James Norton as Ormund Hightower in "House of the Dragon" season three.
Theo Whiteman/HBO
Warning: Spoilers ahead for "House of the Dragon" season three, episode four, and the book "Fire & Blood."There are plenty of Targaryens vying for power in "House of the Dragon," but the silver-haired dragonlords are not the only threats in Westeros.HBO's tentpole "Game of Thrones" prequel depicts the Dance of the Dragons, which finds Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy) pitted against her half-brother, Aegon II Targaryen (Tom Glynn-Carney), in a brutal war of succession.Aegon II — along with his three younger siblings, Aemond (Ewan Mitchell), Helaena (Phia Saban), and Daeron (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth) — was born to the late King Viserys and Alicent Hightower. Naturally, his claim to the Iron Throne is supported by House Hightower, a noble family from the Reach with a strong connection to the Faith of the Seven."House of the Dragon" has already featured several prominent Hightowers, including Alicent (Olivia Cooke), her father Otto (Rhys Ifans), and her brother Gwayne (Freddie Fox).In season three, Alicent's cousin Ormund (James Norton) is introduced as another key player in the ongoing schism.Ormund is the head of House Hightower and commands their impressive army. In season three, episode three, "Rhaenyra Triumphant," Ormund is ordered — under threat of three massive dragons — to surrender and bend the knee to the realm's new queen. He does, albeit deceptively.
