Chapter Summaries

Viserys asked Lyonel Strong for advice about finding support for Rhaenyra, but rejected the idea of marrying her to Laenor Velaryon to appease Corlys. Dreamfyre unexpectedly flew over King's Landing and returned to the Dragonpit, where Rhaenyra appeared beside an amber-colored dragon as Aemon approached it.

• Viserys asked Lyonel who could support Rhaenyra, and Lyonel inferred that the King still intended her to remain heir.
• Lyonel advised Viserys that marrying Rhaenyra to Laenor Velaryon could make Corlys an ally, but Viserys refused to yield to the Velaryons.
• A dragon's shriek interrupted the banquet, and Viserys and Lyonel saw Dreamfyre flying over King's Landing without a rider.
• Dreamfyre circled the city three times and returned to the Dragonpit while Aemon watched.
• Rhaenyra emerged beside a horned amber-colored dragon, and Aemon eagerly toddled over to touch it.

Aemon visited the Dragonpit with Rhaenyra, gained bloodline purity by touching Syrax, and failed to tame Dreamfyre. Before leaving, he discovered three dragon eggs in Dreamfyre’s cavern and secretly stored them in his Gold-Nosed Rat.

• Rhaenyra let Aemon touch Syrax, and he gained Burning Fire Magic and five percent more bloodline purity.
• Dreamfyre returned to the Dragonpit and ignored Aemon’s attempt to approach her as a potential rider.
• Dreamfyre nudged Aemon, then entered her cavern while he followed the Dragonkeepers.
• Aemon noticed Dreamfyre’s reaction to a heap of apparent dragon dung and uncovered three hidden dragon eggs.
• Aemon secretly used his panel and Gold-Nosed Rat to make the three eggs disappear before leaving the cavern.

After returning to the Red Keep, Aemon strengthened his bond with Rhaenyra while Alicent watched them with jealousy. Viserys then asked Rhaenyra to treat Aemon well for political advantage, leaving her troubled and aware that Grand Maester Mellos had overheard them.

• Aemon and Rhaenyra returned to the Red Keep hand in hand, and Aemon privately planned to build ties with both her and Alicent.
• Alicent watched the siblings play together from the balcony and grew jealous.
• At dinner, Viserys encouraged Aemon to try bonding with another dragon when he was older.
• Viserys led Rhaenyra to the Tomb Cellar and suggested she treat Aemon well so he would support her.
• Rhaenyra objected to her father's political maneuvering, then discovered Grand Maester Mellos watching from behind the altar.

Aemon accompanied the royal family to the Kingswood Hunt, where nobles openly celebrated Aegon and highlighted the growing split at court. He encouraged Rhaenyra to face the crowd and left her at the royal tent, while Alicent welcomed him beside her.

• Aemon rode in the White Carriage Palace with Viserys, Alicent, Rhaenyra, and Aegon, and privately considered whether he might become king.
• Rhaenyra said Viserys had prevented her from traveling by dragon, and Aemon understood the tension between them.
• At the camp, Oldtown Faction nobles cheered for Aegon, and Aemon pulled a reluctant Rhaenyra from the carriage.
• Aemon urged Rhaenyra to hold her head high before the nobles, and she walked through camp with him despite her unease.
• At the royal tent, Aemon reminded Rhaenyra to show a Dragonrider's bearing, then joined Alicent, who welcomed him and ignored Rhaenyra.

At the Kingswood Hunt, Laena Velaryon arrived and reunited with Rhaenyra, while the noblewomen turned their conversation into an attack on Rhaenyra and Daemon. Aemon lost his temper and assaulted the old woman who insulted his father, leaving the tent in chaos.

• Alicent and the noblewomen discussed Johanna's kidnapping before Larys Strong joined them.
• Laena Velaryon arrived at the great tent, greeted Rhaenyra, and drew King Viserys's attention.
• An old Redwyne woman questioned Rhaenyra about Daemon and challenged her position as heir.
• Aemon threw glasses and a wine bottle at the old woman, striking her forehead and causing chaos in the tent.

