At long last, the ironborn storyline in Game of Thrones has caught up with the books. It was the rare storyline that was still behind. Now it has moved forward, and it has changed from the books. Euron Greyjoy has become king, and vowed to build a new Iron Fleet for Daenerys, with whom the ironborn will conquer Westeros. Theon and Yara have absconded with most of the rest of the Iron Fleet, potentially to do the same. Either way, it looks like the Iron Islands are about to be #TeamDaenerys, and that’s big news—and a kind of poetic justice.

Daenerys And The Ironborn: A Match Made In Drowned God Heaven

The ironborn are a beaten-down people, although you might not know it. They seem pretty tough. But in truth, they’re much like the Dothraki: an extremely powerful force who can’t manage to unify and tend to waste their energy on little raids and in-fighting. They never accomplish much. The Greyjoy Rebellion was an utter failure; the Greyjoy war in the North wrought much damage but won’t win the Iron Islands any long-term gain. The ironborn reavers are raiders, not conquerors.

But the ironborn were true conquerors once—and with Daenerys, they can be true conquerors again. Before Aegon’s Conquest, the ironborn were the most powerful force in Westeros. King Harren Hoare ruled the Iron Islands and all the riverlands, and reigned as a terrible tyrant. The reavers were feared all throughout the western coast of Westeros. Harren solidified his rule with the construction of Harrenhal, the largest castle in Westeros.

Of course, Aegon the Conqueror made short work of that. He landed at what became King’s Landing late in Harren’s life, and within a few years ironborn rule over much of Westeros was at an end. The dragon Balerion the Black Dread killed Harren and his sons in Harrenhal and melted the castle to the slag-heap it is now. The Tullys led a rebellion in the riverlands against the ironborn, favoring the nascent Targaryen dynasty. House Greyjoy rose up to replace House Hoare because they would swear fealty to the Iron Throne. And since then, the ironborn have been nearly powerless.

The ironborn were ruined by the Targaryens and their dragons. Now, their moment has come. And the ally that can bring them back to greatness is the foe who destroyed them long ago: the Targaryens and their dragons. But the Greyjoys are wise (well, sort of), and hold no grudge for their people. Daenerys needs a fleet. The ironborn have one, and many fierce reavers. If they bring Daenerys and her Dothraki to Westeros, they’ll be exalted in her eyes. It’s a good plan, if it works. But it’s going to be very painful for Westeros.