Many Asses on the Throne

[Hippocras]

Exactly. I also think Arianne and Trystane genuinely like her. The clever thing for Dorne would be to keep her as a hostage. I still hold some hope that Myrcella might not actually have to die to fulfill the prophecy - it's enough that Cersei believes her to be dead, no? - but if she dies, I don't think it will be a Martell plot. My money's on Greyscale.

Yeah, greyscale is one possibility.

So is Tyrell revenge for Tommen's death.

As for Dorne's intentions, I think Doran really does intend for her to die, though I agree Arianne and Trystan may have a different idea. This is why Doran will not share the plan with them. However the other version is that Doran is only somewhat working with Varys for now, and his plan has a next step after fAegon. In which case marrying the fake Baratheon to the fake Targaryen makes perfect sense.

[Free Northman Reborn]

It is amazing how people can think that the POV characters that we have followed from the start - Jon, Daenerys, Bran, Arya, Tyrion etc. - are all just going to be bit-part-players in support of the one true king Stannis Baratheon.

Seriously, this gets a laugh out of me every time.

[Hippocras]

It is amazing how people can think that the POV characters that we have followed from the start - Jon, Daenerys, Bran, Arya, Tyrion etc. - are all just going to be bit-part-players in support of the one true king Stannis Baratheon.

Seriously, this gets a laugh out of me every time.

Who said that?

[Free Northman Reborn]

Who said that?

The suggestion that Stannis is the one that will lead the war for the Dawn implies that.

He is not part of any real prophecy. Just of a misinterpreted prophecy by a confused priestess. He is a false king and a false Azor Ahai. A false hero.

Jon and Dany. They are the ones who have to take the leading roles. There is no place for a leading role for Stannis in that equation.

[Hippocras]

The suggestion that Stannis is the one that will lead the war for the Dawn implies that.

He is not part of any real prophecy. Just of a misinterpreted prophecy by a confused priestess. He is a false king and a false Azor Ahai. A false hero.

Jon and Dany. They are the ones who have to take the leading roles. There is no place for a leading role for Stannis in that equation.

There is zero proof that Mel is the confused priestess. She may turn out to be right. If Stannis is not AAR as she thinks, he led her TO AAR (Jon). What she has seen is a matter of interpretation, yes, but she has still seen real prophetic things.

Stannis is going to claim the throne at some point. There is as much reason to believe the things Mel has seen as the things Qaithe or Dany or Maggy or the Witch of High Heart have seen. But as he is the king with no shadow, it will be a hollow victory. He has no shadow, which means no power or legacy. Which likely means no direct heir, and no love from the kingdom.

There is a reason his victory at Storm's End keeps coming up: it is proof of his resilience and skill as a commander.

Put simply, of all the people contending for the throne at the moment, Tommen, Myrcella, fAegon, Euron, Daenerys, LF - Stannis is the ONLY one who has the slightest clue about the impending threat from the North. He is the only one with any potential ally for the fight against Euron.

I don't think he will be the king happily ever after at the end of the books, but he will play a significant role, and will claim the throne at some point.

[Stormland's Fury]

He is not part of any real prophecy. Just of a misinterpreted prophecy by a confused priestess. He is a false king and a false Azor Ahai. A false hero.

False Azor Ahai yes. False king, matter of point of view. False hero? He doesn't even get any recognition for what he does, but still does it.

[lord athos]

My call on that.

After the death of Kevan, and with the disgrace of Cersei, the Tyrells are the de facto rulers of the seven Kingdoms. When they will see Aegon coming, they will surrender to him, kill Tommen and wed Margeary to Aegon (i am not sure of the order thought, they might kill Tommen before). Aegon will sit the Iron Throne, with an unlikely alliance with Dorne (Dorne will side with aegon because of the death of Quentyn at the hands of daenerys (her dragons)).

It could be that way but i don't know what will happen with the trial of cersei. Myrcella is already dead, killed by Darkstar and it is her double who play her part in Dorne.

I do think too that Stannis will sit the Throne but as Unstannis. The faith of Dany and Euron are linked, but i don't know how.

Sansa will kill little finger in the vale.

[lord athos]

False Azor Ahai yes. False king, matter of point of view. False hero? He doesn't even get any recognition for what he does, but still does it.

