Corlys and Daemon in Tumbleton, Alyn and Rhaenyra (Exclusive)

The Sea Snake, one of Westeros’ most infamous military leaders, is now anti-war in House of the Dragon. The Battle of the Gullet and the events that followed left Lord Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint) craving an end to the violence and the shedding of innocent blood. When he had the chance to sue for peace in the House of the Dragon Season 3 finale, he took it. But the war raged on in a catastrophic battle in Tumbleton regardless. Here, Toussaint breaks down the Tumbleton scenes and explains the future of House Velaryon from Corlys’ point of view with TV Insider. Warning: House of the Dragon Season 3 finale spoilers ahead.

The “resurrection” of Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney) and his dragon, Sunfyre, forced Rhaenyra (Emma D’arcy) to take drastic actions in King’s Landing and Tumbleton, occupied by Ormund Hightower (James Norton) and his forces. Rhaenyra set out to control her optics in the capital by forcing the High Septon to anoint her rule, but he refused, and Rhaenyra had Alyn (Abubakar Salim) kill him for it. Meanwhile, Daemon (Matt Smith), under his wife’s orders, flew Caraxes to Tumbleton to lead a military attack on the city, which Ormund forced children to defend to make the Targaryens look more brutal. Daemon didn’t take that bait, but some children who did dare to keep fighting wound up as collateral damage.

Corlys, a Hightower prisoner in Tumbleton, was offered to Daemon as a bargaining chip by Gwayne Hightower (Freddie Fox), who sought safety for himself and nephew Daeron Targaryen (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth) by suggesting that Oldtown become an independent kingdom ruled by Daeron, who would leave the seat of the remaining kingdoms to Rhaenyra. Corlys argued that Oldtown should stay in the Seven Kingdoms, but that Daeron should wed Rhaena (Phoebe Campbell) and they could be the Lord and Lady of Oldtown under Rhaenyra’s rule. Daemon wanted none of it, and so the battle was on.

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The conflict removed Ormund from the board in a new addition to the list of gruesome, violent Game of Thrones deaths. And while the Targaryens technically were victorious, little was won. Back in King’s Landing, a death transpired that will change the course of Westeros history.

Toussaint breaks down the finale and what he wants for Corlys in House of the Dragon‘s final season (premiering in 2028) in the interview below.

Would Corlys support Alyn telling his troops not to save him in Tumbleton?

Steve Toussaint: Yes, he probably would. I think he would have wanted Alyn to weigh up the options. And if Alyn felt that it was not worth it, I think where Corlys is at the moment, I don’t think he would think it’s worth losing too many men for him. And I think he feels that Alyn is or will be a worthy successor to him, so he would understand totally why Alyn would do that. Having said that, there is a concern, I think, for Corlys that Alyn is throwing in his lot with Rhaenyra maybe too much. But I don’t know that Alyn has a choice in that fact that she’s the queen and that’s his opportunity to better himself.

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Alyn and Addam [Clinton Liberty] are quite loyal to Rhaenyra in this adaptation, it’s interesting. The way I read Alyn’s scene when he kills the High Septon was that it felt good, what Rhaenyra was telling him about Valyrian blood answering to a higher god. Do you think Corlys might be concerned for what his son could turn into with this perspective? Corlys, of course, doesn’t know what happened yet.

No, he doesn’t know, but absolutely he’d be concerned. I think that when he does find out that it was his son that struck down the High Septon, he’s going to be incredibly disappointed and very sad. And I think he will chop that down as yet another cost that his family have had to endure because this time it’s about the purity of his son’s soul. I just think he won’t be pleased. Obviously, Alyn is a grown man. He makes his own decisions and so forth, but Corlys would be very sad and very despairing to hear that news.

What about with regards to Baela [Bethany Antonia] and Rhaena? Baela, in this finale, has an intense scene with Rhaenyra where she’s defending Corlys. And then Rhaena, of course, Corlys doesn’t know yet that Rhaena was involved in Jace’s death in Battle of the Gullet. So, how will he feel about this?

Oh, this is interesting, that conversation she has with Rhaenyra. I think Corlys he would like that, but he would want her to be safe, to be careful. I think Corlys would be secretly pleased. I mean, he would say to her, “You shouldn’t do that, and you shouldn’t defy your queen because it could cost you your life.” But that fighting spirit, he would like. That’s the thing that he recognizes in her as he recognizes it in Addam.

With Rhaena, it’s slightly different. The one time that I can recall Corlys talking about Raina is back in Season 2 when he’s talking to Rhaenys [Eve Best] about who could be his heir. She mentions Rhaena and he’s like, “Rhaena?” And I think they feel about Rhaena [that] she’s not much help, basically. I don’t think he has a lot of feeling for her in terms of continuing his name or anything like that. But to find that she’s got a dragon, he’d be like, “Oh, wow.” But then that she has inadvertently caused the death of his grandson, I think he’ll be conflicted. Obviously, those of us who are watching it, we know that she didn’t mean it and it was an accident. I suppose if it was Baela who told him, that might temper the way he responds. There is a feeling of empathy, pity for Rhaena actually.

