The Perfumed Seneschal

[Northernmonkey]

A lot of people seem to think the perfumed seneschal is the Selaesori Qhoran, but I just don't think that makes any sense.

Why would Quaithe warn against the ship? It doesn't even make it to Meereen, it gets destroyed in a storm. The only reason to warn against the ship is because of the people travelling on it. But Quaithe has already warned against Tyrion and Moqorro (lion and darkflame) so why bother warning about them again? It just doesn't make any sense. Can anyone who think's that the perfumed seneschal is the boat explain to me why?

I'm not certain, but it seems pretty likely that it's Reznak. He's literally described as a seneschal who wears perfume, and he's obviously in a position to be a threat to Dany, unlike any of the other sugestions.

[LovinRC]

I think it's Vary's. Isn't he always powdered and perfumed?

[Northernmonkey]

I think it's Vary's. Isn't he always powdered and perfumed?

It's definitely possible. But I don't see why anyone thinks its the ship.

[Ser Leftwich]

Quaithe is likely not watching the exact events of the future, (a la Spaceballs.) There is likely some interpretation to what she is seeing, like other visions/prophecies. She may not even know exactly what she means when she is saying that.

[Lost Melnibonean]

A lot of people seem to think the perfumed seneschal is the Selaesori Qhoran, but I just don't think that makes any sense.

Why would Quaithe warn against the ship? It doesn't even make it to Meereen, it gets destroyed in a storm. The only reason to warn against the ship is because of the people travelling on it. But Quaithe has already warned against Tyrion and Moqorro (lion and darkflame) so why bother warning about them again? It just doesn't make any sense. Can anyone who think's that the perfumed seneschal is the boat explain to me why?

I'm not certain, but it seems pretty likely that it's Reznak. He's literally described as a seneschal who wears perfume, and he's obviously in a position to be a threat to Dany, unlike any of the other sugestions.

Ser Barristan refers to him as the Perfumed Seneschal in The Discarded Knight.

[Fanless Mace]

I like to think Reznak is a red herring and Varys is the one to beware. Remember, Varys is tied in with Illyrio, he sent a Tyrion to refuge with him, so he may be tied up in the original Dany and Viserys escape as well (likely he assisted that...I forget, do we know this?). Certainly we do know to beware of him in general.

[Jon of the Dead]

I think it's Seneschal Theobald, of the Citadel. We already know the Citadel is anti-dragon

[BitsOfBrains]

There are too many candidates.

It could just be a generic warning.

Like, "never eat at a place called 'Moms'" or, "never trust a guy wearing more than $1000 in jewelry (watch not withstanding of course)".

[LovinRC]

There are too many candidates.

It could just be a generic warning.

Like, "never eat at a place called 'Moms'" or, "never trust a guy wearing more than $1000 in jewelry (watch not withstanding of course)".

LOL! Pretty smelling men could become suspect. LF with his minty breath, Vary's, perfumed and powdered, Renly, no longer with us but hygiene minded. Reznak, obvious, but vain and perfumed. I'm thinking any man that has any concerns with personal hygiene is suspect!

[Brad Rivers]

I thought it was scented seneschal? I figured it was Garth the Gross who's always farting, in a sort if twist on the "scented aspect". He's seneschal in KL at the end of ADWD. But if that's the case that part of the prophecy won't play out until Dany gets to Westeros. I just thought the other options were too obvious. Does this qualify as crackpot?

[Sansa_Stark]

I thought it was scented seneschal? I figured it was Garth the Gross who's always farting, in a sort if twist on the "scented aspect". He's seneschal in KL at the end of ADWD. But if that's the case that part of the prophecy won't play out until Dany gets to Westeros. I just thought the other options were too obvious. Does this qualify as crackpot?

No, it was specifically perfumed.

[Team_Rob]

I think its Illyrio. A senescal is also referred to as a magistrate. He's also known to wear heavy perfumes. Its foreshadowed in the Tyrion chapter before he and Moqorro are separated. Which would coincide with Quaithe's warning to Dany to beware the Perfumed senescal. At some point she will return to Pentos, at which point Illyrio will attempt some treachery.

[Lost Melnibonean]

"Are you here?"

"No. Hear me, Daenerys Targaryen. The glass candles are burning. Soon comes the pale mare, and after her the others. Kraken and dark flame, lion and griffin, the sun's son and the mummer's dragon. Trust none of them. Remember the Undying. Beware the perfumed seneschal."

"Reznak? Why should I fear him?" Dany rose from the pool. Water trickled down her legs, and gooseflesh covered her arms in the cool night air.

"If you have some warning for me, speak plainly. What do you want of me, Quaithe?"

Moonlight shone in the woman's eyes. "To show you the way."

"I remember the way. I go north to go south, east to go west, back to go forward. And to touch the light I have to pass beneath the shadow." She squeezed the water from her silvery hair. "I am half-sick of riddling. In Qarth I was a beggar, but here I am a queen. I command you - "

"Daenerys. Remember the Undying. Remember who you are."

--The glass candles are burning. Is that Quaithe explaining how she's able to appear to Dany? Or is she alluding to the glass candles in the Citadel?

--The pale mare is obviously the the horse that carried the flux currently ravaging Slavers Bay. (Why do Tyrion and the Yunkai call the flux the pale mare?)

--Kraken and dark flame are obviously Victarion and Moqorro. Lion and griffin are obviously Tyrion and Jon Connington. The sun's son is obviously Quentyn and the mummer's dragon is a little less obviously Aegon.

All of the characters were seeking to use Dany for their own ends. Quaithe doesn't tell Dany to fear them. She tells her not to to trust them.

