House of the Dragon has shown elements of the riders’ relationships with their dragons that we didn’t get to see in Game of Thrones. A beautiful sequence in “Driftmark” shows a young Aemond Targaryen (Leo Ashton) bonding with Vhagar on the beach. Aemond has grown up in shame for not having a dragon. He experiences the joy of riding when he takes his first flight. As Ser Otto (Rhys Ifans) explains to his daughter, winning Vhagar to their side is critical if war should commence.
COLLIDER VIDEO OF THE DAY
In “The Lord of Tides,” we get to see the dragon birthing process for the first time. In Game of Thrones, Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) already has the eggs of Drogon, Rhaegal, and Viserion when she is married to Khal Drogo (Jason Momoa). When Daemon kneels before Syrax in Dragonstone, Rhaenyra’s dragon lies three eggs. These will provide a major advantage to whichever side claims them amidst the “Dance of Dragons.”
The Egg Stage
Image via HBO
According to House of the Dragon, dragon eggs are given to their future riders while they are still in the cradle so they will form a tight relationship. This has been a sacred tradition in the Targaryen dynasty for thousands of years, dating back to their time in Old Valyria. Dragon eggs were only conceived in Valyria, but they lived far longer than humans and were passed down from ancestors to their descendants. This is one of the reasons that the Targaryens practiced incest; they wanted to ensure that their bloodline was “pure” and retained its dominance over dragon eggs.
Only those with the blood of Old Valyria were able to ride dragons. Before Valyria was destroyed in a volcanic event, the Targaryens moved their family line to the island of Dragonstone. Due to the destruction of the other dragon-riding families, House Targaryen was able to take control of the Seven Kingdoms and unite them during “Aegon’s Conquest.” The scaled, multi-covered eggs are hatched underneath the sacred Dragonmont in Dragonstone. Not every egg is destined to hatch; some simply turn to stone.
Early on in House of the Dragon, Daemon defies his brother and steals the dragon egg that was intended to be given to his stillborn nephew. Daemon claims that he will marry Mysaria (Sonoya Mizuno), and give the egg to their child. Although Daemon takes the egg to Dragonstone, Rhaenyra flies in to confront him on the back of Syrax. Daemon reluctantly gives back the egg, which eventually hatches as Dreamfyre. Dreamfyre is ridden by Viserys and Alicents’ only daughter, Princess Helaena Targaryen (Evie Allen).
RELATED: 'House of the Dragon': George R.R. Martin Says It'll Take Four Seasons to Tell the Targaryens' Story
Syrax’s Eggs and the Dance of Dragons
Image via HBO
Daemon retrieves three eggs from Syrax. The identity of all of Syrax’s children aren’t revealed in Fire & Blood, but she did bear a dragon named “Morning.” This is the dragon that Rhaenyra’s step-daughter Rhaena Targaryen (Phoebe Campbell) rides. It is implied that the dragons ridden by Rhaenyra’s sons were born from Syrax.
Although it’s unclear how long House of the Dragon will stick to Fire & Blood, the book reveals that dragons are virtually extinct following the war within the Targaryen dynasty. The Targaryens try for many generations to hatch the eggs that remain after the death of the last dragon. In Game of Thrones, Viserys Targaryen (Harry Lloyd) has only heard stories about his ancestors that rode dragons. The birth of Drogon, Rhaegal, and Viserion is the first time in over a century that new dragons have emerged.
The Dreamfyre Theory
A popular fan theory suggests that we’ve already seen Daenerys’ children, who are suspected to be the descendants of one of the dragons that we will meet in House of the Dragon. In Fire & Blood, Dreamfyre’s eggs are stolen by Elissa Farman, a character who has not appeared in House of the Dragon. Elissa takes the eggs across the Narrow Sea to the free port in Bravos. In order to pay for a ship, Elissa sells her eggs to a sealord.
Elissa’s remains were discovered in Asshai several decades later. Although the origin of Daenerys’ dragons Drogon, Rhaegal, and Viserion isn’t revealed in any of Martin’s books, it’s said that they were brought from beyond Asshai in the Shadow Lands. Is this a coincidence? Since Martin is creatively involved in House of the Dragon, he may answer one of the biggest mysteries in Game of Thrones.