House of the Dragon's Matt Smith and Emma D'Arcy reveal Daemon and Rhaenyra's key season 3 "tension" and tease "domestic" scenes

As House of the Dragon season 3 quickly approaches, stars Emma D’Arcy and Matt Smith have teased what we can expect from Rhaenyra and Daemon’s very different dynamic.

After Daemon’s time sequestered at Harrenhal last season, he and Rhaenyra are back together this time around – and, at least at the beginning of the season, the pair seem a lot more on the same page.

Smith told Radio Times and other press: “I think it’s quite interesting to see them in the domestic environment sometimes, because actually you can learn a bit more about them on a broader scale in the domesticity. I always look forward to those moments. Imagine being married to Daemon!”

D’Arcy added: “I think we start somewhere really nice. I think there’s a version of Daemon and Rhaenyra who are parts of the same organism.

“I think they have such an intuitive understanding of one another and quite literal shared genetic matter [so] there is a sort of synchronicity available, and it was, certainly for me, really exciting to return to some of that at the beginning of season 3.”

However, D’Arcy teased that the pair’s version of marital bliss won’t last forever, adding: “I think there are different versions and different visions of Rhaenyra’s premiership this season, and Daemon definitely has quite strong feelings about what her tenure should look like, so I suppose that inevitably becomes a source of tension.”

The past two seasons have seen Daemon and Rhaenyra evolve from a toxic dynamic between uncle and niece in season 1, to a fractured relationship in season 2, which was plagued with schemes and suspicion, to a true partnership in season 3.

But will that be enough to secure Rhaenyra’s place on the Iron Throne?

House of the Dragon season 3, which will begin later this month, will see House Targaryen break out into all-out civil war, with Rhaenyra having her sights squarely set on claiming the Iron Throne at any cost, while the Greens, watched over by a worried Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) scramble to hold their position.

It’s expected to open with the long-awaited Battle of the Gullet, a huge conflict involving Corlys Velaryon’s fleet and the Triarchy, which is expected will rain fire across the sky and sea.

We hope for nothing less.

House of the Dragon season 3 will arrive on HBO Max on 21 June. Seasons 1 and 2 are available to stream on Sky and NOW – find out more about how to sign up for Sky TV.

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