Daenerys Targaryen’s quest to become Westeros' queen will continue inThe Winds of Winter, but there will likely be another who sits on the Iron Throne before she does. Daenerys didn’t startA Song of Ice and Firedriven by her desire to rule and belief it’s her destiny. That was her brother, Viserys Targaryen, while all Dany wanted was to go home. The part of Dany who longs for the house with the red door still exists, but there’s also now the character who will take what is hers with fire and blood, as seen inGame of Thrones' ending.
InGame of Thronesseason 8, while Daenerys did defeat her rival for the crown, Cersei Lannister, she never got to sit on the Iron Throne and her reign was short-lived. I think things will be a bit different in the books, both in terms of how long she reigns and the order of events that lead to her taking the throne, but that doesn’t mean it’ll be straightforward. Certainly,whenThe Winds of Winterreleases, she’s not the Targaryen I most expect to win the crown.
Who Will Become King Or Queen The Winds Of Winter?
Tommen May Not Hold On To The Iron Throne For Much Longer
King Tommen Baratheon currently sits the Iron Throne, but he’s little more than a puppet king, andthe Lannisters' grasp on power is rapidly loosening. Tywin Lannister’s death was already a huge blow, but now there’s the growing influence of the High Sparrow, Cersei Lannister’s walk of atonement and looming trial, and perhaps most pertinently, the deaths of Kevan Lannister and Grand Maester Pycelle at the hands of Varys and his little birds. The crown is now fully engulfed in chaos, opening the door for a new claimant.
That’s the political situation into which Aegon Targaryen, aka Young Griff, will enter. As perThe Winds of Winter’s preview chapters,Aegon, Jon Connington, and the Golden Company have not only landed, but already taken Storm’s End. That’s one of the strongest castles in Westeros, and provides a good base for their campaign, from which they can plan their attack on the capital after (presumably) defeating the Tyrell army.
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It’s unknown ifYoung Griff really is Aegon Targaryen, but what will matter is that the people believe he is.Aegon has been raised as the perfect prince, someone who will be beloved by the smallfolk, which the Lannisters do not have. Add in that he has the most famous and ostensibly greatest sellsword company anyone knows of, an alliance with Dorne and House Martell on the horizon, and the skill of Varys and backing of Illyrio Mopatis, all weighed against a crumbling Lannister rule and Cersei’s incompetence. With all that, it’s difficult to see how Aegonwon’tbecome king.
All the setup tells me Aegon will take the Iron Throne, perhaps before Daenerys even reaches Westeros.
All the setup tells me Aegon will take the Iron Throne, perhaps before Daenerys even reaches Westeros. One of her visions from the House of the Undying inA Clash of Kings, while possibly teasing Aegon is indeed a fake, also suggests he’ll take the Iron Throne:“A cloth dragon swayed on poles amid a cheering crowd.“If Aegon is indeed the cloth dragon, then I’d say it’s pretty fair to surmise the cheering crowd is him being crowned king.
I’m Sure Daenerys Targaryen Will Become Queen Eventually
Could The Winds Of Winter Be Too Soon?
Although Daenerys may not be the one to restore the Targaryen reign, I’d still expect her to become queen at some point, given how big a part of her arc it is. This definitely could happen inThe Winds of Winter, my only concern is whether there’s enough time. After all, the book would need to:
It’s not impossible all that happens inThe Winds of Winter, because it’s already set to be thelongestA Song of Ice and Firebook, but it isa lot, especially when Daenerys' story has typically moved so slowly. That’s not me ruling it out by any means, butI can see a world where Dany heads to or arrives in Westeros at the end of the sixth novel, setting up the conflict to happen early inA Dream of Spring.
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All the kings in Game of Thrones and the new rulers introduced in House of the Dragon show how contentious a position on the Iron Throne can be.
I also very much buy into the theory thatthisiswhy Daenerys burns King’s Landingin the book, rather than her Mad Queen turn fromGame of Thronesseason 8. It may not even be fully intentional, given the caches of wildfire in the capital. But Dany finally making it home, only to discover another Targaryen has taken her birthright and destiny, thus leading to another Dance of the Dragons, is a very compelling idea. I’d love to see it, so maybe, hopefully, George R.R. Martin can pull it off inThe Winds of Winter.
