a boat to avoid being king
Credit: Ollie Upton / HBO
As Alicent can’t take the Iron Throne herself, it’s the queen’s first-born son by Viserys who’s up. Problem is, Aegon sucks.
A big fan of child fighting rings and public masturbation, Aegon never wanted the Iron Throne. In fact, he actively ran away from it. In episode 9, he fled from his brother Prince Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) and Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Franke), and Ser Erryk (Elliott Tittensor) and Arryk Cargyll (Luke Tittensor), screaming “I want my mother”. Even his own guardsmen are disgusted by him, calling him “unfit to rule.” Aemond, who desperately craves the Iron Throne, had to literally drag him home to the palace, as his brother cried, “I have no wish to rule! No taste for duty! I’m not suited.” Aegon even begged his brother to let him go and “sail away never to be found!”
“My father never wanted this. He had 20 years to name me heir and never did. Steadfastly, he upheld Rhaenyra’s claim.”
– Aegon II Targaryen
On the way to Aegon’s coronation, Alicent had to remind her son of the privilege he’s being handed, telling him to “have the decency to look grateful.” But even Aegon knows it’s Rhaenyra’s crown by right, saying, “My father never wanted this. He had 20 years to name me heir and never did. Steadfastly, he upheld Rhaenyra’s claim.” Aegon even laughed off his mother’s assertion that the king changed his mind: “He didn’t like me.”
Pro: The Greens usurped Rhaenyra’s throne very, very publicly
Credit: Ollie Upton / HBO
Royal tantrum-thrower Aegon finally embraced the Iron Throne when he was publicly given a golden crown, anointed by the High Septon in front of thousands in the Dragonpit in the penultimate episode of Season 1.
It’s a solid PR move from the Hightowers; Otto announced the death of the king while crowning a new one, as the new Lord Commander, Ser Criston Cole declared him “the true heir to the Iron Throne”. Aegon had misogyny on his side here — remember a young Rhaenyra saw a theatre audience actively booing her claim to the throne in episode 4. So, the crowd politely murmured, but then later applauded heartily. It’s a very public declaration of succession.
“They crowned him in front of the masses?” Rhaenyra said in shock in the season finale when she was told the news.
“So that the masses would see him as their rightful king,” Rhaenys replied.
Con: Prince Aemond basically hard-launched the civil war
Credit: Ollie Upton / HBO
Neither Alicent nor Rhaenyra wanted to go to war for the throne — Alicent tried to steer Aegon away from ruling with “cruelty and callousness”, while Rhaenyra held off the Black Council’s war rallying. Usurping the throne is a treasonous move that begins the rumblings of civil war in Westeros, but after that Season 1 finale? It’s on.
When the Black Council sent their reps out to rally the armies of the Eyrie, Winterfell, and the Stormlands to their cause, they assigned Lucerys (Elliot Grihault), Rhaenyra’s youngest son, to Storm’s End to get Borros Baratheon (Roger Evans) onside. He found his nemesis Aemond already there, demanding a literal eye for an eye. On leaving, Lucerys and his dragon Arrax were chomped by Aemond’s enormous dragon Vhagar. From the look on Aemond’s face, it certainly wasn’t the prince’s entire intention to kill his brother’s rival’s son. And until this moment, Rhaenyra had resisted making the first move in the looming war. But her son being killed by Vhagar, ridden by a prince of the Greens? Buckle up.
Look, ultimately we know the fate of House Targaryen is pretty grim, with the “Mad King” Aerys set to do his thing around 170 years down the track and his daughter Daenerys Targaryen sealing her own fate. But for now, it’ll be a matter of bloody tactics for who ends up on the Iron Throne in House of the Dragon.
Personally, I think we all know Viserys never changed his heir from Rhaenyra. But can someone finally put Rhaenys on the throne, please?
House of the Dragon Season 2 premieres June 16 at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and Max.
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Let’s weigh up the pros and cons of Targaryen leadership claims in “House of the Dragon” ahead of Season 2.