Aemon struck Alicent’s elderly allies after they insulted Daemon and Rhaenyra, then escaped into the Kingswood with Ser Steve. There, he assessed the factions at court and concluded that he could rely only on himself as tensions between Rhaenyra and Alicent grew.

• Aemon defended Daemon’s campaign and rebuked the Redwyne women before the Kingsguard intervened.
• Viserys heard Lyonel’s account, had Ser Harrold settle the matter, and privately accepted Aemon’s actions.
• Aemon asked Ser Steve to take him into the Kingswood, explaining that he had hit the women to defend Daemon and provoke Rhaenyra.
• Aemon reasoned that Hand Otto controlled the powerful Oldtown Faction, while Lyonel stood alone for the King and other councilors remained neutral.
• Aemon concluded that Alicent was a figurehead for Otto and that Rhaenyra and Alicent’s growing power could deepen the court’s conflict, so he resolved to rely on himself.

Aemon went hunting with Ser Steve while Viserys faced pressure from Laena and Otto over royal alliances and Rhaenyra’s marriage. Viserys’s anger at Otto peaked when Otto proposed betrothing Rhaenyra to Aegon and dismissed Aemon as Daemon’s son.

• Aemon set out with Ser Steve to hunt for the White Hart and learned how to use a bow.
• Laena told Viserys that Vaemond had sought aid without authorization and offered Velaryon support if needed.
• Duke Jason proposed marrying Rhaenyra, and Viserys angrily rejected his arrogance.
• Otto advised Viserys to choose a husband for Rhaenyra and proposed betrothing her to two-year-old Aegon.
• Otto disparaged Aemon, prompting Viserys to erupt and declare that he had come to hunt, not discuss politics.

Aemon enjoyed the hunt, caught a rabbit, and followed his Gold-Nosed Rat to signs of a White Hart before returning to camp. There, Larys approached him with news about Rhaenyra’s marriage and invited him to talk elsewhere.

• Aemon shot and killed a rabbit, while Ser Steve praised his hunting skill.
• Aemon’s Gold-Nosed Rat led him to white fur and fresh dung near a stream, but Ser Steve found no tracks to follow.
• Aemon returned to camp proudly displaying his rabbit and met Larys outside the King’s tent.
• Larys told Aemon that Rhaenyra’s marriage was at issue and hinted that the King might act against Otto and Duke Jason.
• Aemon accepted Larys’s invitation to move somewhere private and talk.

Aemon rejected Larys’s attempt to recruit him into a plot against Alicent and went to comfort her after finding her crying. He urged Alicent to remember her childhood dream and become strong, while she resolved to protect Aemon and let her father’s political downfall unfold.

• Aemon stole Larys’s crutch, kicked his good leg, and threw the crutch into a bonfire after rejecting his plan to exploit Alicent.
• Aemon visited Alicent in the Queen’s Tent and realized she had been crying.
• Alicent apologized for mistreating Rhaenyra and involving Daemon, then admitted she felt lonely and trapped by her marriage and her father’s plans.
• Aemon reminded Alicent of her childhood dream and urged her to trust him and become strong enough to resist being controlled.
• Alicent understood that Otto might lose power without her acting against him and resolved to protect Aemon, silently asking her father for forgiveness.

After comforting Alicent, Aemon went to find Rhaenyra at the feast and discovered she had renewed her resolve to fight for the Iron Throne. The chapter left him caught between the two women, each warning him against the other.

• Alicent warned Aemon that Rhaenyra was selfish and would bring him misfortune, and Aemon pretended to agree.
• Aemon went to the bonfire feast and found Rhaenyra sitting with Laena, his cousin.
• Rhaenyra thanked Aemon for helping her and said she would fight to prove she could be a worthy Queen.
• Aemon suspected Laena had helped Rhaenyra find her confidence and tried to leave.
• Rhaenyra held Aemon back and warned him that Alicent would betray him, and Aemon promised to stay close to her.

Viserys confided his doubts about naming Rhaenyra heir, while Alicent manipulated him into believing Rhaenyra still loved him and that Alicent supported her claim. Aemon planned to use the Kingswood Hunt to catch the White Hart and secure a troop of Vale Knights as he prepared to return to the Vale and build his own power base.

