House of the Dragon: Rhaenrya defies her father King Viserys by refusing to marry

Rhaenyra Targaryen (Milly Alcock) refuses to marry and defies her father King Viserys Targaryen (Paddy Considine) in the third episode of House of the Dragon… which features another big time jump.

Fans were surprised when the Game of Thrones prequel series – set 172 years before the events of GoT – jumped ahead six months from the series premiere to last week’s second episode.

The second episode ended with Viserys announcing he plans to marry Alicent Hightower (Emily Carey), with the third episode jumping ahead in time three years, with Viserys and Alicent now doting over Visery’s first born son, Aegon Targaryen, the future heir to the Iron Throne.

Marry: The second episode ended with Viserys announcing he plans to marry Alicent Hightower (Emily Carey), with the third episode jumping ahead in time three years, with Viserys and Alicent now doting over Visery’s first born son, Aegon Targaryen, the future heir to the Iron Throne

The episode begins with The Crabfeeder and his men killing off Targaryen men in the most brutal fashion.

One of them says the Targaryen family will come for them, before his head is impaled with a spike.

Suddenly, a dragon appears, setting fire to The Crabfeeder’s men, though one of the dragon’s feet crushes one of the Targaryen soldiers to death.

Crabfeeder: The episode begins with The Crabfeeder and his men killing off Targaryen men in the most brutal fashion

Spike: One of them says the Targaryen family will come for them, before his head is impaled with a spike

The dragon is laying waste to everything it sees, which is revealed to be the dragon of Prince Daemon (Matt Smith), who calls out to The Crabfeeder.

A number of The Crabfeeder’s soldiers start firing flaming arrows at Daemon and the Dragon, before he retreats back to the  sky. 

The episode cuts back to the Red Keep, where King Viserys is celebrating the second birthday of his son Aegon, revealing the show has leapt forward 3 years.

Arrows: A number of The Crabfeeder’s soldiers start firing flaming arrows at Daemon and the Dragon, before he retreats back to the sky

Viserys and Aegon: The episode cuts back to the Red Keep, where King Viserys is celebrating the second birthday of his son Aegon, revealing the show has leapt forward 3 years

The King is told that the situation in the Stepstones is quite urgent but Viserys is not interested in hearing about it today.

Viserys grows impatient that his daughter Rhaenyra is nowhere to be found, as she’s seen outside, sitting under a tree, reading a large text.

Alicent comes to find her, revealing she’s currently expecting another child, revealing Rhaenyra’s presence is requested.

The man singing for the princess is ordered to leave by Queen Alicent, but Rhaenyra asks him to stay, though the Queen orders him to leave.

Rhaenyra asks if the King demands her presence and she says he does, but she storms as Alicent says it doesn’t have to be this way.

The whole family is seen traveling in a carriage, as they hint that Rhaenyra should start thinking about having children, though she’s uninterested.

Viserys asks her to join her on the hunt and she’s quite uninterested as Rhaenyra reminds her father, ‘No one is here for me.’

They arrive in a small village where the townsfolk celebrate the King’s arrival, ass Otto waits for him, applauding his safe arrival. 

Rhaenyra joins the celebration reluctantly though she isn’t speaking with anyone, though the King notices a man noticing Rhaenyra.

She ultimately joins Alicent chatting with a number of women, one of whom insists the Crown is at war though the King refuses to acknowledge it. 

‘And how have you served the realm, Lady Redwyne? By eating cake?’ Rhaenyra asks, before leaving the group.

Rhaenyra heads outside, when she’s approached by Lord Jason Lanister (Jefferson Hall), who suggests he would do anything for the Throne or his ‘lady wife.’

She smiles and thanks him for the wine before storming off and going straight to her father, as they start arguing about how she does not wish to get married.

‘Even I do not exist above tradition and duty!’ Viserys screams at his daughter, before Otto interrupts, saying there has been a sighting of the White Hart, a, ‘regal portent’ for Aegon’s name day.

