Last week, “Rhaenyra Triumphant” ended with Queen Rhaenyra learning that Lord Ormund Hightower, after handing over an imposter Daeron Targaryen, had not scampered home to Oldtown as Daemon told him to. Instead, he turned his army toward Tumbleton and invaded the seemingly inconsequential market town.
Rhaenyra understandably had many questions about this unpredictable new player on the board. This week we learn a lot more about the man himself. We also get the return of Sheepstealer, an update on Aegon and Larys‘ road trip, multiple crucial plot twists, and, yes, even more rats.
Turns out the arrival of the Hightower host in Tumbleton is as disruptive as you’d expect, with soldiers stomping through the narrow streets and forcing locals to share their homes.
We spot a familiar face: Kat, Ser Hugh the Hammer’s wife. She recently fled the turmoil of King’s Landing and is staying with her brother’s family while Hugh serves as one of Rhaenyra’s dragonriders. It could have been a peaceful escape, but the Hightower soldiers are here to ruin the vibes—especially the one who leers at Kat with lecherous interest.
Lord Ormund, meanwhile, has made himself quite at home in Tumbleton’s finest dwelling, to the annoyance of the resident noble couple. Their annoyance intensifies when Ormund stands up out of his luxuriant bath (for once, the viewer only sees the butt side) and dismisses Queen Rhaenyra as “a bitch with a dragon.”
Ohhhh, he is campy! Ok. If that wasn’t apparent before, it’s coming in loud and clear now. “My purpose is to restore the rightful line to the Iron Throne,” he says. Therefore, he requires the use of this fancy mansion and won’t be budging one inch.
However, he adds, “I will ensure that my men remain on their best behavior whilst in your town, provided, of course, that you remain on yours.”
The teen who helps Ormund don his robe during this scene is indeed the real Prince Daeron, a watchful observer of his uncle’s actions. The next target of Ormund’s ire is Lord Borys Baratheon, who swore his allegiance to Team Green but has since failed to offer much support. House of the Dragon fans will recall he took Team Green’s side when Aemond agreed to marry a Baratheon daughter back in season one, but since then nobody’s heard much from Storm’s End.
Speaking of Aemond, Ormund is also wondering why there’s been no word from Harrenhal. “If Vhagar does not come, our defenses will not hold,” he mutters, but he makes sure to reassure Daeron that he’s sure Aemond will show up eventually.
In King’s Landing, Rhaenyra is trying to get her head around Ormund’s strategy. What purpose does seizing Tumbleton serve? Maester Orwyle suggests that Daemon’s host of Rivermen should take a detour there on the way to King’s Landing. Mysaria agrees, pointing out “it would not be bloodless, but it would be far more merciful than sending dragons.”
Rhaenyra likes the idea; however, since it’ll take time to get a message to Lord Tully and company about the change of plans, she’ll send a dragon to keep watch over Tumbleton in the meantime. She also decides Maester Orwyle has done enough to prove his worth and loyalty and tells him he can remain Grand Maester and serve on her council.
Mysaria steers the conversation back to “urgent matters at home.” But Rhaenyra interrupts to ask where Lord Corlys is. (We can guess, after last week’s heated exchange, he’s in no mood for any Hand of the Queen duties.)
When the queen laments how thin her council is, Mysaria makes a suggestion: “Name a Master of Coin. The people will soon discover our lacking resources—they can blame him.” Rhaenyra thinks of Ser Torrhen Manderly, the smirking guest who caught her attention after last week’s Rat Feast Spectacular.
The lack of gold is a concern—but Ormund is her top priority. Hoping for some insight into his personality and motivations, she tracks down Alicent, who once again gives off quiet surprise that Rhaenyra is seeking her advice.
Truth is, Alicent barely knows her uncle. Pressed for details, she rattles off some things we already know (to paraphrase: he has a high opinion of himself) and says he’s “fatherly” to Daeron, who’s been in his care since he was a baby.
