These Episodes Hint At Daenerys' Fate On 'Game Of Thrones'

Fans never thought they'd be excited for winter to come in the middle of July, but, in the world of Game of Thrones, everything is topsy turvy. Game Of Thrones Season 7 premieres this Sunday, and all of your favorite assassins, crows, queens, and Khaleesis will be back to battle it out for the Iron Throne. As for what Season 7 episodes will feature Daenerys Targaryan, there's not an exact answer this early in the game. But what little we do know can tell us a few things about her arc this season.

Game Of Thrones is notoriously guarded with their plot points, so we currently only know for sure that Dany will be in the first three episodes of the new season, titled “Dragonstone,” “Stormborn,” and “The Queen’s Justice,” respectively. But even with this little bit of information, there’s a lot we can learn. First, the beginning of this season will be Dany-heavy, since "Dragonstone" is the ancestral homeland of the Targaryans, and "Stormborn" is one of her many, many names. That indicates that these episodes will most likely center on Dany’s arrival in Westeros.

There’s even more to learn from the descriptions of the episodes, which lead me to believe that the Mother of Dragons will be sticking around at least until the finale. The summary of “Stormborn” declares that Dany “receives an unexpected visitor.” The identity of this guest is anyone’s guess: is it Jon Snow, looking to combine forces? Arya Stark, looking to fight for this foreign queen? Jaime Lannister, arriving to warn Khaleesi not to get involved in the politics of Westeros?

Whatever the answer, it seems clear that Dany’s arrival has forever altered the game of thrones. The players must now decide whether to join forces with this foreign queen, or fight against her (and her three dragons). This dynamic is too compelling to be cut short after only a few episodes.

Another indicator that Khaleesi will be sticking around this season is the fact that, although Game of Thrones has never been shy about offing fan favorites (RIP Ned, Robb, Catelyn, Oberyn, etc), there are a few mainstays that seem pretty much off limits, at least until the finale: Cersei, Jon Snow, and Daenerys. They even brought Jon Snow back to life in order to keep him in the game. If Dany was killed off before the end of this season, or not featured in the second half, it would be a surprise.

The pictures released ahead of the premiere have made it abundantly clear that Khaleesi is about to set up shop in Dragonstone, which makes me think that she is going to begin plotting her path to the Iron Throne with her loyal squad at her side (minus the lovesick, and literally sick, Ser Jorah). Another clue can be found in the description for Episode 3, “The Queen’s Justice.” It reveals that Dany will “hold court” at Dragonstone. This could mean any number of things, but my guess is that Tyrion has advised the Mother of Dragons that, in order to make a successful claim as the ruler of Westeros, she’ll have to garner the support of her subjects, who she has not lived among for most of her life. “Holding court” could be her way of opening herself up to audiences with the public, who can meet this foreign queen and judge her for themselves.

I think this season could show Dany either gaining this support in spades, or learning that ruling Westeros might not be as easy a task as she had imagined. Either way, the Mother of Dragons is back, and the rest of Westeros better watch out.