House of the Dragon Season 2, Episode 4 featured a shocking cliffhanger ending leaving wondering about Aegon II Targaryen's fate after an encounter with his brother, Aemond, and Vhagar.
Despite being brothers and working toward the same ultimate goal of ridding Westeros of their half-sister, Rhaenyra Targaryen, Aegon and Aemond have had a bit of a rivalry thus far in House of the Dragon.
Due to seniority, Aegon was always ahead of Aegon in the line of succession, which, at times, has proven to elicit a bit of tension between the two siblings.
Did Aemond Kill Aegon?
At the end of House of the Dragon Season 2, Episode 4, the credits rolled before viewers could see whether Aegon II Targaryen was dead or not.
Aegon, who was supposed to still be at King's Landing, decided to silence everyone who thought he was a lackluster ruler by taking his dragon, Sunfyre, and joining the conflict at Rook's Rest where Criston Cole and a large number of Green soldiers were laying siege to the castle.
The original plan to not only take the castle but also deal a major blow to the Black forces by killing one of their Dragonriders was secretly drawn up behind Aegon and the rest of the council's backs by Criston and Aemond.
The plan was for Cole and the army to begin a siege on Rook's Rest to lure out a Dragonrider loyal to the Blacks. When that Dragonrider finally showed up, Aemond (atop Vhagar) would be waiting.
The plan began working as intended as Rhaenys (riding Meleys) showed up and began burning and attacking the Green forces. Cole then signaled for Aemond to be alerted, but before he could get up into the sky, he saw Aegon and his dragon, Sunfyre, in the skies above.
Aegon engaged Rhaenys, and the two of them, along with their dragons, began fighting in the air above Rook's Rest.
Interestingly, Aemond got Vhagar ready, but, when he saw Aegon, he told Vhagar to get back down and was visibly frustrated at his brother. This also planted the first seeds that Aemond didn't really care about what happened to Aegon since he didn't immediately join him in the skies to help.
Aegon and Rhaenys continued to battle for a few short moments before Aemond pulled the trigger and brought Vhagar into the skies.
Seeing Aemond and Vhagar on the way was obviously a relief for Aegon, who welcomed the help from the largest living dragon in the realm.
However, when Aemond got close enough, he ordered Vhagar to blast fire at not only Rhaenys and Meleys but at Aegon and Sunfyre as well.
It didn't seem as though Aemond deliberately attacked only Aegon, but he definitely did not care if Aegon and Sunfyre were injured or even killed in the crossfire, especially after his attack resulted in Sunfyre being gravely injured and falling to the ground below with Aegon still attached.
It also only raised more questions when Rhaenys and Meleys initially did not get hit by Aemond's blast when Aegon did.
After Aemond battled a little longer with Rhaenys, Vhagar ultimately came out on top and killed Meleys. Since Rhaenys strapped herself to Meleys, she had no means of escape after Meleys was killed and began falling to the ground. When she finally hit, it was confirmed that Rhaenys perished, making it even more likely that Aegon died a few moments earlier when his dragon also fell to the ground.
However, Aegon's fate was not revealed, as, when Cole finally found Aegon, Aemond was already there.
Interestingly enough, it seemed as though Aemond had drawn his sword and, thinking that no one else was around, was ready to use it to finish off Aegon.
When Cole announced his presence, though, Aemond sheathed his sword and fans were given a brief look at Aegon's body, but not at an angle to see whether he was alive or not.
However, since Aemond had his sword out (and looked as though he was about to kill Aegon), it can be inferred that Aegon is still alive for the moment, just horribly injured.
If Cole had not shown up when he did, though, it is possible that Aemond could have killed Aegon secretly. This means that, while Aemond likely wasn't directly targeting Aegon in the skies, he obviously had no issue with Aegon dying and likely had an "if he dies, he dies" attitude when he tried to burn Rhaenys and Meleys the first time.
However, it is always possible that he was trying to kill Aegon, especially since his death could benefit Aemond greatly.
Will Aemond Kill Aegon in the Future?
In Fire & Blood, the book that House of the Dragon is based on, Aegon is unable to rule for around a year after he is injured at the Battle at Rook's Rest.
During his time recovering, Aemond goes away with Criston Cole toward Harrenhal, which is when Rhaenyra and Daemon attack King's Landing and take it over for themselves.
However, Larys Strong, who is Aegon's current Master of Whisperers, is able to smuggle Aegon out of King's Landing so that he doesn't get captured by Rhaenyra.
