[Pre-ADwD Spoilers] Daenerys 4 - Spoilers for ADWD

[Jon Targaryen]

Dany floats in a pool at the top of a large pyramid in Meereen. Irri and Jhiqui come find her and say, "It is time." She dresses as a Ghis (in linen with veil and to'khar) and tells her servants to ready her silver to ride to the Pits of Daznakh, to watch the first set of matches in the reopened gladiator fighting pits.

The Sons of Ghis hate her rule in Meereen, and have promised a hundred virgin slaves to the person causing her death.

Initially, Dany had halted the practice of slave-fighting in Meereen. A contingent of Meereen gladiators (including Barseena, the most renowned female slave fighter; a fighter known as the "spotted cat"; Kroz; Gogor the Giant; and Belacqua the Bonebreaker) visited her and begged her to reopen the fighting pits. They pointed out that, as slaves, they were treated like princes, but as free men they are treated as paupers.

Dany's advisors in Meereen also urged her to reopen the fighting pits (so that she can earn income on the pits; so that she can regain the love of the citizens of Meereen; to reward the fighting slaves which were the first to revolt); only Missandei and Ser Barristan Selmy argued against reopening. Dany reluctantly agreed to allow the gladiator fights again.

Missandei asks Dany not to go to the fights. Dany argues that her people will cheer her, but Missandei says that they will only cheer the restart of the fighting.

As Dany descends from the eight-hundred-foot pyramid, she is greeted by two Meereenese, Skahaz and Roznakh. Skahaz, nicknamed "shave pate", is the head of the city watch; he was one of the first Meereenese to betray the Sons of Ghis. Roznakh is her urban seneschal.

Dany states her determination to ride to the pits, rather than be carried in a palanquin; Skahaz questions whether this is wise, but Roznakh says that Dany knows best.

Dany's dragons are growing, and there are many claims of sheep lost to her dragons; Dany has been compensating any sheepowners for lost sheep, but she begins to suspect that she is being cheated.

She worries about the city's finance. The city currently has plenty of food, but the surrounding countryside was burned and despoiled before she and her army arrived; no crops can be grown on that land. She hopes to encourage trade with the Lhazareen, but Meereen's economics were founded on the slave trade; they produce nothing of economic value to use as trade goods.

Barristan worries about Dany's safety at the pits, and encourages her to take a guard of Unsullied; Dany rejects that offer, instead choosing to rely on the animal-masked Meereen city watch. (The members of the city watch, half freed slaves and half "shave pates", wear bronze animal masks of bronze in order to remain anonymous; the slave masters threatened to harm the families of those cooperating with Dany.) The Unsullied were despised by the Mereenese as conquerors, and were killed when Dany attempted to use them as members of the watch.

Barristan is training forty young ex-slaves as Westerosi knights, though their training is incomplete.

Dany's bloodriders aren't in the city; Dany sent them to free the slaves of landowners outside the city (and to rally those landowners to her cause).

Dany and entourage (including Irri, Jhiqui, Roznakh, Skahaz, and Barristan) move towards the pits. The streets are crowded with people moving towards Daznakh's pits. A stalled palanquin blocks their progress; a bearer collapsed in the road. Dany sends someone to give the collapsed bearer water, and she questions whether freeing the slaves made any difference in their lives. Barristan points out that, if nothing else, the slaves are being paid, and there is no overseer whipping them through the streets.

At the blockage, Hisdar Zolareg (????) joins Dany. He is a key figure in the city, and both Roznakh and Skahaz say that, if Dany is to remain the leader of Meereen, she needs to keep Hisdar on her side. (Furthermore, he was mentioned as a possible husband for her.) After the slaves were freed, Hisdar bought up most of the slave pits for a pittance, and is now a tremendously wealthy man.

He brings news about a battle at the Horns of Hazdat, where Cleon, the "Butcher King" of Astipor, was fighting the Yunkai. The Yunkai have hired several sellsword companies, and are attempting to hire the Golden Company (who Viserys unsuccessfully attempted to hire into his service many years ago). [My notes are really unclear here -- I think there many be something that I missed.]

They arrive at the pits. Dany and company descend to the lowest level of the pits, which are stained red. She looks around at the citizens of Meereen who are out to watch the spectacle, including her main enemies the Zopal.

At the beginning of the fights, Hisdar introduces Dany. They can't pronounce her foreign name, so they cheer for "Missa" (the mother). Dany thinks to herself that she's not their mother, and that they love their fights, not her.

In the fights, the favorites (Kroz, the spotted cat) win their matches. After a host of minor matches, Barseena (the female fighter) is matched against a boar. Barseena is a crowd favorite and the most skilled female fighter, but she is gored and killed by the boar.

