House of the Dragon Episode 4 inflicted casualties on both Blacks and Greens, but both were caused by Aemond Targaryen.

Fans of Team Black in House of the Dragon will hate Ewan Mitchell’s Aemond Targaryen after the events of Episode 4. In the episode, titled The Red Dragon and the Gold, Aemond and his old huge dragon Vhagar once again cause destruction to House Blacks. But this time, his casualties also included Aegon Targaryen, his brother.

In the final moments of the episode that aired on Sunday, fans were shocked when Vhagar took out Princess Rhaenys and her ‘Red Queen’ dragon Meleys. However, Aegon, who arrived drunken at Rook’s Rest, got caught in the line of fire when he engaged in an aerial dragon battle with Rhaenys.

Ewan Mitchell Addresses Whether Aemond’s Attack On Aegon Is Intentional In House of the Dragon

Ewan Mitchell as Aemond Targaryen in House of the Dragon | HBO

The Greens had a simple plan set in motion to gain a significant advantage in the Dance of the Dragons in House of the Dragon. When Rhaenys showed up riding on Meleys to defend Rook’s Rest, she was surprised by Aemond, who mounted the vicious Vhagar. However, Aegon Targaryen’s arrival almost ruined their entire ruse to draw out one of the Blacks’ dragons.

Aegon’s arrival was instigated by the insult he received at the hands of his brother and his mother. While Aegon’s Sunfyre engaged in a battle with Rhaenys’ Meleys, Vhagar fires upon them, severely burning Aegon and grievously wounding Sunfyre.

While Aegon’s fate is not shown at the end of the episode, a new promo shows Aegon being brought back in a box, implying he survived. It also appears that Aemond is spreading the story that it was Aegon who slew Meleys and was injured in the battle. Aemond’s attack on Aegon seemed deliberate on the show, however, the book shows no such indication.

Ewan Mitchell shared his thoughts on whether Aemond’s action was intentional on the show. Mitchell shared that Aemond never thought of Aegon as a true king. Also, Aegon was his childhood bully who caused him lots of trauma. However, Mitchell believed that Aemond would never have intended what happened to Aegon.

Mitchell believed that leaving Aemond’s intention to the imagination provided for a compelling discussion. He added that it would be interesting to speculate that Aemond’s attack on Aegon was revenge for the Pink Dread incident from their childhood. Mitchell shared with EW:

I think that maybe Aemond would never have intended to burn Aegon, but it just so happened that Aegon was there tangled with Rhaenys and Meleys when he was on top of Sunfyre. It raises the question of whether or not he would’ve done that or if Aegon was just collateral damage.

I think that’s compelling. Maybe it was when Aegon brought in the Pink Dread [as children] when Aemond was like, ‘I’m going to burn him one day for this.’ Who knows?

According to George R.R. Martin‘s Fire and Blood, Aegon is found badly injured after Vhagar’s attack. He’s barely alive, with burns all over his body and his armor melted to his skin. Aegon will become bedridden and in his absence, Aemond will take over as the Protector of the Realm.

Ryan Condal Opens Up About House Of The Dragon Episode 4 Events

Eve Best’s character meets a tragic end in the latest episode of House of the Dragon | HBO

According to showrunner Ryan Condal, the Rook’s Rest battle was the first nuclear conflict in the Dance of the Dragons. It would change the world around the Targaryens forever, pushing them into a different era of war. Condal added that this was the moment that both Viserys and Rhaenys were terrified of. Condal shared with EW:

This is the first nuclear conflict. At the end of this, the world has effectively seen mushroom clouds on the horizon, and they know that we’ve now moved into a different era of the war. The whole strategy of the war changes after this because everything is so different. This is the thing that Viserys was terrified of. This is the thing that Rhaenys, sitting at her council table, was terrified of.

Episode 5 will see an undeterred Rhaenyra as she tries to avenge the death of Princess Rhaenys. The teaser hinted at a sinister plot from the Blacks when Mysaria shares with the Queen, “There is more than one way to fight a war.” Given that Mysaria had a hand in the Blood and Cheese plot, something far worse is coming upon the Greens.