‘House of the Dragon’ Episode 9 Child Fighting Ring Explained and Why It’s so Important
House of the Dragon Episode 9 sent several characters on a wild goose chase to find Aegon Targaryen in the wake of Viserys’ death. This proves to be no easy task. The search goes from the Street of Silk to a child fighting ring in Flea Bottom. Eventually, Lady Mysaria, the White Worm, reveals Aegon’s location, but the violent arena is more important than it may seem.
[Spoiler Alert: This article contains spoilers for House of the Dragon Episode 9.]
‘House of the Dragon’ Episode 9 features a race to find Aegon
House of the Dragon Episode 9 deals with the immediate aftermath of Viserys’ death. Otto Hightower and Queen Alicent both send men to search for Aegon, each hoping to have the most influence on the soon-to-be king. Criston Cole and Aemond search on Alicent’s request, while Otto sends the twins Erryk and Arryk.
Criston and Aemond search the Street of Silk, a location in King’s Landing known for its many brothels, but don’t find Aegon. They learn from a woman that Aegon’s tastes are “known to be less discriminating.” Ser Arryk, it seems, already knows what that means. With his brother, he searches for Aegon in Flea Bottom.
The child fighting ring in episode 9 explained
The brothers arrive at a ring where children with sharpened teeth and nails forcibly fight each other. Arryk tells Eryyk that Aegon often spends his time at the location. Erryk is horrified. “Over the course of episode 9, Erryk and Arryk show us that they are not in sync, particularly when it comes to Aegon as a worthy king,” co-showrunner Miguel Sapochnik said in a featurette.
“Whereas Arryk is ok with following orders, Erryk feels more and more that his brother is lost, and during the capture of Aegon, Erryk doesn’t do anything. He allows his brother to fight Criston Cole, but he doesn’t intervene in any way, shape, or form and then disappears.”
Erryk’s visit to Flea Bottom is the last straw in convincing him Aegon is not fit to rule. The series has slowly shown Aegon’s true colors. He begins drinking early, passing out after Laena’s funeral, and continues to imbibe for years. He also rapes a servant girl named Dyana in episode 8.
The child fighting ring shows how deeply depraved Aegon has become. Even the Street of Silk isn’t enough for him. “Tom [Glynn-Carney] really dug deep and wanted to create this really tormented character,” director Clare Kilner said in a featurette. “Versus Aemond, who is tormented, but he keeps it all hidden under the surface.”
Is the silver-haired boy Aegon’s son?
While at the child fighting ring, Arryk and Erryk notice a small silver-haired boy sitting in the pit. The implication is that this is one of the multiple illegitimate children fathered by Aegon. In George R.R. Martin’s book, Aegon is known to have at least two bastard children.
Additionally, Screen Rant suggests that the boy in the arena could be one of these bastard children from the books named Gaemon Palehair. Gaemon is around four when the Dance of the Dragons begins, and his mother, Essie, works on the Street of Silk. Gaemon Palehair was one of the “pretender” monarchs during the “Moon of the Three Kings.”
House of the Dragon airs Sunday nights at 9 p.m. ET on HBO.
