*Potential spoilers ahead*
Here at ELLE UK, we love a good Game of Thrones fan theory.
From Arya becoming Lady Stoneheart, Jon betraying Daenerys, and Theon being transformed by the Drowned God into a sea warrior, we can't get enough of second-guessing what's in store for our favourite bunch of fur-lined, dragon-riding friends.
However, one of the biggest questions we've been mulling over is the fate of Cersei.
While some presume fans speculate Jaime is destined to kill his twin sister, others believe Arya will use her skills as No One to kill Jaime, steal his face and impersonate him, before murdering the queen of the Seven Kingdoms.
And while, of course, we are yet mere mortals in the face of GOT author George R.R. Martin's literary adaptation, there's a new fan theory about Cersei's death we're increasingly convinced will actually happen.
First thing's first, Cersei will die in the final season. And not in the 'all humans die' kind of way but in Game of Thrones, 'her days are numbered' way.
GOT fans will remember that Cersei received a prophecy from Maggy the Frog as a child indicating that she will marry the king, become queen, have three children, and watch all of them die.
In Martin's books, Maggy also predicted she'd die by the hands of 'the valonqar' (High Valyrian for 'little brother') and said:
Three [children] for you. Gold shall be their crowns and gold their shrouds. And when your tears have drowned you, the valonqar shall wrap his hands about your pale white throat and choke the life from you.
Now, we already know that Cersei's three children (Joffrey, Myrcella and Tommen) have popped their clogs, but Season 7 revealed the queen is pregnant with a fourth child, which seemingly throws a spanner into the works laid out by the prophecy, right?
Well, that was until a fan on Reddit perfectly explained how a fourth baby would, in fact, fulfil the prophecy.
As most of us did, Cersei assumed 'valonqar' (remember, this means 'little brother') referred to her brother Tyrion (who has dwarfism and hates her with a passion). However, it could also be in reference to Jaime who is also technically her 'little' brother, albeit a twin.
However, the new theory suggests that it will be her fourth child that will kill her.
To explain further, let's not forget that Cersei despised her 'imp' brother for 'killing' their mother in childbirth. So, if she dies in the same way, and dies giving birth to a child with dwarfism, it'll be the perfect slap in the face for all her cruelty and the perfect poetic justice for someone who called Tyrion a 'little monster'.
And given the fact that Tyrion once said he wished he 'had enough poison for the whole pack of you', after revealing he believed his only 'monstrous crime' was 'being a dwarf', it would make sense that things come full circle and Cersei gets the comeuppance she deserves.
Please, please let this be true.
Katie O'Malley is the Site Director on ELLE UK. On a daily basis you’ll find Katie managing all digital workflow, editing site, video and newsletter content, liaising with commercial and sales teams on new partnerships and deals (eg Nike, Tiffany & Co., Cartier etc), implementing new digital strategies and compiling in-depth data traffic, SEO and ecomm reports. In addition to appearing on the radio and on TV, as well as interviewing everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Rishi Sunak PM, Katie enjoys writing about lifestyle, culture, wellness, fitness, fashion, and more.
