The story of who Alyn and Addam Velaryon's father is a lot more difficult to pin down than how House of the Dragon season 2 did. Here is how the show depicted their parentage differently from George R.R. Martin's novel series.
SPOILER WARNING: This article contains spoilers for House of the Dragon season 2 and George R.R. Martin's novel series, so proceed with caution.
House of the Dragon S2 Retcons Addam Velaryon's Speculated Father
The recent House of the Dragon season 2 episode 4 titled The Red Dragon and the Gold seemingly confirms that both Alyn of Hull and his brother, Addam, are the illegitimate sons of Corlys Velaryon.
It all begins with a conversation between Rhaenys Targaryen and Corlys Velaryon, where the latter reveals to his lover that Alyn of Hull is his son to another woman named Marilda of Hull.
Considering that Addam is Alyn's brother through the same mother, what does this say about his mysterious father?
The long-running debate has long spawned since the speculative news was brought to fans' ears in Martin's Fire & Blood, which is what House of the Dragon season 2 is based on. Do Addam and Alyn share the same father or not?
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Alyn and Addam's Parentage Was More Complicated in Fire & Blood
House of the Dragon season 2 confirmed that Addam and Alyn are sired by the same man, but fans are not convinced. Not when there's another candidate who may have impregnated Marilda: Laenor Velaryon.
Some fans doubted Addam's relations with Corlys, seeing that Laenor's blood of Targaryen descent would allow him to become the dragon rider he is known to be today.
However, another fan debunked that Velaryons' Valyrian blood should be more than enough to have earned Addam his position.
Here's the thing: in George R.R. Martin's Fire & Blood, Marilda of Hull claimed that her sons were sired by Laenor Velaryon. However, this only came from her and Archmaester Gyldayn when they testified in court.
On the other hand, the court jester Mushroom wrote to claim that Alyn and Addam's father is Corlys Velaryon, aka Laenor's father.
The jester knew that Laenor preferred the company of men over women, after all. It is likely that Marilda merely wanted to offer the boys to the throne as Laenor's bastard sons.
The series retconned Laenor's connection to the boys for reasons we'll be seeing from season 2 onwards.
With Laenor out of the way, Addam and Alyn's future in House of the Dragon introduces a bigger role to play once Corlys finds out that Rhaenys is dead.
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House of the Dragon season 2 episode 5 airs on HBO and Max on July 14, 2024.
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