What happens in episode three, Second of His Name?
WARNING: Spoilers for episode three, Second of His Name, ahead.
Three years on from episode two, an increasingly sickly Viserys and his new wife, Alicent, have successfully sired a son, Aegon, and have a second child on the way.
To celebrate Aegon’s second birthday, a huge hunt is organised in the child’s honour.
Alicent and Rhaenyra’s friendship has disintegrated as a result of the new union, with Rhaenyra growing resentful of her two-year-old brother.
While Viserys asserts she is still to be his heir, pressure mounts on the 17-year-old to marry in order to preserve the Targaryen lineage and build alliances.
However, the Hightowers, now with a stronger foothold on power, make plans of their own.
Daemon, eager to prove himself as a leader, has spent the past years defending the Stepstones with the help of the Velaryon fleet.
When Viserys, after years of ignoring the issue, finally sends aid, Daemon makes a dramatic move in order to win the battle before his brother can, killing the Crabfeeder and dismembering his body in a defiant Hail Mary act.
Who is the Crabfeeder and what is the Triarchy?
The Triarchy is an army alliance formed of three of the Free Cities who take aim at Westeros and cause chaos on their trading sea lanes.
Under the guidance of Prince Craghas Drahar, they conquer the Stepstones, an area of Westeros that had been taken over by pirates of the series.
Drahar has become known as the Crabfeeder on the seas due to his preferred method of torture on his enemies – feeding them to crabs in low tides while they’re still alive.
Drahar is seen badly disfigured from greyscale, a skin infection that eventually covers the body as well as the face and brain. As a result he wears a gold mask.
The speed at which he conquered the Stepstones causes Master of Ships, Corlys Velaryon, as well as Daemon Targaryen to take action after Viserys opted to do nothing.
Viserys allows them to fight for two years before eventually sending reinforcements in a stubborn response to his brother and Corlys’ not following his orders.
The long-standing fight is known as Battle of the Stepstones, with Corlys’ brother, Vaemond, and son, Laenor, both joining in the fray.
The Lannister introduction
In House of the Dragon’s predecessor, Game of Thrones, the Lannisters were a predominant force in Westeros.
However, when we’re introduced to them briefly at the hunt, they are nowhere near the high-ranking they would get centuries later.
A noble house, the Lannisters are of high-esteem and based in Casterly Rock, and therefore in the running to take Rhaenyra’s hand.
However, with Rhaenyra having no interest in marriage, she opts to flee rather than become betrothed to one of the Lannister twins, Tyland and Jason.
There’s definitely elements of the Lannisters about them though – with Tyland quickly trying to weasel his way into the political world with discussions with Viserys, while Jason proved a smooth-talker to Rhaenyra.
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King Viserys’ suspicions explained
Throughout House of the Dragon so far, it’s shown that King Viserys is a highly suspicious man, ruled largely by prophecies and signs that he doesn’t truly know the meaning of.
In episode one, it was the Song of Ice and Fire, something we as viewers know doesn’t even occur for another 200 years.
Nonetheless, he finds himself preparing Rhaenyra for a war against White Walkers without even knowing if and when the issue will occur.
At the hunt, he is seen obsessed with the idea of capturing a white stag after one is reportedly spotted nearby, believing it’s a sign of divine royalty and an omen considering it’s Aegon’s name day.
Showrunner Ryan Condal explained: “We know that Viserys is kind of prone to mythology and signs and dreams and symbolism, and to have that symbol put in front of him on this day, where he's really secretly wondering whether he's made a wrong decision and then be forced to reckon with it on a dramatic level was a really interesting thing for us.”
Miguel Sapochnik, show director, added: “So then when he turns out that it's not a white stag, but it's a brown one, his relief is palpable, but also in a funny way there's disappointment that sometimes these things aren't meant to be.”
Fans have also considered the fact the white hart was actually nothing more than an ordinary brown stag was more symbolic of Viserys’ reign – with the long held description of him being “a kind ruler doesn’t make him a good one”.
Rhaenyra’s future prospects
It appears that, no matter how much she runs from it, she will need to marry in order to be taken seriously in this patriarchal world.
Jamie Lannister is an option, Laenor Velaryon another, and Otto Hightower even suggests she marry her own brother, baby Aegon, in order to keep within the Targaryen’s history of ‘maintaining a pure blood line’.
But it seems she’s bonding most with someone else completely Ser Criston Cole, who has become her sworn protector over the past three years.
The Targaryens reborn
Speaking of the episode, the show bosses state ‘Second of His Name’ is a sign of rebirth for our central three Targaryens – Rhaenyra, Viserys and Daemon.
Daemon, miraculously surviving a suicide mission, emerges with the Crabfeeder’s body bloodied, victorious and determined.
Rhaenyra, who took out her rage and anger on a boar, has proven herself a fighter, and Viserys has a new outlook on his position as a leader.
Ryan Condal explains the three are “reborn with a new perspective on who they are and what their purpose is.”