House of the Dragon (2022) s01e09 Episode Script

1
You're sure?
With his own eyes, Your Grace.
Uh
Stay here.
Tell, tell no one.
Help me dress.
Who knows?
My handmaiden, Talya.
Some of the servants.
I saw him last night
before he--
He told me he wished
for Aegon to be king.
It is the truth.
Uttered with his own lips.
His last words to me and I
was the only one to hear it.
And now he's dead.
What is it that could
not have waited an hour?
Was Dorne invaded?
The King is dead.
We grieve for Viserys the Peaceful
our sovereign
our friend.
But he has left us a gift.
With his last breath, he impressed
upon the Queen his final wish:
that his son, Aegon
should succeed him
as Lord of the Seven Kingdoms.
Then we may proceed now
with the full assurance
of his blessing on our long-laid plans.
Yes.
There is much to be done,
as we've previously discussed.
Now, there are two among the captains
of the City Watch that
remain loyal to Daemon.
Let us replace them.
Lord Lannister.
The Treasury is well in hand.
The gold will be divided
for safekeeping.
Let ravens be sent to our allies,
Riverrun and Highgarden.
Am I to understand that
members of the small council
have been planning secretly
to install my son without me?
My Queen, there was no need to
sully you with darkling schemes.
I will not have this.
To hear that you are plotting
to replace the King's chosen heir
- with an imposter!
- His firstborn son
- is hardly an imposter.
- Hundreds of lords
and landed knights
swore fealty to the Princess.
That was some 20 years ago.
Most of them now dead.
You heard the Lord Hand.
Plot or no, the King changed his mind.
I am six-and-seventy years old.
I have known Viserys longer
than any who sit at this table.
And I will not believe
that he said this
on his deathbed, alone, with only
the, the boy's mother as a witness.
This is seizure!
It is theft!
It is treason!
- At the least, it is--
- Mind your tongue, Lyman.
The King was well last night
by all accounts.
Which of you here can swear
that he died of his own accord?
Which of us are you accusing
of regicide, Lord Beesbury?
Whether it was one of you,
or all of you, I care not.
- I will have no part--
- Sit down!
- Ahh!
- Ser Criston.
Throw down your sword and
remove your cloak, Ser Criston.
I am your Lord Commander, Ser Criston.
Cast down your sword.
I will not suffer insults
to Her Grace the Queen.
There was no insult to me, Ser Criston.
Y-- Put aside your blade.
- Has it come to this?
- Lord Commander, enough.
- Let us have Lord Beesbury removed.
- No.
The door remains shut
until we finish our business.
Storm's End is of concern.
We may not assume
the loyalty of Lord Borros.
But he has four daughters,
all of them unmarried.
- The right proposal--
- What of Rhaenyra?
The former heir cannot, of
course, be allowed to remain free
and draw support to her claim.
- You mean to imprison her.
- She and her family
will be given the opportunity
to publicly swear obeisance
to the new King.
She will never bend the knee.
Nor will Daemon, which you know.
You plan to kill them.
And all here accede to this.
Your father is correct, Your Grace.
A living challenger invites
battle and bloodshed.
It is unsavory, yes.
But a sacrifice we must make
to secure Aegon's succession.
And then there is Daemon to consider.
- The King wouldn't wish for any unsavory--
- But the King did not wish
for the murder of his daughter!
He loved her.
I will not have you deny this.
And yet--
One more word,
and I will have you removed
from this chamber and sent to the Wall!
What do you suggest, Your Grace?
Time is of the essence.
Lord Commander Westerling
take your knights to Dragonstone.
Be quick and be clean.
I am Lord Commander of the Kingsguard.
I recognize no authority
but the King's.
And until there is one
I have no place here.
It is our fate, I think,
to crave always what
is given to another.
If one possesses a thing,
the other will take it away.
Yes, Princess.
Where is Aegon?
N-Not here.
He's not in his rooms.
Father.
What's happened?
- Your father--
- There is a beast beneath the boards.
Oh, my dearest love.
Ser Erryk.
Where's the Prince?
Forgive me, Lord Hand.
I do not know.
But you're sworn to protect him.
He exploits his authority
to order me away,
and then he evades me, my Lord.
I believe he may have
left the Keep secretly,
gone into the city.
