'Game of Thrones': Who Is Jenny?

While the immediate future seems bleak for the characters of Game of Thrones -- the dreaded Battle of Winterfell takes place in next week's episode -- Sunday's newest installment of the series was a mostly happy affair. There were jokes, reunions, and even surprising sex scenes cut into the preparations for war, though one foreboding scene reminded us all that terror was likely to follow. Several major characters surrounded a fireplace and Tyrion asked someone to sing a song. Podrick obliged, singing the mysterious "Jenny's Song" from George R.R. Martin's books. Its words were ominous to say the least, but even more so when you realize the context behind them, and understand who Jenny actually was.

So "Jenny's Song," or "Jenny of Oldstones" as its called on the show, comes from one of Arya's chapters in the third book, A Storm of Swords, during the time she spent with the Brotherhood Without Banners. Her group came upon a place called High Heart, where plenty of weirwood tree stumps can be found. As pointed out by Insider's Kim Renfro, this signals the importance of the location to the Old Gods of Westeros and the Children of the Forest. Upon arriving, Arya and the Brotherhood are met by a woman referred to as the Ghost of High Heart, who requests that they sing her a song. This is when "Jenny's Song" comes into play, though the book doesn't reveal its lyrics.

The song itself is about Jenny of Oldstones, a woman who caught the eye of Prince Duncan Targaryen. Despite the fact that Duncan was supposed to marry Lord Lyonel Baratheon's daughter, helping to unite the two houses, he chose to stay with Jenny and forgo his right to the Iron Throne. This seems like a small action but it led to catastrophic consequences.

Because Duncan gave up his claim, his younger brother Jaehaerys II took over as king. Jaehaerys heard a prophecy about the Prince that was Promised being born of the line of his two children, Aerys and Rhaella, so he arranged for them to be married to one another. After ruling for only three years, Jaehaerys died and left the throne to Aerys, who we all now know as the Mad King.

The love of Jenny and Duncan led to the rule of the Mad King. That result is tragic in its own right, but the effects of that relationship are still present in the current Game of Thrones timeline. Remember how Jon was thought by the Red Witch to be the Prince that was Promised? As we now know, he comes directly from the bloodlines of Aerys and Rhaella Targaryen. His father, Daenerys' brother Rhaegar, was their son.

This also aligns with the theme in Sunday's episode of "the things we do for love." This line seemed to foreshadow a big decision for Jon and Dany, and "Jenny's Song" only takes that point further. Does this mean that one or both of them will pass up the Iron Throne out of love? Or will there be a sacrificial play as the series comes to a close?

Thanks to Jenny, we've got quite a lot to think about over the next four weeks.

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