{"id":2041536,"date":"2026-07-13T14:00:27","date_gmt":"2026-07-13T11:00:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2041536"},"modified":"2026-07-13T14:00:27","modified_gmt":"2026-07-13T11:00:27","slug":"a-ferocious-house-of-the-dragon-advances-multiple-plots-at-once","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2041536","title":{"rendered":"A Ferocious \u2018House of the Dragon\u2019 Advances Multiple Plots at Once"},"content":{"rendered":"

[analyse_image type=”featured” src=”https:\/\/gizmodo.com\/app\/uploads\/2026\/07\/olivia-cooke-HOTD-ep4-recap_top_art-1200×675.jpg”]<\/p>\n

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Last week, \u201cRhaenyra Triumphant\u201d ended with Queen Rhaenyra learning that Lord Ormund Hightower, after handing over an imposter Daeron Targaryen, had not<\/em> scampered home to Oldtown as Daemon told him to. Instead, he turned his army toward Tumbleton and invaded the seemingly inconsequential market town.<\/p>\n

Rhaenyra understandably had many<\/em> questions about this unpredictable new player on the board. This week we learn a lot more about the man himself. We also get the return of Sheepstealer, an update on Aegon and Larys\u2018 road trip, multiple crucial plot twists, and, yes, even more rats.<\/p>\n

\"Io9<\/p>\n

Turns out the arrival of the Hightower host in Tumbleton is as disruptive as you\u2019d expect, with soldiers stomping through the narrow streets and forcing locals to share their homes.<\/p>\n

We spot a familiar face: Kat, Ser Hugh the Hammer\u2019s wife. She recently fled the turmoil of King\u2019s Landing and is staying with her brother\u2019s family while Hugh serves as one of Rhaenyra\u2019s dragonriders. It could have been a peaceful escape, but the Hightower soldiers are here to ruin the vibes\u2014especially the one who leers at Kat with lecherous interest.<\/p>\n

Lord Ormund, meanwhile, has made himself quite at home in Tumbleton\u2019s finest dwelling, to the annoyance of the resident noble couple. Their annoyance intensifies when Ormund stands up out of his luxuriant bath (for once, the viewer only sees the butt side) and dismisses Queen Rhaenyra as \u201ca bitch with a dragon.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ohhhh, he is campy<\/em>! Ok. If that wasn\u2019t apparent before, it\u2019s coming in loud and clear now. \u201cMy purpose is to restore the rightful line to the Iron Throne,\u201d he says. Therefore, he requires the use of this fancy mansion and won\u2019t be budging one inch.<\/p>\n

However, he adds, \u201cI will ensure that my men remain on their best behavior whilst in your town, provided, of course, that you remain on yours.\u201d<\/p>\n

The teen who helps Ormund don his robe during this scene is indeed the real Prince Daeron, a watchful observer of his uncle\u2019s actions. The next target of Ormund\u2019s ire is Lord Borys Baratheon, who swore his allegiance to Team Green but has since failed to offer much support. House of the Dragon<\/em> fans will recall he took Team Green\u2019s side when Aemond agreed to marry a Baratheon daughter back in season one, but since then nobody\u2019s heard much from Storm\u2019s End.<\/p>\n

Speaking of Aemond, Ormund is also wondering why there\u2019s been no word from Harrenhal. \u201cIf Vhagar does not come, our defenses will not hold,\u201d he mutters, but he makes sure to reassure Daeron that he\u2019s sure Aemond will show up eventually.<\/p>\n

\"Sonoya
\u00a9 HBO<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In King\u2019s Landing, Rhaenyra is trying to get her head around Ormund\u2019s strategy. What purpose does seizing Tumbleton serve? Maester Orwyle suggests that Daemon\u2019s host of Rivermen should take a detour there on the way to King\u2019s Landing. Mysaria agrees, pointing out \u201cit would not be bloodless, but it would be far more merciful than sending dragons.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rhaenyra likes the idea; however, since it\u2019ll take time to get a message to Lord Tully and company about the change of plans, she\u2019ll send a dragon to keep watch over Tumbleton in the meantime. She also decides Maester Orwyle has done enough to prove his worth and loyalty and tells him he can remain Grand Maester and serve on her council.<\/p>\n

Mysaria steers the conversation back to \u201curgent matters at home.\u201d But Rhaenyra interrupts to ask where Lord Corlys is. (We can guess, after last week\u2019s heated exchange, he\u2019s in no mood<\/em> for any Hand of the Queen duties.)<\/p>\n

When the queen laments how thin her council is, Mysaria makes a suggestion: \u201cName a Master of Coin. The people will soon discover our lacking resources\u2014they can blame him.\u201d Rhaenyra thinks of Ser Torrhen Manderly, the smirking guest who caught her attention after last week\u2019s Rat Feast Spectacular.<\/p>\n

The lack of gold is a concern\u2014but Ormund is her top priority. Hoping for some insight into his personality and motivations, she tracks down Alicent, who once again gives off quiet surprise that Rhaenyra is seeking her advice.<\/p>\n

Truth is, Alicent barely knows her uncle. Pressed for details, she rattles off some things we already know (to paraphrase: he has a high opinion of himself) and says he\u2019s \u201cfatherly\u201d to Daeron, who\u2019s been in his care since he was a baby.<\/p>\n

When Rhaenyra asks if it was painful to send her child away, Alicent is reflective. The first three kids were raised as Targaryens. She wanted her fourth son to be a Hightower. And she\u2019s glad that she made that choice, having seen how Aemond and Aegon turned out\u2014though she\u2019s now not sure what fate Daeron may eventually face.<\/p>\n

Oh, and one more thing: Ormund has an unusually strong sensitivity to odors. We saw that in action when he was disgusted by Alicent\u2019s messenger earlier in the season. Noted and filed away.<\/p>\n

