The most recent episode of House of the Dragon, "Rhaenyra Triumphant," kicks off the reign of Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy). After taking the Iron Throne in the previous episode, the new Queen of King's Landing begins to learn what it means to rule.
The episode kicks off with Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) forcing a surrender out of Lord Ormund Hightower (James Norton). As part of Daemon's conditions, Ormund must offer up the young prince Daeron Targaryen (Charlie Gordon), son of Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) and Viserys Targaryen (Paddy Considine), half-brother to Rhaenyra, as a ward, whose survival is dependent upon Ormund's good behavior. Ormund then leads a silver-haired boy to Daemon, who takes him prisoner.
However, the episode ends with an unexpected twist regarding Daeron's capture. While this might feel like a completely original storyline, as it is not featured in George R. R. Martin's Fire & Blood, the source material for House of the Dragon, it might act as a subtle nod to an A Song of Ice and Fire arc which was completely cut from Game of Thrones.
Double Daeron Trouble
When Rhaenyra presents her new ward to Alicent, she confirms that she has never seen this boy in her life, meaning that he is not, in fact, the real Daeron. The boy confesses to being a fake, sent by Ormund Hightower in order to keep the real Daeron (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth) safe. Ormund dyed the boy's hair, and threatened to kill his mother if he confessed the truth.
This revelation haunts Rhaenyra. She spend the episode believing the war to be over, and herself the undisputed victor. However, if the Hightower forces are still able to outwit her, then her enemies are still able to take the upper hand, and perhaps this conflict is not as over as she'd hoped.
The similar storylines in A Song of Ice and Fire
While the fake Daeron storyline never takes place in Fire & Blood, similar storylines play out across A Song of Ice and Fire. Notably, in the books, Jeyne Poole, the childhood best friend of Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner), is passed off as Arya Stark (Maisie Williams) and married off to Ramsay Bolton (Iwan Rheon), in order to strengthen the Bolton hold of the North. Game of Thrones, however, notably cuts this storyline and places Sansa herself front and center, marrying her off to Ramsay directly. As such, the fake Daeron storyline somewhat adapts the fake Arya storyline for the first time.
However, fake Daeron might have more in common with another notable arc left behind in adaptation. During his travels in Essos, Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage) boards a ship called the Shy Maid where he meets a rough and tumble sailor going by the name Griff, and his son, simply called Young Griff. However, before long, it is revealed that "Griff" is actually Jon Connington, the former Hand to King Aerys Targaryen, a.k.a. the Mad King, and that "Young Griff" is secretly Aerys' grandson, Aegon Targaryen, thought to have been killed as an infant at the hands of Ser Gregor Clegane (Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson), better known as the Mountain.
Despite their popularity among readers, Connington, Aegon, and the entire Shy Maid subplot was cut from Game of Thrones season 5, which streamlined the storyline by having Ser Jorah Mormont (Iain Glen) kidnap Tyrion earlier on during his journey, plucking him straight from Varys' (Conleth Hill) protection. As such, the Griff and Aegon story has yet to reach any sort of conclusion, since the duo have yet to appear in any of Martin's media since A Dance with Dragons.
Many fans have theorized that this "Aegon Targaryen" is actually an imposter. Dubbed "Faegon," or "Fake Aegon," by readers. They suspect that the real Aegon Targaryen actually was killed by the Mountain, and, for whatever reason, this boy was raised to think he is a real Targaryen prince. While Game of Thrones never confirms or denies this theory due to Aegon's absence, it is worth noting that the show includes a different secret Aegon Targaryen in the form of Jon Snow (Kit Harrington).
While fans are still waiting on answers regarding Faegon in the forthcoming sixth A Song of Ice and Fire book, The Winds of Winter, House of the Dragon might have fueled this long running fan theory. If Ormund can pass off a random child as a fake Targaryen, maybe Varys will one day be able to do the same. Regardless, fake Daeron is the closest HBO has come to adapting the popular Aegon, or "Faegon," storyline to date.
For more from House of the Dragon, be sure to tune into season 3, airing on Sundays on HBO Max.
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