What Alys Rivers Made Daemon Drink May Have A Connection To Bran Stark & Gross GOT Book Theory

WARNING: This article contains SPOILERS for House of the Dragon season 2, episode 4, and Fire & Blood.

The potion Alys Rivers made Daemon in House of the Dragon season 2 may be connected to one of the grossest Game of Thrones book theories. House of the Dragon has visited Harrenhal a couple of times already, particularly in season 2 with Daemon’s mission in the Riverlands. The largest castle in Westeros, Harrenhal is said to be cursed and is one of the most sinister locations in the Game of Thrones universe. Whether the castle is truly cursed is a debate that came back after Daemon’s visions in Harrenhal in episode 3, which continued in episode 4.

House of the Dragon season 2, episode 3 introduced Alys Rivers, an important character from Fire & Blood whose story is tied to not only Harrenhal but also the fates of Aemond and Daemon. In the book, there are rumors of Alys being a witch who can see the future. Between the heart tree at Harrenhal’s Godswood and Alys Rivers’ presence, House of the Dragon had offered enough clues about what was causing Daemon’s visions. However, episode 4 just added more context as to why they were happening, and it could tie into an old Bran Stark theory.

Alys Rivers May Have Given Daemon Some Kind Of Weirwood Paste

This Would Not Be The First Weirwood Paste In The Game Of Thrones Universe

Alys Rivers gives Daemon a mysterious potion which, according to her, will help him get some much-needed sleep. However, the potion is clearly what causes Daemon’s visions. Not only is the Targaryen prince hallucinating, but he is also blacking out and waking up somewhere else without remembering how he got there or how must time has passed. Daemon’s visions in House of the Dragon have been a great look into the character’s fears and wishes, which does not happen very often considering his personality. How exactly the potion works is a mystery, though.

The definition of magic is quite loose in the ASOIAF universe, which includes dragons and other supernatural elements but is also somewhat grounded in reality compared to other high fantasy series. As such, it would be no surprise if Alys is simply drugging Daemon with something that causes him to hallucinate. However, considering she specifically mentioned the heart tree of Harrenhal, Alys’ potion may have been made of weirwood. This would tie into a theory from the ASOIAF books known as “Jojen Paste,” which claims the weirwood paste Bran ate was made with Jojen’s body.

Whereas Jojen’s fate in Game of Thrones is very clear – he dies in season 6 after the wights find Bran – the same cannot be said about the books. Jojen simply disappears, and it is Meera Reed who continues with Bran on his journey. Jojen was sick and felt like he was about to die at any time before disappearing. The Children of the Forest give Bran a strange weirwood paste to awaken his powers, which, combined with the fact that weirwood trees are associated with blood sacrifice, makes it seem like the paste had been made with Jojen’s body.

Alys’ Rivers’ Potion Could Be Shade Of The Evening Instead

Alys Rivers Clearly Knows Her Potions

A potion made out of a weirwood tree is not the only thing that can explain Daemon’s visions. For example, it could be Shade of the Evening, a drink from Qarth that was given to Daenerys before she entered the House of the Undying. Interestingly, Daenerys also had visions shortly after she drank it. That said, Shade of the Evening should be blue, whereas the potion in House of the Dragon has a dark greenish look. Still, it could simply be just another hallucinogenic prepared by Alys. A “witch” who works as a Maester would naturally know how to prepare one.

Why Is Alys Rivers Giving Daemon Potions That Cause Hallucinations?

House Of The Dragon’s Surprising Pairing Has A Lot Of Potential.

Alys Rivers’ origins and goals are quite mysterious in Fire & Blood, in which none of the unreliable narrators seem to agree on how old she is or who her parents were. A common theory is that Alys is the bastard of Lyonel Strong, who died in House of the Dragon season 1, although there are hints of her being much older than that. House of the Dragon season 2, episode 4 has teased that Alys will play a big role on the show, perhaps having a bigger presence in the adaptation than she did in Fire & Blood.

Related

What Rhaenyra Said To Daemon In High Valyrian In House Of The Dragon Season 2, Episode 4 (Translation & Meaning)

Rhaenyra gives a speech in High Valyrian in House of the Dragon season 2, episode 4, though some dialogue isn’t translated on-screen with subtitles.

Alys does not have too much of a connection with Daemon in Fire & Blood other than they surely interacted during his time in Harrenhal, so it is curious that House of the Dragon has paired them up in two episodes already. She does play an important role in Aemond’s story, particularly after Aegon II’s brother takes over the castle. Aemond kills everyone but Alys Rivers and takes her as his bedmate. Later in the story, Alys claims she is pregnant with Aemond’s child. How much House of the Dragon will dive into Alys’ rumored powers remains to be seen.

House of the Dragon

Taking place about 172 years before the events of Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon tells the tale of the rise of the Targaryens, the only family of dragonlords to survive the Doom of Valyria. The popular HBO spinoff show first starred Milly Alcock and Emily Carey as Rhaenyra Targaryen and Alicent Hightower before they were replaced by Emma D’Arcy and Olivia Cooke, who play the older versions of the characters. Also starring in the series is Matt Smith (Prince Daemon Targaryen) and Paddy Considine as Rhaenyra’s father, King Viserys Targaryen.

Cast

Jefferson Hall , Paddy Considine , Fabien Frankel , Ryan Corr , Eve Best , Gavin Spokes , Graham McTavish , Steve Toussaint , Olivia Cooke , Sonoya Mizuno , Bill Paterson , Matthew Needham , Emma D’Arcy , Matt Smith , Rhys Ifans , David Horovitch

Release Date

August 21, 2022

Seasons

2

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