What Did Viserys Say to Alicent at the End of Episode 8? (& Why Is It Important)

Episode 8 of House of the Dragon was one of the most powerful episodes we have seen in recent memory because of the fact that it was this episode that allowed us to see King Viserys Targaryen both at his weakest yet strongest moment. In what was his last day as king, he tried to reconcile his family and did things right for Rhaenyra and her sons. However, he still made a mistake at the last moment when he spoke to Alicent while he was dying. So, what did Viserys say to Alicent at the end of episode 8?

Viserys said that he believed in Aegon’s dream as he knew that the threat from the north was real. He also said that the Prince that was Promised was going to come from her and was going to unite the entire realm against this threat. However, Viserys thought that he was talking to Rhaenyra the entire time.

These words from the king and a simple misunderstanding erased every effort of reconciliation that happened in this episode, as it was clear that Alicent now believes that Viserys was talking about their son Aegon as the king that would unite the realm. In that regard, this should be what would motivate Alicent to crown Aegon, as this will begin the Dance of the Dragons.

What Did Viserys Say To Alicent At The End Of Episode 8?

In what was the most emotional episode in House of the Dragon, episode 8 allowed us to see House Targaryen under one roof once more on the occasion of a petition regarding the succession of Driftmark. That’s because Lucerys Velaryon, Rhaenyra Targaryen’s son during her marriage with Laenor Velaryon, was being challenged as the successor of Driftmark. By extension, Vaemond Velaryon was also challenging Luke’s status as the legitimate son of Laenor.

That was when Rhaenyra went to her father in his chambers as King Viserys was resting under the influence of milk of the poppy. In that scene, Rhaenyra asked him if he believed in the Song of Ice and Fire, which is Aegon the Conqueror’s dream and prophecy about the Prince that was Promised. She was asking her father about this matter because he told her that it was the duty of a Targaryen to hold the entire realm united so that it would be prepared against this common threat from the north.

But Rhaenyra also said that Viserys divided the realm when he named her his heir. As such, the burden of being an heir was a heavy one for her because she was getting attacked by different people. Rhaenyra asked her father to defend her and Lucerys if he wanted her to bear the burden that he himself placed on her.

After that, Viserys told Otto Hightower that he wanted to eat supper with the entire family while all of House Targaryen were gathered under one roof. He also rejected milk of the poppy because he didn’t want to dull his mind.

During the petition for the succession for Driftmark, Otto and Alicent Hightower were ready to rule in favor of Vaemond Velaryon’s succession. But, in the most powerful moment in the entire series, King Viserys limped his way to the Iron Throne as it was clear that he no longer had the energy to do so, but he still tried his best because his daughter needed him. He was visibly in pain, but he didn’t want to appear weak in front of everyone in the throne room because Rhaenyra needed him at his strongest. And upon taking his seat, he immediately dispensed with the matter involving the succession of Driftmark by reaffirming Lucerys Velaryon as Corlys Velaryon’s heir.

Viserys had supper with the entire family, as he allowed everyone to see him as he was—a deformed old man that didn’t have long to live. It was this gesture from the king that allowed both Rhaenyra and Alicent to bury the hatchet and mend their broken relationship. And while their children were hesitant to do the same, they still did so out of respect for King Viserys, who had become too weak to even sit through the entire dinner as he was taken to his chambers.

Meanwhile, in his chambers, Viserys was seemingly dying on his deathbed while he was talking to Alicent, who was attending to him. The king was no longer able to tell who was there with him while he was talking about Aegon’s dream. He told Alicent that he believed the Song of Ice and Fire to be true and that the threat from the north was indeed real.

He also said that the Prince that was Promised was going to be the one to unite the ream against the cold and the dark. In his final moment, he also said the words, “It is you. You’re the one. You must do this.” Viserys eventually died after Alicent left him all alone in his room, as she said, “I understand, my king.”

The Importance Of What Viserys Said To Alicent

The reason why King Viserys’s words were important was that they basically canceled his efforts at reconciling his family. While he was on his deathbed, he really thought that he was talking to Rhaenyra, as he was already too weak to actually see who he was talking to. That meant that he was sharing his thoughts on the Song of Ice and Fire with the person that he really thought was his own daughter.

In that regard, when Viserys was talking about Aegon, Alicent thought that he was talking about their son. And when he said something about how the Prince that was Promised was going to unite the realm against the cold and the dark threat coming from the north, Alicent believed that he was actually referring to THEIR Aegon as the one that would unite the realm.

Finally, when Viserys said, “you must do this,” the queen thought that he was telling her to do something about Aegon’s succession to the Iron Throne, as she believed those words to be the king’s final wishes. But, as a matter of fact, he was merely reaffirming his belief in Aegon the Conqueror’s dream to the person he thought was Rhaenyra so that his daughter would also understand the importance of the Song of Ice and Fire and how important it was for her to keep the realm united.

Take note that the only person that Viserys ever said a word to regarding Aegon’s Dream was Rhaenyra, as it is possible that this knowledge is only passed down from one Targaryen king to his chosen heir. As such, Alicent didn’t know what Aegon the Conqueror’s dream was and had no clue what the Song of Ice and Fire was.

As such, it is actually this misunderstanding that cancels out the reconciliation efforts made by the king in this episode. It is now clear that Rhaenyra is sailing to Dragonstone, believing that Alicent now believes her to be capable enough to rule the Seven Kingdoms as queen. But it is also clear that Alicent has now changed her mind after misunderstanding what Viserys said. As such, this is what will allow the flames of war to ignite between Rhaenyra and Alicent as the Dance of the Dragons is about to commence.

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