Then she tells her to remember the Undying. The Undying tried to trap her and drain her. And what was the vision to which Dany finally succumbed in the HOTU? It was the masses crying mother. And why did she stay in Slaver's Bay? For the masses crying mother. That's why the perfumed seneschal is Reznak. Reznak probably was in league with Hizdar and the Sons of the Harpy to put pressure on Dany so as to bend her to their will--to use her. Reznak didn't want Dany to leave Meereen. He wanted her to stay and wed Hizdar.

Reznak mo Reznak gave a piteous moan. "Then it is true. Your Worship means to abandon us." He wrung his hands. "The Yunkai'i will restore the Great Masters the instant you are gone, and we who have so faithfully served your cause will be put to the sword, our sweet wives and maiden daughters raped and enslaved."

...

"Those left behind in Meereen would envy them their easy deaths," moaned Reznak. "They will make slaves of us, or throw us in the pits. All will be as it was, or worse."

--Reznak wants Dany to stay but Quaithe urges Dany to remember who she is. Dany is the mother of dragons. Fire and blood. She's not acting the part in Meereen.

But what is Quaithe's motivation?

[BitsOfBrains]

LOL! Pretty smelling men could become suspect. LF with his minty breath, Vary's, perfumed and powdered, Renly, no longer with us but hygiene minded. Reznak, obvious, but vain and perfumed. I'm thinking any man that has any concerns with personal hygiene is suspect!

See? Sounds goofy until you think about it.

[RoamingRonin]

Reznak mo Reznak

I don't believe it's the Stinky Steward because most of the people on that ship are listed in the prophecy.

[Mad Monkey]

The way the Stinky Steward clue is telegrahed makes me think it's an obvious and heavy-handed red herring, which of course means that it probably is for real, unless of course GRRM realized that we would assume that in which case he wouldn't make it the real answer but then GRRM would obviously know that we would realize that he would know that we would know that it's a red herring, so then he would make it a... wait, what?

[KOM]

The way the Stinky Steward clue is telegrahed makes me think it's an obvious and heavy-handed red herring, which of course means that it probably is for real, unless of course GRRM realized that we would assume that in which case he wouldn't make it the real answer but then GRRM would obviously know that we would realize that he would know that we would know that it's a red herring, so then he would make it a... wait, what?

Varys, Reznak, even Reek (smelly creature, right hand man to Ramsay, kind of like a seneschal) are all candidates. They're all, to various degrees working toward their own ends. I'm not sure it has to be classified as a red herring exactly. Could just be a general warning of a type, the person who plays obsequious to suit their purposes.

[The Sleeper]

Quai the refers specifically to glass candles at the start of the speech. We know glass candles allow clairvoyance. I think that Quaithe was reporting on current developments rather than making a prophecy.

[danm_999]

Why would Quaithe warn against the ship? It doesn't even make it to Meereen, it gets destroyed in a storm.

Because Quaithe can't see the future, only the present.

When you pick apart her actual warning, you realise she was only seeing who was heading to Daenerys when she gave the prophecy; the "Griffin" and the "Mummer's dragon" stop coming east.

[Bloodraven's Lost Eye]

"Are you here?"

"No. Hear me, Daenerys Targaryen. The glass candles are burning. Soon comes the pale mare, and after her the others. Kraken and dark flame, lion and griffin, the sun's son and the mummer's dragon. Trust none of them. Remember the Undying. Beware the perfumed seneschal."

"Reznak? Why should I fear him?" Dany rose from the pool. Water trickled down her legs, and gooseflesh covered her arms in the cool night air.

"If you have some warning for me, speak plainly. What do you want of me, Quaithe?"

Moonlight shone in the woman's eyes. "To show you the way."

"I remember the way. I go north to go south, east to go west, back to go forward. And to touch the light I have to pass beneath the shadow." She squeezed the water from her silvery hair. "I am half-sick of riddling. In Qarth I was a beggar, but here I am a queen. I command you - "

"Daenerys. Remember the Undying. Remember who you are."

--The glass candles are burning. Is that Quaithe explaining how she's able to appear to Dany? Or is she alluding to the glass candles in the Citadel?

--The pale mare is obviously the the horse that carried the flux currently ravaging Slavers Bay. (Why do Tyrion and the Yunkai call the flux the pale mare?)

--Kraken and dark flame are obviously Victarion and Moqorro. Lion and griffin are obviously Tyrion and Jon Connington. The sun's son is obviously Quentyn and the mummer's dragon is a little less obviously Aegon.

All of the characters were seeking to use Dany for their own ends. Quaithe doesn't tell Dany to fear them. She tells her not to to trust them.

Then she tells her to remember the Undying. The Undying tried to trap her and drain her. And what was the vision to which Dany finally succumbed in the HOTU? It was the masses crying mother. And why did she stay in Slaver's Bay? For the masses crying mother. That's why the perfumed seneschal is Reznak. Reznak probably was in league with Hizdar and the Sons of the Harpy to put pressure on Dany so as to bend her to their will--to use her. Reznak didn't want Dany to leave Meereen. He wanted her to stay and wed Hizdar.

Reznak mo Reznak gave a piteous moan. "Then it is true. Your Worship means to abandon us." He wrung his hands. "The Yunkai'i will restore the Great Masters the instant you are gone, and we who have so faithfully served your cause will be put to the sword, our sweet wives and maiden daughters raped and enslaved."

...

"Those left behind in Meereen would envy them their easy deaths," moaned Reznak. "They will make slaves of us, or throw us in the pits. All will be as it was, or worse."

--Reznak wants Dany to stay but Quaithe urges Dany to remember who she is. Dany is the mother of dragons. Fire and blood. She's not acting the part in Meereen.

But what is Quaithe's motivation?

Couldnt have said it better.