Otto: Princess Rhaenyra.
Rhaenyra: I'm Queen Rhaenyra now, and you are all traitors to the realm.
Otto: King Aegon Targaryen, Second of His Name, in his wisdom and desire for peace, is offering terms. Acknowledge Aegon as King and swear obeisance before the Iron Throne. In exchange, His Grace will confirm your possession of Dragonstone. It will pass to your trueborn son, Jacaerys, upon your death. Lucerys will be confirmed as the legitimate heir to Driftmark and all the lands and holdings of House Velaryon. Your sons by Prince Daemon will be given places of high honour at court; Aegon the Younger as the King's squire, Viserys as his cupbearer. Finally, the King, in his good grace, will pardon any knight or lord who conspired against his ascent.
Daemon: I would rather feed my sons to the dragons than have them carry shields and cups for your drunken usurper cunt of a king!
Otto: Aegon Targaryen sits the Iron Throne. He wears the Conqueror's crown, wields the Conqueror's sword, has the Conqueror's name. He was anointed by a septon of the Faith before the eyes of thousands. Every symbol of legitimacy belongs to him. And then there is Stark, Tully, Baratheon. Houses that have also received, and are at present, considering generous terms from their king.
Rhaenyra: Stark, Tully and Baratheon all swore to me when King Viserys named me his heir.
Otto: Stale oaths will not put you upon the Iron Throne, Princess. The succession changed the day your father sired a son. I only regret you and he were the last to see the truth of it...
Rhaenyra: [removes and discards Otto's Hand badge] You are no more Hand than Aegon is King, fucking traitor!
Otto: [Hands Rhaenyra a page she once tore from Alicent's book, detailing the conqueress Princess Nymeria; Alicent sent it as a gesture of good-will] The Queen has not forgotten the love you once had for each other. No blood need be spilled, so the realm can carry on in peace. Queen Alicent eagerly awaits your answer.
Daemon: She can have her answer now, stuffed in her father's mouth along with his withered cock. Let's end this mummer's farce. [Draws his sword, Dark Sister]
Rhaenyra: No - King's Landing will have my answer on the morrow.
Rhaenyra: Lord Corlys. It brings much relief to see you hail and healthy, again.
Corlys: I'm very sorry about your father, Princess. He was a good man. Where is Daemon?
Rhaenyra: There were other matters which demanded the Prince's attention.
Corlys: Hmm. [limps forward to the Painted Table] Your declared allies?
Rhaenyra: Yes.
Corlys: Too few to win a war, for the Throne.
Rhaenyra: Well, we would also hope, to have the support of Houses Arryn, Baratheon and Stark-
Corlys: Hope is the fool's ally.
Rhaenyra: Both Arryn and Baratheon share blood with my House, but all of them swore oaths to me-
Corlys: As did House Hightower, if I remember?
Rhaenyra: As did you, Lord Corlys.
Corlys: [looks briefly to Rhaenys, their granddaughters and Rhaenyra's sons] Your father's realm was one of justice, and honor. Our Houses are bound by common blood, and common cause. This Hightower treason cannot stand. You have the full support of our fleet, and House, Your Grace. [bows to her]
Rhaenyra: You honor me, Lord Corlys. [she follows his gaze to Rhaenys, who smiles] Princess Rhaenys. But, as I said to my bannermen, I made a promise to my father to hold the Realm strong, and united. If war's first stroke is to fall, it will not be by my hand.
Corlys: You do not mean to act?
Rhaenyra: Taking caution does not mean standing fast. I wish to know who my allies are, before I send them to war.
Corlys: The consequence of my... near-demise in the Stepstones is that we now control them. I took care to fully garrison the territory this time. A total blockade of the shipping lanes will be in place in days, if not already. The Triarchy have been routed; the Narrow Sea is ours. If we further seal the Gullet, we can cut off all seaborne travel and trade to King's Landing.
