#all I’m saying is that the NW is very important and being LC of the NW is even more important

[sheikah]

Hello Kristen! I hope you're enjoying the new punisher season. Although it will probably be the last because they are cancelling all the marvel shows :(. As for GoT do you think that Jon could follow Theon all the way? Just as he tells Theon that he is a Stark and a Greyjoy, can Jon also support Dany on the throne like Theon supports Yara because she is more worthy?

Hi anon :) I enjoyed the new Punisher season very much, thank you! I know it’s likely to be cancelled but I’m not giving up hope just yet :D

As to your question, I just want to preface this by saying that I realize this is a touchy issue in the fandom and I respect everyone’s differing opinions on the matter. But in short, yes. I do think that Jon would (if the situation called for it) support Dany’s claim even if he couldn’t be king as an equal alongside her. I fully believe Jon would still be happy as Dany’s consort. And to be honest, I think our culture could benefit from a story like that. How many stories are there of kings whose queens are not their equal, are not ruling partners, and are simply wives, lovers, mothers? And while it does not carry the same weight as that of the ruling monarch, the role of the consort is still important and valuable to the governance of the realm and to the royal family unit. I think it would be interesting to show a reversal of the patriarchal ideal in which the man is not the most traditionally “powerful” part of the family, a royal family at that. Jon is my favorite character, so my dream ending is not for him to wind up only as Dany’s king consort/husband, but I think it would be in-character for him to accept and even be happy about this possibility. 

One reason I believe that is because Jon has expressed (well, at least show!Jon has expressed) on numerous occasions a distinct disdain for ruling. He believes that what he is “good at” is fighting, and while I believe he’s a good leader/ruler, he doesn’t seem to find any joy in it. It’s also worth noting that both his leadership/ruling positions (KitN and LC of the NW) were placed upon him by those he ruled–the Northerners and his brothers. He did not actively seek out either position. 

Another reason I believe that Jon would happily allow Dany to be queen in her own right is their exchange in 7.06 when he tells her, “They’ll all come to see you for what you are.” Just like Missandei tells Jon in 7.04, people don’t follow Dany because of birthright or blood. They follow her because they’re inspired by her deeds, her bravery, and her compassion for the common people. Jon admires these qualities, “sees her for what she is,” and bends the knee to her because she is the sort of ruler that he trusts the realm–including his own people, the North–with the responsibility of ruling over. He would never have bent the knee to Dany if he didn’t see her as a capable ruler and someone he would be honored to follow. I believe that he thinks she is, as you said, “worthy.”

Lastly, if we look at the historical parallels to Henry Tudor and Elizabeth of York, Dany is the parallel of Henry, the exiled royal who returns to ancestral shores to reclaim a throne, marrying a royal noble (from the north!) to solidify claim and noble support. Jon being Dany’s consort while she remains the true heir and rightful queen is not out of the realm of possibility imo.

But I want to end this by saying that I don’t think any of this will ultimately matter because if Dany rules, I believe Jon would rule at her side as her equal. I believe that if Jon’s parentage is revealed publicly (and therefore his claim to the throne revealed publicly) it wouldn’t turn into a Jon OR Dany scenario. If they are already in love with one another (which they are) and already in a proclaimed alliance (which they are) and especially if Dany is carrying his child (which I believe she is) then the sensible thing to do would be for them to marry. And since they both have ruling experience, scores of devoted followers, and viable claims to the throne, I think that if there is an IT at the end, they would rule as equal partners, king and queen, or not at all. I also think there’s a possible ending scenario where the idea of one power ruling over all 7K is somehow no longer realistic/possible, and after having helped to liberate the realm from the NK and bringing about peace and unity, Jon and Dany might leave Westeros altogether and go “somewhere warm” to find the “house with the red door.” But in both these cases, I think they would likely end up as equals :)