Alyn of Hull hurries to catch Lord Corlys as he leaves King\u2019s Landing to let him know that Rhaenyra has been asking where her Hand is. Corlys tells Alyn he should serve in his place. Alyn is unsure if he\u2019s qualified for that, but his father tells him, \u201cI cannot give you legitimacy, but I can give you the chance to better yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n

Next, we check in on Aegon and Larys\u2019 road trip. They have made it to the outskirts of Rook\u2019s Rest, where they find Sunfyre, lying right where we left him after the battle in season two. But is this a dragon\u2019s corpse, or a dragon making a very slow recovery from his injuries? Aegon embraces his former companion with an uncharacteristic level of emotion and tells Larys that despite all appearances, he thinks Sunfyre is still alive.<\/p>\n

George R.R. Martin readers took special notice of that, no doubt, but Larys (whose code name for Aegon is \u201cGregor\u201d) is far more concerned about the unsavory-looking fellows hanging around. One demands payment for touching the dragon, and everyone notices that Larys has money on him. Aegon and Larys are easy prey for robbers, and Larys is very aware of their vulnerability. He urges Aegon to accept Sunfyre\u2019s fate so they don\u2019t share it.<\/p>\n

\"Matthew
\u00a9 HBO<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We move to Harrenhal, where Criston Cole and Gwayne Hightower lead their army across a landscape that\u2019s been absolutely torched in the wake of Vhagar\u2019s recent visit. Trouble is, there\u2019s no sign of the massive dragon anywhere\u2014nor her rider. With the castellan (RIP Ser Simon Strong) and his sons dead, the only person waiting to greet the new arrivals as they shudder their way through its ghostly corridors is\u2026 Alys Rivers.<\/p>\n

She tells them Aemond was<\/em> there, but he bolted when he heard Rhaenyra took King\u2019s Landing. They\u2019re shocked by this development; you can tell Alys knew they would be, because she very sarcastically says, \u201cOh my, you didn\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cole and Gwayne discuss their next move after this setback. Cole doesn\u2019t believe Aemond would desert him; Gwayne points out that certainly appears to be what\u2019s happened. He suggests they send a raven to Tumbleton and tell Ormund (\u201ca stiff-necked windbag, but he\u2019s neither craven nor stupid\u201d) they\u2019re headed his way.<\/p>\n

Cole disagrees. \u201cYou noble ilk conceive this all a great game, don\u2019t you?\u201d he says. No matter what happens in battle, they still get to go home and enjoy wealth and comfort. Cole, who hails from much humbler beginnings, doesn\u2019t see things that way. There\u2019s no home for him as long as the hated Queen Rhaenyra is on the Iron Throne. \u201cOur task is simple: keep the river scum from reaching King\u2019s Landing.\u201d<\/p>\n

They\u2019re outnumbered, as Gwayne points out, but Cole says they\u2019ll \u201cattack as the scorpion does the ox.\u201d He looks extra excited to note that the fighting will not involve dragons this time around. He also echoes what Gwayne said to him in the season premiere: \u201cWe must cling to our honor, lest we become beasts ourselves.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the Red Keep, Rhaenyra pulls the dust covers off her father\u2019s elaborate model of Old Valyria, which is looking worse for wear. That\u2019s where Alyn of Hull finds her, to deliver the news that Corlys has taken off to fight Triarchy stragglers. She wonders why he doesn\u2019t just delegate that task, seeing as how he\u2019s supposed to be the Hand of the Queen, but Alyn gently reminds her that Corlys has been through a lot. Right now, a fight is maybe what he needs.<\/p>\n

\"Emma
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She takes that in, and they both turn to look at the model, which she says was Viserys\u2019 reminder that \u201ceven great dynasties fall.\u201d She tells Alyn, \u201cFathers have a maddening capacity to at once inspire and incense, don\u2019t you think?\u201d He half-smiles, but the mood shifts when Rhaenyra exclaims about how many rats are crawling all over the place.<\/p>\n

\u201cAboard ship, we kept cats,\u201d Alyn suggests. (That\u2019s an Easter egg just for you, Arya Stark fans!)<\/p>\n

Back at Rook\u2019s Rest, Larys and \u201cGregor\u201d have made their way to the castle. It\u2019s not the welcome Aegon was expecting; while some of the people scrounging around are soldiers, it\u2019s hardly the garrison he thought would be standing by to serve him. These are desperate people affected by war in a way Aegon surely never considered, including children. Another gruesome casualty: Meleys, Rhaenys\u2019 dragon, whose headless body is still draped over the wall where she fell.<\/p>\n

When the self-styled overlord of this struggling settlement takes note of the new arrivals, Larys explains they barely made it out of Sharp Point, the town torched by Vhagar and Aemond in season two. This cover story is accepted (Aegon\u2019s burn scars add authenticity to the lie), and Larys buys their way into being allowed to stay until they figure out their next move.<\/p>\n

However, it won\u2019t be easy passing the time, especially for Aegon, who\u2019s repulsed by the idea of being forced into manual labor. (Cleaning latrines! Seems fitting, doesn\u2019t it?)<\/p>\n

In Tumbleton, meanwhile, the unwanted house guests are making life hell for Kat and her family, and the tension escalates into violence when the lewd soldier attempts to sexually assault her. Kat\u2019s sister-in-law jumps in to defend her and has her arm broken; Kat\u2019s brother takes an awful blow to the head.<\/p>\n

\"Abhin
\u00a9 HBO<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Miles away in King\u2019s Landing, Rhaenyra is studying her Westeros map, Tumbleton in particular, when Ser Hugh enters. She assumes he\u2019s there about the house she\u2019d promised him, a task that\u2019s rather far down her to-do list, but instead he asks about joining Ser Ulf in keeping an eye on Tumbleton. After all, he\u2019s got a personal stake in the matter, since his wife is there. Rhaenyra barely thinks it over before agreeing to it. Hugh is pleased.<\/p>\n

