House of the Dragon premiered last Sunday, and so far, reviews of the show have been positive. It is a good sign for the show that faced steep reservations from the A Song of Ice and Fire community, and it seems that the series will be rewarding fans and newcomers alike. The novel the series is based on, Fire and Blood by George R. R. Martin, is more of a history book than a narrative story like his earlier works used for Game of Thrones.
Therefore, the show-runners for the new HBO series have many opportunities to insert details and scenes in the framework Martin has already created. However, there are still plenty of instances in the first episode of the creator pulling events directly from the book and more moments from the novel are sure to make their way into the show.
Princess Rhaenyra The Cupbearer
The first scene the audience is shown of Rhaenyra is her flying dragons, shortly followed by the young princess serving wine at the small council meeting. Some viewers may have seen this as a way for the show-runners to place the character more centrally in the story, but it is actually taken straight from the novel.
In the book, it is said that as Viserys I's only child, Rhaenyra is placed into service as cupbearer at any and all meetings the king attends. This is a detail that shows how close the king feels to his daughter even if he had been trying for a son for so long. The young girl is described as "the Realm's Delight," and it's clear those at the table in the scene are fond of her.
Daemon And His Wife
It would be easy to miss because the character is not even shown in the first episode, and Daemon's antics imply otherwise, but the Targaryen prince does indeed have a wife. She is known as the Lady of Runestone, Rhea Royce, and she is not a favorite of Daemon at all.
He has choice words for the lady and the Vale of Arryn, calling it a bore and referring to his wife as "my bronze b***". His lines about his domestic life are lifted word for word from Fire and Blood, and it is plain to see in both media that the marriage will not last very long.
Dameon's Gold Cloaks
Like its predecessor, House of the Dragon, is not holding back in the violence and gore department if the gold cloaks scene is to be a template for the rest of the series. The heavy-handed killing and maiming of the criminals of King's Landing is a shocking scene that sets up what type of ruler Daemon would end up being if he sits on the throne.
The novel explicitly refers to this event as just one of many. Daemon is responsible for giving the gold cloaks their iconic capes and is said to spend many nights "...cutting off the hands of pickpockets, gelding rapists, ... and slew three men in street brawls...". As brutal as the scene is on tv, it is nearly shot for shot what is described in the book.
Ser Otto's Dislike Of Daemon
It is clear from the moment they are in a room together that Otto Hightower and Daemon Targaryen do not get along. Daemon antagonizes the hand of the king, and Hightower tries to keep the prince out of courtly business. As two major characters on the show, their conflict is bound to become more volatile in episodes to come.
George R. R. Martin makes reference to this mutual dislike as soon as he introduces both characters. Many of Hightower's lines about Daemon are taken word for word from the book, and in both the novel and the show, it is Hightower's advice that removes Daemon from influential seats on the council.
Queen Aemma's Death
Just like in the show, the book Aemma also dies in childbirth due to complications with the pregnancy. The book only states that she died while giving birth to a son, Baelon, who only lasted a day. The event is said to be as tragic in the book as it's depicted in the show, though the gruesome birth scene in the show is not described at all in the book.
Viewers who have not read the book may have expected the queen to survive longer than one episode, but the show runners looked to the book and gave her about as much time as the book offers. Unfortunately, both, her death and that of her son leads to the central conflict of the series.
Heir For A Day
In a fantastic cross-cutting scene near the end of the episode, the action jumps from a meeting at the small council and Daemon Targaryen and his gold cloaks at a brothel, partying on the day of his sisters-in-law's death. Otto Hightower tells Viserys that Daemon called the departed Baelon, "heir for a day."
This line is taken right from the book, and just like in the book, Daemon actually uttering the words is never shown. In both the book and show, it is not confirmed whether Daemon made the cruel joke or if someone else leaked the false rumor to pit brother against brother.
Rhaenyra Named Heir
While the scene of Viserys offering Rhaenyra the crown in front of the skull of Balerion the Black Dread is not shown in Fire and Blood, Viserys does move quickly to name her after the death of Aemma and Baelon in the book. In both the novel and show, Rhaenyra is named Princess of Dragonstone.
The scene at court where all the great lords of the realm come to pay homage and swear fealty to Rhaenyra is also taken right from the books. It is described as a lavish ceremony and that hundreds of lords came to swear to defend her right of succession, exactly as it plays out on screen.
Prince Daemon And Mysaria
The woman that Daemon is seen having relations with and then again spending time with at the brothel is not a television show creation to add some sex appeal to the series. That woman is Mysaria of Lys, and she will have a larger role to play in the series if the book is to be believed.
During Rhaenyra's ceremony, Daemon brings Mysaria to Dragonstone and places her hand on Caraxes, his dragon, before they both fly off. This is exactly what happens in the book. Daemon refuses to acknowledge Rhaenyra's rule and instead takes off with Mysaria on the back of the "Blood Wyrm."
Lord Hightower Plots With Alicent
In the Fire and Blood, there are always two to three stories from different points of view that can never be fully trusted. So many things happen in the shadows in King's Landing that it is not always easy to know exactly what the truth is. One rumor is that Lord Hightower had brought his daughter, Alicent, to court with the express intention of marrying her to the king.
This idea is taken right from the pages, and the scene is depicted very carefully. Lord Hightower encourages his young daughter to visit King Viserys I while he grieves, at night and alone. He even encourages her to wear her departed mother's dress. The show takes the scene from the book and all but makes it the truth of what happened.