Aemond's Major Dragon Book Change In House Of The Dragon Season 3 Detailed By Alys Rivers Actor

WARNING! This article contains SPOILERS for House of the Dragon season 3, episode 7 and minor spoilers for George R.R. Martin's Fire & Blood novel!

HBO's House of the Dragon season 3 goes beyond George R.R. Martin's source material to introduce new dragon-related twists for Aemond.

In House of the Dragon season 3, episode 6, Alys Rivers reveals to Aemond Targaryen that Harrenhal has secretly held a clutch of five dragon eggs for approximately a century, having been left there by his ancestor Rhaena Targaryen. Alys then explains to Aemond that she hopes to give him sons, who will hopefully hatch the eggs and give the pair a powerful reign out of Harrenhal. However, the dragon eggs and plans for Aemond's own Targaryen empire weren't part of Martin's Fire & Blood book.

In an interview with ScreenRant's Liam Crowley, Alys Rivers actor Gayle Rankin clarifies the returning House of the Dragon character's intentions with the dragon eggs and plans to have sons with the Targaryen prince. While Alys had held onto the knowledge of the dragon eggs for some time, she was waiting to take advantage of this power until she found the right partner and time to hatch them, and Aemond proved to be her best match after Daemon's departure. With these dragon eggs and royal titles for their future children, Alys is "offering up a... new dynasty" for Aemond to build with her:

ScreenRant: What have Alys's intentions been with the dragon eggs at Harrenhal?

Gayle Rankin: "I don't think she knew. Keep them close, keep them ready. I think they're a cool metaphor, especially for a woman alone who doesn't seem to have a lot of power. To have this kind of fertile, life-giving power source is just really an interesting thing. It's deciding to have a child or not. It's like she froze her eggs."

ScreenRant: I'm glad you brought up the child aspect because you could argue, is she trying to have sons with Aemond and to hatch them and gain that power specifically?

Gayle Rankin: "I mean, she does talk about that. In episode 7, she's like, 'Your sons will be Targaryen princes.' And I think she's offering that up. I think she's definitely offering up the possibility of, 'Let's build a new dynasty.'"

Though Alicent attempts to fatally poison Aemond in House of the Dragon season 3, episode 7, Alys seemingly saves him after he comes stumbling to her in the night. As such, the couple's plans to hatch their dragon eggs and have children may still come to fruition, though tensions will hit a new high across the realm with a major battle being set into motion for the season 3 finale. Aemond is expected to remain at Harrenhal throughout episode 8, which may allow him and Alys more time to discuss their future at the castle and potential to hatch new dragons.

Since Alys presenting Aemond with dragon eggs wasn't featured in the Fire & Blood book, it's still unclear what direction this new plot line will take in the season 3 finale and the already-renewed House of the Dragon season 4. That said, Alys and Aemond potentially having a child was rumored in Fire & Blood, with the book also revealing that one source claimed Alys later had a dragon with her at Harrenhal. If House of the Dragon extends this far into the source material, then those claims could be proven true with the dragon's presence being explained by the eggs Alys introduces in season 3.

However, with Helaena foreseeing Aemond's death at the Gods Eye outside Harrenhal, little time seemingly remains for Alys and Aemond to bring these plans to fruition. If Aemond does indeed have a son with Alys and a dragon egg hatches for him, those events would likely occur after the Prince's prophesied demise. Still, the empire Alys hopes for won't be realized given A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms and Game of Thrones' only future rival Targaryen dynasties are the Blackfyres, a House founded about 50 years after House of the Dragon's timeline descending from Rhaenyra's lineage, not Aemond's.

Of course, House of the Dragon has departed from the fates of characters in Fire & Blood on a few notable occasions already, such as Laenor Velaryon faking his death and fleeing to Essos or the series abandoning Gwayne Hightower's death during Rhaenyra's takeover of King's Landing. As such, some twists may be in store for Aemond and Alys in regard to his death prophecy and their possession of dragon eggs.

House of the Dragon's season 3 finale releases on Sunday, August 9 at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.