Speaking exclusively to Express.co.uk, Graham McTavish – who plays Ser Harrold Westerling in House of the Dragon – elaborated about how the principal member of the Kingsguard felt about the mercurial and dangerous Prince Daemon Targaryen (played by Matt Smith).
The Scottish star, 61, said: “It’s a complicated one because Daemon is a Targaryen and he’s royalty and all the rest of it.”
Ser Harrold is the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard and as such he is bound by an oath to serve his king above his own needs, forsaking love, marriage, wealth and titles.
Despite pledging allegiance to the Iron Throne, McTavish said Ser Harrold still very much had his opinions about the various people surrounding the king and describing the knight caught in the middle of a “nest of vipers”.
McTavish said: “They devote themselves entirely to serving the king and his family. Now within that, Harrold like all of these people is human, he has his favourites.
“So he loves Rhaenrya and he’s really keen on her and he’s deeply devoted to Viserys but I think he distrusts very much the world of Daemon.
Compared to the likes of Alicent Hightower (Emma Carey) and her father Ser Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans), Rhaenyra expressed her opinions, something which the veteran knight “respects”.
He said: “It’s the ones who conceal their feelings that Ser Harrold is a little more – he’s not so keen on and tries to distance himself somewhat from them.
“But unfortunately, that represents the vast majority of the people who inhabit Westeros. The small council, the thing about Game of Thrones, the thing about House of the Dragon, is that there are agendas within agendas within agendas and it’s like peeling an onion.”
Adding: “When you start to examine what people’s motivations are… Viserys is a straightforward individual, in my opinion.
“It’s interesting to see what that costs him, what their honesty costs them as well and that’s what makes it a great show.”
McTavish’s words suggest Viserys Targaryen (Paddy Considine) will be well and truly manipulated by all those around him as he tries to do the right thing.
Otto revealed his hand within the series premiere when he sent his young daughter to offer comfort to Viserys after Queen Aemma Arryn (Sian Brooke) perished during childbirth, apparently trying to earn a place by the king’s side in his hour of need when he was more vulnerable.
House of the Dragon is based on material from George R.R. Martin’s Targaryen history book Fire and Blood, which charts the long and bloody reign of the dragonriders starting with Aegon I’s conquest after he and his family fled Valyria before the Doom.
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Fire and Blood as well as The World of Ice and Fire document Viserys’ reign with the king trying to follow in the footsteps of his grandfather and maintain peace.
However, his efforts will be in vain as the line of succession is disputed and he will be pulled in all directions by those who seek to take the crown.
Prince Daemon is likely to be another rival to Viserys is some form after he was exiled for speaking ill of the king’s baby son Baelon, who died an hour after he was born.
Although Daemon may be gone for now, he is likely to return and bring trouble with him, particularly with the help of his paramour and mistress of whispers Mysaria (Sonoya Mizuno).
House of the Dragon airs on HBO on Sundays and Sky Atlantic on Mondays and streams on NOW
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