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'Game of Thrones' finally brought one of the series' most-anticipated scenes to life — but it left fans wanting more

tower of joy game of thrones
We finally got to see the Tower of Joy. HBO

Warning: Spoilers ahead for "Game of Thrones" season six, including speculation of future events.

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Sunday night's episode of "Game of Thrones," introduced a scene fans have been waiting years to see play out on screen: A flashback sequence that's been teased for weeks known as the Tower of Joy. 

The scene is important to revealing what fans hope will be a giant revelation about Jon Snow's parentage. Unfortunately, the scene was cut short and we'll have to wait to learn more. Obviously, people were frustrated.

Bran and Bloodraven, also known to show watchers as the Three Eyed Raven, go back in time to witness one of the last great battles during Robert's Rebellion. In it, a young Ned Stark and his six companions face off against the Kingsguard members Ser Arthur Dayne ("The Sword of the Morning"), Ser Oswell Whent, and Lord Commander Gerold Hightower. They're guarding the so-called Tower of Joy, which is somewhere on the outskirts of Dorne.

Ned Stark confronts the three Kingsguard members, asking them why they're still guarding this tower when the Mad King Aerys is dead and his son Rhaegar is also dead. "Where's my sister?" Ned asks.

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"I wish you good fortune in the wars to come," Ser Arthur Dayne says.  "And now it begins."

"No," a young Ned Stark says. "Now it ends."

Tower of Joy Game of Thrones Trailer
We'll have to wait to see what these Kingsguard members were guarding. HBO

A battle ensues until only Ned Stark and Ser Arthur Dayne are the only two left fighting. Bran notices that his father is outmatched and doesn't see how Ned Stark could possibly win until, in a thrilling moment, Ned's companion Howland Reed stabs the Kingsguard knight in the back, ending the battle.

Ned finally goes towards the Tower steps, followed closely by Bran, after he hears a woman screaming. Bran calls out to his father, and startles Ned who seems almost able to hear him. But before we can go farther into the tower, Bloodraven cuts the vision short much to Bran's (and our) chagrin.

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Young Ned Stark is about to enter the tower. HBO

Not only was the scene awesome because it took fans to perhaps one of the most interesting moments in the Rebellion — why are those Kingsguard members still guarding a tower when both King Aerys Targaryen and Prince Rhaegar Targaryen are dead and the war is over? — but it's a direct set up to the much-believed fan theory "R + L = J."

According to a majority of the fanbase, Jon is not the bastard son of Ned Stark like he was led to believe, but the son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Ned's sister, Lyanna Stark. Lyanna is the woman screaming in the tower, most likely giving birth to Jon, and Ned is about to discover her.

jon snowe game of thrones
Jon Snowe in HBO's "Game Of Thrones" adaptation. HBO.

In the books, Ned remembers Lyanna at the fight: "As they came together in a rush of steel and shadow, he could hear Lyanna screaming. 'Eddard!' she called. A storm of rose petals blew across a blood-streaked sky, as blue as the eyes of death." Then, Ned remembers Lyanna begging him to promise something to her before dying. 

"R + L = J" believers think this "promise" was a vow for Ned to protect Jon from his friend Robert Baratheon, who would not have wanted Jon — the son of Rhaegar and his former-betrothed Lyanna — to live. 

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If true, it would explain why the Kingsguard members are still guarding the tower. Lyanna is giving birth to what could be a rightful heir to the Iron Throne, the rare descendant of two very powerful houses, the Starks and the Targaryens. Though Rhaegar was technically already married to Elia Martell, and had children by her, it was not uncommon for Targaryens to take multiple wives and it's possible Rhaegar somehow legitimized his relationship with Lyanna in order to make their child his heir.

The theory has even greater consequences across Westeros. Both houses possess two magical abilities — dragon-riding and warging — and his parentage would mean Jon has potential for both. Plus, with the Targaryen house motto "Fire and Blood" and the Stark house motto "Winter is Coming," Jon would be the literal embodiment of "The Song of Ice and Fire" in George R.R. Martin's book series.

bran stark game of thrones
When will we see the rest? HBO

So how long will we have to wait to see if this theory is true? While some fans might be disappointed that the huge reveal didn't happen in the third episode of this season, it's likely we only have two more weeks to wait. 

Episode five of season six will be called "The Door" and airs Sunday May 22. In it, the show description says that, "Bran learns a great deal." Fans guess he will finally get to see the woman screaming in the tower is his aunt Lyanna Stark on her deathbed, and will learn Jon Snow's true parentage.

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Only two more weeks until we know for sure. Get hype.

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