Game of Thrones season 7 finale: Why book readers believe Daenerys and Jon Snow may have a child together

Game of Thrones final season has come to a climatic finish, leaving numerous questions unanswered and the White Walkers closer than ever before to victory.

** Spoilers for ‘The Dragon and the Wolf’ ahead **

During the last episode, references were made to Daenerys Targaryen not being able to have children, the Mother of Dragons discussing with Tyrion the future of the Iron Throne. (Even Jorah commented on Jon’s future children, as if saying ‘you have my blessing, but I’m very jealous’)

Let’s quickly go back to season one, Mirri Maz Duur, the character who causes Dany to have a miscarriage and Khal Drogo to fall into a coma, explicitly details how she cannot have children.

“When the sun rises in the west and sets in the east,” she says during season one. In the books, she continues: “When the seas go dry and mountains blow in the wind like leaves. When your womb quickens again, and you bear a living child. Then he will return, and not before.”

During last episode’s boat scene, Dany tells Jon how she believes she cannot have children: “The dragons are my children. They are the only children I will ever have. Do you understand?”

Now, Jon himself has barely thought about children — there are too many White Walkers to defeat in the meantime — but that’s twice in one episode he’s been confronted about kids, and twice Dany has spoken about not being able to conceive. Having children is on both of their minds, with the season finale showing them possibly making their own.

Fans have speculated the pair may have a child for some time, all thanks to the books. In them, Rhaegar Targaryen’s love for Lyanna Stark was represented by a blue rose.

During a tournament, the Prince presents Ned’s sister a single blue rose after defeating someone in combat, a symbol of his favour. Later, when Ned dreams of Lyanna’s death and Jon’s birth, the Stark comments on the room smelling like roses.

Jon is supposedly the rose, given from Rhagar to Lyanna. Thanks to the season seven finale, we know for certain the pair were in love, got secretly married, and had Jon as a legitimate child (who we discover is named Aegon).

Skip forward to Dany’s vision at the House of the Undying, and the blue rose makes another appearance: “A blue flower growing from a chink in a wall of ice, filling the air with sweetness”.

Jon, of course, was at the Wall. And while no blue rose appeared on the Wall during her vision on the show, we did see her leave behind Khal Drogo and her unborn child for a greater purpose. Perhaps that purpose is now having a Prince that was Promised with Jon Snow?

Thanks to the season finale, fans are questioning how the people of Westeros will react when Jon’s true parentage — which makes him Dany’s nephew — is revealed by Bran. If they do have a child, will they be a legitimate baby? Or mocked because they're the child of incest? Could Dany die in childbirth? We’ll have to wait until season eight to find out.