Ser Criston Cole Dies in Episode 6 After 3 Arrows End His Last Stand

Q: Who is the unexpected assassin Rhaenyra plans to send after Aemond, and will Alys Rivers' mysterious influence protect him?

The episode strongly points to **Daemon Targaryen** as the “unexpected” assassin Rhaenyra has in mind for Aemond, because he is both Aemond’s uncle and one of the few figures capable of reaching Harrenhal and confronting him in a way Aemond might not anticipate. The outside material reinforces that Daemon is already on a collision course with Aemond in the broader *Fire & Blood* storyline. As for whether **Alys Rivers** can protect Aemond, the show suggests she may help him survive in the short term, but not guarantee his safety. Episode 6 shows Alys urging him to stay hidden and recover, and the supporting material describes her as a prophetic, possibly magical figure with healing knowledge and an increasingly powerful hold over him. That makes her a likely shield against immediate threats, especially while he is wounded and isolated at Harrenhal. But the same source material also makes clear that Alys’ influence is mysterious, not all-powerful. In the book tradition surrounding these characters, she guides Aemond and becomes deeply entwined with his fate, yet she does not ultimately remove the danger around him. So the most evidence-based answer is that **Daemon is the likely assassin Rhaenyra intends to send, and Alys may delay or shape Aemond’s fate, but probably cannot prevent the larger reckoning coming for him.**

3 articles · Updated · tvline.com · Jul 27

Ser Criston Cole is killed midway through House of the Dragon’s Episode 6 when a hidden archer shoots him three times after Rhaenyra-loyal forces surround his depleted army.
A feigned corpse ambush first wipes out Green soldiers at a deserted camp, then Oscar Tully and Roderick Dustin close in as Cole wraps Alicent’s handkerchief around his sword and calls for a two-on-one fight.
King’s Landing frays at the same time: Daemon reports 25 City Watch members killed in Daeron’s name, then fails to rally the Gold Cloaks as fear and underground resistance spread.
Rhaenyra tightens control over Alicent and Helaena after their failed escape, then pressures Alicent into revealing Aemond’s location at Harrenhal in exchange for freedom.
Elsewhere, Aegon chooses flight to Essos over rebuilding at Casterly Rock, while Aemond remains at Harrenhal with 5 dragon eggs as the war splinters into rival plots.