Dany's Dreams during Childbirth.

[shadowsofasshai]

Wings shadowed her fever dreams.
“You don’t want to wake the dragon, do you?”

She was walking down a long hall beneath high stone arches. She could not look behind her, must not look behind her. There was a door ahead of her, tiny with distance, but even from afar, she saw that it was painted red. She walked faster, and her bare feet left bloody footprints on the stone.

“You don’t want to wake the dragon, do you?”

She saw sunlight on the Dothraki sea, the living plain, rich with the smells of earth and death. Wind stirred the grasses, and they rippled like water. Drogo held her in strong arms, and his hand stroked her sex and opened her and woke that sweet wetness that was his alone, and the stars smiled down on them, stars in a daylight sky. “Home,” she whispered as he entered her and filled her with his seed, but suddenly the stars were gone, and across the blue sky swept the great wings, and the world took flame.

“ . . . don’t want to wake the dragon, do you?”

Ser Jorah’s face was drawn and sorrowful. “Rhaegar was the last dragon,” he told her. He warmed translucent hands over a glowing brazier where stone eggs smouldered red as coals. One moment he was there and the next he was fading, his flesh colorless, less substantial than the wind. “The last dragon,” he whispered, thin as a wisp, and was gone. She felt the dark behind her, and the red door seemed farther away than ever.

“ . . . don’t want to wake the dragon, do you?”

Viserys stood before her, screaming. “The dragon does not beg, slut. You do not command the dragon. I am the dragon, and I will be crowned.” The molten gold trickled down his face like wax, burning deep channels in his flesh. “I am the dragon and I will be crowned!” he shrieked, and his fingers snapped like snakes, biting at her nipples, pinching, twisting, even as his eyes burst and ran like jelly down seared and blackened cheeks.

“ . . . don’t want to wake the dragon . . . ”

The red door was so far ahead of her, and she could feel the icy breath behind, sweeping up on her. If it caught her she would die a death that was more than death, howling forever alone in the darkness. She began to run.

“ . . . don’t want to wake the dragon . . . ”

She could feel the heat inside her, a terrible burning in her womb. Her son was tall and proud, with Drogo’s copper skin and her own silver-gold hair, violet eyes shaped like almonds. And he smiled for her and began to lift his hand toward hers, but when he opened his mouth the fire poured out. She saw his heart burning through his chest, and in an instant he was gone, consumed like a moth by a candle, turned to ash. She wept for her child, the promise of a sweet mouth on her breast, but her tears turned to steam as they touched her skin.

“ . . . want to wake the dragon . . . ”

Ghosts lined the hallway, dressed in the faded raiment of kings. In their hands were swords of pale fire. They had hair of silver and hair of gold and hair of platinum white, and their eyes were opal and amethyst, tourmaline and jade. “Faster,” they cried, “faster, faster.” She raced, her feet melting the stone wherever they touched. “Faster!” the ghosts cried as one, and she screamed and threw herself forward. A great knife of pain ripped down her back, and she felt her skin tear open and smelled the stench of burning blood and saw the shadow of wings. And Daenerys Targaryen flew.

“ . . . wake the dragon . . . ”

The door loomed before her, the red door, so close, so close, the hall was a blur around her, the cold receding behind. And now the stone was gone and she flew across the Dothraki sea, high and higher, the green rippling beneath, and all that lived and breathed fled in terror from the shadow of her wings. She could smell home, she could see it, there, just beyond that door, green fields and great stone houses and arms to keep her warm, there. She threw open the door.

“ . . . the dragon . . . ”

And saw her brother Rhaegar, mounted on a stallion as black as his armor. Fire glimmered red through the narrow eye slit of his helm. “The last dragon,” Ser Jorah’s voice whispered faintly. “The last, the last.” Dany lifted his polished black visor. The face within was her own.

After that, for a long time, there was only the pain, the fire within her, and the whisperings of stars. 

[Ser Wun Wun]

Why didn't you offer up your own interpretation of the dream?    

