House of the Dragon has leaned into prophecy and foresight in a way Game of Thrones only touched on in its latter seasons, and Season 2’s finale was filled with the best kind of ominous foreboding. Helaena (Phia Saban) has continued succumbing to her prophetic gifts as a dreamer and predicting all sorts of tragedies for the Targaryen family, while Harrenhal and its weirwood tree have haunted Daemon (Matt Smith) throughout the season. Harrenhal’s weirwood tree stole “The Queen Who Ever Was” with the ego-death vision it showed Daemon, but viewers may not have noticed another eerie prediction made early on in the episode.
After Ser Alfred Broome (Jamie Kenna) arrives at Harrenhal, sent by Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) to report on Daemon’s movements, he pulls Daemon aside for a frank conversation in front of that infamous weirwood tree. Before he can begin the conversation (that is, a treasonous attempt to have Daemon declare himself king and usurp Rhaenyra’s claim), a faint whisper is heard on the wind: “Traitor.” It’s a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment, but Harrenhal’s weirwood tree strikes again, this time foreshadowing a heartbreaking betrayal by one of Rhaenyra’s oldest advisors.
Who Is Ser Alfred Broome, and What Is His Problem?
Ser Alfred of House Broome, a minor house from the Westerlands, initially served under King Jaehaerys (Michael Carter) at Dragonstone. By the time Rhaenyra began holding her war council at Dragonstone, Ser Alfred had become the castle’s most senior knight. He continued serving on Rhaenyra’s council and, like many of the other older knights, seemed to become impatient with Rhaenyra’s lack of decisive action at the beginning of the Dance of Dragons.
When Ser Alfred reaches Harrenhal, his attempt to back Daemon and cast Rhaenyra’s claim aside comes from his belief that the Seven Kingdoms will not rally around a woman, especially during a bloody civil war. Given that others around Daemon, including Simon Strong (Simon Russell Beale) and a literal tree (a Weirwood, but still) could smell Ser Alfred’s impending betrayal a mile away, viewers might have expected Daemon to execute the old knight of House Broome as a demonstration of loyalty to Rhaenyra. However, the last shot of Ser Alfred in the season finale sees him slipping into the crowd of cheering men at Harrenhal, turning his back on Rhaenyra. Ser Alfred Broome’s sly suggestion that Daemon declare himself King of the Seven Kingdoms ended up going unpunished, to Team Black’s detriment.
How Does Ser Alfred Betray Rhaenyra in ‘Fire & Blood’?
The weirwood tree’s subtle hint at Ser Alfred’s treachery not only refers to the current circumstances — his treasonous conversation with Daemon — but another, far more major betrayal in Rhaenyra’s darkest hour. According to George R.R. Martin’s book Fire & Blood, Ser Alfred decides to change allegiances once it seems the war is no longer going Team Black’s way. Toward the end of the Dance of Dragons, before attempting to escape to Braavos with her son, Rhaenyra returns to Dragonstone to find Aegon and a handful of Greens have been hiding out at the castle, aided and abetted by none other than Ser Alfred Broome.
When Rhaenyra lands on Dragonstone, Ser Alfred personally escorts her to the castle and has his men kill her remaining Queensguard before turning her over to Aegon and his men. Ser Alfred is promised lands, titles, and gold in exchange for betraying Rhaenyra, and kills Dragonstone’s castellan, Robert Quince (who remained loyal to Rhaenyra), in order to do so. Ser Alfred then goes on to serve the Greens through the end of the Dance of Dragons, until meeting his own sudden death.
Will Ser Alfred’s Betrayal Stay the Same in ‘House of the Dragon’?
Given all the changes House of the Dragon has made to the series, it’s hard to predict if this betrayal will play out similarly to the source novel. House of the Dragon showrunner Ryan Condal has made it clear that House of the Dragon is not a page-to-screen adaptation of George R.R. Martin’s Fire and Blood. However, the show’s inclusion of the Weirwood tree’s warning to Daemon does seem to confirm that Ser Alfred’s story is headed in a similar direction. While we don’t know if House of the Dragon will strictly stick to Fire & Blood’s depiction of Rhaenyra’s eventual death, Ser Alfred Broome’s final betrayal will likely leave viewers wishing Daemon had taken his head.
Seasons 1 and 2 of House of the Dragon are available to stream on Max in the U.S.