Ned Stark would roll over in his grave at this article. House Stark has officially come back from the precipice. After the Stark victory in the Battle of the Bastards, House Stark holds its ancestral seat in Winterfell once again. From there, the Starks will quickly consolidate their hold on the whole of the North once again. But Ramsay Bolton was the true, legal Warden of the North under King Tommen Baratheon, and that’s going to mean trouble—probably even war with the Iron Throne. And another war will lead the Starks right to the arms of the least likely allies of all, their father’s greatest enemy: House Targaryen.

The Coming Stark-Targaryen Alliance

Robert’s Rebellion was fought because Robert and Ned hated the Targaryens and their tyranny so much that open revolt became the only acceptable option. Their hatred was justified: As far as they knew, Rhaegar Targaryen had kidnapped and raped Ned’s sister (maybe not true). And they definitely knew that Aerys II, the Mad King, had executed both Ned’s father Rickard and his brother Brandon for protesting. The entire war arose out of that.

But now, House Targaryen may be House Stark’s lifeline. Jon and Sansa have liberated Winterfell by overthrowing the designated agent of the Crown, the Lord Paramount of the North, Ramsay Bolton. King Tommen is a faithful man, and may choose to forgive and forget (or may be dead). But his councilors will not encourage such an act of open rebellion. They’ll demand that the Starks be taken to heel—especially if Cersei is still alive and involved in the government, neither a sure thing. She will not forgive, although the High Septon might.

And that will drive the Starks to side with Daenerys Stormborn. For the Targaryens were the Starks’ enemies fifteen years ago, but their greatest enemy now is the Iron Throne. And Daenerys is by far the most powerful foe of the combined power of Throne and Faith. She can do what kings and queens are supposed to do: Protect their vassals. And she’ll do that for the Starks in exchange for their fealty when she finally returns. At least, that’s what the Starks should do if they have any sense. They can possibly hold back the Crown at Moat Cailin on their own, but only with Daenerys can they have the true peace they need—to prepare for the real war against the White Walkers.