WARNING! This article contains MAJOR spoilers for George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood book, on which House of the Dragon is based.

The official trailer for House of the Dragon season 2 includes a shot of Criston Cole being chased down by a dragon, with the rider being set up to replace a huge Targaryen character after an upcoming tragedy. While season 1 already featured some thrilling dragon scenes with Vhagar, Caraxes, and Meleys, House of the Dragon season 2 will take these sequences to the next level as the Dance of the Dragons begins. The new season’s official trailer gives a few glimpses of what’s in store for the civil war with the Targaryens’ dragons, including a significant change to the dragons and dragonriders present at one major battle.

Criston Cole takes charge of the Greens’ army in House of the Dragon season 2, with one of his biggest early successes in the war being the Battle at Rook’s Rest. The trailer seems to give a sneak peek at Criston riding through the woods on horseback as a dragon chases him from above at this battle, which differs from the events outlined in George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood book. In fact, the dragon and its rider seen going after Criston were never at Rook’s Rest according to the book’s sources, though this change seems to be a strategic way to usher in the replacement for a major Targaryen leader who dies in the battle.

House Of The Dragon Season 2 Trailer Reveals A Big Change To Criston Cole’s Battle At Rook’s Rest

Baela Targaryen and Moondancer are now present at Rook’s Rest

After previous trailers for House of the Dragon already included a shot of her screaming on dragonback, the new footage from season 2 suggests that Baela Targaryen rides Moondancer and chases down Criston Cole at the Battle at Rook’s Rest. Baela was originally never said to be at this battle in Fire & Blood, as it was instead recorded that Rhaenys and Meleys were the only Targaryen and dragon duo from Rhaenyra’s party at the incident. Sadly, the Battle at Rook’s Rest culminates in the deaths of House of the Dragon’s characters Rhaenys and Meleys, as the Greens had set a fatal trap for her.

As such, Baela’s new presence has major implications for the Battle at Rook’s Rest, the event’s battle strategy on both sides, and the aftermath of the outcome when Rhaenyra’s Black Party mourns the losses of Rhaenys and Meleys. With Baela being the granddaughter and close mentee of Rhaenys Targaryen, her involvement in the Battle at Rook’s Rest adds several more layers to the tragic incident at hand. While Criston Cole isn’t the one directly responsible for killing Rhaenys in House of the Dragon’s battle, his one-on-one chase with Baela now seems to have a massive impact on how her fate is organized.

Baela Targaryen Chasing Criston Cole On Moondancer Is Likely At The Same Time As Rhaenys’ Death At Rook’s Rest

Criston Cole may be leading Baela & Moondancer away from Rhaenys

Baela chasing Criston Cole in House of the Dragon season 2 is almost certainly at Rook’s Rest, but whether it’s before or after the death of Rhaenys remains unclear. Fire & Blood reveals that Rhaenys is killed when she arrives to help attack Criston’s army, only to be ambushed in a two-on-one fight when Aegon and Aemond suddenly appear on Sunfyre and Vhagar. While Meleys was a strong, mighty dragon, she couldn’t stand against both Sunfyre and Vhagar together. Tragically, Aegon and Aemond manage to get the upper hand in the skies and send both Rhaenys and Meleys crashing down to their deaths, with the former’s charred body being found near the carcass of the latter.

Though Baela is now present at the Battle at Rook’s Rest, the two-versus-one fight between Aemond, Aegon, and Rhaenys can still work in House of the Dragon season 2. It seems likely that the scene of Baela and Moondancer chasing Criston and the dragon battle happen simultaneously, with Criston drawing Baela away from Rhaenys so that Aegon and Aemond can attack her alone. If so, the shot of Baela screaming in the skies while on dragonback likely occurs when she sees her grandmother and Meleys falling and crashing to their deaths below.

It’s also possible that Baela chasing down Criston Cole happens after Rhaenys’ death at the Battle at Rook’s Rest. Based on the footage teased in the show’s trailers so far, Baela’s screaming could be followed by her decision to follow after Criston and seek revenge for the death of her grandmother. However, since Criston Cole dies later in House of the Dragon’s story, it’s clear that Baela attacking him is interrupted by another threat or simply abandoned if she flees the battle. Regardless, this is a moment that will stick with Baela throughout the rest of House of the Dragon as it sets up her future role in the series.

House Of The Dragon Is Setting Up Baela Targaryen To Replace Rhaenys After Her Season 2 Death

Baela will fill her grandmother’s shoes in the Targaryen Civil War

The death of Rhaenys will be a massive blow to Rhaenyra Targaryen’s cause, as her father’s cousin was an incredible source of strength and unity between the Targaryen and Velaryon forces. Besides Corlys, however, her death will appear to have the biggest impact on Baela, as Rhaenys has taken her eldest granddaughter under her wing in the years since Laena Velaryon’s season 1 death. Now that Baela seemingly watches Rhaenys die in House of the Dragon season 2, the younger Targaryen’s transformation into a fierce warrior and Targaryen-Velaryon representative becomes all the more poignant.

While Baela’s more active role in the Dance of the Dragons’ battles and politics occurred later into the war in the books, House of the Dragon is speeding this transition along to give her a heightened role from the onset. By having Baela attend the Battle at Rook’s Rest and view her grandmother’s tragic fate, House of the Dragon is adding more emotional layers to her transition as she replaces Rhaenys’ role within Rhaenyra’s forces. In this way, the HBO show also ensures that Rhaenys’ legacy is never forgotten among Rhaenyra’s army.