There have been countless theories proliferating about HBO’s “Game of Thrones.” With George RR Martin still busy completing the sixth book in the seven volume “A Song of Ice and Fire” saga, it seems that fans are getting more and more creative with their speculations. The latest one involves Gendry and Cersei and posits that Cersei could be his mother.
A long ago reference
Fans made the first connection when they recalled a long ago scene from “Game of Thrones” Season 1 where Cersei visited a distraught Catelyn Stark worrying over Bran on his sickbed.
Long time followers of the show know that Jamie, in an attempt to keep his incestuous relationship with his sister secret, pushed Bran off a tower window in Winterfell making him a cripple for life.
Cersei, in an attempt to comfort Catelyn, recounted her own sorrow when her supposed firstborn died. Cersei described the child as a dark haired beauty and a fighter. She said that she never visited her baby’s crypt. Still, given Cersei's slyness, this could also mean that the baby never actually died. She could have hidden away Robert's heir to get back at him for his poor treatment of her.
She also said Robert was present during the death of their first child but for her three other children, he was not even present for the births.
Based on his different treatment of his firstborn and his other children, it is possible that this could be a telltale sign that Robert was privy to the fact that Joffrey, Tommen, and Myrcella were not his.
Why is he still alive?
Of all Robert Baratheon’s bastards, Cersei made sure that each and every one was eliminated to clear the path to her children assuming the Iron Throne.
However, despite suffering many hardships, Gendry has managed to survive all this time, even hiding in plain sight in King’s Landing.
A report from Hello Giggles even hinted that Cersei could be the secret benefactor that funded Gendry’s apprenticeship at the Tobho Mott. With her connections and her wealth, it would not be impossible for her to do so anonymously.
A final clue
While Gendry has been dismissed as Robert Baratheon’s bastard son with a tavern wench, it would not be impossible that his true parentage is being covered up to reveal a higher purpose like Jon Snow. While Jon had no clue who his actual parents were and believed that he was the bastard son of Ned Stark, it could be the same with Gendry.
In one of the earlier seasons, Gendry described his mother as having yellow hair and dying while he was little. Perhaps, Cersei’s real relationship with Gendry could provide one of the most poignant emotional conflicts that “Game of Thrones” has yet to reveal?