Rhaenyra takes a horse and rides off into the woods, though she’s followed and stopped by Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel).

He asks what is wrong and she says she’s angry at her father for trying to sell her off to Jason Lanister.

Criston jokingly asks if she wants him to kill him, and he suggests they return but she says it’s a beautiful day and they should take in the Kingswood.

She asks who he is betrothed to and he says hiss station was never high enough for a formal betrothal, as she says it must be nice to have a say in his own life.

He says when he was named to the Kingsguard it was the greatest honor any Cole has ever known.

The King Viserys and Otto join a number of others in the woods, to sssearch for the great stag.

Jason Lanister approaches King Viserys and says he has had a spear forged for Aegon, wishing he would kill the great stag with it.

Jason says he would be honored to take the Princess Rhaenyra as his wife, as he hints he offers strength, as he wonders of Lanister has any dragons.

Lanister assumes that Aegon would be named the new heir, but Viserys becomes angry that he assumed such a thing, insisting Rhaenyra is still the heir.

‘I did not decide to name Rhaenyra my heir on a whim. All the lords of the kingdom would do well to remember that,’ Viserys says.

Otto goes to speak with Viserys, saying he is Rhaenyra’s king and she would do as he says, though Viserys says he doesn’t want to order her, and he wants her to be happy.

Otto suggests that he betrothe Rhaenyra to his two-year-old newborn son Aegon, which also angers Viserys.

‘I came here to hunt. Not to be suffocated by all this f***ing politicking,’ Viserys adds as Otto leaves.

The King is approached by Lyonel Strong, who says the best match for Rhaenyra is The Sea Snake, Ser Laenor.

‘Some years ago, I counseled you to take his sister to wife. My reasoning remains the same. Laenor is of pure Valyrian descent. He shares blood with your cousin, the Princess Rhaenys. And he is the heir to the wealthiest house in the realm. The breach between your houses has not narrowed since I last spoke of it. It would do much to assuage Lord Corlys of any slights real… Or imagined,’ Lyonel says, adding they must pray that Laenor survives any fighting in the Stepstones.

The King comes down from his throne and puts a hand on Lyonel, but doesn’t reveal what he thinks about the offer.

Rhaenyra and Criston are sitting around a fire, as Criston pleads for them to return, as Rhaenyra asks if the realm would ever accept her as their queen.

‘They’ll have no choice but to, Princess,’ Criston says, as they hear rustling near the horses as Criston goes to investigate with his sword at the ready. 

A wild boar rushes out of the woods and knocks down Criston, and starts attacking Rhaenyra, before Criston drives a sword through its head.

The boar is not dead yet, though, as Rhaenyra finishes it off with several stabs from her own dagger.

Viserys is outside watching a huge fire as he’s joined by Queen Alicent, telling her that he named Rhaenyra heir to protect her from Daemon.

He says he saw a dream, where, ‘A male babe born to me… Wearing the Conqueror’s crown. And I so wanted it to be true, to be a dreamer myself. I sought that vision again, night after night… But it never came again.’

‘I poured all my thought and will into it. And my obsession killed Rhaenyra’s mother. I thought Rhaenyra was the way out of my abyss of grief and regret. And naming her heir would begin to set things right,’ he adds, though he never expected to remarry or have a son.

The next day, the hunting party found a large stag, though it’s not the great white stag they had seen.

They have the stag tied up as Jason Lanister presents the spear to Viserys for the final kill blow.

He tries to kill the stag but it will not go down, when another shows him where to stab the beast, which he does, finally killing it, as his party applauds. 

The episode cuts back to Rhaenyra on horseback, her blonde hair bloodied from the stag attack, when her and Criston find the elegant white stag.

Stag: The episode cuts back to Rhaenyra on horseback, her blonde hair bloodied from the stag attack, when her and Criston find the elegant white stag

Criston starts to unsheathe his sword, but Rhaenyra says no, as the stag trots off into the woods. 

Rhaenyra returns, as everyone watches her, seeing blood caked all over her as some aren’t sure how to react.

