Did Prince Aemond Want to Kill Prince Lucerys, or Was It an Accident?
One of the most surprising events that happened in the season finale of House of the Dragon was the death of Prince Lucerys Velaryon when Vhagar ripped him and his dragon, Arrax, apart with one single bite. This happened when Prince Aemond Targaryen chased Luke after they left Storm’s End, as it was clear that he had ill intentions in mind. But did Aemond really intend to kill Lucerys, or was it just an accident?
Prince Aemond likely did not want to kill Prince Lucerys when he was chasing him after they had left Storm’s End. That’s because there were several instances in that chase where Aemond could’ve ordered Vhagar to attack them. It is likely that Aemond only wanted Luke to sacrifice an eye that he believed he was owed.
It might be true that Prince Aemond never had any love for Prince Lucerys, but it is also true that he wasn’t stupid enough to want to kill the boy during a time when the war between the Greens and the Blacks was yet to break out. As such, it is likely that he was ordered by Alicent to come to Storm’s End in peace because she never wanted a full-blown war with Rhaenyra. In that regard, let’s look at this discussion in greater detail.
Did Prince Aemond Want To Kill Prince Lucerys?
During the latter portions of episode 10 of House of the Dragon, Rhaenyra Targaryen had a meeting with her trusted advisers, as she realized that she didn’t want to start a war with the Greens because her father’s wish was for her to keep the realm together. As such, she wasn’t going to make the first move against the Greens. But, of course, she needed to know who was on her side, and that’s why it was important for her to know who among the lords of the Great Houses were willing to honor their oaths to her.
Prince Jacaerys Velaryon suggested that they should go to the lords instead of sending out ravens because dragons were faster. As such, Jace was sent north to the Eyrie and Winterfell. Meanwhile, Prince Lucerys Velaryon was sent to Storm’s End to send the letter to Lord Borros Baratheon, who was known to be a proud lord.
As such, Luke flew on Arrax to get to Storm’s End. But the problem was that when he got there, he saw a large dragon in the form of Vhagar, who was Prince Aemond Targaryen’s dragon. That meant that the Greens had beaten them to Storm’s End, as the one-eyed prince was already there.
In the throne room of Storm’s End, Lucerys was welcomed well enough by Lord Borros Baratheon, who was ready to hear the proposal of Rhaenyra. Meanwhile, Aemond was clearly eyeing Luke the entire time. When Borros found out that Rhaenyra only wanted him to honor his father’s oath to her, that was when he decided to reject the offer because the Greens had a better offer, as they proposed to wed Aemond to one of the Baratheon daughters.
After Rhaenyra was rejected, Lucerys decided to return to Dragonstone to tell his mother that Borros had decided to side with the Greens. However, Aemond prevented Luke from leaving Storm’s End because he wanted him to cut his eye out as payment for the eye that he took from him six years ago. Luke, however, honored his mother’s wish of going to Storm’s End not as a fighter but as a messenger. On top of that, Lord Borros told them that no blood would be shed in his home.
In that regard, Luke hurriedly left the premises to get to Arrax, who was clearly worried about the fact that the weather had gotten worse. On top of that, Vhagar was nowhere to be found, as it was clear that Aemond had flown with her already.
Luke struggled to fly away from Storm’s End because of the storm that was raging. In that regard, Arrax was not as quick as it was supposed to be, as it was clear that the much larger Vhagar was stalking them. Aemond, of course, was having fun chasing Luke around the skies while intimidating him.
Arrax, however, was able to maneuver its way through rocks to hide from Vhagar, who was too large to follow. And just as when Aemond and Vhagar thought that they had lost Luke, Arrax suddenly came out of nowhere to breathe fire on the larger dragon’s face.
This angered Vhagar, as Aemond lost control of her. Meanwhile, Luke and Arrax were able to brave through the storm and get to a spot where the sky was finally cleared. Nevertheless, Vhagar suddenly popped out from the side and ripped Luke and Dragon apart with a single bite. Aemond, of course, had a worried look on his face the entire time as he realized that his dragon had done something that wasn’t supposed to happen.
As such, it was clear that Aemond never intended to kill Lucerys the entire time. This was made clear by the fact that he was worried when Vhagar killed Luke and Arrax. Of course, throughout the entire time that he was chasing the younger prince, Aemond had several opportunities to attack but decided not to do so. That meant that it was not his intention to kill Lucerys.
It is also possible that, like Rhaenyra, Alicent never intended to draw first blood on the Blacks because she always wanted her childhood friend to give up her claim to the Iron Throne in a peaceful manner. As such, she may have ordered Prince Aemond to go to Storm’s End not as a warrior but as a messenger.
This explains why Aemond had a worried look on his face when Lucerys was killed. He knew the consequences of what had happened, and that meant that he and Vhagar were going to be the reasons why the war was going to break out between the Greens and the Blacks, as Rhaenyra was merely waiting for the Greens to draw first blood before waging war.
Why Did Aemond Chase Lucerys?
So, if Aemond didn’t want to kill Lucerys, what was the point of him chasing him from Storm’s End? Well, it goes back to the fact that they have a longstanding grudge that came as a result of Aemond losing his eye when he first claimed Vhagar.
It was Luke that used Jace’s knife to blind Aemond’s left eye in a fight between the two brothers and their uncle. Since that knight, Aemond had held a grudge against the younger prince as he didn’t get the justice that he thought he deserved when he lost his eye. As such, that was the reason why he wanted Luke to take his own eye out as well in that scene in Storm’s End.
Of course, it is likely that Aemond also chased Luke from Storm’s End to make sure that he did not leave with both of his eyes. He simply wanted to force Lucerys to honor his demand of taking his own eye out to pay for the eye that he took from Aemond six years ago. Of course, he was also merely trying to intimidate the younger prince as well.