• Viserys told Alicent that he had named Rhaenyra heir to prevent Daemon from bringing ruin to the realm, then reflected on how fear had driven him to exile Daemon and sideline Corlys.
• Viserys recalled his dream of a son wearing the Conqueror's Crown and wondered whether naming Rhaenyra heir had led him further down the wrong path.
• Alicent falsely assured Viserys that Rhaenyra loved and respected him, and he praised Alicent while deciding he could remove Otto without guilt.
• Aemon argued with Lady Rhea about where to sleep, then privately considered how he could avoid being trapped between Alicent and Rhaenyra in King's Landing.
• Aemon asked Lady Rhea for a troop of Vale Knights for the next day's hunt, planning to catch the White Hart and eventually return to the Vale; Lady Rhea agreed to have Gonsal find him in the morning.

Aemon used Solid as a Rock to gain basic physical defense, then went with Rhaenyra to search the King's Wood for the White Hart. After he insulted Harwin Strong, Rhaenyra carried him away on horseback, leaving the hunt behind.

• Aemon spent 150 Essence to acquire Solid as a Rock, which increased his physical attributes and gave him basic defense.
• Aemon rode to the King's Wood with Ser Steve, Gonsal, guards, and Vale Knights to meet Rhaenyra and her gathered companions.
• Rhaenyra noticed Aemon's changed skin, and Aemon said he had slept well.
• Aemon sent the Vale Knights and Gold-Nosed Rat to search for the White Hart, then recognized Harwin Strong staring at Rhaenyra.
• Aemon insulted Harwin Strong, and Rhaenyra covered his mouth and carried him away on horseback.

Rhaenyra took Aemon on a ride into the mountains, where he encountered a White Hart and rode it back to Viserys's camp. The encounter earned Aemon a purple Kingly Demeanor card, but Vale Knights surrounded him as he arrived.

• Rhaenyra rode with Aemon to a cliffside campsite, where Aemon recognized a tree from his dream and a White Hart appeared.
• The Gold-Nosed Rat returned a flower it had stolen from the White Hart, and Aemon fed the beast Sweetgrass to calm it.
• Aemon climbed onto the White Hart, which broke free and carried him through the forest while Gonsal pursued them.
• The White Hart stopped at Viserys's camp after eating Aemon's medicinal pellets, and Aemon gained enough Magic Essence to obtain the Kingly Demeanor card.
• Aemon gained the White Hart's recognition and a kingly bearing, as Gonsal arrived with Vale Knights who surrounded him.

After Aemon returned to King's Landing riding the White Hart, Viserys's Small Council argued over whether to reward him with lands or send him back to the Vale. Viserys postponed the decision, and Aemon went to Alicent seeking her help.

• The Kingswood Hunt ended early after the princess was frightened and Duke Jason was nearly killed by a deer.
• Aemon rode the White Hart through King's Landing, drawing the people's admiration and catching Viserys's attention.
• At the Small Council, Otto proposed giving Aemon wealth to encourage him to return to the Vale, while Lyonel argued that the king should keep him close and ask what he wanted.
• Viserys ended the council dispute and said he would ask Aemon's opinion himself.
• Aemon visited Alicent and asked her to help him secure benefits before leaving King's Landing for the Vale.

Aemon asked Viserys for recognition and permission to tame a dragon, while Viserys discussed Rhaenyra’s marriage with Alicent. The chapter ended with Alicent urging Viserys to send aid to the Stepstones, where Daemon’s forces were faltering.

• Aemon told Viserys that ruling meant bearing responsibility and acknowledged the injuries he had suffered on the Iron Throne.
• Aemon asked Viserys for a status that would keep others from looking down on him and permission to tame a dragon when he wished; Viserys agreed, once he was older.
• Viserys and Alicent discussed finding Rhaenyra a suitable husband, with Alicent insisting Rhaenyra should believe the choice was hers.
• Alicent read a request for aid from the Stepstones and urged Viserys to send troops because Daemon’s mercenaries had deserted and the war had stalled.

