In House of the Dragon Episode 7, the Targaryens head for Driftmark to mourn Laena Velaryon. The funeral is also an opportunity for a reunion and Corlys Velaryon takes the time to speak with his young grandson Lucerys Velaryon. Corlys informs Lucerys that he will be the next Lord of the Tides and take over as the Lord of Driftmark. However, little Luke says, “I don’t want it,” explaining that if he’s the Lord of Driftmark, that would only mean that everyone else is dead.
It’s a sad and mature reason for a child to refuse a title but it’s not the first time we’ve heard that line in a Game of Thrones series. In the original show, Jon Snow famously said it, refusing to be the King of Westeros despite being a Targaryen and having a stronger claim to the Iron Throne. But unlike Jon Snow, Lucerys Velaryon is only a Velaryon by name. It has already been made obvious that the boy is the son of Ser Harwin Strong. Nevertheless, Corlys is determined to name the prince as his heir to the title of Lord of Driftmark because of the child’s name, refusing to make any of Laena’s daughters his heir because they are Targaryens. Will Lucerys Velaryon become the Lord of the Tides? House of the Dragon Episode 7 is now available on HBO Max. House of the Dragon Episode 8 is titled The Lord of the Tides and will premiere on HBO on Sunday, October 9, 2022.
