While King Viserys I Targaryen is ruling from the Red Keep in King’s Landing, Dragonstone is primarily occupied by his brother, Prince Daemon Targaryen, along with his close allies and later his family.

Key Context: Which Viserys?

Your question matches the timeline and locations from House of the Dragon (Viserys I, not the later Viserys from Game of Thrones).

In this period, Viserys is king in the Red Keep, while Dragonstone functions as a strategic stronghold linked closely to his heir and his brother.

Who Lives in Dragonstone Then?

During Viserys I’s reign, several important figures are associated with Dragonstone at overlapping times:

  • Prince Daemon Targaryen – Viserys’s younger brother, who at one point takes up residence in Dragonstone after losing his status as heir.
  • Mysaria – Daemon’s partner, who lives with him when he occupies Dragonstone and is involved in his political posturing.
  • Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen – Viserys’s named heir, later Princess of Dragonstone; she spends significant time there, especially as tensions grow with Alicent’s faction.
  • Rhaenyra’s household and retainers – including members of her Black Council and sworn knights who assemble around her on Dragonstone as the succession crisis deepens.

So, in the stretch where Viserys is firmly in the Red Keep, Dragonstone is most notably Daemon’s base (with Mysaria) and later becomes Rhaenyra’s seat and war council center.

Quick Scoop: Dragonstone vs. Red Keep

Here’s a compact view tying your question to the main players of that era:

[9][8] [8][9] [10][9][8] [9][10]
Location Main resident while Viserys rules Role in the story
Red Keep King Viserys I Targaryen, his court, Alicent’s family, royal council.Seat of royal power, where the succession dispute is brewed.
Dragonstone Prince Daemon Targaryen (with Mysaria), later Princess Rhaenyra and her Black Council.Strategic stronghold and staging ground for Rhaenyra’s claim in the Dance of the Dragons.

Mini Story View

  • Viserys names Rhaenyra his heir and keeps ruling from the Red Keep.
  • Daemon, angry at losing his position, moves out and occupies Dragonstone , even stealing a dragon egg to provoke Viserys.
  • As Viserys’s health fades and factions harden, Rhaenyra’s power base shifts toward Dragonstone , where she and her council effectively build a rival royal center.

So if you’re picturing the show era: Viserys in the Red Keep, Daemon (then Rhaenyra) in Dragonstone is the key dynamic.

TL;DR: When Viserys I is in the Red Keep, Dragonstone is mainly Daemon Targaryen’s residence, later becoming Rhaenyra’s seat and war headquarters along with her allies.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.