While its central focus has been on the Song of Ice and Fire, House of the Dragon continues to set up storylines that were only concluded in 2011’s Game of Thrones. Daenerys Targaryen’s rise to power began in season 1 after she raised three dragons out of petrified stone eggs. With Drogon, Rhaegal, and Viserion at her side, Daenerys conquered much of Essos and eventually came within a step of claiming Westeros’ Iron Throne for herself.

The root of her power is the very same tool that drives much of the Targaryen war of succession in House of the Dragon: Dragons. Without dragons, Daenerys would have died as a fallen Khaleesi in the Dothraki Sea. Yet the true origin of her dragon eggs was once a complete mystery. Rhaenyra Targaryen has finally revealed part of the mystery of Daenerys’ eggs.

House of the Dragon Revealed Where Daenerys’ Dragon Eggs Came From

Aegon II’s marriage to Helaena in House of the Dragon offers the Greens no real benefit other than keeping the blood pure, so why were they married?

Rhaenyra Targaryen gave Daenerys’ eggs to Rhaena Targaryen.

For decades, no one truly knew where Daenerys’ dragons came from. The mystery has endured since George R. R. Martin’s A Game of Thrones was first published in 1996. Illyrio Mopatis offered the petrified eggs to Daenerys as a gift, implying only that he had somehow come upon them after they had been left in the Far East. He gave her three in all: One black for Drogon, one gold for Viserion, and one green for Rhaegal. For some time, it seemed that would never be an answer to the mystery. In the years since, however, George R. R. Martin offered one explanation and HBO offered another.

Martin’s book, Fire & Blood, hinted that the sailor Elissa Farman stole the eggs from Princess Rhaena Targaryen less than a century after Aegon’s Conquest. She sailed across the Sunset Sea after, much like Arya Stark did at the end of Game of Thrones. The book lays some hints that she survived and managed to sail to Asshai in the East. Corlys Velaryon found her ship there, and it was implied that she either sold the eggs there, passed them down to another generation, or had them stolen. The book has since become a major inspiration for House of the Dragon, but that specific detail has been contradicted by the show, which just revealed exactly where Daenerys’ dragons came from.

Viserys’ dream of Rhaenyra helping to save Westeros from the White Walkers actually came to fruition.

During House of the Dragon season 2, episode 3, “The Burning Mill”, Rhaenyra took her cousin and step-daughter aside and begged her to take her children to the Vale of Arryn. From there, Rhaenyra suggested sailing to Pentos, one of the Free Cities of Essos. To serve as protection, currency, and whatever else Rhaena might need, Rhaenyra offered four dragon eggs: One black, one gold, one green, and one blue. In short, Rhaenyra sent Rhaena to Pentos with all three of Daenerys’ dragons, Rhaenyra’s youngest children, and an additional egg. Without that decision, Daenerys would have been helpless.

The reveal is not just for theorists, however. Director Geeta Vasant Patel confirmed that those three eggs are Daenerys’ dragons. In an interview with Mashable, Patel firmly stated “Those are Daenerys’ eggs. All of us who work on this show are big Game of Thrones fans, so it was very exciting to shoot that scene.” It is one of the first definitive reveals of House of the Dragon season 2 and confirms that Viserys’ dream of Rhaenyra helping to save Westeros from the White Walkers came to fruition.

Rhaenyra’s Decision Saved the Seven Kingdoms

House of the Dragon has the insidious Otto Hightower embarking on a villainous path similar to the one walked by a Game of Thrones villain.

Westeros would never have won the Battle of Winterfell without Rhaenyra’s decision.

Rhaenyra’s impulsive decision somehow managed to save the Seven Kingdoms a century before anyone would realize it. By sending the dragon eggs to Pentos, Rhaenyra ensured that Daenerys would have dragons. The younger Targaryen then went on to become a conqueror in Essos, the Mother of Dragons, and the force that stalled the White Walkers long enough for Arya Stark to reach the Night King. Without Daenerys’ dragons slinging fire across the fields of wights, Westeros would have lost the Long Night.

