Miguel Sapochnik did an excellent job directing episode six of House of the Dragon, and he is back at it in this one. Episode seven is titled “Driftmark” because it takes place entirely on the island west of Dragonstone in Blackwater Bay. The opening scene is a sad one. The charred remains of Lady Laena are being laid to rest. Ser Vaemond Velaryon, the uncle of the deceased, has taken charge of the ceremony and is administering the last rights. The Targaryens burn their dead with dragons when their time passes, and the Velaryons commit their dead to the sea. Laena’s children are devastated, as are her parents and brother. The king’s party and other mourners stand atop a rock as the casket drops into the water. It was a beautiful send-off, and Ramin Djawadi’s score fiddled my emotions as sure it did yours.
The ceremony was not without drama, though they were subtle. Rhaenyra’s children were insulted in Laena’s eulogy delivered by Ser Vaemond, and Daemon is still salty at his brother more than ten years after his banishment. Otto Hightower has resumed his duties as Hand of the King, and Daemon is there to remind him that his antics have not gone unnoticed, “No matter how fat the leech grows, it always wants another meal.”
The King’s health is rapidly failing, his arm is amputated, and he has a bout of delirium, whether by design or due to ill health; time will tell if he still has any. “I’m going to bed, Aemma,” Viserys said to Alicent as he left Laena’s repass. I know that moment flew over most of your heads, and kudos to you if you caught it.
Whether you are rooting for the greens or the blacks, episode seven of House of the dragon wrapped gifts for both factions. The greens gained a dragon, and the blacks had an old-fashioned wedding that made them formidable.
The Salt that Courses through Velaryon Blood
“We join today at the seat of the sea to commit the Lady Laena of the House Velaryon to the eternal waters, the dominion of the Merling King, where he will guard her for all the days to come. As she sets to sea for her final voyage, Lady Laena leaves two true-born daughters on the shore. Though their mother will not return from her voyage, they will all remain bound together in blood. Salt courses through Velaryon blood; Ours runs thick. Ours runs true, And ours must never thin. My gentle niece. May the winds be as strong as your back, your seas as calm as your spirit, and your nets as full as your heart. From the sea, we came. To the sea, we shall return.”
Vaemond Velaryon spoke those words to eulogize Lady Laena at her burial ceremony in Driftmark before committing her body to the sea. In his speech, he talked about salt coursing through Velaryon blood, the thickness and the integrity of that blood, emphasizing that it must never thin. At face value, it may sound like he is taking pride in being a Velaryon, but in the real sense, he is taking a swipe at Rhaenyra’s children. He used the platform to improve his standing in Driftmark’s succession line. Vaemond’s words foreshadow an inevitable succession struggle, given the events that precipitate Laenor’s departure later in the episode. His antics are also a callback to the source material in which he is the Sea Snake’s oldest nephew as opposed to his brother, as portrayed in House of the Dragon. According to the source material, In 126 AC, when Lord Corlys was struck by a sudden fever and fell gravely ill, a discussion began about the succession to Driftmark. Corlys’ children, Laena and Laenor, had died six years before. Laena’s two daughters and Laenor’s three sons still lived, but Vaemond insisted he should be Corlys’ chosen successor, claiming that Laenor did not father Princess Rhaenyra’s three sons. He went a step further by accusing the princess of committing adultery. What is interesting about all this is that despite Vaemond’s attempts to taint Rhaenyra’s children, Laena’s daughters are still ahead of him in the line of succession.
Despite Vaemond’s veiled slight, Lord Corlys is dead set on Luke, his grandson, as heir to Driftmark; “Both my seat and High Tide will be yours one day, Lucerys. Your brother will be king, of course. He’ll sit on endless councils and ceremonies, but Lord of the Tides rules the sea.” According to Corlys, this is Luke’s birthright. Time will, however, tell whether Lucerys will succeed the Sea Snake though I’m rooting for him.
History Does Not Remember Blood. It Remembers Names
Laena’s death, leaving behind true-born daughters, is a bitter pill to swallow for House Velaryon. For the first time, we see disharmony at High Tide. The shadow cast over Rhaenyra’s children looms large, and Princess Rhaenys wants her Lord husband to disinherit them in favor of Laena’s children. She wants Driftmark to pass through Laena’s line to Baela to honor Laena’s memory. “The queen who never was” has had enough of Corlys’ pursuit of legacy at the cost of their children. For the Sea Snake, legacy is everything. He says, “What is this brief mortal life if not the pursuit of legacy?” He loves Jace and Luke, their legitimacy notwithstanding, and will not disinherit them despite his wife’s bluntness on the matter. “We are alone here, husband. You can speak the plain truth as we both know it: Rhaenyra’s children are not of your blood. But Laena’s are. They are her legacy.” For me, this scene was as sad as it was painful. Jace and Luke have grown on me, and I’m biased regarding them – seeing them being mistreated breaks my heart. They are sweet, innocent, well-mannered kids, and I believe Corlys considers this. According to him, “History does not remember blood. It remembers names.” Jace and Luke carry the Velaryon name, whereas Baela and Rhaena are Targaryens. Simply put, I agree with the Sea Snake and will plant my feet on the ground on this one.