Viserys decided to aid Daemon in the Stepstones and named Aemon Dragon Prince and heir to Runestone. After the ceremony, Aemon prepared to leave King's Landing with Lady Rhea, then met Rhaenyra and Laena in the Godswood.

• Viserys and Alicent discussed whether to send aid to Daemon and what reward to grant Aemon.
• Viserys decreed that Aemon would be Dragon Prince and heir to Runestone.
• Lady Rhea asked to take Aemon back to Runestone, and Viserys agreed that they would depart in the coming days.
• Aemon climbed onto the White Hart in the Godswood and wondered how difficult it would be to mount a dragon.
• Rhaenyra arrived with Laena, carrying a cage covered in black cloth.

Aemon left King's Landing for the Vale with Laena and Ser Steve, carrying a raven from Rhaenyra and a fortune in compensation from House Lannister. After Otto was sent back to Oldtown, Alicent received a raven Aemon had left for her and hurried home to write to him.

• Rhaenyra gave Aemon a raven for private correspondence and arranged for Laena to travel with him on a Velaryon ship.
• Viserys saw Aemon off, sent Ser Steve to accompany him, and Aemon said goodbye to Rhaenyra and Alicent.
• Aemon sailed from King's Landing and told Ser Lyon to store the chests of Gold Dragons he had demanded from Duke Jason as compensation.
• Viserys dismissed Otto and sent him back to Oldtown, and Alicent watched his carriage leave King's Landing.
• Ilik gave Alicent a raven Aemon had entrusted to her, and she hurried back to write him a letter.

Aemon fished with Laena on the way to Dragonstone, where he spotted a juvenile Wild Dragon before Lady Rhea ordered the ship to leave because Daemon had returned victorious. Laena left for Driftmark, and Aemon discovered that the Wild Dragon had stolen his catch.

• Aemon and Laena fished aboard the sailboat, and Laena agreed to show him Dragonmont and its young dragons when they stopped at Dragonstone.
• A pale grey-white juvenile Wild Dragon swooped down on Dragonstone's coast, caught a sea fish, and vanished into the clouds; Laena warned Aemon not to provoke it.
• Lady Rhea ordered the sailboat to leave Blackwater Bay, explaining that Daemon had returned after defeating Crabfeeder in a duel.
• Aemon chose to stay with Lady Rhea rather than risk meeting Daemon, while Laena left for Driftmark and promised to see them off on Vhagar.
• Aemon found his fish basket empty, spotted scorch marks and a half-eaten fish bone, and realized the Wild Dragon had stolen his catch.

Aemon’s voyage was attacked by Three Daughters pirates, but Laena and Vhagar destroyed their ship. Lady Rhea then made Aemon command the killing of the survivors, and he proved both decisive and deadly with a bow.

• Aemon and Lady Rhea spotted a Three Daughters slave ship approaching their sailboat, and Rhea ordered the Vale Knights to prepare for battle.
• Laena rode Vhagar over the Gullet and destroyed the pirate ship with dragonfire and a blow from the dragon’s tail.
• After Vhagar returned toward Driftmark, Rhea told Aemon he would become heir to Runestone and ordered him to command the Knights to kill the surviving pirates.
• Aemon ordered the Vale Knights to fire on the pirates in the sea, leaving none alive.
• Aemon took up his bow and personally killed four pirates with precise shots before running out of arrows.

After Aemon defeated the Three Daughters Pirates, Lady Rhea rewarded him with rescued artisans and fifty Vale Knights, while taking Johanna Swann into her household. As the ship continued toward Runestone, Aemon vowed to catch the mysterious Fish Thief that had eaten his fish again.

• Lady Rhea's crew rescued about a hundred artisan slaves from the wreck, and Ser Steve found a magical Dragonbone Bow among the cargo.
• Aemon persuaded Lady Rhea to let him keep the artisans, and she placed fifty Vale Knights under his command.
• Lady Rhea learned that Johanna Swann had been abandoned by her uncle, Lord Swann, and offered her a place at Runestone as her companion.
• Aemon recognized Johanna as the future Black Swan of Lys and considered how she might be useful later.
• Aemon found his fish basket raided again and angrily resumed fishing to catch the Fish Thief.