5 burning questions for House Of The Dragon episode 7

A whole new generation of Targaryen kids has sprung up over the past decade and it can be hard to keep track of them all. But here’s a quick overview.Rhaenyra has three sons by her lover, —Jacaerys “Jace,” Lucerys “Luke,” and newborn Joffrey. All three boys received dragon eggs at birth, in the Targaryen tradition. In the episode, Jace trains with his dragon, called Vermax. Luke’s egg has hatched, but he’s not old enough to be a dragonrider yet. We also see baby Joffrey’s egg, which was chosen by his older brothers.Alicent and Viserys have three children, Aegon, Helaena, and Aemond. In the book, they actually had a fourth child, Daeron, who was around the same age as Joffrey. They were raised together, and even shared a wet nurse, but their family ties pulled them in opposite directions. It’s highly unlikely we’ll see Alicent bear Viserys another child at this point, though. Aegon’s dragon is called Sunfyre the Golden. We don’t see Helaena’s dragon, but in the book she claimed Dreamfyre. Aemond, the youngest, does not have a dragon, thus subjecting him to teasing by his family. It’s a sore point.Across the Narrow Sea in Pentos, Prince Daemon and Laena have twins, Baela and Rhaena (yes, we now have characters named Rhaenys, Rhaenyra, and Rhaena on the show). Both of them received eggs as well, but only Baela’s hatched. Her dragon is called Moondancer. Laena claimed Vhagar, the largest and oldest living dragon, at some point since the last time we saw her, but now Vhagar is without a rider. No dragon of her status is riderless for long with so many Targaryens around, but who will claim her?

It can be hard to have sympathy for Alicent sometimes. She’s cold, haughty, and holds a grudge like it’s her job. That hasn’t made her very popular with fans, and her continuing animosity toward Rhaenyra, who is popular with the audience, doesn’t help. If you look at it from the perspective of what she’s been through, her behavior makes a lot more sense. As a teenager, her father pushed her into a marriage with an old man. Even as he rotted away next to her, she did her duty, remained faithful, and gave him three children. She didn’t choose it, but she made the best of her situation. All the while, she had to stand by and watch her best friend flout the rules and do whatever she pleased. That’s why Alicent is still pissy with Rhaenyra 10 years later. It was never about that one indiscretion, it’s about what she views as a double standard.That’s not going to change as long as Viserys is on the throne. The real question is, what is Alicent going to do about it? She hasn’t gone back to wearing Targaryen red and black after debuting that symbolic green dress at the wedding banquet. She has been gathering supporters and training her children for the day when they’ll either have to challenge the succession or become victims of it. She’s prepared for a fight when the time comes. As much as she likes to believe she has the moral high ground, she keeps scoundrels like Criston Cole and Larys Strong in her circle and pretends to be shocked when they carry out acts that ultimately help her cause.