How Viserys’ Iron Throne cuts predicted his fate in House of the Dragon

Struggle is looming in Home of the Dragon, and King Viserys Targaryen is doing every thing he can to maintain the dominion of Westeros collectively amid escalating tensions between his spouse, Alicent Hightower, and his daughter and inheritor, Rhaenyra Targaryen. However one of many greatest threats to Viserys’ reign has largely performed out within the background — till now.

[Ed. note: The following contains spoilers for House of the Dragon and Fire & Blood.]

Within the sequence premiere, we study that Viserys has a small wound on his again from sitting on the Iron Throne. Because the maesters tending to Viserys word, the reduce mysteriously refuses to heal. Actually, it’s spreading. Viserys receives a second reduce from the throne in the identical episode, which equally turns into contaminated and results in the amputation of two of his fingers. Within the years since, Viserys’ well being has solely worsened, with the fifth episode exhibiting him coughing up blood and ultimately collapsing on the (already fairly eventful) marriage ceremony feast.

There are lots of issues plaguing Viserys at this level that could possibly be contributing to this flip for the more severe — his outdated age, the stress over Daemon and Rhaenyra’s relationship, and the concern of struggle if Rhaenyra stays his inheritor. However Viserys’ well being issues all started with a nick seemingly no bigger than a paper reduce.

The rationale Viserys’ wounds by no means healed is extra symbolic than something as routine as bacterial an infection. The importance of being reduce by the Iron Throne truly has deep roots in Targaryen historical past and Recreation of Thrones lore, relationship all the way in which again to the throne’s creation.

What does it imply to be reduce by the Iron Throne?

Picture: HBO

Viserys’ ancestor Aegon I Targaryen constructed the Iron Throne out of a thousand damaged blades he had taken from his enemies. The “ironwork monstrosity,” as George R.R. Martin referred to it in Recreation of Thrones, was constructed with the intention of inflicting excessive discomfort. “A king ought to by no means sit simple,” Aegon the Conqueror defined within the first A Tune of Ice and Fireplace ebook.

Aegon’s son Aenys succeeded his father, however was ultimately killed by his brother, the usurper Maegor Targaryen. Six years into Maegor’s infamously merciless reign, his nephew Jaehaerys Targaryen raised banners towards him. After only a few homes got here to Maegor’s assist, he selected to spend the night time brooding alone on the Iron Throne. The following morning, certainly one of Maegor’s many wives, Elinor, discovered him useless within the seat with one of many throne’s blades impaled by his neck and his forearms slashed open by a number of different spikes.

There are a number of theories about Maegor’s dying, together with that he took his personal life or that Elinor murdered him. However many consider that the Iron Throne itself is what killed Maegor. That is what originated the favored superstition that the throne chooses who’s worthy or not of ruling Westeros, and that those that are deemed undeserving undergo damage by its blades.

Does everybody who will get reduce on the Iron Throne die?

Picture: HBO

No — or at the very least not as a direct results of their wounds.

Maegor and Viserys usually are not the one two individuals to have been reduce by the Iron Throne. Daenerys Targaryen’s paranoid father Aerys II Targaryen was generally generally known as The Mad King, however as a result of he reduce himself so usually on the Iron Throne he was additionally dubbed King Scab. Nevertheless, the Mad King wasn’t discovered useless on the throne nor of an an infection from certainly one of his many cuts. Slightly, his dying got here on the finish of Jaime Lannister’s sword.

So, whereas being reduce by the Iron Throne might symbolize the unworthiness of a king or queen, the Iron Throne isn’t a supernatural decide, jury, and executioner that disposes of the ruler itself. That being stated, anybody who sits on the throne is already at a better than common probability of dying. In the event that they’re on the throne and never a match ruler, these odds go up exponentially.

What does Viserys being reduce by the Iron Throne imply?

Picture: HBO

It doesn’t take Viserys being reduce by the Iron Throne to make it clear he isn’t an important king. Having ascended throughout peaceable occasions, Viserys is pushed by a need to please and prefers to keep away from points somewhat than confront them head on, resembling his dismissal of the risk the Crabfeeder and Triarchy pose. When Viserys does make daring choices — like naming Rhaenyra as his successor or deciding to wed Alicent — these selections solely sow extra dissent towards him.

Viserys’ first reduce from the Iron Throne occurred at an unknown time, however the timing of his second damage is of explicit significance, coming instantly following his resolution to take away Daemon from the road of succession. This ruling is without doubt one of the key choices that in the end results in the primary Targaryen civil struggle, which appears to be quick approaching now that the Westeros noble homes have begun selecting sides within the battle for succession between Rhaenyra and Aegon, Alicent’s son.

The second reduce could possibly be a sign that Viserys’ poor judgment will solely result in break — for himself, his household, and his kingdom. It may additionally simply be one other approach to reinforce what Daemon advised his brother — that Viserys is a weak king who isn’t as much as bearing the burden of his personal energy. Both manner, they had been a really dangerous omen for Viserys’ future.

Viserys has already misplaced two fingers from his cuts from the Iron Throne. Solely time will inform the true price he’ll pay for his failings as king, and when destiny will acquire its due.