Dany gets up to leave in disgust, discarding her Meereen clothes, when a shadow appears across the sky. Drogon, her largest dragon, appears from above (Dany thinks that he's following her). He bathes the boar and Barseena in a blast of fire, and indiscriminately feeds on both charred bodies.

[Calibandar]

Is this really the fourth Dany chapter, or is it the original second chapter revised? They seem very similar as well.

I don't recall that we had four new chapters of hers...

[Jon Targaryen]

I don't know. I just know it is a different chapter and it takes place after the fighting pits are opened so I put it as the fourth.

[DolByc]

Is this really the fourth Dany chapter, or is it the original second chapter revised? They seem very similar as well.

I don't recall that we had four new chapters of hers...

Originally it was posted as the 2 Dany chapter, before we have got the true second and the third chapters. Now it seems that this chapter is # 4.

[Jughead of the Round]

It was the original second chapter yes, but since the new second and third chapter have appeared it has been pushed back to the fourth chapter due to the opening of the fighting pits; the fighters were still asking Dany to open the pits in the third chapter.

However, since this chapter has been around for so long, it may have been revised slightly. The appearance of Drogon at the end, engulfing the boar and dead gladiator with flame, would work well here, since Drogon is the 'renegade' dragon and hasn't been seen for some time. This would make a nice dramatic appearance. I hope GRRM keeps it.

[Red Rex]

It was the original second chapter yes, but since the new second and third chapter have appeared it has been pushed back to the fourth chapter due to the opening of the fighting pits; the fighters were still asking Dany to open the pits in the third chapter.

However, since this chapter has been around for so long, it may have been revised slightly. The appearance of Drogon at the end, engulfing the boar and dead gladiator with flame, would work well here, since Drogon is the 'renegade' dragon and hasn't been seen for some time. This would make a nice dramatic appearance. I hope GRRM keeps it.

Is there anything to suggest GRRM would be inclined to scrap it?

[commando penguin]

i think it interesting that Viserys unsuccessfully tried to hire the Golden Company. Being a Targ and all

[WightMeWorry]

Is there anything to suggest GRRM would be inclined to scrap it?

Since the "those are the bones of a child" preview chapter is included at the end of AFFC, Drogon grilling slavers does seem a bit underwhelming.

[Brandon Stark]

But it would still be in-context. An animal is much more likely to attack a child before it moves up to full grown, possibly armed men.

[roeh61]

Is anyone else bothered that we've gotten 4 Dany POVs and she hasn't really gotten any closer to going to Westeros?

[Jughead of the Round]

Not really.

She stated at the end of ASOS her intention to stay in Meereen and be queen. With the old 5 year gap, I imagined she would be staying in Meereen for that time being queen. There's no gap anymore, but I feel she won't be making plans for Westeros until the end of ADWD.

[Jon Targaryen]

Not really.

She stated at the end of ASOS her intention to stay in Meereen and be queen. With the old 5 year gap, I imagined she would be staying in Meereen for that time being queen. There's no gap anymore, but I feel she won't be making plans for Westeros until the end of ADWD.

Hmm, so her invasion now takes place in TWOW. I think GRRM may have to push back ADWD yet again.

[Mauvka]

I suspect that these chapters will get grouped together into 2, at most 3 chapters. Some of these are pretty old spoilers.

[Barba]

I read once that George said his only regreat about splitting the book was because we won't be able to see Cersei and Dany in one book. He wanted us to see their ruleing parallel, and with split it was lost. He also said that Dany has to learn to rule, and learn to accept good advice from the bad ones. Now, knowing Martin's writings, it is just not his style if someone (even PTWT-Dany) knows everithing from the beginning. I think we will see her downfall in this book, and I think she will lose Mereen, but during that time she will learn who to trust and who not to, who gives good advices and who dosen't. Then she will be all like:'OMG, I was so stupid. I will never do this kind of shit again'. And she will conquer westeros, defeat the others, and rule just and good till the end of her days. That is what ASOIAF is all about. :cool:

[LittleFinger6000]

Geez, we have four Dany chapters now? There's probably only like 8 Dany chapters in the book to begin with...we know half her story practically...

I should never hae read these

[Sword of Morning]

I read once that George said his only regreat about splitting the book was because we won't be able to see Cersei and Dany in one book. He wanted us to see their ruleing parallel, and with split it was lost. He also said that Dany has to learn to rule, and learn to accept good advice from the bad ones. Now, knowing Martin's writings, it is just not his style if someone (even PTWT-Dany) knows everithing from the beginning. I think we will see her downfall in this book, and I think she will lose Mereen, but during that time she will learn who to trust and who not to, who gives good advices and who dosen't. Then she will be all like:'OMG, I was so stupid. I will never do this kind of shit again'. And she will conquer westeros, defeat the others, and rule just and good till the end of her days. That is what ASOIAF is all about. :cool:

I think everyone who's looking at the Dany chapters if forgetting about the kraken.

