‘House of the Dragon’ Season 2’s Major Daenerys Retcon Still Doesn’t Make Sense

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Though conflict is brewing, the second season of House of the Dragon seems to be missing the point. Instead of focusing on the rivalry between Rhaenyra and Aegon II, the show prioritizes the relationship between Rhaenyra and Alicent, and makes several other confusing storytelling decisions. It also takes considerable liberties with George R.R. Martin’s book, Fire & Blood, something Martin himself has commented on.

While the show’s extended focus on the Targaryen family conflicts wasn’t ideal, it’s arguably not the biggest problem. In Season 2, Rhaenyra sends her stepdaughter, Rhaena, along with her sons Joffrey, Viserys, and Aegon, to the Vale with Jeyne Arryn. Rhaena is tasked with caring for the boys and guarding their dragons, Tyraxes and Stormcloud, as well as four dragon eggs. These eggs are later destined to hatch 170 years later with Daenerys Targaryen in Essos, but their presence in Westeros at this point in the story creates a confusing and illogical change to the established timeline.

The History of Daenerys’ Eggs, as Told in ‘Fire & Blood’


HBO

As a fan, I’ve noticed a bit of confusion about where Drogon, Viserion, and Rhaegal’s eggs really came from. The show, House of the Dragon, seems to suggest they were laid by Syrax, Rhaenyra’s dragon. But the book, Fire & Blood, implies something different – that they actually came from Dreamfyre, Helaena Targaryen’s dragon who’s currently in the Dragonpit. Dreamfyre has had a pretty interesting life, being ridden by Queen Rhaena Targaryen way back when, even after she was married to the notoriously cruel King Maegor. After Maegor died, Rhaena married Androw Farman during Jaehaerys I’s reign. And get this – she also became close to Jaehaerys’ sister, Elissa, and they fell in love! According to the story from Maester Smike in Fire & Blood, Rhaena didn’t even marry Androw for love, but because she was in love with Elissa. It’s a surprisingly sweet, and complicated, backstory!

I found the dynamic between Rhaena and Elissa particularly compelling. After relocating from Fair Isle to Dragonstone, Elissa harbored a real wanderlust, dreaming of charting new waters beyond Westeros. It’s heartbreaking to see how Rhaena, unwilling to fund her sister’s shipbuilding, effectively dashed those hopes. This refusal created a noticeable strain in their relationship, and honestly, it felt like a pivotal moment for both characters. The tension was palpable, and I’m eager to see how this rift plays out.

Elissa pleaded with Rhaena to join her in leaving Dragonstone, but when Rhaena refused, Elissa secretly stole three dragon eggs. She sailed from Driftmark to Pentos, then on to Braavos, where she pretended to be someone else – Alys Westhill – and asked the Sealord for help. Elissa used the money from selling the eggs to build her ship, the Sun Chaser. The theft deeply upset House Targaryen, as they worried about the possibility of someone like a mercenary or warlord gaining control of dragons. However, the Sealord of Braavos claimed to know nothing about the eggs.

Fortunately, the dispute over the eggs ended peacefully when Sealord agreed to lower the Iron Throne’s debt to the Iron Bank of Braavos. However, the Old King didn’t forget the trouble Elissa caused his family. Two years later, he tasked Lord Donnel Hightower with stopping her ship as she sailed west, but Elissa escaped and was never heard from again.

Why the Lore Retcon in ‘House of the Dragon’ Doesn’t Make Sense


HBO

Elissa Farman traveled to Pentos in the year 54 after the Conquest. The second season of House of the Dragon is set roughly 129 years after the Conquest, with the Dance of the Dragons civil war concluding in 131 AC. Much later, in the first season of Game of Thrones, Illyrio Mopatis from Pentos gave Daenerys three dragon eggs as a wedding gift to Khal Drogo around 298 AC, and they hatched the following year, in 299 AC.

This raises a puzzling question: if Elissa sold the dragon eggs in Braavos, how did they end up in Westeros by 129 AC? It’s likely the eggs stayed in Essos until Daenerys acquired them, which fits the timeline best. While it’s possible these are just any three dragon eggs, the director of the third episode, Geeta Vasant Patel, has confirmed they are the same eggs that belonged to Daenerys.

In Season 2 of House of the Dragon, Rhaena, Joffrey, Aegon, and Viserys left the Vale and headed to Pentos. Earlier in the season, Rhaenyra had asked Rhaena to contact Reggio Haratis in Pentos, where Rhaena, her sister Baela, Daemon Targaryen, and Laena Velaryon had previously lived. Rhaenyra hoped to find safety in Pentos and ensure the survival of her family line if she lost the upcoming civil war. However, Rhaena secretly left her group to search for a wild dragon called Sheepstealer, leaving her brothers, their dragons, and the dragon eggs to travel to Pentos without her.

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Readers of Fire & Blood already know what happens to Rhaenyra’s sons, so the recent changes to the established story are confusing. What’s even more surprising is the altered origin of the dragon eggs. Now, Syrax is presented as the mother of Daenerys’ dragons instead of Dreamfyre. Although the eggs still come from Dragonstone – Elissa stole them there in 54 AC, just as before – changing which dragon laid them creates confusion and complicates the history.

This suggests that House of the Dragon Season 3 will likely feature significant changes to the story and timeline, with lasting consequences for the Targaryen family – effects that could even be felt 169 years later when Game of Thrones begins. If the showrunners are willing to make changes like this, it raises the question of whether they might rewrite even the most important, seemingly fixed events of the Dance of the Dragons.

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2025-12-28 18:34