Last week on Game of Thrones, Daenerys Targaryen took the Iron Throne with lots of fire, and lots of blood. It’s safe to say that King’s Landing — or, what remains of it — is now squarely back in Targaryen possession, protected by an army of Unsullied and Dothraki. Still, if there’s one thing we have learned about the show, it’s that there are no happy endings. But what if Dany as the villain is that unhappy ending? What if she actually keeps the Red Keep?
Hear us out: Dany could totally stay on the throne. For starters, it would be the ultimate shocker. We’re all expecting something to happen to her, after last week’s dracarys-palooza, but what if the power that allowed Dany to assume rule is the very same power that keeps her there? She has a dragon, and even though her other two children are dead, we saw that Drogon is mightily capable of fucking shit up on his own. Though she doesn’t have the number she once did, she has a deadly army. Since the Red Keep is gone, she’s most likely heading back to Dragonstone, which is another imposing fortress. And Dany has ensured that the people of Westeros — even the rest of the Lannister army — will bend the knee. No one wants to get roasted.
AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT
Fear, though, doesn’t inspire loyalty or love. Dany herself admitted as much when Jon Snow rejected her love. She will have to contend with her subjects — both noble and common — attempting to overthrow her, as they did with her father. But Dany once said, “So many men have tried to kill me, I don’t remember all their names.” She has escaped numerous assassination attempts, and now her coterie of protectors is stronger than ever. Who needs loyal advisors when she has food tasters, Queensguard, and the deadliest dragon since Balerion the Black Dread? Whoever decides to murder the new queen will have some serious obstacles to face.
Still, if there’s one person who is up to the task, it’s the pint-sized Stark assassin who just survived the apocalypse. As we saw when Arya killed the Night King, she has the skills to evade Dany’s new Secret Service. She’s also possibly prophesied to take Dany out by Melisandre; the Mad Queen has green eyes, after all. If Arya decides to assassinate Dany, either with pure stealth or by using one of her faces, she would have to find some way into the nearly impenetrable Targaryen family home, Dragonstone. And if Dany has any sense at all, she probably expects Arya to make an attempt on her life, and will take the necessary precautions. Dany has seen how dangerous Arya is, and could keep Drogon around her at all times. For all her cunning, Arya can’t best escape a dragon at point-blank range. Let’s hope she doesn’t try — we can’t bear the loss of another Stark.