Editor’s note: The below contains spoilers for House of the Dragon Season 2, Episode 7.
After prowling in the shadows for one season,Prince Aemond Targaryen (Ewan Mitchell) has emerged as a force to be reckoned with.House of the DragonSeason 2 positions the overlooked,relentlessly bullied, and vengeful younger brother of King Aegon II Targaryen (Tom Glynn-Carney) as a formidable foe for Team Black and Aemond’s direct family. The cunning youth has gone fromregretting the undeniable part he playedin Lucerys Velaryon’s (Elliot Grihault) death-by-dragon tomurdering his cousin, Rhaenys Targaryen (Eve Best), with smug satisfaction. As for that incident where he immolated Aegon with dragon fire, there’s some wiggle room about whetherhe tried to commit impulsive fratricide. Still, it isn’t the most convincingly altruistic look.
Regardless, Aemond’s actions during thebattle of Rook’s Restsecured him the coveted title of Prince Regent;he rules over the Seven Kingdoms while a bedridden Aegon endures his long, laborious recovery. Right now, few people know thatAemond almost burned the king of Westeros to death. Aegon, of course, happens to be one of them – and Aemond doesn’t want that damning information going public. Aemond addresses this problem by visiting Aegon in Season 2, Episode 6. The scene between theestranged brothersis rife with subtext so clear, it barely counts as implied, butthere are layers of meaning behind the “gift” Aemond leaves in Aegon’s care: a round stone from the small council.
House of the Dragon
The reign of House Targaryen begins with this prequel to the popular HBO seriesGame of Thrones.Based on George R.R. Martin’sFire & Blood,House of the Dragonis set nearly 200 years beforeGame of Thrones, telling the story of the Targaryen civil war with King Viserys.
Aemond Leaves Aegon With the King’s Small Council Stone in ‘House of the Dragon’ Season 2, Episode 6
All things considered, it seems like almostbecoming a kinslayer twice over, killing Queen Rhaenyra’s (Emma D’Arcy) best warrior, and assuming the role of Regent are all in a day’s work for this new version of Aemond. Maybe “new” isn’t the appropriate word;Aemond’s true self has stepped into the limelight. After the bloody horrors enacted at Rook’s Rest, Aegon is too wounded to laud his authority over Aemond. The small council obeys Aemond’s will.He no longer needs to show deference.
Once Aegon regains consciousness, Aemond prompts Aegon’s memory aboutRook’s Rest. Aegon barely forces out a strangled “I remember nothing.” SinceAegon reacts to Aemond’s appearance with panicked terror, there’s no ambiguity about his statement being true. As for Aemond, if his brother starts telling people that Aemonddracarys’d him,not only will Aemond lose his newfound power and the assured security that comes with it, he could be punished for treason.
So,Aemond implicitly threatens Aegon’s lifeby psychologically terrorizing the king, who’s immobile in his bed and trembling with fear. Aemond digs one of the small council’s heavy stones deep into Aegon’s open (and freshly oozing) wounds for good measure — essentially torturing his brother to underscore his point. After all that,Aemond’s parting shot is leaving the stone in Aegon’s hands. The scene holds, letting Aegon examine the ball in breathless silence before cutting away.
What Do ‘House of the Dragon’s Small Council Stones Mean?
ShowrunnerRyan Condoltold theHollywood Reporter in 2022that each member of the small council has an individual stone ball, designated by color and kept in a large bowl in the center of the table when the council’s adjourned.When a person places their respective stone in a dish in front of their seat, it represents them “punching into” work like a time card. There are seven balls for each council member, and seven happens to be one ofA Song of Ice and Fireseries creatorGeorge R. R. Martin’s favorite numbers: the faith of the Seven, the Seven-Pointed Star, the old gods and their seven faces, and the very Seven Kingdoms over whichAegon and Rhaenyra are warring.
