Daeron Targaryen survives an assassination attempt in Tumbleton, saved only by Gwayne Hightower’s intervention, as Ormund Hightower presses his claim as rightful heir over Rhaenyra in King’s Landing. With two episodes left in House of the Dragon’s third season, actor Benjamin Evan Ainsworth says the pressure on his character intensifies with each new hour, especially now that Daeron is cut off from his dragon Tessarion.
A knife meant for Daeron Targaryen tells you everything about where Westeros stands right now. Ormund Hightower has just handed King’s Landing a headache by declaring the young squire the rightful heir, and near Tumbleton, dragon handlers Ulf White and Hugh Hammer are stirring up trouble of their own. Gwayne Hightower’s timely intervention kept Daeron alive, but survival hasn’t made his position any less precarious. Benjamin Evan Ainsworth, who plays the increasingly cornered young royal, has been candid about the weight his character carries as separation from his dragon Tessarion forces impossible choices. Two episodes remain, airing Sundays on HBO and streaming on HBO Max, and the pressure shows no sign of letting up.
Two episodes left, and Westeros is on fire
The third season of House of the Dragon is entering its endgame, with only two episodes remaining before the finale. Episode 6 has reshuffled the political deck across Westeros, and much of the chaos now converges on Tumbleton, a strategic city that has become the powder keg of the civil war. At the center of it all stands a prince who barely survived the hour.
Tumbleton becomes the war’s flashpoint
The maneuvering has turned openly hostile. Ormund Hightower is working to undermine Rhaenyra’s authority in King’s Landing, launching attacks against the gold cloaks while proclaiming that Daeron Targaryen is the only legitimate heir to the throne. Meanwhile, the dragonseeds Ulf White and Hugh Hammer are lurking near the city, an unpredictable military threat that nobody fully controls.
Then came the sharpest escalation yet: an assassination attempt on young Daeron, foiled at the last moment by Gwayne Hightower. The former squire, now a royal figure with a coin minted in his image, has become a target precisely because his claim matters.
Benjamin Evan Ainsworth on Daeron’s breaking point
Benjamin Evan Ainsworth, who plays Daeron, discussed this rapid ascent in an interview with GamesRadar+. “I think with every episode, at least for my character, the stakes rise considerably,” he explained. “You go from being a squire to Ormund to a royal figure with a coin struck in his likeness, all the way to this assassination attempt. If you follow that trajectory, Tumbleton becomes a particularly hostile place.”
The pressure is compounded by isolation. His dragon Tessarion remains chained in the Sept, well beyond his reach, a separation the actor describes as central to his character’s state of mind. “Daeron’s whole experience in this episode and the ones that follow comes down to finding the breaking point,” Ainsworth said. “He has built up enormous tension and shown infinite patience with Ormund. The question now is when the cup will overflow.”
A moral crossroads before the finale
With the endgame approaching, Daeron faces a choice that could tilt the entire conflict. According to Ainsworth, deciding who he wants to be, and whether to follow his moral compass, are the questions hanging over him at the close of episode 6. His answer will land soon enough: season 3 of House of the Dragon continues its weekly rollout on HBO Max, with Episode 7 airing August 2, 2026, and the season finale, Episode 8, airing August 9, 2026.