In King\u2019s Landing, Ser Ulf notices a group of people gawking at some newly painted graffiti. An onlooker who can read tells everyone it says \u201cQueen of Bastards,\u201d attributing it to \u201cHightower loyalists trying to fight a war they lost.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ulf ponders it for a half a second, but he\u2019s got somewhere to be: his favorite tavern, where he\u2019s given a hero\u2019s welcome.<\/p>\n

The Tumbleton brawl, meanwhile, has been escalated to the point of needing Ormund\u2019s intervention. Kat\u2019s family, along with the local noblewoman whose home Ormund has commandeered, single out the handsy soldier and tell Ormund what happened. (Daeron stands beside his mentor but doesn\u2019t speak.)<\/p>\n

It\u2019s pretty cut-and-dried. Ormund promised his men would be honorable, and this guy, whose name is Garrick of Whitegrove, clearly behaved like a complete scumbag. Lord Hightower\u2019s solution is to order a punishment that fits the crime: Garrick will be gelded, and he\u2019ll also have his own arm broken. He can keep his job, but if he steps out of line again, he\u2019ll be hanged.<\/p>\n

Wow! Ormund, such swift justice! Such righteousness! Kat and her family look relieved, and Ormund turns to remind Daeron how important it is to keep law and order, especially in a place like occupied Tumbleton.<\/p>\n

It works out for everyone (except Garrick, but he deserved what he got). But we can\u2019t shake the memory of how reasonable Ormund seemed when he \u201csurrendered\u201d to Daemon last week. So we definitely don\u2019t trust him, and the concerned look on Daeron\u2019s face is also worth noting.<\/p>\n

In the Red Keep, Rhaenyra continues her Ormund detective work by asking Orwyle to dig up any letters between Otto and Ormund. She also asks the Grand Maester just how much control the Hightowers have over the Faith of the Seven\u2014remember, the High Septon got snippy when she asked him to anoint her without proof that Aegon is really dead.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s careful in his answer. The Seven are as important to the Hightowers as dragons are to the Targaryens. But as for control, \u201cthe Faith is too proud to allow such influence.\u201d He also thinks the High Septon\u2019s refusal of Rhaenyra\u2019s request is no big deal. \u201cYour Grace sits the throne. Your people have welcomed you back as a liberator. Your dragons rule the skies. Are these not symbols of power enough?\u201d<\/p>\n

He also advises Rhaenyra she can\u2019t just kick the High Septon out of his post because that would \u201cincite\u201d the Faith and the faithful. Unless, he adds, \u201cYou were considering a more permanent removal.\u201d She laughs off the \u201cbloodthirsty\u201d suggestion\u2026 for now.<\/p>\n

\"Kurt
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Next, we check in with Daemon, who\u2019s gone to the Vale to remind the frosty Lady Jeyne Arryn that she owes swords to Team Black, but at this point they\u2019d really rather have gold instead. As part of their conversation, we learn that Rhaenyra\u2019s son, Joffrey, has indeed been recalled to King\u2019s Landing with his baby dragon.<\/p>\n

Lady Arryn agrees to pay Daemon off, especially after he points out the sooner he gets what he wants, the sooner he\u2019ll leave. (The Moon Door lurks, but thankfully nobody gets tossed through.) He\u2019s gearing up to depart when Caraxes takes off in pursuit of\u2026 something.<\/p>\n

Can you guess? They find the cave where Sheepstealer is living, and Daemon is genuinely surprised when his daughter Rhaena reveals herself to be the wild dragon\u2019s mystery rider.<\/p>\n

What follows is probably the longest conversation that father and daughter have ever had. But she has his attention now, and she swears she was only trying to help her family. Jace\u2019s death was truly a tragic accident.<\/p>\n

He tells her that if she goes to Pentos and resumes her assignment of watching over Rhaenyra and Daemon\u2019s youngest sons, he won\u2019t tell Rhaenyra the truth. But Rhaena won\u2019t do it. She won\u2019t abandon her dragon. She\u2019s spent her whole lonely life as a Targaryen without a dragon, \u201cdisregarded, or worse, pitied.\u201d<\/p>\n

Then she says, \u201cCan you yourself even say you ever gave me more than a passing thought?\u201d<\/p>\n

Her words ring true. He offers to bring her to King\u2019s Landing and try to make things right, but Rhaena knows she\u2019s beyond forgiveness. Her plan is to remain in exile forever, even if, as Daemon points out, Rhanyra won\u2019t give up hunting for whoever caused Jace\u2019s untimely end.<\/p>\n

Daemon keeping Rhaena\u2019s secret would be a betrayal of Rhaenyra. But keeping the secret is the only<\/em> thing Rhaena has ever<\/em> asked from her father. The discussion ends there. Sheepstealer bursts out of the cave, and Rhaena swoops away. As Daemon watches, he hears a sound in the valley below: a man tending to some goats. Hmm.<\/p>\n

In Tumbleton, Ormund gives us another demo of his \u201csensitive to odors\u201d quirk; he\u2019s passing the time by taking deep inhales from his pomander. A raven arrives from Gwayne at Harrenhal, and Daeron watches very carefully as Ormund reads the message and silently places it back on the table.<\/p>\n

Daeron, who is well familiar with Ormund\u2019s moodiness, knows a bomb\u2019s about to go off. He shoos the serving boy away just as Ormund explodes in anger\u2014screaming, throwing things, and pounding his sword on the table. He\u2019s very<\/em> displeased with the news that Aemond won\u2019t be joining them at Tumbleton after all. \u201cWe must alter our scheme,\u201d he tells Daeron once he\u2019s calmed down.<\/p>\n

In the Red Keep, Rhaenyra is shocked to learn that Otto sent many letters to Ormund over the years, but Ormund never replied. She\u2019s fretting over this latest wrinkle when Ser Ulf enters and asks for a couple of favors\u2014all on behalf of his drinking buddies.<\/p>\n

She takes this in and tells Ser Ulf that, since he\u2019s now a dragonrider, he shouldn\u2019t be hanging out at the tavern. He\u2019s too valuable to the realm. If he wants to drink, he can do so in the Red Keep. And as a matter of fact, he needs to stay in the Red Keep all the time now, except when he\u2019s escorted to the dragonpit for his Tumbleton watch shifts.<\/p>\n

