House of the Dragon, season 2: who is Harrenhaal’s mysterious wife?
“She saw you in a storm cloud, in a mountain pond at dusk, in the fire we lit to cook our evening meals. She sees so much and more, my Alys.”
The first victims of the Dance of the Dragons have fallen. Nobles are killing each other and old rivalries find new reasons to persist. If the first two episodes of House of the Dragon were immobile, each remaining in his camp, this time, the pawns move. While the Greens attempt a breakthrough in the Riverlands in order to establish their power there, the Blacks concentrate their efforts on a last agreement, and Daemon (Matt Smith), alone, launches into the conquest of the impregnable city of Harrenhaal, seat of House Fort.
All eyes are on this fortress, the cornerstone of season 2. In episode 3, released this Monday, on the back of Caraxes, Daemon seizes Harrenhaal. Without any resistance, the resident nobles rally to Rhaenyra and among them, a woman with long jet-black hair attracts the attention of the Targaryen and the viewer. Her name is still unknown, but not to everyone…
Warning spoilers!
The readers of Fire and BloodGeorge RR Martin’s book have understood well that this woman was without a doubt Alys Rivers – the witch of Harrenhaal. A sorceress like a certain Melisandre…
Before the enigmatic priestess embodied by Carice Van Houten In Game Of Thrones, There was Alys Rivers. But who is she really?
Her origins diverge according to the testimonies recorded by Martin in his book. Sometimes an illegitimate daughter, sometimes a fearsome harpy in search of eternal youth bathing in the blood of young virgins, Alys is said to have spent her entire life in the Fort house, becoming their wet nurse. A follower of potions and enchantments, she is also said to have divinatory powers. One of her visions is described thus by one of the main characters in the novel:
“She saw you in a storm cloud, in a mountain pond at dusk, in the fire we lit to cook our evening meals. She sees so much and more, my Alys.”
Captive of Daemon, as seen in episode 3, her influence will be greater in the events to come when she sets her sights on another Targaryen…
In House of the Dragonthe obscure Alys Rivers is played by Gayle Rankin (Glow, The Greatest Showman). Passionate about her character, she confides in Entertainment Weekly : “I’m drawn to pagan magic. I’m Celtic. It’s in my blood.”
His encounter with Daemon plunges the latter into turmoil, now trapped in a nightmare named Harrenhaal, a castle haunted by the ghost of Balerion the Terror, the dragon of Aegon the Conqueror. In the dark, the man is prey to a series of hallucinations that conclude with a warning from the witch: “You will die in this place.”
“She’s going to have a lot of power over the men in this story, especially Daemon, who I think is like a rising anger“, teases the actress. “What’s interesting is to see what Alys wants from Daemon and vice versa? What do they each learn?”
Was Alys right? Probable answer in episode 4 of House of the Dragonseason 2, which will be released next Monday on Max.
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