Daenerys Stormborn - A Re-read Project Part V: ADWD

[BearQueen87]

And while Dany is also in a dangerous situation (that she got herself into, like Aerys and Dukensdale), she isn't turning paranoid, crazy, sour nor fearful: she's cautious like any other ruler should be, specially in war times. She wants Plumm killed but she has reasons for that. She doesn't trust her husband but she's not trying to kill him with poison and wine. She has three dragons to burn the whole city to the ground, like Aerys intended to do when he saw himself surrounded and defeated. She, otoh, has chained them and agreed to peace. Dany is far from mad despite her situation isn't as different as Aerys' at the end of the Rebellion. He sired her, but Dany is not Aerys' daughter. Cersei is the one becoming Aerys III, fire fetish and all involved.

Agreed. The more we read, the more I wish GRRM had kept the Cersei and Dany POVs in the same book. Only one of them is becoming the Mad Queen, and it's not Dany.

Thanx for the analysis SeanF :)

I agree with most of what you say. I will just add a few things;

I think TYrion is right in the WoW sample chapter when he says that BBP was planning on defecting back to Dany the whole time. I think he is playing both sides, but in the end he likes Dany and wants to help her, he does not want to die for her but he is not a bad guy IMO.

I do think BBP likes Dany and never would have turned cloak if she hadn't stopped being "The Dragon Queen." The fault in a way lies with both of them. Dany has spent this book becoming someone else instead of being who is ought to be and instead of sticking it out, BBP switches sides because a sell sword is a sell sword.

All these threads about the slavers, and defense of the slavers and all that stupid shit are wrong. I'm sorry but they are. Slavery and the whole slavery economy of SB should be wiped off the planet, Dany is the only one in a hundred miles who has the right idea and now that she has chained her dragons, no one will listen to her. They figure if her dragons are chained then she can be chained as well, she can be married to ancient noble ghiscari blood, they can parade acrobatic slaves right in front of her while making fun of her no less, and they can reopen the fighting pits where innocent slaves are fed to lions and boars. They can do all this right in front of her because she has no dragons and has (temporarily) lost the will to fight her causes. She has found that simply agreeing and donning the floppy ears makes the slavers happy, not to mention it seems to be on the same course with what so many of the Dany-haters on this forum would prefer her to do as well, which is fall in line and act like a woman should. Seems odd that so many people can actually wax poetic about ideas that they share with Yunkish Slavers. ( I am not talking about anyone in our re-read, only the posters who keep making the 163 and Slaver threads every other day).

Yeah, I stay away from those threads as much as possible. I find them exhausting. There is a lot of slavery coming up in Tyrion XI and I think GRRM makes some very powerful statements in it about how wrong slavery is altogether. (Stay tuned!)

Ill post Tyrion X tomorrow :) Give us another day to keep discussing.

Ok, question for the people running the joint: According to the schedule on page one, Tyrion XI (my next chapter) is supposed to be posted before the next Dany Chapter (the Pit). But that doesn't make sense since timeline wise Tyrion XI takes place after Dany flies off. Is this an error or....?

[SeanF]

Thanks for the kind words.

IMO, it's the previous chapter (VII) where Dany hits her low point. Here, she is beginning to think straight.

For those who've read Best Served Cold, by Joe Abercrombie, I'd say the relationship between Brown Ben and Daenerys is similar to that of Monza Murcatto and Nicomo Cosca. He's fond of her, and all things being equal, would rather be on her side. But, he'll sell her out if he has to.

[Parwan]

Queen Alysanne, and Bear Queen, thanks.

Parwan. Actually, taking hostages seems bog-standard to me. Even if the Wise Masters and Sellswords bring bodyguards, they'd still be massively outnumbered in Meereen, and could be easily cut down.

Contracts are standard in business. That doesn't mean all contracts are good. Some of them are horrible. Umpire calls are standard in baseball. Sometimes umpires miss calls badly.

There is no need for a party; it is not part of the peace agreement. Yunkai has slaves; Meereen doesn't. Getting drunk on wine and listening to castrated singers is not part of the deal. If there is a party, it does not have to be held in Meereen. Wherever it is held, no one is required to attend it. The whole idea of "balance" is bogus to the core. Did anyone mention the possibility of providing armed retinues for the Daario and company? This is related to my earlier point about how badly Dany handled the negotiations. If I had been in her place, I would have demanded a place at the table. Let's say I wasn't there though. When Hizzy presented his idea for a "celebration," this would have been my reply: "If you want to have a drunk-fest, fine. Leave my people out of it. The Yunkai want hostages? That's on you. I'd recommend the Green Grace and six of your close relatives. You will not get one person from me."