\"Tom
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HIS FACE WHEN SHE SAYS THIS.<\/p>\n

He can\u2019t resist telling her about the \u201cQueen of Bastards\u201d graffiti\u2014words so incendiary Rhaenyra\u2019s guard instinctively puts his hand on his sword. Ulf hastily attributes this to \u201cyour misguided subjects who mistakenly believe their queen to be unkind,\u201d takes a quick bow, and skedaddles. She orders the Gold Cloaks to get on the case.<\/p>\n

In Rook\u2019s Rest, Aegon is returning from bucket-slogging duties when Larys tells him he knows of a ship leaving for Duskendale in a few days. In the meantime, they\u2019ll need to keep their heads down and be as inconspicuous as possible.<\/p>\n

But Aegon\u2014who\u2019s miffed to hear that not only has Rhaenyra declared him dead but also that he was supposedly killed by Aemond\u2014has so much entitlement clinging to him that he can\u2019t help causing trouble. He throws a snit fit that ends with him being forced to kneel and kiss the disgustingly crusty boots of Janos, the camp\u2019s power-tripping overlord.<\/p>\n

In Rhaenyra\u2019s small council meeting\u2014now featuring Alyn as stand-in Hand and Manderly as Master of Coin\u2014Daemon bursts in with his newly collected bag of gold\u2026 and a severed head<\/em>, which he theatrically flings onto the table. We<\/em> know it\u2019s from that random goat herder, but he tells Rhaenyra it belonged to Sheepstealer\u2019s mystery rider.<\/p>\n

Daemon takes a seat, informing Manderly, \u201cI\u2019m the clever one \u2018round here,\u201d and an argument commences between Mysaria and Daemon about what to do with the money. (In the background we hear Manderly suggest a tax, a detail we\u2019ll surely be returning to later.) But all Rhaenyra can see is the head, and she orders everyone out except for Daemon, who has some explaining to do.<\/p>\n

Who is this? How did he claim a wild dragon? Was he an Aemond or Ormund ally? Where is Sheepstealer? And how is this supposed to offer closure when Rhaenyra needed<\/em> to confront and personally punish this person who killed her son?<\/p>\n

\"Emma
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\u201cDo you think that would end your grief? I have served your interest,\u201d Daemon lies.<\/p>\n

Rhaenyra takes a beat, then says the gold will be used to arm the smallfolk. Everyone else, including soldiers who need to get paid, can wait a little longer. A smirking Mysaria hears her say this from the hallway. As he approaches, Daemon tells Mysaria, \u201cWhen what you\u2019ve wrought comes falling down about her ears, she\u2019ll return to her senses.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mysaria, dripping with Alys Rivers levels of sarcasm: \u201cWhose head is that?\u201d<\/p>\n

Alicent and Helaena are preparing for bed when Rhaenyra enters; she\u2019s kept her word about having Otto\u2019s remains sent to Oldtown, and she hands Alicent his ring. After Rhaenyra leaves, Helaena walks over, and for the first time, Alicent realizes that Helaena is pregnant.<\/em> Could Aegon have knocked her up prior to his babymaker-ruining injuries? Is this going to be their son Maelor, finally arriving into the story? Or is another House of the Dragon<\/em> retcon afoot?<\/p>\n

As night falls, we\u2019re back in Tumbleton, where Ormund\u2019s army is forcing everyone into their homes. We see Vermithor fly over with Hugh on his back, and Kat takes notice.<\/p>\n

In King\u2019s Landing, we get a quick look at the Gold Cloaks getting very rough with the smallfolk as they try to root out who wrote the treasonous graffiti.<\/p>\n

In Tumbleton, Daeron has a rare moment of peace as he embraces his dragon, Tessarion, who\u2019s stashed in the sept. But a disapproving Ormund looms. Daeron is a good boy, he says, but the presence of Targaryen blood means he\u2019s tainted. He\u2019s one-half savage.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith dark spells, they created abominations to subdue what was rightly ours,\u201d Ormund says. \u201cWe are the superior men, but against that<\/em>\u201d\u2014he looks over at Tessarion\u2014\u201dwe could not stand.\u201d<\/p>\n

This is all leading up to Ormund telling Daeron he has a divine purpose. As Alicent told Rhaenyra earlier, Daeron is spiritually more Hightower than Targaryen, and Ormund believes he\u2019s destined to be king. \u201cYou<\/em> will restore our ancient order. Victory will be ours. It is the will of the gods!\u201d<\/p>\n

\"James
This is from the temper tantrum scene earlier, but the vibes are the same. \u00a9 HBO<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

With this proclamation comes a terrible test. Kat\u2019s brother-in-law is brought in, and Ormund announces that \u201ca righteous king must uphold many virtues. Honor. Wisdom. Justice.\u201d<\/p>\n

Daeron protests\u2014what about mercy?\u2014but Ormund is adamant. This man laid hands on a Hightower soldier, which is the same thing as laying hands on Daeron himself. \u201cMercy\u201d is something Daeron\u2019s father would have leaned on, and we know what Ormund thinks of Targaryens.<\/p>\n

Daeron, with the countenance of someone who\u2019s learned the hard way not to push any argument, apologizes. Of course Ormund is right. Ormund draws his sword and hands it to Daeron. For a second it seems like he\u2019s going to slice the terrified prisoner\u2019s head off, but the boy stabs him through the chest instead.<\/p>\n

Daeron looks traumatized. Ormund looks satisfied. After Tessarion burns the man\u2019s corpse (and maybe devours it after? The sound effects were pretty visceral), Ormund announces, \u201cAnd now, we begin.\u201d<\/p>\n

We begin\u2026 what? We\u2019ll find out on Sunday, when House of the Dragon<\/em> returns for another new episode on HBO.<\/p>\n

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Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what\u2019s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n

