Clare Kilner did an excellent job Directing episode four of House of the Dragon, and she is back at it in this episode. Titled “We Light the Way,” this midseason episode opens the valve on the pressure cooker that has been the first half of the season. In the previous episode, Viserys had banished Daemon for a second time from the capital, commanding him to go to his wife, Lady Rhea, in Runestone. Cut to this episode’s opening scene, and Daemon is back in the Vale of Arryn to honor the King’s command. There is no love between husband and wife, and we know by now that Daemon is not in the Vale to do right by his wife. During the meeting, Lady Rhea does all the talking and holds nothing back when slighting her husband. Akin to the closing scene of the third episode, Daemon doesn’t say a word, causing me to worry for Lady Rhea. The fact that Daemon doesn’t speak offers little of his intentions. Lady Rhea’s horse is spooked when Daemon comes closer, tumbles backward, and lands on her. She is seemingly paralyzed but is somehow still prattling. One insult too far, and Daemon finishes her off. Clare Kilner said this when she offered context for this episode:
“We never know whether Daemon went there to kill his wife or not. And that’s what Matt plays so interestingly. You never know what’s going on in Daemon’s head. Yet, you believe him when he makes split-second decisions and goes for something.”
Whether Daemon killed her to free himself from the marriage and set himself up for Rhaenyra’s hand or simply to avoid the constant banishing is up for debate. We will never know his true motive, but I venture to say it has to be one of the two.
The Bronze Bitch
“In the Vale, men are said to fuck sheep instead of women. I can assure you, the sheep are prettier.” Prince Daemon spoke those words regarding his wife in the first episode of House of the Dragon. When we meet lady Rhea, those words could not be further from the truth. She may be abrasive, but she is not ugly. She just doesn’t like Daemon, and who would blame her? To offer some context, Rhea Royce is the Lady of Runestone and the head of House Royce. In 97 AC, Queen Alysanne Targaryen wed her grandson, Prince Daemon Targaryen, to Lady Rhea Royce, the heir to Runestone. Although the marriage was an excellent match, it was not successful. Daemon found the Vale of Arryn little to his liking and grew bored, and with that, he resented his wife, holding no love or affection toward her, referring to Rhea as his bronze bitch, a mocking reference to the ancient armor of the Royces. Rhea likewise had no love for Daemon, and they were soon estranged. And those are the dynamics the showrunners have been alluding to before delivering this excellent portrayal.
The Wedding
Every Game of Thrones season needs its wedding that doesn’t quite go right in the end. – Ryan Condal.
Viserys, despite his illness, has decided to marry off Rhaenyra to Ser Laenor of House Velaryon. He endures seasickness on his way to Driftmark to propose the union to the Sea Snake, only to be met by a passive-aggressive host who still harbors ill feelings. The King makes his proposal which Lord Corlys accepts after a few rounds of horse-trading. Then comes the juice; Rhaenyra and Laenor iron out a pact of their own – a compromise. They both know this is going to be a marriage of convenience. So, they make it as convenient for themselves as possible, considering and making peace with their sexual appetites. While hammering out this agreement, Rhaenyra intimates, “Dare I say it is a matter of taste? I prefer roast duck to goose. I can not say why.” Laenor responds, “It’s not for lack of trying. There are those who like goose very well.” Rhaenyra then quips, “I find it a bit greasy for my tastes. I know that whatever agreement will not change your appetites, nor will it change mine.” In the end, Rhaenyra and Laenor have a gentleman’s agreement; to perform their duty to their fathers and the realm. Then they would both be free “to dine as they see fit.” In other words, after bearing heirs, Rhaenyra would be free to be with a paramour of her choice, and Laenor would continue to see his lover, Ser Joffrey Lonmouth, the Knight of Kisses.
Back at Castle Driftmark, Rhaenys is anxious about her son and the realm should Viserys shuffle off this mortal coil; “We are placing our son in danger. Rhaenyra’s succession will be challenged. Knives will come out for her, her husband, and their heirs.”
Cut to the scene where the King’s company is in Blackwater Bay sailing back to the capital, and Ser Criston Cole is making an outrageous proposition to Rhaenyra. The long and short of it is to run off together and leave behind the burdens of indignities and inheritance. In Essos, they would be free to not only go where they liked but also love as they liked. “In Essos, you could marry me. A marriage for love, not for the crown.” Of course, Rhaenyra gently turns down this proposal, choosing her duty to the realm while maintaining the status of her romantic relationship with him. Ser Criston is irked, setting the stage for drama at the pre-wedding feast.
The pot of drama has been simmering, and we all knew the lid would eventually blow off. The wedding would provide an escape for the trapped steam which rolls over the entire room when Ser Criston Cole snaps. In the end, instead of getting an elaborate royal wedding that would have culminated after seven days of tournament and feasting, we end up with a shotgun wedding with Laenor bereft over the loss of his lover. Ryan Condal’s statement regarding Westerosi marriage ceremonies couldn’t have rung truer – both the wedding and the episode come to a close with the King collapsing on the floor, and we are left to wonder for a week whether Viserys is dead or not.
