A New Red Priestess & The Mountain To Protect Cersei In New Season Of 'Game Of Thrones'

By Aarati Shah, Christian Post Contributor Friday, October 16, 2015

"Game of Thrones" seems to have got another 'red priestess' and a protector for the fallen Cersei. Rising British actress Melanie Liburd has been cast as a Red Priestess. Cersei's new protector and Kingsguard is Ser Robert Strong a.k.a. the reanimated corpse of Gregor "The Mountain" Clegane.

Melanie Liburd has appeared in television shows like The Grinder, Strike Back, Dracula and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.

One version of the Red Priestess was played by Carice Van Houten who, as Melisandre, is speculated to bring back Jon Snow from the dead. Liburd's casting is rumoured to be a new incarnation of the Red Priestess character. Also, she might not be a regular cast member as Melisandre is.

Liburd broke the news about her casting on her own Instagram. Although some reports indicated that she would be replacing van Houten's Melisandre, 'Watchers on the Wall', a "Game of Thrones" community, reports that Liburd's Red Priestess character is different from the present Melisandre as shown in the details of leaked season-six casting notice.

It is speculated that she will meet up with Tyrion and Varys in Meereen.

The other exciting news is about the new Kingsguard in the Red Keep. This Kingsguard is Cersei's new protector and none other than the scheming master Qyburn seems to have provided Cersei with this Kingsguard.

The crew has been filming in Croatia and leaked pictures of the shoot have found its way on TheDubrovnikTimes. The pictures show Lena Headey in her short haircut and in full regal costume as Cersei Lannister accompanied by Hafthor Julius Bjornsson in one of the photos.

Bjornsson, as the photos suggest, will play "The Mountain" Clegane, whom viewers saw at the end of the last season as the huge, bulky and silent Kingsguard who sweeps a tired and humiliated Cersei off her bloody feet when she returns to the Red Keep. The "Mountain" will remain silent as he has taken a "vow of silence." He will only speak when not one of the queen's enemies remains alive.

He is introduced by Maester Qyburn as Ser Robert Strong. That he is none other than "The Mountain" is suggested by his eye makeup and huge build just like the "Mountain" Clegane, who was killed by Oberyn Martell in a duel but was brought back from the dead by the silently fiendish Maester Qyburn who has been given the opportunity to conduct all kinds of ghoulish experiments on dead bodies.

Well, Cersei will need all the protection she can get as the Khaleesi will cross the Narrow Sea and stake her claim to Westeros.

Stay tuned for more news of "Game of Thrones" that is expected to air in spring 2016.