Do Alicent and Aemond Hook Up in ‘House of the Dragon’ Season 3?

‘House of the Dragon‘ continues to explore uncomfortable family dynamics, and the relationship between Alicent Hightower and her son Aemond Targaryen has become one of the most discussed storylines this season. Fans are reacting with a mix of horror and fascination as their mother-son bond takes turns that feel reminiscent of Greek tragedy.

The uncertainty surrounding whether Alicent and Aemond actually become intimate arises from a series of increasingly bizarre scenes throughout Season 3, culminating in a shocking moment during Episode 7 that left viewers reeling. Here’s what unfolds and what it signifies for these two characters moving forward.

The unsettling dynamic first ignited in the Season 3 premiere. After returning to the Red Keep from Dragonstone, where she struck a deal with Rhaenyra Targaryen to seize King’s Landing, Alicent persuades Aemond to fly to Harrenhal and take the castle.

She flatters him, which he misinterprets as romantic interest, leading to a kiss. This marks the first time Aemond acts on an underlying complexity that the show had only previously hinted at.

Ewan Mitchell, who portrays Aemond, discussed the moment afterward, explaining that Aemond was trying to decipher if there was an ulterior motive behind his mother’s words. He admitted the scene felt out there when he first read the script but acknowledged he sensed it coming given his exploration of Aemond’s relationship with Alicent. Mitchell also suggested that Aemond was asserting control over the family in that moment.

As the story progresses to Harrenhal later in the season, Alicent finds herself in a precarious position. She has effectively agreed to kill her own son Aemond for Rhaenyra, a shocking plan that highlights the lengths to which the war has driven these characters.

Olivia Cooke, who plays Alicent, has shared insights into how this situation complicates her character’s choices. Any perceived rejection from Alicent could threaten her life, meaning she can no longer condemn her son’s actions without fearing for her own safety. As the season unfolds, Alicent must protect herself, Helaena, and Jaehaera from Aemond just as much as from the forces of Team Black.

This precarious balancing act adds a disturbing layer to every subsequent interaction between mother and son. It reframes Alicent’s warmth toward Aemond as less about affection and more about survival.

Tensions escalate dramatically in Episode 7 when Alicent finally arrives at Harrenhal. Sent there by Rhaenyra with an unexpected plan to persuade her to kill Aemond, viewers only see her journey unfold in this episode.

Aemond is training in his room when Alicent enters, calling him her best son and thanking him for his decision to stay at Harrenhal. She informs him that Aegon is dead and Helaena has been taken hostage. While blaming herself for not being a good enough mother, Aemond comforts her, leading to a kiss that escalates into a sexual encounter.

This time, it is Alicent who reciprocates the kiss, resulting in a full sexual encounter between the two. This shocking moment sent fans into a frenzy on social media, with many questioning how the show could depict such intimacy between characters who share a parent-child bond.

Here’s the twist that calmed many nerves online: the scene turns out to be a hallucination, and it is actually Alys Rivers who is intimate with Aemond, not Alicent. While this fake-out does not lessen the discomfort of the storyline, it confirms that Alicent never actually sleeps with her son.

Gayle Rankin, who portrays Alys Rivers, addressed the moment directly, discussing the provocative sequence and emphasizing that Alys genuinely has feelings for Aemond, despite the unusual nature of their relationship. Multiple outlets have confirmed that Aemond and Alicent never engage in a romantic relationship in either the show or the source material, and speculation about intimacy surged after the Episode 7 sequence aired. Ewan Mitchell has referred to their dynamic as an Oedipus complex, and even within the narrative, other characters struggle to comprehend it, describing it as a complicated, multifaceted situation.

As the Season 3 finale approaches, the repercussions from this storyline are far from over. What did you think of the Harrenhal fake-out, and do you believe Alicent and Aemond’s relationship can withstand the challenges ahead in the Dance of the Dragons?