A Deleted Scene From The House Of The Dragon Highlighted The Significance Of Criston Cole's Rise To The Royal Guard

Without Rhaenyra, Criston Cole would have no role to play in the wars to come. But seeing his skills on the battlefield, she decides to name him the newest member of the Kingsguard. That's no small feat, as showrunner Ryan Condal points out in an excerpt from the officially licensed making-of book, "House of the Dragon: Inside the Creation of a Targaryen Dynasty".

In the excerpt exclusively reached by EW, Condal explains that Rhaenyra's choice was so loaded that it will continue to reverberate on the show - something neither Rhaenyra nor her father, King Viserys ( Paddy Considine), didn't seem to realize at the time. "It's a story of small choices that lead to big things," Condal explained. That big moment comes in the second episode. When one of the seven royal knights dies, another is promoted. This leaves an opening that King Viserys decides to let Rhaenyra fill - only so he can lead her out of the hall of a large meeting. But choosing a member of the Kingsguard is no small feat, especially with war waiting just around the corner. Condal goes on to say:

"Choosing your Kingsguard, your bodyguard, is very important, but it's indicative of this time - when they haven't seen war in over half a century - that Viserys is giving up this all-important choice to his daughter to try and give her something to do to make her feel weighty and important. It's a story of small choices that lead to big things. She chooses Criston Cole, who later becomes the reason she was nearly disinherited, and becomes one of her worst enemies."