Warning: This article contains significant spoilers for House of the Dragon Season 2, viewer discretion is advised
House of the Dragon Season 2 episode 7 titled “The Red Sowing” saw Prince Aemond Targaryen go after the unknown dragon and the rider (Silvering and Ulf the White) that had entered King’s Landing.
Unclear about the identity, the prince begins chasing it over Blackwater Bay, mounted on Vhagar. However, he soon realizes that entering enemy territory without intelligence will be a massive risk.
Aemond knows that Blacks have three dangerous dragons on their side: Syrax, Vermax, and Moondancer. He is unaware of the new dragon riders Rhaenyra Targaryen has recruited for her army.
Vhagar had been in recovery since the Battle of Rook’s Rest. Though she is the biggest of the dragons, going up against three would not be an easy task, and Vhagar has a high chance of being outnumbered.
Aemond realizes that by flying into Dragonstone he might be entering a well-planned trap and hence withdraws from the scene to fight the battle some other day. This is very unlike Prince Aemond and Vaghar, as neither has ever shied away from battle before and has seldom stepped away from killing if needed.
In addition, the penultimate episode of House of the Dragon season 2 gives us a glimpse of how the Blacks are currently at an advantage. They have amassed multiple dragons with new riders on their side, while the Greens are only left with four dragons, one of them injured.
House of the Dragon: What does Aemond see in Dragonstone?
The one-eyed prince and his dragon Vhagar are known to kill anyone who dares to stand in their way. Looking at their history, the dragon-rider duo has already defeated Lucerys Velaryon and Rhaenys Targaryen along with their dragons Arrax and Meleys.
He could have done the same to Silverwing while making his chase to Dragonstone.
But as soon as he enters Rhaenyra’s territory, he realizes that she has set up a trap along with new dragons with allegiance to the Blacks. Aemond is known for pulling tricky aerial dogfights as seen during his and Vhagar’s confrontation with Arrax and Lucerys in the House of the Dragon Season 1 finale.
We see Aemond and Vaghar display similar skills when they take down Meleys and Rhaenys in Season 2 Episode 4. However, considering the present situation, putting up a fight upfront with Rhaenyra while she is clearly in power could have resulted in Aemond’s and Vhagar’s easy defeat.
Thus, in Episode 7 of Season 2 Aemond tells Vhagar:
“ No Vhagar. Flee, Vhagar. Turn around.”
Is Rhaenyra Targaryen at an advantage in House of the Dragons?
Yes, for now, Rhaenyra Targaryen is at an advantage, but she still hasn’t won the war. Though they might have compelled Vhagar to return to her territory, the Greens still hold the iron throne.
Rhaenyra Targaryen is leading, considering power, by having additional dragon riders who can change the dynamics of the battles in the future. The Blacks also gained Tully’s support after Lord Oscar Tully considered helping Rhaenyra by providing her with an additional army.
What happens to Vhagar in the books?
Vhagar is known to be the oldest and largest living dragon. She is popular for putting up mighty fights utilizing the advantage of her size and experience in House of the Dragon, based on George R. R. Martin's 2018 book, Fire & Blood.
During Vhagar’s lifespan, she has been ridden by Visenya Targaryen, Laena Velaryon, and Aemond Targaryen.
In the novel, Aemond mounted Vaghar after she was left riderless following Laena Velaryon's death. Prince Aemond Targaryen lost one of his eyes in his fight against Princes Lucerys & Jacaerys to acquire Vhagar as a valuable asset on the Greens' side.
However, he believed an eye was a fair price for a dragon-like Vhagar, who could fly faster and easily take down any other dragons that stood in her path due to her sheer size, power, and battle experience.
But Vhagar is ultimately defeated by Caraxes when Aemond fights with Daemon Targaryen during the Battle Above the God's Eye. Careaxes is young, agile, and serpentine, while Vhagar is stronger and fiercer.
The dragons inflict serious wounds while fighting each other while their riders clash mid-air - Daemon jumps onto Vaghar and kills Aemond with the Valyrian steel sword known as the Dark Sister.
Vhagar’s claw proceeds to rip off Caraxes' belly and tear off his wing. Despite being severely injured, Caraxes goes directly for Vhagar’s neck as they drop into the lake, thus killing the latter. Caraxes later swam ashore and soon died due to his grievous wounds. Daemon's body was never discovered.
As, the House of the Dragon Season 2 finale approaches, the tension between the Blacks and the Greens persists. With both teams being equally powerful, Aemond turns to his sister Queen Helaena to assist him in the war with her dragon Dreamfyre.
HBO will conclude House of the Dragon season 2 with episode 8 as its finale on 4th August 2024. Stay tuned to witness the devastation Aemond and Vhagar are preparing to unleash after their strategic withdrawal.
