House Of The Dragon Season 3 Is Setting Up Rhaenyra's Worst Mistake

Bend the knee! This article contains major spoilers for "House of the Dragon" Season 3, Episode 6.

No empire lasts forever. That's a truth that remains relevant in both real life and fiction, but it certainly helps to approach this from a position of hindsight — especially when it comes to "House of the Dragon." Thanks to "Game of Thrones" and even the Targaryen-hating status quo of "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms," we know that the dragon overlords' days are numbered. The prequel series depicts them at the absolute peak of their strength, when dragons roam the sky in droves and none would dare raise an army against them. Only a costly civil war could possibly knock them off this mountaintop and, wouldn't you know it, that's exactly what the Dance of the Dragons is doing.

As for what actually causes the downfall of an unstoppable dynasty? That's where things get mighty interesting in Season 3. Episode 6 takes an even closer look at Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy) and her tenuous grip on King's Landing, which continues to weaken with each passing day. Guerrilla warfare enacted by Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel) and his now-massacred followers (RIP), sabotaging efforts within the city orchestrated by Ormund Hightower (James Norton), and her own disgruntled citizens clamoring for relief are the biggest concerns facing Rhaenyra.

But what about the approaching threat that resides much closer to home? Newly-knighted dragonriders Ulf the White (Tom Bennett) and Hugh the Hammer (Kieran Bew) currently patrol just outside the market town of Tumbleton, waiting for the chance to finally take the fight to the Hightowers. That decision, as it turns out, may come back to haunt Rhaenyra more than anything else. One mysterious message at the end of the hour suggests exactly that.

There are cloudy skies on the horizon for Team Black in "House of the Dragon," and we're not just talking about hazy dragonfire smoke. Season 3 has already drawn parallels between Rhaenyra and Daenerys Targaryen from "Game of Thrones," emphasizing the difference between being a conqueror and being a ruler. Ever since then, our Targaryen queen has had to navigate one setback after another — some of which are of her own making. Her biggest mistake of all, however, dates back to Season 2. We previously wrote about how the HBO series was laying the groundwork for a devastating betrayal. Now, that impending threat is knocking at Rhaenyra's door.

It's time to talk about the dragon(s) in the room. After weeks of both Rhaenyra and her reckless husband Daemon (Matt Smith) knocking him down a peg, it appears that Ulf has had enough ... and Hugh may not be far behind him. First, Rhaenyra and her followers had to give the common-born Ulf a harsh lesson in courtly behavior on Dragonstone. Then, he found himself sent off on secret missions far away from the action and glory. Most recently, even his drunken escapades to a local tavern in Flea Bottom have been ripped away from him. Now, he's somehow managed to get Daemon to dislike him even more, publicly humiliating him as he's caught roving around King's Landing in disguise.

At the end of the episode, Rhaenyra receives a scrawled message from Tumbleton: "Kick this dog and it will bite your hand." Has Ulf's resentment finally boiled over into outright betrayal? Will Hugh's tense encounter with his spurned wife lead him down a similar road? There may be another hint indicating more trouble to come.

Spoilers for "Fire & Blood" ahead.

Are you a believer in signs and ominous portents of things that haven't yet come to pass? Targaryens generally are, considering that whole thing about mystical dragon dreams about the future, but they may have missed one lightning-fast moment that diehard fans have been waiting quite some time to see. Did you happen to catch that scene when Rhaenyra is seated on the imposing Iron Throne, listening exhaustively to the woes of her subjects? After handling their grievances with a certain lack of tact and empathy, her hand slips and draws blood on that treacherous assortment of melted swords. Probably nothing to worry about, though!

Actually, yeah, it definitely is. In author George R.R. Martin's "Fire & Blood" book, this moment actually occurs much earlier. Right after triumphantly overthrowing King's Landing and taking her place on the Iron Throne, it's documented (by a religious septon named Eustace) that what comes next strikes a markedly different tone:

"It was well past dawn when Rhaenyra Targaryen rose and made her descent. 'And as her lord husband Prince Daemon escorted her from the hall, cuts were seen upon Her Grace's legs and the palm of her left hand,' wrote Eustace. 'Drops of blood fell to the floor as she went past, and wise men looked at one another, though none dared speak the truth aloud: the Iron Throne had spurned her, and her days upon it would be few.'"

Bleak! Episode director Loni Peristere captures this moment with a little more subtlety, to his credit. But given everything else on her plate, it's no surprise the tides appear to be turning against Rhaenyra. "House of the Dragon" airs new episodes on HBO every Sunday.