House of the Dragon finally solves a political mystery that Game of Thrones never did

George R.R. Martin’s fantasy books set in the world of Westeros are full of political intrigue, and HBO has brought that to life with relative ease in Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon, and even in the more commoner-oriented TV series, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. From Aegon’s Conquest of Westeros to Robert’s Rebellion against the Targaryen dynasty, the fragile alliances and endless scheming that hold Westeros together are a big part of what keeps audiences coming back for more, and obsessing over the story in between new seasons.

However, despite all the uprisings, assassinations, and wars we’ve seen, one Game of Thrones mystery has never been answered: How did Dorne resist Aegon the Conqueror during his conquest of the Seven Kingdoms? Thankfully, House of the Dragon has revealed the answer in one of the show’s goriest episodes yet, but one that gives House Martell a little bit of the spotlight.

How did Dorne remain free during Aegon’s Conquest?

As much as Pedro Pascal won audiences over as Oberyn Martell with his charisma and striking good looks, House Martell’s introduction in Game of Thrones didn’t really highlight the House’s motto — “Unbent, Unbowed, and Unbroken” — all that well. The Martells sure did end up getting bent, bowed, and broken by the time the series wrapped up.

However, as Ormund Hightower (James Norton) reveals to his charge, Daeron Targaryen (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth), there is much to learn from Dornish history when it comes to resisting — and even defeating — the Targaryens. Ormund specifically points out Meria Martell, the ruling Princess of Dorne during Aegon the Conqueror’s invasion of Westeros. While many bent the knee in fear of Aegon, Rhaenys, and Visenya (his sister-wives) and their dragons, Meria refused to submit to the Targaryens. As told in George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood, a historical tome detailing the rise and fall of the Targaryen dynasty, Meria is said to have declared that she would rather see her people die than be “slaves” to the Targaryens​​​​​​.

Ormund explains that Meria, despite being old, blind, and a woman, beat Aegon because she wasn’t afraid to use underhanded tactics. She poisoned her own wells, hid her soldiers in the desert sands, and abandoned her castle to let Aegon and his allies believe they were the victors and that the Martells were vanquished. Only after the Targaryens felt reassured and let their guard down did Meria’s forces return in the night to kill them in their beds. Meria and Dorne waged war against the Targaryens for several years, and only after Meria died 13 years after Aegon’s conquest did peace talks between Dorne and Aegon begin.

Elsewhere in the same episode, in an effort to raise the spirits of his Gold Cloaks, Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) rallies them with promises that they will conquer Dorne. However, as Game of Thrones fans know, that never happened.

What is the significance of Dorne in House of the Dragon?

On the surface, Dorne isn’t quite as vital to the story that’s being told in House of the Dragon, where the main conflict is between two different Targaryen factions, the Greens and the Blacks.

However, Ormund’s tale to Daeron about the Martells isn’t just a story. It encapsulates his strategy for challenging Rhaenyra and the Black Council by letting them think they’ve won while sowing seeds of discontent from within. Ormund does this by allying with unknown agents and sending them coin to butcher Daemon’s Gold Cloaks and stir fear and mistrust within the Black Council’s ranks. If Rhaenyra can’t trust anyone, and her allies are falling around her, Ormund has a chance of winning without marching against Rhaenyra’s army directly.

Image: HBO

It’s not just Ormund, however, that looks to Dorne for guidance. It was established in House of the Dragon’s first season that Ser Criston Cole is originally from Dorne. In the opening of episode 5, we see Cole and Gwayne Hightower employ Meria’s guerrilla tactics, ambushing and attacking the Rivermen late at night, and slinking away before they can be found. Furthermore, Cole refuses to go to Tumbleton as a failure and instead chooses to pursue the Rivermen, even at the cost of his own life. That’s because he refuses to be the lapdog of nobles, namely Targaryens, anymore. That echoes Meria’s own sentiments expressed in Fire & Blood.

Dorne hasn’t always been portrayed in the best light, but it’s clear now, with the walls closing in on Rhaenyra and the Blacks, that messing with the Dornish — and those who employ those kinds of tactics — is a big mistake for any Targaryen.