If you're a fan of "Game of Thrones," its prequel and spin-off "House of the Dragon," or author George R.R. Martin's work, you're probably familiar with a prophecy in Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" series concerning a mysterious figure called "the prince that was promised." This prophecy is the center of many, many plotlines across both TV shows, "A Song of Ice and Fire," and the Targaryen family history "Fire & Blood." So, what does the prophecy say, and who is "the prince that was promised?"

The answer is much, much more complicated than you think, if I'm being quite honest. Not only is it particularly unclear who, exactly, "the prince that was promised" even is, but characters in "House of the Dragon" and "Game of Thrones" wildly misinterpret — and manipulate — the prophecy to suit their own needs so frequently that, by the end of the narrative of "Game of Thrones,...