Contains SPOILERS for House of the Dragon season 2, episode 3, and for Fire & Blood, the show's source material.

House of the Dragon season 2 has planted seeds for many upcoming events in the Dance of the Dragons, including a Rhaenyra arc I personally can't wait for Following the Blacks and Greens split, events have spiraled out of control, with war raging in Westeros once again. Criston Cole has amassed forces for the Greens, advancing his army out of King's Landing, while Daemon has seized Harrenhal with little resistance. I admire how much time season 2 has spent explaining both sides' war strategy, as even the minor details of these council meeting scenes will matter in time.

As a fan of George R.R. Martin's writing, I'll admit Fire & Blood is a challenging book to adapt. The book is purposefully vague regarding many details, and events are listed sequentially in a way that doesn't always translate to television easily. Despite being the lead of House of the Dragon's ensemble cast of characters, Rhaenyra's book counterpart isn't a part of many of the Dance's most major events, so the TV series has to find original and plausible dramatic things for her to do, like meeting with Alicent.

Daemon's Harrenhal & Riverlands Plan Sets Up Rhaenyra Taking King's Landing

Daemon Mentions Using Harrenhal To Amass Forces For A Siege On King's Landing

While the House of the Dragon season 2, episode 3 ending isn't from the book, a Daemon scene laid the foundation for one of Rhaenyra's Fire & Blood arcs, which is one of the narratives in the series I'm most excited about. Harrenhal is a strategic location for the Blacks, as it allows them to amass their troops from allies in the North, the Vale, and potentially, the Riverlands. It's in striking distance of King's Landing and the only castle in Westeros large enough to assemble a powerful enough host for what Rhaenyra's side needs.

Rhaenyra and Syrax have been prevalent in the series so far, but I can't wait to see her actually mount the dragon for battle.

Daemon explicitly mentions to Simon Strong that his goal is to capture King's Landing and the Iron Throne for Rhaenyra, setting up events that happen in Fire & Blood. We've known this would be Daemon and Rhaenyra's goal, but this is the first time they've directly mentioned marching on King's Landing. Rhaenyra and Syrax have been prevalent in the series so far, but I can't wait to see her actually mount the dragon for battle.

How Rhaenyra Takes King's Landing & When Will It Happen In House Of The Dragon?

Rhaenyra's Capture Of The Red Keep Could Occur In House Of The Dragon Season 3

After Daemon assembles the armies of House Tully and other noble houses of the Riverlands to his side in Fire & Blood, he baits Criston Cole's army and Aemond Targaryen north as they recapture Harrenhal. Meanwhile, the Riverlords retreat further north into their territory, pulling the Greens' army further from King's Landing. This gives Daemon and Rhaenyra the opportunity to strike at the Red Keep with the Velaryon fleet sailing into Blackwater Bay, snatching the city relatively unguarded.

Based on House of the Dragon's current pace, I could see the Fall of King's Landing occurring late in season 3, with Rhaenyra finally recapturing the throne to end the season. Season 3's main battle could be the Battle of the Gullet, as it would have the most dragon action and offer a fresh spectacle, as we haven't seen a naval conflict yet in House of the Dragon or Game of Thrones. That would leave Rhaenyra taking King's Landing to be a brief but dramatic climax to the season, sort of like the loot train attack in Game of Thrones season 7.