Many of the actors on the show have commented that the ending of the series will be “bittersweet”.
Well, I’ve gazed long and hard into my crystal coffee mug, and I’ve come up with what I think is the bittersweet ending they are talking about.
Nothing here is a spoiler, just my overactive imagination, my best guess if you will. So here we go…
The battle starts and quickly becomes clear that our intrepid warriors don’t stand a chance against the army of the dead. As the White Walkers and the undead battle their way closer and closer to the gates of Winterfell, Jon and Dani realize that if they have any hope of winning they must take to the skies on their dragons.
They do so, burning a swath through the ranks of the undead and the white walkers, in their search of the Night King. After a fearful battle, both in the skies and on the ground, the Night King is finally destroyed by dragon fire. Once the Night King is destroyed, all the other White Walkers and their walking dead are destroyed as well, ending the battle.
But victory comes at a great cost. Jon is grievously wounded, and Rhaegal is killed in battle. Bran, having warged into the ice dragon Viserion in an attempt to aid Jon and Dani in their fight, and still being in control when Viserion is killed, once more finds himself in a coma.
A count is taken of the fallen. Of note: Ser Brienne of Tarth, Podrick Paine, Gray Worm, Beric Dondarrion, Tormund Giantsbane, Ser Davos Seaworth, Jorah Mormont, Leanne Mormont, Sandor Clegane, Dolorous Edd and Theon Greyjoy.
In the days following the Battle of Winterfell, while Jon is still at deaths door, a raven arrives from Bronn, informing the Lannister brothers of Cersei’s plan to have them both killed. Both Tyrion and Jamie take their leave of Winterfell and head south. Sam, Gilly and baby Sam head south to Sam’s ancestral home, Horn Hill.
Dani legitimizes Gendry as a true born son of Robert Baratheon. Gendry and Aria marry and as a wedding gift, Dani informs then that when she takes the Iron Throne, the Tyrell’s home of High Garden is theirs.
Dani, after seeing that Jon is being tended to in what remains of Winterfell, flies off on Drogon, intending to bring an end to Cersei, once and for all. After torching the Iron Fleet in Blackwater Bay and killing all onboard (including Euron), she sets her sights on the Red Keep, only to find the doors and gates wide open. Cersei has fled Kings Landing and is making her way to Casterly Rock.
On the way Cersei crosses paths with Tyrion and Jamie. Not knowing that Bronn has double crossed her, she tries to woo her way back into her brother’s good graces, only to have both “little brothers” “wrap their hands around her neck and choke the life from her”, thus fulfilling the Valonqar prophecy.
Skip ahead about seven months. Spring has come once again to Westeros. We find out that Jon has died from his wounds received in the Battle of Winterfell. Sansa is now Queen in the North (a promise that Dani made before she left), Bran has recovered and is now Sansa’s Hand as well as the Three Eyed Raven. Yara is Queen of the Iron Islands and Tyrion has returned to Kings Landing and is the Hand of the Queen. Jamie has become Lord of Casterly Rock. Sam and Gilly are formally married and become Lord and Lady of Horn Hill.
In the final scene we find Queen Daenerys of the House Targaryen, First of Her Name, Queen of the Andals, the First Men and of Westeros, and Protector of the Realm, etc.etc has just given birth to a son. When asked by the attending Maester if she has a name, Dani replies, “Yes. I made a promise to his father that if it is a boy, his name will be Eddard Targaryen”.
That was very fun to read, thanks.
Enjoy the ending.
They say that no plan survives first contact with the enemy.
It will be a lot easier to project outcomes after this battle. It seems bound to be huge, and there are so many unknowns and possible wildcards.
I am guessing that there will be heavy casualties on both sides. The humans have lots of dragonglass, and that is a big change from what the whitewalkers have seen so far. They also know that if you kill a whitewalker, all his wights die as well. We have never seen more than a dozen or so whitewalkers at once so far, so that seems more manageable. Even if all of Craster’s sons are whitewalkers with this army, that would still be less than 100.
We will probably see some familiar characters killed, and raised back up as wights, so people will probably have to kill their former friends.