You better believe your dragon-loving butts there are going to be Game of Thrones spoilers in the following article so you know, if you’re not caught up, click away and what not. Here, watch all of The Dan Caves instead. You know, except the Game of Thrones-themed ones.

With the season six finale of Game of Thrones behind us, there’s not much we can do other than pour over theories, overanalyze episodes, and basically Monday-morning-quarterback the entire series thus far. Nothing to do but wonder what’s in store for the characters we love and what punishment awaits the ones we despise. It’s a great big exercise in hypothetical thinking until season seven makes its way to our TV screens. I’m not a huge fan of the books like our resident Mix-Maester Michael Walsh, nor do have the bad-ass encyclopedic knowledge of the series like Alicia Lutes, but boy do I love talking about good television and envisioning the ways things could happen.

What I’m about to get into is nothing new for the GoT community, as it’s a theory that’s been passed around for quite a while. But given certain character developments in this season, I believe—if what I think could happen happens—it’ll make for some fantastic television moments.

Our own Amy Ratcliffe went over a bunch of possibilities of how Cersei will meet her end, but I’ve got my money riding on one horse in particular. With Cersei Lannister claiming the Iron Throne after decimating Kings Landing (or parts of it, at least) she’s one step closer to fulfilling the prophecy told to her when she was a young girl. And it’s pretty clear, at least to me, that the prophecy will come to an end with Jaime Lannister being the one to kill her.

Before we get into this, here’s a refresher of the prophecy from season five.

That clip (let’s hope it doesn’t get pulled by HBO) is of a young Cersei in the midst of early onset psychopathy visiting a Lannisport fortune teller named Maggy the Frog. Like all fortune tellers, her prophecy is cloaked in mystery and is fairly confusing to her listener. Little did Cersei know, though, that everything in it would come true. For more detail, let’s go over the book’s version and what it’s meant so far.

Cersei: When will I wed the prince?
Maggy: Never. You will wed the king.
Cersei: I will be queen, though?
Maggy: Aye. Queen you shall be… until there comes another, younger and more beautiful, to cast you down and take all that you hold dear.

This is all pretty clean cut and obvious for any casual fan of the show. Cersei, who was originally offered to wed Rhaegar Targaryen asked when she would marry him. That betrothal never happened, but she did end up marrying King Robert Baratheon. Cersei likely saw Margaery Tyrell as the younger, more beautiful one to cast her down, which is what motivated her actions at the Sept, but we as viewers all know it will be none other than Daenerys Targaryen.

Cersei: Will the king and I have children?
Maggy: Oh, aye. Six-and-ten for him, and three for you. Gold shall be their crowns and gold their shrouds, she said.

In previous seasons we’ve learned that Robert had a whole bunch of bastard babies and Cersei’s children were, of course, Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tommen Baratheon. They all wore crowns of gold (this could also be a reference to their hair) and Cersei lived to see each of their death shrouds.

Now, the show, likely to make for better television in the coming episodes, left out part of the prophecy… and it might be the most important part.

Maggy: And when your tears have drowned you, the valonqar shall wrap his hands about your pale white throat and choke the life from you. 

Is “valonqar” some sort of Westerosi monster? A term for an ancient evil set upon the land from beyond the wall? Nope. Valonqar is High Valyrian for “little brother.” There are people who think it might be Sandor “The Hound” Clegane, little brother of The Mountain, but I don’t think that would be terribly good television when there are better ways for Cersei to meet her end. So, “little brother” leaves two other possible candidates, right? Well, maybe.

There’s another theory commonly called “The Three Headed Dragon” that I won’t go too deep into here beyond saying that the gist of it is that Tyrion may actually be the son of Joanna Lannister and Aerys Targaryen. A few things point to this as a possibility. The books go into some detail that Aerys was infatuated with Mama Lannister, Tywin consistently told Tyrion, “You’re no son of mine,” and, possibly the most poignant piece of evidence, Joanna Lannister died giving birth to Tyrion. While I’m sure that sort of thing happens a whole bunch in that world, it’s been made clear that the two other characters whose mothers died during childbirth are Jon Snow and Daenerys.

