Emma D’Arcy on Rhaenyra’s ‘Hell of an Arc’ on ‘House of the Dragon’ Season 2 (Exclusive)

A civil war is on the way in “House of the Dragon”!

Emma D’Arcy, Matt Smith and Olivia Cooke are back for a fire-breathing, drama-filled Season 2, and they’re telling “Extra” about what’s in store.

D’Arcy, who uses they/them pronouns, tells “Extra” about Rhaenyra Targaryen’s journey.

“We pick up about two weeks later,” they said. “We've just seen her receive the news of the death, the murder of her son. She is stricken with grief.”

The star continued, “It's a hell of an arc. So much changes every episode. It is sort of why I think it is so exciting.”

They added, "I think a load of the work actually shooting this series was just trying to find a way to be super specific about where you are in space and time because we cross-shoot the whole series... So much changes every episode, it's sort of why I think it's so exciting, but like making sure you are holding that context really specifically at all times was, like, probably for me the key challenge of this piece of work."

Emma also teased, “As ever, Rhaenyra is sort of surrounded by people who are kind of endlessly critical of her, of her choices, of her sort of war strategy, of her potential ability as a ruler, and I think she spends Series 2 looking kind of left of field for other types of solutions.”

Matt, who plays dragon-riding warrior Prince Daemon Targaryen, says everyone is at a major crossroads.

“We find him at a bit of a crossroads, to be honest,” Smith said. “Obviously, there's a big division that's coming our way. I think we find everyone in a state of grief. And grief does funny things to people, and it makes people act in extreme ways.”

On the other side of the Iron Throne are the Hightowers, led by Olivia as Alicent and her son Aemond, who have hijacked the throne by killing Rhaenyra’s son Lucerys.

Cooke shared, “We pick up and she's just put her son on the throne, usurping Rhaenyra. She was the queen and she was one of the most powerful people in Westeros and now that power has been exchanged and I think she's realizing, who is she without that status?”

Is Alicent nervous? “Yeah, she’s f**king terrified.”