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Last week, \u201cRhaenyra Triumphant\u201d ended with Queen Rhaenyra learning that Lord Ormund Hightower, after handing over an imposter Daeron Targaryen, had not<\/em> scampered home to Oldtown as Daemon told him to. Instead, he turned his army toward Tumbleton and invaded the seemingly inconsequential market town.<\/p>\n

Rhaenyra understandably had many<\/em> questions about this unpredictable new player on the board. This week we learn a lot more about the man himself. We also get the return of Sheepstealer, an update on Aegon and Larys\u2018 road trip, multiple crucial plot twists, and, yes, even more rats.<\/p>\n

\"Io9<\/p>\n

Turns out the arrival of the Hightower host in Tumbleton is as disruptive as you\u2019d expect, with soldiers stomping through the narrow streets and forcing locals to share their homes.<\/p>\n

We spot a familiar face: Kat, Ser Hugh the Hammer\u2019s wife. She recently fled the turmoil of King\u2019s Landing and is staying with her brother\u2019s family while Hugh serves as one of Rhaenyra\u2019s dragonriders. It could have been a peaceful escape, but the Hightower soldiers are here to ruin the vibes\u2014especially the one who leers at Kat with lecherous interest.<\/p>\n

Lord Ormund, meanwhile, has made himself quite at home in Tumbleton\u2019s finest dwelling, to the annoyance of the resident noble couple. Their annoyance intensifies when Ormund stands up out of his luxuriant bath (for once, the viewer only sees the butt side) and dismisses Queen Rhaenyra as \u201ca bitch with a dragon.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ohhhh, he is campy<\/em>! Ok. If that wasn\u2019t apparent before, it\u2019s coming in loud and clear now. \u201cMy purpose is to restore the rightful line to the Iron Throne,\u201d he says. Therefore, he requires the use of this fancy mansion and won\u2019t be budging one inch.<\/p>\n

However, he adds, \u201cI will ensure that my men remain on their best behavior whilst in your town, provided, of course, that you remain on yours.\u201d<\/p>\n

The teen who helps Ormund don his robe during this scene is indeed the real Prince Daeron, a watchful observer of his uncle\u2019s actions. The next target of Ormund\u2019s ire is Lord Borys Baratheon, who swore his allegiance to Team Green but has since failed to offer much support. House of the Dragon<\/em> fans will recall he took Team Green\u2019s side when Aemond agreed to marry a Baratheon daughter back in season one, but since then nobody\u2019s heard much from Storm\u2019s End.<\/p>\n

Speaking of Aemond, Ormund is also wondering why there\u2019s been no word from Harrenhal. \u201cIf Vhagar does not come, our defenses will not hold,\u201d he mutters, but he makes sure to reassure Daeron that he\u2019s sure Aemond will show up eventually.<\/p>\n

\"Sonoya
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In King\u2019s Landing, Rhaenyra is trying to get her head around Ormund\u2019s strategy. What purpose does seizing Tumbleton serve? Maester Orwyle suggests that Daemon\u2019s host of Rivermen should take a detour there on the way to King\u2019s Landing. Mysaria agrees, pointing out \u201cit would not be bloodless, but it would be far more merciful than sending dragons.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rhaenyra likes the idea; however, since it\u2019ll take time to get a message to Lord Tully and company about the change of plans, she\u2019ll send a dragon to keep watch over Tumbleton in the meantime. She also decides Maester Orwyle has done enough to prove his worth and loyalty and tells him he can remain Grand Maester and serve on her council.<\/p>\n

Mysaria steers the conversation back to \u201curgent matters at home.\u201d But Rhaenyra interrupts to ask where Lord Corlys is. (We can guess, after last week\u2019s heated exchange, he\u2019s in no mood<\/em> for any Hand of the Queen duties.)<\/p>\n

When the queen laments how thin her council is, Mysaria makes a suggestion: \u201cName a Master of Coin. The people will soon discover our lacking resources\u2014they can blame him.\u201d Rhaenyra thinks of Ser Torrhen Manderly, the smirking guest who caught her attention after last week\u2019s Rat Feast Spectacular.<\/p>\n

The lack of gold is a concern\u2014but Ormund is her top priority. Hoping for some insight into his personality and motivations, she tracks down Alicent, who once again gives off quiet surprise that Rhaenyra is seeking her advice.<\/p>\n

Truth is, Alicent barely knows her uncle. Pressed for details, she rattles off some things we already know (to paraphrase: he has a high opinion of himself) and says he\u2019s \u201cfatherly\u201d to Daeron, who\u2019s been in his care since he was a baby.<\/p>\n

When Rhaenyra asks if it was painful to send her child away, Alicent is reflective. The first three kids were raised as Targaryens. She wanted her fourth son to be a Hightower. And she\u2019s glad that she made that choice, having seen how Aemond and Aegon turned out\u2014though she\u2019s now not sure what fate Daeron may eventually face.<\/p>\n

Oh, and one more thing: Ormund has an unusually strong sensitivity to odors. We saw that in action when he was disgusted by Alicent\u2019s messenger earlier in the season. Noted and filed away.<\/p>\n

Alyn of Hull hurries to catch Lord Corlys as he leaves King\u2019s Landing to let him know that Rhaenyra has been asking where her Hand is. Corlys tells Alyn he should serve in his place. Alyn is unsure if he\u2019s qualified for that, but his father tells him, \u201cI cannot give you legitimacy, but I can give you the chance to better yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n

Next, we check in on Aegon and Larys\u2019 road trip. They have made it to the outskirts of Rook\u2019s Rest, where they find Sunfyre, lying right where we left him after the battle in season two. But is this a dragon\u2019s corpse, or a dragon making a very slow recovery from his injuries? Aegon embraces his former companion with an uncharacteristic level of emotion and tells Larys that despite all appearances, he thinks Sunfyre is still alive.<\/p>\n

