This article contains spoilers for “House of the Dragon.”

The first season of “House of the Dragon” teased the bond between dragon and rider as something special that can also threaten Westeros with the medieval equivalent of nuclear warfare, but it’s season 2 that’s really made this a central element of the show. The current season has truly sold the idea that dragons are scary god-level weapons that are also giant curious cats who like to play around.

The rules and lore of dragon and human bonding have always been kind of vague in the “Game of Thrones” universe. The book that “House of the Dragon” is based on, “Fire & Blood,” is presented as having been written by maesters who don’t have the full story, leaving plenty of room for its adaptation to explore and experiment with its lore and narrative. Still, for all the good changes “House of the Dragon” has made to its source material, some fans were left wondering after the latest episode whether the show has created a huge plot hole in its story. It all comes down to Seasmoke the dragon chasing after and then forcing Addam of Hull to accept his role as a new dragonrider.

The problem is that Seasmoke was already bonded with Laenor Velaryon, who is said to have died in “Fire & Blood” but previously appeared to get a happy ending on “House of the Dragon.” Last season, we saw Laenor fake his death and leave Westeros in secret, crossing the Narrow Sea with his lover, Ser Qarl Correy. However, it’s believed that dragons can only bond with one person at a time, and as long as that rider is alive, the dragon cannot bond with anyone else. This would certainly seem to indicate that Laenor died off-screen.

We’ve neither seen nor even heard of Laenor since he snuck away in “House of the Dragon” season 1, seven years before the events of season 2, but there is fair reason to believe he’s dead. Throughout season 2, Seasmoke has acted more restless than he ever was in season 1, and even Rhaenyra noted early in the season that Seasmoke seemed upset while flying around. This could be interpreted as the dragon acting up in grief over the death of Laenor.

After all, we know that dragons can have very strong and visceral reactions to the death of their riders, or even just their pain and emotions. We saw this when Vhagar, the old blind hag, appeared to be sad as she burnt Laena Velaryon to death at her rider’s request. We also saw this when Syrax screamed out in pain at the same time that Rhaenyra was in labor last season. Of course, it feels rather unnecessarily cruel for “House of the Dragon” to just kill Laenor off-screen after going out of its way to give him a happy ending in season 1.

So, does that make this a plot hole? Not necessarily. The idea that a dragon can only have one rider comes from the maester narrators, who do not have any dragons themselves. It’s not actually known whether any dragon has had two riders before, especially when one has been absent for as long as Laenor. It could very well be that Laenor is still alive, but Seasmoke was so sad and lonely without his human that he decided he wanted to adopt a new rider. As actor Clinton Liberty told Variety, it could be that Laenor and Addam are just similar: “They’re actually just really good, nice, lovely human beings.”

If “House of the Dragon” season 2 has taught us anything, it’s that no one knows anything about dragons — not the Targaryens who’ve paraded them around as the symbol of their power, nor the historians or cultists that tend to the dragons at Dragonstone. Seasmoke choosing a Targaryen bastard as his new rider pokes holes in the Targaryen claims that only Targaryen dragonlords, pure of blood, can ride dragons and this is what gives them a divine right to rule.

If we assume Laenor is still alive, then “House of the Dragon” just added yet another huge hole in the dragon lore that changes everything for the Targaryens. So far, Rhaenyra apparently hasn’t thought of this, but beyond just having any Targaryen bastard have the right to try and become a dragonrider, it is seemingly entirely possible for dragons to go out and choose whomever they want, even if their previous rider is alive. Extend this idea a bit more, and who is to say that a dragon cannot pick someone without an ounce of Targaryen blood?

This could be how “House of the Dragon” fixes its Nettles problem. Nettles is a relatively minor yet very important side character in “Fire & Blood” — a young, common-born nobody who claims the wild dragon Sheepstealer and becomes the first ever non-Targaryen dragonrider. It’s a huge development that calls into question the entire deal of Targaryen rule, democratizing the mighty dragons that Targaryens have used to subjugate Westeros for centuries. Nettles is kind of like Broom Boy in “The Last Jedi,” and much like “Rise of Skywalker” ignored that character,  Nettles is being erased from history by “House of the Dragon.” Hopefully, this Laenor situation means Nettles’ role is not being completely jettisoned.

The “House of the Dragon” season 2 finale premieres August 4, 2024, on HBO and Max.