Corlys Velaryon's claim in House of the Dragon that he and Daemon Targaryen are the realm's second sons reveals major parallels with Game of Thrones. The prequel series is off to a great start after airing just two episodes with the plots and schemes for who will succeed Viserys on the Iron Throne already starting to take shape. House of the Dragon takes place 170 years before the events of Game of Thrones, and it's beginning to reveal some fascinating parallels between two unlikely characters.
At the conclusion of House of the Dragon episode 2, tensions are truly starting to rise between Viserys, Daemon, Rhaenyra, and Corlys. Viserys shocked the small council by claiming he would marry Alicent Hightower instead of Corlys Velaryon's daughter, Laena. Corlys sees this as a slight and seeks out Daemon with a proposal to prove their worth. It's during this meeting with Daemon that Corlys claims, "We are the realm's second sons, Daemon. Our worth is not given. It must be made."
Corlys claiming they are the second sons is a direct reference to the sellsword company in the Free Cities of Essos with the name the Second Sons. Viewers may the Second Sons as the sellsword group led by Daario Naharis that s Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones season 3, episode 8, "Second Sons." That episode also saw Tyrion Lannister, another second son, marry Sansa Stark. Along with these parallels, the strongest is between that of Daemon and Stannis Baratheon. Daemon and Stannis are both second sons and brothers to the king. They are also both based out of Dragonstone and, most importantly, they both have always felt underappreciated by their brothers and slighted for not being named the Hand of the King.
What Corlys & Daemon's "Second Sons" Parallels Mean
These second son parallels may be hints as to where the events of House of the Dragon will lead. Daemon and Corlys have formed a teamup and are surely on their way to fighting a war against the Crabfeeder in the Stepstones and the Free Cities. The Second Sons sellsword company may also play a role in this war as they are often involved in the battles involving the Free Cities. It remains to be seen if the parallels between Daemon and Stannis will continue or if they will stop at the current similarities of second sons who feel slighted by their king brother for not being named Hand of the King. Stannis ultimately never became king in Game of Thrones and was killed in battle, which may foreshadow Daemon's own future.
As House of the Dragon is a prequel series to Game of Thrones, there are sure to be more parallels between the two shows. Corlys Velaryon and Daemon Targaryen claiming they are the realm's second sons could be a major hint to their fate in episodes. Daemon is seeking to prove his worth and stake his claim as the rightful heir to the Iron Throne, just as Stannis did in Game of Thrones. Perhaps Daemon will ultimately succumb to the same fate as he did.
New episodes of House of the Dragon air Sundays on HBO & HBO Max.