Despite the rout of her army, Cersei Lannister seems to hold all the cards. But this Game of Thrones fan theory sees trouble with the Iron Bank.
Spoiler alert: Please be aware there are spoilers ahead.
The Great Sept of Baelor explosion from the Season 6 finale put her firmly in control of the Iron Throne. Euron Greyjoy foiled Daenerys Targaryen by torching her fleet , then captured her allies Yara Greyjoy, Ellaria Sand, and Tyene Sand in Season 7, Episode 2. Jaime Lannister and his army then took High Garden and seized its wealth in the following episode, while Olenna Tyrell gloomily watched from above.
Sure, Team Targaryen clearly routed the Lannister army in the Kingdom of the Reach in Sunday’s Season 7, Episode 4. But Business Insider reminds us, “Right before the Lannisters were attacked, Randyll Tarly told Jaime all the gold was safely within Kings Landing.” (Or at least “all the gold” minus the treasure in that wagon Jaime peered into before taking out a bag of gold coins and handing it to Bronn.) What could possibly go wrong?
In a post titled “ Cersei’s just not smart enough ,” a person on Reddit wrote, “Tycho Nestoris of the Iron Bank said some very revealing things in this episode.” He then went on to argue his point.
For starters, the redditor reminded us Tycho told Cersei, “the Bank does not bet on winners and losers, it instead invests in the chosen victor.” He then asked who the Iron Bank will see as the “chosen victor” after the Battle in Season 7, Episode 4. He noted Cersei feels Tycho is on her side because he told her, “the bank will support the Iron Throne once their debt is paid.” What she failed to notice is he never specifically said he’d support her.
Tycho often flatters Cersei by comparing her favorably to her father, Tywin Lannister. But when you read between the lines, you’ll see he’s not praising her at all. In “ The Spoils of War ,” he appeared to compliment her for paying off a huge chunk of her debt. But when he said no one has ever paid back the Iron Bank “in such a manner,” he may not have meant it as a compliment. Tycho even pointedly told Cersei, “Some at the Iron Bank will be disappointed. They’ve grown rather fond of their interest payments.” He then urged her to borrow more money, but Cersei didn’t take the hint.
If she didn’t already have most of the gold, she was counting her chickens before they’re hatched. If most of the gold was safely at King’s Landing, as the younger Tarly assured Jaime, the queen foolishly planned to put all her eggs in the Iron Bank’s basket.
By vowing to pay her debt in full, Cersei has sealed her doom. Her short-term strategies and ruling by fear bore fruit in the short term but don’t bode well for the long-term. After all, her family motto says, “A Lannister always pays his debts.” It doesn’t say, “A Lannister always pays her debts immediately and in full.” The redditor declared this was her “big mistake.” In addition, “Tywin was no fool and he knew that while the Lannisters were in debt to the Bank, the Bank had a vested interest in their success.” If Cersei hands over all the gold from High Garden, Tycho can “wash his hands of the Lannisters altogether.”
Looking back, Season 7, Episode 3 also holds some clues that don’t bode well for the woman now sitting on the Iron Throne. Tycho appeared to offer congratulations for plotting the Great Sept of Baelor explosion and seizing power. But when she denied doing so and smirkingly referred to the event as a “tragic accident,” he responded, “sometimes tragedies are necessary to restore order and rational leadership.” In other words, the Iron Bank may not find Cersei’s leadership “rational” or the way she restores “order” to be profitable or sustainable.
[Featured Image by Helen Sloan/HBO]