I repeat my opinion concerning Groleo. He owes the queen less than nothing. In fact, he has far better reasons for going over to the other side than BBP does. If he did so, I wouldn't say it was a matter of selling out or turning his cloak. Unfortunately for him, he has nothing to offer the Yunkai'i or their allies.

...

I have to agree with Sean on this one. This would be a perfect opportunity for Dany to kill the Yunkish leaders and take the besiegers unaware. Plus they don't trust her after she set Grazdan mo Eraz's tokar on fire back in ASoS. :P

The tokar business is more bogus than the hostage arrangement. People have been crucified. Dany did her "three days" trick. The Yunkai'i turned Astapor into a horror story. After all this, why would any honest person give a damn about a singed garment?

[Queen‍‍‍‍‍‍ Alysanne‍‍™]

Good analysis. Thanks for the great work.

This chapter (and that will also be seen in future chapters too) shows how much alike Cersei's and Dany's chapters are, Looks like GRRM enjoys to make parallels with them. In Storms and Feast, Cersei sees herself as a mare when others discuss a marriage for here. Dany, in a way, proves her right: this marriage is taming her because they are using her and she has been stripped from part of her power (and strength). Yet, she goes to the marriage willingly because it could help to bring the peace she needs. In Cersei's case, she's not a strange on stranger lands like Dany: a marriage could help her to rule effectively because we know she has no idea how to rule. She refuses thinking she alone is enough. And she's very very wrong.

Great catch on the parallels between Cersei and Dany. :bowdown:

There's also the prophecy part of both characters, where Cersei keeps becoming paranoid after prophecies have been fulfilled, and Dany sees them as "words are wind" after her experience with Rhaego and still thinks of entrusting Quentyn with one of her dragons despite Quaithe's warnings. If Cersei was in Dany's position she would kill Quentyn

[JonCon's Red Beard]

Great catch on the parallels between Cersei and Dany. :bowdown:

There's also the prophecy part of both characters, where Cersei keeps becoming paranoid after prophecies have been fulfilled, and Dany sees them as "words are wind" after her experience with Rhaego and still thinks of entrusting Quentyn with one of her dragons despite Quaithe's warnings. If Cersei was in Dany's position she would kill Quentyn

They both also end up bald and see dead people. But that's for another thread :P

[BearQueen87]

They both also end up bald and see dead people. But that's for another thread :P

LOL. I know you're joking, but seriously so many parallels! Kinda makes me want to read Cersei, Dany, Cersei, Dany....

Also: I find QA's new avatar slightly hypnotic.

[SeanF]

Great catch on the parallels between Cersei and Dany. :bowdown:

There's also the prophecy part of both characters, where Cersei keeps becoming paranoid after prophecies have been fulfilled, and Dany sees them as "words are wind" after her experience with Rhaego and still thinks of entrusting Quentyn with one of her dragons despite Quaithe's warnings. If Cersei was in Dany's position she would kill Quentyn

Cersei sees the world in much the same way I imagine Aerys saw it. She thinks she's surrounded by enemies and has to strike first. However, that belief is self-fulfilling.

[JonCon's Red Beard]

LOL. I know you're joking, but seriously so many parallels! Kinda makes me want to read Cersei, Dany, Cersei, Dany....

Also: I find QA's new avatar slightly hypnotic.

I'm half joking. Just look at how Dany birthed her dragons and how Cersei walked her WoS: they both naked, they both in front of people, they both with marks of birth. But one of them had glory, the other, not so much. But again, that's for a future thread :P

[PatrickStormborn]

The tokar business is more bogus than the hostage arrangement. People have been crucified. Dany did her "three days" trick. The Yunkai'i turned Astapor into a horror story. After all this, why would any honest person give a damn about a singed garment?

Well, it's just an excuse, of course. Dany is accused of torturing an envoy, and she can't really disagree with that.

Basically, Yunkai is still afraid of her. They know she wants peace, and they're using that knowledge to take advantage of her, but they also know how dangerous she can be. It's a bit early, but I'm reminded of this passage in one of Barristan's chapters:

"One guardsman amongst forty. All waiting for the empty tabard on the throne to speak the command so we might cut down Bloodbeard and the rest. Do you think the Yunkai'i would ever have dared present Daenerys with the head of her hostage?"

