Recaps

Viserys sentenced Ser Cole to die by combat, but Cole took Rhaenyra hostage when Daemon fought him. As the hall descended into chaos, Rhaenyra tried to reach Cole with memories of their first meeting while drawing her Dragonbone Dagger.

• Viserys declared that Cole had forsaken his vows and ordered him to face a sword-wielding execution.
• Daemon arrived with Rhaenyra, who brought the recovered Dragon Egg, and volunteered to fight Cole.
• During their duel, Cole knocked Rhaenyra down, seized her, and held a sword to her neck.
• Viserys begged Cole to release Rhaenyra, while Baelon silently regretted that his warnings about giving Cole a sword had been ignored.
• Rhaenyra told Cole she had once truly liked him and began drawing her Dragonbone Dagger.

Rhaenyra killed Ser Cole after he tried to kill her, then comforted Viserys as the family gathered around her and mourned the day's violence. As Viserys prepared to sleep, Baelon announced that he planned to leave for Dragonstone and tame Vermithor.

• Cole reminisced about becoming Rhaenyra's White Knight before threatening her, and Baelon reminded him that he might have become a legendary Kingsguard.
• Rhaenyra stabbed Cole in the neck, but he snapped her wrist as he lunged for her; the Kingsguard restrained him, and Viserys embraced her.
• Rhaenyra stopped Daemon from killing Cole, then killed Cole herself with repeated dagger strikes.
• Baelon confirmed Cole was dead and recovered the Dragon Egg, while Grand Maester Mellos warned that Rhaenyra's wrist and fingers might suffer lasting damage.
• Viserys, Daemon, Rhaenyra, and Baelon embraced, and Viserys found comfort in his family after the day's events.
• Baelon told Viserys he wanted to postpone attending the Small Council and go to Dragonstone to tame Vermithor, leaving Viserys stunned.

Baelon persuaded Viserys to accompany him to Dragonstone so he could tame an adult dragon, claiming his dreams had become dangerous. After a miserable sea voyage, they reached Dragonstone, where Baelon prepared to seek Vermithor while avoiding the wild dragons.

• Baelon insisted on traveling to Dragonstone to tame a full-grown dragon, and Viserys agreed after Baelon described deadly dreams and his fear that he might die in them.
• Baelon asked Lola to arrange a place where he could listen to a lonely old man who might visit the Red Keep.
• At breakfast, Daemon mocked Baelon, Baelon insulted Daemon in return, and Viserys tried to quiet the family before leaving with Baelon.
• Viserys and Baelon sailed for Dragonstone, suffered badly from seasickness, and arrived several days later.
• Baelon set his sights on Vermithor, while Viserys warned him to be especially wary of the wild dragon Cannibal.

Baelon entered the Dragonmont and found Vermithor, whose presence captivated him until he formed a connection with the bronze dragon. As Baelon climbed onto Vermithor, another dragon roared from deeper in the cavern.

• Baelon left Viserys and climbed the Dragonmont carrying Jaehaerys's old nightclothes as a dragon-taming relic.
• Baelon ventured into a cavern and followed the heat and sulfurous smell toward a sleeping dragon.
• Baelon discovered Vermithor, faced the dragon without retreating, and embraced his snout.
• Vermithor responded docilely to Baelon, and the two seemed to form a connection.
• Baelon began climbing Vermithor to prepare for his first flight, but another dragon roared from deeper in the cavern.

Viserys waited anxiously outside the Dragonmont while Baelon faced Silverwing inside, praying for his eldest son’s safety. Silverwing accepted Baelon’s touch, and he flew out of the Dragonmont on Vermithor with her nearby.

• Viserys refused to leave the Dragonmont and prayed for Baelon to live a long, peaceful life.
• Orwyle recalled how Baelon had supported and defended his research, and silently worried about the prince’s danger.
• Baelon recognized Silverwing as Alysanne’s former dragon and approached her while Vermithor rumbled nearby.
• Silverwing calmed at Baelon’s words and gently pressed her snout into his palm.
• Baelon laughed, touched Vermithor, and flew out of the Dragonmont on the dragon.

Baelon took his first flight on Vermithor, overcoming the fierce wind and learning to ride comfortably as the dragon soared through the clouds. After landing, he invited Viserys and Maester Orwyle to fly with him, but Viserys let him enjoy the experience with his dragon and approached Silverwing instead.