Larys takes Aegon to Dragonstone, where Aegon then rules for a short time.
However, after Rhaenyra's death, Aegon returns to King's Landing and takes on the title of King of Westeros again.
During this time, the remaining Black forces (which are largely comprised of Tullys and Starks) march on the capital.
Understanding that they essentially have no chance of defending themselves, Aegon is advised to become a member of the Night's Watch, but Alicent tells him not to do so, that he will still be killed and/or tortured as a traitor.
After meeting with his small council, Aegon asks to be carried to the sept. On the way, he drinks his favorite wine, and, when they reach the sept, Aegon is found dead inside, with blood running from his mouth, making the official ruling that he was poisoned.
It is never revealed in Fire & Blood who poisons Aegon, but some House of the Dragon viewers may assume that it is Aemond, especially after he tried to kill Aegon at Rook's Rest.
However, Aegon actually outlives Aemond for quite some time, as Aemond is killed by Daemon Targaryen above the Gods Eye near Harrenhal, so it is impossible for Aemond to ultimately kill his brother.
In House of the Dragon, the timeline of events could always be reversed, but, seeing as how important some of Aegon's future actions are, that is unlikely.
So, while the two brothers (especially Aemond) harbor quite a bit of hate for one another, they are never actually responsible for the other's death.
What Would Happen to Aemond if Aegon Died?
If Aegon were to die at this point in the story, it would obviously bring about a lot of change to the entire realm since he is currently the king of Westeros, but it would also be huge for Aemond.
Due to the Jaehaerys' death in Season 2, Episode 1, Aemond is now the next-in-line for the throne, so, if Aegon died, Aemond would become king.
In other circumstances, Aemond may not want to rule Westeros, but fans will remember in Season 1 when Aemond and the Cargyll brothers were searching for Aegon, Aemond admitted that Aegon was not worthy of being king and that he could do a much better job at it than his brother.
It is also important to remember that Aemond kind of shoehorned his way onto the small council and then ended up going behind Aegon's back to plot with Criston Cole.
So, Aemond would obviously benefit greatly if Aegon were to die. He would become the king and could then rule Westeros how he saw fit, not having to plot in secret any longer.
Aemond has also proven that he would rather take a more straightforward and violent approach to the growing conflict between the Greens and the Blacks, so, as king, he could fight the war exactly the way he wanted.
It is also important to mention, however, that, assuming Aegon is still alive and is just terribly injured, Aemond will become Prince Regent, meaning he will assume Aegon's role as king until Aegon heals and is ready to return to his duties.
So, Aemond will still benefit from Aegon being injured and will rule as acting king for some time.
Why Does Aemond Want Aegon Dead?
Seeing how Aemond initially left Aegon to fight Rhaenys alone, then how he had no restraint in burning Aegon himself, and then how it appeared he was potentially going to assassinate Aegon at the end of the episode proves that Aemond has no love for his brother whatsoever.
This may seem a bit extreme, especially considering they are full brothers, but Aemond has always been rather victimized by Aegon throughout their lives.
In House of the Dragon Season 1, Aegon gifted Aemond a pig for a dragon when he was trying to claim a dragon. Considering the other children already had dragons, this prank was quite hurtful to Aemond, especially since his brother wasn't supporting him and was instead making him out to be a laughingstock in front of Rhaenyra's sons.
It is also important to remember what Aemond said about Aegon being king and how he would make a better one later on in Season 1.
Although becoming the ruler of all of Westeros would seem to make someone like Aegon more mature, in Season 2, Episode 3, viewers saw Aegon really push Aemond's buttons once again when they barged in on Aemond in the brothel.
In that scene, Aegon makes fun of Aemond in front of Kingsguard members, which also makes Aemond visibly upset.
It is also worth noting that, while it has not been shown on-screen, Aemond is also likely quite agitated that Aegon would name Criston Cole as Hand of the King instead of himself, Aegon's own brother.
All of these instances and events piled on top of one another likely made Aemond not only careless regarding Aegon's fate but possibly even willing to murder Aegon.
House of the Dragon is available to stream on Max, and new episodes are released every Sunday at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and on Max.
Read more about House of the Dragon:
What Did Alicent Drink In House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 4?
Why Ser Criston Cole Killed the Knight of Kisses In House of the Dragon
Does Daemon Die in Harrenhal? Alys Rivers’ Prophecy Explained
