10 Things You Somehow Missed In House Of The Dragon

Oh rats.

House of the Dragon's first season saw the showrunners taking steps to set up one of Fire and Blood's most disturbing narrative threads - the tale of Blood and Cheese.

These two delightful individuals are inventively named as a result of their occupations as a butcher and a rat catcher respectively. Without wishing to offer up specific spoilers, the duo go on to become the perpetrators of a Westerosi flashpoint rivalling the Red Wedding in terms of desolating shock factor.

The groundwork has been laid for the pair's eventual appearance across the first season but this foreshadowing would have been lost in the ether to anyone unfamiliar with Martin's writing. The most prominent piece of detail is the revelation of the Red Keep's secret tunnels - an element that goes on to play a pivotal role in Blood and Cheese's storyline.

Additionally, an exceedingly more nuanced piece of symbolism is utilized to foretell the pair's arrival. In the aftermath of Joffrey Lonmouth's murder at the hands of an enraged Criston Cole, a rat can be seen lapping from a pool of the former's blood as Rhaenyra and Laenor swear their vows of marriage in the background.

While this may seem like an utterly superfluous inclusion for the uninitiated viewer, this portentous visual metaphor is as about as subtle as a brick through the window for readers of Fire and Blood.