Game Of Thrones Season 7: 'Eastwatch' Confirms Major Fan Theory
Sam's the Maester-in-training, but it's Gilly who comes up with the big reveal.
Eastwatch was another excellent instalment of Game of Thrones Season 7, packed with character reunions and plot development, but one of the biggest details came in a throwaway line.
Sam and Gilly are reading at the Citadel, with the latter annoying the former by constantly asking him questions based on facts she's reading.
It's then that Gilly learns what an annulment is, and follows it up with this little factoid: Prince 'Raggar' had a marriage annulled by High Septon Maynard, and another ceremony was performed in secret.
Although Sam stops her in her tracks, not caring about any of this, it's a moment that will have made many fans gasp. While not explicitly stated, it's pretty much certain that person Rhaegar Targaryen married was Lyanna Stark.
Last season finally confirmed the long-held fan theory that R+L=J, but one of the questions left over was whether or not Jon was the trueborn son of Rhaegar or not, given he was still believed to be married to Elia Martell, while the given story in Westeros was that Rhaegar kidnapped Lyanna. Even just on that level, it totally changes how we view Robert's Rebellion, since Lyanna's 'kidnapping' was the inciting incident.
It seemed quite likely that story wasn't quite as presented, and that the two genuinely loved each other, and Gilly's word's here confirm as much. Rhaegar and Lyanna were married, and Jon is Rhaegar's trueborn son - confirmation that comes in an episode where he pets a dragon, no less.
It means that not only is Jon not Ned Stark's son, as confirmed in The Winds of Winter, but he's not even a bastard.
More crucially is the fact that, in turn, means he has a stronger claim to the Iron Throne than Daenerys, based on typical Westerosi rules of succession (such as they still matter). It's not clear whether he'd actually want to claim it or not - especially given he's so focused on the real threat - but it's a major deal for the character, and the relationship between him and Daenerys (how would she react to someone having a stronger claim?).
The way the line is hidden in the scene feels like fan service, rather than something Sam will remember. Bran knows everything anyway, and can fill Jon in, but it's great to have the confirmation ourselves while the in-show reveal is being held-off.