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What A Jon/Daenerys Pregnancy Could Mean For Game Of Thrones Season 8
A pregnancy storyline in Game of Thrones season 8 could throw a whole new wrinkle in the Great War with the White Walkers and the battle over the Iron Throne. Recently, it was rumored that the final season of HBO’s hit series, which premieres in spring 2019, could involve Daenerys Targaryen becoming pregnant. The secrecy surrounding season 8 is at an all-time high, and this is currently an unsubstantiated rumor (but it is something fans of actress Emilia Clarke are excited about). However, the possibility of the Khaleesi with child would surely complicate the already precarious political situation in Westeros.
When last we saw Daenerys and Jon Snow, they were making love on a ship headed North to Winterfell (which drew a concerned reaction from Tyrion Lannister). The King in the North finally met Daenerys earlier in season 7 when he traveled to Dragonstone to plead for dragonglass that would help the North fight the imminent invasion by the Army of the Dead. There was an instant attraction between Jon and Dany, and they were both unaware that Jon is, in fact, her nephew and the rightful heir to the Iron Throne.
For years, Daenerys believed that she is unable to bear children after she was cursed by a witch in season 1. She had taken Daario Naharis as her lover, but this was months before she ever met Jon Snow. If the Khaleesi is actually pregnant, Jon would have to be the father. Since Jon’s adoptive brother Bran Stark is the mystical Three-Eyed Raven, he knows the truth about Jon’s birthright and Targaryen heritage. This revelation awaits the Dragon Queen and the King in the North as soon as they arrive in Winterfell – and fans certainly look forward to the awkward comedy of their reaction now that Jon and Dany have done the deed. Meanwhile, if Dany is pregnant by Jon, beyond the initial embarrassment at their predicament, the ramifications for Westeros are far-reaching.
Winterfell in the midst of the war against the White Walkers is literally the worst place a pregnant Daenerys could be. Despite the nonsensical travel times and confusing geography in Game of Thrones, if Dany got pregnant on their sea voyage, she wouldn’t be showing much of a baby bump when she and Jon arrive in Winterfell. Pregnancy or no, the stubborn Khaleesi likely intends to personally ride her dragon Drogon into battle against the Night King. Jon and her Small Council members Tyrion, Varys, and Jorah Mormont will naturally try to talk her out of risking her life, especially if she is with child. Still, Daenerys has the blood of the dragon and there is often no talking her out of something if she sets her mind to it. This would create a conflict within their ranks and is a new vulnerability that complicates the war against the Night King.
If Daenerys (and her baby) were to die in the war, but Jon survived knowing his true Stark/Targaryen heritage, the matter of succession is fairly straightforward. Jon would still have to somehow wrest the Iron Throne from Cersei Lannister, but his royal bloodline gives him legal claim. Jon doesn’t actually want to rule Westeros, but then again, he didn’t want to be King in the North either, yet Jon reluctantly accepts these responsibilities when they’re thrust upon him.
If Daenerys and her baby survive the war, it guarantees a Targaryen heir to the Iron Throne and succession is assured. If only Daenerys dies but her baby survives, succession is still a set matter, especially if the baby is male. However, if Jon and Daenerys make it through the war intact, baby or no, the same issue between Jon and Daenerys of who gets to rule Westeros remains, even if Cersei is ultimately defeated. Despite the fact that he’s the rightful heir, Jon would likely yield to Daenerys so she can be Queen, but is that something the people of the Seven Kingdoms would support? Would Westeros back the male heir of Rhaegar Targaryen, or would they throw their support to his aunt, Rhaegar’s younger sister? Besides the advantage of being male, Jon also didn’t spend his life exiled in Essos like Daenerys was forced to. Jon has the stronger claim, whether he chooses to exert it or not.
Both Jon and Daenerys would have to win the political support of the southern Kingdoms in order to unite Westeros. Their incest (and the child born of it) would become public record, but Cersei’s love affair with her twin brother Jaime is now also publicly known. It’s hard to tell how much the people of Westeros are willing to tolerate incest from the highborn, but it’s now unavoidable since the two camps claiming the Iron Throne engage in it. Cersei Lannister has political support, but this is mostly out of fear and intimidation. Cersei is actually hated throughout the Seven Kingdoms, while Jon and Daenerys could bring stability to Westeros at last if they claim the Iron Throne, with a Targaryen/Stark scion to continue the legacy.
However, happy endings are not Game of Thrones‘ style, and all of this is moot if the living don’t defeat the Army of the Dead first. We don’t know how long the war against the Night King will last, but it’s possible it won’t span the 9 months necessary for Daenerys to give birth. The longer the war rages, the more likely Daenerys will be forced to retreat to the relative safety of Dragonstone (where she can subsequently be attacked by Cersei and Euron Greyjoy’s Iron Fleet). A pregnant Daenerys has powerful enemies threatening her life no matter where in Westeros she is, and she will require more protection because she’s at her most vulnerable – taking valuable assets away from the war itself.
Of course, it’s likely Daenerys isn’t pregnant at all. The Jon/Dany story is already complicated enough without throwing a baby into the mix, especially in a war against ice zombies. Meanwhile, the other Queen of Westeros is certainly pregnant. The rumors about season 8 may well be about Cersei Lannister.
The rumor about the possible Game of Thrones pregnancy story is said to lead fans to “probably make an immediate assumption about the identity of the baby daddy” and that it would be “both dramatic and darkly comedic.” While the latter would apply to Jon and Daenerys, there wouldn’t be the question of who the father is, unlike there could be for Cersei’s pregnancy. Fans did see the Queen and her twin brother have sex before Jaime left to conquer Highgarden in season 7. However, Cersei has a history of multiple lovers and it’s much more possible that this time, Jaime isn’t the father of Cersei’s baby.
In a surprise twist, season 8 could reveal Cersei is pregnant by Euron Greyjoy. After all, Euron openly lusts after Cersei. The ruler of the Iron Islands was in King’s Landing right before Jaime left for Highgarden. Fans could learn that, unbeknownst to Jaime, Cersei did give Euron the reward he covets for delivering her Ellaria Sand, the murderer of her daughter Myrcella. This wouldn’t be the first secret Cersei and Euron have maintained together; they already faked Euron fleeing from King’s Landing at the sight of a White Walker at the armistice, only to reveal that Euron was sailing to Essos to being the Golden Company to Westeros to fight for Cersei. The alliance between Cersei and Euron could also have been consummated, to Jaime’s chagrin when he finds out.
Jaime is already disgusted by Cersei and the Lannister twins are now estranged. With Jaime fulfilling his pledge to go North and fight in the Great War, Cersei carrying Euron Greyjoy’s child fits the bill as a “darkly comedic” possibility. Jaime has gradually transformed into a fan favorite, while Cersei and Euron steadfastly remain villains we love to hate. A surprise union between Lannister and Greyjoy would only increase Game of Thrones fans’ desire to see Daenerys and Jon finally place a Targaryen on the Iron Throne.
