Daenerys Stormborn - A Re-Read Project Part I: AGoT

[MoIaF]

Welcome to the Daenerys Re-read Project!

Before we get started with our discussion, Id like to take a moment to thank the amazing group of posters who have agreed be part of the team analyzing Danys chapters.

• Annara Snow
• Arya kiddin'
• GoldenFleece2
• MoIaF
• PatrickStormborn
• SeanF
• Suzanne Stormborn
• The Good Queen Alysanne
• TheMysteriousOne

Now lets get down to business:

The aim of the re-read project is to gain a better understanding of Danys character: by analyzing her motivations and her unique prospective. We would also like to gain a better understanding of the (very distinct) environment in which she finds herself. The structure of the re-read will be a chapter by chapter review. Each week one of us will be presenting a chapter for discussion. We will be summarizing / analyzing all of Danys 31 chapters as well as Barristans 4 chapters.

We want to have a clear discussion looking objectively at the text. This isnt a appreciation thread so we ask that posters stay focus on the discussion at hand.

As with most re-reads there are a few ground rules which we would appreciate you follow:

• Discussion should focus on the chapters of the week (or previous chapters). You can reference future chapters if necessary for the discussion, but please stay on topic.
• When discussion please refrain from making unsubstantiated comments or be disrespectful towards other posters. We are aiming to do an objective analysis and it would be greatly appreciated if we stay on topic and not argue with each other about our personal feeling about the character.
• Your observations are very important to our discussion; if you find instances of foreshadowing, interesting symbolisms, important parallels with other characters or other thoughts that can add to our discussion please share them with us. When ever possible quote from the text, itll help enrich the discussion.

Below you will find the schedule for our discussion. We aim to stick to the schedule as closely as possible; however, we ask that you bear with us if there are any delays. .

AGOT

Daenerys I 1/5/14 Queen Alysanne
Daenerys II 1/12/14 MoIaF
Daenerys III 1/19/14 SeanF
Daenerys IV 1/26/14 MoIaF
Daenerys V 2/2/14 MoIaF / GoldenFleece2
Daenerys VI 2/9/14 Annara Snow
Daenerys VII 2/16/14 Suzanne Stormborn
Daenerys VIII 2/23/14 Arya kiddin'
Daenerys IX 3/2/14 TheMysteriousOne
Daenerys X 3/9/14 PatrickStormborn


ETA:
Resources:
There have been a few Daenerys re-reads in the past and I though I'd add links to them as they might be helpful to us in our re-read.

• A Daenerys Character Arc Reread I
• A Daenerys Character Arc Reread II
• A Daenerys Character Arc Reread III
• Daenerys: Rethinking and Remapping a Protagonist
• Dragon stirring - A Heretical look at Dany

[Queen‍‍‍‍‍‍ Alysanne‍‍™]

Sorry had to edit some stuff here it is now :p

A Princess in Exile- Dany 1 A Game of Thrones

Overview

After presenting us with two POVs from the North GRRM travels across the Narrow Sea to give us our very first POV that takes place in Essos, this is also our first introduction to the Targaryens after hearing about the end of the dragonkings from other points of view, and this is told through Daenerys Targaryen.

The chapter begins with Viserys Targaryen presenting Dany with a violet gown, a gift from Illyrio, for her to prepare for her bridal presentation to Khal Drogo. Dany has a sense of distrust towards Illyrio due to all the gifts he has been giving them and in her own words from the text,

“Dany was thirteen, old enough to know that such gifts seldom come without their price, here in the free city of Pentos.”

This is compared to Viserys, who believes Illyrio gives the gifts so Viserys will repay him back when he gets the Iron Throne,

“The magister knows that I will not forget my friends when I come into my throne.”

Dany however knows her brother is in delusion and describes his opinion as a “web of dreams”. We are also introduced to the term “waking the dragon” which Viserys uses as a description for his temper tantrums, however we will see that this has multiple meanings as we read along, it is introduced to us when he threatens Dany not to fail him during the bridal presentation to Khal Drogo.

We are also introduced to Dany’s sense of “home”. We see in the chapter that Dany doesn’t want all of this but just wants to be like the” ragged children playing games beyond the walls of the estate.” Dany admits to herself that she doesn’t remember anything about Westeros but Viserys does and she describes the story of the sack of King’s Landing as told by Viserys. Dany describes her closest thing to “home” as the manse with the red door as this was her happiest time in her childhood, she also describes how Viserys and her have wandered from city to city due to Viserys’ obsession in taking back the Iron throne but all Dany wanted was just to be in the house with the red door.

