When you play the Game of Thrones, you win or you die.
And I believe I know how it ends.
There’s a clue halfway through book 2, A Clash of Kings, which I’m convinced is the key to the ending.
So if you don’t want to know yet – don’t read on, as there are spoilers.
It all hangs on the mystic number 7.
There are Seven Kingdoms. and seven gods: Father, Mother, Smith, Crone, Warrior, Maid and Stranger.
And, in A Clash of Kings, Catelyn Stark visits a village sept. As she looks around at the rough charcoal drawings of the Seven, she sees some of them as the people she knows:
“The Father’s face made her think of her own father, dying in his bed at Riverrun. The Warrior was Renly and Stannis, Robb and Robert, Jaime Lannister and Jon Snow. She even glimpsed Arya in those lines, just for an instant…”
I reckon this is a clue to George R R Martin’s ending. I’ve seen the series up to the end of Series 5, and I’ve only read the books up to the middle of book 2, so this is a bit of a gamble. But I’m so sure it must be right that I’m going to play the Game of Thrones and predict the ending – a perfect ending to satisfy every reader and every viewer.
Sure you want to know?
Here goes, then:
NO ONE will sit on the Iron Throne.
When this saga ends, that ugly iron chair made of swords will be melted down, as a symbol of the final end to all these wars.
Instead, the Seven Kingdoms will be ruled by a Council of Seven, each representing one of the original Seven Kingdoms, but also representing the Seven gods.
The question is, who will the Council of Seven be?
Father: Traditionally a bearded man, this could be Jon Snow (brought back to life by Melisandre), representing the Kingdom of the North. He’s not a father yet, but I predict he’ll marry Arya Stark and rebuild Winterfell.
Mother: As the Mother of Dragons, this could be Danaerys. Since Robin Arryn deserves a flying lesson via the Moon Door, that would leave the Kingdom of Mountain and Vale free for Danaerys to rule. Having been Khaleesi of the Dothraki, she has the experience to deal with the wildmen of the Vale. Her dragons could reach the Eyrie easily enough, but I predict two will die in battle and one will lay eggs.
Smith: Obviously, this would be Gendry. As Robert Baratheon’s baseborn son, he could represent the Kingdom of the Stormlands. If Edric Storm survives, he could run Storm’s End.
Crone: There is beauty in the Crone, as well as wisdom. The Crone might be Margaery’s grandmother, Olenna Tyrell, representing the Kingdom of the Reach. But I suspect Cersei might have a change of heart based on all she’s suffered and lost, and mellow into becoming the Crone once all her children are dead.
Warrior: The Hound, Sandor Clegane, would be my guess, representing the Kingdom of the Isles and Rivers because I predict he’ll end up married to Sansa, a descendant of House Tully. He wasn’t looking too healthy last time we saw him, but I reckon he’ll survive and Sansa will be involved in nursing him back to health. He’s certainly hard enough to gain the respect of the Ironmen, although they’re likely to make their home at Riverrun, since Pyke isn’t the cosiest of homes.
Maid: If the Maid has to be a virgin, it could be Brienne of Tarth. If Jaime won’t have her, she’ll never marry. The island of Tarth is part of the Stormlands, but she could be granted the Kingdom of the Rock. Jaime will either marry her to get Casterly Rock back, or die bravely to expiate his crimes.
Stranger: The Stranger is “neither male nor female, yet both, ever the outcast, the wanderer from far places, less and more than human, unknown and unknowable.” This is a perfect description of the eunuch, Lord Varys. He never wanted to rule the kingdom, but I’m sure he’d be happy to represent the Kingdom of Dorne. I believe he will turn out to be related to the Targaryens and therefore have some claim to Dorne through Daeron II.
And what will become of Tyrion Lannister? I can’t decide. Any suggestions?