‘Game of Thrones’ Season 8: Will Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen Marry?

The season premiere of Game of Thrones teased fans with the possibility of Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen uniting the realm by getting married.

Warning! Spoilers for Game of Thrones Season 8, Episode 1 lie ahead!

Game of Thrones left fans hanging last season with the knowledge that Jon Snow (Kit Harington) is really a Targaryen, and Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) is his aunt. While the audience knew this, the two characters did not when they began a romantic relationship on their way north to Winterfell. Apparently, their tryst was not so secret, as a few other characters took notice.

In one scene on Sunday night, Tyrion Lannister, Lord Varys and Ser Davos watched Jon and Daenerys wandering around the yard in Winterfell together, pretty obviously flirting. The three older men mused that it would be in the best interest of their people if the two rulers would bring their romance out into the open and marry, thereby uniting the north and the rest of the kingdoms between two reliable rulers.

Whether this can actually take place is a topic of hot debate among fans. In the following scene, we saw Jon take his momentous solo flight on Daenerys’ dragon, Rhaegal, and the two of them settled in a secluded place for a kiss. It is clear that the feelings between them are real, but just a few scenes later Jon finally learned the truth of their relationship.

The question then becomes whether Jon Snow will carry on a relationship that means so much to him even after learning that it is incestuous. Jon’s whole identity was rocked by the news that he was not Ned Stark’s son, and he may find it hard to decide where exactly his beliefs on incest stand. The Targaryens have wed within families for generations, and Daenerys was once resigned to the fact that she would have to marry her older brother, but perhaps now she’ll feel different.

In addition, Jon does not seem as concerned with holding his power as he does with protecting his people. He was happy to bend the knee to Daenerys in exchange for her support in the War for the Dawn, but when Sam (John Bradley) told him about his heritage, he seemed intrigued by the possibility that his claim to rule superseded Daenerys’. Jon may see the chance to take control as tactical advantage too great to give up, especially as the northern lords leave him in droves.

Finally, there is the possibility that it is too late for Jon and Daenerys to end their relationship now. While Daenerys believes she cannot have children, she could be wrong. If Jon has already gotten her pregnant, her honor will not allow him to make their child a bastard as he believed he was. The two could be united in that way, though many fans see it as unlikely that the HBO series will let its heroes engage in incest knowingly and openly like that.

Unfortunately, fans will have to wait a full week to see what happens next. Game of Thrones airs on Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO.