Daenerys Targaryen’s big cameo on the premiere night of the finale of ‘House of the Dragon’ kept many fans awake. But, what did it mean? Also, why did Daemon Targaryen, one of Daenerys’ ancestors from the Targaryen dynasty, see her, the Mother of Dragons, in his last vision in the Godswood of Harrenhal? If the producers are to be believed, they did not intend to give any answers through this vision, but rather it was an attempt to break Daemon’s ego.

During the press conference held for the ‘House of the Dragon’ season 2 finale, the show’s creator Ryan Condal clarified this vision to fans and revealed that it may not mean anything, as various theories are suggesting.

Is Daenerys the ‘Prince That Was Promised’?

Condal first dismissed this theory, stating that the producers are trying to establish Daenerys as the ‘Promised Prince’. In the events of ‘Game of Thrones’, the sequel to ‘House of the Dragon’, Jon Snow was suggested as the Prince That Was Promised, but after Daemon’s vision, many fans believed that it may have been George RR Martin’s final intention to bestow this title on Daenerys, and that he may do so in his unfinished book series ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’.

Condal said they’re not making any predictions about that. “We’re not trying to make any specific interpretation of a prophecy that hasn’t been revealed by its author yet. This is George (RR Martin)’s world, and George has had the chance to tell that story. We’re more interested in playing with the drama of the characters who live in and around that fantasy,” he explained.

But, what about Daemon? Why would he see things and people he’ll never know in his life? For Condal, putting Daemon at the center of all this was to make sure he knows he’s just one small part in a larger chain of things that are happening. “We know who’s seeing that image, (but) Daemon has no idea. It could be his future daughter from Rhaenyra, who has produced three dragons. He doesn’t know, but he has a feeling that ‘this was something that was shown to me for a special reason’,” he said.

Easter eggs from Damon’s vision

Although Daemon doesn’t understand all of this, viewers know that he has also seen the three-eyed raven in his visions, known as Bloodraven, who is also a Targaryen in the ‘Game of Thrones’ series. Condal said, “The Bloodraven Easter egg felt very appropriate here – and also kind of earned – because he’s a Targaryen, who we know does weird and wonderful things. And if there’s anyone Daemon could see who could connect him to Daenerys, it would be him.”

It is this vision that forces Daemon to do a U-turn on his decision to betray Rhaenyra and claim the Iron Throne for himself. In the end, he bends down on one knee, proclaiming Rhaenyra ‘Queen of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm’, before telling everyone that ‘we fight for the Queen’. The show’s creator said the idea was to show him the mirror. It was about letting him know that he’s perhaps not as great as he’d like to think of himself, and hence, the clear vision of Rhaenyra sitting on the Iron Throne.

Condal explained, “I think it’s a real thing that Daemon needed to hang his hat on. Daemon’s decision to kneel, to swear allegiance to Rhaenyra again, to reaffirm his loyalty to her — that doesn’t happen in one event. It’s a confluence of many factors. It’s a complex equation that he experienced throughout the season that led him to that point.”

A reality check for Damon

He said it was the perfect time to “humble” Daemon, a man who knows no limits in his quest to win the Iron Throne. Daemon has seen no defeat so far. He is ruthless in both his efforts and his decisions on the battlefield. The showrunner said the vision was meant to show him his situation, give him a reality check, and it should be interpreted as just that.

“We were really interested in making Daemon, for lack of a better word, humbler over the course of this season, to get him to a place where he’s more evolved and in many ways, at least to his enemies, more dangerous, because now we have a very focused Daemon whose sole goal is to put Rhaenyra on that throne,” Condal concluded.

Vision and Daenerys being in it is definitely one of the best highlights of ‘House of the Dragon’ season 2. However, it also did something that is expected of any series based on the dragon universe: leaves you scratching your head with millions of questions and their infinite answers. This is probably the best time to remind ourselves that only Martin has the answers, and whatever he says, in this case, writes, we have to believe it.