Did House of the Dragon just show a new contender for the Iron Throne?

By Lewis Knight

Published: Monday, 17 October 2022 at 12:00 am

**Spoiler warning for House of the Dragon episode 9**

House of the Dragon episode 9, titled ‘The Green Council’, examines the events in King’s Landing following the death of King Viserys I Targaryen (Paddy Considine).

Spurred on by Viserys’ final words, Queen Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) begins plotting to place her eldest son Prince Aegon Targaryen (Tom Glynn-Carney) on the Iron Throne instead of his older half-sister, Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy).

However, the widowed Queen finds herself competing with her own father Ser Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans) to find her son in King’s Landing first.

While Alicent enlists her son Prince Aemond Targaryen (Ewan Mitchell) and personal protector Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel) to find him, Ser Otto sends the twin brothers Ser Arryk Cargyll (Luke Tittensor) and Ser Erryk Cargyll (Elliott Tittensor) to bring Aegon directly to him.

During their search of the city, the Cargyll twins head to a disturbing establishment in Flea Bottom where children are forced to fight against each other.

In this building, Ser Erryk points out to his brother that a small child is sitting in the corner of the establishment, sporting platinum blond hair often associated with the Targaryens and the blood of Old Valyria.

Ser Erryk suggests that this child is a bastard born from Aegon himself and is but one of many of his offspring as a result of the Prince’s insatiable sexual appetites.

Will this child prove to be of greater significance? There is a chance that this child is actually the character named Gaemon Palehair from the book Fire and Blood.

**Spoiler warning for the book Fire and Blood and potentially House of the Dragon**

Who is Gaemon Palehair in Fire and Blood? 

""
Tom Glynn-Carney as Prince Aegon Targaryen in House of the Dragon
Ollie Upton/HBO

In the book Fire and Blood, Gaemon Palehair is the bastard son of a prostitute named Essie from the brothel known as the House of Kisses on the Street of Silk in King’s Landing.

During the civil war dubbed the ‘Dance of the Dragons‘, Gaemon is later claimed to be the bastard son of Prince Aegon Targaryen and the prostitutes of the brothel and other followers later proclaimed him as the King of Westeros.

Amassing thousands of followers, the boy became known as “The Cunny King” and his mother called herself Lady Esselyn.

A number of proclamations were made on behalf of King Gaemon, mostly in the interest of women’s rights and caring for the poor.

However, a later development would see Gaemon’s mother Essie admit that Gaemon was the son of Lysene oarsman and not Aegon. Whether Gaemon was indeed a pretender will no doubt be debated.

So, could this young boy in House of the dragon turn out to be the Gaemon of the book Fire and Blood? We shall have to wait and see.

Read more:

House of the Dragon airs on Sky Atlantic and is available on NOW – find out more about how to sign up for Sky TV. Check out more of our Fantasy coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what’s on tonight.

The latest issue of Radio Times magazine is on sale now – subscribe now and get the next 12 issues for only £1. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to the Radio Times View From My Sofa podcast.