The latest episode of House of the DragonHBO’s successful prequel to game of Throneshas thrown sand on the matter. So far, the second season of the series has focused on the divided House Targaryen, which is heading toward a bloody civil war. The Blacks, led by Rhaenyra and Daemon Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy and Matt Smith), believe that Rhaenyra is the rightful queen of Westeros. However, it is their rivals, the Greens, led by Alicent Hightower and her son Aegon II Targaryen (Olivia Cooke and Tom Glynn-Carney), who rule from the coveted Iron Throne.
Warning – Spoilers for “House of the Dragon”, Season 2, Episode 3 ahead
In the midst of all these internal squabbles, a new character has entered the fray: Ulf the White. “Guys, I’ve had a pretty rough day,” says the mysterious stranger (played by TelephoneShop Actor Tom Bennett) when we first hear of him in Sylvi’s Tavern and Brothel, one of the less respectable drinking establishments in King’s Landing. “I’m not much of a talker, but you know, a wet pipe works wonders…” As it turns out, once Ulf has had a drink, he has a lot to say.
After learning that his drinking buddy is from Dorne, it doesn’t take Ulf long to start boasting about his supposed heritage. He notes that while “my house” never conquered Dorne, even the Dornish people mourned the death of his grandfather, who he claims was King Jaehaerys. Ulf continues, “I really shouldn’t tell you this, it could cost me my head. I am the son of Baelon the Brave, bastard brother of Prince Daemon and the late Viserys. Uncle of the one true queen, Rhaenyra Targaryen. The blood of the dragon runs through these veins and yes, men would take my head for it. A dragonseed must watch its own neck if it doesn’t have white-clad guards to do it for it.”
This outlandish claim is met with some skepticism by his drinking buddies. They point out that he doesn’t exactly resemble his supposed brothers Viserys (Paddy Considine) and Daemon (Matt Smith), and joke that he doesn’t have the typical silver hair of the Targaryens. “Yeah, because I’m their half-brother, you idiot,” Ulf counters. “Yeah, I’ll tell you who else doesn’t have silver hair. The rightful heir to the Iron Throne, my nephew, Prince Jacaerys Velaryon.”
At this point, the drinkers are interrupted by the arrival of King Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney), who, as one fellow drinker notes, is supposed to be Ulf’s “other nephew.” Of course, Ulf quickly shuts his traitorous mouth and joins the other guests in roaring, “Long live the king!”
That’s all we’ve heard from Ulf so far, but it’s certainly not the last we’ve seen of him. On social media, fans are divided over whether Ulf is telling the truth about his relationship with Baelon the Brave, who – in the George RR Martin novels on which the series is based – is portrayed as a loving and loyal husband who would never have fathered children out of wedlock, even after the tragic death of his wife Alyssa Targaryen.
However, if Ulf’s claims are to be taken at face value, he could well be a significant figure in the coming civil war. To understand how important he is, one must briefly recap the tangled Targaryen family tree.
The Targaryen family tree, from Rhaenyra to Aegon the Conqueror
Baelon Targaryen, better known as Baelon the Brave, never appeared on screen in House of the Dragonbut it was his death that set the whole series in motion. In the opening scene of the very first episode of the series, the Great Council of 101 AD was convened to debate who should succeed King Jaehaerys Targaryen, known as the Old King (Michael Carter).
This debate was necessary because two of the Old King’s sons (Aemon and Baelon) had died. (A third, Prince Vaegon, was a maester of the Citadel and refused the throne.) Some felt that the throne should be subject to primogeniture, that is, it should go to the firstborn, which would put Aemon’s daughter Princess Rhaenys (Eve Best) on the throne. Instead, the crown passed over her and to the next man in line for the throne, Baelon’s son Viserys (Considine).
Ulf, it seems, wants to see Rhaenyra, his supposed niece, installed as the “one true queen.” Whether he can help sway the outcome of the coming war in her favor may also answer the question of whether he’s telling the truth about his lineage: Can he ride a dragon? If he really is a Targaryen, he’ll have no problem mounting one. If this is all just bar talk that got out of control, he’ll be grilled to a crust. There’s only one way to find out.
House of the Dragon continues in the US on Sundays on HBO and in the UK on Mondays on Sky Atlantic and NOW.
