The House of the Dragon series wants to make us buy into the rivalry between Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) and Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy) as the root of the conflicts that led to the civil war in Westeros. Fans didn’t get on board as much. In the book, as well as on TV, the most anticipated confrontation will be another: Aemond Targaryen (Ewan Mitchell) and Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) uncle and nephews whose duel will be unforgettable.
A mutual hatred that is part of the DNA
Alicent and Rhaenyra, in the book, hate each other deeply, but they are not friends or the same age. Alicent’s “insertion” among the Targaryens was effective from a young age when she was Jaeherys’ “favorite reader”, so even though she was young, she could not be Viserys’ daughter. It is clear that Otto always wanted her as queen even before Viserys was king and the plan took time, but it worked. With her, the Hightower lineage would be among the Targaryens, and, little by little, it would replace it.
As Otto and Daemon openly hated each other, part of their political game was to stop each other. In this way, Daemon never looked at his brother’s children from his second marriage as legitimate. Therefore, to him, Aemond is just a Hightower, arrogant and petulant. It doesn’t give him the relevance that his nephew craves and that he gives to him.
The intentions of the nephew and uncle seem the same, but they are not
Many buy into Otto’s view that Daemon’s true intentions are to be King. There is a subtlety here. Daemon feels prepared but doesn’t want the throne.
And what does he want? He wanted Viserys to be more assertive, to be proud of Targaryen’s superiority, and to give him prestige. Daemon understands that the one who has even more power is the Hand of the King. This is the position that would please him the most.
Of course, with his gigantic personality, only Daemon deceives himself that he would be content with the secondary position. The Hand is strategic and has autonomy, but the King does what he wants. And Daemon would never have the diplomacy to deal with an ignored suggestion. Deep down, he had to be King.
Aemond, on the other hand, has no problem not only recognizing himself as more prepared, he understands that he is outstanding, but given the chance he would like to be King. And he will be regent.
Uncle and nephew’s opposition
If it wasn’t enough that Aemond is first seen as Hightower by Daemon, when Aegon II usurps the throne he harms Rhaenyra but even more (in Daemon’s view) her children. He cannot tolerate the idea that his children are less than Otto’s grandchildren. It is yet another motivation for war.
Daemon, an experienced warrior and leader, views Aemond’s arrogance and ambition with a mixture of disdain, rivalry, and irritation.
The tension between them escalates significantly after Aemond tames Vhagar, one of the greatest dragons in history who was ridden by Laena Velaryon, Daemon’s late wife. The series kind of shows him as indifferent, but he saw the act as a provocation and disrespect towards his wife’s memory.
To make their relationship worse in the series, it was defending Daemon’s daughter that his stepson Lucaerys blinded Aemond in one eye. In the book, the fight between them is because of Joffrey. In any case, Daemon always made fun of his nephew after the incident, which didn’t help improve their relationship.
Mutual revenge
Aemond sees a confrontation with his uncle – who he considers capable of winning – as confirmation of his warrior skills. In the series, when Daemon defends his stepchildren without saying a single word, Aemond tries to support his position, but retreats. Per hour.
Everyone knows that without Daemon, Rhaenyra would not have the strength to maintain her position as successor. Another element that intensifies the fight between the two.
However, what cemented Daemon’s hatred once and for all was the cowardly way in which Aemond killed Lucaerys. “A son for a son,” he determines. It is this response that places the two as the main players in the civil war between the Greens and the Blacks.
Darmon has Aegon’s firstborn son killed in response to Luke’s death, which reinforces the fan theory that revenge is more literal than it seems since the children were secretly Aemond’s. Really?
It won’t be this season that they face each other yet.
Daemon is Black’s main strategist, but Aemond shares this position with Ser Cristin Cole. Even with victories and defeats on both sides, Rhaneyra will manage to take King’s Landing thanks to Daemon.
The animosity between Daemon and Aemond encapsulates the tragic and destructive nature of the Targaryens’ infighting, where personal grievances largely contribute to the Civil War and the entire Kingdom.
Their rivalry becomes emblematic of even greater questions about Power, Legacy, and Family Duty, everything that marks the history of the Targaryens.
Daemon and Aemond’s fight will be epic, but it only occurs in a fourth season. Can we call it a draw? Daemon will leap from Caraxes to Vhagar, blinding Aemond in the only eye he had. But both to death. Among the remains, Daemon’s body was never located. Did he really die? It’s a mystery the series can solve. Fans crave it.
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