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Home of the Dragon wasted no time earlier than organising the a number of conflicts plaguing the Seven Kingdoms. However one of many greatest threats to King Viserys Targaryen’s rule is essentially taking part in out within the background.
[Ed. note: The following contains spoilers for House of the Dragon and Fire & Blood.]
Within the sequence premiere, we study that Viserys has a small wound on his again from sitting on the Iron Throne. Because the maesters tending to Viserys be aware, the minimize mysteriously refuses to heal. In actual fact, it’s spreading. Viserys receives a second minimize from the throne in the identical episode, which equally turns into contaminated and results in the amputation of two of his fingers.
The rationale Viserys’ wounds gained’t heal is extra symbolic than something as routine as bacterial an infection. The importance of being minimize by the Iron Throne truly has deep roots in Targaryen historical past and Sport of Thrones lore, relationship all the way in which again to the throne’s creation.
What does it imply to be minimize by the Iron Throne?
Picture: HBO
Viserys’ ancestor Aegon I Targaryen constructed the Iron Throne out of a thousand damaged blades he had taken from his enemies. The “ironwork monstrosity,” as George R.R. Martin referred to it in Sport of Thrones, was constructed with the intention of inflicting excessive discomfort. “A king ought to by no means sit simple,” Aegon the Conqueror defined within the first A Tune of Ice and Hearth guide.
Aegon’s son Aenys succeeded his father, however was ultimately killed by his brother, the usurper Maegor. Six years into Maegor’s infamously merciless reign, his nephew Jaehaerys Targaryen raised banners towards him. After only a few homes got here to Maegor’s help, he selected to spend the night time brooding alone on the Iron Throne. The following morning, one in all Maegor’s many wives, Elinor, discovered him useless within the seat with one of many throne’s blades impaled by his neck and his forearms slashed open by a number of different spikes.
There are a number of theories about Maegor’s demise, together with that he took his personal life or that Elinor murdered him. However many consider that the Iron Throne itself is what killed Maegor. That is what originated the favored superstition that the throne chooses who’s worthy or not of ruling Westeros, and that those that are deemed undeserving endure damage by its blades.
Does everybody who will get minimize on the Iron Throne die?
Picture: HBO
No — or a minimum of not as a direct results of their wounds.
Maegor and Viserys are usually not the one two individuals to have been minimize by the Iron Throne. Daenerys Targaryen’s paranoid father Aerys II Targaryen was generally often known as The Mad King, however as a result of he minimize himself so usually on the Iron Throne he was additionally dubbed King Scab. Nonetheless, the Mad King wasn’t discovered useless on the throne nor of an an infection from one in all his many cuts. Quite, his demise got here on the finish of Jaime Lannister’s sword.
So, whereas being minimize by the Iron Throne could symbolize the unworthiness of a king or queen, the Iron Throne isn’t a supernatural choose, jury, and executioner that disposes of the ruler itself. That being mentioned, anybody who sits on the throne is already at the next than common likelihood of demise. In the event that they’re on the throne and never a match ruler, these odds go up exponentially.
What does Viserys being minimize by the Iron Throne imply?
Picture: HBO
It doesn’t take Viserys being minimize by the Iron Throne to make it clear he isn’t essentially a terrific king. Having ascended throughout peaceable occasions, Viserys is pushed by a want to please and prefers to keep away from points moderately than confront them head on, equivalent to his dismissal of the menace the Crabfeeder and Triarchy pose. When Viserys does make daring choices — like naming Rhaenyra as his successor or deciding to wed Alicent Hightower — these decisions solely sow extra dissent towards him.
Viserys’ first minimize from the Iron Throne occurred at an unknown time, however the timing of his second damage is of specific significance, coming instantly following his determination to take away Daemon from the road of succession. This ruling is without doubt one of the key choices that in the end results in the primary Targaryen civil struggle. The second minimize might be a sign that Viserys’ poor judgment will solely result in destroy — for himself, his household, and his kingdom. It might additionally simply be one other method to reinforce what Daemon instructed his brother — that Viserys is a weak king who isn’t as much as bearing the burden of his personal energy. Both method, it’s a really unhealthy omen for Viserys’ future.
At the moment, Viserys is much less involved together with his well being than with political machinations and the devolving stability of Westeros. Nonetheless, Viserys has already misplaced two fingers from his cuts from the Iron Throne. Solely time will inform the true price he’ll pay for his failings as king.
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