House of the Dragon it could be a story about a Targaryen king and queen fighting for the Iron Throne, but his last episode featured a family member which is certainly not royalty. Or at least that man claimed to be dragonborn during “The Burning Mill”. A commoner named Ulf said to be the bastard brother of King Viserys and Prince Daemon. Was the bar owner, gregarious and well-liked, telling the truth? Or was he telling a tale when he said he was Rhaenyra's unacknowledged uncle? Whether or not Ulf is really who he claims to be doesn't matter as much as whether or not he really believes he is a Targaryen.
Ulf first appeared in episode two of House of the DragonThe second season of strike in the streets near the Red Tower. There he asked about the graters hanging from the walls. But the next episode showed that he is much more than just a city dweller. He visited a King's Landing tavern/brothel, which he frequents, and began to greet many customers excited by his arrival. Ulf was also there looking for a free drink. To get one, he regaled his tablemates, a stranger, with something he said he shouldn't even say. It's a story he came up with entirely himself.
“It is said that even Dorne mourned my grandfather's death,” Ulf said calmly to the Dorne man who ordered him a carafe. “They call him The Conciliator.” This was one of the many nicknames of King Jaehaerys, the longest-serving Targaryen king in Westeros history. House of the Dragon showed the dear old King in his first episode at the Grand Council. There Jaehaerys summoned all the lords of the Realm to name his heir.
One of the many reasons why Jaehaerys had no obvious successor was that father Ulf himself claims he died. “I am the son of Baelon the Brave,” said Ulf. Baelon was the second son of Jaehaerys. Until he died of appendicitis, he was also briefly the heir to the King's Iron Throne after the death of Baelon's older brother.
Could the famous, noble and heroic Baelon Targaryen have fathered a bastard son named Ulf? Definitely. It's not like good men haven't committed adultery a million times in Westeros, including royalty. Baelon was also a young widower, so it is possible that he did not cheat on his wife at all, but fathered a child out of wedlock either before he married or after his wife died. It's also very possible that Ulf's mother simply lied about his father being a Targaryen. Or he could have lied because his father was a totally different and less important Targaryen. (His unusual hair at least suggests some Targaryen blood.)
Why lie about Baelon if he slept with a different Targaryen? Maybe he told Ulf that Baelon Targaryen was his father when he was heir to the Iron Throne.
However, if Ulf is telling the whole truth about his father, he really is an uncle to Rhaenyra, whom he called “the one true queen”. Or at least he did until his supposed nephew Aegon appeared and a startled Ulf quickly shouted, “Hail, King!”
Was anything Ulf said 100% true? At least one thing was. After stating that “dragon's blood runs through his veins”, Ulf said that “men would take my head”. It was then called “dragonseed,” a familiar term for Targaryen bastards commonly used for children born on the family's ancestral island of origin. (There are countless dragon seeds in there, though after a century King's Landing definitely has its fair share. We might have seen one of Aegon's bastard children in season one in the childish fighting pit.)
Ulf also said that a dragonseed “has to watch his own neck when he doesn't have a white guard to do it for him.” This isn't usually true, but it definitely is now during a Targaryen civil war. Anyone foolish enough in King's Landing to claim—to strangers, no less—that they are Prince Daemon's brother is putting their lives in danger. Even if he's lying just saying that in jest of free wine and beer, it could be a death sentence.
So why do it? Free drinks are always nice, but they're hardly worth the risk of losing your mind. (Apparently they're hanging rats around the street for no reason!) Being a little more popular with the bar patrons isn't worth that kind of danger either. Besides, Ulf doesn't seem brave enough to risk making such a bold statement, not even in an establishment where he is well-liked. Not exactly full of courage.
Ulf is obviously not that smart, but he's obviously not completely stupid. He was smart enough not to speak too loudly. And he correctly assessed the danger he was putting himself in. Yet he still did, as if he felt compelled to share his “secret” against his better judgement, just as he felt the need to openly support Rhaenyra (until he freaked out). All this indicates that he might actually believe what he said about his father.
House of the Dragon he obviously included this scene for an important reason. Little ones don't have that much characterization in the Seven Kingdoms unless they matter. Ulf, known as “the white” for his hair in George RR Martin Fire and Blood—He is obviously a character worth paying attention to even if you don't know what awaits him in the future. But even if you do, every viewer should pay attention to whether or not he actually believes what he's saying.
Mikey Walsh is a staff writer for Nerdist. You can follow it Twitter i Bluesky at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.
