Warning: Major spoilers for the season two premiere of “House of the Dragon,” the book “Fire and Blood,” and potential spoilers for future episodes of “House of the Dragon.”
Aemond Targaryen is off to a rough — or excellent, depending on how you look at it — start on “House of the Dragon” season two.
Fresh off accidentally killing his nephew Lucerys Velaryon on dragonback, Aemond is one of the most powerful assets on the Green side of the impending war. While he’s a skilled fighter in his own right, that’s mostly due to the fact that he’s bonded to Vhagar, the largest of the active dragons. And his brother, King Aegon II, is champing at the bit to send him into war.
In the season two premiere, Aemond escapes assassination through sheer ineptitude. His uncle, Daemon Targaryen, contracts two would-be assassins — known to book readers as Blood and Cheese — to kill Aemond in retaliation for Lucerys’ murder. Blood and Cheese, however, aren’t very good at their jobs, and end up brutally murdering Aegon’s young son Jaehaerys instead.
But Aemond, like all of us, will eventually die. While there’s always the chance that “House of the Dragon” will make changes from its source material, here’s what happens to him in the book “Fire and Blood.”
One last warning for good measure: major spoilers ahead for “Fire and Blood,” and potentially “House of the Dragon.”
Aemond dies during a battle with Daemon on dragonback
During one battle in the war, Aegon II is severely wounded. Aemond takes over his ruling duties as Prince Regent in his stead.
However, he’s more concerned with his uncle Daemon than Rhaenyra, his sister.
“The whore on Dragonstone is not the threat,” the book quotes Aemond saying. “No more than Rowan and these traitors in the Reach. The danger is my uncle. Once Daemon is dead, all these fools flying our sister’s banners will run back to their castles and trouble us no more.”
After Daemon takes control of Harrenhal, the seat of House Strong, Aemond resolves to march upon it and kill his uncle. However, Daemon learns of Aemond’s plans and flies instead to King’s Landing. There, he rendezvouses with Rhaenyra, and they take the city.
Aemond takes Harrenhal but is furious to learn of King’s Landing. He ends the Strong line, but takes the Strong bastard Alys Rivers as a lover. Aemond decides to strike out on his own in the war, laying siege to the Riverlands in the hopes of baiting Rhaenyra to send a dragon after him.
Eventually, Daemon and another dragonrider called Nettles set out on Caraxes and Sheepstealer to kill Daemon and Vhagar. After fruitless searching, Daemon reclaims Harrenhal, challenging Aemond to face him there.
Aemond answers, and the two take to the skies. While the dragons grappled and wounded each other, Daemon, per the stories, leaped from his saddle to stab Aemond through his injured eye with his blade, Dark Sister. Both of them plunged into the Gods Eye lake, and Daemon is presumed dead as a result of the impact.
Martin writes in “Fire and Blood” that Aemond’s remains, clad in armor, remained chained to Vhagar’s carcass at the bottom of the lake.
“House of the Dragon” season two airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and is streaming on Max.
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