Vaemond Velaryon’s quest for the throne of Driftwood brought him one of the most gruesome deaths in the House of the Dragon so far. The eighth episode of the series is now streaming on HBO Max.
Princess Rhaenys waited over six years for the return of her husband, Ser Corlys Velaryon, who left with his sailors for a battle.
The news suggests that he is heavily injured, which means there is a chance he may never come back. Taking that into consideration, Corlys’ brother, Vaemond, wanted Rhaenys to announce who will take the throne of Driftwood.
Rhaenys assured that, as per Corlys’ wishes, Laenor’s son, Lucerys Velaryon will inherit the seat.
Vaemond was not okay with that and called himself the Sea Snake’s own blood and the closest kin he has left.
Rhaenys warned him that his words could be considered treason, but Vaemond kept talking about how his brother only cared about history books and forgot about the Velaryon line.
He even went on to address Laenor’s sons as the pups of House Strong, as everyone knows, they were fathered by Ser Harwin Strong.
Before walking away, Vaemond claimed he doesn’t want Rhaenys’ support as he knows the crown will side with him.
Rhaenyra fights for her son’s claim
The royal families gathered at the King’s Landing to discuss the succession of Driftwood’s throne, including Daemon and Rhaenyra, who had come to defend their son.
Before the meeting, Rhaenyra made Rhaenys an offer. If Rhaenys backs Lucerys’ claim, she would have her sons marry Corlys’ granddaughters.
Jace marrying Baela would result in their children becoming heirs to the Iron Throne, and similarly, Luke’s marriage to Rhaena means their children will rule the Driftmark in the future.
Though Rhaenys liked the offer, she saw this as a desperate move and chose to stay alone, for now.
Vaemond expresses his desire in front of the King
Ser Otto Hightower, King’s Hand, sat on the Iron Throne on the king’s behalf, owing to the king’s condition.
As the meeting began, Vaemond addressed his desire to extend the lineage of House Velaryon by inheriting the throne of Driftwood.
Rhaenyra intervened by stating that the same Velaryon blood flows through her son, the offspring of Laenor Velaryon, Lucerys. She accused Vaemond of supplanting the rightful heir to the throne for his own ambition.
Vaemond expressed that it’s a matter of blood and not about his ambition before backing off.
Rhaenyra got a chance of her own to speak, but she was interrupted by King Viserys’ arrival, who decided to take matters into his own hands by sitting on his Iron Throne.
King Viserys’ decision and the vile accusations of Vaemond
King Viserys believed the matter is already settled. He thought only Rhaenys knew about Lord Corlys’ wishes and she should be the one making the decision.
Rhaenys comes forward and sides with Rhaenyra, claiming that her husband wanted Driftmark to pass through Ser Laenor to his trueborn son, Lucerys Velaryon.
Corlys’ mind never changed and neither did Rhaenys’ support for him. She also told the king about Rhaenyra’s desire to marry her sons to Corlys’ granddaughters. A proposal she wholeheartedly accepts.
Therefore, King Viserys wasted no time in making it official that Lucerys will be the one ascending the throne of Driftwood.
Before the meeting could be called off, Vaemond accused the king of breaking the law and centuries of tradition by installing his daughter as heir.
He further claimed that he won’t let the king decide who deserves the name Velaryon.
Vaemond crosses his limits by questioning Lucerys’ parentage and the number of partners Rhaenyra has been with.
This sets off King Viserys, who orders Vaemond’s tongue to be cut. Before the guards could make a move, Daemon kills Vaemond by cutting half of his head, leaving the tongue as it is.
With that, Vaemond’s quest for the throne came to an end, with Lucerys on his way to ascend the throne of Driftwood.
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