In an interview with Collider ahead of "House of the Dragon" Season 3, Episode 7, actress Gayle Rankin discussed her character Alys Rivers and the ambiguous nature of her bond with Aemond Targaryen. The pair's connection began when Aemond collapsed at Alys's feet after killing Harrenhal's castellan, Simon Strong, and his sons, and has since deepened into something involving maternal undertones, apparent witchcraft, and a clutch of dragon eggs. This matters to fans because the show has increasingly leaned into supernatural elements around Harrenhal, and Alys's true motives remain one of the season's central mysteries, especially following Alicent Hyde's attempt to poison her own son.

Rankin addressed a widely discussed dinner scene in which Aemond reaches for both Alys's and Alicent's hands, revealing that the moment was improvised on set by co-star Ewan Mitchell rather than scripted. She also reflected on how much extrasensory awareness Alys might have of Aemond's disturbing visions of his mother, comparing it to a similar dream once experienced by Daemon Targaryen, and pushed back on the assumption that Alys is deliberately manipulating him. Rankin suggested the ambiguity itself is a deliberate commentary on how female characters are perceived, with the show's witchcraft elements serving as a metaphor for power.