The teaser for Episode 4 of House of the Dragon hints at escalating conflicts regarding the ruler of the Seven Kingdoms, after the noble houses of Westeros celebrate the Second Name Day of Prince Aegon Targaryen, Rhaenyra Targaryen gets permission to choose her match and Daemon Targaryen wins the battle at the Stepstones.

The video opens with Rhaenyra reading the text on a heated Catspaw dagger, yes the same dagger that Arya used to kill the Night King, that ties House of the Dragon very neatly to Game of Thrones. “From my blood come the prince that was promised… and his will be the song of ice and fire” she reads, and we know now that the Prince that was Promised turned out to be Jon Snow aka Aegon Targaryen. This is followed by shots of all the others who are trying to get to the Iron Throne — Alicent Hightower, Daemon Targaryen and Otto Hightower.

King Viserys is seen wearing his crown, probably to prepare for what we see in the next shot, and claiming (daftly?) that House Targaryen will stand united for another generation. A voice spells out the brewing conflict — “Who will it be? The brother? The daughter? Or the princeling of three?”.

We see Daemon enter the throne room wearing a driftwood crown telling the gathered audience that “they named him the King of the Narrow Sea”. We see Rhaenyra with a stag sigil behind her and Ser Criston Cole next to her (we are assuming this is the Baratheon House seat, Storm’s End) as Viserys’ voice warns her that her “courtship is at an end”, probably talking about her tour of the Seven Kingdoms to find a suitable consort. And then we see Alicent with a baby (probably their second child).

Otto Hightower brings “discomforting news” to Viserys and it seems to be a rumour about Rhaenyra if her reaction is anything to go by as well as her father’s, who for the first time, in a very un-Viserys-like manner threatens to “take the eyes” of the one responsible for the gossip. Alicent’s assurance to Viserys that Rhaenyra is not deceitful by nature but the same cannot be said about his brother points to the rumour having to do something between Rhaenyra and Daemon. But who could have started the rumour? Our bet is it is Otto, not Daemon. Otto has that cunning about him.

The last shot of Criston yelling to the crew of a ship to take cover as Caraxes (at least that’s who we think it is) flies overhead hints at more Daemon vs Kings Landing clashes (whether it is with Viserys or Rhaenyra, we’ll have to wait and watch).

Episode 4 of House of the Dragon will stream on Disney+ Hotstar from 6.30am on Monday, September 12.