The New House of the Dragons Trailer Introduce Us to Westeros’s (Possible) First Queen

You better get used to seeing Matt Smith as a blonde, because for as long as there’s hype about the upcoming Game of Thrones prequel, his platinum locks are here to stay. They’re front and center in the new trailer for HBO’s House of the Dragons—and almost always paired with a grimace. Let’s just say that his character, Prince Daemon Targaryen, isn’t happy with his brother for going back on his plan to make him heir to the Iron Throne. That should be good news for Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen (Milly Alcock), the king’s firstborn child and therefore rightful heir. But the fact that it would be in keeping with age-old tradition isn’t enough to convince the denizens of Westeros that for the first time ever, they’d have a queen instead of a king.

Rhaenyra’s mother, Rhaenys Targaryen (Eve Best), warns that “knives will come out” should Rhaenyra attempt to proceed with the king’s plan. “A woman would not inherit the Iron Throne,” she candidly tells her daughter. “That is not the order of things.” But Rhaenyra isn’t about to give up so fast: “When I am Queen, I will create a new order,” she responds.

The series takes place 200 years before Game of Thrones, so there’s no trace of beloved characters such as Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke). As for her beloved dragons? Her ancestors share her love of the creature, and since they’re at the series’s center, there are more than enough to go around. And, according to many of those who’ve seen the clip, the animation has never been better. Ahead of the series’s August 21 release, see for yourself in the trailer below.