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House of the Dragon season 2 premiered on June 16, 2024, on HBO. Created by George R. R. Martin and Ryan Condal, the spinoff series is set almost 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones. The show's first season contained 10 episodes and premiered on August 21, 2022,
At the end of the show's season 1 finale, Lucerys Velaryon is killed by Prince Aemond's dragon, Vhagar. The House of the Dragon season 2 premiere episode focuses on Daemon Targaryen hiring two assassins named Blood and Cheese to avenge his death. The assassins kill the 6-year-old Prince Jaehaerys, who is the son of Helaena and her husband/brother King Aegon II (Aemond's younger brother).
Following the events in George R. R. Martin's novel Fire & Blood, the source material for House of the Dragon season 2, Blood is caught within the next two days and dies 13 days later in captivity. Cheese, however, succeeded in escaping and was never to be found.
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Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for House of the Dragon season 2 episode 1.
Who were Blood and Cheese?
Blood and Cheese were two low-level assassins hired by Prince Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) to kill King Aegon II Targaryen (Tom Glynn-Carney).
Daemon's former lover and spy Mysaria (Sonoya Mizuno), also called the White Worm, connected him to Blood, an ex butcher-turned-guard, and a rat catcher well-versed with the palace tunnels named Cheese. Blood is described as a tall, muscular swordsman and is played by Sam C. Wilson in the series, while Cheese is described as a short, skinny ratcatcher and is played by Mark Stobbart.
What happens with Blood and Cheese in House of the Dragon season 2 episode 1?
According to the novel, Blood is captured within two days at the Gate of the Gods with Jaehaerys' head in one of his saddle sacks. During torture, he reveals that he was planning to take the prince's head to Prince Daemon in Harrenhal and collect his reward. Blood dies in captivity thirteen days later.
The entire King's Landing is searched to find Cheese and Mysaria, but they are never found. In anger, Aegon orders every ratcatcher in the city to be killed instead.
House of the Dragon season 2 episode 1 ends with Jaehaerys' horrific murder and will likely cover its aftermath, including Blood's capture, in the next episode slated for release on June 23, 2024.
Was Rhaenyra aware of Blood and Cheese?
Following her son Lucerys' death, Rhaenyra (Emma D'Arcy) collapses in grief. Her husband/uncle Daemon Targaryen, who was away at Harrenhal during this time, vows revenge on her behalf. He sends her message through a raven reassuring her that he will take care of the issue.
In the novel, the Blood and Cheese murder was entirely Daemon's doing and Rhaenyra does not become aware of it until after the fact.
Who did Blood and Cheese murder?
In the novel, Blood and Cheese find Helaena (Phia Saban) and her twins, son Jaehaerys, daughter Jaehaera, and another son Maelor at Queen Alicent's (Olivia Cooke) chamber. Blood quickly grabs the six-year-old Prince Jaehaerys, while Cheese grabs hold of the two-year-old Prince Maelor.
The two tell her they are there to clear a debt, a 'son for a son,' and ask her to volunteer one of her sons to be killed. The queen tearfully pleads to be killed instead. However, the assassins threaten to rape her six-year-old daughter, Princess Jaehaera, if she does not make a decision soon. She takes Maelor's name.
The book states that Queen Helaena wanted to protect the king's firstborn son and heir and maybe considered Maelor's young age as a factor in her decision. Cheese wickedly whispers into Maelor's ear, "You hear that, little boy? Your momma wants you dead."
In an act of extreme cruelty, Blood decapitates Jaehaerys' head instead, with a single swing of his sword. The duo flee the scene with Jaehaerys' head and escape through the Red Keep's secret tunnels.
The events differ slightly in the House of the Dragon season 2 premiere episode. The series does not include Maelor's character and shows Aegon and Helaena as parents to only the six-year-old twins, Jaehaerys and Jaehaera.
After sneeking inside the Red Keep, Cheese is the one to find Queen Helaena in a room with the twins. The assassins force Helaena to point out her son (as the twins look alike) at knifepoint.
She tries to bribe them with a necklace instead, but in the end, points to the young Jaehaerys sleeping in his bed peacefully. The duo hesitate for a moment wondering if she is telling the truth, but proceed to kill him while covering his mouth. His death is not shown, but conveyed through the sound of knives for a truly chilling effect.
Tune in to HBO to watch the latest episodes of House of the Dragon season 2 starting from June 16, 2024. Viewers can also stream the episodes later on Max.
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