Episode 6 of House of the Dragon is called “The Lord of the Tides,” one of the titles of the Lord of Driftmark. While physically absent from this episode, Corlys Velaryon’s life (and, I suppose, death) is the driving force of the story, since the main conflict revolves around who should succeed him on the Driftmark throne.
While staying perfectly in line with the book in spirit, this episode makes various small alterations to the story told in George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood. The timing of events is moved around. Also, the episode opens six years after the previous one, so many things have happened in between that we aren’t explicitly shown onscreen.
The inciting incident of the episode happen offscreen: Corlys has taken a wound in the Stepstones and it’s unclear if he’ll live; this is different from the book, where the Sea Snake is “stricken with a sudden fever,” which prompts the discussion regarding his heir. The show makes it a point to say that Corlys has gone back to fighting in the Stepstones, and one must wonder if the grief of losing both his children has driven him away from Westeros to somewhere he can act on his more primordial, warlike instincts.
Vaemond Velaryon and Rhaenys Targaryen
Ser Vaemond Velaryon, the Sea Snake’s younger brother on House of the Dragon (but his eldest nephew in the book), petitions first Princess Rhaenys, currently the ruling lady of Driftmark, to press his claim, and then the Iron Throne itself, represented by the Hand of the King Ser Otto Hightower. He strikes an alliance with the Hightowers and goes so far as to open accuse Rhaenyra, in her presence and for all the court to hear, of siring bastards and calling her what the unimaginative are wont of calling a liberated woman. Before King Viserys can finish ordering that Vaemond’s tongue be cut out, Prince Daemon slices off Vaemond’s entire head with his legendary sword Dark Sister.
Princess Rhaenys constitutes a bit of a wild card, because the show has not yet fully united team black. Rhaenys is certainly not siding with the greens, but she’s also not openly rooting for Rhaenyra. Her own proposal was to be that Driftmark should pass through the female Velaryon line through her daughter Laena to her granddaughter Baela. Even when Rhaenyra begs her to back her and proposes to betrothe Baela and Rhaena to her sons Jacaerys and Lucerys, Rhaenys doesn’t consent. However, when Viserys gives her the chance to decide, she supports Lucerys’ claim to Driftmark, and therefore Rhaenyra.
In the book, Rhaenyra’s faction and the Velaryons have always been more tightly knit, thanks in part to Rhaenyra’s strong bond with Laena. Also, their children had been betrothed since they were infants and grew up together.
Tongues, heads and swords
In Fire & Blood, these events happen at a slower pace. Daemon flies to Driftmark to kill Vaemond for accusing his wife of treason, and then feeds the carcass to Rhaenyra’s dragon Syrax. When Vaemond’s family flees to King’s Landing to ask for justice, Viserys is immovable and orders all their tongues removed. Then, climbing down the Iron Throne, the king cuts himself on one of the blades. Grand Maester Mellos can’t cure the wound nor his fever. Rhaenyra comes from Dragonstone in a hurry with her own maester, Gerardrys, who cuts off the King’s fingers and saves his life.
On the show, Viserys’ conditions have been worsening for years. He’s already lost an eye and much more by this point; he can scarcely stay awake, let alone rule. He knows his time has come, so he begs his family for one last supper together.
In the book, Viserys lives for two more years after the Vaemond incident, and the famed dinner is held to celebrate his recovery. There, everyone shows good will towards the other faction in the king’s presence, Rhaenyra and Alicent even show up wearing the other’s color in a visible show of friendship. The show did not go that far, but it did have people on opposite sides toast each other and showed Rhaenyra and Alicent seemingly finding common ground again. But the balance is precarious and a fight soon breaks out among their children, causing Rhaenyra’s family to return to Dragonstone.
The death of King Viserys Targaryen
In the book, Viserys falls asleep and never wakes again after playing with Helaena and Aegon’s children (who exist on the show but whom we haven’t yet seen). In the show, he passes away after speaking his last words to Alicent, who he believes to be Rhaenyra. He tells her of Aegon the Conqueror’s dream. There is much room for misinterpretation given that he’s addressing the wrong person, that Alicent has no idea what he’s talking about, and that Aegon is also her son’s name. Does she think he’s talking about their son, or does he realize Viserys is out of it but still willing to exploit the king’s last words to her advantage?
What do you think will happen? Will Alicent convince herself and the realm that Viserys made her son Aegon heir on his deathbed? Did you like the changes in this episode and did you notice any others?
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