No, thought Selmy.

They are obviously aware that they're in an advantageous position - particularly with Hizdahr as the new king - but I imagine they're still wary of pushing too much. With all the leaders of the Yunkai'i forces in her city, Dany has a huge advantage should she wish to attack.

I think the fact that they're all in Meereen is a great metaphor for the relations between Dany and her Yunkish enemies. She doesn't realise it yet, but they're all still playing by her rules. They're in the city because she makes them come into the city. The Yunkish overwhelm her - most notable in the opening passage of the chapter - and yet their power is ultimately an illusion. They only have power over her because Dany is allowing it to happen.

[SeanF]

From a military point of view, we know that the Windblown are prepared to defect; the Slavers are starting to be hit hard by the Pale Mare; they're operating at the end of lines of communication that are hundreds of miles long. They have a big advantage in numbers, but they have to keep the city surrounded, whereas the defenders can sally out and hit them hard at any one point.

[BearQueen87]

Well, it's just an excuse, of course. Dany is accused of torturing an envoy, and she can't really disagree with that.

Basically, Yunkai is still afraid of her. They know she wants peace, and they're using that knowledge to take advantage of her, but they also know how dangerous she can be. It's a bit early, but I'm reminded of this passage in one of Barristan's chapters:

It's like they are still afraid of her, but trying to show that they aren't; hence bringing slaves into her pyramid (and the mocking)

As to the overall issue: I don't think the hostage situation is a necessarily bad idea; but I think is worse is Dany believing that these people would ever give her peace. She seems to recognize that this peace tastes of defeat but she herself seems so defeated that she can't do anything about it.

[Queen‍‍‍‍‍‍ Alysanne‍‍™]

Also: I find QA's new avatar slightly hypnotic.

That's what I thought when I first used it :p

I think is worse is Dany believing that these people would ever give her peace. She seems to recognize that this peace tastes of defeat but she herself seems so defeated that she can't do anything about it.

I agree and I think that's one of her lessons here, compromises are good and all but sometimes they just don't work.

[Suzanna Stormborn]

Thanks for the kind words.

IMO, it's the previous chapter (VII) where Dany hits her low point. Here, she is beginning to think straight.

For those who've read Best Served Cold, by Joe Abercrombie, I'd say the relationship between Brown Ben and Daenerys is similar to that of Monza Murcatto and Nicomo Cosca. He's fond of her, and all things being equal, would rather be on her side. But, he'll sell her out if he has to.

Yup that's pretty much exactly how I see it as well :)

[Parwan]

1. Well, it's just an excuse, of course. Dany is accused of torturing an envoy, and she can't really disagree with that.

2. Basically, Yunkai is still afraid of her. They know she wants peace, and they're using that knowledge to take advantage of her, but they also know how dangerous she can be. It's a bit early, but I'm reminded of this passage in one of Barristan's chapters:

3. They are obviously aware that they're in an advantageous position - particularly with Hizdahr as the new king - but I imagine they're still wary of pushing too much. With all the leaders of the Yunkai'i forces in her city, Dany has a huge advantage should she wish to attack.

4. I think the fact that they're all in Meereen is a great metaphor for the relations between Dany and her Yunkish enemies. She doesn't realise it yet, but they're all still playing by her rules. They're in the city because she makes them come into the city. The Yunkish overwhelm her - most notable in the opening passage of the chapter - and yet their power is ultimately an illusion. They only have power over her because Dany is allowing it to happen.

1. She does disagree with that in one of her conversations with Hizdahr. Then she gives up on the matter, The conversation is framed in terms of Yunish insults and demands, delivered by her future husband. Among other things, they say that her word is no good. They require deeds. She swallows everything, meekly asking, "A wedding or a war. Are those my choices?"

2. Barristan has been wrong before. I'm far from convinced that his thought here is fully accurate. Dany's enemies might not present her with a head. Would they use the hostages against her though? Certainly, why else would they require hostages? (Note the word "require" again. I can see only one side making requirements here; it's not the Targaryen side.) I'll have more to say about this in the Barristan chapters.

