How a Throwback Game of Thrones Detail May Hint at Who Will Claim the Iron Throne

Warning: This post contains spoilers for the Game of Thrones season 8 premiere.

Arya and Gendry were reunited at long last in the Game of Thrones season 8 premiere after being separated following their stint with the Brotherhood Without Banners in season 3.

And thanks to the apparent dual meaning of Gendry’s rejection of Arya’s plea for him to join her family when they last saw each other — “You wouldn’t be my family, you’d be my lady” — some fans sensed that sparks were flying between the pair as soon as Arya stepped foot in the Winterfell forges.

But while their banter in Sunday’s episode seemed like it could have been flirtatious, a throwback detail from season 1 may signal that their potential romance could play a pivotal role in Game of Thrones‘ endgame.

As pointed out by Reddit user daenerystubborn, when Robert Baratheon Robert came to Winterfell to convince Ned to become Hand of the King, he pleaded with Ned to join their two houses by marrying their kids. “You helped me win the Iron Throne, now help me keep the f—cking thing. We were meant to rule together. If your sister had lived, we’d have been bound by blood,” he told Ned, referencing Lyanna Stark. “Well, it’s not too late. I have a son, you have a daughter. We will join our houses.”

Robert was of course talking about Joffrey and Sansa. But considering the fact that Joffrey wasn’t actually his son and Gendry is — albeit his illegitimate one — some fans are speculating that the line could turn out to be reference to Gendry and Arya.

Perhaps a Stark-Baratheon union really is the key to a successful Seven Kingdoms.