When Rhaenyra asks if it was painful to send her child away, Alicent is reflective. The first three kids were raised as Targaryens. She wanted her fourth son to be a Hightower. And she’s glad that she made that choice, having seen how Aemond and Aegon turned out—though she’s now not sure what fate Daeron may eventually face.
Oh, and one more thing: Ormund has an unusually strong sensitivity to odors. We saw that in action when he was disgusted by Alicent’s messenger earlier in the season. Noted and filed away.
Alyn of Hull hurries to catch Lord Corlys as he leaves King’s Landing to let him know that Rhaenyra has been asking where her Hand is. Corlys tells Alyn he should serve in his place. Alyn is unsure if he’s qualified for that, but his father tells him, “I cannot give you legitimacy, but I can give you the chance to better yourself.”
Next, we check in on Aegon and Larys’ road trip. They have made it to the outskirts of Rook’s Rest, where they find Sunfyre, lying right where we left him after the battle in season two. But is this a dragon’s corpse, or a dragon making a very slow recovery from his injuries? Aegon embraces his former companion with an uncharacteristic level of emotion and tells Larys that despite all appearances, he thinks Sunfyre is still alive.
George R.R. Martin readers took special notice of that, no doubt, but Larys (whose code name for Aegon is “Gregor”) is far more concerned about the unsavory-looking fellows hanging around. One demands payment for touching the dragon, and everyone notices that Larys has money on him. Aegon and Larys are easy prey for robbers, and Larys is very aware of their vulnerability. He urges Aegon to accept Sunfyre’s fate so they don’t share it.
We move to Harrenhal, where Criston Cole and Gwayne Hightower lead their army across a landscape that’s been absolutely torched in the wake of Vhagar’s recent visit. Trouble is, there’s no sign of the massive dragon anywhere—nor her rider. With the castellan (RIP Ser Simon Strong) and his sons dead, the only person waiting to greet the new arrivals as they shudder their way through its ghostly corridors is… Alys Rivers.
She tells them Aemond was there, but he bolted when he heard Rhaenyra took King’s Landing. They’re shocked by this development; you can tell Alys knew they would be, because she very sarcastically says, “Oh my, you didn’t know.”
Cole and Gwayne discuss their next move after this setback. Cole doesn’t believe Aemond would desert him; Gwayne points out that certainly appears to be what’s happened. He suggests they send a raven to Tumbleton and tell Ormund (“a stiff-necked windbag, but he’s neither craven nor stupid”) they’re headed his way.
Cole disagrees. “You noble ilk conceive this all a great game, don’t you?” he says. No matter what happens in battle, they still get to go home and enjoy wealth and comfort. Cole, who hails from much humbler beginnings, doesn’t see things that way. There’s no home for him as long as the hated Queen Rhaenyra is on the Iron Throne. “Our task is simple: keep the river scum from reaching King’s Landing.”
They’re outnumbered, as Gwayne points out, but Cole says they’ll “attack as the scorpion does the ox.” He looks extra excited to note that the fighting will not involve dragons this time around. He also echoes what Gwayne said to him in the season premiere: “We must cling to our honor, lest we become beasts ourselves.”
In the Red Keep, Rhaenyra pulls the dust covers off her father’s elaborate model of Old Valyria, which is looking worse for wear. That’s where Alyn of Hull finds her, to deliver the news that Corlys has taken off to fight Triarchy stragglers. She wonders why he doesn’t just delegate that task, seeing as how he’s supposed to be the Hand of the Queen, but Alyn gently reminds her that Corlys has been through a lot. Right now, a fight is maybe what he needs.
She takes that in, and they both turn to look at the model, which she says was Viserys’ reminder that “even great dynasties fall.” She tells Alyn, “Fathers have a maddening capacity to at once inspire and incense, don’t you think?” He half-smiles, but the mood shifts when Rhaenyra exclaims about how many rats are crawling all over the place.