3. She promised not to attack them. This promise was declared inadequate, another insult that she swallowed. In essence, the queen's foes were saying that her word is much like that of Daario. She would promise safety, then go back on her word and attack them. By providing the hostages, she essentially agreed with them. Also, I don't think the supposed advantage is huge. The Yunkish forces are easily the least part of the threat outside her walls. Militarily, their leaders are a joke. Sellsword captains are more significant, but they can be replaced.

Or perhaps you mean she could attack the enemy armies while the Yunish leaders are in Meereen. That doesn't change my argument much. The sellswrods can fight without their captains. The legions of New Ghis are effective. The enemy fleet is still there. The blockade can be resumed. That last part is important, and Daenerys recognizes it. I say that this is more important than the fact that the foe's lines of communication are long.

4. The underlined part is not true. The text says:

The Yunkai'i had come at King Hizdahr's invitation, to sign the peace and witness the rebirth of Meereen's far-famed fighting pits. Her noble husband had opened the Great Pyramid to fete them.

The Yunkai'i are obviously guests. They come and go as they please. The Meereenese seven are hostages. Do you imagine that Bloodbeard fetes any of them? The brutal sellsword captain is restrained for a while by the Yunkishmen, but that doesn't last.

It's like they are still afraid of her, but trying to show that they aren't; hence bringing slaves into her pyramid (and the mocking)

As to the overall issue: I don't think the hostage situation is a necessarily bad idea; but I think is worse is Dany believing that these people would ever give her peace. She seems to recognize that this peace tastes of defeat but she herself seems so defeated that she can't do anything about it.

She provides hostages, and the other side doesn't. The four that she provides are definitely important to her. She gives her enemies considerable leverage over her. Can anyone tell me anything she gains? It has nothing to do with peace. That was already accomplished; hostages were not part of the deal. As I stated above, the presence of her enemies in the city confers no great advantage. At any rate, they can leave if they want to. Do you believe the same can be said of Groleo and company? Really, do you really believe that? She accepts the insults of a bunch of dangerous scumbags and delivers some loyal followers into the hands of these scumbags. I don't think "bad idea" is adequate to describe the situation. Any leader who makes the moves Daenerys Targaryen does in this matter should expect to be mocked.

[BearQueen87]

She provides hostages, and the other side doesn't. The four that she provides are definitely important to her. She gives her enemies considerable leverage over her. Can anyone tell me anything she gains? It has nothing to do with peace. That was already accomplished; hostages were not part of the deal. As I stated above, the presence of her enemies in the city confers no great advantage. At any rate, they can leave if they want to. Do you believe the same can be said of Groleo and company? Really, do you really believe that? She accepts the insults of a bunch of dangerous scumbags and delivers some loyal followers into the hands of these scumbags. I don't think "bad idea" is adequate to describe the situation. Any leader who makes the moves Daenerys Targaryen does in this matter should expect to be mocked.

You're right; I don't believe that Groleo or the others could just leave if they wanted. Nor do I think that they are being hosted and feasted like the Yunkai'i inside the pyramid. But at the same time, these Yunkai'i are inside her pyramid. If she wanted, she could order their execution or have the Unsullied take them and lock them up. She could do such a thing. The Yunkai'i know she won't. The threat that she will is there, but it's a negligible one, hence their open mockery. But it's not that the giving of hostages was a bad idea, it's that she doesn't take any for herself. If the men outside her walls got the captain of her sell swords and her admiral, she should also take men of the same status. The idea of hostages isn't a bad one, it's that Dany doesn't follow through on her end like she should. And a lot of that has to do with how defeated she feels.

[Suzanna Stormborn]

Tyrion X

Summary

This chapter begins on the slaver auction block. Tyrion/Penny/Crunch and Pretty Pig are all up for sale as slaves outside the gates of Meereen. Tyrion talks their price up very high and there is a bidding war over him, Brown Ben Plumm vs the noble Yezzan of Yunkai. Yezzan wins and takes them home, before they leave Tyrion also talks Nurse/Yezzan into buying Jorah with a lie. Despite Jorah’s cruel treatment of Tyrion, Tyrion does not hate Jorah, and still feels compelled to save his life from being sold to a buyer who would use him as Fighting Pit fodder. T&P accompany their new owners back to their extremely large and lavish tent where they meet the rest of the gang of freak slaves, which is what they realize they are as well. Nurse is the overseer (or whatever) of Yezzan’s entourage, he is in charge of the slaves. He puts collars with bells on Tyrion, Jorah and Penny. Nurse explains to Tyrion that he is a slave now and should not be trying to escape or else. Tyrion then sees exactly what happens to escapees. They are used as target practice for Tolosi rock slingers, not a pretty sight to say the least.

