In the latest episode of HBO’s House of the Dragon, the Blacks in their desperation have allowed Targaryen bastards to join Rhaenyra in arms and attempt to claim her two riderless dragons in return for nobility and other rewards.

Aptly titled The Red Sowing, the episode featured dozens of low-born folk who are also purported holders of Targaryen blood flock to Rhaenyra’s call. Two characters, Hugh and Ulf, or Hugh Hammer and Ulf White, as they are known in the books, become the two newest dragon riders.

The pair, along with Alyn of Hull, become known as ‘dragonseeds’.

The two dragons, Vermithor the Bronze Fury and Silverwing, were born in the Targaryen’s golden age of peace under Old King Jaehaerys Targaryen and his sister-wife, Queen Alysanne Targaryen. The dragons were the steeds of both monarchs respectively.

Together the pair had 13 legitimate children, which all Targaryens in the current storyline descend from. By the time of the great council to determine the next successor, all their children were dead except for their daughter Saera Targaryen, and their son Vaegon Targaryen, who had abandoned politics and royalty to be an Archmaester at the Citadel.

After Jahaerys’ initial heir Aemon Targaryen, the father of Rhaenys Targaryen, passed away unexpectedly, Jahaerys decided to name his other son, Baelon, the heir instead of Rhaenys who was pregnant at the time, making her “The Queen Who Never Was”. Aemon was the previous rider of Prince Daemon’s dragon from the series Caraxes.

Baelon, who was named the new heir, was the father of Prince Viserys and Prince Daemon. According to Ulf the White, he believes that he is a bastard son of Baelon, although this was never confirmed in the books. But if true, Ulf is half Targaryen, and Silverwing’s previous rider is his paternal grandmother.

In the episode, Hugh says his mother worked in a ‘pleasure house’ and said he was “just as good as her brother’s sons”, referring to Saera Targaryen, the last living daughter of Old King Jaeharys at the beginning of the series. Saera had a very tumultuous relationship with her parents that led to her leaving her family and eventually amassing wealth by selling herself and eventually operating pleasure houses.

In the books, during the great council to determine the successor, one of Saera’s bastard sons who staked a claim was said to be the spitting image of Old King Jaehaerys in his youth. Hugh in the show seems to be another bastard who resembles the Old King in appearance and character in his youth, which Vermithor recognises.

Based on that relation, that would make Old King Jaehaerys Targaryen his maternal grandfather and Prince Daemon his maternal cousin.