One of the most interesting parts of House of the Dragon has always been the dynamic between its main couple, Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy) and Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith). And yes, if they share a name, that’s because they’re related, not just because they’re married. They are Targaryens, after all, and this is the Game of Thrones universe.
Season 3 finally sees Rhaenyra and Daemon spend more time together after a Season 2 drought that took Daemon on a detour to the Riverlands. And both Emma D’Arcy and Matt Smith teased upcoming ‘intense’ scenes during the press conference for Season 3, as they discussed how they prepare to film those really heavy moments between the two characters.
“Pace, I do a lot of pacing,” Smith said about his preparation.
“I think I just feel really fortunate because Matt is like a sort of, is an incredible sparring partner,” D’Arcy said. “And so I, although those days are always… I don’t know; intimidating is not the right word, but you know, there’s a bar that you’re looking to meet. And so, there’s like apprehension there. I also come with a lot of excitement because I think in a nice way we sort of hold each other to a high standard.”
It’s fine, we’re fine.
And that, apparently, even extends to their High Valyrian studies.
“Matt and I had our High Valyrian oral exam this year,” D’Arcy shared, looking like we probably looked in college when we had a very complicated upcoming exam.
“Yeah, like a lot,” Smith added, with basically the same long-suffering look. “It was a long… and Emma’s amazing at it as well,” he said.
“You’re amazing at it,” D’Arcy was quick to add.
“Well, thank you very much,” Smith quickly answered.
But D’Arcy was already in the middle of a story. “There was one sort of particular run of days where Matt was shooting in Wales, and I knew that he had a very tight turnaround to come back, and then it was our High Valyrian oral exam. And I just had in the back… I just had an intuition that maybe I would send a message just to say: Have you looked at it? Because there was a lot. And so I just sent a very light message. I just said, ‘Hey Matt, um, just wondering if you’ve looked at the stuff for Tuesday and um…’ And then I got a series of voice messages at about four in the morning, because yeah, it was a lot this season.”
So, basically, intense scenes between the two and a lot of High Valyrian? Count us in.
The first episode of House of the Dragon Season 3 premieres Sunday, June 21, on HBO.
