Spoilers for House of the Dragon episode 7 below!Actor Olivia Cooke recently discussed why her character, Queen Alicent Hightower, attacks Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy) in House of the Dragon episode 7. The prequel series to the hit HBO fantasy-drama series, Game of Thrones, centers on the familial strife within the House Targaryen following King Viserys I Targaryen's (Paddy Considine) decision to break patriarchal decision and name his daughter, Rhaenyra, heir to the Iron Throne. With Viserys' death nearing due to a sickness that has been slowing eating away at his body, tensions have never been higher as Alicent and Rhaenyra finally come to blows.
House of the Dragon episode 7 finds the royal families together at Driftmark to bury Lady Laena Velaryon (Nanna Blondell) at sea. The melancholy affair is cut short when Alicent's son, Prince Aemond Targaryen (Leo Ashton) ventures off into the night and claims Laena's former dragon, Vhagar, as his own. This leads to a violent confrontation with Laena's daughters who allege that Aemond stole the dragon that was rightfully theirs. In an attempt to defend the girls, Rhaenyra's sons attack Aemond who holds his own while taunting the boys about their bastard status. In retaliation, the fight escalates with Prince Lucerys Velaryon (Harvey Sadler) slicing the Targaryen prince's eye. In the aftermath, Alicent and Rhaenyra defend their children's actions with Viserys seemingly taking his daughter's side. In an absolute rage, Alicent grabs a dagger and attacks Rhaenyra, cutting her forearm.
In a recent interview on The Official Game of Thrones Podcast: House of the Dragon, Cooke detailed why Alicent attacks Rhaenyra in episode 7. The actor explained that Alicent is in heightened state of stress due to the fact that the Queen feels she does not have the support from her husband, even with the well-being of her own children clearly compromised. Read what Cooke had to say about the attack below:
"It just feels like she was backed into a corner for so long. She's also been emboldened by Larys and Criston Cole—her allies—they're hermetically sealed in their disdain toward Rhaenyra and the whole regime. So when it's so obvious that Viserys is going to choose Rhaenyra and throws the threat of that being treason for what I am saying or what my boys have said, I think that's just when she just breaks. It's just piled on top of her for so long that I don't even think she realizes she's grabbed the knife and is chasing towards Rhaenyra until she slices. It's just pure id at that point and adrenaline. And then the huge amount of guilt and confusion and sorrow for what she's just done and her disgust at what she realizes that she's now capable of. Which, you know, Daddy loves."
What Will Alicent Do Next on House of the Dragon?
Cooke clearly understands that Alicent feels backed into a corner with little support as the lives of her children are threatened. With Aemond brutally maimed, Alicent believes that she has to take matters into her own hands to protect her loved ones if no one else will. Her actions set the stage for the Targaryen war to come, dubbed the Dance of the Dragons, which will pit Rhaenyra against Alicent—along with their many allies— in an attempt to claim the Iron Throne.
The House of the Dragon episode 8 trailer teases another time-jump, which hints that Viserys will finally be on his deathbed. Alicent along with her father and Hand of the King, Ser Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans), will likely rule while the King is incapacitated, threatening Rhaenyra's right to ascend to the highest position in all of Westeros. Rhaenyra and her new husband, Prince Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith), must race back to King's Landing to prepare for her father's death while securing her ascension to the Iron Throne. With the House of the Dragon season 1 nearing its end, Alicent will likely make a final play for her son, Prince Aegon Targaryen (Ty Tennant), Viserys' eldest living male son, to stake his claim as king.
Source: The Official Game of Thrones Podcast: House of the Dragon