As slavery is an important part of Dany’s arc we also get a sneek peek of her views of slavery, as she describes the gifts of people given to Illyrio by the Dothraki as slaves even though slavery is not allowed in any of the Free cities. As the maids (slaves) tell Dany about Drogo, Dany thinks about how she was supposed to marry Viserys as Targaryen custom. Illyrio then compliments Dany’s ensemble and Viserys criticizes it by stating that she is too skinny and questions whether Drogo will still like Dany despite her age. Illyrio continues to delude Viserys by telling him how the people in Westeros are waiting for him whiles Dany continues to have her doubts.

The last part of the chapter Dany, Viserys and Illyrio arrive at Drogo’s where Viserys and Dany are introduced to Ser Jorah Mormont, an exiled knight from the seven kingdoms, and Dany is introduced to Drogo at the end of the chapter.

Observations

· Dany’s awareness at a young age vs. Viserys’s at a much older age: As I will discuss below Dany’s eyes are more open at this opening chapter than Viserys

· Illyrio’s network: I found it interesting that Illyrio has friends in all nine free cities and even as far as Asshai, perhaps the dragon eggs?

· Dany’s lost childhood: After the red door was closed it seems that Dany never experienced being a child again.

· Rhaegar loved Lyanna: From Dany we learnt that Rhaegar loved Lyanna, however this is from Viserys point of view.

· Dany’s birthdate: Dany was born nine moons after the sack, and probably during summer since the storm was described as a raging summer storm.

Analysis

Dany being a victim

Dany is introduced as a victim in the first chapter of a game of thrones. She is being sold by her brother Viserys and also being abused by her brother. This is expected for most readers to see Dany as a victim and thus more sympathetic as a character. In other words, in Dany’s first chapter of AGOT she is expected to be rooted for in this early part of AGOT. We also see Dany taking note of the slave collar of one of Drogo’s slaves after her maids that bather her told her his slaves where gold collars, perhaps this is Dany viewing herself since she is being sold as a slave.

Dany vs. Viserys

In this chapter, GRRM does a good job comparing Viserys and Dany. This can also be a difference between the 2 sides of the Targaryen coin. Whiles Dany and Viserys were wandering, Viserys always said the ursurper’s knives were chasing them however Dany points out that she never ever saw them. There is also the issue of Illyrio’s trust. Dany doesn’t trust Illyrio’s gifts whiles Viserys accepts them willingly. Whiles Dany’s takes note of things said in the street of Mopatis, Viserys shows signs of complete trust in him despite the rumours.

“she mistrusted Illyrio’s sweet words as she mistrusted everything about Illyrio. Her brother was nodding eagerly, however.”

“Dany saw the smallest hint of a smile playing around his full lips, but her brother did not notice.”

These quotes also show further evidence of Dany’s mistrust in Illyrio.

Illyrio as a Targaryen loyalist

Illyrio as a Targaryen loyalist is brought to question in this chapter. With ADWD not out at this point most people would see him as a loyalist, the most we can judge is of Dany’s distrust towards him, and him feeding Viserys with lies of the seven kingdoms.

Dany’s Home

Dany’s closest thought to home is the house with the red door, this also symbolizes her childhood. Leaving the red door was Dany losing her childhood forever.

“ Dany had cried when the red door closed behind them forever,”

and this was the beginning of her brother and herself wandering from city to city.

Targaryen Incest

We also learn that Targaryens wed brother and sister to keep the bloodline pure. The reasonable explanation is that they did it to prevent anyone making any claims, however considering Valyria was a freehold and they practiced incest this suggests it isn’t just to prevent outsiders from making a claim.

The Dothraki

We are also introduced to the Dothraki but not fully all we know is that they are given gifts to prevent them from pillaging the free cities.

Lord of Light

We are also introduced to Rhollor but not that much, all we know is that Illyrio is a believer.

Rhaegar and Lyanna

The Targaryen side of the story seems to be that Rhaegar loved Lyanna vs. Roberts side, since Viserys told Dany the story.

Conclusion

Dany begins as a frightened girl and a victim of Illyrio and Viserys, but however shows good awareness for her age compared to Viserys who is much older, a good chapter to start.

[MoIaF]

Thank you Queen Alysanne, excellent analysis!

