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Seasmoke had been riderless ever since Laenor Velaryon faked his death and rowed away for a calmer life with his lover, Qarl Correy. Laenor abandoned Seasmoke and as the war of succession brewed between the two factions of House Targaryen, the Blacks hoped to reclaim him through one of their loyalists. Rhaenyra tried to put Ser Steffon Darklyn on Seasmoke as she’d found out that his great-great-grandmother Aeriana was a Targaryen Princess. As seen inHouse of the Dragon, this ill-thought-out attempt resulted in Ser Steffon and a Dragonrider’s deaths.
Rhaenyra wanted to halt her operations, butMysaria suggested they keep going. So, she decided to peruse the histories and records preserved at Dragonstone. Before Rhaenyra could stumble upon someone, Seasmoke fled Dragonstone inHouse of the Dragon. The dragon pursued a young man named Addam of Hull on the beaches of Driftmark, leaving unanswered questions in the wake.
Who Is Addam of Hull?
House of the Dragonsays little and less about Addam of Hull in the beginning, except that he and his brother, Alyn, are in the employ ofthe Sea Snake/ Lord Corlys Velaryon. Addam is a shipwright for the Velaryons, and he has those quintessential Velaryon dreadlocks, as seen inHouse of the Dragon, albeit with dark hair. He is the bastard son of Lord Corlys but works day in and day out to prove his mettle, with the hope that he will somehow remove the tag of bastardy.
Addam’s brother, Alyn, is a sailor and is credited with saving Lord Corlys' life in a battle ofthe War for the Stepstones. Alyn is Lord Corlys' favored, and he regularly shaves his silver hair to avoid drawing attention to himself. Addam, on the other hand, is quite the opposite - he looks for a chance to rise in the eyes ofhis fabled lord father. Alyn maintains a low profile, while Addam advises him to go after what he deems is their birthright. Addam is disappointed to be sidelined, especially after Lord Corlys names Alyn his new First Mate. He gets his chance nonetheless.
Is Laenor Velaryon Dead?
Dragons are intelligent beasts and share many mental faculties with humans. They show empathy, anger, and fear, and they even mourn the loss of their beloved. Syrax screeched out loud while Rhaenyra underwent an arduous labor with Visenya. Similarly, Vhagar, gave her rider, Laena Velaryon, a Dragonrider’s death when her labor failed to progress. Seasmoke, on the other hand, created history by coming to Addam and taking him as a rider.
In the closing moments ofHouse of the Dragonseason 2, episode 6 “Smallfolk,“Seasmoke flew to Driftmark in search of Addam of Hull. Addam ran for cover, but Seasmoke pursued him and bent his neck to him. This happened shortly after Seasmoke foiled Ser Steffon and the Dragonkeepers' dragon-taming attempt on Dragonstone. It is pertinent to mention that Seasmoke had been growing restless for the duration of Season 2, and Mysaria posited that he was lonely. This brief conversation between Rhaenyra and Mysaria hinted at Laenor’s death. There is a strong indication thatLaenor Velaryon may have died off-screen inHouse of the Dragon.
The writing doesn’t explicitly confirm it, but Seasmoke’s restlessness on Dragonstone and flying above Spicetown at times is a way of alluding to Laenor’s demise. Laenor’s death explains why Seasmoke took another rider after being riderless for a while.Laenor rowed away following Laena’s funeral in Season 1 when his household was vulnerable.Seasmoke was riderlessand came to Addam after a significant time gap towards the end of Season 2. This gives rise to another minuscule possibility that Seasmoke and Laenor’s bond was rendered as good as dead in the years that followed.
Why Did Seasmoke Choose Addam Of Hull?
The dragon and Dragonrider bond is for life, and only death and can release either. Dragons cannot accept, much less search for another rider whiletheir current rider is alive.Could it be that Seasmoke sensed his previous rider’s life had come to an end, or was he simply lonely, and in search of a viable rider? Whichever the case was, Seasmoke was ready to resume his life and bond with another Dragonrider.
TheGame of Thronesuniverse is a televised adaptation of George R. R. Martin’s works. If one is to go by the books, Martin has the sole authority on the inner mechanisms and the minutiae ofFire & Bloodlore. Martin insinuates that thebond between dragons and their riderscannot be broken just like that. A dragon’s saddle is only free when its previous rider dies.As such, the dragon, Seasmoke, accepting a new rider can only be explained through Laenor’s off-screen death. Seasmoke and Addam’s bonding also exposes the fallacy of the claim:
A dragon will only accept a dragonlord to ride it.
Addam’s father, Lord Corlys, has roots in Old Valyria, but the Velaryons were certainly not dragonlords. That being said, Addam’s mother, who was also a shipwright, must have had Targaryen heritage. Lord Corlys himself admits that he knew less and little about Alyn and Addam’s mother, Marilda’s ancestry. This slight indication is the biggest telltale that Marilda had the blood of the dragon. Despite everything else, Seasmoke took a lowborn as his rider, but this man’s motherwould have had Targaryen ancestors, nonetheless.
House of the Dragon
House of the Dragon is HBO’s prequel series to Game of Thrones. Set hundreds of years earlier, the show follows the inner machinations and rivalries of the Targaryen royal family. The show was created by Ryan Condal and George R.R. Martin, and stars Matt Smith, Emma D’Arcy, Rhys Ifans, and Olivia Cooke.
