HotD Fascinating Details You May Have Missed in the Cargyll Brothers' Duel

Summary

• Episode 2 ended with the deaths of Sers Arryk and Erryk Cargyll.
• There are several versions of the twins' duel in the book.
• The show combines these versions and introduces new elements to the scene.

Like the first episode of Season 2 of House of the Dragon, the second episode ended on a very tragic note. Although it wasn't as gut-wrenching as the brutal murder of Prince Jaehaerys, the duel between Sers Arryk and Erryk Cargyll was one of the show's most heartbreaking scenes.

The twin brothers, who found themselves on opposite sides of the conflict between two clans of the Targaryens, were respected members of the Kingsguard and died at each other's hands when Arryk was sent to Dragonstone to kill Rhaenyra and Erryk had to protect his queen. And it seems that House of the Dragon made that scene both more tragic and uplifting .

How Does the House of the Dragon Cargyll Duel Compare to the Fire & Blood One?

In George R.R. Martin's novel on which the HBO show is based, Arryk still travels to Dragonstone to pose as his twin Erryk and get to Queen Rhaenyra undetected to kill her at the behest of Ser Criston Cole. But unlike on House of the Dragon, in the book Arryk meets Erryk in the corridors of Dragonstone Castle and they begin to fight, while in the series Arryk manages to get to Rhaenyra's chambers first.

Since Fire & Blood is a collection of chronicles, there are several accounts of the events. One suggests that Arryk and Erryk declared their love for each other as they fought. Another takes the opposite view, saying that they exchanged curses during the fight. Some accounts say that the twins fought for only a few minutes and killed each other on the spot, while others say that Erryk killed Arryk and died several days later in pain from his wounds.

The House of the Dragon Rendition of the Duel

The show seems to offer a combination of these accounts, as Arryk and Erryk both insult each other for betraying the rightful heir and say that they love each other. Interestingly, though, Erryk decided to kill himself, unable to bear the brunt of killing his own twin at the end of the duel, which only shows how deeply he was hurt by the event.

'There's a version where they're cursing each other's names and calling each other "traitor" and that just didn't feel like the characters we'd set up.' House of the Dragon showrunner Ryan Condal explained in a recent interview. 'We have these two people who found themselves on different sides of this conflict and not knowing what to do with this oath. I think that makes it more of a tragedy when you see these two brothers trying to hold to their oath but find themselves in literal mortal combat against each other in order to uphold it.'

Episode 3 of the second season of House of the Dragon will premiere on June 30.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter.