Episode 5 was packed with multiple jaw-dropping events. Whether it was Daemon killing his wife or Alicent coming to know of the moon tea that the maester had sent to Rhaenyra. However, the most important but still subtle part of the episode was Alicent’s green dress.
King Viserys’ wife and Queen, Alicent walked into the Great Hall while the former was giving a speech about the union between the Valeryons and Targaryens. The look on Alicent’s face had changed, and the aura around her was different, too.
So, what significance does her green dress have in House of the Dragon? Let’s find out.
Alicent’s green dress symbolizes defiance and war against Rhaenyra’s succession to the throne. With this, she’s letting all the houses know of her stance. This will create the green faction, marking the beginning of the civil war, Dance of the Dragons.
We see a scene where Alicent’s uncle tells her that the Oldtown House stands with her. Larys Strong also explained that whenever the Hightower House wants to call banners to war, it lights up a green flame as a beacon.
This indicates multiple things. To begin with, Alicent finally mended her ways and became the person her father always wanted her to be. After she came to know of the moon tea, she changed her entire stance regarding Rhaenyra. This, combined with Otto’s warning about Rhaenyra wanting to kill Alicent’s children, led the latter to move against her.
When she entered the hall, everyone’s eyes turned toward her, and there was something ominous about her presence. We also saw that she had used Ser Cristan Cole’s guilt in her favor and got him to her side.
The episode ends with King Viserys falling while the maester marries the couple. However, we don’t know if he’s dead yet. In the books, he dies in his bed much after Rhaenyra and Laenor’s marriage.
This could merely lead up to that moment. Another crucial narrative in the book is what happens after he dies. If you haven’t read the books, do not read any further because we’re entering spoiler territory.
In the books, Rhaenyra is away when the king dies. Alicent and Otto decide against telling her because they want to first perform the coronation ceremony on Aegon II. Their efforts are successful, and by the time Rhaenyra learns of her father’s death and reaches King’s Landing, Aegon II is already king.
She doesn’t regard Aegon II as her king because, till the end, Viserys maintained that Rhaenyra was his heir. So, she starts gathering supporters for her side and manages to get quite a few. Post this, the Dance of the Dragons civil war begins.
While I do know how it ends, I’ll reserve it for later. The question is, will Rhaenyra ever be Queen? We’ll just have to wait and find out.
About House Of The Dragon
House of the Dragon is the prequel series to HBO’s blockbuster Game of Thrones based on George R. R. Martin’s book Fire & Blood.
Set three hundred years before the events of Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon will show Westeros under the Targaryen family’s rule before the dragons went extinct. It will follow the Dance of the Dragons, the Targaryen civil war between siblings Aegon II and Rhaenyra, who fought for the throne after the death of their father, Viserys I.
Directed by Ryan Condall and Miguel Sapochnik, the show stars Paddy Considine as Viserys I Targaryen, Emma D’Arcy as Rhaenyra Targaryen, Olivia Cooke as Alicent Hightower, Matt Smith as Daemon Targaryen, Tom Glynn-Craney as Aegon II Targaryen, Rhys Ifans as Otto Hightower, Steve Toussaint as Corlys Velaryon, Eve Best as Rhaenys Velaryon, Sonoya Mizuno as Mysaria, Fabien Frankel as Criston Cole, and Graham McTavish.
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