Obligatory spoiler warning for all things Game of Thrones!
When the eighth season of Game of Thrones premiered, Cersei still seemed like she was on her way to becoming the Mad Queen. Jaime had abandoned her and she'd enthusiastically started tangling with Euron and the Golden Company. As queen, Cersei has only ever had one thing on her mind besides maintaining her power: getting revenge. Oh, and that whole baby situation.
After sleeping with Euron at the start of the season, the queen was seen sitting at a table in her bedroom in a dressing gown that clearly showed off her bump (even if Euron didn't notice). The sleazy Greyjoy leader comes over, dripping with arrogance as usual, and places a hand on her stomach before saying that he's going to "put a prince inside" her belly one day. Obviously the child inside her was Jaime's, but it certainly seemed like Cersei is cool with Euron raising the newborn with her instead.
She confirms as much in the season's fourth episode, "The Last of the Starks." Following their sneak attack on Daenerys and her fleet, we see Cersei telling Euron that she's pregnant with his heir. Euron, of course, considers this to be pretty good news since his only ambition, according to all available evidence, is seizing power in Westeros. But, uh, this is pretty awkward for the fans who remember that Cersei actually tells Jaime that it's his baby she's carrying before he ditches her at the end of season seven. There's also the matter of that whole prophecy about her.
If you'll recall, back in the season seven premiere, she talks to Jaime about her bloodlust while also dismissing their need to grieve over their other children. That moment in particular reminded us of the prophecy Cersei was once told as a kid. She referenced it back in season six's premiere as well, just after she finds that her daughter Myrcella is dead. Here's what you need to know about said prophecy — and why it matters now that Cersei is dead.
Cersei's Prophecy
Cersei mentions the prophecy of a witch she'd been told years ago: "She promised me three children . . . she promised me they'd die," she says, and of course, it wasn't all that long ago that we actually saw this scene on the show; it happens in the season five premiere. Here's the clip where a young Cersei visits Maggy the frog, the fortune teller in question.
"Everything she said came true . . ." Cersei says in the season six premiere to Jaime, her beloved brother and father of her three children — all three of whom died. "This prophecy, it's fate." So let's go over exactly what the witch did prophecize and how it all plays out on the show over the course of all eight seasons.
1. "You'll never wed the prince, you'll wed the king."
Did it come true? Yes. Cersei marries King Robert Baratheon and not "the prince" — Rhaegar Targaryen.
2. "You'll be queen, for a time. Then comes another, younger, more beautiful, to cast you down and take all you hold dear."
Did it come true? Yes, though the younger, more beautiful queen had been questioned. Margaery came to mind first as the young queen who was married to King Tommen, but now that she's dead, it's assuredly Daenerys Targaryen, the queen we once hoped would bring about the end of the Lannisters. She's since gone a bit crazy, on account of melting most of King's Landing in an unhinged revenge spree, but technically Dany still fits this part of Cersei's prophecy.
3. "The king will have 20 children and you will have three. Gold will be their crowns . . . gold their shrouds."
Did it come true? Yes. The king did have multiple illegitimate children without the help of Cersei, while Cersei bears just three: Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tommen — all three of whom have died. Joffrey and Myrcella were both poisoned, by Lady Olenna Tyrell and Ellaria Sand, respectively. Tommen tragically commited suicide by throwing himself out a window after he saw that Cersei had blown up his love, Margaery Tyrell. Once Cersei became pregnant in season seven, the question of the prophecy was brought up once more — a fourth child would contradict the witch's prediction, which had a lot of people believing that Cersei would either die before her child was born or miscarry.
4. "When your tears have drowned you, the Valonqar shall wrap his hands about your pale white throat and choke the life from you."
Did it come true? Technically yes, but with a twist. This part of the prophecy states that Cersei's "Valonqar," or little brother, would be the one to kill her, and is only featured in George R.R. Martin's books rather than the show. She'd always assumed it would be Tyrion, but since Jaime is the younger twin by a few seconds, fans have long pointed out that he's also a fit. (That really makes the incest somehow even grosser, right?)
Though not an exact fulfillment of the prophecy, the prediction comes true (in a way) in season eight's penultimate episode, "The Bells," when Cersei and Jaime find themselves reunited once again when he journeys to King's Landing to save her from Dany's reign of terror. Even though Tyrion helped them with an escape plan, their efforts are thwarted when the Lannister twins discover their only passage to safety has caved in due to the destruction the dragon queen is wreaking on the city.
As the Red Keep begins to crumble, Cersei cries, "I don't want our baby to die. Please don't let me die, Jaime, please don't let me die." Jaime then takes her in his arms and says, "Nothing else matters, only us," just before the ceiling fully caves in and buries them. It's important to note that in this moment, Jaime does have his hands wrapped around his sister's neck, but it's in a loving embrace.
This moment is heartbreaking for a couple of reasons. First is that back in season five, Jaime mentions to Bronn that the way he wants to die is "in the arms of the woman I love." It looks like he got his wish, no matter how tragic. Second is the line Jaime says to Cersei just before they die: "Nothing else matters, only us." It's a pretty obvious nod to all the twisted conversations the lust-filled, power-hungry, incestuous duo have had over the course of the series. And hey — even Lady Olenna knew they'd "be the end" of each other.