In thesecond season’s fifth episode, once the small council makes Aemond regent, Aemond plucks the king’s stone out of the center bowl. He sits at the head of the table and sets the stone down in its proper place.Aemond is officially “punching into” his new role and emphasizing his authority to the small council with a routine, yet potent, gesture. One episode later, Aemond giving Aegon the king’s stone rubs salt into Aegon’s emotional wounds. The actreminds Aegon of his incapacitated stateand the consequences of directing his flippant cruelty toward Aemond for years. Aemond, the spare heir, has all butusurped his brother’s throne— possibly with murderous intent — and doesn’t seem inclined to surrender his hard-won claim.
Aemond Silently Threatens Aegon With the Stone
Aemond’s gesture doubles as another unspoken threat. Aegon has the crown, but barely. He’s physically defenseless, and when it comes to Aemond’s patient scheming, politically helpless. The tables have turned on the untouchable king. These undertones translate into Aemond’s ever-watchful menace.Ewan Mitchell was inspired by the philosophy behindRobert De Niro’s character inHeat, and told theofficialHouse of the Dragonpodcastthat he styles his posture, stillness, and controlled movement after 1970s slasher horror icons — specificallyHalloween’s Michael Myers. Aemond’s laconic tendencies might be slow and steady, but asHalloweenevinces,the slow and steady ones always catch up to their victims.
Did ‘House of the Dragon’ Forget About Aemond’s Fiancée?
Vhagar isn’t the only woman in the prince regent’s life.
The way Aemond conducts himself speaks both to his weaponized cunning and the power contained in his battle-regimented body, and where the two meet. He silently waits for the small council to name him regent; he knows it’s inevitable. Later, he discusses war tactics whileroaming the room and lingering behind seated members— looming, even, enough to make the person uneasy. He sportsAegon’s catspaw daggerand pairs it with a self-righteous half-smile that’s as instinctive as breathing.Aemond employs these tactics when Aegon is incapacitated in his bed: Aemond invades his space, folds both hands over the stone as he drives the weight into Aegon’s burns, and lightly kisses Aegon’s forehead.Mitchell’s carriage is all he needs to be chilling and inscrutable, and Aemond’s message doesn’t need dialogue.
The Ball Is in Aegon’s Court for ‘House of the Dragon’s Season 2 Finale
Aegon’s small council stone alsorepresents his recent loss.His doomed heir, Jaehaerys, plays with Tyland Lannister’s (Jefferson Hall) stone during the Season 2 premiere. The toddler’s antics charm Aegon, showing that even a neglectful father would rather interact with his son than listen to the small council’s blabbering. Jaehaerys is too young to understand the meeting, but Aegon pointedly includes his son. He plans to prepare Jaehaerys for his inheritance, something Aegon’s father, Viserys Targaryen (Paddy Considine), never did. Thefour children Viserys hadwith Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) were born out of obligation, not love;Viserys didn’t train Aegon for court. WhetherAemond means to reawaken Aegon’s grief over Jaehaerysor not, the murdered boy turned a small council object into a toy. The two are forever linked.
Finally,the stone could literally translate to “the ball’s in your court.“Mitchell referenced this sentiment in Episode 6’s accompanying podcast: without saying anything that could be taken out of context, Aemond lays down the law. Whatever happens next is Aegon’s choice, and the cost on Aegon’s head. However, the tide of both wars — the Blacks versus the Greens, and Aegon versus his family — has turned.The smallfolk of King’s Landingare rioting. Rhaenyra’sfresh crop of dragon ridersfrightens even Aemond, the boy who bonded with the mightyVhagar. Aegon has gained avaluable ally in Larys Strong(Matthew Needham), the notorious Master of Whisperers. And there’s alwaysAemond’s favorite role model/nemesis, Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith), who has finally amassed an army in the Riverlands. Aemond might cling to power for a while yet.His reign could also crumble— no matter how much torment he inflicts through a symbolic stone ball.
New episodes ofHouse of the DragonSeason 2 premiere Sundays on HBO and Max.
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