Stannis is the subject of two prophecies of visions of future. One at the house of the Undying (the king without a shadow) and another in the flames of Melisandre, showing Stannis on the Iron throne. Stannis might actually win against Dany.

[joluoto2]

It is amazing how people can think that the POV characters that we have followed from the start - Jon, Daenerys, Bran, Arya, Tyrion etc. - are all just going to be bit-part-players in support of the one true king Stannis Baratheon.

Seriously, this gets a laugh out of me every time.

Yeah, no, most of them will die, while probably doing important stuff. And I don't think Stan the Man will get down to KL and sit on the throne. I think he'll die fighting the Others (as many other beloved characters will). I think whoever sits on the throne in the end will come out of left field, due to all good claimants being dead.

[Free Northman Reborn]

There is zero proof that Mel is the confused priestess. She may turn out to be right. If Stannis is not AAR as she thinks, he led her TO AAR (Jon). What she has seen is a matter of interpretation, yes, but she has still seen real prophetic things.

Stannis is going to claim the throne at some point. There is as much reason to believe the things Mel has seen as the things Qaithe or Dany or Maggy or the Witch of High Heart have seen. But as he is the king with no shadow, it will be a hollow victory. He has no shadow, which means no power or legacy. Which likely means no direct heir, and no love from the kingdom.

There is a reason his victory at Storm's End keeps coming up: it is proof of his resilience and skill as a commander.

Put simply, of all the people contending for the throne at the moment, Tommen, Myrcella, fAegon, Euron, Daenerys, LF - Stannis is the ONLY one who has the slightest clue about the impending threat from the North. He is the only one with any potential ally for the fight against Euron.

I don't think he will be the king happily ever after at the end of the books, but he will play a significant role, and will claim the throne at some point.

He is not GOING to claim a Throne, he already has. Just like Robb Stark did. And Renly. That was what the War of the Five Kings was all about.

In the House of the Undying, Dany also saw a man with a wolf's head with a crown on his head. Yet Robb is dead and nowhere near the Iron Throne.

As for Stannis not having a shadow - that is all about him giving up his shadow to Mel so that she could send it to kill Renly. The shadowbaby that killed Renly looked like Stannis, remember.

Stannis is not going to sit the Throne.

[Hippocras]

He is not GOING to claim a Throne, he already has. Just like Robb Stark did. And Renly. That was what the War of the Five Kings was all about.

In the House of the Undying, Dany also saw a man with a wolf's head with a crown on his head. Yet Robb is dead and nowhere near the Iron Throne.

As for Stannis not having a shadow - that is all about him giving up his shadow to Mel so that she could send it to kill Renly. The shadowbaby that killed Renly looked like Stannis, remember.

Stannis is not going to sit the Throne.

Well honestly I don't care if he does or doesn't, but I do rather suspect he will at some point, as one of a series of asses to sit there. Mel saw him on the iron throne. Her interpretations of how he gets there are certainly fuzzy, but the vision itself is pretty clear and as reliable as any other prophesy in the books.

I agree he gave up his shadow to kill Renly and Penrose. Him having no shadow is a multi-layered thing. The way GRRM uses shadows in the books seems to have a great deal to do with power, influence, importance to events.

GRRM also said we would be surprised who ends up there, and Stannis has been the underdog for the entire series, yet is still hanging in there.

I am NOT however proposing that Stannis will be the last ass to sit there, just one of a series.

[Free Northman Reborn]

Well honestly I don't care if he does or doesn't, but I do rather suspect he will at some point, as one of a series of asses to sit there. Mel saw him on the iron throne. Her interpretations of how he gets there are certainly fuzzy, but the vision itself is pretty clear and as reliable as any other prophesy in the books.

I agree he gave up his shadow to kill Renly and Penrose. Him having no shadow is a multi-layered thing. The way GRRM uses shadows in the books seems to have a great deal to do with power, influence, importance to events.

GRRM also said we would be surprised who ends up there, and Stannis has been the underdog for the entire series, yet is still hanging in there.

I am NOT however proposing that Stannis will be the last ass to sit there, just one of a series.

Fair enough.

