WARNING! This article contains SPOILERS for Fire & Blood and House of the Dragon season 1, episode 7!House of the Dragon depicts Aegon Targaryen as being particularly focused on his sexual interests, which gives more weight to a rumor in George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood book. In one of the most shocking introductions to a House of the Dragon character, teenage Aegon Targaryen’s second scene features him being caught masturbating out of his window – the same window Tommen jumps from in Game of Thrones. This moment seemed to be the height of Aegon’s bizarre teenage years, but is only the beginning of demonstrating his true priorities.
Following his window scene, House of the Dragon episode 7 continues Aegon’s sexually-minded characteristics by flirting with a drink server. Aegon then says he and Helaena both “fancy creatures with very long necks,” which is his suggestive way of saying his main priority is women. Prince Aegon’s notable focus on sex teases the validity of Fire & Blood’s rumors that when the small council is searching for him after Viserys’ death, Aegon is either found in a rat pit with a 12-year-old Flea Bottom girl or in bed with the daughter of a wealthy trader. This is one of the most crucial moments in the Dance of the Dragons, so it’s extremely telling that he’s found drunk and “in his revels” with a random girl (possibly of questionable age) rather than home with his family. King Viserys’ death takes place around six years after the window scene, so House of the Dragon would also be indicating that Aegon is still just a horny teenager who has no business ruling over Rhaenyra.
HOTD Proves Rhaenyra Deserves The Iron Throne Over Aegon
Since he’s only a teenager, it’s not surprising that Aegon would be focused more on sex than the Iron Throne or appearances, but this does demonstrate how different he is from Rhaenyra. While teenage Rhaenyra still indulged in her own pleasures, she maintained a sense of duty and at least tried to be respectful and careful about being caught. Aegon has no such fears, with the Iron Throne apparently the last thing he wants. Rather, the king-to-be is focused on getting excessively drunk in public, hitting on servants, and playing pranks on his brother. From masturbating out of his window at the Red Keep to being found in the bed with another woman before his coronation, Aegon’s immaturity makes Rhaenyra better suited for the Iron Throne.
Does Aegon Win The Dance Of The Dragons?
The winner of the Dance of the Dragons is quite complicated, as it’s difficult to say whether the greens or the blacks were ultimately victorious. Rhaenyra briefly takes the Iron Throne back from Aegon, but is then killed by Aegon on Dragonstone after holding King’s Landing for approximately six months. Aegon returns to the Iron Throne as the sole ruler, but the division between the greens and the blacks isn’t over at this time. Corlys Velaryon and Larys Strong quickly conspire against the maimed and weak king, with Fire & Blood indicating they had Aegon II Targaryen poisoned. After the King’s death, House of the Dragon's Lord Cregan Stark of the blacks marches into King’s Landing, punishes the traitors on both sides, and raises Rhaenyra’s surviving son Aegon the Younger to King of Westeros.
Aegon II Targaryen’s male heirs from the greens had all died during the Targaryen civil war, so Aegon III Targaryen was his only surviving heir aside from his young daughter Jaehaera. Since Aegon the Younger was the son of Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen, it can be said that the blacks did win the civil war, as the Dance of the Dragons doesn’t truly end until he becomes king. However, Aegon killing Rhaenyra also points to evidence of the greens being victorious, which makes the real winner of House of the Dragon’s conflict quite ambiguous.
New episodes of House of the Dragon release Sundays on HBO/HBO Max.