Meanwhile, Daemon, Visy’s younger brother, rolls into town. He gives Rhae an ugly necklace made out of Valyrian steel as a “sorry you’re a woman and not an heir, I’m the heir” present and sends the knights under his command to clean up the city. He and the boys do this by running through the streets and stabbing people to death. Several hands, a head and a penis are chopped off. (This show is still viscerally violent, FYI.) The lads gather the loose body parts and pile them neatly in a wagon, because cleanliness is next to godliness.

Unfortunately, the small council doesn’t think Daemon was being very godly. Visy politely asks Daemon to avoid similar rampages in the future. Daemon says, “Maybe yes, maybe no,” compares his own wife to a sheep and then teases Ser Otto because his own wife is dead. Everyone agrees that this is a very rude thing to say. Visy apologises for his very rude brother, whom he loves.

Finally, it’s the day that Aemma goes into labour. Everyone says “yay” and celebrates by watching a tournament in which men on horseback hit each other with sticks. Soon the jousting descends into undignified fighting where people bash each other’s skulls in with axes.

Unfortunately, House of the Dragon is not just a lighthearted show about dragons and bashed skulls. While the tournament continues, Aemma is forced to undergo a primitive cesarean section against her wishes. It’s a very distressing scene. Visy decides to save the life of his baby son over his wife, but soon the baby passes away too.

The great tragedy means that the title of heir is still up for grabs. Back at the small council, everyone debates if Daemon is too nutty to be the heir. Visy is outraged that they think his brother is conniving enough to plot for the throne. (Meanwhile, Daemon is listening to the meeting behind a thin wall, plotting for the throne.) After the meeting, Ser Otto summons his daughter Alicent, who is very sad that the queen is dead. “Why don’t you go to the king’s room and offer him, ah, comfort?” Ser Otto suggests. He also suggests that Alicent wear one of her mother’s old dresses, which must be very comforting dresses indeed.

After he is finished eavesdropping, Daemon – fully-dressed – contemplates the succession plan while an orgy takes place around him. Daemon doesn’t seem to be in the mood for an orgy, but he is in the mood for a speech. Everyone pauses having sex with each other, freezing in place, and quietly listens. Aw, that’s polite. Then Daemon refers to his deceased nephew as “the heir for a day”. Wait, that’s not very polite!

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Ser Otto dobs on Daemon to Visy. Visy says, “Daemon, did you say that” and Daemon explains that people mourn in their own ways, and the way he mourns is by saying problematic things in the middle of a paused orgy. So what? Here’s what: Visy thinks that’s very disrespectful, that’s what! Visy tells Daemon that he is no longer his heir. Visy is furious. Everyone leaves the conversation with their feelings hurt.

Suddenly, in a grand ceremony full of characters with familiar names (Baratheon! Stark!) while familiar theme music plays in the background, Rhae (a woman!) is named Visy’s heir. Beforehand, Visy warns Rhae that their ancestor Aegon once had a dream about a “terrible winter” that would kill everyone in Westeros. Seems like a “later” problem to me, Rhae!

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