They are also introduced to the other ‘freaks’ in Yezzan’s collection. Which includes a 2-headed girl, a bearded woman, a goat boy and Sweets, a hermaphrodite with violet eyes. Sweets warns them against crossing Nurse. Tyrion also learns that Yezzan is terminally ill and has been dying for 10 years, all he wants in life is to be entertained so he can forget his problems. The ‘special’ slaves of Yezzan are in fact not treated very badly, they live in a nice place, do not have to do too much manual labor and they eat well and are kept clean, a situation which is not nearly as bad as most of the other slaves have it.

They are made to pour wine at a dinner party (much like R2-D2 on the barge with his restraining bolt). Tyrion listens and learns as much as he can, always alert and listening. Very smart guy. Brown Ben Plumm is one of the guests at the party. Tyrion and Penny do their routine with the animals and receive many laughs, and keep their fat owner very happy for the night. They also have Yurkhaz no Yunzak to the feast, he is the supreme commander of the Yunkai and very old and feeble, he will come into play in WoW. After dinner TYrion is made to play cyvasse. First against some Yunkish slaver of old blood, then against BBP. IN the end Tyrion wins for a lot of money, but the whole time he is really just sizing up BBP, finds out he is from Westeros, gets all sorts of ideas.

After the guests leave Nurse is happy with Tyrion, and tells him so. Not only that, but the supreme commander Yurkhaz liked their tilt so much that he decides that they shall do their routine in Daznaks Pit for thousands to watch including the dragon queen.

Analysis

This is a very interesting chapter. It is the first time we get a view from the other side of Dany’s conquest to free all the slaves. We get to see from the eyes of a slave, from being captured at sea to being sold at auction to the work of a house slave. Of course this particular slave is a bit different from the rest, our boy Tyrion is a very very smart guy who knows right from the beginning he will be able to get himself out of this situation. At no point does Tyrion accept that he is a slave, not at all like 99% of the other captives.

“Seasoned seamen were a valuable commodity. None had put up any sort of fight when the slavers boarded their crippled cog. For them this was just a change of owner.”

Compared with tyrion’s thoughts after capture;

“He knows me. He means to take me back to Westeros and sell me to my sister. The dwarf rubbed his mouth to hide his smile. Cersei and the seven kingdoms were half a world away. Much and more could happen before he got there. I turned Bronn. Give me half a chance, might be I could turn this one too.”

Tyrion has not resigned himself to slavery, he has not grown up in a culture where slavery is acceptable, so of course, he immediately thinks of how to escape and what he is going to do. Other captives do not have this mind set, even Penny basically accepts her fate as a slave. It shows that slavery is ingrained in the culture on this side of the world and something must be done about it.

We see first hand how terrible slavery can be, it is not funny, not even to Tyrion;

“Both his eyes were blackened, two dark pits int hat grotesquely swollen face. Upon one cheek he bore a brand: a demon mask…….So Mormont had been chained to an oar, beaten within an inch of his life, starved and branded.”

“Zahrina” the man said. “Cheap fighters, hers. Meat for heroes. Your friend dead soon.”

Slaves are property, to be beaten, branded, sold, made to fight, made to die, no one cares.

“Tyrion saw a slave being whipped, blow after blow, until his back was nothing but blood and raw meat.”

‘All the more reason to escape, and soon.

A quarter mile on, he found good reason to reconsider. A crowd had formed around three slaves taken whilst trying to escape. “I know my little treasures will be sweet and obedient,” Nurse said. “See what befalls ones who try to run.”

The captives had been tied to a row of crossbeams, and a pair of slingers were using them to test their skills. “Tolosi,” one of the guards told them. “the best slingers in the world. They throw soft lead balls in place of stones………Their lead balls did vastly more damage than the smooth stones other slingers used, and more than any bow as well. One struck the knee of one of the captives, and it burst apart in a gout of blood and bone that left the man’s lower leg dangling by a rope of dark red tendon. Well he wont run again, Tyrion allowed, as the man began to scream.”

