House of the Dragon cut a huge Rhaenyra book scene, and it hints her future might be changed

House of the Dragon season three finally sees Rhaenyra Targaryen sit on the Iron Throne, but the show missed a huge detail from the book that could hint at her changed fate

After Team Black captures King’s Landing with the help of its dragons and Alicent Hightower, Rhaenyra finally takes her place on the Iron Throne. It’s a huge moment, but book readers probably noticed that one very important detail was missing.

Rhaenyra isn’t cut by the Iron Throne like she is in the book

via HBO

In George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood, Rhaenyra’s first time sitting on the Iron Throne doesn’t exactly go well. According to Septon Eustace’s account, the throne cuts her palm and leaves blood running down her legs as she rises. In Westeros, the Iron Throne cutting a ruler has often been seen as a sign that the throne has rejected them. Because of that, it seems like an early warning that Rhaenyra’s reign is doomed.

But House of the Dragon changes that detail completely. When Rhaenyra sits on the throne in season three, episode two, she isn’t cut at all. Instead, she leaves physically unharmed, even though she’s clearly shaken after executing Otto Hightower.

Could the show be changing what the throne says about Rhaenyra?

via HBO

So, it’s hard not to wonder whether the change actually means something. By removing the moment where the Iron Throne draws blood, the series avoids showing the throne rejecting Rhaenyra altogether. Instead, it shows her coronation as a genuine victory after years of fighting for her claim.

It could also reflect the way House of the Dragon has adapted Fire & Blood from the start. The book is written as an in-universe history, with different characters giving their own versions of events. Septon Eustace, who claims Rhaenyra was cut by the throne, openly supported Aegon II during the Dance of the Dragons. So it’s entirely possible that his account isn’t completely reliable.

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By leaving out the cuts, the show may simply be choosing not to treat that version of events as fact.

Or it could all be one big red herring

via HBO

That said, it doesn’t necessarily mean Rhaenyra’s future has changed. In fact, the episode still surrounds her coronation with blood.

Just moments before she takes the throne, she executes Otto Hightower, and his blood is left on the floor beneath the Iron Throne. As Rhaenyra sits down, that blood remains in the frame, serving as a reminder of everything that has already been sacrificed for her to reach this point.

So, while the throne itself doesn’t wound her, the path that led her there is still incredibly bloody.

That could be the show’s way of replacing the book’s symbolism. Instead of the Iron Throne physically rejecting Rhaenyra, the series may be suggesting that her reign will still be defined by violence, loss and the terrible cost of war.

Basically, the blood is still there. It just isn’t her own.

I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

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