Game of Thrones and its prequel, House of the Dragon, is full of grey characters. However, some are less morally ambiguous than others, and the kingsguard brothers Erryk and Arryk Cargyll are prime examples of that. Earlier this week, House of the Dragon fans had to bid farewell to the beloved twins in a heart-wrenching battle that saw both of them lose their lives.
House of the Dragon has so far mostly stayed close to the source material, but has never shied away from taking its own creative liberties. While some have been criticized, others have worked in favor of the show. The Battle of the Twins also veered away from Fire & Blood, but in a way that would please the book readers.
What happened in The Battle of the Twins?
In House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 2 titled ‘Rhaenyra the Cruel‘, we see the aftermath of Prince Jaehaerys’ murder at the hands of Daemon Targaryen’s assassins, only known as Blood and Cheese. The duo is eventually snuffed out and killed in a rather controversial way by King Aegon II Targaryen, but his fury has just been lit.
Aegon II wants revenge, and Criston Cole knows it. So he secretly orders Ser Arryk Cargyll to infiltrate Dragonstone under the guise of his twin brother Erryk and kill Rhaenyra. Arryk is forced to comply after Cole calls out his loyalty and honor.
Arryk sneaks into the castle of Dragonstone, and is even successful in reaching Rhaenyra’s chambers but is confronted by Erryk who is informed by Mysaria of his brother’s arrival. The legendary battle, which is also dubbed as Cargyllbowl, ends with both brothers dead, one succumbs to his wounds, the other dies of sorrow.
How does the battle differ from Fire & Blood?
When watching House of the Dragon, viewers have to keep in mind the book it is adapted from, Fire & Blood, is itself a history book written from the perspective of a Maester. That’s where the creative liberties come in.
The Cargyllbowl demonstrated in the episode was an amalgamation of various sources mentioned in the book, which is a good way to honor George R. R. Martin‘s work.
First, we have the ballad “Farewell, My Brother” by Luceon of Tarth, which says the brothers confessed their love for each other before they started the battle, which is also what happened in the show. Then we have Grand Maester Munkun, who says the battle lasted for an hour, and half of Rhaenyra’s court was present, unable to figure out which brother was Erryk and hence unable to help.
However, only Lorent Marbrand was present in the show other than the brothers, and yes he was still unable to help due to the same reason. The battle only lasted for a couple of minutes, instead of an hour, as told by court jester Mushroom. Mushroom also states the brothers also called each other traitors, which is also true in the case of the show. And Arryk did die before Erryk, as the jester stated, however, the manner of their deaths is a bit different, with Erryk committing suicide after killing Arryk.
The duel of the brothers would go on to be the stuff of legends, a testimony of their undying loyalty. With the death of the Cargyll twins, fewer players remain on board for the Dance of the Dragons.
House of the Dragon Season 2 is currently airing on HBO Max.