“Tyrion was on his knees, his legs aching and his bloody back (from being whipped earlier) screaming with pain, trying to scrub out the stain that the noble Yezzan’s spilled wine had left upon the noble Yezzan’s carpet,”

Tyrion is even in a good slave situation, his master treats them well enough lets them eat and sleep properly and it all seems like roses and daisies. Then, of course, Tyrion finds out that after 1 day of service he is to be fed to a pack of hungry lions just for fun. Yay for slavery and the awesome Ghiscari culture! Maybe Ill spend my honeymoon in Slaver's bay.

[Suzanna Stormborn]

The Yunkai'i are obviously guests. They come and go as they please. The Meereenese seven are hostages. Do you imagine that Bloodbeard fetes any of them? The brutal sellsword captain is restrained for a while by the Yunkishmen, but that doesn't last.

She provides hostages, and the other side doesn't. The four that she provides are definitely important to her. She gives her enemies considerable leverage over her. Can anyone tell me anything she gains? It has nothing to do with peace. That was already accomplished; hostages were not part of the deal. As I stated above, the presence of her enemies in the city confers no great advantage. At any rate, they can leave if they want to. Do you believe the same can be said of Groleo and company? Really, do you really believe that? She accepts the insults of a bunch of dangerous scumbags and delivers some loyal followers into the hands of these scumbags. I don't think "bad idea" is adequate to describe the situation. Any leader who makes the moves Daenerys Targaryen does in this matter should expect to be mocked.

I agree this was a stupid move on her part, backed up by how hard BArristan tries to get Daario back later, I mean didnt Dany realize this would not go well? I know she wanted to get Daario away from her for many reasons, but was this really the best place to send him? DOes anyone keep their word in SB, do you have any friends here? No and NO. From the beginning of Dance I have been questioning why she listens to or trusts anyone in Meereen/SB. no one is her friend and they all just want to use her and/or kill her. Nothing else Dany has done bothers me at all, THOTU, Astapor, 163, Yunkai, the fighting pit...none of that bothers me at all, in fact IMO those are Dany on her best days, listening to no one else and getting the fucking job done right. But once she gets to Meereen she starts listening to all these people who do not have good intentions, have no loyalty to her, lie to her, scheme behind her back, like it just makes no sense. And giving these people hostages that really mean something to her, is a dumb dumb move IMO.

[BearQueen87]

I agree this was a stupid move on her part, backed up by how hard BArristan tries to get Daario back later, I mean didnt Dany realize this would not go well? I know she wanted to get Daario away from her for many reasons, but was this really the best place to send him? DOes anyone keep their word in SB, do you have any friends here? No and NO. From the beginning of Dance I have been questioning why she listens to or trusts anyone in Meereen/SB. no one is her friend and they all just want to use her and/or kill her. Nothing else Dany has done bothers me at all, THOTU, Astapor, 163, Yunkai, the fighting pit...none of that bothers me at all, in fact IMO those are Dany on her best days, listening to no one else and getting the fucking job done right. But once she gets to Meereen she starts listening to all these people who do not have good intentions, have no loyalty to her, lie to her, scheme behind her back, like it just makes no sense. And giving these people hostages that really mean something to her, is a dumb dumb move IMO.

Yes, the hostage situation--specifically Dany not taking Yunaki'i hostages of her own--is reason #457316 why Dany needs a really good Hand. She has surrounded herself with people who are either useless in the Game (Barry, despite being a good knight) or people who are focused solely on their own power (her "advisers.") Not even Daario spoke out against this idea, so far as we know, which is just bizarre. He should recognize that Dany needs to take her own hostages.

And yay new chapter! Off to read back with comments in a bit.

[BearQueen87]

Tyrion X

Nice job Suzanna Stormborn!

Man, this is a depressing chapter, for all involved. Tyrion's trying to make sure he doesn't wind up dead or enslaved by a brute, Penny's trying to grin and bear it, and Jorah has given up and is broken.

A bit of crack pottery to start us off. Numerology. THIS is a site I used to look up the meaning of "97." I don't know how arbitrarily GRRM uses numbers; it's possible that this number is more about the sheer quantity of slaves rather anything symbolic, but according to the previous linked to site, 97 has the same meaning of 79 which is:

Political and spiritual leaders often have this number. It brings concern for mankind, but it can also be ruthless and self-righteous.

