House of the Dragon: How Addam Was Able to Claim Seasmoke & What Does It Mean?

Episode 7 of House of the Dragon begins with Rhaenyra and Syrax meeting Addam of Hull and Seasmoke, whom Addam has somehow tamed. Rhaenyra is skeptical at first, but Addam assures her that he is on her side and recognizes her as his queen.

He dreams only of learning the art of dragon riding and serving Rhaenyra. At the same time, Addam is not revealing the name of his father, Corlys Velaryon. This truth has long been known to Addam, as well as to his brother Alyn, who carefully shaves his head to avoid attracting attention with his white hair.

Does Addam Claiming Seasmoke Mean Than Laenor Is Dead?

While Alyn got his white hair from the Velaryons, Addam got a dragon. And dragons are not horses: no dragon with a living rider has ever allowed another person to ride it, just as no rider has ever ridden more than one dragon at a time.

There is clearly some magic involved in the bond between dragon and rider, though it is unclear to what extent it dictates its rules. But if Addam has Laenor Velaryon's dragon, that begs the question: is Laenor still alive?

In Season 1, Laenor survived and fled overseas with Qarl Correy. In Fire & Blood, it is Qarl who kills Laenor. His body is taken by Corlys himself, leaving no doubt as to his son's death. In the novel, this allows Addam to possess Seasmoke without breaking any magical laws.

In House of the Dragon, Laenor and his fate are left behind the scenes, and the nature of dragon taming, and how much it depends on blood or something else, is not entirely clear. If Seasmoke thinks his rider is dead because he disappeared, or if the rider leaves the dragon, does that mean the bond is broken? Or maybe Laenor really did die, and the Seasmoke decided to find a new master?

We may never know the truth, but it seems that Seasmoke deliberately sought out Addam, who was Laenor's half-brother, and chose him as its rider because it sensed that Laenor had died through his connection to him.

Addam and Other Dragonseeds Pose a Threat to Jacaerys

The new dragon riders are more than just an advantage for the Blacks. Jacaerys is outraged by Rhaenyra's plan, and not just because his mother has decided to hand over dragons – the most powerful weapons in Westeros – to random people. This is a desperate act, but Jacaerys' anger has another explanation.

Though Jacaerys is considered the rightful prince and heir to Rhaenyra, he is forced to remember his origins – as his dark hair constantly reminds him and those around him.

Though denied by all members of the Black party, it is obvious that Jacaerys is a bastard, and as the son of a queen, he is especially privileged compared to other bastards. His right to the throne is purely formal, supported only by a not very reliable law.

So Jacaerys is doubly outraged by the appearance of the bastards – people who may well decide one day that they have the same right to the throne as he does.