5 Things We Learnt from the Second Episode of HBO’s ‘House of the Dragon’ 

Vanessa Obioha

The second episode of ‘House of the Dragon’, HBO’s prequel to the ‘Game of Thrones’, dropped on Showmax on Monday with a truckload of drama. The new series follows the Targaryen family 200 years before the ‘Game of Thrones’ when they reigned supreme with fearsome dragons as their enforcers. In the second episode, the ruler King Viserys 1 announced his new wife, Princess Rhaenyra showed the girl power and Lord Corlys Velaryon and Prince Daemon were likely to forge a new alliance. However, here are five things we learnt from the episode.

Never underestimate the girl child: We all have those parents that looked down on their female children because they have been tagged as the weaker sex.  Princess Rhaenyra however proved her father wrong when she prevented war by employing her emotional skills, something that Ser Otto Hightower could not achieve with his army.

It pays to be on the sly: You may not like Ser Otto Hightower but one cannot deny that he is strategic. He is very furtive in his advice and suggestions, never revealing his true intentions. This played well when King Viserys announced that he would take Otto’s daughter Alicent as his new wife, a revelation that left the confident Lord Corlys incensed and Princess Rhaenyra broken. 

Siblings Rivalry will Always Exist: This is one family quandary that will not be solved. When one is placed higher than his other siblings, he should always expect some form of competition or dislike. It is nature. Just be smart about it.

Be prepared for anything: Should Princess Rhaenyra really be mad at Alicent? Shouldn’t she be happy that her friend will be her new stepmother? What better way to cement their relationship? If only things were easy. When a loved one knows how much you have suffered the loss of a dear parent, it really hurts when you find out that they have been secretly meeting with your father. So, we completely understand Princess Rhaenyra’s heartbreak. Perhaps, she should have listened to Princess Rhaenys Targaryen who knew how it feels to be betrayed.

Parents are selfish: Like it or not, our parents are selfish when it comes to their quest for power. Take poor Laena Velaryon who has to be subjected to early marriage because of her parents’ power lust. So if you are from those powerful families, just know that las las, your marriage has a greater chance of being arranged. Just pray to find love.