House of the Dragon Season 3 returned to our screens this week with the third episode, "Rhaenyra Triumphant". The 56-minute-long episode followed Queen Rhaenyra on her first day on the throne. However, the episode also slowly plants the seed for downfall. The closing minute also reveals that the Targaryen Civil War is not over.Ormund's siege of Tumbleton is just a small problem in the ongoing third season. There is also Rhaenyra's dwindling support of the nobles of King's Landing as the queen raided their castles in the second act of the episode for hoarding food. But the most shocking alienation in this House of the Dragon Season 3 episode is that of Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint).House of the Dragon Season 3 Episode sets up three shocking betrayals for Rhaenyra: View this post on Instagram Instagram PostHouse of the Dragon Season 3 has started with major wins for Rhaenyra Targaryen. The Battle of Gullet in the first episode and the coup in the second went in Rhaenyra's favor. But this episode reveals just how fragile her position is. Her throne isn't as secure as Rhaenyra believes it to be. We first learn that her coronation has been put on hold because her treasury is almost empty.But she alienates Corlys Velaryon and the noble houses in one fell swoop in this House of the Dragon Season 3 episode. In the second act of this episode, Rhaenyra alienates the noble families of King's Landing by organizing a feast for them. However, the noble families are not treated to a grand feast, but one consisting of dead rats.Rhaenyra justifies this shocking feast to the noble families, saying that the common people of King's Landing rely on rats for food as they hoard food in their classes. She also has her forces raid those castles to redistribute the hoarded food amongst the people. This move will ensure that the noble houses won't help her as she is betrayed by three of her allies.Episode 3 plants the seed of Corlys's betrayal in an upcoming episode of House of the Dragon Season 3 as she knighted Ulf, Hugh, and Addam. Rhaenyra knighted Addam as Addam of Hull, instead of Addam of Velaryon. Steve Toussaint, who plays Corlys Velaryon in the series, addressed the character's reaction, i.e., calling Rhaenyra's children illegitimate, in an interview with Variety:“It’s one of the things that he does without thinking. Looking at the scene in the script, I remember thinking, ‘OK, well, the last time someone said that to her, it was his brother, and he died within seconds.’ So this is a very dangerous thing to do, but I feel like he’s completely at the end of his tether. In that moment, he doesn’t care, which, again, is why he raises his voice."The actor further continued:"It’s not like he sort of just goes, ‘I know what’s going on.’ He screamed it out. He doesn’t care. And it’s very defiant: I dare you to prove me wrong, because the world has suspected this anyway, and I’ve kept a secret. It’s not careless abandoned, that’s not quite what it is. I think it’s like, do your worst. I don’t care. There’s nothing you can do that will make the truth any different to what it is.”Aside from Corlys, this season has also laid the groundwork for another surprising betrayal, revealed in last week's episode.SPOILER ALERT: This portion mentions an important plot point from Fire & BloodThis betrayal turned the tide against the blacks:Ulf and Hugh in House of the Dragon Season 3 Episode 3 | Image Via: WBDDaemon struck Ulf in the second episode of this season for abandoning his station at Harrenhal. This episode further sees Daemon mistreating Ulf as he jokingly asks the dragon rider if he wants to be made the lord of a castle. While Rhaenyra isn't as brazen in her treatment of the dragon riders, she doesn't offer them any material prizes apart from mere titles.In Hugh's case, we see him being desperate to keep his family safe. In the second act of this episode, we see Hugh asking Rhaenyra about accommodation for him and his family. But he is told that it would take time. While Rhaenyra has her problems because of the lack of a council, she isn't concerned with Hugh's terrible living conditions before he joined her.Therefore, it isn't surprising that House of the Dragon Season 3 is setting up the two common dragon riders' betrayal. In the book, we don't know the reason behind the betrayal, which is why the HBO show is coming up with a story for their shocking turn.These betrayals and Ormund's siege of Tumbleton should be the factors that bring down Rhaenyra's reign.Did you watch the latest House of the Dragon Season 3 episode?