The Conflict between the Children
There is a lot of tension between the two sides of the King’s household. The fight between the children causes things to boil over. For Baela and Rhaena, Vhagar was their mother’s dragon, and they grew up their whole life around that dragon. And to see somebody from the other side claim it at her funeral, according to showrunner Ryan Condal, was an absolute insult, and I couldn’t agree more. It was easy to sympathize with Aemond due to the constant ridicule that came his way when he didn’t have a dragon. The way he conducted himself after gaining one proved that he was abrasive and that his mother’s claws had twisted him into the bully we saw.
After Aemond had claimed Vhagar, he came into contact with Daemon’s twin daughters and their cousins, Jace and Luke. Baela and Rhaena had gotten out of bed, infuriated that someone had claimed their mother’s dragon. The cousins come face to face with Aemond after he dismounts Vhagar. According to Rhaena, Vhagar was hers to claim after her mother’s death. “Your mother’s dead. And Vhagar has a new rider now. Maybe your cousins can find you a pig to ride. It would suit you.” Said Aemond to Rhaena – harsh words from a not-so-long-ago introverted kid who now feels he can do anything he wants. And just like that, Aemond turns into a villain, assuming his true nature as portrayed in Fire and Blood. Those words irk Rhaena, and in rage, she lands the first blow, and a brutal fight ensues between the five children. More harsh words from Aemond questioning the legitimacy of Jace and Luke prove to be an insult too far for Rhaenyra’s boys to bear. “You will die screaming in flames just as your father did! Bastards.” Jace unsheaths a knife and loses it in the fight; Luke picks it up during the scrap and takes out Aemond’s left eye.
Viserys finds himself in a bind; his son has had his eye taken out in a fight with his daughter’s children, and he has a soft spot and an affection for Rhaenyra – this affects the king’s marriage because the queen perceives that he doesn’t stand up for their children. From the King’s point of view, the incident was a family matter. Mothers trade accusations – Rhaenyra wants her half-brother, Aemond, questioned to learn the source of the vile insult he had levied against her children. Alicent, on the other hand, is enraged and wants Luke’s eye to balance the scale. The King’s judgment somehow favors Rhaenyra and Alicent loses her shit. “If the King will not seek justice, the Queen will.” She unsheaths the conqueror’s blade from Viserys’ waist and makes her way toward Luke, only to be stopped by Rhaenyra.
Playing the game under the guise of duty and sacrifice, Alicent has now exposed herself. “Exhausting, wasn’t it? Hiding beneath the cloak of your righteousness. But now they see you as you are.” Rhaenyra’s words shake the foundations of the Queen, and she violently frees herself from the princess’s grip, slicing her left arm with the blade. Silence fills the room, only to be broken by Aemond’s words, “Do not mourn me, Mother. It was a fair exchange. I may have lost an eye, but I gained a dragon.” At that moment, if you were keen, you would have noticed the camera zooming back and forth as everyone took their place in the room. Daemon moved to Rhaenyra’s side and stood next to Luke with Sea Snake and his household on the left side of the Princess. Ser Criston Cole picked the blade from the floor and stood behind the Queen and Prince Aemond. If that is not a direct foreshadowing of the two factions destined to butt heads, then I may be reading too much into that scene. I will hold my ground nonetheless.
My takeaway from that scene with Aemond’s words ringing in my ear is that we have witnessed the coming out of a proper villain. Aemond will be a scourge, and he has been let loose with the most dangerous weapon in the Seven Kingdoms.
The Greens and the Blacks
“The Hand, Your Grace.” The queen’s handmaiden announced as Otto made his way into Alicent’s chambers. Thinking that her father had come to scold her for losing her composure and assaulting the princess, Alicent could not have been more wrong for rueing the part she played in ensuring the King’s permanent favor on Rhaenyra. “And yet, I’ve never seen that side of you, my daughter. I even doubted its existence. We play an ugly game. And now, for the first time, I see that you have the determination to win it.” With those words, Otto gave his seal of approval. The game is ugly, and you either win or die when you play the Game of Thrones. Cersei Lannister ensured we never forgot that. And Otto is back to ensure that the Greens win the game. He further tells his daughter to return to the King, be penitent, and keep a grip on her passions. With that, he assured her that, in time, they would prevail together. According to Otto, Aemond’s sacrifice was worth it: “What that rogue Aemond has done in winning Vhagar to our side. The boy was right. It’s worth a thousand times the price he paid.”
The Greens may have gained the biggest dragon, but the Blacks have gained a dragon of their own. In my opinion, Daemon’s marriage to Rhaenyra has balanced the scales. He neutralized Ser Criston Cole, who had sought to come to Alicent’s aid when she was in a struggle with Rhaenyra.
Fire is a Prison; The Sea Offers an Escape
According to John MacMillan, the actor who portrays Ser Laenor, “There is a shift that happens with the death of his sister. When someone you love dies, you start to think about your life and what you want the rest of it to be. And I think he does have this moment of clarity where he goes, ‘I’m going to be the person that I thought I was going to be.’”
