The sixth season of Game of Thrones ended with Cersei taking her seat on the Iron Throne, and speculation is already mounting as to who might step up to end her reign of terror.

CultBox guest writer Angela Lord takes a closer look…

Lena Headey, who plays the character, believes there’s “not a chance in hell” that she will maintain her position of power for long. She expects Cersei to be killed off at some point, and has named Arya Stark and Tyrion as likely suspects to do the deed – but recent rumours have also placed brother Jaime in the frame.

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, who plays Jaime, almost gave away some plot details in a recent interview, when he hinted that there might be another suitor for Cersei, but also said of his character: “He has to step up and take his father’s place. Wow, I was about to reveal something from season seven and thought, ‘What am I doing?’”

In fact, author George R R Martin has hinted at Cersei’s fate, through a prophecy from her childhood.

As a girl, Cersei sought the advice of a fortune teller named Maggy, after hearing rumours about her magical powers. Maggy first refused to tell her future, but grudgingly agreed under threat.

She told Cersei that she would wed a king, and be queen “until there comes another, younger and more beautiful, to cast you down and take all that you hold dear.”

She also predicted – correctly – that Cersei would outlive her three children, then die at the hands of the Valonqar, which is High Valyrian for “little brother”.

At a stretch, Arya could qualify as a “little brother”, as she once posed as a boy to hide her identity, but Tyrion and Jaime are more likely contenders.

Tyrion is the youngest of the three Lannister children, and Cersei the oldest, with her twin Jaime born moments later, which means that he could also qualify as the Valonqar.

When Cersei used wildfire to kill her arch enemy the High Sparrow, sacrificing Queen Marjory Tyrell and any bystanders unlucky enough to be caught in the explosion, her son, the boy king Tommen, was so devastated that took his own life, leaving his mother to claim the throne.

Tommen is the last of the three children to die, after Joffrey and Myrcella were both poisoned. When Jaime learns that Cersei was to blame for the suicide of the only remaining child of their incestuous relationship, his feelings for her could easily turn to hate.

Jaime, whose right hand was cut off and replaced with an iron hand, has the motive and opportunity to strangle his once-beloved sister in a fit of rage and grief, fulfilling the final chilling line of Maggy’s prophecy:

“When your tears have drowned you, the valonqar shall wrap his hands about your pale white throat and choke the life from you.”

Season 7 begins on Monday 17 July 2017 on Sky Atlantic.

Buy the complete Season 1-6 box set on Amazon here.

Written by Angela Lord.