Speculation for fun: How will Arya be rewarded?

[WalkinDude]

It’s clear to me at this point Gendry with sit the Iron Throne with Arya as his queen. They’re all about subverting expectations now, so how better to do that than have the bastard of the usurper take the throne with a queen who swore she’d never be a lady. 

[Sheiraseastar23]

30 minutes ago, WalkinDude said:

It’s clear to me at this point Gendry with sit the Iron Throne with Arya as his queen. They’re all about subverting expectations now, so how better to do that than have the bastard of the usurper take the throne with a queen who swore she’d never be a lady. 

Nah, at least this part should stay true to the envisioned ending by George, and he would surely not put these two on the throne. They'd be terrible rulers. Sansa and Tyrion on the other hand I could see happening.

[anjulibai]

There actually are good reasons for Dany to legitimize Gendry. It would show the realm that that she's willing to move forward and seek reconciliation. Since only a monarch can legitimize bastards, Gendry legitimacy rests entirely on the validity of Dany being queen, it's in his best interests to support her. In any case, he'd not want to be king, and would probably need a lot of convincing to become a lord. Ultimately, what would be most important to Dany, is he'd also be able to bring the Stormlands into the fold, and rally fresh troops. 

[Hippocras]

2 minutes ago, anjulibai said:

There actually are good reasons for Dany to legitimize Gendry. It would show the realm that that she's willing to move forward and seek reconciliation. Since only a monarch can legitimize bastards, Gendry legitimacy rests entirely on the validity of Dany being queen, it's in his best interests to support her. In any case, he'd not want to be king, and would probably need a lot of convincing to become a lord. Ultimately, what would be most important to Dany, is he'd also be able to bring the Stormlands into the fold, and rally fresh troops. 

This assumes a lot. If Gendry had any actual relationships with anyone at all in the Stormlands this might be true. But he has never set foot there. So it would basically be a question of if people in the Stormlands BELIEVED Dany or not.

I'll say it again. If Gendry gets legitimized it is not Dany who does it. She does not actually have the authority, let alone a strong enough reason.

AeJon on the other hand MIGHT. But not as a reward to Arya, but rather a reward to Gendry for his own contributions.

[MinscS2]

1 hour ago, WalkinDude said:

It’s clear to me at this point Gendry with sit the Iron Throne with Arya as his queen. They’re all about subverting expectations now, so how better to do that than have the bastard of the usurper take the throne with a queen who swore she’d never be a lady. 

They are? 

[Deminelle]

1 hour ago, WalkinDude said:

It’s clear to me at this point Gendry with sit the Iron Throne with Arya as his queen. They’re all about subverting expectations now, so how better to do that than have the bastard of the usurper take the throne with a queen who swore she’d never be a lady. 

I've found myself thinking this lately , too. So it probably won't happen. 

[MinscS2]

Yes, because having a Queen who doesn't want to be queen and has no social or diplomatic skills, only skills as an assassin ("not if they loose their heads first") and a King who's shown no prior interest in ruling and has no social or diplomatic skills, only skills as a blacksmith and fighting, would become great rulers for Westeros.
Right....right?

Arya and Gendry won't be king and queen.
They might however X out the Stranger and the Blacksmith in the eyes of the Seven.
We already have the others covered more or less, but not these two. 

[WalkinDude]

1 hour ago, Hippocras said:

This assumes a lot. If Gendry had any actual relationships with anyone at all in the Stormlands this might be true. But he has never set foot there. So it would basically be a question of if people in the Stormlands BELIEVED Dany or not.

I'll say it again. If Gendry gets legitimized it is not Dany who does it. She does not actually have the authority, let alone a strong enough reason.

AeJon on the other hand MIGHT. But not as a reward to Arya, but rather a reward to Gendry for his own contributions.

The same evidence Jon Arryn and Ned used to come to their conclusion on incest still exists. Edric Storm doesn’t exist on the show, and apparently feudal succession was abandoned to. Every major house in the 7 kingdoms has risen against the Lannister’s, so the idea of Gendry being the heir isn’t exactly a hard narrative to build. 

[WalkinDude]

46 minutes ago, MinscS2 said:

They are? 

The Long Night met your expectations?  Or the expectations the story had been building up for 7 seasons?

[Hippocras]

3 minutes ago, WalkinDude said:

The same evidence Jon Arryn and Ned used to come to their conclusion on incest still exists. Edric Storm doesn’t exist on the show, and apparently feudal succession was abandoned to. Every major house in the 7 kingdoms has risen against the Lannister’s, so the idea of Gendry being the heir isn’t exactly a hard narrative to build. 

... so long as people actually believe he is Robert’s son. And there is no reason for them to believe it.

Jon and Davos believe it of course, but Dany doesn’t believe Jon about himself, so why believe Gendry.