[SlowLoras]

The suggestion that Stannis is the one that will lead the war for the Dawn implies that.

He is not part of any real prophecy. Just of a misinterpreted prophecy by a confused priestess. He is a false king and a false Azor Ahai. A false hero.

Davos for Azor Azhai reborn. All hail the Onion King!

[Lady Blizzardborn]

That'd be interesting...the High Sparrow is certainly playing at something. Marg and the Tyrells seemed like poster children for the Faith, which is why I figured she'd get off, but I like the idea of something more nefarious going on over there.

This will be the kickoff that sets in place the last pieces of the valonqar puzzle.

You see, after Margaery is executed, Cersei will return to the palace to find Tommen sitting on Olenna Tyrell's lap, both of them eating cookies. Later they are both found dead--sweetsleep poisoning. Since the killer is dead as well Cersei can't do anything to the Tyrells, who leave KL and go to join Aegon.

Myrcella is crowned queen, but blames her mother for Tommen's death. Thus Cersei is thrown out of the power structure and possibly even the Red Keep. Jamie returns and serves as Hand in addition to LC of the KG, growing close to Myrcella and coming to love his last remaining child as he always should have been allowed to. Cersei goes to him in an attempt to seduce him into helping her regain control of Myrcella; Jamie tells her off in no uncertain terms. Cersei goes nuts and kills Myrcella. Jamie kills Cersei.

From there the throne is practically waiting for various people to try and sit on it.

I just had a thought. What if Stannis manages to get to KL to claim the throne and he gets cut. All that work and the stupid chair rejects him as king. :frown5:

[RandomSmallfolk]

Umm...

Not for nothing but since when do a bunch of placeholders/pretenders have any right to crown anyone? Why would anyone allow people with zero credibility (I'm looking at you Cersei) to determine who has the right to sit the IT?

You have Tommen now.... IF Myrc gets married to Aegon than Aegon is on the IT not Myrc... Aegon won't hold it long as Dany will have a say... Then there is Walkerclypse

Tommen>Aegon(Myrc)>Dany>Council

[Suzanna Stormborn]

To the OP, my take is that Doran Martell will crown Myrcella Queen, and marry her to someone in his family, when Tommen dies (very soon), but that Aegon will be sitting on the IT, so Mycella will be named queen while she is in Dorne, but will never actually sit the throne, much like Viserys being named king on Dragonstone then fleeing to Essos. So she is the third queen. As far as the rest of it goes, who the hell knows??

[Lady Blizzardborn]

To the OP, my take is that Doran Martell will crown Myrcella Queen, and marry her to someone in his family, when Tommen dies (very soon), but that Aegon will be sitting on the IT, so Mycella will be named queen while she is in Dorne, but will never actually sit the throne, much like Viserys being named king on Dragonstone then fleeing to Essos. So she is the third queen. As far as the rest of it goes, who the hell knows??

Well she's already engaged to his son Trystane (who is said to adore her). But as far as we know Myrcella is on her way back to KL with an escort of Sand Snakes. Unless they're pulling a fast one she won't be crowned in Dorne.

[Fire Eater]

In that case I'd say Cersei crowns her. Because I don't see anybody who'll be willing to crown a girl as Queen of the Seven Kingdoms

That's exactly what I'm thinking. Cersei would crown her.

Still, I don't think we'll see Tommen die, Myrcella get crowned, and then watch her die, and then Aegon get crowned, all in TWoW.

Except Aegon likely isn't going to wait to be crowned until after Tommen and Myrcella die. Rhaenyra didn't wait, and neither did Stannis or Renly. All the claimants crowned themselves before they ever set foot in KL with the exception of the claimants already present.

[Winnief]

Stannis is going to claim the throne at some point. There is as much reason to believe the things Mel has seen as the things Qaithe or Dany or Maggy or the Witch of High Heart have seen. But as he is the king with no shadow, it will be a hollow victory. He has no shadow, which means no power or legacy. Which likely means no direct heir, and no love from the kingdom.

I'm really scared, that what may happen is Stannis becomes King for a time-but Shireen dies. Talk about victory turning to ashes in your mouth...

[Stormland's Fury]

Not having a shadow can also mean that no one can be in his shadow.