I completely agree with you, Viserys and Dany are two different sides of the Targaryen coin.

I had forgotten how observant and perceptive Dany is, and how delusional Viserys seems next to her. I think the major difference is that unlike Viserys, this is the only life she has ever known. From the time she was born till this point (13 years) she has lived in 8 difference places: Dragonstone, Braavos, Myr, Tyrosh, Qohor, Volantis, Lys and Pentos. This is pretty rough and it really explains Dany’s constant search for home. Even now, I still believe that Dany's pursuit of the Iron Throne is really her way of trying to find a way back home.

As you mentioned this upbringing has also caused her to be realistic about her situation and life in general something her brother is completely oblivious too.

She obviously had Illyrio’s number from the onset. She questions why he took them in and understands that whatever “help” he provides comes with a price. She’s also smart enough to pick up on the street chatter.

“He had friends in all of the Nine Free Cities…it was also said that he’s never had a friend he wouldn’t cheerfully sell for the right price”

I'm glad you mentioned the Illyrio's hipocrysi regarding slavery, I wonder if it will come into play during TWOW

About the arranged marriage; I’m not sure we know exactly why Illyrio’s arrange the marriage between Dany and Khal Drogo but he obviously was intent on it. You can see it when the servants comes in to prepare Dany for the party and the spends the entire time signing Drogo’s praises.

Also, regarding the marriage arrangement Viserys goes along with it even though he thinks Dany is too young:

“Are you sure that Khal Drogo likes his women this young?”

“She has had her blood. She is old enough for the khal,” Illyrio told him.

Ew - so obviously even though she is technically a “women” she is still viewed as young to get married. And yet her brother's ambition is such that he doesn't really care.

Finally, I wanted to note how very different Pentos is from the descriptions we get of Westeros. The setting is different, the clothing the different languages - this is obviously a foreign land, and even as well traveled as Dany already is many of these things are quite foreign to her as well.

Miscellaneous Notes:

Here are some things I noticed while reading, not sure if they’re important but I thought I’d mention them

• Vicerys calling a “wife” a mount:
  

“Khal Drogo has a thousand horses, tonight he looks for a different sort of mount.”

• When referring to Westeros she says:
  

“And perhaps the dragon did remember, but Dany could not. She had never seen this land her brother talked of, Casterly Rock and the Eyrie, Highgarden and the Vale of Arryn, Dorne and the Isle of Faces, they were just words to her.”

Might we see the Isle of Faces, that would be nice.

• When I read: “The girl brushed her hair until it shone like molted silver” I thought to myself good thing it isn’t molted gold… :D​
  

• When Viserys says:
  

“Khal Drogo has never lost a fight. He is Aegon the Draginlord come again, and you’ll be his queen”

I think it’ll turn out to be the other way around.

[Queen‍‍‍‍‍‍ Alysanne‍‍™]

<snip>

No Problem. :p

“He had friends in all of the Nine Free Cities…it was also said that he’s never had a friend he wouldn’t cheerfully sell for the right price”

Thanks for bringing this quote I forgot it, that also puts the reader in a position to question Illyrio's motives towards Viserys and Dany.

[MoIaF]

One more thing I forgot to mention and I was curious about.

I wonder if Varys and Illyrio hired Jorah not only to spy on Dany but also to protect her. They were well aware of Viserys instability but the Dothraki are an unknown entity for the most part. Whatever their plans might be in regards to Aegon they might have wanted to marry or at least allied Dany to Aegon to help legitimize him and thus needed Dany to stay safe. I think Illyrio knew from the beginning that Dany was the real deal, the "real" dragon.

[Parwan]

Good post, Queen Alysanne. Overall, I agree. I have some differences, in emphasis at least. They may amount to differences in substance.

Daenerys's first POV sets the stage. Most of what will be important later comes out early. This is not exactly "the Targaryen queen in a nutshell," but it's close to that. Ten paragraphs in, we have references to horses, the red priests, and children. In only 7 paragraphs, we encounter "dragon" twice and "dragonbone" once.

