Does Alys Rivers Betray Daemon Targaryen In ‘House of the Dragon’?

The relationship between Daemon Targaryen and the enigmatic healer Alys Rivers has ignited intense discussions among fans of ‘House of the Dragon’. As Daemon finds himself isolated at Harrenhal, viewers have been left to ponder for two seasons whether Alys is steering him towards his destiny or subtly leading him to his downfall.

The notion of betrayal carries significant weight, especially given the show’s history of fluctuating loyalties, and Alys Rivers provides ample reasons for audiences to question her true intentions.

When Daemon claims Harrenhal for Rhaenyra, Alys stands out as the only person in the dining hall who refuses to kneel, indicating her independence. She made her first appearance in the series during the third episode of season two, emerging in Harrenhal’s dining hall as Daemon took control of the castle.

Her introduction only becomes more peculiar from there. After Daemon endures a waking nightmare near a dying weirwood tree, Alys ominously tells him, “You will die in this place,” before departing. This line positions her as either a threat or a prophet, and the series maintains a careful ambiguity regarding her true role.

As the story progresses, their relationship evolves, with Alys adding substances to Daemon’s drink that many fans believe to be weirwood paste. This substance previously allowed Bran Stark to access his visions in ‘Game of Thrones’, and Daemon even sleeps on a weirwood bed, a detail Alys highlights.

The most incriminating evidence against Alys relates to the death of Grover Tully, the elderly Lord of Riverrun. When Daemon seeks her assistance with the riverlords, Alys cryptically informs him that in three days, the winds will shift. True to her words, Grover Tully passes away three days later, leaving his grandson Oscar Tully as the new Lord Paramount.

This timing has divided fans regarding the nature of Alys’s involvement. It remains uncertain whether Alys was responsible for Grover Tully’s death, as Daemon and Ser Simon Strong suspect, or if she merely knew the timing of his passing, making her both valuable and potentially dangerous to Daemon.

This uncertainty contributes to why many viewers approach the concept of betrayal with caution. Alys also prevents Daemon from fleeing Harrenhal and administers potions that dull his senses, which could be seen as manipulation, yet may also represent an attempt to help him confront his hidden trauma.

A parallel is drawn elsewhere in the season, as Larys Strong stops Aegon from consuming a potion that would impair his mind, while Alys uses her potions on Daemon to lower his defenses, allowing him to process his emotions. This suggests her actions may be more therapeutic than treacherous.

Fans familiar with George R.R. Martin’s source material know that Alys Rivers possesses a significance that extends beyond her quiet introduction at Harrenhal. In ‘Fire & Blood’, Alys is endowed with prophetic abilities akin to Helaena Targaryen, and her influence reaches far beyond mere ominous warnings.

Her fate eventually intertwines with House Targaryen in a manner that complicates any straightforward narrative of betrayal. After Harrenhal changes hands, Daemon’s nephew, Prince Aemond, claims Alys as a war trophy, and they develop a genuine bond as he hangs on her every prophetic word, leading to Alys becoming pregnant with his child.

This relationship culminates in a moment fans have anticipated since her initial appearance. Aemond ultimately reveals to Daemon that it was Alys who disclosed his location, having foreseen it in her visions, leading to both Aemond and Daemon’s demise in their duel above the Gods Eye in 130 AC.

Importantly, the books frame this less as betrayal and more as the fulfillment of prophecy. Alys observes the Battle Above the Gods Eye from atop Kingspyre Tower while pregnant, and years later, she reemerges as a so-called witch queen ruling over Harrenhal during Aegon III’s regency.

Some of the suspicion surrounding Alys also arises from Daemon’s own shifting loyalties while at Harrenhal. Daemon eventually confides in Alys that he plans to raise his own army, believing the lords of Westeros will never follow a woman, effectively undermining Rhaenyra’s claim.

This revelation presents an uncomfortable possibility for fans supporting Team Black. If Daemon genuinely believes Rhaenyra cannot succeed without him, his ambition poses just as much danger to her cause as anything Alys might be orchestrating, as his secrecy and burgeoning army could make him a significant threat to his wife’s throne.

Media outlets covering the season have frequently drawn comparisons between Alys and another notorious prophetess from the Seven Kingdoms. Like Melisandre, Alys appears composed and unafraid to convey hard truths to Daemon, and whether through mystical influence or sheer honesty, part of him evidently trusts her even as she alters his path.

So, does Alys Rivers betray Daemon? Based on the revelations so far, it seems her loyalty was never truly to him, and the prophecy surrounding his death at Harrenhal appears to be just that—a prophecy rather than a scheme she devised. What seems more certain is that Daemon’s own desire for the crown, rather than Alys’s visions, poses the real threat to his marriage with Rhaenyra. As the show progresses toward the duel her visions foretold, do you believe Alys Rivers was guiding Daemon towards his fate or merely warning him of one he chose for himself?