Game of Thrones: Will Daenerys Let Jon Rule the Iron Throne?

While Jon Snow (Kit Harington) was leading his Suicide Squad to capture a Wight in the sixth episode of Game of Thrones season 7, "Beyond the Wall," Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) and her Hand of the Queen, Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage), had a heated discussion about succession. In the event that Daenerys does win her war with Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey) and captures the Iron Throne, the pressing matter of who would become ruler of the Seven Kingdoms after her is something that causes both Daenerys and Tyrion great consternation. After all, in season 1, a witch cursed Daenerys with not being able to have children; she has accepted that her three dragons are the only "children" she will ever have.The romantic relationship between Daenerys and Jon could solve this sticky problem. Jon finally bent the knee to Daenerys and accepted her as his Queen; Daenerys in turn accepted Jon into her bed in the season 7 finale "The Dragon and the Wolf." Yet this inevitable Jon and Daenerys coupling could complicate matters even further. Neither is currently aware that Jon is actually a Targaryen and Daenerys' nephew. He is the son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark, and a true blooded Targaryen who has a legitimate claim to the Iron Throne.Even when Jon and Daenerys eventually discover Jon's true heritage, it doesn't necessarily mean there's a problem. The Targaryens have a legacy of marrying family members to keep their bloodline pure. However, the eventual reveal of Jon's heritage could open up a bevy of problems for Jon, Daenerys, and for the entire country of Westeros.

IS JON SNOW THE RIGHTFUL HEIR?

This is the biggest question that has to be addressed: Does Jon's claim to the Iron Throne supersede Daenerys' claim? As Gilly (Hannah Murray) discovered while reading the meticulous records kept by High Septon Maynard at the Citadel - which was confirmed by Bran Stark (Isaac Hemstead-Wright) traveling back in time as the Three Eyed Raven to witness it - Rhaegar Targaryen secretly married Lyanna Stark in Dorne. Furthermore, Rhaegar's previous marriage to Elia Martell was annulled; therefore the legal claim of his children with Elia, Rhaenys and Aegon, was rendered null and void. As the Prince of Dragonstone and first born son of the Mad King Aerys, Rhaegar was heir to the Iron Throne. With his annulment to Elia and legal marriage to Lyanna, this means that his son with Lyanna, Jon Snow - who was named Aegon Targaryen at birth - becomes the heir to the Iron Throne, especially since every other Targaryen is dead. Every Targaryen... except Daenerys.

Daenerys is the younger sister of Rhaegar and only living child of the Mad King Aerys. Her claim to the Iron Throne rests entirely upon her family name and her family's history as the founders and rulers of the Seven Kingdoms. Plus, ruling the Seven Kingdoms has been Daenerys' one goal and lifelong ambition. From everything we've seen throughout the 7 seasons of Game of Thrones thus far, if one person has proven she actually deserves the Iron Throne and would be a good ruler, it's Daenerys.

Though the Targaryens were deposed by Robert's Rebellion and the ascension of Robert Baratheon (Mark Addy) as King, it can be argued that since neither King Joffrey (Jack Gleeson) nor King Tommen (Dean-Charles Chapman) were actually Robert's sons - they are the product of incest between Queen Cersei and her twin brother Jaime Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) - Westeros hasn't had a true King since Robert died. And yet, even with the rampant suspicions about Joffrey and Tommen's true parentage - and now the outright flagrant flaunting by the reigning Queen Cersei of her incestuous relationship with Jaime - the systems in place in Westeros (controlled the Lannisters) continue to support the Baratheon-Lannister claim to the Iron Throne.

Hence, Daenerys doesn't have legal right to automatically claim the Iron Throne, in spite of her family name. She must win it from Cersei through war. This war is overall going in her favor, and should Daenerys ultimately win, the Iron Throne is hers' - until Jon's heritage and claim come to light. Then the issue of whether Jon has more rights as Rhaegar's son and heir versus Daenerys' rights as Rhaegar's sister will have to be settled. There are a couple of ways this can be sorted out, without getting the Maesters of the Citadel and a lot of legal wrangling involved.

Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen in Beyond the Wall

JON AND DAENERYS MARRY

If Daenerys accepts Jon Snow's claim - or even if she doesn't - the easiest way to settle the matter is to marry her nephew. Again, Targaryens have no problem with marrying family members (though Jon, who was raised as a Stark, may take issue with wedding his aunt). Jon and Daenerys have already succumbed to their mutual attraction and had sex. Marriage solves everything - they can rule the Seven Kingdoms together, and the issue of Daenerys being unable to have children will probably be sorted out though the special kind of magic that these particular Targaryens seem to benefit from at opportune times.

