Where in the world is Daeron Targaryen? That's just one of the many questions swirling around as House of the Dragon nears the end of its second season.
The sixth episode of the season, "Smallfolk," was an inflection point for Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke). With her eldest son Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney) lying in recovery from grievous wounds and her other son Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) ejecting her from the Small Council, Alicent is forced to do some soul-searching about how her kids turned out. That leads into one of the most surprisingly moving conversations of the episode, where Alicent and her brother Gwayne Hightower (Freddie Fox) discuss her fourth child Daeron, who was sent off to Oldtown to serve as a ward to House Hightower when he was young. And surprise, he's actually not a terrible human being like his brothers.
If you've read George R.R. Martin's book Fire & Blood, you know all about Daeron Targaryen and why he's going to be so important to the Dance of the Dragons civil war. If you haven't, you're in the right place. While Daeron is an important figure in the mythos of Westeros, he's also shaping up to be a crucial piece in the emotional landscape of House of the Dragon. And despite my misgivings about the show not mentioning Daeron during the first season, it's actually managed to make his absence into a compelling plot point. Let's discuss!
"My lord is kind to say so, but the victory belongs to Tessarion.”
— 𝓛. (@leoskelter) October 24, 2023
— Daeron Targaryen pic.twitter.com/vlrkbCQnDN
Who is Daeron Targaryen and why wasn't he mentioned in House of the Dragon season 1?
Daeron Targaryen is the youngest child of Alicent and King Viserys I Targaryen (Paddy Considine), roughly the same age as Rhaenyra's eldest son Jacaerys Velaryon (Harry Collett). As Gwayne mentions in the episode, Daeron has been living with the Hightower family at Oldtown since he was a boy. During those years, he wrote letters to his mother, but he's been writing less of them of late. Here's Gwayne's full quote about Daeron:
"Ten-and-six now. Letters, perhaps, hold less of his interest. He's stalwart. Clever. As adept with his lute as he is with his sword. And a feature in the fancies of many a young lady, I'll wager. He's kind."Gwayne Hightower on Daeron Targaryen
Like the rest of his siblings, Daeron has his own dragon, a beautiful blue beast named Tessarion. Her nickname is the Blue Queen, and she's one of the younger dragons that takes part in the war. In House of the Dragon, we learn that Daeron hasn't even actually ridden Tessarion yet. It's teased in the trailer for Episode 207 that Tessarion has "taken wing," meaning she's finally big enough to fly around and roast the enemies of House Hightower.
The exclusion of Daeron Targaryen from season 1 always struck me as a weird choice. After all, he had already been born back then; was there really a good reason to not at least mention him once or twice, if only to confirm his existence? How likely is it that out of Alicent, Viserys, Aegon, Aemond, and Helaena, not a single one of Daeron's family members would mention his name even in passing?
We've seen evidence that a mention of Daeron was cut from Episode 107, "Driftmark," so the decision to hold back his existence until season 2 seems to have been very intentional on the part of the series. Now that he's coming into the picture, this choice is starting to make a little more sense.
House of the Dragon is turning Daeron's absence into a compelling storyline for Alicent Hightower
Throughout its second season, House of the Dragon has emphasized the generational family issues of House Hightower. This is especially clear in the second episode, "Rhaenyra the Cruel," where Alicent tries to confess that she's having an affair with Criston to her father Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans). Otto lovingly tells Alicent he doesn't want to hear it, preventing her from unburdening herself of the secret. Then, Alicent goes to comfort Aegon after the death of his son Jaehaerys, but upon seeing him weeping alone, she quietly exits the room instead.
It's been a running theme in House of the Dragon that Alicent has inherited being a pretty awful parent from her father, Otto. Yes, she does care about her children and shows it at times, but far more often she's neglectful of their needs to a fault, and she always puts politics over their wellbeing. That's starting to catch up with her, and in "Smallfolk" she finally realizes it. All three of the children Alicent raised herself in King's Landing have suffered this season: Helaena watched her son murdered before her eyes, Aegon lost control of the crown and then got horrifically wounded at Rook's Rest, and Aemond's quest for revenge and power have driven him to nearly kill his own brother while he suppresses his guilt over kicking off the war in the first place by accidentally murdering Lucerys Velaryon. Is it any surprise that Alicent's now thinking of Daeron, the one child she has left who doesn't seem to be on a horrible downward spiral?
Seen through the lens of Alicent Hightower's neglect and need to suppress her emotions, it makes far more sense that she never brought up Daeron during the show's first season. He went off to live with her extended family when he was only a child, and it sounds like she hasn't seen him since. If Alicent ignores her children who live in the same castle as her, it's easy to imagine how much more she would write off one who lives half a continent away. Don't forget, Alicent talks about Daeron writing her letters. How low of a priority do you want to bet it was for Alicent to write him back?
I'm not trying to make excuses for House of the Dragon; it does still feel awkward that Daeron was never mentioned in season 1. Even if the show had wanted to emphasize this plotline with Alicent, another character could have still brought him up to clue in viewers that he exists. However, it feels far more forgivable now in hindsight because of how it's playing out with Alicent Hightower. Now, Daeron's existence is becoming a turning point for the queen dowager, where she realizes that even in spite of her issues it's not too late to start thinking about this child she's completely ignored. It's also giving the series a very good opportunity to make Daeron's entrance an exciting moment for viewers.
House of the Dragon seems to be setting up Daeron for a big entrance in season 3
The question now is how House of the Dragon will actually introduce Daeron and his dragon Tessarion. Showrunner Ryan Condal has confirmed that Daeron hasn't been cast yet, which means we won't be meeting him this season. However, the show is spending a lot of time setting him up. We've already mentioned the fact that Tessarion is now flying, which is already a change from earlier in the season when it was revealed that the dragon was too young to carry Daeron into battle.
Without going too deep into the spoilers from Fire & Blood, Daeron will indeed ride his dragon Tessarion in the war. Early on, he distinguishes himself by helping the Hightower host at a battle by the Honeywine River in the Reach, earning the nickname "Daeron the Daring." From "Smallfolk," we know that war is now afoot in that part of Westeros, since House Beesbury has risen against the Hightowers because of the death of their lord, Lyman Beesbury, during the Green Council coup. Thus far, everything with the Reach and the Hightower host has happened offscreen...but at some point, House of the Dragon is going to have to expand and show us some of the players on the board down there.
Perhaps House of the Dragon will save the Honeywine battle for next season, and use it as an opportunity to show Daeron Targaryen flying his dragon Tessarion into battle for the first time? I could see that being a really cool moment, especially if it's not only the first time Daeron is riding Tessarion to war, but also the first time he rides her ever. What if Daeron earns his "Daeron the Daring" nickname not just because he pulled off some heroic feats on his dragon, but because he jumped into the saddle earlier than anyone expected when he saw the Hightower army needed his help?
The more I think about it, the more excited I get for the day House of the Dragon introduces Daeron Targaryen. Maybe by then, Alicent Hightower will have seen fit to write him a few letters, too.
To stay up to date on everything fantasy, science fiction, and WiC, follow our all-encompassing Facebook page and Twitter account, sign up for our exclusive newsletter and check out our YouTube channel.