You Probably Missed This Key Detail in Aemond's Exchange With Aegon in 'House of the Dragon' (SPOILERS)

This article contains spoilers for House of the Dragon Season 2, Episode 6.

Aemond has taken a seat on the Iron Throne while his brother Aegon recovers from the extensive injuries he suffered during the Battle at Rook's Rest, and it doesn't take much for viewers to see how content he is in a position of power. Aemond's rash and ruthless side has made a couple of appearances this season, and coupled with his dragon Vhagar, he's a formidable threat to the blacks.

After a conversation in which Aemond makes his bid for a new hand to replace Aegon's pick, the younger brother visits the King of Westeros in his bedchamber. The exchange is a tense one, with Aemond leaning heavily into the wounds on his brother's side, despite Aegon's vocal pain, leaving him with a small treasure in the king's hand. But what did Aemond give to Aegon? Let's take a closer look.

As Aemond leaves his brother's bedchamber following the exchange as the grand maester comes in, viewers get a quick look at what Aemond left behind. It seems that Aemond has brought his brother one of the balls used in the small council meetings.

Aegon is clearly shaken by this exchange, though how much of that is from the pain of his brother pressing on his wounds isn't clear. Though Aemond placed a kiss on his brother's forehead before departing, as though wishing his brother a speedy recovery, it seems there may be more sinister happenings at play here.

The balls placed in front of every member of the Small Council aren't actually traceable items in the books House of the Dragon is based on, but rather an addition decided by the showrunners.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, set decorator Claire Nie Richards and production designer Jim Clay came up with the balls as a way for the attendees to "punch in" as they attend the meetings.

"It represented the council coming in and being part of the meeting," Claire told the outlet.

Though they were initially just a small piece of the set in Season 1, they seem to be playing a bigger role in Season 2, if the frequency they appear on screen is any indication. Viewers saw Jaehaerys playing with a member's ball during one of the first episodes, and now Aegon's has been given back to him by his brother as he stands in as king.

Though it may be too early to say what the significance of this moment is, it definitely suggests that Aemond is trying to take his brother's place more permanently. By returning his Small Council ball to his brother, Aemond is removing it from the collection in their meeting room, ensuring that he doesn't have a way to check in and essentially removing him from the Small Council.

House of the Dragon airs new episodes on Sundays at 9 p.m. EST on HBO and Max.