[Figdoni]

Some part of me would like to see Arya eventually take over The Twins in the Riverlands... 
Now that all the male Freys are gone... perhaps the remaining women need training in defence...
so Arya gets to train a lethal army of female assassins 

Has there ever been ANY main characters acknowledging, or shown to be aware, of the fact that all the male Freys were pretty much executed? Does Sansa know? Does Cersei know?
I don't recall any characters pondering "Hmm, wonder what happened there...?"

Maybe they'll pass through the Crossing on the way to Kings Landing....

[anjulibai]

2 minutes ago, Hippocras said:

... so long as people actually believe he is Robert’s son. And there is no reason for them to believe it.

Well, he is supposed to look like Robert; give him a war hammer, he'll resemble him even more. 

He'd also have the support of House Stark, which would definitely be meaningful since House Stark and House Baratheon had always been allied. And, it was also House Stark that brought forth the illegitimacy of Cersei's children - if they would do that, they wouldn't support someone who was not actually Robert's son. If Gendry and Arya marry, that's a huge show of confidence in Gendry's paternity. 

If House Stark and House Targaryen support him, the Vale will support him. I bet the Riverlands would, too, after House Stark convinces them. That's a significant amount of support. 

[Hippocras]

I think Gendry is far more interesting as a blacksmith than as an extremely awkward Lord of a place he has never been. IMO if the series bothers to legitimize him, it will not be about him ruling any place, but about a story need for a child of him and Arya to be legitimate.

Gendry is not a ruler. Nor is he even a « smith » in a ruling oligarchy because his awareness of the trades in general is entirely restricted to blacksmithing. The Smith, as far as the Seven go, is a representation of craft, artisanship and clever engineering. Frankly in a metaphorical sense Tyrion fits that better with his cisterns, saddle design inventions etc.

[WalkinDude]

20 minutes ago, anjulibai said:

Well, he is supposed to look like Robert; give him a war hammer, he'll resemble him even more. 

He'd also have the support of House Stark, which would definitely be meaningful since House Stark and House Baratheon had always been allied. And, it was also House Stark that brought forth the illegitimacy of Cersei's children - if they would do that, they wouldn't support someone who was not actually Robert's son. If Gendry and Arya marry, that's a huge show of confidence in Gendry's paternity. 

If House Stark and House Targaryen support him, the Vale will support him. I bet the Riverlands would, too, after House Stark convinces them. That's a significant amount of support. 

The Hand to Stannis knows Gendry’s a Baratheon. That has to count for something in the stormlands. 

[anjulibai]

9 minutes ago, WalkinDude said:

The Hand to Stannis knows Gendry’s a Baratheon. That has to count for something in the stormlands. 

That's true, also. Varys knows, as well, and might even have more concrete proof, but I'm not sure how many would trust his word. 

[Figdoni]

1 hour ago, Hippocras said:

I think Gendry is far more interesting as a blacksmith than as an extremely awkward Lord of a place he has never been. IMO if the series bothers to legitimize him, it will not be about him ruling any place, but about a story need for a child of him and Arya to be legitimate.

I think 'legitimacy' is going to be far less of an issue in future Westerosi politics... I suspect all future rule will no longer be about family lines & who was born first... that has been the source of all turmoil and death in Westeros.... the game of thrones must come to an end.
The shared bloodline between Jon and Dany is going to open that up for exploration... whether it is 'right' for the realm and its people that either of them should take a throne just because of 'birthright'... I think the sense of birthright is something that is gonna get dismantled.

1 hour ago, Hippocras said:

Gendry is not a ruler. Nor is he even a « smith » in a ruling oligarchy because his awareness of the trades in general is entirely restricted to blacksmithing. The Smith, as far as the Seven go, is a representation of craft, artisanship and clever engineering. Frankly in a metaphorical sense Tyrion fits that better with his cisterns, saddle design inventions etc.

Totally not a ruler. But I disagree about not being a smith... the dude has skills. He figured out how to smelt the dragonglass. He wouldn't have been put in charge of that if he wasn't regarded the best smith available. 
Tyrion can't forge anything... craft & artisanship requires ones hands getting figuratively dirty doing it, not just coming up with a clever idea.

 

[Hippocras]

Yes, Gendry has skills. I don’t at all dispute that. But he is not an engineer, his knowledge is restricted to only one trade, not a gerneral overview of trades and their value. That is what I was saying. A RULING representation of « the Smith » is not a specialist in a single craft.

[anjulibai]

Except that the Smith is normally depicted as a blacksmith who carries a hammer and, often, an anvil. 

[MinscS2]

3 hours ago, WalkinDude said:

The Long Night met your expectations?  Or the expectations the story had been building up for 7 seasons?

I thought it was "alright".

I'm certainly not gonna "hate-watch" the rest of the season as so many others on this forum seem to be doing.
 

[Hippocras]

46 minutes ago, anjulibai said:

Except that the Smith is normally depicted as a blacksmith who carries a hammer and, often, an anvil. 

Yes, but people of ALL trades pray to him, and it is ingenuity that is most revered about him. 

Anyway, that only matters if there is indeed a ruling Oligarchy somewhat resembling the Seven at the end, and frankly who knows.