Game Of Thrones: 10 Questions We're Asking After 'The Lion And The Rose'
9. Will Stannis Strike?
Of those aforementioned contenders, Stannis is the most likely to go on the offensive. He made a welcome reappearance in this episode in which he dutifully grimaced throughout every conversation, and also burned a few unfortunate nobles alive. With every frown, Stephen Dillane reminds us why nobody likes Stannis, notwithstanding his genuinely strong claim to the throne. He tried once before to win the crown at the Battle of the Blackwater, but would Kings Landing muster enough strength to resist again? Other than Stannis, theres Balon Greyjoy, but last season he seemed to have little in mind beyond a vendetta against the Starks and independence for the Iron Islands. Daenerys has her dragons, but shes marching to Meereen without ships to her name, and news will reach her slowly. Bran is too young to mount a rebellion and preoccupied with the Three-Eyed Crow, and Jon Snow is still illegitimate and a little busy at the Wall. The obvious political discord between devotees of the Lord of Light and those who worship the Seven will be problematic in an attack on the throne, but the fact remains that Stannis is best placed to do so of all his rivals. We know hes not above using Melisandres dark arts to accomplish his goals, and with a few more shadowy demonic creatures, Stannis could find himself in his rightful place at last.