“Aboard ship, we kept cats,” Alyn suggests. (That’s an Easter egg just for you, Arya Stark fans!)
Back at Rook’s Rest, Larys and “Gregor” have made their way to the castle. It’s not the welcome Aegon was expecting; while some of the people scrounging around are soldiers, it’s hardly the garrison he thought would be standing by to serve him. These are desperate people affected by war in a way Aegon surely never considered, including children. Another gruesome casualty: Meleys, Rhaenys’ dragon, whose headless body is still draped over the wall where she fell.
When the self-styled overlord of this struggling settlement takes note of the new arrivals, Larys explains they barely made it out of Sharp Point, the town torched by Vhagar and Aemond in season two. This cover story is accepted (Aegon’s burn scars add authenticity to the lie), and Larys buys their way into being allowed to stay until they figure out their next move.
However, it won’t be easy passing the time, especially for Aegon, who’s repulsed by the idea of being forced into manual labor. (Cleaning latrines! Seems fitting, doesn’t it?)
In Tumbleton, meanwhile, the unwanted house guests are making life hell for Kat and her family, and the tension escalates into violence when the lewd soldier attempts to sexually assault her. Kat’s sister-in-law jumps in to defend her and has her arm broken; Kat’s brother takes an awful blow to the head.
Miles away in King’s Landing, Rhaenyra is studying her Westeros map, Tumbleton in particular, when Ser Hugh enters. She assumes he’s there about the house she’d promised him, a task that’s rather far down her to-do list, but instead he asks about joining Ser Ulf in keeping an eye on Tumbleton. After all, he’s got a personal stake in the matter, since his wife is there. Rhaenyra barely thinks it over before agreeing to it. Hugh is pleased.
In King’s Landing, Ser Ulf notices a group of people gawking at some newly painted graffiti. An onlooker who can read tells everyone it says “Queen of Bastards,” attributing it to “Hightower loyalists trying to fight a war they lost.”
Ulf ponders it for a half a second, but he’s got somewhere to be: his favorite tavern, where he’s given a hero’s welcome.
The Tumbleton brawl, meanwhile, has been escalated to the point of needing Ormund’s intervention. Kat’s family, along with the local noblewoman whose home Ormund has commandeered, single out the handsy soldier and tell Ormund what happened. (Daeron stands beside his mentor but doesn’t speak.)
It’s pretty cut-and-dried. Ormund promised his men would be honorable, and this guy, whose name is Garrick of Whitegrove, clearly behaved like a complete scumbag. Lord Hightower’s solution is to order a punishment that fits the crime: Garrick will be gelded, and he’ll also have his own arm broken. He can keep his job, but if he steps out of line again, he’ll be hanged.
Wow! Ormund, such swift justice! Such righteousness! Kat and her family look relieved, and Ormund turns to remind Daeron how important it is to keep law and order, especially in a place like occupied Tumbleton.
It works out for everyone (except Garrick, but he deserved what he got). But we can’t shake the memory of how reasonable Ormund seemed when he “surrendered” to Daemon last week. So we definitely don’t trust him, and the concerned look on Daeron’s face is also worth noting.
In the Red Keep, Rhaenyra continues her Ormund detective work by asking Orwyle to dig up any letters between Otto and Ormund. She also asks the Grand Maester just how much control the Hightowers have over the Faith of the Seven—remember, the High Septon got snippy when she asked him to anoint her without proof that Aegon is really dead.
He’s careful in his answer. The Seven are as important to the Hightowers as dragons are to the Targaryens. But as for control, “the Faith is too proud to allow such influence.” He also thinks the High Septon’s refusal of Rhaenyra’s request is no big deal. “Your Grace sits the throne. Your people have welcomed you back as a liberator. Your dragons rule the skies. Are these not symbols of power enough?”
He also advises Rhaenyra she can’t just kick the High Septon out of his post because that would “incite” the Faith and the faithful. Unless, he adds, “You were considering a more permanent removal.” She laughs off the “bloodthirsty” suggestion… for now.
