What we hope George RR Martin will do next, from Ned Stark’s return to Tyrion on the Iron Throne
**POTENTIAL BOOK OR TV SPOILERS ALERT**
***NO, SRSLY, POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD***
They say the pen is mightier than the sword, and in the case of George RR Martin, the pen is mightier than castle-forged Valyrian steel. Westeros may well be plagued with rogue sellswords, murderous boy kings and half-dead warriors, but let’s be honest, the biggest thing that the Game of Thrones characters have to fear is the next novel coming out: who knows who’ll be killed off, married off or shipped off to Bravos by the author next?
As unpredictable as Mr Martin is, we wouldn’t dare try and guesstimate what’s going to happen in the future, especially following the announcement that the TV series is set to overtake the books. But we can daydream about what we’d like to see happen, so that is exactly what we did.
Ned Stark comes back
Before you dismiss this as poppycock like Thoros of Myr did when Arya asked him to bring back her father, let’s look at the evidence in favour of this happening one day. Dead things have a bit of a habit of coming back in Westeros (see the White Walkers, Beric Dondarrion and Catelyn Stark for reference), proving that, yes, all men must die, but there’s no fancy-pants High Valyrian saying to suggest it has to stay that way. Ned’s bones were entrusted to Littlefinger following his death, and we all know that the smartest thing we’ll ever do is not to trust him. There’s every chance (ok, a very small chance) that Ned’s remains are being kept somewhere safe for a comeback even greater than the one Daenerys is planning. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if he could stride around Winterfell again, courtesy of a little creepy magic and some master-level deviancy from Petyr Baelish?
Tyrion helps Daenerys rule on the Iron Throne
It feels superfluous to explain why this would be a desirable outcome, but let’s do it anyway. Tyrion’s intelligence and leadership skills have been proved time and time again, whether it is in combat (see his bravery at the Battle of Blackwater Bay), or in politics (see approximately everything he did during his time as Hand of the King). There are some theories that suggest Tyrion is actually the bastard of the Mad King Aerys, making him a Targaryen, and a far more likely dragon co-pilot for Dany. It is mentioned that Aerys found Mrs Lannister attractive, and though he was denied bedding rights, many argue he would have taken what he felt was owed to him later. Tyrion’s hair is described as being extremely blonde (Targaryen-esque, one step above peroxide) and let’s face it, Tywin and Tyrion have never been close. If he is part dragon, here’s hoping he flies back on a firebreather and helps Daenerys rule on the Iron Throne.
Tyrion is reunited with Tysha
Yes, another Tyrion one, but c’mon, he’s been through the mill and deserves a happy ending. You’ll probably remember that Tyrion was once married to a crofter’s daughter named Tysha. Their union dissolved when Jaime and Tywin led him to believe that she was a whore, paid to pleasure him for one night. Then followed the ugly incident when Tywin’s soldiers had their way with her, followed by Tyrion himself, paying her for the ‘service’. When the truth was revealed, he found out he shot his father in the bowel, proving once and for all that Tywin Lannister doesn’t shit gold, and that you should never mess with Tyrion. Here’s hoping he finds Tysha (who some believe Arya ran into in a Bravos whorehouse), makes amends and lives a good life full of wine and nooky.
Gendry and Arya are reunited
There are a lot of fans out there who want this pair to get married in the future, but not us. Arya is far too young, has already expressed her disinterest in becoming somebody’s wife, and Gendry should have other things on his mind, namely finding out his true heritage and avenging his father’s death. In an ideal world, Gendry would expose Cersei’s children as non-Baratheons, be legitimised by Stannis for clearing his brother’s name (and to make amends for that whole ‘almost burning him alive thing’), and set about a clean, calm life, eating Hot Pie’s wolf-shaped bread and bowls of brown with his buddy Arya.
Jaime ends his relationship with Cersei
I think we can all agree than Cersei is the evil twin. Sure, Jaime’s no angel, but he does have his redeemable qualities, and as the series goes on he is becoming increasingly disillusioned with his sister / lover (yikes). Since returning from battle, their once too-close relationship has fizzled, and his support for Tyrion following his arrest only served to divide them further. From the prophecy cast, we know that Cersei will be killed by ‘valonqar’ (meaning sibling), and though she suspects that Tyrion will be her downfall, many believe it will actually be Jaime that does the deed. Though nobody here is advocating kinslaying or murder, it would be an interesting symbol of Jaime’s estrangement from his sister if he was the one to do it, no?
Of course, there are many things to wish for before Game of Thrones comes to a close – Sansa to grow a backbone, Littlefinger to shave that moustache, Stannis to crack a smile, but we will have to wait until mid-April to know what’s going down for sure. Come on George, throw us a bone.
Game of Thrones airs Mon 13 Apr, 9pm, Sky Atlantic.