Those who forget their history may be doomed to repeat it, but those who forget their Westeros lore are doomed to be completely lost — particularly when “House of the Dragon” pulls a deep-cut reference out of nowhere. It wasn’t exactly a struggle to prepare viewers for, say, the shocking cameo of actor Milly Alcock as young Rhaenyra earlier in the season, given the frequent praise thrown her way for her standout performance throughout the first half of season 1. But this latest example of reaching back into distant “House of the Dragon” history for an unexpected appearance is another dilemma entirely. For those who don’t tend to sit through those “Previously on ‘House of the Dragon’” intros before each episode, this is the explainer for you.

May we (re)introduce you to Dyana (Maddie Evans), the handmaid in the employ of House Targaryen back when the series had only recently pulled off its ambitious time jump. When we first cross paths with her, it’s as a victim of young Aegon’s brutality in episode 8. Alicent is summoned to deal with the weeping girl, who recounts how she was sexually assaulted by the prince while serving wine to his chambers. Not without pity, Alicent deals with this frightfully sensitive situation by serving Dyana some moon tea, underhandedly threatening her for talking too much about the incident already, and then paying her off to guarantee her silence … all while Aegon faces no other consequences than a stern, motherly reprimand for his boorish behavior later on.

This scene accomplished a few things: establishing Alicent’s struggle to control her children, foreshadowing the future king’s inability to rule, and, unknowingly to us, setting up Dyana as a crucial returning figure down the line.