House of the Dragon episode 7 begins with Laena’s funeral. Corlys (Steve Toussaint), Rhaenys (Eve Best), Laenor (John Macmillan), Laena and Daemon’s children, are all completely devastated by the loss. The Targaryens have come to the funeral to show their condolences, along with Otto Hightower, who is Hand of the King again.
It’s been a decade, but Daemon (Matt Smith) and Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) are still inevitably drawn to one another. They catch glances during the service, and Viserys (Paddy Considine) watches it all go down. Because this is Daemon Targaryen, he chuckles at one point at the funeral.
At the reception, Daemon and Rhaenyra meet eyes once again. Rhaenyra tells Jace to offer his condolences to his cousins, Baela and Rhaena. He’s still upset over Harwin’s death, but he does what he’s told. He goes over to his cousins and holds Baela’s hand to give her comfort. Alicent (Olivia Cooke) and Criston (Fabian Frankel) can’t stop looking at Rhaenyra. She lives rent-free in their minds.
A soon-to-be drunk Aegon (Ty Tennant) is annoyed that he’s going to have to marry his sister, Helaena. Aemond urges Aegon to respect her, but Aegon thinks she’s strange. Meanwhile, Corlys tells young Luke that he’ll be Lord of the Tides someday. Luke replies that he doesn’t want to be. Corlys stresses that it’s his birthright. Luke replies that when he rules Driftmark, everyone he loves will be dead. Very wise for a young boy.
Viserys Tries To Extend An Olive Branch To Daemon
Daemon and Rhaenyra can never tear their eyes from each other for too long. Time away has only strengthened the magnetic pull between them. As everyone gathers for the reception, Laenor is standing in the sea. He’s grief-stricken over the loss of his sister. Corlys pushes Qarl to go get Laenor out of the water before he does something.
Viserys and Daemon have been keeping their distance, but it’s clear that the brothers want to speak to one another. Viserys bites first and offers his sympathies to Daemon. Rhaenyra watches over them. Viserys tells Daemon that he should return with them to King’s Landing. He has a place for him at court. Viserys thinks this is what he needs. “I need nothing,” Daemon replies and storms off.
Rhaenyra tells Luke and Jace to go to bed so she can go after Daemon. Viserys retires for the night and calls Alicent “Aemma” on his way out. The fury on Alicent’s face can be seen for miles. As night falls, Aegon is totally drunk. Otto finds him and kicks him awake. Aemond watches the whole encounter. Aemond also hears Laena’s dragon, Vhagar, flying overhead.
After the service, Rhaenys and Corlys talk by the fire. Rhaenys is angry because Laena wanted to come home and Daemon wouldn’t let her. Corlys urges Rhaena not to blame Daemon for Laena’s death. The gods have been especially cruel to Rhaenys. They also discuss how Rhaenys should be the queen right now. Rhaenys admits she gave up on that a generation ago, but Corlys’ ambition makes him believe the Velaryons could end up on the Iron Throne.
“What is this brief mortal life if not the pursuit of legacy?” Corlys asks. Rhaenys tells her husband that she wants Driftmark to be passed down through Laena’s line and go to Baela. Corlys doesn’t think it’s a good idea to disinherit Laenor and his children in this way. He doesn’t want to cast a darker shadow over the boys. “Rhaenyra’s children are not of your blood,” Rhaenys says. Corlys replies, “History does not remember blood. It remembers names.”
Daemon & Rhaenyra Reunite & Make Love
Daemon and Rhaenyra finally get the chance to talk alone. Rhaenyra talks about her marriage and admits that she and Laenor did try to conceive a child. “We performed our duty as best we could,” Rhaenyra says, but there was no joy in it. “I found that elsewhere,” Rhaenyra says of her relationship with Harwin. “It felt good to be desired.”
Rhaenyra acknowledges how devoted Harwin was to her. “I trusted him,” she says. Rhaenyra wishes she could have forbidden him from going back to the Riverlands. Daemon low-key accuses Alicent of having something to do with the fire at Harrenhal. Rhaenyra doesn’t think Alicent is capable of that.
Rhaenyra opens up about the distance that’s been between them. “I have been alone. You abandoned me,” Rhaenyra tells Daemon. He responds, “I spared you. You were a child.” Rhaenyra says, “Yes, I was a child, but look at what my life became without you.”
They’ve both experienced tragedies in their lives in the decade they’ve been apart. “Did you love her?” Rhaenyra asks Daemon about his feelings for Laena. He says, “We were happy enough.” Rhaenyra calls that a “great achievement.” She apologizes to Daemon, but he tells her not to be sorry.