If we ignore Penny (cause Poor Penny) Tyrion is a political leader, or rather wants to be when he's not being ostracized for being a dwarf, kingslayer, kinslayer. (Pragmatically) ruthless and self-righteous...well that's Jorah to a fault, no?

Moving on from the crackpottery...

Tyrion has not resigned himself to slavery, he has not grown up in a culture where slavery is acceptable, so of course, he immediately thinks of how to escape and what he is going to do. Other captives do not have this mind set, even Penny basically accepts her fate as a slave. It shows that slavery is ingrained in the culture on this side of the world and something must be done about it.

We see first hand how terrible slavery can be, it is not funny, not even to Tyrion;

Slave treatment and psychology is something I'll be getting into in the next Tyrion chapter but I want to point out with Suzanna's quote that this is NOT cartoony slavery. In Astapor we were treated to an almost over the top form of slavery: children being rolled in honey and fed to bears, for instance. But this brutality was real in our world when it came to slavery. This is a very real depiction of what slavery is like. The fact that Tyrion finds none of it funny and finds it alarming is telling because I think GRRM is speaking through Tyrion and will do so again in Tyrion XI.

Tyrion is even in a good slave situation, his master treats them well enough lets them eat and sleep properly and it all seems like roses and daisies. Then, of course, Tyrion finds out that after 1 day of service he is to be fed to a pack of hungry lions just for fun. Yay for slavery and the awesome Ghiscari culture! Maybe Ill spend my honeymoon in Slaver's bay.

Yeah Slaver's Bay is pretty horrifying. It's so entrenched in violence and wanton brutality that the only way to effect change is going to be through violence. And I hate saying that cause I'm a bit of a pacifist, but these privileged people who live here and practice the Ghiscari culture aren't going to listen to reason and a speech about human equality. There are some masters who want to keep the peace with Meereen, but they still want their slaves.

Some other notes....

Jorah Mormont, the Broken Bear

My poor Bear. But...this is kinda what he needs to change. Change doesn't come to Jorah overnight; he's not going to see the error of his beliefs and ways and actions until his situation utterly changes. And it has. A smattering of quotes:

...his eyes were fixed beyond the siege lines, on the distant city with its ancient walls of many-colored brick. Tyrion could read that look as easy as a book: so near and yet so distant. The poor wretch had returned too late. Daenerys Targaryen was wed, the guards on the pens had told them, laughing. She had taken a Meereense slaver as her king, as wealthy as he was noble, and when the peace was signed and sealed the fighting pit of Meereen would open once again.

[snip]

Nurse returned with Jorah Mormont. Two of their master's slaves soldiers flung him into the back of the mule cart between the dwafs. The knight did not struggle. All the fight went out of him when he heard this his queen had wed, Tyrion realized. One whispered word had done what fists and whips and clubs could not; it had broken him.

[snip]

Ser Jorah Mormont looked at no one and nothing.

So there's some parallel history going on with Jorah/Lynesse Hightower and Jorah/Dany

Dany and Lynesse, in my mind, have always been literary foils. There's a bit of a suggestion that that look alike ("She looked a bit like you, Daenerys" though I think it's important to remember that Dany is a Targaryen and even GRRM has said that his Targs were created to have an other worldly quality about them and thus they don't really look like anyone except other silver haired, purple eyed Targaryens. I think Jorah is misremembering Lynseese a bit...) but they are wholly different personality wise, something that comes up in ACOK and GOT. Textual evidence for this:

Dany II, GOT

Ser Jorah Mormont apologized for his gift. "It is a small thing, my princess, but all a poor exile could afford," he said as he laid a small stack of old books before her. They were histories and songs of the Seven Kingdoms, she saw written in the Common Tongue. She thanked him with all her heart.

From Dany I in ACOK (bits and pieces)

"I lived for her smiles, so I sent all the way to Oldtown for a new cook, and brought a harper from Lannisport. Goldsmiths, jewelers, dressmakers, whatever she wanted I found for her, but it was never enough.

I built a fine ship for her and we sailed to Lannisport and Oldtown for festivals and fairs and once even to Braavos, where I borrowed heavily from the moneylenders.

Finally I insisted we return home, but there matters soon grew worse than before. I could no longer pay the cook and the harper, and Lynesse grew wild when I spoke of pawning her jewels. The rest...I did things it shames me to speak of. For gold. So Lynesse might keep her jewels, her harper, and her cook.

So they are essentially different people and contrast one another. Keeping this in mind, here's how Jorah retells the ending of his marriage to Lyneese Hightower.

