Houston Rockets Mascot Bends The Knee To ‘Game Of Thrones’ Star Emilia Clarke Ahead Of Penultimate Episode

You would think that after eight seasons of Game of Thrones, Emilia Clarke would be used to bumping into Daenerys Targaryen fans everywhere. But she seemed genuinely shocked at a basketball game on Friday when the mascot for the Houston Rockets made a big show of kneeling before her and kissing her hand.

In a video shared on the team’s Twitter page, you can see Emilia blushing, laughing, hiding her face in her hands, and sinking in her chair all in the manner of seconds. During her reaction, the screen also displays her character’s long list of titles, but there’s barely enough space to contain them all.

Kneeling before Daenerys — or bending the knee — is a big deal on Game Of Thrones. It means that you support her claim to the Iron Throne and are willing to fight alongside her for it. Now more than ever, fealty is crucial to her side of the battle.

Spoiler alert!

Now that she’s returned from the North after the defeat of The Night King, her forces are weak and she seems to be losing the loyalty of key advisors, Tyrion and Varys. To make matters worse, during last week’s episode, Missandei, her longtime confidante and friend, was executed by Daenerys’ rival for the throne, Cersei. At the beginning of last season, it seemed that her previous treachery would be rewarded with dragon fire from Daenerys, but Cersei has held her ground and has even been able to successfully kill one of the beasts.

So, it’s looking pretty grim for Emilia Clarke’s character.

“She starts feeling pretty cocksure and confident, and then stuff happens,” Clarke said of Daenerys in an interview for Harper’s Bazaar.

She has also hinted that the end of her character’s story will not be pleasant.

“It f**ked me up,” she said in an interview with Vanity Fair. “Knowing that is going to be a lasting flavor in someone’s mouth of what Daenerys is.”

Emilia also told Stephen Colbert that when she read Daenerys last scene she was so emotional that she walked aimlessly through London for hours.

So, it’s safe to say that the Sunday’s episode, the penultimate episode of the entire series, will be epic. In an interview with Jimmy Kimmel, Emilia confirmed this prediction.

“Find the biggest TV you can,” she said. The Khaleesi has spoken.

The next episode of Game of Thrones airs on HBO on Sunday, May 12.