Next, we check in with Daemon, who’s gone to the Vale to remind the frosty Lady Jeyne Arryn that she owes swords to Team Black, but at this point they’d really rather have gold instead. As part of their conversation, we learn that Rhaenyra’s son, Joffrey, has indeed been recalled to King’s Landing with his baby dragon.
Lady Arryn agrees to pay Daemon off, especially after he points out the sooner he gets what he wants, the sooner he’ll leave. (The Moon Door lurks, but thankfully nobody gets tossed through.) He’s gearing up to depart when Caraxes takes off in pursuit of… something.
Can you guess? They find the cave where Sheepstealer is living, and Daemon is genuinely surprised when his daughter Rhaena reveals herself to be the wild dragon’s mystery rider.
What follows is probably the longest conversation that father and daughter have ever had. But she has his attention now, and she swears she was only trying to help her family. Jace’s death was truly a tragic accident.
He tells her that if she goes to Pentos and resumes her assignment of watching over Rhaenyra and Daemon’s youngest sons, he won’t tell Rhaenyra the truth. But Rhaena won’t do it. She won’t abandon her dragon. She’s spent her whole lonely life as a Targaryen without a dragon, “disregarded, or worse, pitied.”
Then she says, “Can you yourself even say you ever gave me more than a passing thought?”
Her words ring true. He offers to bring her to King’s Landing and try to make things right, but Rhaena knows she’s beyond forgiveness. Her plan is to remain in exile forever, even if, as Daemon points out, Rhanyra won’t give up hunting for whoever caused Jace’s untimely end.
Daemon keeping Rhaena’s secret would be a betrayal of Rhaenyra. But keeping the secret is the only thing Rhaena has ever asked from her father. The discussion ends there. Sheepstealer bursts out of the cave, and Rhaena swoops away. As Daemon watches, he hears a sound in the valley below: a man tending to some goats. Hmm.
In Tumbleton, Ormund gives us another demo of his “sensitive to odors” quirk; he’s passing the time by taking deep inhales from his pomander. A raven arrives from Gwayne at Harrenhal, and Daeron watches very carefully as Ormund reads the message and silently places it back on the table.
Daeron, who is well familiar with Ormund’s moodiness, knows a bomb’s about to go off. He shoos the serving boy away just as Ormund explodes in anger—screaming, throwing things, and pounding his sword on the table. He’s very displeased with the news that Aemond won’t be joining them at Tumbleton after all. “We must alter our scheme,” he tells Daeron once he’s calmed down.
In the Red Keep, Rhaenyra is shocked to learn that Otto sent many letters to Ormund over the years, but Ormund never replied. She’s fretting over this latest wrinkle when Ser Ulf enters and asks for a couple of favors—all on behalf of his drinking buddies.
She takes this in and tells Ser Ulf that, since he’s now a dragonrider, he shouldn’t be hanging out at the tavern. He’s too valuable to the realm. If he wants to drink, he can do so in the Red Keep. And as a matter of fact, he needs to stay in the Red Keep all the time now, except when he’s escorted to the dragonpit for his Tumbleton watch shifts.
HIS FACE WHEN SHE SAYS THIS.
He can’t resist telling her about the “Queen of Bastards” graffiti—words so incendiary Rhaenyra’s guard instinctively puts his hand on his sword. Ulf hastily attributes this to “your misguided subjects who mistakenly believe their queen to be unkind,” takes a quick bow, and skedaddles. She orders the Gold Cloaks to get on the case.
In Rook’s Rest, Aegon is returning from bucket-slogging duties when Larys tells him he knows of a ship leaving for Duskendale in a few days. In the meantime, they’ll need to keep their heads down and be as inconspicuous as possible.
But Aegon—who’s miffed to hear that not only has Rhaenyra declared him dead but also that he was supposedly killed by Aemond—has so much entitlement clinging to him that he can’t help causing trouble. He throws a snit fit that ends with him being forced to kneel and kiss the disgustingly crusty boots of Janos, the camp’s power-tripping overlord.
