In the “Inside the Episode” segment that followed “The Dragon and the Wolf,” showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss hinted that the revelation of Jon Snow’s true parentage could cause conflict between him and Daenerys Targaryen. Dany has believed she is the heir to the Iron Throne since season 1, but as the legitimate son of her older brother Rhaegar, Jon Snow has the superior claim. At the end of season 7, only Bran and Sam knew that Jon is the trueborn son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark, but with Jon on his way back to Winterfell, it’s only a matter of time before he learns the truth. What will that mean for Jon and Dany’s burgeoning relationship?
Probably not much. First, the fact that they are related by blood is not a deal breaker in the world of Game of Thrones. Targaryens have interbred for generations, and since Dany has displayed a solid grasp of her family’s history, she is unlikely to balk at carrying on a romantic relationship with her nephew. Jon may initially recoil at the idea, but he is a big picture kind of guy. He will be more concerned with the advancing army of the dead than a bothersome detail like incest. Additionally, if the heavily foreshadowed Jon/Dany baby becomes a reality, it will likely trump any reservations he has about his feelings for Dany. Besides, they love each other, and doesn’t true love always triumph in Westeros…?
Second, it is not in Jon’s nature to challenge Dany’s claim to the Iron Throne. He is not now, nor has he ever been, driven by ambition. He is a reluctant monarch, serving as King in the North out of a sense of duty because his people chose him as their leader. He has never sought out a position of authority — Sam put his name forward as a candidate for Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch — so it would be a total disservice to the character if Jon suddenly aspired to rule Westeros.
Jon not only lacks the desire to rule; his sense of honor precludes him from seeking the Iron Throne. He may not be Ned Stark’s son, but he was raised with Ned’s code of honor. He was unable to lie to Cersei about having pledged himself to Dany, and he will not break his oath just because he is technically the heir to the Seven Kingdoms. He bent the knee to Dany only after she proved herself to be a worthy ruler in his eyes. If he didn’t believe she was Westeros’ best hope, he would not have done it. Finding out that he is Aegon Targaryen is not going to change his mind about that or cause him to go back on his word. He’s not Cersei.
The third reason a Jon/Dany power struggle is unlikely is because Jon has no problem with alpha females, and Dany is comfortable with the idea of a consort to the Queen. Ygritte was hardly a shrinking violet, and Jon has already demonstrated his willingness to serve a female ruler. When Dany left Daario Naharis in Meereen, she told him it was because her quest for the Iron Throne may require her to marry and it would be awkward if she brought him to Westeros. Yes, she was letting him down easy, but she didn’t invent the possibility of a strategic marriage just to disencumber herself from their affair. Since she has always seen herself as the sole ruler of the Seven Kingdoms, she takes for granted that, if she does marry, her spouse will be subordinate to her.
So if incest, ambition and non-traditional gender roles are unlikely to create conflict between Dany and Jon, what might? Dany has shown a propensity for paranoia in the past, so the knowledge that Jon is the true heir to the Seven Kingdoms may not only shake her belief in her own destiny, but cause her to suspect his motives. She might struggle with the news at first, but Dany has grown since the days she marauded through Slaver’s Bay, and is more aware of her vulnerabilities. She has been humbled by the loss of Viserion, and, thanks to Tyrion, Jorah and even Ser Barristan Selmy, she knows she needs to temper her tendency toward rashness.
In “The Spoils of War,” when Dany was ready to disregard Tyrion’s advice and fly Drogon to the Red Keep, she asked Jon what he thought she should do. Jon advised against torching King’s Landing for the same reasons Tyrion opposed it, but she listened to Jon and changed her strategy based on his counsel. She trusted him enough in that moment to restrain herself, and since then has only grown more sure of him. And why wouldn’t she? She has never known him to be anything but steadfast and honorable, usually to his own detriment. He has never given her any reason to believe he is motivated by self-interest; rather, he has shown her that he operates according to what he believes is the right thing to do. And he pet Drogon.
In turn, Dany has not only learned to value his military expertise, but has opened up to him on a personal level. She would not have done that if she didn’t trust him. So although Dany may initially be jarred by the knowledge that he was born Aegon Targaryen instead of Jon Snow, ultimately she knows who he is, and will be able to overcome her baser instincts. And again, the foreshadowed baby will cement their relationship should it come to be.
The bond Jon and Dany have forged with one another will likely supercede any conflict that may arise between them over the revelation of Jon’s parentage. However, they could face problems from an external source. If the Lords of Westeros learn that Jon is the rightful heir to the Iron Throne, they may believe, Randyll Tarly-like, that a born and bred Westerosi should rule the Seven Kingdoms rather than a foreign invader, if that’s how they still perceive Dany after the Great War. But there are a few problems with this theory.
First, Jon made the point that once the Northerners see him and Dany traveling together to Winterfell they will realize she is an ally. As Dany herself said, she is not coming to conquer the North; she is coming to save it. Second, Jon will lead the war against the Night King using Dany’s combined forces, so any doubts about their allegiance will not be sustainable. Third, if Jon survives the Great War, he will probably be hailed as a hero and the savior of Westeros. He has pledged his loyalty to Dany, and it makes sense that the other lords will follow the person who shepherded them through the war and defeated the Night King. Finally, the Great War is certain to take a significant toll on Westeros. Whoever is left standing will probably be bone-weary of fighting, and more concerned about their own immediate survival than who sits on the Iron Throne.
So by the end of season 8, the Great War will be won, Dany will be Queen of the Seven Kingdoms, Jon will be her consort and Warden of the North, and peace and prosperity will reign throughout Westeros, just like the last time a Targaryen sat on the Iron Throne and a Stark was Warden of the North. Yeah, right.
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