Season 2 of HBO’s epic “Game of Thrones” prequel “House of the Dragon” ended with massive battles brewing on land, sea and sky between the warring factions of House Targaryen, the royal family of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros. The Dance of the Dragons has begun.
But with a cast of characters this sprawling, their many schemes, betrayals and furtive alliances can be hard to keep track of — let alone remember after nearly two years since the show last aired. Ahead of the Season 3 premiere on Sunday, here is a refresher on the battle lines and secret pacts that have been drawn for the conflagration to come.
Team Black: The woman who would be queen
Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy) was proclaimed heir to all the realm by her father, Viserys (Paddy Considine). Fighting beneath the traditional black banners of House Targaryen, she is backed by her husband and uncle, Daemon (Matt Smith), who briefly considered making a play for the throne himself before renewing his loyalty to his wife.
Her chief supporter is Lord Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint), a famed explorer and naval commander known as the Sea Snake. Though he has already lost his dragon-riding wife, Rhaenys (Eve Best), to Rhaenyra’s cause, his fleet, co-captained by his illegitimate son Alyn of Hull (Abubakar Salim), controls the sea.
Rhaenyra, meanwhile, commands the skies, with over a half-dozen dragons at her disposal. The family’s forces include Rhaenyra and her dragon, Syrax; her son Jacaerys (Harry Collett) and Vermax; Daemon and Caraxes; and Daemon’s daughter Baela (Bethany Antonia) and Moondancer. Their numbers are augmented by three illegitimate descendants of the old Valyrian houses, each newly paired with a dragon of his own: Ulf White (Tom Bennett) and Silverwing; Hugh Hammer (Kieran Bew) and the massive Vermithor; and Alyn’s brother, Addam (Clinton Liberty), and Seasmoke.
Team Green: The usurped usurper
Tradition. Ambition. Misogyny. A garbled prophecy about the so-called Song of Ice and Fire from the lips of a dying king. A combination of factors placed Aegon II Targaryen (Tom Glynn-Carney) on the Iron Throne.
But none were as crucial as the machinations of his power-hungry grandfather, Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans), and his misguided mother, Alicent (Olivia Cooke). Otto was merely looking out for his own house. But Alicent genuinely believed that Aegon was prophesied to lead the Seven Kingdoms, thanks to a cryptic statement at her husband’s deathbed. She has since realized she misunderstood him. (Viserys was referring to his ancestor Aegon the Conqueror.)
Aegon reached the throne, but his reign has been a series of disasters. Among the first was the accidental killing of Rhaenyra’s son Lucerys (Elliot Grihault) and his dragon, Arrax, by Aegon’s brother, the one-eyed Aemond (Ewan Mitchell), and his huge dragon, Vhagar. In retaliation for Luke’s death, Daemon hired assassins to take out Aemond. Unable to find him, they settled instead for killing Aegon’s very young son and heir, Jaehaerys (Jude Rock).
During the battle that killed Rhaenys, Aegon was ambushed by the power hungry Aemond, who has his own designs on the throne. This surprise attack left Aegon horribly burned and maimed while his dragon, Sunfyre, was left for dead. With Aegon out of commission, Aemond became more important than ever. His colossal dragon is more powerful than any in Rhaenyra’s armada.
But Aemond’s sister, the gentle and psychic Queen Helaena (Phia Saban), refuses to ride her own mount, Dreamfyre. His younger brother, Daeron (who has yet to be shown onscreen), is far away, as is Daeron’s dragon, Tessarion. Because no other dragon is available to defend King’s Landing, Aemond and Vhagar run the risk of being outnumbered.
Still, Team Green has conventional forces in its favor. Alicent’s family, House Hightower, is massing a huge army under the green banners that give her son’s side its distinctive color. (Daeron and Tessarion ride with them.) The Hand of the King, Ser Criston Cole (Fabian Frankel), is marching north with Alicent’s brother, Ser Gwayne Hightower (Freddie Fox), to confront Daemon at Harrenhal, the haunted castle where he traveled to take control of the pivotal Riverlands region. Their ally Lord Jason Lannister (Jefferson Hall) plans to join the assault.
Jason’s twin brother, Tyland (also Jefferson Hall), is the Greens’ Master of Ships, and he has struck a deal with the Triarchy, an alliance of city-states from across the Narrow Sea. Under the command of their admiral, Sharako Lohar (Abigail Thorn), the foreign fleet will attack its old enemy, the Sea Snake, on the Greens’ behalf.
The secret pact
Alicent has no more allies on the Green Council. Her father, Otto, has disappeared, last seen wasting away in an unidentified dungeon. Her former lover Ser Criston has been sent to fight a dragon-rider, bringing her beloved brother Gwayne with him. Her sons Aemond and Aegon discount her advice, even when one isn’t busy crippling the other. Alicent knows that her family — and King’s Landing — could not survive an attack by Rhaenyra’s dragons, but no one will listen.
So the dowager queen secretly travels to Dragonstone with an offer for Rhaenyra, her oldest friend: If Rhaenyra can guarantee Alicent’s and Helaena’s safety, Alicent will send Aemond and Vhagar away to fight Daemon, order her forces to stand down and allow the Black Queen to take King’s Landing peacefully. Alicent knows Rhaenyra will be forced to execute Aegon for treason in order to secure her claim to the Iron Throne. Ultimately, “a son for a son” is a deal both women prove willing to accept.
The potential perils
Alicent isn’t the only Green who can read the writing on the wall. Lord Larys Strong (Matthew Needham), their spymaster, feels the city will fall, and the executioner’s sword with it. After encouraging the king to speed his recovery, Larys spirits Aegon out of the city (destination: Essos) before his brother Aemond or his half sister, Rhaenyra, can take his head. The Black Queen’s claim on the Iron Throne will never be secure as long as Aegon is unaccounted for.
Alicent and Rhaenyra’s deal covers only King’s Landing. It doesn’t account for the Triarchy fleet headed toward the Velaryon navy at full sail, nor for the carnage coming to the Riverlands, where Daemon awaits the Green armies with an army — and a dragon — of his own. Moreover, there’s no way of knowing how either side will react to news of Rhaenyra and Alicent’s deal, given the bad blood between them and the possibility of deception.
There are other rogue actors in play, too. Lord Larys, also known as the Clubfoot, seems loyal to no one but himself. The motives of Black Alys Rivers (Gayle Rankin), the telepathic witch who has (sort of) befriended Daemon in Harrenhal, are also uncertain. Daemon’s other daughter, Rhaena (Phoebe Campbell), is secretly off trying to bond with the wild dragon Sheepstealer, which could potentially tip the balance of power. Other than the Sea Snake’s son Addam, the new dragon-riders are relative unknowns.
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