So, it looks like Daemon Targaryen’s long holiday at Harrenhal did have meaning to it after all. In a showing twist in the House of the Dragon season 2 finale, the King consort finally saw a Game of Thrones-related vision that made him realize what path he must take.
Warning, major spoilers for House of the Dragon season 2 episode 8 follow, so make sure you are all caught up before reading on.
Throughout pretty much the whole of season 2, Daemon has been absent from his wife and soon-to-be Queen Rhaenyra’s side and instead at Harrenhal chasing ghosts and causing havoc with the townspeople. But aside from making alliances and building an army, which, spoiler alert, he does manage to do, Daemon’s time at the spooky derelict castle also opened his eyes to his past ways and what party he must play to save The Realm from complete destruction.
In the season finale, Daemon is woken up one night by Harrenhal resident Alys Rivers, who leads him outside into the Godswoods, which is essentially a courtyard with a tall bloody tree, telling him "There are omens here for those who seek them… do you wish to learn what is given to you?" Daemon presses his hand against the bloody tree and suddenly starts to experience vivid hallucinations of starting with a blonde man with a bird-shaped birthmark. A three-eyed raven then flies onto the screen, before we see The Ice King and his army march on snowy ground. Then Daemon witnesses a bloody and horrific war where many men and dragons lie dead in pools of blood.
But that's not all. Then, fire comes and three eggs emerge from the flames, as does a woman with white blonde hair and three baby dragons, whom we can only see from behind. It's Daenerys Targaryen, the moment she emerges from the flames with her newly hatched dragons.
Daemon's vision ends with Rhaenyra sitting on The Iron Throne and Helaena telling him, "It’s all a story, and you’re but one part in it, you know your part in it. You know what you must do." Daemon takes his hand off of the tree, and then the scene cuts to Helaena standing on her balcony at Kings Landing.
What does it all mean?
Well, the short yet packed vision is a treat for avid Game of Thrones fans as it includes many Easter eggs to the main show, including the tree holding a strong resemblance to author George R.R. Martin. Basically, Daemon’s vision is The Song of Ice, a prophecy that comes from King Aegon Targaryen’s dream where he saw that a dark and long winter was coming from The North to end mankind. The King saw that a Targaryen he called 'The Prince that was Promised' must be crowned to unite The Realm and save it from evil external forces. King Viserys believed this too and told the story to his daughter Rhaenyra after he named her heir.
Luckily for us, we have seen the prophecy of Ice and Fire play out before our very eyes as it played out almost exactly how Daemon saw it in Game of Thrones season 8. But for those needing a refresher, at the start of GOT, there were no dragons (hence Daemon seeing a bloody war with dead dragons) that is until a Targaryen named Daenerys arose from the ashes, along with three old dragon eggs which hatched into the worlds only dragons at that time. But her emergence was for a reason, as foreseen by The Three-Eyed Raven, Daenerys joins forces with a bastard Targaryen named Jon Snow from The North. The two, resembling Fire and Ice, save The Realm from The Ice King and his wicked White Walkers - who were basically like zombies, just really cold.
As the spin-off show House of the Dragon is set well over 100 years before the events of GOT, we have always known that the story must feed into the main series in some way, but this is the most solid link we have had yet. Now we have confirmation that the wheels were put in motion long before the events of GOT as the defeat of The Ice King was almost 300 years after Aegon’s dream.
What does the prophecy mean for House of the Dragon?
Because House of the Dragon is set 172 years before the birth of Daenerys, Rhaenyra and co don't have to worry about the White Walkers at this point, but the prophecy will still affect them in some way.
First, the fact that Daemon now believes in Aegon’s dream will benefit Rhaenyra massively. In the finale, when Rhaenyra lands at Harrenhaal she questions her husband’s loyalties, fearing that he may go against her. But after his vision, Daemon warns her in High Valyrian, "The world is not what we thought it was. The war is just the beginning. Winter is coming, with darkness and doom." She tells him he sounds like her father, but he assures her that he saw it and although they cannot withstand it they still must try. He then bends the knee to her as he knows now from the vision, that she is the one who must rule.
With Daemon now firmly on her side, Rhaenyra now has a better chance at winning the upcoming war. But, it may not even matter who wins as Daemon saw said war in his vision, a bloody mess with dead men and dragons as far as the eye can see. If all of the dragons die, we wonder what will that mean for the dragon riders? For that, we will just have to wait until House of the Dragon season 3.
Alternatively, if you don't mind book spoilers, check out our piece on The Song of Ice and Fire explained.
House of the Dragon seasons 1 and 2 are now avaliable to stream on HBO Max in the US and Sky NOW in the UK. For more on the show, check out our deep dives on:
- House of the Dragon season 2 showrunner on why Blood and Cheese is nothing like Game of Thrones' Red Wedding
- House of the Dragon season 2 showrunner doesn't feel the pressure of following the controversial Game of Thrones season 8: "Our challenge comes from within"
- House of the Dragon showrunner teases season 3: "You don't want to end up in that place where you're doing the same thing again and again"
- House of the Dragon season 2 showrunner breaks down the complicated relationship between Daemon and Rhaenyra: "Conflict is the order of the day"
- House of the Dragon season 2 showrunner says Rhaenyra and Alicent's bond is still the heart of the show: "We understand that these two women are connected"
- The White Worm, explained
- The Targaryen family tree
- Who is Hugh Hammer's mother and why is she important?
- The House of the Dragon timeline
- Who wins the Dance of the Dragons?
- Daeron Targaryen explained
- Hugh Hammer explained
- What are Dragonseeds?
- Vhagar explained
- Our writer's opinion piece on how Alicent's lake scene links to a Shakespearean tale
- The House of the Dragon dragons, listed and explained