Otto arrives to see his daughter Alicent, sending the other women away, asking if she enjoyed the hunt, which she did.

Otto tells Alicent that if Viserys would name Aegon the heir, it would please the realm, adding the realm would tell itself apart if Rhaenyra were to rule.

‘The road ahead is uncertain, but the end is clear. Aegon will be king. You must guide Viserys towards reason. He’ll never find it on his own,’ Otto tells his daughter.

Alicent goes to see the King, asking to discuss something, as Viserys says she didn’t like Jason.

Alicent thinks Rhaenyra will marry, but she must think it’s her choice to do so, as Alicent notices a letter from Vaemond Valyron, who is fighting in the Stepstones.

Alicent says Corlys and Daemon are losing the war badly and the letter is a request for aid, but Viserys is not interested.

Alicent asks if it’s better for the realm if the Crabfeeder thrives or is vanquished, which Viserys ponders.

He is next seen sending aid, as Rhaenyra comes to see him and they immediately start arguing, as she thinks he has no use for her now that he has a son.

He says she has misjudged and he does not seek to replace her.

‘I will not live forever. I want to see you’ve been much alone these last few years. Alone and angry. I will not live forever. I wish to see you contented, happy even,’ he says.

He tells her she must marry but says she wants her to choose the man for herself, which clearly pleases her.

Before she leaves, he insists on her mother’s memory that she will not be supplanted.

The episode cuts to the Stepstones where Corlys is talking with his son Laenor (Matthew Carver) and others, when Daemon’s dragon returns as they argue  that Daemon is why they’re losing. 

They suggest a mutiny against Daemon when they get word from Viserys, as Daemon reads the letter from his brother.

Daemon starts beating the messenger with his helmet as he’s stopped by others, as the letter reveals he is sending 10 ships and 2,000 men to set sail from King’s Landing to join you.

‘Though time and circumstance have seen us estranged, know that it is not my desire to see you fail in your cause. It is instead my hope that this aid will deliver the victory that has thus far evaded us. I shall pray nightly to the gods for your safe return,’ Viserys says in the letter.

Daemon walks into the battlefield, holding up a white flag, as the Crabfeeder emerges from his cave.

Daemon pulls out his sword and holds it out to be taken as the Crabfeeder emerges while his archers take aim.

One of the Crabfeeder’s men take Daemon’s sword, but he pulls out a dagger and kiils him, as the archers start firing.

He takes off running, killing as many as he can while the archers keep firing at him, though they keep missing.

The Crabfeeder sends more soldiers after Daemon, who keeps killing the Crabfeeder’s men with ease, before he takes arrows in the shoulder and his leg.

He snaps the arrows off, as more men are sent out by The Crabfeeder, as Daemon picks up his sword and stands up as they circle him.

Daemon is about to attack when a dragon arrives, laying waste to The Crabfeeder’s men, as the rest of Daemon’s men arrive to fight.

Daemon walks out of a cave, bloodied, but dragging the remains of The Crabfeeder as the episode comes to an end.

The preview for next week’s episode teases a rumor that has surfaced that has greatly angered the king, as Daemon insists on being named King of the Narrow Sea.

Bloody: Daemon walks out of a cave, bloodied, but dragging the remains of The Crabfeeder as the episode comes to an end

Alicent: At some point in the series, Milly Alcock and Emily Carey will be replaced by older actors Emma D’Arcy and Olivia Cooke, so there will be more time jumps coming in the 10-episode season

Time jumps: While it’s unclear if the series plans on ending in a way that would line up with the beginning of Game of Thrones, though if more time jumps are afoot, it would be possible

Viseryss: Viserys’ announcement that he would marry Alicent – the daughter of his Hand of the King, Ser Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans) also meant that he rejected the proposal of another member of the small council, Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint) and his wife Rhaenys Targaryen (Eve Best).

Corlys: When Viserys announced he was marrying Alicent, Corlys met with the king’s estranged brother Daemon (Matt Smith), which could cause some intense drama throughout the rest of this season