Warning: The following article contains spoilers for House of the Dragon Season 2, Episode 4.
House of the Dragon Season 2, Episode 4 stops just short of confirming the exact connection between Lord Corlys Velaryon and Alyn of Hull. So, what’s the true nature of Corlys and Alyn’s relationship in House of the Dragon?
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How Are Corlys and Alyn Connected in House of the Dragon?
It’s heavily implied in House of the Dragon Season 2, Episode 4 (and all but confirmed in the show’s source text, Fire & Blood) that Alyn of Hull is Corlys Velaryon’s illegitimate son. Corlys and Princess Rhaenys Targaryen talk around the subject early on in Episode 4, however, astute viewers will piece things together.
For starters, as Rhaenys observes, Corlys keeping Alyn’s identity a secret from her (despite the sailor saving Corlys’ life in Season 1) is odd. Clearly, there’s something about Alyn that the Sea Snake doesn’t want his wife to know. What’s more, Rhaenys’ subsequent claim that she “knows who [Alyn] is” and insistence that “his past” shouldn’t hold him back are even more telling. The Queen Who Never Was doesn’t outright say, “I know Alyn’s your kid and he deserves better,” but she doesn’t really have to. Alyn’s parentage is already pretty obvious.
Of course, this begs the question: What about Alyn’s brother, Addam? Is he also one of Corlys’ bastard boys? Yep – at least, depending on your interpretation of Fire & Blood. Like Alyn, in the book, Addam is officially the out-of-wedlock offspring of Corlys’ son, Laenor Velaryon, and trader Marilda of Hull. However, given the closeted Laenor probably didn’t have any biological children, rumors that Corlys is Alyn and Addam’s real dad are probably true.
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What Happens to Alyn of Hull in Fire & Blood?
While Alyn of Hull has yet to play a major role in House of the Dragon so far, he’s a fairly important player in Fire & Blood‘s later narrative. That doesn’t mean this will also prove the case in the show, but anyone keen to avoid spoilers for Season 2 (or beyond) should bail now. With that caveat out of the way, here’s a brief rundown of what’s next for Alyn, based on the book.
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First, Corlys successfully lobbies Rhaenyra Targaryen to legitimize Alyn and Addam as members of House Velaryon. This then paves the way for Alyn to succeed his old man as head of the house (and by extension, Lord of the Tides and Master of Driftmark). But despite his many titles, Alyn – like his father – never becomes a dragon rider (Addam does, however).
House of the Dragon Season 2 is currently airing on HBO and Max, with new episodes dropping Sundays.
Published: Jul 7, 2024 10:00 pm