(House of the Dragon spoilers ahead.)
Need a quick refresher on this all-encompassing prophecy in the Song of Ice and Fire universe? As relayed alongside the dagger: “From my blood come the prince that was promised and his will be the song of ice and fire.” This has been the groundwork for basically everything in the House of the Dragon canon, and now fans are finally able to begin unpacking it.
Though the actual mystery of who exactly the Prince That Was Promised is still up for debate, there are some enlightening developments thanks to the latest episode of House of the Dragon. Before King Viserys succumbs to his decades-spanning illness, he mistakes Alicent for Rhaenyra, who he was speaking with the night before.
“His dream. The Song of Ice and Fire. It is true. What he saw in the north. The Prince That Was Promised,” Viserys said to Alicent, thinking it was Rhaenyra. “To unite the realm. Against the cold and the dark. It is you. You are the one. You must do this. You must do this,” Viserys adds. Obviously, the “you” here is aimed at Rhaenyra, but Alicent just hears the words “Aegon” and “The Prince Who Was Promised” and goes with that theory instead.
As evident in the previews for the upcoming episodes, Alicent thinks that Viserys wants Aegon to sit on the throne, which will not end well considering his track record. Even though Viserys confirmed that Rhaenyra remains his heir, of course, nothing can be that simple when it comes to this family.
So, even though the actual identity of the Prince Who Was Promised is ambiguous, it’s clear that Alicent will go to great lengths to keep her side of the family in power, now that the miserable King has perished.