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What’s interesting to me about Corlys is he has this contradiction of he spent years angry that Rhaenys was passed over for the Iron Throne because of her gender. Also, the feelings baked into that were his desire for power as well, which can’t be overlooked.

Absolutely.

But given his history with Rhaenys, why does he want to make his son Lord of the Tides over Baela and Rhaena, who aren’t illegitimate heirs?

Well, don’t forget that he offered it to Baela in Season 2.

Yes.

She says that, “Whoever it is has to be salt and sea, and I’m fire and air.” When he looks at Alyn, he sees almost a carbon copy of his character. He sees himself, a man who has basically made his own way without help from anybody. And I think he recognizes that quality about himself, and he realizes that that is what would make Alyn a good fit. I think that’s why he chooses Alyn for that, to be his heir.

Why does Corlys think the Targaryens should make peace with Gwayne and Daeron?

When he hears the proposal from Gwayne, he sees its potential. At this point, Corlys is just tired of warfare, tired of battles, tired of innocent people, innocent blood being shed in this cause. And so anything that can bring that to an end would be ideal for him, which is why he then says [Rhaenyra would] still be on the throne. Daeron would be something like Lord Protector of the South. And then we could still get on. But of course he’s saying this to Daemon. Dameon’s blood lust is the impetus behind that compromise that Corlys makes: “Let’s just end the fighting. Nobody wins in the end.”

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Corlys has taken the anti-war stance, but does he still think Rhaenyra has more right to rule than Aegon? Does he still think the Greens were wrong to usurp the throne?

Yes, I do think he does think that [Rhaenyra has a stronger claim to the crown]. More than anything else, he remembers that moment in that big hall when all the lords swore fealty to her after the Viserys said, “This is my heir.” And so that, as far as he’s concerned, is the law. That is how it works. What’s right is right, as far as Corlys is concerned. The one thing about him is a strong sense of right and wrong.

What may have changed for him is whether he is as convinced that she is as suited to the role as he first thought. When he comes back, I think he’s going to find a much harder, colder Rhaenyra than the one he left, and that will be a concern.

Explain what drove Corlys to find Daemon in Tumbleton and drag him out of the conflict in their final scene of the season.

Corlys and Daemon have had this wary respect for each other. Corlys recognizes, as a warrior/sometimes tactician, that he is much more valuable to the realm alive, obviously. There is something about the way Daemon in that scene is looking for a fight that is almost like a death wish. And I think Corlys recognizes that in him. Deep down inside, I think he quite likes Daemon, although he doesn’t trust him and wouldn’t want to be around it for too long. He just wants to save him from himself. And there is a war to be won, and you’d rather have Daemon on your side.

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The final season is coming up. What do you want to explore with Corlys to make sure his story reaches a satisfying end?

I would like to see him trying to put in place the blocks for his children’s security. Naming Alyn as his heir, making sure that Addam is secure as a dragon rider, and that places are secure in the realm, and also now that Baela’s patrol is gone. Of course, at this stage, Corlys doesn’t know anything about this blossoming romance with Alyn, but I think he would want Baela and Rhaena to be secure also. I’d like to see him doing that, trying to make the world a better place for them.

Does Corlys still think the Hightowers should pay for usurping the throne and initiating the events that triggered this war?

Oh, yes, he does. Despite the fact that he’s tired of war, he’s not tired of justice. He considers that to be a crime against the throne, against the realm, against the people. And yes, he does feel there should be some recompense. I don’t know if he thinks they should be hung or anything like that, but I do think he thinks there should be, has to be a reckoning. There has to be a forfeit for what they’ve done.

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Corlys saw that Ulf betrayed both sides in Tumbleton. Does he know of Daemon’s attempts to prevent harm to the children that Ormund forced into battle? He tried to warn them to get out of the way when he stormed the gate with Caraxes.

Yes, he did. And I don’t know that at the stage that we leave them, whether Corlys is aware of that yet. It’s one of those things that will come out when they start talking about the battle and the tactics, because there will be a point where he will say to Daemon, “Why didn’t you just spray the whole lot [with fire]?” And then Daemon will go, “Well, there were kids.” Or somebody will say, “Well, there were children.” I think that’s how he’ll find out. And I hope he does find out because anything that makes him like and respect Daemon a bit more would be a good thing.

Especially, too, because Rhaenyra said, “Don’t make me a monster,” going into this battle, so it was an order from her as well, which I think is important.

Exactly. Absolutely. All of those things are very important because, as I said, I do feel like she’s going to become harder, colder. And so these little nuggets of humanity are essential for her, for us as viewers, and for Corlys to hold onto, to know that there is still something good in there.

House of the Dragon, Season 4 Premiere, 2028, HBO, Seasons 1-3 Streaming on HBO Max