In Rhaenyra’s small council meeting—now featuring Alyn as stand-in Hand and Manderly as Master of Coin—Daemon bursts in with his newly collected bag of gold… and a severed head, which he theatrically flings onto the table. We know it’s from that random goat herder, but he tells Rhaenyra it belonged to Sheepstealer’s mystery rider.
Daemon takes a seat, informing Manderly, “I’m the clever one ‘round here,” and an argument commences between Mysaria and Daemon about what to do with the money. (In the background we hear Manderly suggest a tax, a detail we’ll surely be returning to later.) But all Rhaenyra can see is the head, and she orders everyone out except for Daemon, who has some explaining to do.
Who is this? How did he claim a wild dragon? Was he an Aemond or Ormund ally? Where is Sheepstealer? And how is this supposed to offer closure when Rhaenyra needed to confront and personally punish this person who killed her son?
“Do you think that would end your grief? I have served your interest,” Daemon lies.
Rhaenyra takes a beat, then says the gold will be used to arm the smallfolk. Everyone else, including soldiers who need to get paid, can wait a little longer. A smirking Mysaria hears her say this from the hallway. As he approaches, Daemon tells Mysaria, “When what you’ve wrought comes falling down about her ears, she’ll return to her senses.”
Mysaria, dripping with Alys Rivers levels of sarcasm: “Whose head is that?”
Alicent and Helaena are preparing for bed when Rhaenyra enters; she’s kept her word about having Otto’s remains sent to Oldtown, and she hands Alicent his ring. After Rhaenyra leaves, Helaena walks over, and for the first time, Alicent realizes that Helaena is pregnant. Could Aegon have knocked her up prior to his babymaker-ruining injuries? Is this going to be their son Maelor, finally arriving into the story? Or is another House of the Dragon retcon afoot?
As night falls, we’re back in Tumbleton, where Ormund’s army is forcing everyone into their homes. We see Vermithor fly over with Hugh on his back, and Kat takes notice.
In King’s Landing, we get a quick look at the Gold Cloaks getting very rough with the smallfolk as they try to root out who wrote the treasonous graffiti.
In Tumbleton, Daeron has a rare moment of peace as he embraces his dragon, Tessarion, who’s stashed in the sept. But a disapproving Ormund looms. Daeron is a good boy, he says, but the presence of Targaryen blood means he’s tainted. He’s one-half savage.
“With dark spells, they created abominations to subdue what was rightly ours,” Ormund says. “We are the superior men, but against that”—he looks over at Tessarion—”we could not stand.”
This is all leading up to Ormund telling Daeron he has a divine purpose. As Alicent told Rhaenyra earlier, Daeron is spiritually more Hightower than Targaryen, and Ormund believes he’s destined to be king. “You will restore our ancient order. Victory will be ours. It is the will of the gods!”
With this proclamation comes a terrible test. Kat’s brother-in-law is brought in, and Ormund announces that “a righteous king must uphold many virtues. Honor. Wisdom. Justice.”
Daeron protests—what about mercy?—but Ormund is adamant. This man laid hands on a Hightower soldier, which is the same thing as laying hands on Daeron himself. “Mercy” is something Daeron’s father would have leaned on, and we know what Ormund thinks of Targaryens.
Daeron, with the countenance of someone who’s learned the hard way not to push any argument, apologizes. Of course Ormund is right. Ormund draws his sword and hands it to Daeron. For a second it seems like he’s going to slice the terrified prisoner’s head off, but the boy stabs him through the chest instead.
Daeron looks traumatized. Ormund looks satisfied. After Tessarion burns the man’s corpse (and maybe devours it after? The sound effects were pretty visceral), Ormund announces, “And now, we begin.”
We begin… what? We’ll find out on Sunday, when House of the Dragon returns for another new episode on HBO.
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