5 “House of the Dragon” facts to remember ahead of the second season’s premiere

As Viserys falls in and out of lucidity on his deathbed, he mutters the name “Aegon,” which his wife Alicent interprets as the king’s support for their son to become his successor in place of his named heir, Rhaenyra. The only problem? That’s probably not what he meant.

Viserys, in his milk-of-the-poppy addled semi-consciousness, appears to believe himself to be speaking with his daughter and not his wife. In this interpretation, he’s referring to Aegon’s Dream, a prophecy seen by Aegon the Conqueror, that he shared with Rhaenyra in her youth. He tells her that Aegon “foresaw the end of the world of men. It is to begin with a terrible winter, gusting out of the distant North. Aegon saw absolute darkness riding on those winds and whatever dwells within will destroy the world of the living . . . if the world of men is to survive, a Targaryen must be seated on the Iron Throne.”

Once Viserys dies, Alicent swiftly moves to see her reluctant son Aegon seated on the throne, which is where we will find him when the show returns.