Some matters are only mentioned briefly: Viserys indicates to his sister that she smells of the stables (and uses the crude "mount" joke that Maester of Ice and Fire mentions); Dany hears the red priests singing; she hears the children playing and wishes for a moment she could be one of them. On the other hand, the "dragon density" of the chapter is remarkable. I count 12 uses of the word itself (including 3 of "wake" or "waking" the dragon), 7 of Dragonstone, 2 of dragonbone, and 1 of Aegon the Dragonlord. Significantly though, Dany never claims to be a dragon. She never even says the word. On the contrary, a good many items in the chapter draw a contrast between the young woman and the iconic Targaryen beast. For example, in the exchange mentioned by Maester above, Viserys talks about how the dragon remembers. Then we read, "Perhaps the dragon did remember, but she could not." Daenerys's thoughts about dragons come from others, mostly her brother. Generally, this is quite explicit. Dany remembers Viserys saying things like, "Ours is the house of the dragon.

Other factors of importance--

"Home": What does the princess (and later the queen) mean when she uses the word? In her first POV, she tells her brother, "I want to go home." She doesn't mean Westeros; she doesn't even mean the house with the red door. She wants to return to their rooms in the Pentosi magister's manse. The meanings of this and other important terms in Dany's speech change quite a bit. And they don't change in a linear fashion. They go back and forth, perhaps off to one side, occasionally around and around. I like the concept of a search. It applies well to Dany. Other examples of changeable terms are "my city" and "my people." This flux and variation will be important in later chapters.

"Usurper": Not as common a word as "dragon" in Dany I, but still quite prominent. Again, Dany doesn't say the word, and when she thinks it, we know where she got the idea. This is not quite as explicit as the dragon business. However, it's quite clear. Both Viserys and Illyrio use the term forcefully. On the way to present Daenerys to her prospective husband, for instance, Illyrio tells Viserys about the importance of security. The Pentosi merchant says, "No doubt the Usurper would pay well for your head."

Dany changes: This will be a general theme that I talk about a lot in this thread. We know her outlook and attitudes will not remain the same as they are in the beginning. I'll have more to say about the flux and variation mentioned above. There's quite a bit to the matter. My opinions are very different from some common ones in these forums. Just one point now--In my view, Dany's opinions of Viserys and Illyrio are not set in stone.

Legitimacy of rulers, hired knives, betrayal…: Many things mentioned, or at least briefly alluded to, in Dany I, are developed more thoroughly in upcoming Dany POVs.

[Fire Eater]

She had been born on Dragonstone nine moons after their flight, while the raging summer storm threatened to rip the island fastness apart.

Stormborn becomes one of Dany's titles, it fits her arc given that she creates a storm wherever she goes, intentionally or unintentionally.

a great grey bear of a man [Willem Darry]

Jorah's sigil is a bear, and this foreshadows him looking after Dany like Darry did

The old woman, small and grey as a mouse, never said a word, but the girl made up for it.

The old woman shares a trait common amongst Illyrio's servants as Tyrion notes, she doesn't speak. Varys's little birds were originally called mice, and I think many of Illyrio's servants were originally little birds who survived and grew up. The old woman and the others can't speak, because they had their tongues cut out. The girl is likely the only exception since she is Illyrio's bedwarmer that he got from Lys.

Dany doesn't seem to delude herself like Viserys. Viserys lives in a fantasy world, thinking Robert fears him so much as to send hired knives after him when Jon Arryn actually dissuaded Robert from that. Dany is powerless and beaten into submission by Viserys when we first meet her. All she knows about Westeros and RR, she got from Viserys, who was eight at the time of the war. As one would expect, his account is one-sided, and filled with omissions and inaccuracies, especially regarding their father, Aerys. This is the story Dany lives by, even after Viserys dies and she admits he was a big fool.

[Arya kiddin']

Excellent! It's started. And thanks for inviting me to join in. :) Let me go through the analysis first and then comment. Thanks for hosting Maester. :)

[Arya kiddin']

A very nice analysis Queen Alyssanne. Let me mention a couple more points.

The color of Dany's eyes is mentioned as violet, Viserys' eyes are lilac. Quite unusual colors for eyes. This along with the hair like "molten silver" which Viserys also has, serves to set apart the Targaryens in appearance. Many Targaryens later in the series are described to have purplish eyes. The same is true for Young Griff as well. Illyrio clearly uses this as a description form someone related to Valyria (and not neccessarily Targaryen. )

"Look at her. That silvergold hair, those purple eyes . . . she is the blood of old Valyria, no doubt, no doubt . . .

Notice that:

Magister Illyrio was a dealer in spices, gemstones, dragonbone, and other, less savory things

Dany clearly has a better measure of Illyrio than Viserys, or maybe he is so blinded by ambition, that he doesn't care at all.