George R.R. Martin readers took special notice of that, no doubt, but Larys (whose code name for Aegon is \u201cGregor\u201d) is far more concerned about the unsavory-looking fellows hanging around. One demands payment for touching the dragon, and everyone notices that Larys has money on him. Aegon and Larys are easy prey for robbers, and Larys is very aware of their vulnerability. He urges Aegon to accept Sunfyre\u2019s fate so they don\u2019t share it.<\/p>\n

\"Matthew
\u00a9 HBO<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We move to Harrenhal, where Criston Cole and Gwayne Hightower lead their army across a landscape that\u2019s been absolutely torched in the wake of Vhagar\u2019s recent visit. Trouble is, there\u2019s no sign of the massive dragon anywhere\u2014nor her rider. With the castellan (RIP Ser Simon Strong) and his sons dead, the only person waiting to greet the new arrivals as they shudder their way through its ghostly corridors is\u2026 Alys Rivers.<\/p>\n

She tells them Aemond was<\/em> there, but he bolted when he heard Rhaenyra took King\u2019s Landing. They\u2019re shocked by this development; you can tell Alys knew they would be, because she very sarcastically says, \u201cOh my, you didn\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cole and Gwayne discuss their next move after this setback. Cole doesn\u2019t believe Aemond would desert him; Gwayne points out that certainly appears to be what\u2019s happened. He suggests they send a raven to Tumbleton and tell Ormund (\u201ca stiff-necked windbag, but he\u2019s neither craven nor stupid\u201d) they\u2019re headed his way.<\/p>\n

Cole disagrees. \u201cYou noble ilk conceive this all a great game, don\u2019t you?\u201d he says. No matter what happens in battle, they still get to go home and enjoy wealth and comfort. Cole, who hails from much humbler beginnings, doesn\u2019t see things that way. There\u2019s no home for him as long as the hated Queen Rhaenyra is on the Iron Throne. \u201cOur task is simple: keep the river scum from reaching King\u2019s Landing.\u201d<\/p>\n

They\u2019re outnumbered, as Gwayne points out, but Cole says they\u2019ll \u201cattack as the scorpion does the ox.\u201d He looks extra excited to note that the fighting will not involve dragons this time around. He also echoes what Gwayne said to him in the season premiere: \u201cWe must cling to our honor, lest we become beasts ourselves.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the Red Keep, Rhaenyra pulls the dust covers off her father\u2019s elaborate model of Old Valyria, which is looking worse for wear. That\u2019s where Alyn of Hull finds her, to deliver the news that Corlys has taken off to fight Triarchy stragglers. She wonders why he doesn\u2019t just delegate that task, seeing as how he\u2019s supposed to be the Hand of the Queen, but Alyn gently reminds her that Corlys has been through a lot. Right now, a fight is maybe what he needs.<\/p>\n

\"Emma
\u00a9 HBO<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

She takes that in, and they both turn to look at the model, which she says was Viserys\u2019 reminder that \u201ceven great dynasties fall.\u201d She tells Alyn, \u201cFathers have a maddening capacity to at once inspire and incense, don\u2019t you think?\u201d He half-smiles, but the mood shifts when Rhaenyra exclaims about how many rats are crawling all over the place.<\/p>\n

\u201cAboard ship, we kept cats,\u201d Alyn suggests. (That\u2019s an Easter egg just for you, Arya Stark fans!)<\/p>\n

Back at Rook\u2019s Rest, Larys and \u201cGregor\u201d have made their way to the castle. It\u2019s not the welcome Aegon was expecting; while some of the people scrounging around are soldiers, it\u2019s hardly the garrison he thought would be standing by to serve him. These are desperate people affected by war in a way Aegon surely never considered, including children. Another gruesome casualty: Meleys, Rhaenys\u2019 dragon, whose headless body is still draped over the wall where she fell.<\/p>\n

When the self-styled overlord of this struggling settlement takes note of the new arrivals, Larys explains they barely made it out of Sharp Point, the town torched by Vhagar and Aemond in season two. This cover story is accepted (Aegon\u2019s burn scars add authenticity to the lie), and Larys buys their way into being allowed to stay until they figure out their next move.<\/p>\n

However, it won\u2019t be easy passing the time, especially for Aegon, who\u2019s repulsed by the idea of being forced into manual labor. (Cleaning latrines! Seems fitting, doesn\u2019t it?)<\/p>\n

In Tumbleton, meanwhile, the unwanted house guests are making life hell for Kat and her family, and the tension escalates into violence when the lewd soldier attempts to sexually assault her. Kat\u2019s sister-in-law jumps in to defend her and has her arm broken; Kat\u2019s brother takes an awful blow to the head.<\/p>\n

\"Abhin
\u00a9 HBO<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Miles away in King\u2019s Landing, Rhaenyra is studying her Westeros map, Tumbleton in particular, when Ser Hugh enters. She assumes he\u2019s there about the house she\u2019d promised him, a task that\u2019s rather far down her to-do list, but instead he asks about joining Ser Ulf in keeping an eye on Tumbleton. After all, he\u2019s got a personal stake in the matter, since his wife is there. Rhaenyra barely thinks it over before agreeing to it. Hugh is pleased.<\/p>\n

In King\u2019s Landing, Ser Ulf notices a group of people gawking at some newly painted graffiti. An onlooker who can read tells everyone it says \u201cQueen of Bastards,\u201d attributing it to \u201cHightower loyalists trying to fight a war they lost.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ulf ponders it for a half a second, but he\u2019s got somewhere to be: his favorite tavern, where he\u2019s given a hero\u2019s welcome.<\/p>\n

The Tumbleton brawl, meanwhile, has been escalated to the point of needing Ormund\u2019s intervention. Kat\u2019s family, along with the local noblewoman whose home Ormund has commandeered, single out the handsy soldier and tell Ormund what happened. (Daeron stands beside his mentor but doesn\u2019t speak.)<\/p>\n

