Young Rhaenyra’s Dream Message to Daemon, Translated from High Valyrian

The latest episode of House of the Dragon, “The Red Dragon and the Gold,” opens with a dream sequence set in the castle of Harrenhal. Daemon Targaryen, portrayed by Matt Smith, appears to be plagued by sleepless nights. He is visited by the ghost of a young Rhaenyra Targaryen, once again played by Milly Alcock from the first season. Descending from the Iron Throne, Rhaenyra delivers a speech to Daemon in High Valyrian, a speech he does not understand but was deciphered by the ever-vigilant internet sleuths. The Twitter account @westerosies translated it into English:

“It’s been said that Targaryens are closer to gods than to men…In my eyes, you were a god. Daemon Targaryen. The Prince of the City. The Lord of Flea Bottom. I was an innocent. You exploited me and abandoned me. You sullied my name at court. You empowered my rivals. You tried to make my ruin. You put me on that throne. And you love me and you hate me for it. You created me, Daemon. Yet you are now set on destroying me. All because your brother loved me more than he did you. This is what you always wanted, is it not?”

This speech delves deep into the guilt Daemon has been wrestling with since arriving at Harrenhal, where a series of troubling dreams have been haunting him. His conscience seems to have taken the form of young Rhaenyra, reminding him of his dark deeds. In one particularly haunting memory, Daemon sent assassins into the Red Keep, aiming to kill his nephew Aemond, only for them to mistakenly kill young Prince Jaehaerys Targaryen. The episode has Rhaenyra confronting him about this, but whether Daemon will listen to his conscience remains uncertain.

In parallel, a new character named Alys Rivers, played by Gayle Rankin, seems to be aware of Daemon’s sleeplessness. She even hands him a mysterious paste, supposedly to help him sleep. However, it’s left ambiguous whether the paste is helping or exacerbating his sleepless nights.

Alys, Daemon, and the rest of the ensemble cast will return as new episodes of House of the Dragon continue airing Sunday nights on HBO and Max. The involvement of young Rhaenyra remains a thrilling surprise, with HBO managing to keep her role under wraps—hinting perhaps at more unexpected twists ahead.