The countdown is on for House of the Dragon season 3, and fans can’t hide their excitement for what’s to come as we get closer to the June 21 premiere date.
Today marked the world premiere in London, seeing the cast and crew get dressed up to walk the red carpet and answer questions from press ahead of the event. Of course, we’re so excited to see the big characters return, like Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy), Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke), and Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith), but we’re also very eager to see some of the side characters who have expanded storylines this time around.
One of these side characters is Alys Rivers (Gayle Rankin), who was introduced in the second season as part of Daemon’s trippy Harrenhal storyline. The witchy character is super mysterious, and we’re happy to hear we might be getting to peel back the layers of the onion a bit in the third installment. Rankin was interviewed at the premiere this afternoon, previewing what to expect from Alys this time around.
Gayle Rankin teases Alys’ “depth” in House of the Dragon season 3
While on the carpet, Rankin called the mystery surrounding her character “really exciting,” but teased another side to Alys for fans to enjoy. “We really get to know who she is a little bit more, and she has a lot of depth,” the Scottish actress shared. “And I think the girlies do. They just want to be asked.” Will Alys open up more once she meets a certain Targaryen? Fire & Blood readers have no doubt been anticipating a relationship between her and a one-eyed character.
Gayle Rankin being interviewed at the House of the Dragon Season 3 World Premiere pic.twitter.com/BTPdFBcWeY
— gayle rankin thinker 💭 (@thinkerglr) June 8, 2026
WARNING: Fire & Blood spoilers ahead.
Though House of the Dragon has made book changes throughout the first two seasons, we’re still expecting some sort of relationship to form between Alys and Aemond Targaryen (Ewan Mitchell). We know Aemond is headed to Harrenhal after leaving King’s Landing at the start of the third season, and Alys should still be at the castle. In the book, Aemond arrives and has the remaining members of House Strong killed—though he spares Alys. The two begin an intimate relationship, which leads to a pregnancy.
The marketing for the third season has not hinted at a relationship between Aemond and Alys, but it’s very possible they’re just trying to keep it under wraps. Rankin has dropped clues on social media when reacting to season 3 promo for Aemond, leading fans to believe she’s teasing their romance. Plus, eagle-eyed fans were quick to notice a sweet interaction between Rankin and Mitchell at the season 3 premiere today, in which the actors grabbed hands on the carpet.
Ewan Mitchell and Gayle Rankin 🥹 pic.twitter.com/L3IWnZHSBF
— Lu 💎 (@hotdamnitsL) June 8, 2026
Elsewhere in Rankin’s interview at the premiere, she was asked how Alys would describe House of the Dragon season 3, and her response was telling: “It’s hot.” Hot because of a newfound romance? We’re choosing to believe so.
Alys is one of several female characters with expanded storylines in season 3 we’re keeping a close eye on. Showrunner Ryan Condal previously shared that, along with Aemond, Helaena and Baela Targaryen are two characters getting more attention in the new episodes, and we’re also excited to meet a new character named Black Aly.
Things are getting more interesting (and complicated!) as the Dance of the Dragons continues in House of the Dragon season 3. We can’t wait to see how it unfolds!
Add us as a preferred source on Google