Queen Alicent’s Allegiances
Otto doesn’t mince his words. The only outcome is death. “Listen to me. The King will die. It may be months or years, but he’ll not live to be an old man. And if Rhaenyra succeeds him, war will follow, do you understand? The realm will not accept her. And to secure her claim, she’ll have to put your children to the sword. She’ll have no choice. You know it. You are no fool, and yet you choose not to see it. The time is coming, Alicent. Either you prepare Aegon to rule, or cleave to Rhaenyra and pray for her mercy.”
Otto’s parting words must have tolled like a bell in Alicent’s head for the entirety of this episode leading her to question her faith in Rhaenyra and rue the part she played in her father’s dismissal as Hand of the King. That, coupled with the Clubfoot’s whispers and Ser Criston’s confession, cause Alicent to feel betrayed. She is fuming, and her ire is aimed squarely at Rhaenyra. Alicent’s path is now clear. No more second-guessing her allegiances. With Otto gone, the plight of House Hightower is now in her hands. Securing Aegon’s future is now paramount. She has to make a statement, which she does with her entrance to the pre-wedding ceremony. She is fashionably late and is donning a green dress, symbolic of the green color the beacon on the Hightower glows when calling its banners to war. She doesn’t need to come in and scream at Rhaenyra – the dress she is wearing does all the talking.
If you are one for subtleties, then pay attention – going forward, the color green will be significant as it is in Fire and Blood, the source material for the House of the Dragon series.
House Strong in the thick of things
Lyonel strong is the new Hand of the King, as I had predicted in my review of episode 4. He has the mind and temperament for the job, and Viserys couldn’t have chosen a better man. Lyonel is not the only member of House Strong at court. His two sons, Harwin and Larys Strong, are slowly warming their way into the game. Larys is the youngest of the boys and the one with the most time on screen, with good reason. He stokes the embers with his lurking and whispering. Larys is known as the Clubfoot because his foot twisted at birth, so he drags it with a limp. He rarely speaks, preferring to listen and observe instead. An enigmatic and cunning man, the source material describes him as friendless, and I have a feeling he will be a problem to both friend and foe. His older brother, Harwin, is a knight who serves as a captain in the gold cloaks of King’s Landing. Known as Breakbones, Ser Harwin is said to be stronger than all men in the Seven Kingdoms. At the pre-wedding, we saw a glimpse of his strength when his father gave him the nod to punch his way through the scuffle to bring Rhaenyra to safety. House Strong will play a crucial part in the succession struggle that has been looming since Rhaenyra was named heir.
Meleys, the Red Queen
House Velaryon came to the capital to grace the union of one of their own to the crown, and they held nothing back in displaying their power. With their armada and dragons, they came. Mother and son flew in, Laenor on the back of Seasmoke and Princess Rhaenys on the back of Meleys, the Red Queen. It was stunning to see the red dragon onscreen for the first time. At this point, Meleys is old but is no stranger to battle. Before Rhaenys claimed her in 87 AC, the Red Queen was Alyssa Targaryen’s mount. Princess Alyssa Targaryen was the mother of King Viserys and Prince Daemon. In 77 AC, Alyssa strapped her nine-day-old son Viserys to her chest and took him flying on Meleys. She did the same in 81 AC with her second son, Daemon, within a fortnight of his birth. If you are a lover of the source material, seeing Meleys onscreen, though briefly, must have been a big deal to you as it was for me.
Theories And Speculation
If there is one trope that is constant in House of the Dragon is the deteriorating health of the Kings. His left hand is now fully infected. He bled from the nose and collapsed after the wedding. If it turns out that he is still alive, then I still maintain that his onscreen life is almost at an end. The screenwriters of this episode used Otto to relay the message that Viserys will not live to be old. Therefore, don’t be surprised if he should die within the next two episodes.
If you are a hopeless romantic, you will probably ship Daemon and Laena. At the wedding, we saw the chemistry between them though Daemon still pines for Rhaenyra. I will go out on a limb and speculate that Daemon will get married for a second time, this time to Laena. Whether that marriage will work calls for more speculation.
Rating
I will give this episode a perfect 10. For a mid-season episode, it did more than enough. What impressed me the most, and I must confess, is the influence on my rating, the way the showrunners used the green dress to relay the message that “knives have come out.” The subtleness of that plot device was everything. Overall, in my opinion, this episode could easily be an Emmy contender for best screenwriting.
For more content on House of the Dragon, head to our in-depth article on Everything You Need to Know Before Watching House of the Dragon. You can also check out works by George R. R. Martin in case you want to learn more about the source material that influenced House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones.
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