House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 6 might have made a significant lore error

House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 6 has sparked controversy among fans. There is an inconsistency with the lore of George R. R. Martin’s Fire and Blood. The issue involves Aeriana Targaryen, the supposed ancestor of Ser Steffon Darklyn. According to Rhaenyra, Aeriana was an ancestor of Ser Steffon, based on which she asked him to claim a dragon. Ser Steffon burned to death while trying to claim the riderless dragon Seasmoke. As it turns out, the information regarding Aeriana in the series doesn’t align with the established timeline of House of the Dragon. Fans have different opinions about this issue.

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09/07/2024 10:57 pm GMT

Youtuber Glidus points out the error

According to Youtuber Glidus on X, House of the Dragon made a strange mistake regarding the timeline of House of the Dragon.

i am really liking HOTD but let's be real, "Princess Aeriane Targaryen" might be the weirdest unforced error the show has made.
hoping we get a scene at some point where rhaenyra and jace realise that they read some fake history or something lol pic.twitter.com/HEJGfInVDb

— glidus (or is it?) (@NotGlidus) July 22, 2024

Glidus explains the timeline problem. House of the Dragon Season 2 seems to occur 132 years after Aegon’s Conquest. Assuming Steffon Darklyn is in his 40s, then his great-great-grandmother Aeriana would have been born around 20 AC, by Glidus’ estimate.

At that time, House Targaryen had very few members, each of whom was of significant political importance. Rhaenyra also specifies that Aeriane was “born a Targaryen princess,” which means she was one of Aegon’s daughters. Glidus feels Aegon would have likely married a princess to one of his sons, carrying on the Targaryen tradition of wedding brother to sister. He feels it is unlikely that she would have been married to someone outside his house and thus could not be Steffon Darklyn’s ancestor.

He also feels that since the show uses the terminology ‘born a princess,’ it doesn’t make sense that she was born before the Conquest, as Aegon was not a king then. Glidus wonders why the show made this unusual change. He suggests there might have been a disagreement in the writers’ room or that the show has an upcoming explanation. However, it is a minor detail that might not be addressed again.

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Other fans’ theories

Credit: HBO

Other fans believe Rhaenyra may have read incorrect history. They think Aeriana Targaryen might never have existed. This theory fits with Steffon’s inability to claim Seasmoke. Seasmoke might sense that Steffon lacks Valyrian blood.

Seasmoke seeking out Addam of Hull supports this theory. The dragon might sense Valyrian blood in Addam, who is Corlys Velaryon’s son. Addam’s half-brother Laenor was Seasmoke’s last rider. The show also seems to have cut Nettles, the only known dragonrider who doesn’t have Valyrian blood. This supports the theory that only those with Valyrian blood can claim dragons. Almost every member of the Targaryen family so far has seemed to claim a dragon.

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