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House of the Dragon season 1 saw major events unfold under the Targaryen reign and Rhaenyra's rise to power.
In the season finale, Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy) grapples with the news of her father's death and the threat posed by the Hightower family and her half-brother Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney), who seek to challenge her claim to the Iron Throne. While Rhaenyra makes an effort to be a little more diplomatic, her supporters are ready for battle.
Although she considers Otto Hightower's (Rhys Ilfans) dubious peace offering, ensuring the continued support of many influential families in Westeros (the Starks, Tullys, and Baratheons) remains her primary concern. In light of this, she chooses to enlist the aid of her two oldest sons, Jacaerys (Harry Collett) and Lucerys (Elliot Grihault).
The season finale ends with Lucerys (also known as Luke) getting killed by his uncle Aemond's dragon, Vhagar. While Aemond harbors disdain for Luke, there is no explicit indication that he intended to kill him.
Did Aemond order Vhagar to kill Luke in the final episode of House of the Dragon season 1?
Lucerys and Aemond share a storied history. As children, they got into a scuffle, which resulted in Lucerys maiming Aemond's left eye. Aemond, who is Luke's uncle, has since carried hatred for him, plotting revenge.
The atmosphere at Storm's End is rather gloomy when Lucerys arrives. As he brings his mother's message to Borros Baratheon, the mightiest dragon in the world, Vhagar, looms in the background. Rhaenyra had warned her sons not to use violence and only reach out as messengers.
As Lucerys departs Storm's End on Arrax, Aegon chases him on Vhagar. Following Lucerys and Arrax, Aemond demands payment of an eye-for-eye debt. But in the heat of combat, Aemond loses control of Vhagar, who is already one of the meanest dragons to tame.
Vhagar reacts understandably (but brutally) when Arrax is intimidated into spitting fire at an older dragon that is so much bigger. Aemond tries to control her, but in the end, Vhagar swallows Lucerys whole, sending Arrax's remains plummeting into the river and permanently altering the plot for House of the Dragon.
Could Aemond Targaryen control Vhagar?
Vhagar is piloted by Aemond "One Eye" Targaryen, the second child of King Viserys I and Alicient Hightower. Vhagar is one of the three mythological dragons that initially conquered Westeros, along with Balerion and Maraxes.
In House of the Dragon, she is the largest living dragon, and she does not follow Aemond's order when she decides to attack Arrax and eventually Lucerys too. Being one of the strongest dragons in the series, Vhagar is difficult to control, especially for Aemond, who is still a young rider.
What nickname did Aemond get after killing Luke?
Aemond is nicknamed "Aemond the Kinslayer" after he allegedly murders Luke in the series finale of House of the Dragon. Although he did not order Vhagar to kill Luke, he was riding the dragon at the time and thus was dubbed the nickname.
In Westeros, becoming a kinslayer is considered preposterous. It is stated that people who kill members of their own family will always be cursed and denigrated. Given how frequent battles and upheaval are in Westeros, many characters end up killing their kin regardless of this superstition.
Stay tuned for the upcoming season of House of the Dragon, scheduled to premiere on HBO and Max in June 2024.