The red door has always symbolized home for Dany, so for me this dream points to Dany finding a home in Westeros (green fields and great stone houses), probably with a lover (arms to keep her warm)....but she also see's herself as Rhaegar, who died tragically for the woman he loved.  So this also points to a tragic end for Dany imo.  She'll find love and a place where she belongs for a time, but it won't last because GRRM is an asshole.  

That's what the vision means to me.  

[shadowsofasshai]

1. Where is the long hall with stone arches ? Any place we know of with that description ? Maybe the throne room in Kings landing ? 

2. She was seeing stars at night, which means it would be daytime in Westeros. She is seeing great wings and the world take flame. Westeros on fire, dragons in Westeros. 

3. She feels the dark behind her, and Ser Jorah is in this vision. See Jorah is from Bear Island and North of him (behind him) would be beyond the wall where White Walkers are in the dark. The Red Door seems further way than ever in this vision. If that door was in Dorne, then it would be further away then ever from Bear Island, leagues and leagues away. 

4. Shows that Viserys was not the last dragon, he was not a dragon at all. 

5. The door is still very far ahead. She feels an icy breath behind her and she knows if it touches her she will die. "More than death, howling forever alone in the Darkness." She dreams of what would be the White Walkers, the cold they bring and the wights. 

6. Confirms Dany is the "last dragon" and her son will never be, her children will be dragons. 

5. Are these kings she is dreaming of Valyrian Kings or dead dragonlords of Valyria ? Maybe her descendants ? 

6. This one is really cool. The red door is so close to her, the cold far behind her.  Drogo always refers to the Castles in Westeros as "Stone Houses." So she makes it to the south, Dorne in my opinion which is why the red door is so close. But then the stone is gone, and now she is flying in the Dortraki Sea. But since she is flying, she could smell home, she could see the door. 

7. Then she see's rhaegar, but its not him, it's her; she's the last dragon. 

 

"After that, for a long time, there was only the pain, the fire within her, and the whisperings of stars."

 

^^ Could all these be sent by Quiathe ? We know Quiathe appears to her over and over again in stars."

[shadowsofasshai]

oh I did it was just really long lol so I posted it in the second

[LiveFirstDieLater]

Love this chapter...

Dany is walking down a long stone hall filled with arches and lined with dead kings... What does that sound like to you? Because it always sounded a lot like the Stark Crypt dreams to me... Just with different kings with different eye/hair color.

There is also the cold chasing her and the death that is more than death if it catches her... Is there a place for her, like the Starks have empty crypts? Not literally, the Targs burn their dead, but if the red door that is her one real memory from childhood is at the other end of the hall, maybe behind her is her doom.

The one other bit about that cold chasing her that always struck me was "howling forever alone in the darkness", that's how I'd describe a wolf and not a dragon... In fact howling is used in relation to wolves a whole lot in the series.

Next up we have her description of home... She could smell home, she could see it, there, just beyond that door, green fields and great stone houses and arms to keep her warm, there. She threw open the door. 

Compare that to her description of Westeros from her very first chapter, right after she wished she could just be one of the ragged children running around barefoot with no past or future...

Somewhere beyond the sunset, across the narrow sea, lay a land of green hills and flowered plains and great rushing rivers, where towers of dark stonerose amidst magnificent blue-grey mountains, and armored knights rode to battle beneath the banners of their lords.

Here we see several details repeated on both he dragon dream and her original thoughts of Westeros... Green fields, flowers/smell, stone buildings, and my favorite is that banners of lords could be called "arms", as in to keep her warm.

And of course he dream ends with Dany seeing herself as Rhaegar in his armor... I know most won't agree, but I think these details point to Dany being Rhaegar and Lyanna's kid, Jon's little sister...

[Ser Daegon]

2 hours ago, LiveFirstDieLater said:

I know most won't agree, but I think these details point to Dany being Rhaegar and Lyanna's kid, Jon's little sister...

But how? If you can find supporting evidence to convince me of that idea, show me. Convince me. 

I agree with a lot of your interperetations of her fever dreams, though. And like I said, convince me on the others. 

I'm really curious about the imagry of the kings lining the walls telling her to run faster. 

[Lost Melnibonean]

1. "You don't want to wake the dragon, do you?"

