At long last, King Viserys I Targaryen (Paddy Considine) is dead.
His widow, Queen Alicent (Olivia Cooke), recounts his final words to the small council.
“He told me he wished for Aegon to be king,” she says.
“It’s the truth, out of his own lips.”
Unfortunately, that’s not what Alicent heard.
A lot of people are about to die because of it.
But what concerns Alicent is the fate of Rhaenyra.
Westerling refuses, removing his cloak and resigning.
Unlike her father, she doesn’t want Rhaenyra killed.
A sense of panic sets in.
Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney) is nowhere to be found.
Alicent, meanwhile, sends her own ally, Criston, in search of Aegon.
An unlikely bond forms between the two.
Otto says he’ll “look into it.”
(If he doesn’t, watch out.)
The twins retrieve Aegon but are confronted by Criston and Aemond.
Aegon confesses to Aemond that he doesn’t want to be king.
In fact, he wants to run away.
He and Aemond can find a ship and disappear, he proposes.
Aemond isn’t interested; he’s next in line to rule after Aegon, after all.
Criston and Aemond take Aegon to Alicent.
Back at the castle, Otto is tightening his grip.
Various lords and ladies of influence are brought before the throne and asked to swear fealty to Prince Aegon.
After one lord attempts to leave the castle, he’s restrained.
Alicent wants her support.
She asks what she’s gained by supporting Rhaenyra, aside from dead children and disarray.
“We do not rule, but we may guide the men that do,” she says.
Away from violence and sure destruction and towards peace."
Rhaenys believes she’s looking at it all wrong.
“You are wiser than I believed you to be,” she says.
“But you toil still in service to men.”
She asks, compellingly, “Have you never imagined yourself on the Iron Throne?”
Emboldened, Alicent confronts Otto, accusing him of using her as a pawn in his machinations.
She will grasp the power away from the men, or so she hopes.
He has a way of undercutting that advantage, he tells her.
The following day, Alicent rides with Aegon to his coronation.
“My father never wanted this,” he says.
“He didn’t like me.”
She responds by calling him an “imbecile.”
Surprised murmurs give way to thunderous applause.
A sad-eyed Aegon is marched out as his family looks on.
Rhaenys, who’s been watching, sneaks away through a side door.
Cheers ring throughout the hall once the crown falls on Aegon’s head.
They fall over him and his frown begins to curve into a smile.
Isn’t it love he’s been wanting all this time?
He unsheathes his sword and thrusts it into the air, prompting louder cheers.
He could get used to this.
Suddenly, a thunderous crash.
It’s Rhaenys atop her dragon, clearly none too pleased with this turn of events.
Alicent stands in front of Aegon as the dragon approaches.
She prepares for a rush of flame to consume them all, but the dragon simply roars.
With that, Rhaenys leaves, presumably to Dragonstone.
Rhaenyra and Daemon have a lot to catch up on.