• Vermithor launched into the sky, and Baelon struggled to breathe and keep his eyes open until he signaled the dragon to slow down.
• Baelon adapted to the flight, tied himself securely to the saddle, and urged Vermithor to fly faster through the clouds.
• Baelon told Vermithor to descend after a little over ten minutes, and the dragon landed near Viserys and Maester Orwyle while Silverwing came out of her cave.
• Baelon offered Viserys and Orwyle a flight, but Viserys declined and encouraged him to enjoy his first flight with Vermithor.
• Baelon proposed returning to King's Landing by dragonback the following day, while Viserys reached toward Silverwing and Baelon warned him that he could touch Vermithor instead.

Baelon entered the Trial Space with Vermithor and used the dragon’s fire to defeat three white wolves, then chose a size-increasing buff for Vermithor. The buff made Vermithor grow and strengthened their emotional connection, but he startled Baelon by swallowing one of the wolves before finally spitting out half its carcass.

• Baelon failed to persuade Viserys to ride Silverwing, and Silverwing flew toward Dragonmont after refusing to approach Dragonstone Castle.
• Baelon rode Vermithor to the cliffs, went to sleep beside him, and discovered that Vermithor’s talent would unlock when their affinity reached level four.
• Baelon entered the Trial Space with Vermithor, where the dragon burned three charging white wolves with Dragonfire.
• Baelon chose the Behemoth buff, which increased Vermithor’s size by two percent and caused the dragon to grow restless.
• Baelon calmed Vermithor through their emotional connection, but Vermithor suddenly swallowed a scorched wolf and only spat out half its carcass when Baelon demanded it.

Baelon discovered that his inventory could store vast quantities of dirt, then had Vermithor dig up the trial ground until three slots were full. They cleared the next stage, chose a dragonfire buff, and entered stage three eager to test how far they could progress.

• Baelon unlocked the inventory, learned that it could hold trial-space dirt, and began collecting soil with Vermithor’s help.
• Vermithor dug a deep pit and filled three inventory slots with dirt, gaining affinity with Baelon as they worked.
• Baelon had Vermithor crush the remaining wolf corpse, searched it for a magic core, and then let the dragon eat it.
• Baelon and Vermithor entered stage two and defeated four charging boarmen with dragonfire.
• Baelon chose the Field of Fire buff to strengthen Vermithor’s dragonfire, then immediately entered stage three.

Baelon and Vermithor fought through the Trial Space, growing stronger and closer until a swarm of pterosaurs overwhelmed them at Level Thirty-Nine. Their first attempt ended in defeat, but Vermithor’s final rampage raised their bond and improved his buffs before they woke in the real world.

• At Level Eleven, a python nearly killed Baelon, but he buried it with Earth Release and calmed the enraged Vermithor afterward.
• Baelon chose a size buff, armed himself with a python fang, and bound himself to Vermithor before continuing through the levels.
• Baelon and Vermithor fought through increasingly powerful monsters, using their abilities and gathered materials to reach Level Thirty-Eight and defeat a sea monster.
• At Level Thirty-Nine, thousands of pterosaurs knocked Vermithor down and swarmed him, while Baelon fought them with the fang and then cut himself free to help Vermithor roll clear.
• The pterosaurs caught Baelon, ending their first attempt, and Vermithor unleashed a vast sea of dragonfire that consumed the valley and the attackers.
• Their bond reached Level Four and Vermithor gained improved buffs; Baelon and Vermithor then awoke pressed together in the real world.

Baelon and Vermithor fought through the Trial Space, gaining strength and defeating a Balrog before entering the fiftieth stage to face Rodan. After their defeat, they returned to the cliff restored and accepted that they could not yet beat him.

• Baelon unlocked fire resistance through his bond with Vermithor, tested it against dragonfire, and entered the Trial Space again.
• Baelon and Vermithor survived the Pterosaur swarm on the thirty-ninth level by sheltering in a cave and fighting together.
• On the forty-ninth level, Vermithor and Baelon killed a Balrog, though Vermithor suffered severe injuries and Baelon was badly wounded.
• Baelon chose the Behemoth buff to increase Vermithor's size, then urged him onward to the fiftieth stage.
• Baelon and Vermithor entered a volcanic arena and faced Rodan, but Vermithor was overwhelmed and Baelon was knocked through the air.
• Baelon and Vermithor returned to the cliff fully restored and accepted that they could not defeat Rodan yet.

Baelon rode Vermithor on their first flight after the dragon’s explosive growth, discovering that Vermithor was drawn toward the southeast before turning him back. They stirred up the Vale’s clouds and flew toward King’s Landing, leaving the Vale’s people stunned.