 

Quote

She was walking down a long hall beneath high stone arches. She could not look behind her, must not look behind her. There was a door ahead of her, tiny with distance, but even from afar, she saw that it was painted red. She walked faster, and her bare feet left bloody footprints on the stone.

--Where else do we see a long hall with high stone arches? She wants to go home. She thinks home is her childhood. But she cannot go back. Her bloody footprints on the stone recall the bloody footprints she left on the sand in the previous chapter, when Mirri Maz Duur practiced blood magic. It was the bloody footprints that caused Jorah to realize that she had done something terrible.

 

2. "You dont want to wake the dragon, do you?"

 

Quote

She saw sunlight on the Dothraki sea, the living plain, rich with the smells of earth and death. Wind stirred the grasses, and they rippled like water. Drogo held her in strong arms, and his hand stroked her sex and opened her and woke that sweet wetness that was his alone, and the stars smiled down on them, stars in a daylight sky. "Home," she whispered as he entered her and filled her with his seed, but suddenly the stars were gone, and across the blue sky swept the great wings, and the world took flame.

--Here is another vision of a home. A home she caused to be destroyed.

 

3. " . . . don't want to wake the dragon, do you?"

 

Quote

Ser Jorah's face was drawn and sorrowful. "Rhaegar was the last dragon," he told her. He warmed translucent hands over a glowing brazier where stone eggs smoldered red as coals. One moment he was there and the next he was fading, his flesh colorless, less substantial than the wind. "The last dragon," he whispered, thin as a wisp, and was gone. She felt the dark behind her, and the red door seemed farther away than ever.

--Does this foreshadow Daeneryss estrangement from Jorah? Does it foreshadow Jorahs death, perhaps before he can return to her side?

 

4. " . . . don't want to wake the dragon, do you?"

 

Quote

Viserys stood before her, screaming. "The dragon does not beg, slut. You do not command the dragon. I am the dragon, and I will be crowned." The molten gold trickled down his face like wax, burning deep channels in his flesh. "I am the dragon and I will be crowned!" he shrieked, and his fingers snapped like snakes, biting at her nipples, pinching, twisting, even as his eyes burst and ran like jelly down seared and blackened cheeks.

-- We already know that Viserys was just a fool. Is this The Dragon demanding that she wake him?

 

5. " . . . don't want to wake the dragon . . . "

 

Quote

The red door was so far ahead of her, and she could feel the icy breath behind, sweeping up on her. If it caught her she would die a death that was more than death, howling forever alone in the darkness. She began to run.

Is this the cold breath of darkness falling heavy on the world?

 

6. " . . . don't want to wake the dragon . . . "

 

Quote

She could feel the heat inside her, a terrible burning in her womb. Her son was tall and proud, with Drogo's copper skin and her own silver-gold hair, violet eyes shaped like almonds. And he smiled for her and began to lift his hand toward hers, but when he opened his mouth the fire poured out. She saw his heart burning through his chest, and in an instant he was gone, consumed like a moth by a candle, turned to ash. She wept for her child, the promise of a sweet mouth on her breast, but her tears turned to steam as they touched her skin.

--This would be The Dragon taking Rhaegos place.

7. " . . . want to wake the dragon . . . "

 

Quote

Ghosts lined the hallway, dressed in the faded raiment of kings. In their hands were swords of pale fire. They had hair of silver and hair of gold and hair of platinum white, and their eyes were opal and amethyst, tourmaline and jade. "Faster," they cried, "faster, faster." She raced, her feet melting the stone wherever they touched. "Faster!" the ghosts cried as one, and she screamed and threw herself forward. A great knife of pain ripped down her back, and she felt her skin tear open and smelled the stench of burning blood and saw the shadow of wings. And Daenerys Targaryen flew.

--These are the ghosts of the dragon lords. Why are their swords of pale fire? Does this tie in with Lightbringer? Or the dragon fire they command? This suggests that the fourth vision was of The Dragon commanding her to wake him. And then we have the birth, Rhaegos stillbirth and the birth of The Dragon.