Illyrio will send the slaves to bathe you - Viserys

Even though slavery is banned in Pentos, the fact that many of Illyrio's servants are slaves is not especially hidden.

When Viserys pinches Dany on her breasts, the seamless way he does that, and the meekness with which Dany submits shows us this is not the first time Viserys has been abusing her.

One very queer thing I noted was when Dany is naming all the kingdoms and places in Westeros; any mention of the North - as big as the rest of them combined, and even The Wall - is absent. This disregard stood out for me a little, it may be nothing, but there it is.

Dany mentions that all the stories of Westeros and war come from Viserys. So her using the term usurper's dogs for Lannisters and Starks both - and her putting these two houses on equal footing is something Viserys has done.

Slavery - Dany doesn't really flinch at using slaves herself at this point, while she herself is afraid to become one - as is apparent from the mention of the gold collar she wears. This naivety on her part is set to change soon in later chapters.

He moved with surprising delicacy for such a massive man.

Quite like a Water Dancer indeed. :D

Fire Proof - The quote:

Besides, her brother had often told her that it was never too hot for a Targaryen. "Ours is the house of the dragon," he would say. "The fire is in our blood."

builds up the opinion that Targaryens do have an affinity, a supernatural connection to Fire and heat (I'm not arguing they're fire proof :P ) This in stark contrast (pun intended) with the Starks mentioned in the previous chapter and their house words "Winter is Coming" gives them a connection to cold and ice. All this essentially sets up the Starks and Targaryens as the main protagonists to watch out for in the "Song of ice and fire" :D

The realm will rise for its rightful king. Tyrell, Redwyne, Darry, Greyjoy, they have no more love for the Usurper than I do.

The Dornishmen burn to avenge Elia and her children. And the smallfolk will be with us. They cry out for

their king." He looked at Illyrio anxiously. "They do, don't they?"

Too much false hope has been sustaining Viserys -all Illyrio's doing naturally. This just seems to strengthen the opinion that the dothraki invasion was something Illyrio wanted and expected to fail. Also his constant sneering which Dany notices shows us he's not quite taking Viserys seriously.

a great grey bear of a man [Willem Darry]

Jorah's sigil is a bear, and this foreshadows him looking after Dany like Darry did.

Wow, very nice catch.

[Audrey Arryn]

Nice posts from all of you.I noticed something in Dany's first chapter.

Last of all came the collar, a heavy golden torc emblazoned with ancient Valyrian glyphs.

I am not sure if it's true so correct me if I'm wrong. So far all the metals in the series which have glyphs on them have some sort of connection to magic, the dragonbinder is the most obvious one (That one was Valyrian glyphs) and then there is also the bronze knife MMD used which is an unknown language of glyphs to Dany, both were used for magical purposes. Dany receives a gold collar from Illyrio with Valyrian glyphs on them (which is another metal with glyphs), could it be connected to magic somehow?

I think if it's magic related it might have served as a charm for Drogo to like Dany when he first saw her, or maybe it hasn't served its purpose yet, or it could just be a relic from Old Valyria, also does Dany still have it?

Anyways I there is also mention of Valyria in this chapter, the doom is depicted on glass windows in drogo's manse.

[Audrey Arryn]

She had been born on Dragonstone nine moons after their flight, while the raging summer storm threatened to rip the island fastness apart.

Stormborn becomes one of Dany's titles, it fits her arc given that she creates a storm wherever she goes, intentionally or unintentionally.

a great grey bear of a man [Willem Darry]

Jorah's sigil is a bear, and this foreshadows him looking after Dany like Darry did

The old woman, small and grey as a mouse, never said a word, but the girl made up for it.

The old woman shares a trait common amongst Illyrio's servants as Tyrion notes, she doesn't speak. Varys's little birds were originally called mice, and I think many of Illyrio's servants were originally little birds who survived and grew up. The old womn and the others can't speak, because they had their tongues cut out. The girl is likely the only exception since she is Illyrio's bedwarmer that he got from Lys.

Dany doesn't seem to delude herself like Viserys. Viserys lives in a fantasy world, thinking Robert fears him so much as to send hired knives after him when Jon Arryn actually dissuaded Robert from that. Dany is powerless and beaten into submission by Viserys when we first meet her. All she knows about Westeros and RR, she got from Viserys, who was eight at the time of the war. As one would expect, his account is one-sided, and filled with omissions and inaccuracies, especially regarding their father, Aerys. This is the story Dany lives by, even after Viserys dies and she admits he was a big fool.