Rhaenyra looks up at him and puts her hand on his chest. “I’m no longer a child,” Rhaenyra tells Daemon before she kisses him. “I want you,” she says. Their desires can’t be ignored any longer. They make passionate love by the sea.
Aemond Loses An Eye After Brutal Fight
Aemond sneaks off into the night to finally claim his dragon: Vhagar. He awakens the massive dragon and nearly falls to his death when trying to fly Vhagar for the first time. Baela and Rhaena notice something’s happening with Vhagar. The girls go to wake up Jace and reveal that someone’s stolen Vhagar. When Rhaenyra wakes up, she finds Daemon looking out at Vhagar in the sky.
Baela and Rhaena bring Jace and Luke to confront Aemond about claiming Vhagar. Rhaena says that Vhagar was hers to claim after her mother. Aemond taunts Rhaena and throws her down. Baela punches Aemond, and he punches her right back. Aemond threatens to feed Baela to his dragon. That’s when Jace goes after him. They fight and Aemond ends up punching Luke right in the face. They all begin to beat down on Aemond.
Aemond grabs Luke by the throat and prepares to kill him with a rock. Aemond tells Luke that he’s going to die “screaming in vain just as your father did.” He calls the boys bastards. Luke is confused and says his father is still alive. Aemond cruelly calls Jace “Lord Strong” in front of Luke.
Jace pulls out a dagger and goes after Aemond, but Aemond knocks him down. The blade is on the ground. Aemond is about to attack Jace with the rock when Jace throws sand in his face, giving Luke the opportunity to slice Aemond’s face. Blood pours from Aemond’s eye as he falls to the ground.
Alicent Attacks Rhaenyra
Understandably, Viserys is pissed that his kingsguard allowed this to happen with the kids. Alicent is told that Aemond’s eye is lost for good. Alicent slaps Aegon and calls him a “fool” for letting this go down. Rhaenyra and Daemon arrive together, which does not go unnoticed by Otto. Rhaenyra runs straight to her boys. When asked what happened, the kids all start yelling.
Viserys goes to Aemond for the truth. Rhaenrya says it was a “regrettable accident.” Alicent accuses Luke of bringing a blade to kill Aemond. Rhaenyra claps back that her sons were attacked and had to defend themselves. “Vile insults were levied against them,” Rhaenyra says. Viserys demands to know the insults. Everyone is listening to know how Rhaenyra will handle this. “The legitimacy of my sons’ birth was put loud into question,” Rhaenyra says.
Jace says that Aemond calls him and his brother a bastard. Aemond shows no remorse. Rhaenyra calls Aemond’s words the “highest of treasons.” Daemon is watching on, loving the chaos and how Rhaenyra is handling it. Rhaenyra wants Aemond questioned so they can find out where he heard such slanders. She knows this will lead directly back to Alicent. Viserys demands to know where Aemond heard this.
Alicent tries to interject and asks where Laenor is. Rhaenyra replies that she couldn’t sleep so she went for a walk. No one knows where Laenor went off to.
Viserys asks again for the truth. Aemond looks over at Alicent, which Viserys sees. Aemond blames Aegon. Viserys asks Aegon where he heard it. “We know, father. Everyone knows. Just look at them,” Aegon admits. Viserys wants the infighting to stop. He demands everyone apologize.
“That is insufficient. Aemond has been damaged permanently,” Alicent says. “There is a debt to be paid. I shall have one of her sons’ eyes in return.” Viserys is not on board with this at all. “If the king will not seek justice, the queen will,” Alicent continues. She calls for Criston and tells him to bring her Luke’s eye. Rhaenrya refuses. Viserys tries to stop Alicent, but Alicent says that Criston is sworn to her. Viserys puts his foot down once and for all. The matter is finished.
Viserys tells everyone that anyone else who questions the parentage of Rhaenrya’s sons will have their tongues removed. “Thank you, father,” Rhaenyra says. Alicent loses her grip and grabs Viserys’ dagger. She goes after Rhaenyra, but Rhaenyra catches Alicent’s arm as it’s lunging toward her. Daemon begins to head towards them just as Criston is doing the same. Daemon halts Criston from making it to Rhaenyra and Alicent
The room erupts into utter chaos. Alicent goes off. She accuses Rhaenyra of being entitled and stomping all over on duty and sacrifice. Otto even tells Alicent to release the blade. “Exhausting wasn’t it? Hiding beneath the cloak of your own righteousness. But now they see you as you are.” Rhaenyra says.