It\u2019s pretty cut-and-dried. Ormund promised his men would be honorable, and this guy, whose name is Garrick of Whitegrove, clearly behaved like a complete scumbag. Lord Hightower\u2019s solution is to order a punishment that fits the crime: Garrick will be gelded, and he\u2019ll also have his own arm broken. He can keep his job, but if he steps out of line again, he\u2019ll be hanged.<\/p>\n

Wow! Ormund, such swift justice! Such righteousness! Kat and her family look relieved, and Ormund turns to remind Daeron how important it is to keep law and order, especially in a place like occupied Tumbleton.<\/p>\n

It works out for everyone (except Garrick, but he deserved what he got). But we can\u2019t shake the memory of how reasonable Ormund seemed when he \u201csurrendered\u201d to Daemon last week. So we definitely don\u2019t trust him, and the concerned look on Daeron\u2019s face is also worth noting.<\/p>\n

In the Red Keep, Rhaenyra continues her Ormund detective work by asking Orwyle to dig up any letters between Otto and Ormund. She also asks the Grand Maester just how much control the Hightowers have over the Faith of the Seven\u2014remember, the High Septon got snippy when she asked him to anoint her without proof that Aegon is really dead.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s careful in his answer. The Seven are as important to the Hightowers as dragons are to the Targaryens. But as for control, \u201cthe Faith is too proud to allow such influence.\u201d He also thinks the High Septon\u2019s refusal of Rhaenyra\u2019s request is no big deal. \u201cYour Grace sits the throne. Your people have welcomed you back as a liberator. Your dragons rule the skies. Are these not symbols of power enough?\u201d<\/p>\n

He also advises Rhaenyra she can\u2019t just kick the High Septon out of his post because that would \u201cincite\u201d the Faith and the faithful. Unless, he adds, \u201cYou were considering a more permanent removal.\u201d She laughs off the \u201cbloodthirsty\u201d suggestion\u2026 for now.<\/p>\n

\"Kurt
\u00a9 HBO<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Next, we check in with Daemon, who\u2019s gone to the Vale to remind the frosty Lady Jeyne Arryn that she owes swords to Team Black, but at this point they\u2019d really rather have gold instead. As part of their conversation, we learn that Rhaenyra\u2019s son, Joffrey, has indeed been recalled to King\u2019s Landing with his baby dragon.<\/p>\n

Lady Arryn agrees to pay Daemon off, especially after he points out the sooner he gets what he wants, the sooner he\u2019ll leave. (The Moon Door lurks, but thankfully nobody gets tossed through.) He\u2019s gearing up to depart when Caraxes takes off in pursuit of\u2026 something.<\/p>\n

Can you guess? They find the cave where Sheepstealer is living, and Daemon is genuinely surprised when his daughter Rhaena reveals herself to be the wild dragon\u2019s mystery rider.<\/p>\n

What follows is probably the longest conversation that father and daughter have ever had. But she has his attention now, and she swears she was only trying to help her family. Jace\u2019s death was truly a tragic accident.<\/p>\n

He tells her that if she goes to Pentos and resumes her assignment of watching over Rhaenyra and Daemon\u2019s youngest sons, he won\u2019t tell Rhaenyra the truth. But Rhaena won\u2019t do it. She won\u2019t abandon her dragon. She\u2019s spent her whole lonely life as a Targaryen without a dragon, \u201cdisregarded, or worse, pitied.\u201d<\/p>\n

Then she says, \u201cCan you yourself even say you ever gave me more than a passing thought?\u201d<\/p>\n

Her words ring true. He offers to bring her to King\u2019s Landing and try to make things right, but Rhaena knows she\u2019s beyond forgiveness. Her plan is to remain in exile forever, even if, as Daemon points out, Rhanyra won\u2019t give up hunting for whoever caused Jace\u2019s untimely end.<\/p>\n

Daemon keeping Rhaena\u2019s secret would be a betrayal of Rhaenyra. But keeping the secret is the only<\/em> thing Rhaena has ever<\/em> asked from her father. The discussion ends there. Sheepstealer bursts out of the cave, and Rhaena swoops away. As Daemon watches, he hears a sound in the valley below: a man tending to some goats. Hmm.<\/p>\n

In Tumbleton, Ormund gives us another demo of his \u201csensitive to odors\u201d quirk; he\u2019s passing the time by taking deep inhales from his pomander. A raven arrives from Gwayne at Harrenhal, and Daeron watches very carefully as Ormund reads the message and silently places it back on the table.<\/p>\n

Daeron, who is well familiar with Ormund\u2019s moodiness, knows a bomb\u2019s about to go off. He shoos the serving boy away just as Ormund explodes in anger\u2014screaming, throwing things, and pounding his sword on the table. He\u2019s very<\/em> displeased with the news that Aemond won\u2019t be joining them at Tumbleton after all. \u201cWe must alter our scheme,\u201d he tells Daeron once he\u2019s calmed down.<\/p>\n

In the Red Keep, Rhaenyra is shocked to learn that Otto sent many letters to Ormund over the years, but Ormund never replied. She\u2019s fretting over this latest wrinkle when Ser Ulf enters and asks for a couple of favors\u2014all on behalf of his drinking buddies.<\/p>\n

She takes this in and tells Ser Ulf that, since he\u2019s now a dragonrider, he shouldn\u2019t be hanging out at the tavern. He\u2019s too valuable to the realm. If he wants to drink, he can do so in the Red Keep. And as a matter of fact, he needs to stay in the Red Keep all the time now, except when he\u2019s escorted to the dragonpit for his Tumbleton watch shifts.<\/p>\n

\"Tom
\u00a9 HBO<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

HIS FACE WHEN SHE SAYS THIS.<\/p>\n

He can\u2019t resist telling her about the \u201cQueen of Bastards\u201d graffiti\u2014words so incendiary Rhaenyra\u2019s guard instinctively puts his hand on his sword. Ulf hastily attributes this to \u201cyour misguided subjects who mistakenly believe their queen to be unkind,\u201d takes a quick bow, and skedaddles. She orders the Gold Cloaks to get on the case.<\/p>\n