• Baelon tried to cut one of Vermithor’s scales with a dagger, damaged the blade, and climbed onto the dragon using ropes after removing his broken saddle.
• Vermithor took flight, startling the people of Dragonstone, and Viserys declared the dragon’s growth a gift from the Seven.
• Baelon realized Vermithor was heading toward the Smoking Sea and Old Valyria, then forced him to turn back through their bond.
• Baelon and Vermithor flew over the sea and used wind and dragonfire to disperse the clouds above the Vale.
• Jeyne Arryn and Ser Royce watched in alarm as Vermithor swept up the Vale’s clouds and carried them south toward King’s Landing.

Baelon rode Vermithor over King's Landing and used dragonfire, wind, and volcanic ash to create a rainstorm, leaving the city awed before the rain stopped after only ten minutes. Rhaenyra welcomed him back, while Jason Lannister resolved to win her favor and claim a dragon for his house.

• Baelon arrived in King's Landing on Vermithor, whose immense size amazed the city's residents and Alicent.
• Rhaenyra dismissed Alicent's concerns about Baelon, while Daemon wondered whether Baelon could make every dragon grow and argued with Mysaria about bringing her to the Red Keep.
• Baelon experimented with the clouds above King's Landing, and Vermithor's fire and winds helped produce rain that swept over the city.
• Tyland Lannister and Jason Lannister watched the people react to the storm, and Jason decided to win Rhaenyra's favor, triumph in the upcoming tournament, and bring a dragon to House Lannister.
• Baelon flew Vermithor through the rain and saw people kneeling below, then returned to the Red Keep as Rhaenyra welcomed him and the brief storm cleared.

Baelon returned to the Red Keep with Vermithor, refused Daemon’s request to use the Trial Space, and clashed with his uncle over their rivalry. Before leaving for Dragonstone, he arranged free hot soup for King’s Landing’s poor, while considering a visit to the rebellious Iron Islands.

• Baelon explained that Vermithor had reached his limits and refused Daemon’s demand to let Caraxes use the Trial Space, while the two dragons challenged each other before settling down.
• Daemon teased Baelon about their rivalry over the succession, and Rhaenyra ended their argument by threatening to tell Viserys.
• Corlys Velaryon spoke to Baelon about Laena and their possible marriage, but Baelon said he was too young and did not want marriage to restrict her.
• Baelon ordered Ser Uther to use his gold to make free ginger and herb soup for the people of King’s Landing, then left for Dragonstone on Vermithor.
• Ser Uther organized knights and squires to distribute soup in the streets, where a boy from Flea Bottom asked if rats could become knights; Uther gave him figs and explained that a knight had to choose him as a squire.

After Baelon returned from riding Vermithor, Viserys discussed the dragon’s size and Old Valyria, then became convinced Baelon’s power was a divine gift. Baelon revealed that Vermithor had seemed drawn toward the ruins of Old Valyria, and Viserys ordered the dragon watched constantly.

• Baelon returned to Dragonstone Castle after washing away traces beneath the cliff, where Ser Harrold had been waiting for him.
• Viserys recalled riding Balerion and described the Black Dread’s power and decline.
• Viserys explained Old Valyria’s history and decided Baelon could make dragons grow as a rare gift, which Baelon agreed to claim.
• Baelon questioned how dragons could have died in the Doom and said Vermithor had seemed to want to fly to Old Valyria.
• Viserys panicked and ordered seventy-seven Dragonkeepers to watch Vermithor day and night.

Baelon calmed Viserys after the king panicked at the thought of him exploring Old Valyria, promising not to go without permission. He then persuaded Viserys to summon the Iron Islands to the Landing Day celebration, hoping to secure their fleet, and left the king to rest.

• Viserys ordered Vermithor to live in the Dragonpit and forbade Baelon from visiting the Smoking Sea after recalling Aerea Targaryen's horrific death in Old Valyria.
• Baelon soothed Viserys and swore he would not explore the ruins of Old Valyria without his father's permission.
• Baelon urged Viserys to remind House Greyjoy of its gift obligations, arguing that Vermithor could defend the king's honor.
• Baelon proposed that the Iron Islands attend the Landing Day celebration in a month's time, and Viserys agreed to send a raven.
• Baelon helped Viserys to bed, poured away his wine, and reassured him before they were due to return to King's Landing.

