Fans argue on whether Deamon Targaryen actually called Baelon the ‘heir for a day’ in ‘House of the Dragon’

Warning: This article contains spoilers for House of the Dragon episode one

The world of Game of Thrones is finally back on screen with the premiere of House of the Dragon and, while the episode had its share of tragic, graphic, and impactful scenes, one has sparked a ton of community discussion and debate.

During the latter half of the episode after King Viserys Targaryen I’s child Baelon dies the day after his birth, the King’s brother Daemon Targaryen is accused of having mocked the child, calling him “heir for a day”.

While we see the beginning of Daemon’s speech, we don’t see the character utter the line, and as such, the debate has kicked off as to whether or not he actually spoke the words.

While it may seem anticlimactic, the most honest answer to this question is that there is no way to know for sure unless we are to see a flashback or receive new information in a later scene.

While Daemon’s reaction to his brother Viserys’ accusations might suggest that he is guilty, given the source that gave the King this information, there is just as much of a possibility that things were misinterpreted, or made up altogether.

As has been mentioned in much of the online discussions around this topic, Daemon’s character is multifaceted, and while it would seem true that he is grieving when we see him show up in the brothel, putting on a boastful persona for his soldiers and saying such a provoking statement isn’t totally out of character.

It’s also evidently clear that Otto Hightower who told the King about the speech is not a fan of Daemon and looking for any opportunity to manipulate the King. As such, the idea that he would craft this accusation to further drive the pair apart is also a possibility.

This is an idea that many fans appear to share taking to Reddit to put forward their theories.

While there are compelling arguments from both sides, all of this is irrelevant now as what’s done is done and we’ll just have to see how everything unfolds in the coming episodes of House of the Dragon.