Latest House of the Dragon still teases a new dragon (and rider)

House of the Dragon season 2 is going deep into the crevices of Targaryen history that can help us understand the silver-haired beings better. The dynasty that ruled Westeros for many decades had dragon blood running through their veins, making them capable dragon riders.

However, not all Targaryens are instantly able to claim and ride a dragon. For some, it can be an excruciatingly long process as they wait to bond with a mighty beast. Aemond claimed Vhagar when he grew older whereas Rhaena is still without a dragon companion. However, the situation might soon change in the upcoming episodes, as the newly released stills seem to be teasing a new dragon that she may claim.

Gild us in glory. #HOTD pic.twitter.com/amRWlhVh4u

— Max (@StreamOnMax) July 18, 2024

Also Read: “Grief is the catalyst of this season,” says Matt Smith on Daemon’s crazy actions in House of the Dragon Season 2

Will Rhaena claim a dragon soon?

Credit: Max

Rhaena has been sent to Vale with four dragon eggs. Lady Arryn demanded protection from Rhaenyra. To this extent, she chose to send her young sons, the dragon eggs along with Rhaena to the safe harbor of Vale.

While Rhaena was not too gleeful about the prospect of staying away from the action of the war, she understood it was what she could offer. In the upcoming House of the Dragon season 2 episodes, we might see Rhaena claim a dragon and become a dragon rider at last, if we read a little bit into the newly released stills, and leaked information we’ve previously discussed.

In one of the stills released on Max’s X page, we see Rhaena standing on an expansive field with a few burned sheep in front of her. Fans think that they’re standing in front of the wild dragon Sheepstealer, who has burnt the sheep. This has led to speculations that Rhaena might claim Sheepstealer in the upcoming episodes of House of the Dragon. The fear on her face further reveals that something upsetting has taken place.

burned sheep right in front of them…..honestly can’t wait to see sheepstealer’s design pic.twitter.com/rKsReNZwKr

— thai. (@nyracult) July 18, 2024

In Fire & Blood, Nettles, who is a low-born shepherd, tames Sheepstealer, and is one of the Dragonseeds. She is the actual rider of the dragon in the books.

In the books, Sheepstealer is a wild male dragon during the Dance of the Dragons that loved eating sheep. It lived at the back of Dragonmont, and was one of three wild dragons living on Dragonstone.

Sheepstealer had never been tamed. The bastard girl Nettles was cunning enough to tame him. Along with Rhaenyra Targaryen’s other dragonriders, Nettles and Sheepstealer took part in the Battle of the Gullet. However, Rhaenyra eventually labeled Nettles a traitor, which is when she escaped with Sheepstealer. It appears House of the Dragon may possibly show Rhaena claiming Sheepstealer. The showrunners might be writing off Nettles as a character and giving her story arc to Rhaena instead.

However, this is no random assumption but stems from a recent leak indicating that the show may be making this change. Bethany Antonia, who plays Baela, had also hinted at changes from Fire & Blood in the official script to in a previous interview.

“While the overall storyline remains largely consistent, the showrunners have executed a brilliant adaptation by involving the children of the dance much earlier. For example, my character doesn’t get involved in the Dance of the Dragons until later in the books. In the books, Baela [Targaryen] is kind of hiding out at Dragonstone and things are happening around her.

In the show, however, the screenwriters had the children involved from the start, with the onset of war prompting the children to prepare for battle right from the beginning. This early involvement allows for new narrative avenues, enabling the incorporation of the characters into scenarios not found in the original books. It’s an exciting development that expands our characters’ roles beyond the material in the books.”

Rhaena is eager to claim a dragon as she believes her worth and her abilities are all linked to this one aspect. Furthermore, she feels left out since all her siblings and cousins have a dragon as proud Targaryens. The Blacks are already in a hurry to have more riders claim dragons since they lack the former.

Also Read: Baela and Rhaena were dressed keeping Daenerys Targaryen in mind

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