In just two episodes, House of the Dragon season 3 has made incredible progress on the Westeros chessboard. Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy) has taken the Iron Throne with the help of Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith), but still faces challenges. Meanwhile, Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) takes Harrenhal, using Vhagar to torch anyone standing in his way.
Aemond kills Ser Simon Strong (Simon Russell Beale) and his grandsons, only for one of the younger Strongs to get in a lucky shot. This badly wounds Aemond, who passes out at the feet of Alys Rivers (Gayle Rankin). As fans of George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood know, these two end up becoming intimately involved.
“Love at first sight” for Aemond and Alys in House of the Dragon
Prince Aemond Targaryen meets Alys Rivers. pic.twitter.com/5gqNlA3UCT
— Lu 💎 (@hotdamnitsL) June 29, 2026
While speaking to Collider about the latest episode, Mitchell and Rankin touched on their characters finally meeting.
Mitchell joked the scene is “love at first sight,” with Rankin adding:
“There is something like a sick meet-cute about it. It’s like the darkest, romantic, or complex meeting of matches in some ways. It's like, what's going to happen? It’s a huge cliffhanger, but there's a charge between these two characters, certainly, and a curiosity. And I do think something clicks in about, ‘Are we keys to one another's next step? How are we connected?’ But it feels undeniable. I think that's how she feels. There’s something undeniable about their connectedness.”
Though this pairing might seem odd at first, it makes sense when you think about it. Alys could be centuries old, and she also seems smarter and more conniving than she comes off. Aemond has always been a lone wolf, fighting for himself and his pride, while also just as power-hungry as the rest of his family. Together, they could cause a lot of havoc—and make for awesome TV.
What’s next for Aemond and Alys
It’s likely the next episodes will see Aemond recovering at Harrenhal, with Alys tending to him and their bond growing. That will mean more time to explore Harrenhal with its dark aesthetics. Mitchell compared the location to another award-winning HBO show.
“I think Harrenhal is quite horror-esque, but I also think it's like the White Lotus of Westeros, where it is almost like a spa retreat,” Mitchell explained. “You go there, all of these toxins get drawn out of you, you confront your ghosts head-on. I mean, that's what we saw with Daemon last season. You never come out the other side the same person.”
Given these are two goal-driven people (Alys requests Harrenhal from Daemon earlier in the episode), the idea of Alys and Aemond becoming a couple can be both terrifying and somehow sweet. Seeing them connect further should be yet another reason House of the Dragon season 3 will be a blast to watch.
Of course, Fire & Blood fans know the stories that come out of Aemond and Alys’ relationship—though we won’t share the spoilers here—and no matter how the show adapts this, it should be totally entertaining. Or as Rankin described the dynamic in a past interview, “juicy” and “surprising.”
Catch House of the Dragon season 3 episode 3 on Sunday, June 5 at 9:00 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.
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