House of the Dragon made its hotly-anticipated debut in the early hours of Monday morning and Game of Thrones fans have wasted no time getting stuck into episode one.
MORE: House of the Dragon: viewers saying same thing about Game of Thrones' prequel’s first episode
Given the show is set about 200 years prior to the events that take place in the original series, viewers have been introduced to a whole new set of characters. However, some were left shocked when a major player in the Targaryen family was killed off in the first instalment.
WATCH: What did you think of episode one?
Queen Aemma Arryn, the wife of King Viserys and mother of Rhaenyra Targaryen, met her tragic end in the show's debut when her husband made the decision to sacrifice her life in favour of their baby's during childbirth.
Desperate to have a male heir for the throne, Viserys gave his permission for a C-section to be carried out on the pregnant queen, which made for disturbing viewing for the show's fans.
The horrific scene divided fans, with many finding Aemma's violent death hard to watch. One person took to Twitter, writing: "Aemma Targaryen's death was literally the hardest thing I've watched in a long time. That was brutal in every way. My chest felt weird," while another added: "The birth scene in #HouseoftheDragon needs a major tw. My skin is crawling, oh my god."
MORE: House of the Dragon: who is who? Characters in episode one explained
MORE: House of the Dragon: the ultimate guide to the return to Westeros
A third viewer commented: "I do need to mention that the birth scene in #houseofthedragon was a little too much for me. This was the worst instance of blood and violence I've ever seen on television. I feel sick," while a fourth agreed, adding: "Poor Aemma Arryn. That was definitely very hard to watch."
© HBOViewers were left shocked by Aemma's brutal death
While most fans found the scene a brutal watch, some were less surprised to see such a gruesome scene in the show, considering the original series had a reputation for such content.
One person wrote: "It was tough to watch the birth scene. Horrifying premiere but I guess that's to be expected from George R.R. Martin," while another added: "I was horrified watching THAT part! Was hating #Viserys for the decision but I understood why he had to. This is a great actress! She wanted to live!!! Heartbreaking!"
Like this story? Sign up to our What to Watch newsletter to get other stories like this delivered straight to your inbox.