In Rook\u2019s Rest, Aegon is returning from bucket-slogging duties when Larys tells him he knows of a ship leaving for Duskendale in a few days. In the meantime, they\u2019ll need to keep their heads down and be as inconspicuous as possible.<\/p>\n

But Aegon\u2014who\u2019s miffed to hear that not only has Rhaenyra declared him dead but also that he was supposedly killed by Aemond\u2014has so much entitlement clinging to him that he can\u2019t help causing trouble. He throws a snit fit that ends with him being forced to kneel and kiss the disgustingly crusty boots of Janos, the camp\u2019s power-tripping overlord.<\/p>\n

In Rhaenyra\u2019s small council meeting\u2014now featuring Alyn as stand-in Hand and Manderly as Master of Coin\u2014Daemon bursts in with his newly collected bag of gold\u2026 and a severed head<\/em>, which he theatrically flings onto the table. We<\/em> know it\u2019s from that random goat herder, but he tells Rhaenyra it belonged to Sheepstealer\u2019s mystery rider.<\/p>\n

Daemon takes a seat, informing Manderly, \u201cI\u2019m the clever one \u2018round here,\u201d and an argument commences between Mysaria and Daemon about what to do with the money. (In the background we hear Manderly suggest a tax, a detail we\u2019ll surely be returning to later.) But all Rhaenyra can see is the head, and she orders everyone out except for Daemon, who has some explaining to do.<\/p>\n

Who is this? How did he claim a wild dragon? Was he an Aemond or Ormund ally? Where is Sheepstealer? And how is this supposed to offer closure when Rhaenyra needed<\/em> to confront and personally punish this person who killed her son?<\/p>\n

\"Emma
\u00a9 HBO<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cDo you think that would end your grief? I have served your interest,\u201d Daemon lies.<\/p>\n

Rhaenyra takes a beat, then says the gold will be used to arm the smallfolk. Everyone else, including soldiers who need to get paid, can wait a little longer. A smirking Mysaria hears her say this from the hallway. As he approaches, Daemon tells Mysaria, \u201cWhen what you\u2019ve wrought comes falling down about her ears, she\u2019ll return to her senses.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mysaria, dripping with Alys Rivers levels of sarcasm: \u201cWhose head is that?\u201d<\/p>\n

Alicent and Helaena are preparing for bed when Rhaenyra enters; she\u2019s kept her word about having Otto\u2019s remains sent to Oldtown, and she hands Alicent his ring. After Rhaenyra leaves, Helaena walks over, and for the first time, Alicent realizes that Helaena is pregnant.<\/em> Could Aegon have knocked her up prior to his babymaker-ruining injuries? Is this going to be their son Maelor, finally arriving into the story? Or is another House of the Dragon<\/em> retcon afoot?<\/p>\n

As night falls, we\u2019re back in Tumbleton, where Ormund\u2019s army is forcing everyone into their homes. We see Vermithor fly over with Hugh on his back, and Kat takes notice.<\/p>\n

In King\u2019s Landing, we get a quick look at the Gold Cloaks getting very rough with the smallfolk as they try to root out who wrote the treasonous graffiti.<\/p>\n

In Tumbleton, Daeron has a rare moment of peace as he embraces his dragon, Tessarion, who\u2019s stashed in the sept. But a disapproving Ormund looms. Daeron is a good boy, he says, but the presence of Targaryen blood means he\u2019s tainted. He\u2019s one-half savage.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith dark spells, they created abominations to subdue what was rightly ours,\u201d Ormund says. \u201cWe are the superior men, but against that<\/em>\u201d\u2014he looks over at Tessarion\u2014\u201dwe could not stand.\u201d<\/p>\n

This is all leading up to Ormund telling Daeron he has a divine purpose. As Alicent told Rhaenyra earlier, Daeron is spiritually more Hightower than Targaryen, and Ormund believes he\u2019s destined to be king. \u201cYou<\/em> will restore our ancient order. Victory will be ours. It is the will of the gods!\u201d<\/p>\n

\"James
This is from the temper tantrum scene earlier, but the vibes are the same. \u00a9 HBO<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

With this proclamation comes a terrible test. Kat\u2019s brother-in-law is brought in, and Ormund announces that \u201ca righteous king must uphold many virtues. Honor. Wisdom. Justice.\u201d<\/p>\n

Daeron protests\u2014what about mercy?\u2014but Ormund is adamant. This man laid hands on a Hightower soldier, which is the same thing as laying hands on Daeron himself. \u201cMercy\u201d is something Daeron\u2019s father would have leaned on, and we know what Ormund thinks of Targaryens.<\/p>\n

Daeron, with the countenance of someone who\u2019s learned the hard way not to push any argument, apologizes. Of course Ormund is right. Ormund draws his sword and hands it to Daeron. For a second it seems like he\u2019s going to slice the terrified prisoner\u2019s head off, but the boy stabs him through the chest instead.<\/p>\n

Daeron looks traumatized. Ormund looks satisfied. After Tessarion burns the man\u2019s corpse (and maybe devours it after? The sound effects were pretty visceral), Ormund announces, \u201cAnd now, we begin.\u201d<\/p>\n

We begin\u2026 what? We\u2019ll find out on Sunday, when House of the Dragon<\/em> returns for another new episode on HBO.<\/p>\n

\n

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what\u2019s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

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[analyse_image type=”featured” src=”https:\/\/gizmodo.com\/app\/uploads\/2026\/07\/olivia-cooke-HOTD-ep4-recap_top_art-1200×675.jpg”] Last week, \u201cRhaenyra Triumphant\u201d ended with Queen Rhaenyra learning that Lord Ormund Hightower, after handing over an imposter Daeron Targaryen, had not scampered home to Oldtown as Daemon told him to. Instead, he turned his army toward Tumbleton and invaded the seemingly inconsequential market town. Rhaenyra understandably had many questions about this […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,53],"class_list":["post-2041536","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-gizmodo-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2041536","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2041536"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2041536\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2041536"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2041536"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2041536"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}