Rhaenys: I shall take Meleys and patrol the Gullet myself.
Lord Bartimos Celtigar: When we drain the Narrow Sea, we can surround King's Landing. Lay siege to the Red Keep, and force the Greens to surrender.
Rhaenyra: If we're to have enough swords to surround King's Landing, we must first secure the support of Winterfell, the Eyrie and Storm's End.
Maester Gerardys: I'll prepare the ravens, Your Grace.
Jace: We should bear those messages. Dragons can fly faster than ravens, and they're more convincing. Send us.
Corlys: The Prince is right, Your Grace.
Rhaenyra: Very well. Prince Jacaerys will fly north. First to the Eyrie to see my mother's cousin, the Lady Jeyne Arryn, and then to Winterfell, to treat with Cregan Stark for the support of the North. Prince Lucerys will fly south to Storm's End, and treat with Lord Borros Baratheon. We must remind these Lords of the oaths they swore, and the cost of breaking them.
Lord Borros Baratheon: If I do as your mother bids, which one of my daughters will you wed, boy?
Lucerys: My lord, I am not free to marry. I'm already betrothed.
Lord Borros Baratheon: So you come with empty hands. Go home, pup. And tell your mother that the Lord of Storm's End is not some dog that she can whistle up at need to set against her foes.
Lucerys: I shall take your answer to the Queen, my lord.
Aemond: Wait, my Lord Strong. Did you really think that you could just fly about the realm trying to steal my brother's throne at no cost?
Lucerys: I will not fight you. I came as a messenger, not a warrior.
Aemond: A fight would be little challenge. No. I want you to put out your eye. As payment for mine. [he tosses a dagger to Lucerys] One will serve. I would not blind you. Plan to make a gift of it to my mother.
Lucerys: No.
Aemond: Then you are craven as well as a traitor.
Lord Borros Baratheon: Not here.
Aemond: [charges at Lucerys] Give me your eye or I will take it, bastard!
Lord Borros Baratheon: [storms to his feet] Not in my hall! The boy came as an envoy, I will not have bloodshed beneath my roof. Take Prince Lucerys back to his dragon. Now.
Aemond: Vhagar, NO! [Vhagar consumes Lucerys Velaryon and Arrax, marking the beginning of the Dance of the Dragons]
Cregan Stark: Duty is sacrifice. It eclipses all things; even blood. All men of honor must pay its price. The North owes a great duty to the Seven Kingdoms. One older than any oath. Since the days of the First Men, we have stood as guardians against the cold and the dark. Through its long tradition, the Night's Watch cultivated its strength from doomed men who had their life as their only possession. But my ancestor, Torrhen Stark, began a tradition by making an offering at the onset of winter: one in ten men from our household was to be chosen to fortify the Watch. This is not a sentence, but an honor. A duty embraced by all who serve the North. Even by mine own kin. The North must stand ready. Winter is coming.
Jace: The realm will soon tear itself apart if men do not remember the oath sworn to King Viserys and to his rightful heir.
Cregan Stark: Starks do not forget their oaths, my prince. But you must know that my gaze is forever torn between north and south. In winter, my duty to the Wall is even more dire than the one I owe to King's Landing. I need my men here.
Jace: Whilst your men guard against wildings and weather, the Hightowers plan to usurp the throne. If my mother is to defend her claim to hold the realm united, she needs an army. War is coming to the whole of the realm, my lord. We cannot wage it without the support of the North.
Cregan Stark: My father brought King Jaehaerys and Queen Alysanne to see the Wall. His Grace stood at this very outlook and watched as their dragons, the greatest power in the world, refused to cross it. Do you think my ancestors built a seven-hundred foot wall of ice to keep out snow and savages?
Jace: What does it keep out?
Cregan Stark: Death.
Rhaenys: It was a raven that brought me news of Laena's death. I existed for weeks in torment, refusing to believe what I'd been told. It was only when I saw my daughter's mortal remains that I could begin to mourn her. A raven has told Rhaenyra that her son is dead. She needs to know it for certain.
