This article contains spoilers from the novel Fire & Blood that will likely spoil details from House of the Dragon season 3. House of the Dragon has some work to do in its third and penultimate season. Following an abbreviated second outing that concluded right before the real battles started, some viewers were left wondering if the HBO series can live up to the massive expectations set forth for the first Game of Thrones spinoff. It certainly doesn’t help HotD‘s case that one viewer in particular is very dissatisfied with the direction of the show. And that’s not even to mention the fact that fellow spinoff A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms reminded us all of how fun Westeros can be.Based on the action-packed first trailer for season 3, however it appears as though Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy), Alicent (Olivia Cooke), and company are ready to wage many battles – including the battle to win back fans’ affection.Read on for a breakdown of the most striking images from the House of the Dragon season 3 trailer and our book-informed analysis of what it all might mean.cnx.cmd.push(function() {cnx({playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530",}).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796");});Who Is The Dragon in the Vale?The House of the Dragon season 3 trailer doesn’t shy away from one of the series’ most controversial adaptation choices tight from the get-go. Around the six-second mark, we catch a glimpse of a dragon soaring over the unmistakable craggy mountains of the Vale of Arryn. In season 2, Rhaenyra’s dragon-less step-daughter/cousin Rhaena Targaryen (Phoebe Campbell) learned of an untamed dragon stalking the Vale from Warden of the East Lady Jeyne Arryn (Amanda Collin). This is undoubtedly that dragon. But who, exactly, is that dragon?Due to a quirk of adaptation, it’s not entirely clear. George R.R. Martin’s historical tome source material features a lowborn “dragonseed” known only as Nettles claiming a wild dragon called Sheepstealer. After fighting for Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) and Team Black in the Dance of the Dragons, Nettles and Sheepstealer would retire to the mountains of the Vale, never to be seen again. Given Rhaena’s lack of a dragon and contrived presence in the Vale, it’s become increasingly clear that she will be assuming Nettles’ book storyline. Does that make this dragon Sheepstealer, Rhaena’s book dragon Morning, or another dragon altogether? That remains to be seen. The Battle of the GulletAs previously mentioned, House of the Dragon season 2 concludes just before a handful of major battles get underway. The biggest of those battles, both in terms of scale and consequential character death, is the Battle of the Gullet. The Gullet is a stretch of water in The Crownlands that separates the islands of Driftmark and Dragonstone with Massey’s Hook (an eastern peninsula of Westeros). Due to its narrow features, the Gullet has been where House Velaryon has instituted a naval embargo of King’s Landing on behalf of Queen Rhaenyra. Ser Tyland Lannister (Jefferson Hall), with the help of the Triarchy’s ships, is en route to lift that embargo. As for that consequential character death…Why Is Rhaenyra Crying?You’d cry too if your eldest son and heir to the Iron Throne was just killed in battle. Yes, Jacaerys Velaryon meets his end in the Battle of the Gullet after a crossbow bolt takes down his low-flying dragon Vermax. In the book, Jace is then lit up with arrows and his body sinks into the sea. Based on the presence of a skull in front of Rhaenyra, we imagine it will play out a little differently in the show. James Norton as Lord Ormund HightowerHouse Hightower is obviously central to House of the Dragon‘s story. Ser Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans) served as the Hand of the King for Viserys I (Paddy Considine) and his daughter Alicent married the king and helped set events in motion for this continent-spanning civil war by crowning her son King Aegon II. Season 2 even introduced Alicent’s brother Gwayne (Freddie Fox) to keep the Hightower vibes going. Despite the Hightowers’ importance, we have not yet met the head of the household and the Lord of Oldtown. That changes with the introduction of James Norton as Otto’s nephew Lord Ormund Hightower in season 3. Ormund isn’t seen “onscreen” much in Fire & Blood but as the general of the Reach’s forces, he is present for many key events, including the arrival of Alicent’s youngest son Daergon and his dragon Tessarion into the war. House of the Dragon has clearly opted to elevate Ormund as a character and to do so it has turned to beloved British actor James Norton, who can be seen in Happy Valley, Grantchester, and most recently, Netflix’s House of Guinness. Aegon’s Murderous MotivationsWritten as a historical text gleaned from unreliable primary and secondary sources, Martin’s Fire & Blood presents a fascinating adaptation challenge. When different sources provide conflicting information, House of the Dragon has had to essentially choose which one is right, which has led to many (but not all) of Martin’s issues with the series. The season 3 trailer provides a glimpse at one such headache. Fire & Blood never makes explicit that King Aegon II’s brother Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) was responsible for his fiery injuries at Rook’s Rest. Nor does it heavily imply that Aemond seeks to sit the Iron Throne permanently and not merely in his convalescing brother’s stead. House of the Dragon, however, leans into the drama and finds Aemond professing his empirical ambitions. Now Aegon is articulating that he views his brother as an enemy, not an ally. Lord Cregan Stark’s Winter WolvesHere we get a thrilling look at some very rowdy old dudes. These drum-banging senior citizens are part of Lord Cregan Stark’s “Winter Wolves” contingent. Recall that Jace convinced Cregan to join the war on the side of Rhaenyra. But with winter coming (is winter ever not coming for these dudes?), Cregan couldn’t send any able-bodied men away from the North. Thankfully, even the elderly are fierce fighters in the North and Cregan and friends will participate in a battle or two this season. Alicent Prepared to FleeYou know who we don’t see a lot of in this trailer? Our old friend Alicent Hightower. We have to imagine that that’s because she spends the early portion of the season following through on Rhaenyra’s offer to flee with her daughter Helaena before Rhaenyra sacks King’s Landing. And the latter parts of her season arc are likely deemed spoiler-y to even book readers as her story (everyone say it with me now) deviates from the book’s plot line. Skirmish at HarrenhalThere appear to be two significant moments featuring the desolate, haunted castle Harrenhal in this trailer. Near the end of the clip, we see Daemon Targaryen, fully kitted out in his dragon armor, battling two hapless Green knights. Before that, we view Aemond Targaryen prowling through a mossy hallway with his sword drawn. Combine those two scenes and we have rough confirmation that Harrenhal will again be changing hands from Daemon to Aemond this season, as it does in Fire & Blood. Does that mean Aemond and Daemon will cross paths? Or will the show save their inevitable showdown for later? We’ll bet on the former, given House of the Dragon’s penchant for getting characters together whenever possible. Who Is Giving Birth?As a story about a Targaryen civil war, there are naturally a lot of blond people in House of the Dragon. Somewhat surprisingly, however, there aren’t quite as many blonde women of child-rearing age as one might think. That means that the brief glimpse we get of a character in labor can be only Rhaenyra Targaryen or Helaena Targaryen (Phia Saban). A closer look at a screengrab confirms that it is indeed Helaena giving birth. While it’s possible that this moment is merely a Harrenhal-induced hallucination for Aemond, it’s equally as likely that Helaena is secretly pregnant throughout season 2 and will be giving birth this season. In Fire & Blood, Helaena and her brother-husband Aegon have three children: Jaehaerys, Jaehara, and Maelor. The lattermost child has not yet been featured on the show, much to George R.R. Martin’s consternation. In fact, the absence of Maelor was the first adaptation change he publicly criticized, which kicked off the souring relationship between him and showrunner Ryan Condal. Based on this trailer, it seems as though George might have finally gotten his way. House of the Dragon season 3 premieres Sunday, June 21 at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.The post House of the Dragon Season 3 Trailer Breakdown: James Norton As Ormund Hightower Revealed appeared first on Den of Geek.