The 'House of the Dragon' Arryk vs. Erryk Fight: Differences in the Book vs. the Show
The second episode of House of the Dragon Season 2 ended with another dramatic death scene—and this time, not one but two characters met their untimely demise. As was the case with Jaehaerys’ death in the premiere, the battle between Arryk and Erryk differs significantly from the one depicted in George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood.
After the brutal murder of Jaehaerys, Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel) takes it upon himself to discipline Ser Arryk Cargyll (Luke Tittensor) for the boy’s death by sending him to Dragonstone to kill Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy). Arryk correctly surmises that this is a terrible idea, but Criston thinks he’ll be able to sneak in undetected by pretending to be his twin brother, Ser Erryk Cargyll (Elliot Tittensor), who’s been serving in Rhaenyra’s Queensguard.
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Arryk has no trouble getting to Dragonstone, but the rest of the plan goes awry almost immediately. What follows is Season 2’s first hand-to-hand battle and the deaths of two of the least evil people on this show.
Keep reading to find out how the TV battle between the Cargyll brothers differed from the book.
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Arryk vs. Erryk in the Show
After Criston orders Arryk to Dragonstone, Arryk successfully sneaks onto the island but is soon clocked by Mysaria (Sonoya Mizuno), who knows a nefarious game is afoot because she was with the real Erryk five minutes ago. She’s on her way out, though, so Arryk talks his way into the castle in seconds.
As the real Erryk wanders around the castle, Arryk relieves the Queensguard outside Rhaenyra’s room then barges in and draws his sword. Erryk follows behind, though it’s not clear how he realized something was up. Was it his own instinct (he did a double take after passing Arryk in the hall), or did Mysaria come back with a warning?
The Cargyll twins then engage in a nasty sword fight in front of Rhaenyra, who sends her maid out for help. Ser Lorent Marbrand (Max Wrottesley) returns, but before he can figure out who’s who, the brothers finish their battle to the death. They share a hug as Arryk dies in Erryk’s arms. Erryk then asks for Rhaenyra’s forgiveness before stabbing himself on his own sword.
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Arryk vs. Erryk in the Book
The structure of Fire & Blood is important to remember in the context of the Cargyll brothers’ final battle. Martin’s novel is supposed to read like a history of the Targaryen dynasty, as told from the perspective of a historian named Archmaester Gyldayn. As the narrator, Gyldayn then offers various accounts of events based on the sources he used to compile his history.
The basics don’t differ much from the show, as Criston orders Arryk to go to Dragonstone after the death of Jaehaerys, using the same line that the character delivers in the series: “We will pay the princess back in her own bloody coin.” After Arryk gets to Dragonstone, however, the details become hazier.
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According to Gyldayn, “the true purpose of Ser Arryk’s mission remains a matter of some contention,” whereas on the show, Criston plainly told him to assassinate Rhaenyra. In the book, Grand Maester Munkun’s account says that Arryk was supposed to kill Rhaenyra, while Mushroom (a fool who served the Targaryens) claims he was supposed to go after Rhaenyra’s sons Jacaerys and Joffrey.
As for the fight itself, Gyldayn says “the singers” recall the brothers coming face-to-face right away and said they loved one another before drawing their swords. Munkun notes that the duo fought for an hour in front of onlookers who didn’t intervene because they couldn’t tell them apart, although it’s not mentioned whether Rhaenyra herself was present. Munkun also says that the twins “died in one another’s arms with tears upon their cheeks.”
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Book readers know that Mushroom’s version of events is always more salacious, and that’s the case here as well. Mushroom claims that the duel “lasted only moments,” with the brothers denouncing each other as traitors. Erryk deals a mortal blow to Arryk, who manages to drive a knife into his brother’s stomach as he’s collapsing. Arryk dies quickly, but Erryk spends four days languishing from his wound, crying out in pain and cursing his brother. (The possibility that Erryk stabs himself after his brother’s death, as he did on the show, is not mentioned in the book at all.)
The aftermath of this duel doesn’t have quite as intense repercussions as the murder of Jaehaerys, but it does give Rhaenyra more to consider when she thinks about her next steps. At what point will it be impossible to avoid a full-blown war — and how many people is she willing to lose along the way?
Next, What Will Happen on 'House of the Dragon' Season 2, According to the Books