 

8. " . . . wake the dragon . . . "

 

Quote

The door loomed before her, the red door, so close, so close, the hall was a blur around her, the cold receding behind. And now the stone was gone and she flew across the Dothraki sea, high and higher, the green rippling beneath, and all that lived and breathed fled in terror from the shadow of her wings. She could smell home, she could see it, there, just beyond that door, green fields and great stone houses and arms to keep her warm, there. She threw open the door.

--Waking the Dragon will get her home, the red door, the Dothraki Sea, and Westeros, but whose arms will keep her warm? She opens the door and sees

 

9. " . . . the dragon . . . "

 

Quote

And saw her brother Rhaegar, mounted on a stallion as black as his armor. Fire glimmered red through the narrow eye slit of his helm. "The last dragon," Ser Jorah's voice whispered faintly. "The last, the last." Dany lifted his polished black visor. The face within was her own.

--the last dragon. But she is the last dragon.

 

After that, for a long time, there was only the pain, the fire within her, and the whisperings of stars.

 

She woke to the taste of ashes.

 

[LiveFirstDieLater]

1 hour ago, Ser Daegon said:

But how? If you can find supporting evidence to convince me of that idea, show me. Convince me. 

I agree with a lot of your interperetations of her fever dreams, though. And like I said, convince me on the others. 

I'm really curious about the imagry of the kings lining the walls telling her to run faster. 

So I think there are a lot of little things that point to it... Nothing is going to serve as definitive proof, but it's one of my two favorite pet theories... 

There are a number of odd references with Dany like the "howling" one above, with the wine merchant she gets "cold as ice", and that she sees a great wolf and a burning man in MMDs tent... There is her Silver (who is grey and white, stark colors) and even though Dany admits to not having much riding experience, she's a natural... Describing the silver as being part of her, just like Lyanna was part centaur...

In the House of the Undying there is a lot, but often overlooked is the simple fact that she recognizes Rhaegar and not Aerys, even though she never saw either one. Of course this is after her (Darth Vader) see herself in Rhaegars armor dream. And of course Rhaegar is looking at her when talking about the song of ice and fire.

of course from Dany's very first two chapters there should be a suspicion about her past... They are full of stuff to make you suspect the story she has been told by Viserys and Illyrio, but most frequently people look to the house with the red door and the lemon tree outside.

I won't get to deep into "lemongate" and the details of the timeline etc... But suffice it to say that Lyanna was gone for about two years, oddly the same timeframe for how long it took Elia to have two kids, a boy and a girl...

It all comes back to Ned, he's always going on about "saving the children", as different as the sun and the moon,  he quits over Robert sending assassins after Dany, and his thoughts go from promises kept to broken promises after Varys tells him those birds have flown and it may be to late to stop her assassination. 

Yet last night he had dreamt of Rhaegar's children. Lord Tywin had laid the bodies beneath the Iron Throne, wrapped in the crimson cloaks of his house guard. That was clever of him; the blood did not show so badly against the red cloth. The little princess had been barefoot, still dressed in her bed gown, and the boy … the boy …

Ned could not let that happen again. The realm could not withstand a second mad king, another dance of blood and vengeance. He must find some way to save the children.

So if Ned shows up to the ToJ and finds two kids, I'm suggesting he brought the dark haired one home and sent the blond haired girl off to Essos; exactly what he told Cersei she should do to escape Robert's wrath:

"For a start," said Ned, "I do not kill children. You would do well to listen, my lady. I shall say this only once. When the king returns from his hunt, I intend to lay the truth before him. You must be gone by then. You and your children, all three, and not to Casterly Rock. If I were you, I should take ship for the Free Cities, or even farther, to the Summer Isles or the Port of Ibben. As far as the winds blow."

"Exile," she said. "A bitter cup to drink from." 

"A sweeter cup than your father served Rhaegar's children," Ned said, "and kinder than you deserve. Your father and your brothers would do well to go with you. Lord Tywin's gold will buy you comfort and hire swords to keep you safe. You shall need them. I promise you, no matter where you flee, Robert's wrath will follow you, to the back of beyond if need be."

...

