Trama

As ancient grudges resurface, Rhaenys suggests that Alicent may see reason while the men around her seek bloodshed. Ser Criston proposes a bold scheme. Daemon arrives at Harrenhal to raise an army for the Blacks.

In the Riverlands, the feuding Brackens and Blackwoods fight a deadly battle over a minor dispute. To avert war, Rhaenys tells Rhaenyra that Alicent may be reasoned with. Criston proposes a bold plan to conquer Harrenhal; Daemon arrives there first, whereupon Ser Simon Strong, the castellan, pledges allegiance. That night, Daemon dreams that a young Rhaenyra is sewing Jaehaerys' severed head onto his body. Daemon awakens and a strange woman, Alys, foretells his death occurring at Harrenhal. Rhaenyra sends Rhaena, her younger children, and dragon eggs to the Arryns to protect the Targaryen line. Mysaria becomes Rhaenyra's adviser, while Aegon makes Larys his Master of Whisperers. At a brothel, a man named Ulf boasts he is Daemon and King Viserys' bastard half-brother; arriving at the brothel with his squires, Aegon encounters Aemond with madam Sylvi and cruelly mocks him. After Baela, patrolling on Moondancer, spots Criston's squad en route to Harrenhal, Rhaenyra's councilors urge war with dragons. Instead, Rhaenyra sneaks into King's Landing and secretly meets with Alicent but fails to negotiate a peaceful resolution. She realizes Alicent misunderstood King Viserys' dying words about "Aegon" as concerning Alicent's son Aegon II, not Aegon the Conqueror's dreams.

A small territorial dispute between long-time enemies, Houses Bracken and Blackwood, who support Aegon and Rhaenyra, respectively, escalates into a deadly battle resulting in ruination and many casualties.

Helaena forgives Alicent and empathizes with the smallfolk about losing children. Criston proposes a bold plan to take Harrenhal, the largest castle in Westeros albeit the ruins, to utilize it as a strategic military base. As Criston is about to depart for Harrenhal with a military detachment, Gwayne Hightower, Alicent's brother, unexpectedly joins them. Aegon also wants to accompany the campaign on his dragon Sunfyre, but Lord Larys Strong diplomatically persuades him to remain in King's Landing. Aegon then appoints Larys as his Master of Whisperers.

Ulf claims to be a Dragonseed, a bastard of Valyrian blood, and the half-brother of the late King Viserys Targaryen and Prince Daemon Targaryen. When Aegon and his retinue bring a new squire to the brothel to lose his virginity, they encounter a naked Aemond with Sylvi. Aegon mocks his brother until Aemond angrily leaves.

Daemon arrives at Harrenhal on Caraxes before Criston's party reaches it. Ser Simon Strong, the castellan, instantly pledges his allegiance to Rhaenyra. He denounces his grand-nephew, Larys, claiming he had his own father, Lord Lyonel, and his brother, Ser Harwin, killed in the fire at Harrenhal. Later that night, an unseen force beckons Daemon to a weirwood tree. There, he experiences a vision of a young Rhaenyra sewing Jaehaerys' head back onto his decapitated body. He awakens and a young woman Alys Rivers standing nearby predicts his death will occur at Harrenhal.

Erryk and Arryk Cargyll are buried together. Rhaenys suggests to Rhaenyra that Alicent might be persuaded against war. Rhaenyra sends her youngest sons Joffrey, Aegon, and Viserys away to the Eyrie to continue House Targaryen should the Blacks fail, with the Lady Jeyne Arryn taking Joffrey to ward. Rhaena is instructed to accompany them, but feels demotivated as she believes the reason to be her not having a dragon. She is mollified, however, when Rhaenyra entrusts four dragon eggs in her care.

En route to Harrenhal, Gwayne and a few soldiers recklessly head to a small village seeking amusement; Criston angrily races after them. Baela, patrolling the area on Moondancer, charges towards them, but they escape into a nearby forest. Baela reports this to Rhaenyra's councilors, who strongly suggest to engage dragons in the war. For her warning about Arryk, Rhaenyra rewards Mysaria with a place at court. Mysaria advises Rhaenyra on how to find Alicent in King's Landing. After reading Alicent's recent message, Rhaenyra decides to try and meet with her.

Rhaenyra and one of her guards sneak into King's Landing. Disguised as a septa, Rhaenyra approaches Alicent while she is at prayer in a sept and they discuss recent events leading to the conflict. Rhaenyra realizes that Alicent misunderstood Viserys' dying words about the Song of Ice and Fire prophecy, mistaking her son for Aegon the Conqueror. Distraught by the revelation, Alicent dismisses Rhaenyra anyway, claiming the war can no longer be avoided.