'House of the Dragon' cocreator says Aegon's avoidance of the crown was driven by neglect: 'This is the medieval version of the millionaire's prodigal son'

• "House of the Dragon: Inside the Creation of a Targaryen Dynasty" is a new book by Gina McIntyre.
• In an exclusive shared with Insider, fans can see concept art and storyboards of Aegon's crowning.

In the new book "House of the Dragon: Inside the Creation of a Targaryen Dynasty," author Gina McIntyre interviews cocreator Ryan Condal about the deeper motivations behind the main characters.

One section about Aegon's crowning includes Condal's thoughts on the young king's hesitance to ascend the Iron Throne. For Condal, the character's emotional drives come in part from King Viserys' neglect.

"Aegon is a great example of neglect and indulgence," Condal says. "This is the medieval version of the millionaire's prodigal son. His mother was 15, and his father never paid any attention to him. His father deeply, deeply loved Aemma and Rhaenyra and was [only] having [more] kids to carry on the line. He really didn't want Aegon — he wanted Baelon, the son that killed his first wife."

The first season of "House of the Dragon" covers the slow escalation of a multi-generational feud between two of Viserys' heirs, the young King Aegon Targaryen (led by Otto and Alicent Hightower) and Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen (backed by Viserys' Targaryen loyalists).

In the pages from "Inside the Creation of a Targaryen Dynasty," you can see new interviews with the cast and creators as well as people who helped design the new locations of Westeros behind the scenes.

In the final two episodes of season one, Aegon is reluctantly dragged to his own coronation after King Viserys dies and his mother (Alicent) and grandfather (Otto) decide to crown the young man before Rhaenyra can claim her birthright. After he is crowned in the Dragonpit and sees the roars of the smallfolk, King Aegon smiles with a new satisfaction.

But we'll have to wait for the upcoming second season to see how he actually goes about ruling his new kingdom, and how long it will take for Queen Rhaenyra to try to reclaim the seat of power.

"House of the Dragon: Inside the Creation of a Targaryen Dynasty" is out in bookstores now. Read our breakdown of why the HBO fantasy series was the best TV show of 2022 here.