OMG nice catch on the old woman being a little bird, mind blown :O

[Arya kiddin']

Nice posts from all of you.I noticed something in Dany's first chapter.

I am not sure if it's true so correct me if I'm wrong. So far all the metals in the series which have glyphs on them have some sort of connection to magic, the dragonbinder is the most obvious one (That one was Valyrian glyphs) and then there is also the bronze knife MMD used which is an unknown language of glyphs to Dany, both were used for magical purposes. Dany receives a gold collar from Illyrio with Valyrian glyphs on them (which is another metal with glyphs), could it be connected to magic somehow?

I think if it's magic related it might have served as a charm for Drogo to like Dany when he first saw her, or maybe it hasn't served its purpose yet, or it could just be a relic from Old Valyria, also does Dany still have it?

Anyways I there is also mention of Valyria in this chapter, the doom is depicted on glass windows in drogo's manse.

I'm not entirely sure what to make out of that golden collar with Valyrian glyphs. Just to add to the list, there is also Yohn Royce's bronze armor he wears in the tourney - which has First Man runes. Valyrian and First Man sorcery is not so different as it appears.

[SeanF]

When Viserys pinches Dany on her breasts, the seamless way he does that, and the meekness with which Dany submits shows us this is not the first time Viserys has been abusing her.

Viserys certainly abused her physically and emotionally for years. Like you, I suspect that he sexually abused her too, and this groping wasn't a one-off event. We get his charming remark about letting Drogo's entire Khalasar (and their horses) fuck her; we learn in ADWD that he tried to rape her, the night before the wedding; Illyrio describes Dany in Pentos as "frightened and furtive", which would be typical for an abused child.

I sometimes wonder if her expression "if I look back I'm lost" implies that she's repressing some deeply unpleasant memories, as well as having a similar meaning to "the die is cast".

Many thanks to Queen Alysane for starting this off.

[Maia]

Great stuff! Concerning the old grey woman - Varys and Illyrio don't seem to be _old_ themselves, so discounting Melisandre-like magic, I doubt that she was one of the "mice".

It is possible that some of Varys's "birds" end up in service to Illyrio... Though, how safe would it be for him to have literate servants, trained in spycraft? I dunno. Better to kill them when they grow too big to be useful, surely.

Re: "hidden knives" - "just because you are paranoid doesn't meant that they aren't out to get you". Yes, _Robert_ didn't send anybody after them, but somebody looking to please him may have seen an opportunity there. I also always wondered why Tywin didn't take it upon himself to tie this loose end off. Anyway, foolish as Viserys otherwise is in this chapter, it was reasonable for him to assume that there might be attempts on them.

In view of the later revelations, I also have to wonder about Willem Darry and the Martells - how old could Dany have been when Darry died? 4-6? I.e. Viserys was 12-14. Did Darry neglect to give him noble education? Given Dany's remarks about Viserys not really knowing how to use a sword and him not having a sword of his own, etc. And how on earth didn't it occur to Doran that Viserys needed a teacher and protector after Darry died?!

Another thing is, that Dany can see from this very first that Illyrio blatantly doesn't believe in Viserys as a competent leader. So, we are given a reason to doubt his motivations and goals re: supposed Targaryen restoration from the start.

[MoIaF]

Good post, Queen Alysanne. Overall, I agree. I have some differences, in emphasis at least. They may amount to differences in substance.

Daenerys's first POV sets the stage. Most of what will be important later comes out early. This is not exactly "the Targaryen queen in a nutshell," but it's close to that. Ten paragraphs in, we have references to horses, the red priests, and children. In only 7 paragraphs, we encounter "dragon" twice and "dragonbone" once.

1. Some matters are only mentioned briefly: Viserys indicates to his sister that she smells of the stables (and uses the crude "mount" joke that Maester of Ice and Fire mentions); Dany hears the red priests singing; she hears the children playing and wishes for a moment she could be one of them. On the other hand, the "dragon density" of the chapter is remarkable. I count 12 uses of the word itself (including 3 of "wake" or "waking" the dragon), 7 of Dragonstone, 2 of dragonbone, and 1 of Aegon the Dragonlord. Significantly though, Dany never claims to be a dragon. She never even says the word. On the contrary, a good many items in the chapter draw a contrast between the young woman and the iconic Targaryen beast. For example, in the exchange mentioned by Maester above, Viserys talks about how the dragon remembers. Then we read, "Perhaps the dragon did remember, but she could not." Daenerys's thoughts about dragons come from others, mostly her brother. Generally, this is quite explicit. Dany remembers Viserys saying things like, "Ours is the house of the dragon.