What Laenor wanted deep down was to be set free. And freedom, to him, is freedom from the bonds of his nobility. And Rhaenyra understood that when Ser Laenor sought to recommit himself to her and their children. Instead, she offered him a way out and gave him a shot at happiness. A plan was hatched to set Ser Laenor and his lover free and provide Rhaenyra with a Consort to strengthen her claim and make her formidable. “Fire is such strange power. Everything that House Targaryen possess is owed to it. Yet it has cost us both what we loved.” Rhaenyra said those words to Daemon on the rampart of castle High Tide as they watched the King’s company sail back to the capital with their dragons flying overhead. And Daemon responded, “Perhaps the Velaryons knew the truth of it. The sea is the better ally.” To that, Rhaenyra retorted, “Fire is a prison. The sea offers an escape.” With that, the plan to fake Ser Laenor’s death was set in motion. It had dire ramifications – Laenor’s parents were dealt another blow days after their daughter’s burial, Rhaenyra’s boys had a father snatched from them a second time, and Seasmoke was left hanging – never to bond with another rider until such a time that Laenor died or chose to return.
Rhaenyra and Daemon
According to Miguel Sapochnik, “The multitude of conversations are about a family blown apart, trying to find solace in each other. Trying to sort of, in a sense, forgive each other for all their past wrongdoings. And yet, in the center of that are Rhaenyra and Daemon. Here they are together, both having lost someone, both grieving. And the chemistry between them is as strong as before.” He had intimated in the after-show of House of the Dragon’s seventh episode, and I couldn’t agree more. The chemistry was there, and the time was right. Otto is back serving as Hand to Viserys, and the greens have “stolen” Vhagar. “I need you, uncle. I cannot face the greens alone. Let us bind our blood as the Conqueror did with his sisters. With you as my husband and prince consort, my claim would not be so easily challenged. The Velaryons are the sea. But you and I are made of fire. We have always been meant to burn together.”
With that, Rhaenyra and Daemon bond together and make a marriage pact. As Daemon, Ser Qarl Correy, and Ser Laenor stage the death of the Sea Snake’s son. We get a glimpse of what Rhaenyra and Daemon’s rule would be. In a voice-over of Rhaenyra and Daemon, we hear the Princess say, “I will not be a tyrant. And rule through terror.” Daemon’s voice follows, saying, “A tyrant rules only through terror. If the king isn’t feared, he is powerless. To be a strong queen, you must cultivate love and respect, but your subjects must fear you.” The realm will doubtless whisper that Rhaenyra had something to do with Laenor’s “death,” which will serve as both a message and a warning to the greens. With Daemon and Rhaenyra now bonded in the tradition of old Valyria, knowing the extent of what they will do to defend her claim will be a guessing game for their enemies.
The Clubfoot
Lord Larys Strong is a dangerous man who lacks the restraint of a proper player. He is as reckless as he is ambitious. “A perversion of justice. The young prince. Defiled. An outrage. If it’s an eye you want to balance the scales, I am your servant.” This offer of service to the queen on their way back to King’s Landing was a step too far. Even Alicent, to whom Larys made the offer, found it unnecessary at the time, having had time to cool down and clear her head. To that offer, the queen responded, “The day will doubtless come when I require such a friend. With not only skill but discretion as well.” His new-found station caused his recklessness, and the queen knew as much. He is the new Lord of Harrenhal and has a permanent smirk.
Princess Helaena the Dreamer
Princess Helaena has so far had two scenes, one in the sixth episode and another in this episode, and in both, she sounds like she is mumbling gibberish. If you were keen during her scene in episode six, you would remember Aemond being brought to his mother by the Kingsguard after his debacle at the Dragonpit; the young prince is devastated after the prank the other children had pulled on him. His mother, queen Alicent, says to him, “You will find a dragon one day.” Over their conversation, the camera cuts to Princess Helaena, and she says, “He’ll have to close an eye.” That sounds like a simple foreshadowing, but it’s not. In this episode, we saw that prediction play out.
At the burial of Lady Laena, we get Helaena’s second scene. When the camera cuts to her, we see that she has a spider in her hand and is mumbling these words, “Hand turns loom; spool of green, spool of black; dragons of flesh weaving dragons of thread.” At face value, what she is saying sounds like more gibberish, but if you take a closer look, you will realize she is making another prediction which I will attempt to decipher. Civil war is afoot between the greens and the blacks, and Ser Otto Hightower is the mastermind behind everything. “Dragons of flesh” are the Targaryens weaving dragons of thread. “Dragons of thread” are the banners of the greens and the blacks. Hand turns the loom symbolizes Ser Otto Hightower, whose actions pitted the greens and the blacks against each other.
Like Daenys the dreamer and other Dragon Dreamers before her, Helaena has the gift of foresight, and her scenes, though they may be few, are an essential plot device for the showrunners. Pay more attention when she is on screen.
Theories And Speculation
I have no speculations to make this week. Princess Helaena stepped in and did a marvelous job.
Rating
I will give this episode a rating of 9/10. The showrunners were sensational in transitioning the game to the children, and Ramin Djawadi’s work on the music was phenomenal.
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 and my review of episode 6. 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.