Ser Lyonel Strong will replace Otto Hightower as Hand of the King in House of the Dragon
In House of the Dragon episode 4, Rhaenyra and her father King Viserys made a deal. After the terrible rumor concerning Princess Rhaenyra and the Daemon Banter in the Rue de la Soie, Viserys had lost patience. He told Rhaenyra that she was going to marry immediately, whether she liked it or not. To this, Rhaenyra responded by giving him an ultimatum. She told him that she would do her duty as heiress and marry Sir Laenor Velaryon, the son of the Sea Serpent. However, in return, he would have to fire Otto Hightower from his position as Hand of the King. This was obviously because Otto had been after Rhaenyra’s position for a while now and wouldn’t back down until he ruined it. Ser Lyonel Strong is now set to be the next Hand of the King.
King Viserys finally agreed and called Otto. He even confronted Otto about sending Alicent to comfort the king after the death of his wife Aemma. He realizes that it was a cleverly placed bait that he voluntarily took. With that, the episode ended. But what will be the consequences of Viserys’ decision?
Viserys relieves Otto Hightower of his duty as Hand of the King
During the episode House of the Dragon, we learn how Otto Hightower became the Hand of the King in the first place. It turns out he’s been serving the kingdom since the reign of Jaehaerys Targaryen. Viserys’ father, Baelon Targaryen, was supposed to be the Hand of the King. However, due to Baelon’s unexpected death, Otto Hightower succeeded him as Hand of the King. He became the second most powerful man in the kingdom in 5 days. He retained his post and also continued to serve during Viserys’ reign. However, Viserys finally realized his selfish nature and decided to do something about it with a little encouragement from Rhaenyra.
However, despite his dismissal, Otto Hightower will not stop there. The fact that Rhaenyra is the one who fueled this rift between Viserys and Otto will make him even more eager to bring her down. We already know that he was the one monitoring Rhaenyra and Daemon’s activities using the The white worm vast network of spy kids. He also continued to push the king to replace Rhaenyra with Aegon as heir. It was very clear during the hunt when he kept reminding Viserys how good the day was because they had spotted the white stag. He groomed Alicent to become Viserys’ wife and produce heirs for her.
Now that he has no loyalty to the king and the throne, his conspiracies will only increase. There’s also a moment in the House of the Dragon episode 5 trailer where we see Otto Hightower pressuring Queen Alicent to groom her son Aegon to become the next ruler. He will spare no effort to ruin Rhaenyra’s reputation, even if it forces her to use unsavory and nasty tactics. In fact, Otto will be instrumental in making the Dance of the Dragons come true.
Ser Lyonel Strong will be the next Hand of the King
In the book, Ser Lyonel Strong replaced Otto Hightower as the Hand of the King. This also seems like a likely outcome in the series. Lyonel Strong is the only member of the King’s Council whose opinion is not tainted by biases and personal agendas. When asked about the perfect suitor for Rhaenyra, instead of suggesting her own son Harwin “Breakbones” Strong, he gives his real advice. He tells her that Rhaenyra should marry the dragonrider Ser Laenor Velaryon as it would be the most politically strategic decision.
She would strengthen the Kingdom by uniting her two strongest houses. The king would reclaim Velaryon’s fleet, strengthen the dragon power of the Targaryens, and also mend his relationship with Lord Corlys Velaryon. He had also advised King Viserys to marry Lady Laena Velaryon instead of Lady Alicent. Lyonel Strong was also master of the laws of King Viserys. That way he wouldn’t have to worry about his adviser being manipulated.