From Dany I in ACOK

"We fled to Lys, where I sold my ship for gold to keep us."

His voice was thick with grief, and Dany was reluctant to press him any further, yet she had to know how it ended. "Did she die there?" she asked him gently.

"Only to me," he said. "In half a year my gold was gone, and I was obliged to take service as a sellsword. While I was fighting Fraavosi on the Rhoyne, Lynesse moved into the manse of a merchant prince named Tregar Ormollen. They say she is his chief concubine now, and even his wife goes in fear of her."

It's basically the same situation Jorah finds himself in now. He was sent away by Dany (he had to leave Lynesse to earn money) but when he made his way back, he finds his wife in the arms of another man and she sends him away. In both cases he's arrived too late. But the big difference is that when it comes to Dany, it breaks him. When it happened with Lynesse, Jorah began to plot a way to get home to Bear Island, selling Viserys and Dany's secrets to Varys in King's Landing. When it happens with Dany in this chapter, it destroys him. All the fight goes out of him, he doesn't offer his captors any attempts at escape. He would gladly go to his death at this point because he's so despondent.

There is also the way that the guards describe Hizzy to Jorah and Tyrion when they tell that Dany has married.

Hizzy is: a slaver, wealthy, noble and belonging to one of the great families in Meereen

Jorah is: a slaver, not wealthy, no longer noble and even when he was, he was of lesser noble stock.

So Jorah and Hizzy are also foils to each other (in fact, I think Hizzy and Lynesse are a bit alike given how resplendent Hizzy is often dressed and how indulgent he feasts...)

The main point I'm trying to get at here is that for Jorah, Dany has become his concept of home so that when he learns that he's arrived too late, he completely gives up and turns so far inward that I do think we're going to start seeing some changes in him in the final two chapters of Dance and more so in Winds.

Three misc notes on Jorah and Dany in this chapter.

1) We've talked a lot about how Dany's own powers of observation have become obscured the longer she says in Meereen. Jorah is described here as not seeing anything either and must be prompted to look at the world around him.

2) Nurse calls Jorah "bear" and even Tyrion can see that this angers Jorah quite a bit. Of course it does. Who calls him "my bear?"

3) Nurse pays 300 silvers for Jorah. More crack pottery (or maybe me just reading into this way too much). The number 3 has always been heavily associated with Dany. I also think this is a bit of tongue in cheek reference to the idea of betrayal with Judas Iscariot having betrayed Jesus with 30 pieces of silver according to the Gospel of Matthew. It goes back to the idea that Dany wonders if Jorah was the betrayal for love or for money, when really he's neither.

Non-Jorah Notes

1) Whereas Jorah sees nothing....Tyrion sees everything. It's a nice contrast to both Jorah AND Dany. Tyrion is the keen observer and politically shrewd mind that Dany needs.

2) The grotesqueire: These are Yezzan's special pets. If you do what you're supposed to do, then you get treated well by Yezzan. But it doesn't change the fact that Tyrion "only had the afternoon to learn the ways of chattel." GRRM uses this word a lot to describe the slaves in Slaver's Bay. It's a good word: hard laborer beasts who are easily disposable if they don't do their job or grow too old. But what they aren't are men. Even Yezzan who has his favorites, doesn't view his slaves as actual people.

[Parwan]

You're right; I don't believe that Groleo or the others could just leave if they wanted. Nor do I think that they are being hosted and feasted like the Yunkai'i inside the pyramid. But at the same time, these Yunkai'i are inside her pyramid. If she wanted, she could order their execution or have the Unsullied take them and lock them up. She could do such a thing. The Yunkai'i know she won't. The threat that she will is there, but it's a negligible one, hence their open mockery. But it's not that the giving of hostages was a bad idea, it's that she doesn't take any for herself. If the men outside her walls got the captain of her sell swords and her admiral, she should also take men of the same status. The idea of hostages isn't a bad one, it's that Dany doesn't follow through on her end like she should. And a lot of that has to do with how defeated she feels.

Okay, I'll go along with that. The concept of hostage exchange is not the problem. Indeed, it's standard procedure. Dany just doesn't do a good job of it. As some have said, the current Daenerys chapter shows her coming around a bit. She is starting to realize that she has put herself in a bad position and to think of ways to get out of it--e.g. by turning some of the sellswords.