WARNING! Contains SPOILERS for House of the Dragon season 1, episode 2!The division amongst the Targaryens grows in Dance of the Dragons.
House of the Dragon episode 2 begins six months after the death of Queen Aemma, with King Viserys I Targaryen being advised to take a new wife. Corlys Velaryon and Rhaenys Targaryen propose that he marry their daughter Laena, but Viserys objects due to her only being 12 years old. Meanwhile, Rhaenyra Targaryen continues to grieve for her mother and worries about her place as heir once her father remarries, including a warning from Rhaenys that when her father produces a male heir, the men of the realm won’t allow her to be the one who sits on the Iron Throne. All the while, Prince Daemon has claimed Dragonstone for himself and tries stealing a dragon’s egg but Rhaenyra arrives to stop her uncle’s petty pursuits, which angers Lord Otto Hightower as it proves his methods were ineffective compared to the 15-year-old princess.
By the end of House of the Dragon’s season 1 episode, King Viserys chooses the young Alicent Hightower as his next wife. This decision leads an upset Rhaenyra to storm out of the council, while the spurned Corlys Velaryon leaves for Driftmark and forms an alliance with Daemon. With Daemon and Corlys preparing to wage war against the Crab Feeder as Rhaenyra finds herself more isolated in King’s Landing, House of the Dragon season 1, episode 2 sets up major confrontations in the next installment.
Why King Viserys Marries Alicent Hightower
After much deliberation, King Viserys goes against the advisement of his small council (excluding Otto) and decides to marry Rhaenyra’s best friend Alicent Hightower. At the encouragement of the Hand of the King, Alicent was sent to King Viserys’ room in secret for the six months after Queen Aemma Arryn’s death, with such meetings particularly being kept hidden from Rhaenyra. These moments in House of the Dragon episode 2 did show that Viserys and Alicent got along quite well, and Viserys especially enjoyed her company and kindness.
Once Alicent went out of her way to fix one of Viserys’ dragon models that had been broken, he seemed to form an attachment to her that went beyond simple friendliness. With Alicent being of more acceptable marrying age than Laena, being able to produce many heirs, understanding the importance of the realm’s histories, and being the daughter of the Hand, and easy for the king to get along with, she was the clear choice for him out of those who were proposed.
Why Rhaenyra Is So Upset By Viserys & Alicent's Marriage
Not only had Otto's plan for her to marry King Viserys all along.
It’s unlikely that Rhaenyra ever would have liked her father’s new wife, but it makes it far worse that his bride is her best friend and closest confidant. As Alicent will be expected to give Viserys further heirs, it will be her best friend’s children that pose a threat to Rhaenyra’s status as heir to the Iron Throne. Rhaenyra’s anger is apt to continue in House of the Dragon episode 3 as she perceives that Alicent has been lying to her, and may suspect that Alicent hadn’t been genuine in her sympathy for Rhaenyra’s grief if she was plotting to marry Viserys the entire time. Alicent was certainly compelled to do this at her father’s insistence, but it doesn’t change how much the headstrong Rhaenyra will resent her father for marrying her best friend and Alicent for marrying Viserys in House of the Dragon.
Daemon & Corlys' Plan: What House Of The Dragon Sets Up
After Viserys announces that he’ll be marrying Alicent instead of Laena Velaryon, House of the Dragon season 1, episode 2’s ending sees Lord Corlys Velaryon find more glory and power for family elsewhere. Being spurned by his rejected marriage proposal wasn’t Viserys’ only slight to the Velaryons in episode 2, as he also refused to heed Corlys’ advice to take action against the Triarchy in the Stepstones. Corlys has now decided to wage war against the menacing forces in the Stepstones that threaten the shipping lanes, and has recruited Daemon Targaryen to fight by his side.
Corlys convinces Daemon to him after relating to him as a “second son” of the realm; a man whose power in the world isn’t simply given, and must be worked for on his own. After relinquishing his occupation of Dragonstone and realizing Viserys will never change his mind about naming him heir to the dangerous Iron Throne, Daemon takes up Corlys’ offer in House of the Dragon episode 2’s ending, hoping it will be a way to achieve respect and glory outside of the Iron Throne. Corlys, meanwhile, will take matters into his own hands as he protects the wealth and power of House Velaryon that he has already earned, which has been made incredibly vulnerable by the trouble in the Stepstones.
House of the Dragon season 1, episode 2 brings the two men to a powerful alliance as it unites the houses of Old Valyria, just not in the way Corlys had originally intended. Daemon’s command of the Gold Cloaks, proximity to the Iron Throne as a Targaryen, and his dragon Caraxes are paired with Corlys Velaryon’s talented seafaring, massive fleet, and wealth, making them a nearly unstoppable force against the Triarchy and their leader, the Crab Feeder. From Driftmark, Daemon and Corlys’ plan will see them gather their forces and assets to take down those from the Free Cities who have banded together in the Stepstones to weaken the shipping lanes and the realm at large.
Who Is The Crab Feeder? House Of The Dragon Ep 2's Ending Villain Explained
The Game of Thrones prequel series' first real villain is set up at the end of episode 2. While the mysterious figure was first mentioned in House of the Dragon’s premiere as Corlys voiced his concerns about the troubles in the Stepstones, the Crab Feeder is finally shown in episode 2’s ending as he feeds the bodies of Westerosi sailors to crabs. The villain, whose real name is Craghas Drahar, wears a mask over his face as he covers curious burns on his body, with the character dubbing himself the Prince iral of the Triarchy. He leads the fleets of the Triarchy and is intent on conquering the Stepstones, but it takes a personal toll on the wealth of Corlys Velaryon. The Crab Feeder will be a major antagonist for Daemon Targaryen, but is apt to be destroyed by the Rogue Prince and the Sea Snake before House of the Dragon season 1’s midway time jump.
New episodes of House of the Dragon release Sundays on HBO/HBO Max.