Alright, back to Cersei. If the “The Three Headed Dragon” turns out to be true, that leaves only one person that truly is her Valonqar. It’s literary canon that Jaime is the younger twin and although it’s been a while since my high school High Valyrian class, I’m pretty sure Valonqar doesn’t translate to “little half brother.” So what does this mean for the show? Well, it’s really anyone’s guess, but here’s what I’m hoping for.

This season buttoned up a lot of plot lines by getting rid of a fair amount of main characters. The roster that’s left is comprised of Jon Snow and company in the North, who will fight the Night’s King and his crew, Samwell Tarly at the Citadel, likely looking for The Idiot’s Guide to Valyrian steel and Dragonglass, and Daenerys and her armies coming to wreak some havoc in King’s Landing. Sure, Euron Greyjoy is still out there somewhere, but that’s probably going to be a quick “How Theon Got His Groove Back” situation when he undoubtedly kills him.

For now, Cersei still holds King’s Landing. Judging by the Daenerys’ armada and the fact that after what she’s done to the Sept, Cersei probably won’t command much of a loyal army, I’m hoping for the following…

•  Cersei holes up in the Red Keep and surrounds herself with what remaining forces she has. The only thing she has to lose is herself and Jaime at this point. She possibly uses citizens of King’s Landing as human shields.
• Daenerys shows up, can’t attack because she won’t kill innocent people.
• Tyrion convinces Daenerys to send him in for a parlay and try to talk sense into his siblings.
• Shit. Goes. Down.
• After making his case, Tyrion is about to be killed by Cersei but pleads to Jaime to help him.
• Jaime, reminded of the honor he once had as Kingsguard, sickened by what Cersei has become, and knowing there’s a much more important fight ahead makes the tough choice of protecting his brother.
• Jaime fulfills Maggy’s Valonqar prophecy and is forced to kill Cersei, perhaps even making the ultimate sacrifice and does so in some sort of stabby/chokey embrace where they both die.

Now, this might seem a bit farfetched considering the many, many times Jaime has professed his love for his sister, and what’s more how he probably feels about his brother killing their dad. But over the course of this season, and the entire series really, we’ve been shown a great deal of personal growth in Jaime. He’s never going to be a good person, but he’s making some progress in that direction. Compared to the first episodes of the series, we’ve seen him change from a heartless Bran-pushin’, sister-f$%in’ monster to a somewhat honorable, compassion-havin’, sister-f$%in’ conflicted human being.

Even in the last episode it’s made clear that Jaime is sick of doing what he’s been doing. He’s disgusted with Walder Frey gloating about the death of the honorable soldier The Blackfish and berates him for even needing the Lannister army. And if you look closely, he was the only one not standing during the toast Walder Frey makes. In fact, he is not-so-subtly placed in that scene with his back turned to Frey.

We were told he had no choice but to kill The Mad King when he threatened to light the Wildfire caches underneath King’s Landing, so how is he feeling right now knowing that the woman he loves did the one thing he previously wouldn’t let happen? His children are dead, and Cersei has become more evil than than she ever was before. Jaime has got to be thinking about where his allegiances lie. Is it with the woman who would murder hundreds of people for revenge, or with the people who’ve shown him compassion, respect and friendship? Brienne will be fighting for the North, Tyrion now serves the family Jaime once swore an oath to as Kingsguard, and you just know Bronn will have some brutally honest words about everything that’s been going on.

There were more than just a few glimmers of change and growth on Jaime’s face this season, and it may be leading up to the hardest thing he’s ever had to do. If he becomes the Valonqar that Maggy the Frog foretold, then he’ll be the one to kill Cersei. If he survives, he’s reborn in the fires of redemption. Should he die, he’ll be remembered as a hero. Kingslayer becomes Queenslayer in order to save Westeros.

Dammit, they better make this happen because if Olenna Tyrell gets to serve the killing blow it’ll just be kind of a letdown. It’d probably have a fantastic “last words” one liner, but it’d be a letdown nonetheless.

What are your thoughts on Maggy the Frog’s prophecy? Who do you think will be the one to kill Cersei? Let’s discuss in the comments below!

If you think this theory is out there, wait’ll you hear the one about Varys being a mermaid:

Images: HBO