Includes SPOILERS for House of the Dragon season 2’s finale and MASSIVE SPOILERS for Fire & Blood, the show’s source material.
Summary
House of the Dragon’sseason 2finale sees Aegon II Targaryen and Larys Strong fleeing King’s Landing, raising questions about their fate. Played by actors Tom Glynn-Carney and Matthew Needham in theHouse of the Dragoncast, Aegon and Larys formed a surprising alliance in season 2 that wasn’t in the books. Initially, Larys appeals to Aegon’s frustrations with Otto Hightower, and later, Larys relies on Aegon after his grievance with Aemond as the new Prince Regent.
Realizing the Greens will lose King’s Landing, Larys goes to Aegon in the finale and warns him that they must leave the city. TheHouse of the Dragonseason 2 endingalso sees Alicent admitting that she’ll let Rhaenyra take the capital and execute Aegon if she spares her and Helaena, so Aegon ends up escaping just in the nick of time. Even though he’s still too weak to fight, and his dragon is apparently dead,Aegon is still the figurehead for the Greens, and his death would essentially mean the war’s end.
Daemon’s Vision Explained: Daenerys Targaryen, White Walker & More Game Of Thrones Connections
Daemon Targaryen has more visions at Harrenhal in House of the Dragon’s season 2 finale, connecting to his story, Rhaenyra, and even Game of Thrones.
Aegon Goes To Dragonstone & Takes Control Of It After Rhaenyra Takes King’s Landing
Aegon Could Go To Dragonstone After Rhaenyra Leaves It
House of the Dragonis based on the bookFire & Blood, a companion piece toGeorge R.R. Martin’sA Song of Ice & Fireseries. The show has already made alterations to several of the book’s events and their order, so it’s hard to say exactly what Aegon will be doing during season 3. In the book, however,he goes to Dragonstone as Rhaenyra takes King’s Landing, and he takes control of the island castle, unbeknownst to Rhaenyra and the Blacks. He uses it to eventually set a trap for her, giving him the opportunity to capture and execute her.
However, much of Aegon’s events on Dragonstone are predicated on Sunfyre being alive, but he claims in the episode that his dragon is dead. In the book, Aegon and Sunfyre, still both injured from Rook’s Rest, eventually take flight again and battle Baela and Moondancer on Dragonstone. Aegon also has Sunfyre kill Rhaenyra at the end of the Dance of the Dragons. Regardless, he could still return to Dragonstone at some point in season 3, as the show has prepared the roots for the castle’s garrison to betray Rhaenyra through the character Alfred Broome.
Larys Strong Stays In King’s Landing In The Book, But The Show Is Different
Larys Strong’s Narrative Is Hard To Predict Due To Book Differences
In the book, Larys helps Aegon escape the capital but then returnsand works to undermine Rhaenyra’s rule in the Red Keep. He could still return in the show because his being there in the book importantly leads Aemond to think Larys had betrayed him, and he executes Ser Simon Strong at Harrenhal in response. It’s hard to say because the TV series has made so many minor changes that now it’s difficult to imagine certain events transpiring. For example, many of the events during Rhaenyra’s time in King’s Landing could see changes in the show.
Rhaenyra is eventually driven out of King’s Landing by a mob, which reacts to the death of Queen Helaena Targaryen. She commits suicide in the books, but Larys spreads rumors that this isn’t true and that Rhaenyra killed her, leading to mass violent outbursts from the common folk. In the show, the commoners love Rhaenyra for bringing them food, and Larys Strong isn’t in King’s Landing to spread these rumors. It’s impossible to say where his story will lead inHouse of the Dragonfor the time being, given all the changes.
Does King Aegon Return To King’s Landing?
Aegon Eventually Returns To King’s Landing, But Not For Long
King Aegon II Targaryeneventually does return to King’s Landing, believing he’s won the war after having Rhaenyra executed on Dragonstone. He never fully recovers from his injuries and is still widely hated by his peers and the common folk, so the armies of the Riverlands and the North continue to march on King’s Landing despite Rhaenyra’s death. At this time, many of the dragons and riders are also dead, and the lords remaining in King’s Landing realize the war is lost, suggesting Aegon step down and join the Night’s Watch.
Instead, Aegon demands that the fighting continue, so his lords poison him, concluding the Dance of the Dragons. Aegon may have been badly injured at the Battle of Rook’s Rest, but he’s still got a long way to go in his story, and it will be exciting to see whereHouse of the Dragontakes it. Hopefully, Sunfyre isn’t truly dead, as the beautiful dragon is supposed to be around for much longer as well.
House of the Dragon
House of the Dragon is a 2022 fantasy drama set in the world of Westeros, chronicling the Targaryen dynasty at its height. The story revolves around King Viserys’s controversial decision to name his daughter Rhaenyra as heir to the Iron Throne, sparking tensions and divisions within the realm.
