How Alicent cutting Rhaenyra's hand in House of the Dragon could complete the Prince Who Was Promised prophecy

House of the Dragon episode 7 has a major moment in which Alicent cuts Rhaenyra's hand, and that moment could tie the Prince Who Was Promised prophecy together and bring things full circle with Game of Thrones. The blood that drips from Rhaenyra's hand ends up on the Valyrian steel dagger, and that dagger is the one Arya would later use to defeat the Night King.

It was thought that Jon Snow would be the one to fulfil the prophecy, but in the end it turned out to be Arya. What I want to look at is whether there is a way it can all still come together and make sense without Jon actually having to carry it out. There are a number of ways these pieces are connected, and if you had issues with the way the prophecy played out in the Long Night, then hopefully this saves at least some of season 8 for you.

The Prince Who Was Promised prophecy began with Aegon the Conqueror's dream

Before getting into how the blade connects to it, it helps to understand what the prophecy is. The Prince Who Was Promised is what the Lord of Light religion is based around, and it was brought to the forefront by Aegon the Conqueror. He had a dream that showed a great force coming from the North, and the only way to stop it was through his bloodline being in charge.

Though the word prince is often interpreted as referring to a man, it is important to bear in mind that the term comes from High Valyrian, and in that language the word is actually gender neutral. That is why there have been a number of candidates who could fit the role. Many thought it was Stannis Baratheon, but over time the candidates came to include Jon Snow, Daenerys and even Arya.

The prophecy states that the figure will be born amid salt and smoke and, using a sword named Lightbringer, will combat the impending darkness. The prince is also supposed to be a reincarnation of Azor Ahai, a legendary warrior who beat back the darkness during the Long Night thousands of years ago. Aegon dreamed that this figure would return one day, and he believed it would come from his bloodline.

The Song of Ice and Fire was carved into the Valyrian steel dagger

Aegon said this would be the Song of Ice and Fire, and that phrase was carved into the Valyrian steel dagger. It could only be revealed with fire, and it relayed Aegon's full message. A Song of Ice and Fire is, of course, the name of the book series Game of Thrones was adapted from, and it is something Viserys references.

The prophecy has been secretly passed from king to king, and from king to queen, to make sure that those who inherit the throne know to pass the message on. Because of what happens in the books, it is unlikely that Rhaenyra will ever pass this on to someone who sits on the throne, but she could possibly relate it to her children, and so on down the line.

However, as we never hear of it in Game of Thrones, I am guessing that it got lost over time, though it is also possible that the Game of Thrones showrunners never set it up at all. All of this could be House of the Dragon simply trying to fix the ending of Game of Thrones, but as I put it, "I can't say that I'll be mad" if they manage to pull it off.

The dagger's journey runs from Bran's would be assassin to Arya

To see where the dagger ends up, it is worth tracing roughly where it travels through the story of Game of Thrones. In that series the dagger is carried by the assassin who attempts to kill Bran at Winterfell after his fall from the tower, so it definitely falls out of Targaryen hands at some point, and we are likely to see how that happens as House of the Dragon goes on.

After the attack fails, the dagger is shown to several characters, who all conclude it must belong to someone wealthy because it is made of Valyrian steel. Catelyn takes it with her to King's Landing and discovers that it belonged to Littlefinger, who claims he lost it in a bet to Tyrion. Tyrion denies this and says it is all fabricated, and afterwards Ned keeps it. Littlefinger takes it after he betrays Ned and holds on to it all the way to season 7.

He then gives it to Bran, who passes it on to Arya because he cannot fight. In a cruel twist of fate, Arya uses it on Littlefinger when he is executed for treason. Some have even theorised that Littlefinger owned it all along, given Tyrion's denial, which would mean he was the one who sent the assassin after Bran. From that point on Arya keeps the dagger herself, and she carries it across the sea at the end of season 8, so it is still out there.

Rhaenyra's blood on the blade ties it to Jon Snow's lineage

The saying carved into the dagger also has a strong connection to Aegon's blood, and I think that is what the hand slice is playing upon. When it happens, there is a strong focus on the blood dripping from Rhaenyra's hand. This is symbolic for a number of reasons. Not only is it Alicent drawing first blood between the pair, but the blood itself is now also on the blade.

Jon Snow can trace his lineage all the way back to Rhaenyra, which ties him directly to the Prince Who Was Promised. As I see it, "the blade now carries the bloodline on it too," so no matter what happens, it can help to defeat the Night King without necessarily having to be in Jon's hand. The prophecy also does not specifically state that a Targaryen needs to be on the throne, and therefore it is still possible that it was completed in Game of Thrones.

Daenerys, Jon and Arya could all share a piece of the prophecy

Another interesting aspect tying into the bloodline is that Daenerys is also a descendant of Aegon, so the prophecy could be talking about multiple people. That is why many are confused over whether it is Daenerys or Jon. Daenerys was born amid salt, so she might be fulfilling part of it, while on the other side Jon could end up fulfilling the Lightbringer part. With the term prince being interchangeable when it comes to gender, it could all still technically be true.

So for everything to come together, we have a prophecy stating that either a male or female from Aegon's bloodline will come forth and destroy the darkness from the North, and that this evil will be defeated using the blade, which is what Arya ends up doing. Who knows, she might even be revealed as a Targaryen at some point, because that family tree is probably crying out for a couple of extra branches. I doubt it, but it is something to bear in mind.

Does Rhaenyra's blood on the dagger make Arya's victory over the Night King feel like a true fulfilment of the prophecy to you?