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27th August 2017
08:45pm BST
With a running time of 79 minutes and 43 seconds, the season finale, The Dragon and the Wolf, is going to be the longest episode in the show's history and if the trailer is anything to go by then we're set for an absolute cracker.
As mentioned previously, plenty of people have been speculating that the title is a clear sign that the romance between Jon and Daenerys is about to feature prominently. This being said, there's a strong possibility that we're also going to see two other characters make an appearance, Rhaegar Targeryn (Dany's older brother) and Lyanna Stark (Ned's sister).
https://twitter.com/LordSnow/status/900054052972761088
As you may know, HBO have already confirmed the true parents of Jon Snow - his mother is Lyanna and his father is Rhaegar - and we already got a glimpse of their relationship and the R+L = J theory being proved at the Tower of Joy.
In fact, we've also seen snippets of Jon embracing his Targaryen heritage with these two lovely moments that echoed his father's nature.
Before he ventured to the Wall, Ned Stark told Jon that "you may not have my name, but you have my blood."
Jon clearly embodies both houses, but are the wolf of House Stark and the dragon of House Targaryen about to become even closer?
Before we discuss the current timeline in Game of Thrones, let's go back to the events before Robert's Rebellion began.
In terms of his personality, Rhaegar was successful at anything he tried, be it singing, politics, or even warfare. Like Jon, he wasn't fond of fighting. While Robert Baratheon has portrayed The Mad King's eldest son as a violent rapist and abductor, Ser Barristan Selmy - the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard of Robert Baratheon - has described Rhaegar as the "the finest man I ever met" and said that he loved to sing to the common people at King's Landing.
In the books, we're told that he's tall, handsome and that Cersei Lannister was incredibly attracted to him after they first met.
With a mix of awe and respect, notable warriors such as Barristan Selmy and Jaime Lannister also spoke highly of Rhaegar’s skills as a fighter.
The Tourney of Harrenhal
King Aerys II felt that a marriage alliance with the Lannisters was beneath his son and Rhaegar was ultimately married to Elia Martell (Oberyn's sister). They had had two children together: Aegon and Rhaenys.
The Tourney of Harrenhal changed everything for the futures of Rhaegar and Lyanna Stark though.
The tournament, hosted by Lord Walter Whent, was intended to celebrate his daughter's birthday but people have argued that something else was at play.
At the time, Rhaegar was growing concerned about his father's increasingly erratic behavior. There's speculation that the the Tourney at Harrenhal was just a pretext for Rhaegar to meet with the other noble lords in Westeros to overthrow the Mad King.
In fact, during the time of the Tourney, Rhaegar was living on Dragonstone because he didn't want to to interact with Aerys on a day-to-day basis.
During the Tourney of Harrenhal, Rhaegar eventually defeated Brandon Stark, Yohn Royce, Arthur Dayne and Barristan Selmy, but what followed next changed Westeros forever.
Instead of placing a crown of winter roses in his wife’s lap, he rode up to Lyanna Stark and placed the crown in her lap.
“When Rhaegar won, everyone cheered for their prince. I remember the guards laughing when he took off his helmet and they saw that silver hair, how handsome he was. Until he rode right past his wife, Elia Martell, and all the smiles died. I’ve never seen so many people so quiet. He rode past his wife and he lay a crown of winter roses in Lyanna’s lap, blue as frost," said Littlefinger to Sansa.
It's also worth noting that after that event, the fifteen-year-old Jaime Lannister was admitted into the order of the Kingsguard.
At the time of this Tourney, Lyanna Stark was set to marry Robert Baratheon but following the dramatic events the unfolded, the seeds of mistrust and hatred were already sown in several powerful houses.
Robert Baratheon has portrayed Rhaegar as an abductor and a rapist, but as Gilly discovered while reading that scroll in Oldtown, Lyanna and Rhaegar were legally married. After Ned Stark's sister was 'kidnapped', her father (Rickard) and brother (Brandon ) went to King's Landing to secure her return.
The Mad King executed them both, prompting the rebellion that was led by Ned, Robert, and Jon Arryn.
His death
Rhaegar was killed by Robert Baratheon before the events of Game of Thrones began.
They faced-off at the Battle of the Trident where Robert killed Rhaegar with his war hammer as he “sank to his knees in the water and with his last breath murmured a woman’s name.” Many assume that woman’s name was Lyanna Stark - during Daenery's vision in the House of the Undying, he whispers Lyanna's name with his last breath.
With 300 years of Targeryn rule ended, The Mountain viciously kills all Rhaegar's family- wife Elia and his children Aegon and Rhaenys.
Other than Daenerys, Jon Snow is the only living Targaryen.
Jon Snow and his title
Throughout the show, we're led to believe that Rhaegar not only kidnapped Ned's sister, but he kept her hidden and locked away at The Tower of Joy.
We already saw that at the end of Season 6 in the scene where she gives birth to Jon Snow.
As revealed earlier this season, Rhaegar had his marriage with Elia annulled. With this startling information, it means that Jon is a legitimate Targaryen and the rightful heir to the Iron Throne. Now that he has bent the knee to Daenerys, will the King in the North find out his true lineage and if so, will he give up his claim as the rightful rules of the Seven Kingdoms?
We've a feeling that Samwell Tarly or Bran Strak have a very important conversation ahead. After all, who could reveal all that information using one raven scroll!Explore more on these topics:
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