Baelon visited Dragonmont with Vermithor and Silverwing, hoping to see Dragonstone’s wild dragons, and later promised shepherds compensation for sheep stolen by dragons. He left the shepherds with questions about the island’s people and livelihoods.

• Baelon brought Vermithor to meet Silverwing, and the two dragons recognized each other and reunited affectionately.
• Baelon flew with Vermithor and Silverwing to Cannibal’s territory, but Cannibal stayed hidden in its cave until they left, then flew away.
• Baelon spotted Cannibal in flight and admired the black dragon, while Sheepstealer fled when Vermithor and Silverwing arrived.
• Baelon asked two shepherds about the wild dragons stealing their sheep and gave them his golden hairpin as compensation.
• Baelon promised to repay the shepherds for future losses and asked about Dragonstone’s other residents and their work.

Baelon returned to King's Landing with Viserys and arranged for Larys Strong to become Master of Whisperers. After taking Vermithor to roost outside the city, Baelon found a shadowy visitor waiting in his dark bedchamber.

• Viserys, Baelon, and Maester Orwyle flew back to King's Landing on Vermithor, while Silverwing returned to Dragonstone.
• Viserys ordered more Dragonkeepers and discussed filling the vacant Kingsguard position with Baelon.
• Baelon recommended Larys Strong as Master of Whisperers, and Viserys appointed him to the role.
• Larys asked Viserys and Baelon to keep his appointment from his father, Lyonel Strong, until later.
• Baelon returned to his bedchamber after settling Vermithor outside the city and called out to a shadow in the corner.
• The shadow answered, addressing him as Prince Baelon.

Larys visited Baelon to thank him before joining the Small Council, and Baelon urged him to use his abilities to pursue ambitions beyond King's Landing. Baelon described his plans for conquest and legacy, then asked Larys to be buried beside him, leaving Larys deeply stirred as he approached.

• Larys thanked Baelon for helping him and prepared to take his place on the Small Council.
• Baelon challenged Larys to prove he could help dismantle the alliance of the Three Daughters and told him to look beyond King's Landing toward the Stepstones, the Free Cities, and Essos.
• Baelon considered Westeros's readiness for war and resolved to guide the kingdom toward expansion and conquest.
• Baelon told Larys he wanted to be buried on a hill beside the Blackwater Rush and asked Larys to be buried with him.
• Larys was moved by Baelon's vision and walked toward him without answering.

Baelon secured Larys Strong’s service as Master of Whisperers and discussed how to exploit the Three Daughters’ rivalries. After Larys left, Baelon considered whether he could truly trust him and looked forward to attending the Small Council for the first time.

• Larys asked Baelon to grant him the honor of serving him, and Baelon filled Larys’s golden cup with wine and promised it would never run dry.
• Baelon and Larys discussed the Three Daughters’ divided government and its rivals, and Baelon offered Larys whatever resources he needed to spread rumors and sow suspicion.
• Baelon explained that Balerion’s reaction to strangers had revealed Larys’s presence in his bedchamber, and said he would station guards outside it in the future.
• Baelon wagered that Lord Lyonel would be shocked to see Larys seated on the Small Council, but Larys declined to bet.
• After Larys left, Baelon questioned whether he had truly won Larys’s loyalty, then comforted Balerion and prepared for his first Small Council meeting.

Rhaenyra confronted Grover Tully after he insulted Queen Aemma and defended her mother’s honor, while Borros Baratheon agreed with Grover’s views on male heirs. Baelon attended his first Small Council meeting, where Larys Strong was introduced as Master of Whisperers and the council learned of an agreement between the Triarchy and Dorne.

• Rhaenyra met Grover Tully, who praised Baelon’s claim and said Riverrun would support him, then insulted Queen Aemma after Rhaenyra left.
• Rhaenyra returned and threatened to defend her mother’s honor with sword and dragonfire, while Grover refused to retract his beliefs about women’s power.
• Borros Baratheon sided with Grover, saying he would give Storm’s End to a son if he had one.
• Baelon arrived early for his first Small Council meeting, greeted Viserys and Otto Hightower, and took his seat after pouring wine.
• Viserys introduced Larys Strong as Master of Whisperers, surprising Lyonel Strong.
• The council began with disputes between Houses Bracken and Blackwood, then Corlys Velaryon reported that the Triarchy had made an agreement with Qoren Martell.

The Small Council debated how to answer the Crabfeeder’s seizure of a Velaryon merchant ship, with some urging war and Lyonel Strong warning against attacking Dorne. Viserys appeared increasingly drawn to war but had not declared his decision when Rhaenyra arrived late.

