The season finale of House of the Dragon sets up a long-awaited duel between two heartthrobs of the fandom. Aemond and Daemon Targaryen are seemingly the opposite sides of the same coin. Aside from their alphabets just taking a minor switch, and fitting into the bizarre and confusing Targaryen naming convention (way too many Aegons, if you ask us), their personalities are quite similar as well. Both the second sons wanted to be King, have tempers that run high, are pretty reckless and stubborn, and have highly questionable-morals.
But humor us for a second. What if this isn’t just GRRM’s writing style of showing similar figures on opposing sides? What if, like so many of the Ao3 wacky ideas out there, Daemon is indeed Aemond’s father? Daemon’s vision in Harrenhal in the S2 finale certainly adds to this as well. Their fates are interconnected, perhaps even more so if we dive into this wild idea.
Daemon is Aemond’s father. Is it even probable?
Otto Hightower always thought Daemon to be insufferable. Much like Alicent now thinks Aemond is as well. Yet again, another similarity. But looking at Otto’s hatred towards Daemon, it seemingly stems from something out of George R.R. Martin‘s The Rogue Prince.
Though only a rumor that Alicent Hightower and Daemon Targaryen had a carnal relationship, it does explain Otto despising Viserys’ brother. But this hatred could soon turn into a typical scheming, conniving nature.
Much like how in canon lore Otto basically pushed Alicent onto Viserys, what if the rumors did hold credence and Otto pushed for Daemon’s and Alicent’s betrothal? Well, for one thing it would mean that any children that Alicent would bear from this union would stamp an automatic ticket for Otto to continue his manipulation. Moreover, it would’ve been easy for Viserys to consider the union. What, with it being his friend and ally’s daughter, and his own brother. Of course, the subsequent books did not further this rumor.
But if indeed this union was to take place, Aemond certainly takes after Daemon in more ways than one. And if this indeed was explored, their final tussle in the Gods Eye makes their fate all the more tragic.
House of the Dragon Season 3 sets up one intense dragon battle
While we wished for some more dragon battles in S2 of the series, S3 certainly has one battle set in stone for us- Daemon and Caraxes vs. Aemond and Vhagar, in the Gods Eye. Our favorite Team Green girlie, Halaena, pretty much foretold the outcome. But if Aemond’s father was indeed Daemon, it makes their final dance more harrowing.
The fierce Battle Above the Gods Eye saw Vhagar and Caraxes locking jaws on each other while their riders were equally dueling against each other in the skies. Daemon leaves Caraxes’ saddle to attack Aemond, who finds Dark Sister shoved right through his empty eye socket. This attack then sees both the dragons and the riders fall into the vast waters of the Gods Eye below.
While Vhagar, Caraxes, and the one-eyed Prince’s remains were eventually discovered, Daemon’s body was never found. This gut-wrenching final battle, between who could’ve been father and son, makes the aftermath almost poetic, that a father and son and their mounts should die together. What’s more, it adds a lot more depth to the vision Daemon saw in Harrenhal, where he appeared to look like Aemond.
As of 18th August, 2024, House of the Dragon is available to stream on Max.