King Viserys always believed that he was preparing the realm for the fight against the White Walkers. He made every decision with the plan to protect the people of Westeros from enemies beyond the Wall. He hoped to spread the Song of Ice and Fire from generation to generation, but he never reinforced the Wall, supported the North, or prepared Westeros’ army for the intensity of the war to come. Instead, he split the realm with an uncertain succession crisis and risked the destruction of the dragons.

While Viserys hoped to prepare the realm, Rhaenyra did. Even without knowing it, she sent Daenerys the equivalent of an army of dragons. Viserys’ decisions led to the deat.h of the dragons, but Rhaenyra contributed to their rebirth. She armed her successor, who helped to save Westeros from the Night King. Through Rhaenyra, Viserys made the impact that he dreamed of and helped to prevent the realization of Aegon the Conqueror’s terrifying dream. Had she not sent Rhaena, there is no telling what Westeros would have done.

House of the Dragon Also Introduced an Extra Egg

Director Geeta Vasant Patel teases a key character’s possible redemption with the surprise cameo scene in House of the Dragon’s “The Burning Mill.”

Rhaenyra gave four eggs to Rhaena, not just the three that Daenerys hatched.

House of the Dragon established the origin of Daenerys’ eggs, but a few questions remain. For one, no one truly knows how dragon reproduction works. There is no way to know which dragons were Drogon, Viserion, and Rhaegal’s parents — or parent — and the story never quite reveals how long they were in egg form before Rhaenyra sent them with Rhaena. The question of how they got from Dragonstone to Pentos is now easily answered, but the rest of their story will remain an enduring mystery. Likely, it will remain that way until HBO’s Aegon’s Conquest spin-off is released.

The larger question, however, is what happens to the blue egg. Behind the green egg that houses Rhaegal, a fourth and blue-tinted egg sits in the cradle. Rhaenyra entrusts the egg to Rhaena, who is currently a Targaryen without a dragon, and who resents Aemond for stealing her mother’s dragon. In all likelihood, Rhaena will attempt to hatch and ride the blue egg. Given her immense resentment and feelings of inferiority, attempting to hatch the egg would satisfy Rhaena’s deep-seated emotions and provide her with a storyline of her own. She has spent much of the story sidelined, so giving her such an emotional arc would be an interesting path forward.

Rhaenyra’s choice saved Westeros, but her actions will do little to protect those she loves.

There is always a chance that other Targaryens or other mysterious dragonseeds could attempt to steal Rhaena’s fourth egg. Rhaena has already had one dragon stolen, so another would fit the themes that surround the character. The egg could be taken by anyone in Pentos, which explains how Illyrio Mopatis finds himself with three, rather than four. If someone steals one and not the others, it will likely be left alone forever. Rhaenyra’s decisions left the eggs in uneasy hands, given Rhaena’s reluctance to participate in the mission.

While the decision eventually results in Daenerys saving Westeros from horror, it will not help the Blacks during the war. Given that three eggs are not hatched for another century, taking it is of little use to supporting her side in the Dance of the Dragons. Daemon will undoubtedly be furious, and eggs are of little protection to children. Rhaenyra’s choice saved Westeros, but her actions will do little to protect those she loves as House of the Dragon‘s terrifying war continues.

House of the Dragon

TV-MA
Drama
Action
Adventure
Fantasy

Two centuries before the events of A Game of Thrones, House Targaryen—the only family of dragonlords to survive the Doom of Valyria—took up residence on Dragonstone.

Release DateAugust 21, 2022
CastJefferson Hall , Eve Best , David Horovitch , Paddy Considine , Ryan Corr , Bill Paterson , Fabien Frankel , Graham McTavish , Olivia Cooke , Gavin Spokes , Sonoya Mizuno , Steve Toussaint , Matt Smith , Matthew Needham , Rhys Ifans , Emma D’Arcy , Milly Alcock
Main GenreDrama