Alicent refuses to drop the blade and lunges for Rhaenrya again, managing to cut Rhaenyra’s arm. Blood pours from Rhaenyra’s hand. Aemond finally steps up and stops the madness. “I may have lost an eye, but I gained a dragon,” he says. Daemon goes over to check on Rhaenyra and stands beside her. Criston picks up the dagger while standing next to Alicent. The battle lines have been forged, the Blacks and Greens revealed.
Otto Promises Alicent Will ‘Prevail’ Against Rhaenyra
Later, Otto goes to see his daughter. Alicent knows the scene she made was not a good one. She lost composure and assaulted Rhaenyra. Gossip is spreading that she’s gone mad. “I’ve never seen that side of you, my daughter. I even doubted it existed,” Otto says.
He continues, “We play an ugly game, but now for the first time I see that you have the determination to win it.” Otto tells Alicent that Viserys will forgive her. “What else can he do?” Otto asks. He promises that they will prevail over Rhaenyra. “The boy was right. It’s worth a thousand times the price he paid,” Otto says about Aemond claiming Vhagar.
Rhaenyra is getting stitched up when Laenor finally shows his face. He is feeling immense guilt over what’s happened. “I have failed you, Rhaenrya. Our marriage, I tried. Our boys, I do love them deeply. But I have not mayhaps loved them enough,” Laenor says.
Rhaenyra admits that she had hoped to bear his children the few times they tried. “Things might have been different,” Rhaenyra says. Laenor tells her, “I hate the gods for making me as they did.” Rhaenyra doesn’t think that. Laenor is an honorable man with a good heart.
Laenor brings up their arrangement: doing their duty and exploring their own happiness. “But there are times I think when those things can’t mutually exist,” Laenor says. He explains that Qarl is going back to the Stepstones. Laenor promises to “recommit” himself to Rhaenyra and help prepare her to take the Iron Throne. “You deserve better than what I have been. You deserve a husband,” he says.
Alicent apologizes to Viserys on the way back to King’s Landing. He doesn’t want to speak any more of it. Larys, always lurking, tells Alicent that “if it’s an eye you want to balance the scales I am your servant.” Alicent says that won’t be necessary. “Your devotion has not gone unnoticed,” Alicent tells Larys. He will await her call.
Daemon & Rhaenyra Get Married In Valyrian Wedding
Daemon and Rhaenyra watch as the king’s ships leave Driftmark. “Fire is such strange power. Everything that House Targaryen possesses is owed to it. Yet it has cost us both what we loved,” Rhaenyra says to Daemon.
Rhaenyra tells Daemon that she needs him. In Valyrian, she admits that can’t face the Greens alone. She wants to take the next step.
“Let us bind our blood, just as Aegon the Conqueror did with his sisters. With you as my husband and prince consort, my claim would not be so easily challenged. The Velaryons are of the sea. But you and I are made of fire. We have always been meant to burn together,” Rhaenyra says.
Daemon brings up that they can’t marry unless Laenor is dead. “I know,” Rhaenyra replies. She’s got a plan. Daemon goes to Qarl and offers him all the gold he could want in exchange for a “quick death with witnesses.” After Daemon kills a young man working at Driftmark, Qarl and Laenor fight in front of a young squire.
Rhaenyra stresses that she doesn’t want to be a tyrant and rule through terror. Daemon says that she has to be both respected and feared in order to be a good leader. Rhaenyra notes that she does love Laenor, but Daemon thinks it’s time to set him free.
When Corlys and Rhaenys make it to the hall after hearing about the fight, Laenor is already dead. He’s unrecognizable after being burned in the fire. Rhaenyra knows that “this will cost Corlys and Rhaenys their only remaining child.” She is aware that people will think she is responsible. Daemon doesn’t pay them any mind. “We will have the truth of it and our enemies won’t,” he admits. Rhaenyra says, “They will fear what else we might be capable of.”
After Laenor’s death, Rhaenyra and Daemon marry in a Valyrian wedding ceremony. They cut their hands, their blood dripping into a cup. They become bound by blood. As their kids watch on, Rhaenyra and Daemon drink the blood from the cup. They kiss passionately.
Laenor is still alive. He runs off with Qarl Correy after shaving his head. The body of the man Daemon killed is posed as Laenor’s corpse. Rhaenyra, Laenor, and Daemon all get what they want. Rhaenyra gets a husband and the man she’s always wanted, Daemon gets Rhaenyra, and Laenor gets to live freely.