IIRC, there is still the random factor called Victorian Greyjoy intent on raiding this area in order to carry off Dany. Now, assuming Victorian (who apparently has no brains for intrigue) has some sort of tactical mindset, he'd understand that attacking a city with only his ironmen might be difficult. Since Euron already mentioned that Dany has dragons in FfC, I seriously doubt Victorian is going to charge his ironmen against a fortified city complete with Unsullied guards and fire-breathing dragons. A much smarter ploy is waiting until Dany self-destructs herself politically, then carrying her off while Dany is leaving the city.

By self-destructing herself, I mean that Dany is bordering on Cersei's actions. To cut the long story short, Cersei was ruling like a person on crack, seeing traitors and dwarves everywhere. Dany, while claiming to be the blood of a dragon, does not have her own political agenda. Why is she staying in Mereens? To protect the slaves. What the hell are the slaves to her? Pretty much nothing. Can she control her dragons like the Aegon the Conqueror? No.

The good news for Dany-Jon shippers is that if Victorian succeeds in carrying Dany off, the stage is set for a crazy confrontation in the north.

[bastard guidon]

I think everyone who's looking at the Dany chapters if forgetting about the kraken.

IIRC, there is still the random factor called Victorian Greyjoy intent on raiding this area in order to carry off Dany. Now, assuming Victorian (who apparently has no brains for intrigue) has some sort of tactical mindset, he'd understand that attacking a city with only his ironmen might be difficult. Since Euron already mentioned that Dany has dragons in FfC, I seriously doubt Victorian is going to charge his ironmen against a fortified city complete with Unsullied guards and fire-breathing dragons. A much smarter ploy is waiting until Dany self-destructs herself politically, then carrying her off while Dany is leaving the city.

By self-destructing herself, I mean that Dany is bordering on Cersei's actions. To cut the long story short, Cersei was ruling like a person on crack, seeing traitors and dwarves everywhere. Dany, while claiming to be the blood of a dragon, does not have her own political agenda. Why is she staying in Mereens? To protect the slaves. What the hell are the slaves to her? Pretty much nothing. Can she control her dragons like the Aegon the Conqueror? No.

The good news for Dany-Jon shippers is that if Victorian succeeds in carrying Dany off, the stage is set for a crazy confrontation in the north.

The part that interests me is how the competition will go between the factions that are headed toward Dany in Mereen. Questions arise. Who will reach her first? Who will bump off who? Which groups will form alliances?

"There's one thing to be said about glory. You can take glory with you when its your time to go."

[WightMeWorry]

Why does Victarion need to "carry Dany off"

when he can simply say:

"Hello pretty lady... take a look at my long...er...ships"

I think Quentin and his gang, and Tyrion with his group will have difficulties allying with Dany and might well say the wrong thing. Remember, she has been shrugging off suitors since AGOT (when Drogo died) and is pretty jaded at this point. Anyone who makes the mistake of showing up with a perfumed seneschal or Jorah Mormont will not gain any cred. with the mother of dragons. Dany could very easily misinterpret the prophecies to her dread.

Also, we have seen that since Drogo, the only one who holds a simdgen of interest for her is that rogue sellsword Daario. This is important. Dany has a weakness for dangerous men. And Victarion is nothing if not dangerous.

The only thing I'm not getting is where platinum pretty-boy Aurane fits in all this. Maybe he doesn't. Could be he's joined up with Saan, headed for Eastwatch, White Harbor, or the Arbor, for all we know. The narrow sea is pretty crowded these days.

[TrackerNeil]

By self-destructing herself, I mean that Dany is bordering on Cersei's actions. To cut the long story short, Cersei was ruling like a person on crack, seeing traitors and dwarves everywhere. Dany, while claiming to be the blood of a dragon, does not have her own political agenda. Why is she staying in Mereens? To protect the slaves. What the hell are the slaves to her? Pretty much nothing. Can she control her dragons like the Aegon the Conqueror? No.

I'm sorry, but this is just crazy. Cersei is a cruel, arrogant ruler, while Danaerys is...not. Dany is trying to do a good job, whereas Cersei thinks she was just born to rule. Dany tries not to tick off people unduly, whereas Cersei's favorite line seems to be "What do I care?"

Also, Danaerys didn't stay in Meereen to free slaves; she stayed to learn how to rule. She said this in her last POV in ASoS. That in itself sets her apart from Cersei; one queen thinks ruling is in her blood, while the other thinks it's a skill she must master.

[Harry the Heir]

Geez, we have four Dany chapters now? There's probably only like 8 Dany chapters in the book to begin with...we know half her story practically...

Fear not! George has said that before the split, Dany had the most chapters in AFFC; afterwards, Cersei did. Since Cersei had ten, Dany presumably has more. Twelve seems more probable to me.