Daenerys will not rule

[Ariman Murad]

In my opinion Daenerys coming back and conquering Westeros is not GRRM's style. The Targareyens history is Shady at best, many of their kings are in some ways tyrannical, wasn't Bailor the Blessed accused of imprisoning his own kin. In many ways i see ASOIAF ending with major social changes perhaps a shifting or evolution of the feudal system, there is one underlying theme between all these stories and that is the system is bad, small folk suffer, lords prosper. Perhaps it could devolve back to seven separate kingdoms but even that, i find unmartin like.

In my opinion the Targs will no endure, Danny will bear no heir and her bloodline will end with her, (not believing in young griff story)

What do you guys think?

[rinto_tinto]

I disagree and think it's no less likely than any of the other more commonly guessed endings. I don't understand what you mean by GRRM's style and considering your objection seems to be based in the ideas that the Targaryens are shady and that usually the smallfolk suffer there seems to be no inconsistency for Daenerys becoming queen and having children, after all if her children are cruel or mad there'll be another war and the smallfolk will suffer.

Also changes in society from feudalism to capitalism are generally accompanied by industrial revolutions and we have no indication that anything like that is likely to happen any time soon in Westeros.

I think it's quite possible she'll be the last of her line of course but I don't think we have the evidence to rule it out.

[NitzanLeo]

In truth, I don't think we can even dare to try and prophesize the end of the series. How many of us can say they managed to predict more than on major plot twist? Martin says quite often that he isn't going to give us a predictable plot. Who knows? Perhaps in the next book Dany will go through some transformation and we'll all see her going to Westeros, and it's going to rock?

[chrisdaw]

She will not rule ever or will not be the remaining ruler at the end of the series? The title and post are giving me two different impressions. I think she will rule, taking KL and the South from Aegon, but the North will be doing it's own thing. I can't really hazard a guess as to who will finally end up on the throne come series end but I guess she's as unlikely as anyone. And there were prosperous times under good kings, not all the Targ Kings were poor rulers for the small folk, and I don't see any momentum for a shift in political systems.

[Silent_Hero]

This series does have a what you would call "history repeating itself" type going on.

I believe Dany like her ancestor Aegon will reconquer the seven Kingdoms as he did and definitely get KL back,though if her reception will be warm or cold....

[assjfjgjsgjljljglgjfjsduar]

This series does have a what you would call "history repeating itself" type going on.

I believe Dany like her ancestor Aegon will reconquer the seven Kingdoms as he did and definitely get KL back,though if her reception will be warm or cold....

I think it's kind of the opposite — lightning won't strike in the same way twice. Dany doesn't show any of the preparation or forethought that Aegon did (remember the map table on Dragonstone — that invasion was years in the making). What he seems to have viewed as an actual strategic campaign, she seems to view vaguely and without much actual forethought.

Dany might get the chance to rule Westeros. What will surprise me is if she actually holds onto it.

[OberynBlackfyre]

I think she will be key in conquering Westeros, but she won't sit upon the throne as queen. She has shown nothing but disdain and impatience when it comes to ruling. Her heart is in trying to help people, and beauty. I see her being a fierce queen possibly, but with a king who knows his DUTY. (AEGON VI). One can hope

[NitzanLeo]

Perhaps Dany would have a bigger role in the War of the Dawn, and perhaps no part in the war of succession. This could be if she is Azor Ahai, or if perhaps Azor Ahai is not a single person. We can look at that through the story of him, that Last Hero (AA) set out with twelve companions, a horse and a dog but returned alone. Is it because those twelve companions+the Last Hero are all parts of Azor Ahai? Perhaps, and it is a note we should think about.

[isisini]

I think it is no coincidence that most of the main characters that GRRM seems to be rooting for are also disenfranchised by Westeros' current lines of succession. Jon - for being a bastard, Tyrion - for being a dwarf, Arya - for being a girl, Bran - for being a cripple. There are lots of nods to real life history in the books, and Tyrion seems to me a bit like Thomas Cromwell, the 'hand' of Henry VIII, who was disliked by the people and the nobles of the realm (among other things, for being base born), but was incredibly effective as a bureaucrat and did a lot to modernise British government.I would like it to end with Tyrion, Dany, Jon bringing their best traits together and deciding to rule for a bit in order to ensure peace, and leave Westeros with some kind of parliament or senate. Possibly very wishful thinking, although GRRM does like to inject realism into fantasy tropes.

[SeanF]

I think Martin has said Aegon was a conqueror, but largely uninterested in ruling, and delegated the government of Westeros to his two sister-wives. If Daenerys does conquer Westeros, I'd expect something similar. She makes a hash of ruling Mereen, and in her final chapter, concludes that she's a dragon, and a dragon plants no trees.

[brut]

Ned looked at the eunuch coldly. "You would bring us the whisperings of a traitor half a world away, my lord. Perhaps Mormont is wrong. Perhaps he is lying."

"Ser Jorah would not dare deceive me," Varys said with a sly smile. "Rely on it, my lord. The princess is with child.”

"So you say. If you are wrong, we need not fear. If the girl miscarries, we need not fear. If she births a daughter in place of a son, we need not fear. If the babe dies in infancy, we need not fear."

"But if it is a boy?" Robert insisted. "If he lives?"

