By Aimee Hart Published Jul 19, 2026, 9:45 PM EDT House of the Dragon Unbowed, unbent, unbroken
Critical Role's Matthew Mercer just revealed 1 foundational rule that all Dungeon Masters should use Game of Thrones officially gets a brand-new free release this week George R.R. Martin's new Game Of Thrones release arrives today — and it's already sold out House of the Dragon finally solves a political mystery that Game of Thrones never did Photo: Macall B. Polay/HBO House of the Dragon Sign in to your Polygon.com account George R.R. Martin ’s fantasy books set in the world of Westeros are full of political intrigue, and HBO has brought that to life with relative ease in Game of Thrones , House of the Dragon , and even in the more commoner-oriented TV series, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms . From Aegon’s Conquest of Westeros to Robert’s Rebellion against the Targaryen dynasty, the fragile alliances and endless scheming that hold Westeros together are a big part of what keeps audiences coming back for more, and obsessing over the story in between new seasons.
However, despite all the uprisings, assassinations, and wars we’ve seen, one Game of Thrones mystery has never been answered: How did Dorne resist Aegon the Conqueror during his conquest of the Seven Kingdoms? Thankfully, House of the Dragon has revealed the answer in one of the show's goriest episodes yet, but one that gives House Martell a little bit of the spotlight.
As much as Pedro Pascal won audiences over as Oberyn Martell with his charisma and striking good looks, House Martell’s introduction in Game of Thrones didn’t really highlight the House’s motto — "Unbent, Unbowed, and Unbroken" — all that well. The Martells sure did end up getting bent, bowed, and broken by the time the series wrapped up.
However, as Ormund Hightower (James Norton) reveals to his charge, Daeron Targaryen (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth), there is much to learn from Dornish history when it comes to resisting — and even defeating — the Targaryens . Ormund specifically points out Meria Martell, the ruling Princess of Dorne during Aegon the Conqueror’s invasion of Westeros. While many bent the knee in fear of Aegon, Rhaenys, and Visenya (his sister-wives) and their dragons, Meria refused to submit to the Targaryens. As told in George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood , a historical tome detailing the rise and fall of the Targaryen dynasty, Meria is said to have declared that she would rather see her people die than be "slaves" to the Targaryens.
Ormund explains that Meria, despite being old, blind, and a woman, beat Aegon because she wasn’t afraid to use underhanded tactics. She poisoned her own wells, hid her soldiers in the desert sands, and abandoned her castle to let Aegon and his allies believe they were the victors and that the Martells were vanquished. Only after the Targaryens felt reassured and let their guard down did Meria’s forces return in the night to kill them in their beds. Meria and Dorne waged war against the Targaryens for several years, and only after Meria died 13 years after Aegon’s conquest did peace talks between Dorne and Aegon begin.
Image: HBO Elsewhere in the same episode, in an effort to raise the spirits of his Gold Cloaks, Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) rallies them with promises that they will conquer Dorne. However, as Game of Thrones fans know, that never happened.
On the surface, Dorne isn’t quite as vital to the story that’s being told in House of the Dragon ,…