For individuals who are unaware, the e book Fireplace & Blood just isn’t instructed from a number of factors of view just like the A Tune of Ice and Fireplace books it’s as an alternative made up of “historic sources” comparable to court docket paperwork and royal decrees in addition to the histories written by the Grand Maesters’ of the time. These are stuffed in with info from two separate first-person accounts from individuals who had been current for most of the occasions that transpired. One was from Septon Eustace, the confessor of King Viserys (Paddy Considine), and the opposite a person named Mushroom, the court docket jester who was described as “a three-foot-tall dwarf possessed of an unlimited head.”
The prevailing opinion of these at court docket (that might show to be inaccurate) was that Mushroom was a dimwitted man and that it was subsequently protected to do any variety of scandalous issues in entrance of him. Whereas Mushroom couldn’t write he had sufficient sense to have the occasions that he witnessed scribed and compiled for him – in a textual content entitled The Testimony of Mushroom. So salacious, and perverse had been these tales that they had been ordered burned by King Baelor the Blessed – however fortunately, some survived, and so they paint fairly a captivating image of this time in Targaryen historical past. Mushroom’s accounts are simply one of many examples of how dependable, or not, the accounts in Fireplace & Blood may be.
Mushroom’s Account of Occasions is Excellent For Any Cleaning soap Opera Drama
One of many first issues upon which Mushroom’s story differs from Home of the Dragon is the Matter of the advantage of a younger Alicent Hightower (Emily Carey). In accordance with Mushroom not solely did she welcome “King Viserys into her mattress” earlier than the loss of life of Queen Aemma (Sian Brooke) however she additionally slept with the Previous King Jaehaerys. Whereas extra variety sources instructed that she merely visited his bed room to maintain him firm, and browse him tales.
Mushroom’s Testimony claims that when Princess Rhaenyra, (Milly Alcock), at 14, lusted after Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel), he refused her, and she or he turned to her Uncle Daemon (Matt Smith) for assist in studying the artwork of seduction. Daemon taught her to kiss, then how “greatest to the touch a person to carry him pleasure,” which apparently generally concerned Mushroom and his “huge member.” He even took her to the Avenue of Silk to study “womanly arts” from the intercourse staff. It must be famous that Mushroom was of the idea that Rhaenyra maintained her advantage – as she wished to present it to her real love, Cole.
Mushroom additionally disputes that Cole requested Rhaenyra to run away with him earlier than she was married. In accordance with him, it was Princess Rhaenyra who supplied Cole her virginity as an indication of her love, within the hopes that her betrothed Ser Laenor (John Macmillan) would then refuse her, and the 2 could possibly be collectively. Mushroom says that Cole was so filled with advantage that he refused her, and she or he left indignant and embarrassed. Then seemingly by an act of destiny, she ran immediately into Ser Harwin Robust (Ryan Corr), who was far much less scrupulous and gladly took the reward she had supplied Cole. Regardless of the fact, Cole went from her biggest champion to her most bitter foe.
Mushroom’s Scandalous Tales Appear to be Constructed on Sensationalism
When Princess Rhaenyra and Ser Laenor bought married, Mushroom experiences that they typically shared their marital mattress with Ser Qarl Correy (Arty Froushan). That was till Ser Laenor quickly grew uninterested in Ser Correy, and changed him with a sixteen-year-old unnamed squire. A poor man with costly style and a damaged coronary heart Correy was simply manipulated by Prince Daemon, who paid him to kill Ser Laenor. Then not wanting to go away any free ends, Daemon slit Correy’s throat and dumped his physique at sea.
Whereas Home of the Dragon lays the blame for the hearth at Harrenhal on the toes of Larys Robust (Matthew Needham), Mushroom reported that it was the Sea Snake, Lord Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint) who was accountable. Apparently, he was upset that his son and inheritor, had been made to look a idiot by Princess Rhaenyra and her lover Ser Harwin Robust, and determined to take vengeance on the whole thing of Home Robust.
In accordance with Mushroom, Prince Daemon by no means gave up his quest for energy or Rhaenyra. After the loss of life of his second spouse Girl Laena (Nanna Blondell), Daemon was excited when King Viserys decreed that Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) and her youngsters had been to remain on Dragonstone, as he was on the time dwelling on Driftmark – which might give him quick access to the longer term Queen with out his brother, the King being any the wiser. After they bought married in secret, Mushroom claims that it was not for love on Rhaenyra’s half, however as a result of Rhaenyra was already pregnant, and she or he didn’t need to beginning yet one more bastard child.
King Viserys was murdered by Queen Alicent (Olivia Cooke) in keeping with Mushroom, who says she put “a pinch of poison in his hippocras.” The subsequent homicide he experiences on undoubtedly occurred – The loss of life of poor Lord Beesbury (Invoice Paterson). In his model of occasions, Beesbury’s head was not smashed in opposition to the desk by Cole, as an alternative, Cole grabbed the one honorable man on the desk and promptly threw him out the window the place he landed fatally on iron spikes within the moat under.
Mushroom’s Tales Present the Worst Features of the Targaryens
When King Viserys died, the Greens nonetheless needed to search Flea Backside for his or her chosen inheritor Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney), however in keeping with Mushroom, it was Cole who discovered him. Ser Criston discovered him in a rat pit with two orphans, their enamel filed into factors combating one another for his enjoyment, whereas an underage lady “pleasured his member along with her mouth.” Mushroom additionally disputes the story of King Aegon’s crowning, as apparently, it was far much less spectacular than we have been led to imagine, with the Dragon pit half-filled. Though it should be stated that Mushroom was on Dragonstone with Rhaenyra not in King’s Touchdown on the time, so his accounts of those occasions must be thought-about half-truths at greatest.
He was, nonetheless, on Dragonstone when Rhaenyra acquired the information that her father, the King was useless. Her beginning was no higher than in Home of the Dragon, in actual fact, it was worse. In accordance with his testimony, Rhaenyra was moved to beginning by her anger and was so distressed that she spent all the labor cursing Queen Alicent and King Aegon and the child inside her. She shouted “Monster, monster, get out, get out, GET OUT!” on the unborn babe which Mushroom later described as being malformed, with a gap in her coronary heart, scales, and a tail. He additionally goes on to say that it was he who carried child Visenya outdoors for her funeral rites. Rhaenyra blamed her loss of life on the Greens and cursed and vowed revenge on them for costing her the lifetime of her solely daughter.
Lastly, Mushroom claims that after killing Prince Lucerys (Elliot Grihault) within the skies above Storm’s Finish, Prince Aemon (Ewan Mitchell) discovered his physique, eliminated his eyes, and gave them to one in every of Borros Baratheon’s (Roger Evans) daughter as a present after she humiliated him. Like lots of his tales, this model of occasions reported by Mushroom is unverified and really possible exaggerated.