• Corlys Velaryon demanded retaliation after the Crabfeeder detained one of his merchant ships.
• Daemon urged the council to use their six dragons to punish Dorne, while Lyonel Strong warned that war could invite raids from the Stepstones and the Iron Islands.
• Lyman Beesbury argued that the Crown could afford a war, and Lyonel proposed taking and fortifying only the Stepstones.
• Otto noticed that Viserys was listening without urging peace as he usually did, while the king considered the strength of his council and kingdom.
• Viserys addressed Corlys but had not revealed whether he would authorize war when Rhaenyra arrived late.

At the Small Council, Corlys Velaryon urged Viserys to seize the Stepstones, while Otto warned that doing so could draw the Triarchy and Dorne into war. As Viserys hesitated, Baelon challenged the assumption that defending the islands would require costly stone fortifications and began laying out historical lessons about island campaigns.

• Rhaenyra arrived at the Small Council and stood without a seat, while Baelon signaled that she could take one.
• Corlys Velaryon reported that the royal fleet had grown to 109 warships and described his preparations and knowledge of the Stepstones.
• Daemon urged Viserys to take the Stepstones, but Otto warned that the Triarchy and Dorne could turn the campaign into a war on two fronts.
• Viserys remained silent as Daemon grew angry, and Rhaenyra declared that the Targaryens had dragonriders.
• Baelon asked why they needed to spend so much manpower and resources on stone defenses, then considered historical examples of successful and disastrous island expeditions.

Baelon proposed brick construction and star-shaped angular fortifications, then used a claimed prophetic vision of Sunspear burning to persuade Viserys to attack the Stepstones. Viserys finally ordered the realm to seize the islands, though Baelon reflected on how difficult it had been to secure even that decision.

• Baelon offered free bricks for the realm’s defenses and sketched star-shaped fortifications whose projecting bastions could eliminate blind spots with crossfire.
• Corlys praised Baelon’s design and argued that the Stepstones’ islands could be permanently defended, while Otto warned that attackers might tunnel beneath earthen works.
• Viserys hesitated over whether the realm could hold the Stepstones against Dorne and the Triarchy, and Corlys grew disheartened by the king’s lack of resolve.
• Baelon claimed he had seen Sunspear engulfed in flames and dragons circling above Dorne, then argued that war was already brewing and the realm should strike first.
• Lyman Beesbury recalled how three dragons had destroyed a Dornish fleet, Otto urged war before negotiations, and Larys proposed dividing the Triarchy and allying with Pentos and Volantis.
• Viserys ordered the realm to attack with all its strength and take the Stepstones, while Baelon reflected on the struggle it had taken to win the king’s decision.

As Viserys’s war preparations gathered momentum, Baelon grew anxious about the Stepstones campaign and tried to guard against danger to himself and Vermithor. He met Lord Grover Tully, who praised his own jousting record and warned Baelon to choose the Kingsguard carefully.

• Viserys ordered preparations for war, while ships, supplies, letters, and soldiers gathered in King's Landing.
• Baelon became uneasy amid the city’s growing confidence in victory and rode Vermithor over King's Landing, where people hailed him as the “Cloud Rider.”
• Baelon waited for helmet designs for Vermithor and met Lord Grover Tully in the Red Keep’s courtyard.
• Baelon praised Grover’s jousting, prompting Grover to boast that he had broken ten lances against Ser Ryan Redwyne.
• Grover warned Baelon to be discerning when selecting the Kingsguard and criticized Cole Criston for filling Ser Ryan Redwyne’s vacancy.

Baelon arranged a protective eye guard for Vermithor while Ankatu Mork took measurements, and Lord Grover Tully announced his intention to fight at the front in the Stepstones war. In the Godswood, Rhaenyra confided to Alicent that she felt alone in remembering her mother.

• Baelon chose a steel eye guard with a narrow slit for Vermithor, and Ankatu Mork faltered at the prospect of measuring the dragon.
• Lord Grover Tully told Baelon he planned to seek the honor of fighting at the front in the Stepstones war, despite Baelon urging him to direct troops from the rear.
• Ankatu Mork stumbled back and fell when Vermithor raised his head and growled, so Baelon told him to stay back and give instructions.
• In the Godswood, Alicent asked Rhaenyra whether Baelon’s place on the Small Council had upset her, but Rhaenyra denied it.
• Rhaenyra told Alicent that she felt she was the only person at court who still remembered her mother.