In Season 2 of House of the Dragon, Aegon and Aemond’s animosity intensifies and influences the war they wage.
The brothers are hostile because of personality conflicts and old grudges.
Aemond’s actions during the Battle at Rook’s Rest complicated the power struggle by putting both his reputation and the cause of the Greens at peril.
There are plenty of rivals in House of the Dragon. These are just a few examples: Daemon (Matt Smith) likes to rile up Otto (Rhys Ifans), Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) harbors resentment toward Lucerys (Elliot Grihault), Alicent (Olivia Cooke) and Rhaenyra fight for dominance, and those are just the most common. A new couple’s disagreement, which causes problems for the characters—especially for those attempting to place Aegon on the Iron Throne—is brought to light in Season 2. Despite fighting for the same side, Aegon and Aemond turn against one another in Season 2. Though their relationship has never been perfect, the war’s course has made it worse. Now that Aemond will benefit greatly from Aegon’s demise, the animosity that is already present.
Despite being brothers, Aegon and Aemond are very different individuals. Aegon is often humorous, yet he is often indulgent and unfocused. His actions as king have shown how unfit he is for the throne—he spends most of his time intoxicated. In contrast, Aemond is a severe and merciless prince. As the rider of Vhagar, he commands dread since he has studied the arts of combat and is therefore more knowledgeable about war than his brother. But their relationship goes beyond simple personality clashes; years of envy and bullying fostered anger that is finally erupting. This is revealed in Season 2, Episode 4, where it is implied that Aemond has sinister intents because the rivalry between the brothers undermines the greater battle they wage.
Chronicles of “House of the Dragon” The Rivalry Between Aegon and Aemond Throughout Their Lives
Aegon starts a horrible prank on his younger brother, Aemond, and the two are in trouble from the moment they encounter on screen. Ty Tennant and Leo Ashton, who portray Aegon and Aemond as toddlers in Season 1, Episode 6 of “The Princess and the Queen,” demonstrate that the animosity between them from Season 2 is not new. Aegon uses his nephews to fool Aemond into believing they have discovered a dragon for him, only to reveal it is actually a pig disguised in wings. Aemond is the odd man out in the family, lacking a dragon of his own. Alicent tries to bring them together by arguing that Aegon should watch out for his brother, but it doesn’t work because Aemond is understandably offended. Following an altercation that Aemond is asked where he heard the rumor that his nephews are bastards, which lost him an eye. Even though a lot occurs in this scene, it’s noteworthy that Aemond assigns the blame to Aegon after initially glancing at Alicent, who blatantly accepts the rumors. Even if the brothers don’t constantly disagree, it’s obvious that they dislike one another.
At best, they still harbor resentment toward one another as adults. Aemond looks for Aegon when their father passes away and obediently brings him back to the castle. However, Aemond states that he feels he deserves to be king and that Aegon is abusing his position, expressing his opinion that he would make a better ruler. When Aegon made a point of insulting Aemond in Season 2, Episode 3, “The Burning Mill,” it was clear that they were still having problems. This time, they happen to run into one other in a brothel, where he humiliates Aemond. Though Aemond doesn’t show it, he is aware of Aegon’s brutality toward his brother. In Episode 4, Aemond repays the favor by showing up to the council meeting with a covert plan that he has already implemented, defying The commands of Aegon. When it comes to battle preparation, Aemond outperforms his brother because he has taken the time to study, whereas Aegon behaves irrationally and lacks perspective. Speaking flawless High Valyrian during the conference, Aemond continues to make his brother look foolish in front of the little council, while Aegon can barely manage one nonsense sentence. As if Aemond hadn’t already demonstrated his superiority as a leader, the envious younger brother goes one step farther.
In ‘House of the Dragon’ Season 2, Episode 4, the brothers engage in a heated argument.
The animosity between Aemond and Aegon grows during the Battle at Rook’s Rest when Aegon unexpectedly rides his dragon Sunfyre into battle. Although Aemond and Vhagar are waiting to set up a trap for their adversary, Sunfyre arrives first. Aemond delays his entrance, allowing Aegon and Sunfyre to face Rhaenys (Eve Best) and Meleys alone. Being inexperienced and young, Sunfyre is hurt quickly, a defeat for the Greens that wouldn’t have occurred had Vhagar been present. However, worse than staying back, when Aemond does enter the battle, his first move is to allow Vhagar breathe fire at his brother and king, endangering Aegon further. Sunfyre crashes to the ground with Aegon still on his back.
Even though Aegon’s future is unknown, Criston Cole’s (Fabien Frankel) response indicates that it was a terrible event. Aegon isn’t going to escape this unscathed, even in the best of circumstances, mostly because of Aemond. As the Season 1 finale showed, dragons are infamously difficult to govern. However, Aemond’s true intentions become evident when Cole discovers him approaching a downed Aegon while brandishing a sword. Aemond has excellent reason to be furious with Aegon, but if he kills him, the Green cause could be jeopardized, particularly if it is made public.
The Greens Face Issues Due to the Rivalry Between Aegon and Aemond
Aemond’s actions during the Battle at Rook’s Rest defy logic, despite the rivalry making sense. The nature of Aemond’s attack is known. Numerous witnesses reported seeing Vhagar aim at Aegon. Even though no one seems to bring it up, Aemond is already a kinslayer as a result of Lucerys’ death, but attacking the king in front of a horde of soldiers goes beyond that. Unquestionably, Aemond is more equipped to plan a battle and rule as king, but kingslaying is even more infamous than kinslaying. Even though Aegon’s son’s death leaves Aemond as the heir apparent, many of the Lords would not support a kingslayer. Even Nikolaj Coster-Waldau’s character Jaime Lannister in Game of Thrones faces rejection because of his title.
the concerned king having lost his mind. This plot would have made more sense if Aemond had just tried to kill his brother after his crash, but as it stands, the Greens are in danger due to Aemond’s deteriorating reputation. Because of Vhagar, they are dependent on Aemond, so it is concerning that he is willing to go against the grain and deliberately harm their cause.
Because of their internal division and the loss of one of their few dragons, the Greens are put in additional danger by the competition between Aemond and Aegon. On that point, the Blacks are already ahead, but Vhagar’s bulk balances things out. It would have been possible to prevent Sunfyre’s loss if Aemond hadn’t tried to gain the upper hand during the fight. The entire Green family is at risk as a result of Aemond’s ambition and animosity, which are publicly obstructing the cause of the Greens.
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