Will Aemond father Helaena’s third child in “House of the Dragon”?

Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for House of the Dragon Season 2, Episode 8, and the book Fire & Blood.

The big picture

• House of the Dragon
  continues to omit Maelor, Aegon and Helaena’s third son, despite his presence in
  Fire and blood.
• Maelor is central to several potential storylines in season three, prompting speculation as to how
  House of the Dragon
  might include it.
• While season two debunks the “Helaemond” romance theory, there are several ways Aemond could become Maelor’s father.

Despite House of the Dragon It’s a rather unique adaptation thanks to the deliberately unreliable nature of its inspiration (Fire and Blooda novel George R.R. Martin styled as an in-universe tale of the Targaryen dynasty), some creative changes have distinguished the HBO series and Martin’s book as separate entities. Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) and Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy) become childhood friends of the same age; Laenor Velaryon (John Macmillan) fakes his death; and Aemond Targaryen (Ewan Mitchell) fails to commit fratricide during the Battle of Rook’s Rest, to name a few key differences. As the House of the Dragon the team prepares for the third season, a detail from Fire and Blood who the series continues to omit is the third and youngest son of Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney) and Helaena Targaryen (Phia Saban), Prince Maelor.

Cut Maelor from House of the Dragon has already altered the tragedy of Blood and Cheese without hindering its central narrative. Moving forward, however, his absence makes things more complicated.The window of opportunity for Maelor to organically join the series is closing, especially since the season two finale establishes that one of the Aegons, well, parts He is a victim of his wounds. He cannot bear any more children. There is a possible solution, however disturbing or melodramatic (or both) it may be.: Aemond. But how plausible is this option?

Who is Maelor Targaryen, Halaena’s third son?

Second Fire and BloodMaelor is two years old when the Dance of the Dragons begins, making him four years younger than his twin brothers, Jaehaerys and Jaehaera. Unfortunately, Blood and Cheese marks his first significant appearance. Unlike House of the Dragonwhere the mercenary assassins Blood (by Sam C. Wilson) and cheese (Mark Stobbart) ask Helaena to indicate which of the sleeping twins is her only child, in Fire and Bloodthe couple forces Helaena to make a different choice than Sophie: condemn one child to death rather than the other. Shocked, Helaena chooses Maelor. Blood and Cheese then taunt Maelor — “You hear that, boy? Your mother wants you dead.” — and gleefully behead Jaehaerys in his place.

Maelor automatically becomes Aegon’s next and only heir. When Aegon and Larys Strong (Matthew Need) flee King’s Landing, Larys also enables the respective escapes of Maelor and Jaehaera. While on the run from Team Black, however, Poor Maelor and his sworn guardian, Ser Rickard Thorne (Vincent Regan), meet their brutal deaths at Bitterbridgea city under the control of Rhaenyra. Furious at the murder of her nephew, Daeron Targaryen, Alicent’s fourth son with Viserys (Paddy Considine), reduces Bitterbridge to ashes along with his dragon, Tessarion.

Entering House of the Dragonthe third season, Maelor’s existence is crucial to two intersecting story lines: Daeron and Tessarion officially join the war, and Aegon and Larys flee to parts unknown. Burning Bitterbridge would be a nice character-building (or defining) moment for Daeron, a character the series has kept under wraps beyond a teaser shot of Tessarion in the season two finale. House of the DragonThe simplest solution to the “no Maelor” problem — other than inventing a new plot — is to replace Maelor’s death with Jaehaera. But if Jaehaera doesn’t survive the Dance of the Dragons, a new Pandora’s box opens. If the showrunner Ryan Condal he intends to introduce Maelor, so Unless Helaena is currently pregnant with Aegon’s last child, one question remains. (the daytime talk show host’s voice comes on): Who’s the dad?

How could Aemond become Maelor’s father in season 3 of “House of the Dragon”?

This question takes us back to season one. Fans were quick to focus on Helaena and Aemond’s relationship, calling it a potential romance. A conspiracy theory that Aemond is the true father of Helaena’s twins has gained enough traction that Ewan Mitchell and Phia Saban are discussing the answer. In the pair’s exclusive conversation with Collider, Saban said that a Helaemond relationship “[isn’t] completely out of the question”, and Both actors agreed that the brothers are “closer” to each other than other siblingsWith Aemond taking to the role of Prince Regent like a fish to water, season two has prompted murmurs that Aemond will solve Maelor’s dilemma.

However, given the tense interactions between Helaena and Aemond this season, it is unlikely that they had a forbidden relationship —at least, nothing emotionally significant enough to address or imply. Given how their dynamic changes after their final exchange on the balcony, Helaena won’t be interested in a future meeting without some intense story adjustment. The prudish queen shows a new resolve about her prophetic insights, and that clarity gives her a power that Aemond’s uncertain frustrations and festering rage can’t hope to match. The only thing she can do is threaten his life. But others House of the Dragon relationships emerged from a less substantial base and House Targaryen is the original home of unhealthy relationships.

There is, of course, the non-consensual alternative: Aemond assaulting his sister out of anger, lust, a need for control, some ridiculous attempt to secure the throne, or all of the above. It’s safe to say that this scenario isn’t one the audience will see for long. Despite Aemond’s increasingly volatile anger, the sexual assault doesn’t align with how he’s been expelling that anger thus far (or how he House of the Dragon faced the assault). Aegon is the documented rapist, and The brothers are diametrically opposed in almost every wayThat said, the more Aemond embraces his worst qualities, the more nothing is ruled out, even if it is unlikely.

SPOILER WARNING! The section below contains major spoilers for the ending of A Dance of Dragons, according to the book Fire & Blood.

Could Alys Rivers influence Aemond and Helaena’s stories?

Rivers of Alys (Gayle’s Ranking) adds a further complication to the ring. Despite not having Helaena and her dragon Dreamfyre at his side, Aemond retakes Harrenhal from Team Black in Fire and Blood. After meeting Alys, the two begin an intense sexual/romantic relationship. After Aemond meets his untimely end at the Gods Eye, Alys attempts to claim the throne by claiming to be pregnant with his legitimate child and naming their offspring as the rightful heirs to the Iron Throne. Eventually, she gathers a motley army under her claim and power as “witch queen of Harrenhal.”

Except that House of the DragonAlys chooses to seduce and manipulate Aemond because it is her best choice among the terrible options, she is not likely to sleep with or be his puppetAs described, Alys is the type to throw Aemond headlong into hallucination therapy, poison him in his sleep, or verbally tear him down until he cowers in a corner. Fire and Blood never confirms Alys’s motives for the relationship or reveals the details of the dynamic (beyond the fact that Aemond is in love with her), which leaves the authors with considerable flexibility.

With this in mind, House of the Dragon could join the story components together for conveniencejust as they apparently did with Rhaena Targaryen (Our author is Phoebe Campbell.) and Nettles, a book-only dragonseed who tames Sheepstealer, the same wild dragon Rhaena discovers in the Vale. One way or another, Helaena could take Alys’s place as Aemond’s favored “lady,” especially since Fire and BloodAemond uses Alys’s visions to his advantage. Maelor being born from their union and dying as a newborn would be a punch in the stomach.so would Helaena do giving birth to the last child she and Aegon will ever have, especially if her visions have already shown her the inexorable fate of her son.

House of the Dragon Seasons 1 and 2 are available to stream on Max.

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