'House of The Dragon' Just Confirmed a Sneaking Suspicion About Lord Corlys Velaryon (2024)

When new additions to the House of The Dragon season 2 cast were first announced, Alyn of Hull, played by Abubakar Salim, seen in the frame with Lord Colrys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint) was one of the most anticipated ones. With season 2 episode 4, “The Red Dragon and The Gold,” you finally have an inkling why.

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Spoilers ahead for House of The Dragon season 2 episode 4 and Fire & Blood!

In the latest episode of HOTD season 2, we see Princess Rhaenys (Eve Best) talking to Alyn of Hull, about him being the sailor who saved her husband’s life when he was about to die at sea. She then goes on to make an odd statement while touching his face, about how his mother might’ve been really beautiful to birth someone like him. And that’s when her husband, Lord Corlys Velaryon, intervenes.

'House of The Dragon' Just Confirmed a Sneaking Suspicion About Lord Corlys Velaryon (1)

It would probably seem weird for the wife of your boss to speak to you in such a manner, and Alyn certainly looked wigged. But we get our answers for Rhaenys’ behavior in the very next scene, when she tells her husband that she knows who Alyn is and that he should’ve told her it was Alyn who saved his life. Rhaenys then tells Corlys that Alyn’s past doesn’t matter and that for having saved his lord’s life, “He should be raised up and honored, not hidden beneath the tides.”

Why does Rhaenys care so much for a lowly sailor? Who is Alyn to her? As the series is giving him prominent scenes this season, including a scene with his brother Addam of Hull (Clinton Liberty), you know he is someone important. In this latest episode, Alyn and Corlys are positioned side-by-side in front of Rhaenys in a scene, for a specific reason.

Alyn of Hull and his brother Addam are the “bastard” sons of Lord Corlys Velaryon. And the casting department made some excellent choices there!

Now that explains the veiled statement by Rhaenys to her husband that she knows who Alyn is, doesn’t it?

Who is Alyn of Hull in House of The Dragon?

'House of The Dragon' Just Confirmed a Sneaking Suspicion About Lord Corlys Velaryon (2)

Alyn and Addam from Hull are what they call dragonseed, a term used to refer to the bastard children of Houses Targaryen and Velaryon, that had the ability to bond with dragons, just like a trueborn child.

In the course of House of the Dragon, we’re going to meet a bunch of these dragonseed, who will be assimilated into the Greens and the Blacks as dragonriders, to fight the war. We already know that there are several wild and unclaimed dragons hanging in and around Dragonstone, such as the deceased Laenor Velaryon’s dragon Seasmoke, Grey Ghost, Sheepstealer, and more. And these dragonseed will be invited to claim them and be new dragon riders.

In Fire & Blood, it is explained that Alyn and Addam’s mother, Marilda of Hull, claimed them to be sons of the late Ser Laenor Velaryon, first husband of Rhaenyra Targaryen. However, since the matter of Ser Laenor’s sexuality is well known in his family, it is therefore deduced that they were actually fathered by Lord Corlys Velaryon, and kept away from Driftmark out of fear and respect for his wife, Princess Rhaenys.

However, there’s one major difference between the Alyn we see in the show and the Alyn in the book. Book Alyn was 15 years old, whereas the show character looks considerably older. In fact, his brother in the show looks younger than him.

Does Alyn of Hull Claim a Dragon?

'House of The Dragon' Just Confirmed a Sneaking Suspicion About Lord Corlys Velaryon (3)

According to the book, he sure tries, first with Grey Ghost and later with Sheepstealer; but he fails and is burnt by dragon flame, forever scarring his back and legs. His brother Addam, though, is successful and claims Ser Laenor’s dragon, Seasmoke.

In a scene in House of The Dragon season 2, we see a restless Seasmoke flying over Dragonstone in anticipation of war, and Addam looking up at him, foreshadowing what is about to happen.

Does Alyn of Hull survive the Dance of the Dragons?

Not as Alyn of Hull, he doesn’t! But as Alyn Velaryon, sure! You’d be surprised how a man with no dragon of his own actually managed to survive this war of fire and blood. Then again, it is not surprising at all.

After the passing of his wife Princess Rhaenys in the battle of Rook’s Rest, and Addam becoming a dragon rider, Lord Corlys petitions Rhaenyra to allow him to legitimize both his sons as heirs to House Velaryon and the Driftwood throne.

Alyn goes on to live long after the war is over, having supported his father in whatever maneuvers he made for the good of the realm. He even ascended to the heir of Driftmark and the Lord of the Tides after the passing of his brother Addam and Lord Corlys.

After becoming Lord of Driftmark, he also married Baela Targaryen, daughter of Lady Laena Velaryon and Daemon Targaryen, and had two children with her. Much like his sire, Alyn too had the chance to fight in the Stepstones, which earned him the title ‘Alyn Oakenfist’ and a place as the Master of Ships on King Aegon III’s council. After that, he would go on six major voyages at sea, have a couple of paramours, and father two bastard children with Princess Elaena Targaryen (daughter of King Aegon III), whom he loved. Alyn was lost at sea on one of his voyages, and never found.

