Here’s whether Vhagar has abandoned Aemond Targaryen or is actually hiding in House of the Dragon

At this point in House of the Dragon season three, I have started to miss Vhagar quite a bit, and nobody seems to know where she’s disappeared to.

After Aemond was badly injured and ended up recovering at Harrenhal with Alys Rivers, Vhagar vanished. Since then, both the Blacks and the Greens have assumed Aemond is out burning villages across the Riverlands, when actually he’s been lying in bed for most of the season.

Now, loads of people are confused about whether Vhagar has actually abandoned Aemond or not. The show hasn’t given us a clear answer yet, but if you look at everything we know from House of the Dragon, George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood, and the established dragon lore, we can actually piece together what’s most likely happening. So, here are the biggest clues that suggest Vhagar probably hasn’t abandoned Aemond at all.

via HBO

1. Dragons aren’t supposed to abandon their riders

The biggest reason people are confused is because dragons aren’t meant to simply walk away from their riders. Throughout Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon, we’ve been told that a dragon forms a lifelong bond with its rider. Once that bond is made, it usually only ends when the rider dies, which is why Vhagar only accepted Aemond after Laena Velaryon’s death.

George R.R. Martin has also explained outside the books that Valyrian blood magic was used in the creation of dragons and to strengthen the connection between dragons and dragonriders. That’s why Aemond immediately tells Alys Rivers that Vhagar “would never leave” him. Because she simply can’t, until he dies.

2. Vhagar could simply be hunting

Vhagar is the oldest and largest living dragon in Westeros. A dragon that size needs an enormous amount of food, and Aemond has been stuck inside Harrenhal for days recovering from his injuries.

Without her rider returning, Vhagar may have simply flown off to hunt. We’ve already heard reports of her flying around the Riverlands, burning places like Wendish Town and leaving destruction behind. That doesn’t necessarily mean she’s abandoned Aemond. She could simply be feeding herself while waiting for him to recover.

3. Hiding might actually be the safest option

At this point in the war, every dragonrider on Team Black is searching for Vhagar. She’s still the Greens’ biggest weapon, and everyone knows taking her out would completely change the balance of the war.

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If Vhagar simply stayed outside Harrenhal waiting for Aemond, she’d become an easy target for dragons like Caraxes, Syrax, Vermithor, Silverwing or Seasmoke. Instead, disappearing makes her much harder to find. Whether she’s doing that instinctively or not, hiding would actually protect both herself and Aemond until he’s able to ride again.

4. Alys Rivers could be influencing the situation

House of the Dragon has never fully explained how powerful Alys Rivers really is. We’ve already watched her manipulate Daemon through strange visions at Harrenhal, and now she’s caring for Aemond while he’s feverish, confused and emotionally vulnerable.

It’s very possible that Alys somehow separated Aemond from Vhagar, either through magic or by convincing him to send the dragon away while he recovered. Maybe this is why creators have kept Alys deliberately mysterious.

5. Everyone thinks Aemond is attacking the Riverlands

One interesting detail is that reports keep arriving claiming Vhagar is destroying villages across the Riverlands. The Greens assume Aemond is carrying out those attacks. The Blacks think exactly the same thing. The audience, however, knows Aemond hasn’t left Harrenhal.

So either the reports are mistaken, someone is deliberately spreading rumours, or Vhagar really is flying around on her own. In Fire & Blood, Aemond is never left bedridden at Harrenhal while Vhagar disappears. Instead, Aemond and Vhagar stay together throughout this stage of the Dance of the Dragons, burning castles, villages and armies across the Riverlands. House of the Dragon has changed quite a few things from the books to surprise viewers, but it usually sticks to the biggest story points. So, because of that, it seems pretty unlikely that Vhagar has actually abandoned Aemond.

6. Even Aemond believes she’ll come back

via HBO

Despite everything that’s happened, Aemond never behaves like someone who’s permanently lost his dragon. Instead, he’s desperate to leave Harrenhal and find Vhagar as soon as he’s physically able. He repeatedly insists she would never abandon him.

If Aemond truly believed Vhagar had rejected him, there’d be very little reason to keep trying so desperately to reunite with her. His confidence suggests he still believes their bond exists, even if he doesn’t understand why she’s gone.

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