Game of Thrones Season 6 gave the internet plenty to chew on, between the baddest li’l lady in the North, or Tormund’s sexy bread-eyes for Brienne, most recently setting alight a fleet’s worth of ships for Yara and Daenerys. Said subtle flirtations weren’t in the written script, according to Gemma Whelan, who says “Emilia and I both enjoy the idea” of continuing their relationship in Season 7.

In the wake of Yara’s prior appearance revealing her character’s interest in women, Game of Thrones star Gemma Whelan expanded on Yara’s sexuality to Vulture, describing her more as “pansexual,” or in the character’s own words, “up for anything.” Certainly, Yara’s bond with Daenerys seemed to leap off the page in meeting the dragon queen, though according to Whelan, the flirtation emerged more from her rapport with Emilia Clarke herself:

How much of their flirtation was spelled out in the script?
None that I can remember. It just turned out that Emilia [Clarke] and I had some chemistry going on! It was probably intended in the script, but it didn’t need writing down because it was so well-written. I suppose we’re matching each other, we’re testing each other’s mettle with our very sparse dialogue there, and we get the idea, we get the cut of each other’s jib quite quickly, and we like the size of each other — what we have to say, what we both stand for, is appealing. Not necessarily in a sexual way, but in the way that power is attractive, and it’s something we both want to achieve, and we can do it together.

That said, Whelan teased that she and Emilia were aboard that particular ship coming to fruition in Season 7:

Emilia and I both enjoy the idea. [Laughs.] We get along very well, so we enjoy working with each other quite a lot. So maybe! I don’t know! It’s up to the writers and the machinations of their minds. We like each other, we reflect each other, and whether it’s more than friendship is irrelevant, really.

Of course, Game of Thrones Season 7 has even longer to sort out their relationship than usual, given word that wintery production requirements would push filming (and potentially a 2017 premiere) later than in previous years. If nothing else, we at least know what directors have signed on for the seventh season, as well as a fan-favorite costumer.

We’ll keep this figurative ship sailing as swiftly as Daenerys and Yara’s literal ones, but might the pair’s insatiable chemistry lead to a closer bond in Season 7?

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