"The narrow sea would still lie between us. I shall fear the Dothraki the day they teach their horses to run on water."

Ned practically foretells Dany's fate, and considering that she both miscarried and her babe died in infancy, Ned's other assumption might indicate that Dany would never cross the narrow sea.

[Kanon]

I think Martin has said Aegon was a conqueror, but largely uninterested in ruling, and delegated the government of Westeros to his two sister-wives.

DO yuo have a source for this?

[blackwing]

I think Stannis will turn into a second Night's King, blow the wall with the horn of Joramun and conquer most of Westeros with the help of the others. Then Dany and her dragons will fly in and together with what remains of the decent folk of Westeros will liberate the continent again. Then after a swift period of ruling, Dany and her lot will probably be murdered by some powerhungry second-row guys or the maesters, and magic will leave the world once more.

[Ser Gilibran]

The North independant under the Starks, the south independant under Stannis or some kind of counsil and Deanyres goes back to where she spend all her life so far and rules the Dothraki and the cities Volantis, Astapor & Mereen. That is the most obvious, but then again few things in the books are ever turning out the obvious way. :drunk:

[The Meeraculous Third Reed]

Daenerys is inadvertently juggling many balls, once she drops one, the rest will follow.

I can't see her getting anywhere near the throne.

[Which Tyler]

I agree with OP.

No enterprise is more likely to succeed than one concealed from the enemy until it is ripe for execution.

Danny is the misdirection (both for the rulers of Westeros, and for the readers).

Aegon is the real plan; but has been introduced earlier than intended; so runs significant risk of failure (AKA, the kingdoms split; may have to re-unite to fight off the Others).

[Trinket2]

I think she'll probably never rule long or successfully. She might sit the throne for a short while, but I don't think she's a particularly good ruler OR very good at the game of thrones, so I see her being out-maneuvered pretty quickly if there's any resistance against her left in Westeros when she arrives.

I also think there's the possibility, though, that she'll be the prince (or queen, as it is) who came too late. She might arrive to a Westeros that isn't much to conquer anymore- destroyed by the civil war, invaded by the Others, the people sick with grey scale and starving from winter. If that's the case, there won't be much opposition from the other houses, I guess, in which case I think she has a shot at becoming a long-term ruler.

Aegon I don't believe in at all. I think he's been introduced more to drive the plot than to become a major character.

[Ser Lepus]

I think she'll probably never rule long or successfully. She might sit the throne for a short while, but I don't think she's a particularly good ruler OR very good at the game of thrones, so I see her being out-maneuvered pretty quickly if there's any resistance against her left in Westeros when she arrives.

I also think there's the possibility, though, that she'll be the prince (or queen, as it is) who came too late. She might arrive to a Westeros that isn't much to conquer anymore- destroyed by the civil war, invaded by the Others, the people sick with grey scale and starving from winter. If that's the case, there won't be much opposition from the other houses, I guess, in which case I think she has a shot at becoming a long-term ruler.

Aegon I don't believe in at all. I think he's been introduced more to drive the plot than to become a major character.

I've already said that would be one of the options for the "bittersweet ending": Dany spends the rest of the books in Essos preparing her return, fighting her battles, gaining allies, building her armies and fleets and training her dragons, while in Westeros the stupid bloody wars go on and on and on, winter comes, people starve, the Others invade and curbstomp the humans, the true heroes manage to gather the remaining westerosi forces and somehow defeat the Others, but they perish too, and the kingdom is left frozen, starving, ravaged by plage, without a leader and almost depopulated.

Then Dany arrives with her badass army, but she finds no resistance because there isn't anybody left to fight. She enters the deserted King's Landing, has the bones cleared from the Throne Room, sits on the Iron Throne and proclaims: "I, Daenerys Targayren Of-The-Thousand-Meaningless-Titles have recovered with great sacrifice and effort the throne of my ancestors from the usurpers who stole it. Don't worry my people! I have come to save you!"...But most of the survivors won't know for years, because they are living in thorps isolated by the snow, and wouldn't care either, because they are eating their own dead in order to survive and don't give a damn who sits on the throne....

[Lion of Judah]

Count me amongst the few that hope Dany rules.

[The Drunkard]

I've already said that would be one of the options for the "bittersweet ending": Dany spends the rest of the books in Essos preparing her return, fighting her battles, gaining allies, building her armies and fleets and training her dragons, while in Westeros the stupid bloody wars go on and on and on, winter comes, people starve, the Others invade and curbstomp the humans, the true heroes manage to gather the remaining westerosi forces and somehow defeat the Others, but they perish too, and the kingdom is left frozen, starving, ravaged by plage, without a leader and almost depopulated.

Then Dany arrives with her badass army, but she finds no resistance because there isn't anybody left to fight. She enters the deserted King's Landing, has the bones cleared from the Throne Room, sits on the Iron Throne and proclames: "I, Daenerys Targayren Of-The-Thousand-Meaningless-Titles have recovered with great sacrifice and effort the throne of my ancestors from the usurpers who stole it. Don't worry my people! I have come to save you!"...But most of the survivors won't know for years, because they are living in trops isolated by the snow, and wouldn't care either, because they are eating their own dead in order to survive and don't give a damn who sits on the throne....

:bawl:

Talk about bittersweet.