Find him.
Take no one else but your brother.
And remove your white cloaks.
None can know who you are
or what you seek
including the Queen.
My Lord.
Bring him to me, and me alone,
Ser Erryk.
What is the meaning of this?
Guard. Guard!
Prince Aegon's not to be found
within the castle walls, Your Grace.
Your father has sent Ser Erryk
into the city to find him.
Ser Erryk knows Aegon.
He has the advantage.
I trust again to you, Ser Criston,
and to your loyalty.
Aegon must be found,
and he must be brought to me.
The very fate of the Seven
Kingdoms depends on it.
Everything you feel for me
as your Queen.
I will not fail you.
I'll come with you.
That would not be my desire, Aemond.
- If anything has happened--
- Cole needs me, Mother.
Ser Erryk isn't the only one
who knows Aegon's doings.
Aegon brought me to the Street of Silk
on my thirteenth name day.
It was his duty as my brother, he said,
to ensure I was as educated as he was.
At least that's what
I understood him to mean.
I don't follow.
He said,
“Time to get it wet.”
Every woman is an image of the Mother,
to be spoken of with reverence.
Sometime last night, we
misplaced our drinking companion.
Knowing that he has been, in the past,
a patron of your fine establishment,
we thought to inquire here
as to his whereabouts.
And describe him.
That is a delicate matter.
You see, the man we seek
is the young Prince Aegon.
I may trust, I hope,
in the discretion of your trade.
The Prince is not here.
Has he been here?
Earlier, perhaps?
- Quite a bit earlier. Years ago, in fact.
- But more recently?
He does not frequent
the Street of Silk.
His tastes are known to be
less discriminating.
Meaning what?
I wish you luck, good Ser.
And my best to your friend.
How you've grown.
Hm.
Viserys amended his wishes.
It's as simple as that.
You once swore
your banners to Rhaenyra.
You must now
pledge them to the future king.
I must confer first
with my house on this matter.
You'll not leave this room
without declaring your intention.
I am no oath breaker.
I will not bend the knee.
Anyone else?
House Fell
keeps its sworn oath to the Princess.
Very well.
Long live the King.
Long live the King.
It seems you were
mistaken as to Aegon's habits.
He could be in
the hands of mercenaries,
on a ship to Yi Ti.
He could be dead.
Let us hope, for your mother's
sake, that is not the case.
Let's have a look.
- Go on.
- Come here. Come here!
Get in there, you little--
Yeah!
Come on!
How old are they?
About 10 years, I should say.
They have them grow their
nails and file the teeth.
Makes them more formidable.
Come on!
Prince Aegon spends many
a night in this place.
Do you see now what he is?
You've not seen everything.
- Aegon's?
- One of many, I'd wager.
Here I am, trawling the
city, ever the good soldier
in search of a wastrel who's never taken
half an interest in his birthright.
'Tis I the younger brother who
studies history and philosophy,
it is I who trains with the sword,
who rides the largest
dragon in the world.
It is I who should be--
I know what it is to toil for
what others are freely given.
Mm.
And we can't find him, Cole.
You are a decent man
with no taste for depravity.
His secrets are his own
and he's welcome to them.
I'm next in line to the throne.
Should they come looking for me,
I intend to be found.
Something must be done.
Aegon is unfit to rule.
You tolerated the Prince's
proclivities for years.
Because it was my sworn duty, Arryk.
It's for the Hand to find wisdom.
We swore an oath
of service until death.
A moment of your time, m'lords.
You'll find no buyers
for your wares here.
I can take you to Prince Aegon.
Rather, I am sent by one
who knows where he is.
Who'll tell you, for a price.
Deliver him,
and we'll consider your price.
My mistress will not treat with
the servants of the Keep
exalted though they may be.
She'll trust this to
the Hand of the King only.
Impossible.
I think he will wish to hear
what the White Worm can tell him.
Halt! Hold the gate!
Let go of me!
He was fleeing from the gate.
Do you know who I am?
A warning for the Princess,
I'd wager.
What say you?
The Lord Confessor presumes.
I have no love for the Princess.
And where were you going then
with such urgency?
Let the King's Justice take him.
Let go of me!
- No! This is not right!
- You did well, Lord Larys.
