Game of Thrones viewers were elated when character portraits were released by HBO promoting the final battle for the much-coveted Iron Throne this week.
The portraits featured a number of fan favourites sat on the powerful throne, such as Jon Snow (played by Kit Harington), Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke), and Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage.
However the images also featured a number of characters who are less likely to claim the throne, including Ser Davos Seaworth (Liam Cunningham), and the Red Witch herself Melisandre (Carice van Houten).
To make things even more complicated, each character has their own unique emoji when hash-tagged on Twitter.
But Melisandre’s emoji seems to have an enormous detail missing from her caricature.
Melisandre’s emoji is missing her enchanted ruby which she wears around her neck.
Hardcore fans of the show will remember Melisandre’s powerful jewel from season six episode one, in which she took it off and revealed she was really over 100 years old.
This ruby is the source of all her power, and has been theorised to have kept her safe throughout the numerous trials she has been through so far in the show.
While Melisandre’s ruby is still present in her portrait on the Iron Throne, could the missing jewel in the emoji be a mistake? Or an extremely subtle hint?
If Melisandre were to give up her ruby, she may imbue her power onto someone else.
And as she is holding out hope to find the true Prince who would be promised, she may have given it to a fan-favourite.
Could this emoji be a subtle hint that Melisandre will be giving her powerful jewel to the likes of Jon Snow or Daenerys?
If so, the prophesied prince (or princess) may be imbued with even more powers in the upcoming season.
While viewers will have to wait until season eight airs until they find out what is going on with Melisandre.
Meanwhile, George RR Martin has revealed he was not able to appear in an upcoming cameo for the final season.
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly George revealed: “David and Dan invited me to a cameo in one of the final episodes, which I was tempted to do.
“But I didn’t think just for the sake of a cameo I could take the time to return to Belfast.”
Unfortunately, the creator could not commit to the show’s cameo, leaving him absent from the show.
But viewers may still see another cameo in the last six episodes that we do not yet know about.
Game of Thrones season 8 returns April 14 to HBO and follows the day after on Sky Atlantic in the UK.