Other factors of importance--

2. "Home": What does the princess (and later the queen) mean when she uses the word? In her first POV, she tells her brother, "I want to go home." She doesn't mean Westeros; she doesn't even mean the house with the red door. She wants to return to their rooms in the Pentosi magister's manse. The meanings of this and other important terms in Dany's speech change quite a bit. And they don't change in a linear fashion. They go back and forth, perhaps off to one side, occasionally around and around. I like the concept of a search. It applies well to Dany. Other examples of changeable terms are "my city" and "my people." This flux and variation will be important in later chapters.

3. "Usurper": Not as common a word as "dragon" in Dany I, but still quite prominent. Again, Dany doesn't say the word, and when she thinks it, we know where she got the idea. This is not quite as explicit as the dragon business. However, it's quite clear. Both Viserys and Illyrio use the term forcefully. On the way to present Daenerys to her prospective husband, for instance, Illyrio tells Viserys about the importance of security. The Pentosi merchant says, "No doubt the Usurper would pay well for your head."

4. Dany changes: This will be a general theme that I talk about a lot in this thread. We know her outlook and attitudes will not remain the same as they are in the beginning. I'll have more to say about the flux and variation mentioned above. There's quite a bit to the matter. My opinions are very different from some common ones in these forums. Just one point now--In my view, Dany's opinions of Viserys and Illyrio are not set in stone.

Legitimacy of rulers, hired knives, betrayal…: Many things mentioned, or at least briefly alluded to, in Dany I, are developed more thoroughly in upcoming Dany POVs.

Thank you Parwan - excellent analysis.

1.When you add up the numbers you can see how strongly GRRM wanted to drive the point home that these were “dragons” and it’s funny how this is sort of alien to Dany yet in the end (as of right now) she is the embodiment of the Targaryen dragon.

2. The idea of home is very important to Dany, but you are right she doesn’t really have a home. The house with the red door is long gone and Braavos most certainly isn’t her home. It’s going to be interesting how she views Westeros once she gets there. Also, how she will view the different regions, she’s not really tied to any in particular. If she survives the series what will she eventually consider home?

3. I do want to note something about the “usurpers”, now we know Robert won the war and the crown is his, however, both Dany and Viserys have genuine reason to hate both the Starks and the Baratheons. There is no way for Viserys and Dany to know that Eddard was not an accomplice in the murder of Elia and the children. Eddard and Robert were “partners” in this war and I’m not sure that many people would know the difference especially with sack going on.

4. She does grow as a person, which is expected. Her views evolve as she learns more from life, although, touching back on what we already discussed, she is still that little girl searching for home.

ETA: Also, didn't the Stark men participate in the sack of KL once they arrived?

[MoIaF]

a great grey bear of a man [Willem Darry]

Jorah's sigil is a bear, and this foreshadows him looking after Dany like Darry did

Thank you Fire Eater!

I did notice this too, Dany refer to Ser Darry as a bear a couple more times throughout the books. I hope now that Jorah has gained humility after his experience he will be a better resources for Dany.

[MoIaF]

A very nice analysis Queen Alyssanne. Let me mention a couple more points.

1. The color of Dany's eyes is mentioned as violet, Viserys' eyes are lilac. Quite unusual colors for eyes. This along with the hair like "molten silver" which Viserys also has, serves to set apart the Targaryens in appearance. Many Targaryens later in the series are described to have purplish eyes. The same is true for Young Griff as well. Illyrio clearly uses this as a description form someone related to Valyria (and not neccessarily Targaryen. )

2. One very queer thing I noted was when Dany is naming all the kingdoms and places in Westeros; any mention of the North - as big as the rest of them combined, and even The Wall - is absent. This disregard stood out for me a little, it may be nothing, but there it is.

3. Too much false hope has been sustaining Viserys -all Illyrio's doing naturally. This just seems to strengthen the opinion that the dothraki invasion was something Illyrio wanted and expected to fail. Also his constant sneering which Dany notices shows us he's not quite taking Viserys seriously.