 

So up thread I pointed out what I think is a great pun by GRRM with the reference to banners of their lords being equated to arms to keep her warm... Well if keep in mind my theory that she has some Stark in her, that her dragon dream included the fear of howling alone in the darkness, and compare it to what Ned told Arya... 

"The direwolf," she said, thinking of Nymeria. She hugged her knees against her chest, suddenly afraid.

"Let me tell you something about wolves, child. When the snows fall and the white winds blow, the lone wolf dies, but the pack survives. Summer is the time for squabbles. In winter, we must protect one another, keep each other warm, share our strengths. So if you must hate, Arya, hate those who would truly do us harm. Septa Mordane is a good woman, and Sansa … Sansa is your sister. You may be as different as the sun and the moon, but the same blood flows through both your hearts. You need her, as she needs you … and I need both of you, gods help me."

Now consider that this line of logic may apply to Jon and Dany... different as the sun and moon but with the same blood... The song of ice and fire

I could ramble on but instead I'll apologize for the length and formatting (on my phone)

[The Sleeper]

Fuck, that's an awesome sequence. Haven't read it in a while and it gave me chills.

It seems to be a sequence of rebirth. Whatever Mirri has unleashed in the tent is threatening to consume everything alive in the tent and Dany perceives it as chasing her. She leaves her past behind piece by piece and eventually her unborn son is caught. Due to his sacrifice the dragon eggs become alive again and Daenerys becomes the last dragon being urged by the ghosts of her ancestors.

[Springwatch]

I agree the ghosts were Dany's ancestors, probably going way back, because they don't all have the classic Targ look. That might be one reason for including the scene, to remind us that not all dragon-lords have silver hair and purple eyes.

Actually the ghosts are beyond extraordinary - eyes of opal and tourmaline? Impossible - opal and tourmaline have many colours. So why?

I wonder if gemstones can be a kind of marker for people or their factions or their personality type or something.

Illyrio has a different gem on every finger, and makes them dance with a wave of his hand (if I remember it right). He certainly makes a lot of people dance to his tune.

And in Qarth Dany was given a model army of a thousand soldiers made from different gemstones. And now she has a real army to play with.

So... the ghosts are friendly ghosts, aren't they? (They help Dany like the three-eyed crow helped Bran in his fly-or-die moment.)

Maybe Dany will find friends also linked with the gemstones of the ghosts.

The Tourmaline Brotherhood did give a her lovely crown, but later withdrew their support. Maybe they'll come good later. She kept the crown even when she sold all her other gifts - that could be a good sign.

[brightflame princess]

I just finished the ice dragon, and this part of her dream reminds me of it very much.

“ . . . don’t want to wake the dragon . . . ”

The red door was so far ahead of her, and she could feel the icy breath behind, sweeping up on her. If it caught her she would die a death that was more than death, howling forever alone in the darkness. She began to run.

On 7/4/2016 at 1:03 PM, shadowsofasshai said:

 

5. The door is still very far ahead. She feels an icy breath behind her and she knows if it touches her she will die. "More than death, howling forever alone in the Darkness." She dreams of what would be the White Walkers, the cold they bring and the wights. 

 

This makes a lot of sense to me. If the others kill her, she will become a wight. "More than death."

On 7/6/2016 at 4:15 AM, The Sleeper said:

Fuck, that's an awesome sequence. Haven't read it in a while and it gave me chills.

It seems to be a sequence of rebirth. Whatever Mirri has unleashed in the tent is threatening to consume everything alive in the tent and Dany perceives it as chasing her. She leaves her past behind piece by piece and eventually her unborn son is caught. Due to his sacrifice the dragon eggs become alive again and Daenerys becomes the last dragon being urged by the ghosts of her ancestors.

I think this interpretation makes the most sense to me.

 

Quote

 

Ned could not let that happen again. The realm could not withstand a second mad king, another dance of blood and vengeance. He must find some way to save the children.

 

Ned is talking about cerseis children in this passage. He wants to save them from Robert's wrath. This is when he decides to tell cersei to leave, that's how he will save the children.

Also, if he was talking past tense, he would be talking about rhaenys and aegon, who did not get saved.