Warning: This article contains spoilers for the most recent episode of Game of Thrones, “Eastwatch”
After the events of the most recent episode of Game of Thrones, “Eastwatch,” fans have dozens of new questions to consider. One that’s particularly pressing: Can Samwell Tarly be the heir of Horn Hill now that his father and brother are dead?
Randyll and Dickon Tarly were sentenced to death by Daenerys Targaryen when they refused to submit to her command following the loot train battle in episode 4. Tyrion Lannister pleaded with Dickon to bend his knee, arguing he should carry on his family’s ancestral name and title. But stubborn like his father, Dickon refused, leaving no male heirs to succeed Randyll.
No male heirs other than Sam, of course. Sam isn’t considered in the discussion not only because his father essentially disowned him, but also because he’s a sworn brother of the Night’s Watch. The watchers on the Wall take the black for life, and they give up any station and titles in doing so. Sam was forced to join for exactly that reason: His father wanted to get rid of him so Sam’s more manly younger brother could be Randyll’s heir. With the demise of Randyll and Dickon, what does that mean for Sam and Horn Hill?
This is a very complicated question, so let’s take it step by step. To begin with, it should be noted that Sam’s sister, Talla, became the lady of Horn Hill when her father and brother died. It’s typically uncommon to find women in positions of power in Westeros, but at this point we have Sansa acting as steward in the north, Cersei as queen of the Seven Kingdoms, Lyanna Mormont at the head of her house, and that’s not to mention Dany and her dragons sweeping in to conquer it all.
Talla Tarly taking on the role as head of her house and—assuming Cersei keeps her promise to the Tarly family—the Reach, is much more realistic than it may have been three seasons ago. The women that we see heading their households are almost all in power due to the lack of male heirs. Cersei is queen only because she and others eliminated everyone else in line. Though she has a better claim, Sansa is only a stand-in for her brother, and Dany believes she is the only remaining Targaryen. This leaves young Lyanna Mormont, who took over when her mother died fighting for Robb Stark. She’s fortunately the head of a house that readily accepts female rule.
Sam would have some serious hurdles to jump before he could become lord of Horn Hill, and his priorities may well lie elsewhere. Despite the familial duty that will surely urge him toward his childhood home, Sam has more important things on his plate. Not only did he technically abandon his post (he was ordered by the Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch to study to be a maester at the Citadel), but Sam appears to have stolen scrolls that (hopefully) contain precious information about how to defeat the White Walkers.
Yes, men of the Night’s Watch are in it for life once they have spoken their vows, and yes, typically desertion is grounds for execution, but don’t worry yet. Sam already broke one of his vows (celibacy) several seasons ago, as do many of the men of the Night’s Watch—even Jon. They clearly take some vows more seriously than others. Though he did abandon his post, he did not desert the Night’s Watch entirely, as we can assume he is headed back to the Wall. The information he is bringing with him could be vital to Night’s Watch’s mission to secure the northern border, and if he is pardoned by a monarch (and there are plenty of those around) his bailing on the Citadel might not be considered as taboo as it would have in less trying times.
If Sam survives the war and actually wants to be Lord of Horn Hill, he would need to be released from his Night’s Watch vows by whoever ends up as the monarch of the North (or Westeros, if the territory is still united). While there don’t seem to be set rules around the matter, we know of two men of the Night’s Watch offered release from their vows. Before his death, Maester Aemon Targaryen revealed that long ago he was offered the Iron Throne after his older brother died, but he decided to turn it down and keep his post at the Wall. And Stannis Baratheon, acting under the auspices of king (though he did not hold the Iron Throne), offered to release Jon Snow from his duty as Lord Commander to become the warden of the north at Winterfell. Though Jon believed all the male Stark heirs to be dead at the time, he too turned down the offer. Of course he later felt free to leave after being murdered by his sworn brothers and brought back to life.
For now, Jon is King of the North, and the Wall is part of the North, so Jon would theoretically be the one who could pardon Sam’s abandonment of his post and release him from his oath. It is also entirely possible that, in the wake of a war that is sure to change Westeros forever, the Night’s Watch will drastically change its policies—if it survives at all.
With the help of his closest friend, Sam could certainly take over as the head of his house, so the real question is not if he could, but if he’d want to. Sam moved on from any hopes of being Lord Tarly a long time ago, and it is entirely likely that he will happily leave the running of Horn Hill to his sister while he continues along the path he has already begun.