- I will--
- Only my duty, my Lord Hand.
Who do you think you are?
You've spent many hours
with the Queen of late.
There's no reason those hours could
not, in the end, benefit you.
I will do you the considerable
courtesy of assuming
there is a good reason for the outrage
of my treatment here this morning.
My sincerest regrets
for the lack of ceremony.
The King.
And you are usurping the throne.
It was my husband's dying wish.
Believe it or no,
it is of no consequence.
Aegon will be king.
I came here to ask your support.
Well, I must credit you
for your boldness.
House Velaryon has long allied itself
with the Princess Rhaenyra
and what has it gained you?
Your daughter dead
alone in Pentos.
Your son cuckolded.
Rhaenyra's heirs are none of yours.
It is your husband who grasps
so heedlessly for the throne.
And even he has abandoned you:
gone these six long years
to fight a desperate battle,
returning grievously,
if not mortally, wounded,
leaving the Lady of Driftmark
to chart her course alone.
The word of my house is not fickle.
No. But, dear cousin
you more than any soul alive
understand what I say now.
Princess Rhaenys, I loved my husband,
but I will speak
the truth we both know.
You should've been queen.
I little thought to hear
those words from you.
The Iron Throne was yours
by blood and by temperament.
Viserys would've lived
his days a country lord,
content to hunt
and study his histories,
but here we are.
We do not rule
but we may guide the men that do.
Gently
away from violence and sure destruction
- and instead toward peace.
- Ugh.
Is it in the name of peace
that you've imprisoned me?
- And what of my dragon?
- If we are overmatched,
Rhaenyra will be tempted to strike
us, and war will ensue.
Without your dragon,
she may be persuaded to negotiate.
If it's Driftmark you want,
you shall have it
for you and your granddaughters
to pass on as you see fit.
You are wiser than
I believed you to be
Alicent Hightower.
A true queen counts
the cost to her people.
And yet you toil still
in service to men.
Your father, your husband, your son.
You desire not to be free,
but to make a window
in the wall of your prison.
Have you never imagined yourself
on the Iron Throne?
I'll leave you with your thoughts.
Ring the bell when you have an answer.
My Prince.
You yourself are the mysterious
White Worm, I take it.
Or are you simply a further
peel in this stinking onion?
My condolences
on the passing of your king.
Where is Prince Aegon?
I thought, the Prince is in Flea
Bottom where no one is to be trusted.
I'd best secrete him somewhere safe
in case they come looking for him.
Where's the Prince?
He is safely tucked away.
I want an end to the savage use
of children in Flea Bottom.
They are forced to fight, and worse
your gold cloaks take the
bribes given them to look away.
An obscenity
either tolerated
or ignored by the crown.
I'll look into it.
You have my word.
When your plots ripen
and you install your grandson
on the throne,
remember it was me who put him there.
I could have killed him
as easily as a wasp on fruit.
There is no power but what
the people allow you to take.
I will remember.
Listen.
No No!
No! Agh!
Where is the White Worm?
She sold you for a price.
And why have you paid it?
I want my mother.
Your grandfather, the Hand,
will meet you outside the city walls.
You flee what other men
die seeking, Aegon.
I do regret this, friend.
No! Stop! No.
- I was hoping you disappeared.
- Is our father truly dead?
Yes and they're
going to make you king.
Agh!
- No!
- Are you going to help me?!
No! Let me go!
Where's your brother, huh?
Let me go!
Brother! Ahh!
Let me go!
I have no wish to rule!
No taste for duty!
I'm not suited.
You'll get no argument from me.
You let me go,
I will find a ship and sail away,
never to be found.
The Queen awaits.
- Well played.
- None of this is a game.
And yet you treat it as one.
A charming contest,
the prize,
a pouch of silver.
We have relied on one
another these many years.
And now it is the good of the
family that we both desire.
Whatever our differences,
our hearts remain as one.
Our hearts were never one.
I see that now.
Rather, I have been a piece
that you moved about the board.
If that is true, then I made
you Queen of the Seven Kingdoms.
- Would you have desired it otherwise?
- How could I know?
I wanted whatever you
impressed upon me to want.
And now the debt comes due.
- A debt you were happy enough to pay.
- A sacrifice.
