The final goodbye - a bittersweet ending

[Hangover of the Morning]

I think the Battle of the Blackwater is a nice small-scale analogous to

At that time I wholeheartedly disliked Stannis and didn't think that he'd be a good king, yet I still wanted him to win because I wanted Joffrey's reign to end, I wanted Sansa freed and I also got fond of Davos and didn't want him harmed. On the other hand, I really liked Tyrion (and wanted his chain/wildfire plan to work) and some of the other KL inhabitants and didn't want to see their heads on the spikes.

No matter the outcome, I knew it was going to be bittersweet and devastating for some of my favourites.

[Lady Blizzardborn]

Prologue could be something like Bran alone in a cave apart of a Weirwood tree, roots growing all around him as he watches his siblings. Jon is on the throne, Rickon lord of Winterfell, Sansa happily married, Arya with her pack. Maybe inter-cut with quick flashbacks to Winterfell before the war. Happy memories with his father, mother and the rest. Realizing at the end he will never see them again.

And Meera, with her husband and children.

[Beergod1979]

I imagine the ending of the series will have a similar feeling to the end of Robert's Rebellion. When I think of it, it was also pretty bittersweet... more bitter than sweet, but although many characters I imagine we would have liked die, not all of them have to in order to end the story well.

For example, imagine RR was an independent novel:

Ned survives, goes home to meet baby Robb and get to know Cat better. We know how much Cat prayed Robb would get to know his father, and we're relieved he will have this chance At the same time, Ned has endured the loss of his father and two siblings, and we're afraid his marriage won't be as good as it could because of him claming a bastard.

Lyanna and Rhaegar die, and despite being controversial characters, their deaths were so tragic... but the child they wanted so much lives, even though it belongs to the wrong gender. The best part is that he's going to grow up in Winterfell, and be raised by none other than Ned Stark, so we know he will be alright.

Jaime finally, finally, does what we wanted him to do all along and kills Aerys. His death feels great, but now Jaime is seen as dishonourable by everyonein the seven kingdoms.

Jon Arryn, the best guy in the book, becomes Hand of the King and gets to be close to Robert, but their relationship is changed, since Robert doesn't seem to listen to him anymore. Also, his marriage to Lysa doesn't seem to be all that good

So, no, no evryone needs to die. Some will, but there are many different ways a fate can be bittersweet,

If I had $200,000,000 to give you, this movie wold be made.

[Lady Blizzardborn]

^ Make it a miniseries instead. That way we can get all the backstory on the LF/Lysa/Cat triangle, and Brandon's fling with Barbrey Ryswell.

[Dalfiatach]

And far to the south in Kings Landing, Jaime lounged upon the Iron Throne, wondering who would turn up to claim it

[Techelles]

That's because Brienne killed dog isn't it?

I was under the impression of that there will be no ending, the series is always 2 books away from being completed.

That is pretty damn bittersweet, actually: bitter in that we can never know how it ends, sweet in that it never does. Some people never read the end of a book for that reason.

[alienarea]

Summer, Ghost, Nymeria and Shaggydog reunite in the snow-covered ruins of Winterfell.

Everyone else in Westeros is dead.

Daenerys is still in Mereen.

[Mehmet Eren]

Summer, Ghost, Nymeria and Shaggydog reunite in the snow-covered ruins of Winterfell.

Everyone else in Westeros is dead.

Daenerys is still in Mereen.

I will not surprise that imagine that Starks mostly bran and jon save the world but they are gone shadow of their spirit remain inside of dire wolfs they unite in winterfell.....