Daenerys actually wants to be Queen. Jon has never sought out the responsibility of ruling, and has had being Lord Commander of the Night's Watch and being King in the North thrust upon him by circumstance. Unless Jon suddenly develops previously uncharacteristic ambitions - or his male pride activates a desire to be King and not be ruled by his wife, which isn't unthinkable for Jon - Daenerys would be happy to take the job of actually ruling the Seven Kingdoms off of Jon's hands. She's more experienced, skilled at, and better suited to ruling anyway. Jon, Daenerys, and Westeros could live happily ever after.

Then again, this is Game of Thrones. 'Happily ever after' doesn't exist in this saga.

JON AND DAENERYS GO TO WAR

In spite of Daenerys' desire to 'break the wheel' her ancestor Aegon Targaryen, the First of His Name, built, the patriarchy of Westerosi society may find Jon's claim to be more legitimate than Daenerys'. If Daenerys doesn't accept Jon's claim, if Jon wants to press it, and if the love affair between them sours as a result, then war is the logical next step between the Mother of Dragons and the King in the North. This would be a very ugly affair that would instantly and completely rip apart the peace they won in the war against Cersei. Daenerys and Jon are two of the most well-liked and respected people in Westeros, so a war between them would force people like Tyrion and Varys (Conleth Hill) to choose sides, likely Daenerys'. Meanwhile, the North would naturally rally to support Jon, and the country would suffer from yet another devastating conflict.

This scenario is a bit harder to imagine, again due to Jon's general reticence about ruling and the noble character of both Jon and Daenerys, but it's certainly not out of the question. One way that could spark Jon deciding he needs to have the Iron Throne would be because it is for the greater good of Westeros, i.e. Daenerys begins showing signs of Targaryen madness and becomes a Mad Queen. However, Daenerys doesn't have to be 'mad' as in 'insane,' to be the one to turn on Jon - she could simply be 'mad' as in 'furious' at him for any reason that might cause him to press his claim and thus threaten her rights.

Ultimately, Daenerys' answer for anyone - including Jon - keeping her from the Iron Throne would be "Dracarys!" For nearly all of Game of Thrones, Daenerys has repeatedly declared "I was born to rule the Seven Kingdoms - and I will! I will take what is mine with Fire and Blood!" Becoming Queen of Westeros has been the one motivation that has driven her to overcome every obstacle in her life. Daenerys Stormborn would be damned if even Jon Snow would keep her from what's rightfully hers', and it's not inconceivable she would plunge Westeros into a war again to keep the Iron Throne.

JON AND/OR DAENERYS DIES

Kit Harrington as Jon Snow in Game of Thrones

A death in the family settles the issue. If Jon Snow somehow dies, then the bloodline of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark dies with him. Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner) inherits Winterfell and becomes Warden of the North if she bends the knee to Daenerys, and Daenerys' rights are resolute and unchallenged as the last Targaryen. The only remaining issue would be succession if she hasn't successfully procreated with Jon (it will very likely be Jon who is destined to be her mate regardless; no one else really has a shot romantically at the Dragon Queen at this point).

If Daenerys dies, this would be the end of the pure-blooded Targaryen line. Jon, a half-Stark, becomes the King via his Targaryen rights by his father Rhaegar. As a male, he could marry whomever he wished as King and sire an heir to continue the line of succession to the Iron Throne. Because Jon doesn't have the issues with having children Daenerys has, his becoming King actually seems like the better long-term prospect for Westeros. Jon is not particularly skilled at ruling, but those skills can be learned, as Daenerys herself learned them. Daenerys as Queen heralds a better world, but Jon is the key to that better world continuing past either of their deaths. If both Jon and Daenerys die, then Westeros is thrown into total chaos once more, and the remaining great Houses would go to war yet again to win control over the Iron Throne.

Of course, all of this is mere speculation under the conditions that Jon, Daenerys, and Westeros as a whole survive the winter and the Great War with the Night King and the White Walkers. While everyone dying at the hands of the Night King seems like a far-fetched conclusion, this is Game of Thrones and the unexpected tends to be the norm.

Daenerys is more likely to accept Jon's claim so long as he doesn't directly challenge her own, and ruling Westeros together is the optimum solution. However, looking ahead to season 8 and the ending of the series - being mindful again that 'happily ever after' doesn't exist in this saga - a shiny happy conclusion of Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen hand in hand ruling Westeros triumphantly seems like a naive prospect. It's far more likely Game of Thrones will end with a sad verse to the Song of Ice and Fire. Just what that will entail remains to be seen.