6 Questions We'll Be Asking About 'Game Of Thrones' Until Summer 2017

HBO recently confirmed you'll have to wait a little longer than anticipated to drool over the gloomy yet honorable, newly crowned King in the North.

Season seven of everyone's favorite fantasy drama, "Game of Thrones," won't be returning until summer 2017. And, although the season will only be giving us a mere seven episodes (Seriously? Seven episodes from season seven?), we've all got a lot of burning questions and fan theories we are DYING to see play out.

So, here are six questions "GoT" watchers can't wait to get answered.

1. Are Jon and Sansa going to go their separate ways?

It seemed like when Jon was getting proverbially crowned King in the North by a whole bunch of chanting and sword raising, Sansa was, well, strategizing. She glanced over at Littlefinger, who was looking all Littlefinger-y like he was thinking,

Dang that kind of put a little monkey wrench into my whole 'Warden of the North' plan, lemme start planning seeds of doubt in Sansa.

Knowing the way "GoT" functions, nothing -- I repeat, NOTHING -- plays out on-screen that does not have significance.

I'd be willing to bet, whether it's Littlefinger taking Jon down himself, Jon finding out about his Targaryen heritage and possibly legitimate status as an Iron Throne contender or Sansa's small taste of power and strategic playing of the game, Sansa and Jon don't have much more time together in perfect harmony.

2. Who are the other two dragon riders?

This theory of two other dragon riders comes straight from "A Song of Ice and Fire." In the books, there's a dream sequence that has Daenerys' dead brother Rhaegar saying “the dragon has three heads.”

Given that R + L = J is true, that makes Jon one of the possible riders, although he has yet to encounter a dragon.

Tyrion never quite fit into the Lannister family and, given the fact he left the Dragon Dungeon of Meereen unscathed in season six, it's possible Tyrion himself is half Targaryen and his mother, Joanna, may have had an affair/been raped by the Mad King, Aerys II.

This would be very, very interesting. Who else would be Targaryen enough to ride a dragon out there in Westeros or Essos? Unless Gendry FINALLY shows up on a shore somewhere...

3. What's going to happen with the Brotherhood Without Banners and the Hound's storyline?

I don't know about you, but the Brotherhood Without Banners' storyline was such a tremendous tease for me, primarily because the chicken-obsessed, dry-humored, partially good guy who is the Hound is one of my absolute favorite characters.

But going into season seven, he and the Brotherhood have to play a large part because, again, "GoT" never introduces any storyline unless it's pertinent.

4. Are Arya and Melisandre going to cross paths on Arya's way up from the Twins and Melissandre's trip south of Winterfell?

In season three episode six, "The Climb," Melisandre meets Arya and says to her,

I see a darkness in you. And in that darkness, eyes staring back at me. Brown eyes, blue eyes, green eyes... eyes you'll shut forever. We will meet again.

Even though Melisandre makes a miscalculation here and there at times, she's often right, and these two haven't met since this was said, so...

5. What is Sam going to read about in the Oldtown maester library?

I'll just say it: EVERYTHING. Like ev. er. y. thing.  There might be a #majorkey held in the scene where the Receptionist -- Maester? -- meets Samwell for the first time. Sam shares the fact Maester Aemon has died and so has Lord Commander Jeor Mormont, and the new (and unbeknownst to Sam, the former) Lord Commander is Jon Snow of Winterfell, and Sam is in Oldtown to take Maester Aemon's place as his chief advisor.

The man scratches out the former maester and LC's names after commenting it was "irregular."  Since everything Westeros is held in documentation form in this particular library, perhaps Sam will learn of Jon Snow's lineage -- or be able to put two and two together -- among other things (White Walker-y things). Good thing he grabbed Heartsbane real quick.

6. What's up with Bran and Meera?

By now, everybody believes Bran is THE #majorkey, *DJ Khaled voice* He literally may be the window to the past, present and future as the new Three Eyed Raven, and may be able to actually change the past and future, which would be CRAY.

He might not have everything in check just yet, but he now knows MUCH more than he did before Uncle Benjen rolled up on him like the undead horseman and saved the day. It was revealed in the season six finale, "The Winds of Winter," his wildfire vision was actually one from the future, showcasing the green wildfire flashes in poor Lancel Lannister's eyes right before he and the entire Great Sept of Baelor (RIP, Margery, you were a real one) went up in smoke. LITERALLY.

We can only hope all our questions are answered in season seven. Until 2017, Valar Morghulis.