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'House of The Dragon' Just Confirmed a Sneaking Suspicion About Lord Corlys Velaryon (2024)

FAQs

Why doesn't Corlys Velaryon have a dragon? ›

Corlys Velaryon may carry a few drops of Targaryen blood somewhere in the family tree, but it seems more likely that dragon riding is something that other families are capable of— the Targaryens just ensured that they had exclusive access to the fire-breathing beasts.

What happened to Corlys Velaryon in House of the Dragon? ›

Spoilers ahead for season 1 of House of the Dragon. Corlys Velaryon, played exquisitely by actor Steve Toussaint, nearly died last season. After his neck was slashed by an enemy's dagger at the battle of the Stepstones, and he fell overboard at sea, we all thought that was the end of the Sea Snake.

Why was there no mention of House Velaryon in Game of Thrones? ›

House Velaryon is a prominent family in House of the Dragon, but fans might be wondering why they weren't in Game of Thrones or there was little to no mention of them in the original series. A quick answer to this is that the once-influential clan declined in power after the Targaryen civil war.

Who saved Corlys Velaryon from death? ›

Alyn of Hull has become known as the man who saved Corlys Velaryon's life at sea, but he's actually much closer to Corlys than he realizes. A conversation between Rhaenys and Corlys in Sunday's episode of House of the Dragon revealed (without explicitly saying it) that Alyn is Corlys' son by another woman.

Why can't House Velaryon ride dragons? ›

Both the Targaryens and Velaryons hail from the Valyrian Freehold, but it was only the Targaryens who routinely rode dragons before Rhaenys' Valyrian blood entered the family. Blood magic might explain why.

What happened to House Velaryon after Dance of dragons? ›

House Velaryon would continue to hold the position as master of ships on the small council of various House Targaryen kings. Corlys died only one year after the Dance of the Dragons concluded, which left Alyn “Oakenfist” Velaryon as the Master of Driftmark.

Why did Corlys velaryon switch sides? ›

At the end of House of the Dragon Season 1, Rhaenyra Targaryen gains an ally in Lord Corlys Velaryon, but it might not last forever. Corlys' personal ambitions and a grave loss shook his faith in Rhaenyra in Fire & Blood, leading to a switch of allegiance.

Why do Velaryons have white hair? ›

Valyrians have pale white skin, purple/blue eyes and white/silver hair, it is literally their trait and all the Velaryons are like that in the books.

Does Corlys Velaryon survive the Dance of Dragons? ›

Corlys Velaryon is perhaps one of the few legends of Westeros to survive the Dance of the Dragons. He was arguably Rhaenyra's most prominent supporter by the time of the war's end.

Why are Velaryons black? ›

The showrunner also added that there was yet another tangible benefit to making the Velaryon family Black: with a cast this large (and with so many similar names), it's easier to tell the families apart.

Where were the Velaryons during got? ›

They settled on the island of Driftmark before the Targaryens settled on the neighboring island Dragonstone, as a trade outpost between Valyria and the petty kingdoms of Westeros.

Were House Velaryon black in the books? ›

House Velaryon weren't blacks in the book. They took after the classic Valyrian looks of silver blonde hair and purple eyes just like The Targaryens. They were changed in the TV series to be in line with the current trend of inclusivity and with GRRM's blessing. He is one of the executive producers of the show.

Does Lord Corlys come back? ›

Corlys, infuriated by yet another slight to his family by the Targaryens, leaves King's Landing and resigns from his position as Master of Ships. Corlys returns to Driftmark, and later invites Daemon Targaryen to his castle High Tide.

Who is the sailor that saved Corlys Velaryon? ›

Alyn of Hull is a sailor from Driftmark who saved the life of Lord Corlys Velaryon in the Stepstones while serving in the Velaryon fleet.

Where did Corlys Velaryon go? ›

Corlys was then buried at sea east of Dragonstone on his ancient Sea Snake.

Why is Corly's velaryon black? ›

Speaking to EW, Ryan Condal himself explained the change, saying: "Long, long ago when he was conceiving of this world, [Martin] himself had considered the idea of making Velaryons a race of Black people with silver hair that essentially came from the other side of the ocean and conquered Westeros.

Does Joffrey velaryon have a dragon? ›

Joffrey in childhood, by Douglas Wheatley, as depicted in The World of Ice & Fire. Prince Joffrey Velaryon, also known as Joff, was the thirdborn son of Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen and her first husband, Ser Laenor Velaryon. He was a dragonrider whose dragon was Tyraxes.

Does Corlys velaryon survive the dance of dragons? ›

Corlys Velaryon is perhaps one of the few legends of Westeros to survive the Dance of the Dragons. He was arguably Rhaenyra's most prominent supporter by the time of the war's end.

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