A sacrifice made for
the stability of the realm.
No king has ever lived
that hasn't had to forfeit
the lives of a few to protect the many.
Though I understand your squeamishness.
Reluctance to murder is not a weakness!
I have Aegon.
We'll proceed now as I see fit.
We will send terms
to Rhaenyra on Dragonstone.
True terms, such that she
may accept without shame.
If she lives, her allies
will mass behind her banners,
- looking for her return.
- Then she must not return.
My husband would have
desired this mercy be shown
- to his daughter.
- Your husband?
Or you, his daughter's
childhood companion?
Criston Cole will be named Lord
Commander of the Kingsguard.
My son will be anointed
tomorrow at dawn.
The whole of King's Landing
must witness his ascent.
He will assume authority.
There will be no more dithering.
My son will take the crown of his
namesake, the Conqueror,
and carry Blackfyre, his sword.
Let the people remember the ancient
strength of House Targaryen.
You look so much like your
mother in certain lights.
As you wish.
Your Grace.
The hour is late, Lord Larys.
I've found out something
that you should know.
Have you asked yourself, I wonder
how it is
that your father, the Hand
found Aegon first?
There is a web of spies
at work in the Red Keep.
Along its threads travels news
of all our doings.
Your father knows this,
but has left it in place.
More than once, it has proved
advantageous to those willing to
feed the weaver.
And this weaver watches me?
Um
One of the little spiders
is your lady-in-waiting.
- Talya?
- There are more like her.
Even I do not know their number.
There is one way
to destroy his advantage.
It must be taken out at the head.
When the Queen dies,
the bees fly without purpose.
Begging your pardon for the
turn of phrase, Your Grace.
I assume this task falls
within your expertise.
If you wish it
it will be done.
Out of my way!
With me, Princess.
I cannot let this treachery stand.
- Where are we?
- Just south of King's Way.
The Blackwater's this way.
I won't leave Meleys.
- If I could get to the Dragonpit, then--
- No.
They'll expect you there, Princess.
You won't get past the gates.
Now come.
You must make for the
riverfront and find a ship.
Before they know you've gone.
Move it! Go! Go!
This way!
Keep moving! That's right.
That's right!
- Onward!
- This way.
Halt! Halt!
Keep moving!
All of you, move forward!
Keep moving!
Out of the way!
Out of the way!
Hyah! Hyah!
Have the decency to look grateful.
Do you know what has been
done to give you this day?
In an hour, you will be king.
- And my father never wanted this.
- That's not true.
He had 20 years to name me heir
and never did.
Steadfastly, he upheld
Rhaenyra's claim.
- He changed his mind.
- Oh.
No
He could have, but he never did
because he didn't like me.
And yet, with his final breath,
he whispered to me that you should
take his place on the throne.
- Do not toy with me, Mother.
- I speak the truth.
Listen to me, Aegon.
Your grandfather, the Hand,
will try to impress on you
that Rhaenyra should be
put to the sword.
You must reject this counsel.
We must not rule with
cruelty and callousness.
For all her faults, she is your sister,
- your, your father's daughter--
- Do you love me?
You imbecile.
Make way for the royal wheelhouse!
Hey, hey, forward then.
Go on, move yourself! Come on!
People of King's Landing
today is the saddest of days.
Our beloved king
Viserys the Peaceful
is dead.
But it is also the most
joyous of days
for as his spirit left us
he whispered his final wish:
that his firstborn son, Aegon
should succeed him.
Guards!
Out of the way! Move!
Halt!
Turn!
Present
arms!
It is your great
good fortune and privilege
to be here to witness this:
a new day for our city
a new day for our realm.
A new king to lead us.
May the Warrior give him courage.
May the Smith lend strength
to his sword and shield.
May the Father defend him in his need.
May the Crone lift her shining lamp
and light his way to wisdom.
The crown of the Conqueror,
passed down through generations.
Let the Seven bear witness:
Aegon Targaryen is the true
heir to the Iron Throne.
All hail His Grace, Aegon,
Second of his Name,
King of the Andals and the
Rhoynar and the First Men,
Lord of the Seven Kingdoms
and Protector of the Realm.
Aegon the King!
Aegon the King! Long live Aegon!
Open the doors!
Open the doors!
Get Helaena.