1. Good point, and although these looks are very rare in Westeros it is not so throughout Volantis and Lys.

2. I did not notice that, and I wonder if it means anything. We know that Dany's knowledge of Westeros is based on what Viserys has told her. She does mention the Wall though later on in the series.

3. You would think that someone as young as Dany would be receptive to that kind of false hope, but it seems like she never bought into it. You can contrast that with Sansa who at this point has dreams of knights in shining armor and who is only a couple of years apart from Dany.

I actually think there are many similarities between Sansa and Dany but what they “fantasize” about is so very different and of course is has a lot to do with the way they have both grown up. Sansa was to be a princess and a queen and go to balls and be at court and Dany fantasizes about finding a home and playing around, generally wishing she could be a kid again. One wants to be a grownup, the other a kid.

[MoIaF]

Nice posts from all of you.I noticed something in Dany's first chapter.

I am not sure if it's true so correct me if I'm wrong. So far all the metals in the series which have glyphs on them have some sort of connection to magic, the dragonbinder is the most obvious one (That one was Valyrian glyphs) and then there is also the bronze knife MMD used which is an unknown language of glyphs to Dany, both were used for magical purposes. Dany receives a gold collar from Illyrio with Valyrian glyphs on them (which is another metal with glyphs), could it be connected to magic somehow?

I think if it's magic related it might have served as a charm for Drogo to like Dany when he first saw her, or maybe it hasn't served its purpose yet, or it could just be a relic from Old Valyria, also does Dany still have it?

Anyways I there is also mention of Valyria in this chapter, the doom is depicted on glass windows in drogo's manse.

Thanks Audrey!

You know, I didn't even think about that. I don't really know whether is was meant as a charm or not, but I do want to note that the slave girl helping Dany get ready for the party said that Khal Drogo's slaves wore gold collar. Then Dany is given a gold collar to wear, maybe signifying she was being sold to Khal Drogo.

[MoIaF]

Viserys certainly abused her physically and emotionally for years. Like you, I suspect that he sexually abused her too, and this groping wasn't a one-off event. We get his charming remark about letting Drogo's entire Khalasar (and their horses) fuck her; we learn in ADWD that he tried to rape her, the night before the wedding; Illyrio describes Dany in Pentos as "frightened and furtive", which would be typical for an abused child.

I sometimes wonder if her expression "if I look back I'm lost" implies that she's repressing some deeply unpleasant memories, as well as having a similar meaning to "the die is cast".

Many thanks to Queen Alysane for starting this off.

It wouldn’t surprise me at all if Viserys had abused her, which just goes to show what kind of messed up childhood Dany really had. It also shows how resilient she is, every time life kicks her down, she gets right back up. It’s like the terminator. :D

[MoIaF]

Great stuff! Concerning the old grey woman - Varys and Illyrio don't seem to be _old_ themselves, so discounting Melisandre-like magic, I doubt that she was one of the "mice".

It is possible that some of Varys's "birds" end up in service to Illyrio... Though, how safe would it be for him to have literate servants, trained in spycraft? I dunno. Better to kill them when they grow too big to be useful, surely.

Re: "hidden knives" - "just because you are paranoid doesn't meant that they aren't out to get you". Yes, _Robert_ didn't send anybody after them, but somebody looking to please him may have seen an opportunity there. I also always wondered why Tywin didn't take it upon himself to tie this loose end off. Anyway, foolish as Viserys otherwise is in this chapter, it was reasonable for him to assume that there might be attempts on them.

1. In view of the later revelations, I also have to wonder about Willem Darry and the Martells - how old could Dany have been when Darry died? 4-6? I.e. Viserys was 12-14. Did Darry neglect to give him noble education? Given Dany's remarks about Viserys not really knowing how to use a sword and him not having a sword of his own, etc. And how on earth didn't it occur to Doran that Viserys needed a teacher and protector after Darry died?!

2. Another thing is, that Dany can see from this very first that Illyrio blatantly doesn't believe in Viserys as a competent leader. So, we are given a reason to doubt his motivations and goals re: supposed Targaryen restoration from the start.

1. Now that you mention it, it does seem rather weird. They start training boys very early, I'd say once they are 7 or 8 yearos old. Which would explain why he didn't have proper training at KL but those years he spent with Ser Darry he should have had some training. Although, Ser Darry was sick so who knows what he was able to pay attention to.

2. Yes, I think we are menat to question Illyrio from the begining. Honestely, 5 books into it and we still don't know what they were really up to.