Usurpers, Murderers, and Bastards: House of the Dragon Episode 9 Preview Breakdown

House of The Dragon Episode 9 will be the penultimate episode of this season. Titled “The Green Council”, the trailer shows how the Greens are scheming to usurp within the small council. Episode 8 gave us a glimmer of hope when Alicent and Rhaenyra extended a hand of reconciliation. But the seeds of hatred sown in Alicent’s children, save Helaena, have already taken root. Let’s take a closer look at the preview of the coming episode.

Long Live The King

It opens with the show confirming what we already know, that King Viserys has passed. Alicent is further motivated to secure the crown for Aegon after her conversation with a dying Viserys. Ser Otto Hightower and Alicent are fervently working to secure Aegon’s position as the new King before the others find out. Otto Hightower orders the staff to lock everyone inside their rooms. We see Princess Rhaenys attempting to open the door, but she doesn’t know Otto has done this to buy time. Usually, ringing bells from towers inform the public of the King’s demise but the Greens don’t allow this to happen. The Greens will continue this charade for seven days as they prepare for Aegon II’s coronation. Princess Rhaenyra, the true heir in Dragonstone, is primarily not informed of her father’s demise.

There is plenty of commotion in the video, and someone is seen being pushed or jumping off a ledge. A few commoners are led into cells, presumably so that the word of King’s passing does not spread. Many men bend their knees to Ser Otto in the throne room.

Read More: Is King Viserys being poisoned on House of the Dragon?

The Cargyll Twins

Otto Hightower tells a figure in the dark, “No one can know who you are and what you seek”. We also see a cloaked man fighting Aemond Targaryen. These are the Cargyll twins, Ser Arryk Cargyll and Ser Erryk Cargyll. The brothers are knights of the Kingsguard and are very hard to differentiate. We even see Queen Alicent confuse Ser Erryk for his brother in episode 8. In the Targaryen Civil War, Ser Arryk sides with the greens, while Ser Erryk sides with the Blacks.

Loyal Lord Beesbury

Lord Beesbury is the only one on Rhaenyra’s side in the small council meeting. He passionately explains why he doesn’t support what the greens are trying to do when he’s abruptly cut off; the next scene is of swords being risen. This alludes to Lord Beesbury’s death. Different accounts say different things about it. Some say Ser Otto threw him in a jail cell, where he caught a cold and perished. Others believe Ser Criston Cole slit his throat. Judging by what the preview is trying to tell us and how sword-happy Cole is, we can safely assume it’s the latter.

Aegon’s bastards

Lord Larys Strong wishes to inform the Queen of something important. The scene cuts to a pale-haired toddler. This can be one of the many bastards Aegon II sired. He may be Gaemon Palehair, believed to be a bastard of Aegon II and a prostitute. The lad’s mother even claims him to be the next King. He later becomes good friends with Rhaenyra’s son Aegon III. Larys might be letting Alicent know of this child.

One of the cloaked Cargyll twins also chases Aegon in the preview. This must be in an attempt to bring him back to the Red Keep. In the book, A Dance of the Dragons, A True Telling, the author says Aegon was missing from his chambers on the day of his coronation. The King-to-be was found “at his revels.” The court jester, Mushroom, recalls that Aegon was found at a Fleabottom ratpit. This is where feral children fight each other for the audience’s entertainment. We see such a scene in the preview as well. Aegon allegedly watched a fight, drunk and naked, while a young girl pleasured him.

Aegon the Elder makes it plenty clear to his mother that he does not wish to be King. He wishes for Rhaenyra to become Queen. He only follows through with the coronation when Ser Criston insists that Rhaenyra will kill his family if she becomes the monarch.

The trailer ends with Princess Rhaenys saying, “Have you never imagined yourself on the Iron Throne.” What are you looking forward to the most in House of the Dragon Episode 9? Join in on our discussions on our official discord server.

Read Next: The cast and the crew discuss Viserys’ last supper in a new House of The Dragon behind-the-scenes video