Daemon: She was a fool to go alone. What if Aemond were to happen upon her?
Rhaenys: Then I would pity Aemond. The queen was wise to recuse herself. She has not acted on the vengeful impulse that others might've.
Daemon: If you'd have acted when you had the chance, Aegon's line would be extinguished and Luke would be alive.
Erryk: [after Mysaria is arrested on Daemon's orders] Forgive me, my prince, but the lady speaks the truth. She was no agent of the Hightowers.
Daemon: What's it to you?
Erryk: A matter of honor.
Daemon: Was it honor that made you stand by and watch as the Hightowers usurped the throne? You and your traitorous twin?
Erryk: No, my prince. I'm shamed by it. It's why I abandoned the Kingsguard and my brother and came here.
Daemon: I don't care. Aegon was in your grasp. You should've killed him yourself.
Erryk: Arryk and I were named to the Kingsguard at just eight and ten. And we swore the same oath: to defend the whole of the royal family. So what were we to do when they turned against one another?
Aemond: My brother is hostage to my grandsire and mother, and they tell him that a war of dragons can yet be avoided.
Criston: 'Tis inevitable. They must see that.
Aemond: Otto fears to upset the order of things. And Alicent is simply angry.
Criston: Angry?
Aemond: She blames me for starting this war after she plotted with my father's council to usurp his throne. "Her Grace" speaks with two tongues.
Criston: She has a gentle heart. And Rhaenyra is a cunning spider. Long ago, she drew Alicent into her web, intoxicated her. It is not your mother's fault.
Aemond: She holds love for our enemy. That makes her a fool.
Helaena: They killed the boy.
Aegon: [smashing model of Valyria, screaming] I'LL KILL THEM! I'LL KILL THEM ALL! Traitors and villains! They dare strike at me!
Servant 1: Your Grace.
Aegon:[pointing sword at servant 1] I am the king!
Servant 1: Your Grace! Yes, yes.
Aegon:[pointing sword at servant 2] I am the king!
Servant 2: Yes, Your Grace. Uh, please, Your Grace.
Aegon:[looking back at model] Traitors and villains! Fire from the sky. This is war! I declare war! I declare war!
Aegon: And where were the members of this council while the murderer threatened their king?
Tyland: Were you also threatened, Your Grace?
Aegon: I COULD HAVE BEEN!
Aegon: My son is my legacy! My son is heir to the Iron Throne! [addressing Criston] And where were you, the Lord Commander of my Kingsguard?
Criston: I was abed, Your Grace, having ordered the night's watch.
Aegon: Abed. ABED! Instead of safeguarding the sanctity of my family!
Otto: This is not the time for blind accusations, Your Grace. We’ll know who did this soon enough.
Aegon: Who did this? Who d-What? Is there any question who did this? Who would do this save the bitch queen of bastards, the smug cunt of Dragonstone! There she sits, across the bay, on her rock, laughing at me, she's fucking laughing at me!
Alicent: When the people share our grief, they draw closer to us.
Helaena: I don't want them closer. I don't know them.
Alicent: Sometimes, we have to pretend.
Helaena: Why?
Alicent: We are representatives of the throne. We have a duty.
Lord Bartimos Celtigar: It must be said that the damage to our position is immeasurable, at a time when we most need loyalty to our cause.
Rhaenyra: But it's a lie. Having lost my own son, that I would inflict such a thing on Helaena, of all people... an innocent.
Ser Alfred Broome: The death of Prince Lucerys was a shock and an insult. A mother so aggrieved might, naturally, seek relief in retribution.
Rhaenyra: Are you suggesting, Ser Alfred, that my grief drove me to order the decapitation of a child?
Ser Alfred Broome: I merely thought, perhaps, an action taken in haste...
Rhaenys: Mind yourself.
