WARNING! This article contains minor SPOILERS for House of the Dragon season 3, episode 6!
Viserys’ children have a wide range of High Valyrian fluency in House of the Dragon, with Daeron Targaryen being an even more curious case given his upbringing in Oldtown.
Since the start of the series, House of the Dragon has put an important emphasis on the fluency and use of the High Valyrian language as a crucial part of maintaining Targaryen culture and customs in Westeros. Rhaenyra and Daemon often share scenes spoken entirely in High Valyrian each season, with Aemond also showcasing his deep knowledge of the language and revealing Aegon’s lack of fluency in High Valyrian in an effort to prove himself more worthy than his older brother in season 2. On the other hand, Helaena has never spoken High Valyrian on-screen, making Daeron’s potential familiarity with the language more intriguing.
While Daeron spoke a High Valyrian command to his dragon Tessarion after being properly introduced in season 3, episode 4, House of the Dragon has yet to reveal whether he speaks the language beyond more simple commands. In an interview with ScreenRant‘s Jordan Williams, Daeron Targaryen actor Benjamin Evan Ainsworth addressed Daeron’s potential fluency after not having many opportunities to use High Valyrian in season 3. Though unsure of the extent of his knowledge, Ainsworth stated that Daeron would want to “go to any means necessary” to communicate with Tessarion as his closest friend:
Benjamin Evan Ainsworth: “It’s a good question. Because I only have limited dialogue with Tessarion this season, it’s not something that we’ve really explored. But I imagine because of how deep that connection is to Tessarion, there’s a real love there and they’ve really experienced… She’s kind of been his only friend through this time all the way through. And so I think he’d go through any means necessary to be able to talk and communicate and to be there.
But also, yeah, how much has he been able to do so? He certainly knows the basics. I have the line “Lykiri” in one of the scenes. But whether I’m fluent or not, I don’t know. Maybe self-taught, but certainly not taught by Ormund.”
Learning High Valyrian is an important part of young Targaryen family members’ education and continuation of the House’s long-standing traditions to maintain themselves as the most powerful surviving family of Old Valyria. When Rhaena and Baela were children, Daemon was seen teaching his daughters High Valyrian in Pentos, with Game of Thrones‘ Daenerys Targaryen even having learned the language during her upbringing in Essos centuries later.
On the other hand, Daeron’s upbringing and education in Oldtown put a significant focus on the history of House Hightower and the traditions of his mother’s family instead. Ormund Hightower formed Daeron into a Hightower in all but name, with the most Targaryen aspect of Viserys’ son that he’s been able to maintain being his bond with his dragon. As such, Ainsworth confirms that if Daeron learned any High Valyrian in addition to basic commands, it wasn’t sanctioned by Ormund.
Ainsworth explains that Daeron has had very limited dialogue with Tessarion in House of the Dragon season 3, however, and nobody other than the dragonkeepers around him would have fluency in the ancient language. If Daeron returns for the already-renewed House of the Dragon season 4, then there could be further opportunities to showcase his character speaking to Tessarion, or perhaps another Targaryen character, in High Valyrian.
House of the Dragon season 3, episode 6 also includes the nickname “Daeron the Daring” for the young prince, which was given to him after riding Tessarion into battle in George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood book. While the source of that nickname isn’t clear in House of the Dragon due to the series skipping over the Battle of the Honeywine, it may indicate more scenes with Tessarion, and therefore uses of High Valyrian, in the future to live up to the moniker.
New episodes of House of the Dragon season 3 release on Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.