Did Dany Make The Right Choice By Spurning Quentin For Hizdhar?

[Light a wight tonight]

Her blunder was getting bogged down in Meereen in the first place. Meereen or any place in Slavers' Bay or even Essos. The only positive thing hanging around there accomplishes is that the dragons get bigger.

She could have told Quentyn that she'd be glad to have the Dornish on board for her reconquista without the marriage, and something could be worked out later since she probably had no intent of staying married to Hizdar. I doubt that Hizdar stays alive much longer anyway. One whiff of suspicion that he's hand-in-glove with the Harpy and he's dragon farts.

[Grip]

It is understandable that she would choose Hizdahr, considering that her current goal seems to be to stay in Meereen for aslong as possible. I would have wanted her to choose Quentyn though, just for the simple fact that it would have meant that she made it clear that a return to Westeros is imminent.

[ladyofslytherin]

There is an argument to be made that Dany's tenure in Slaver's Bay is getting her mistakes out of the way now, rather than making them in the war-torn Westeros after conquering the kingdom. Things are far more messy in the Seven Kingdoms just now than they are in Essos, even with the mess Dany's made of things.

Hizdar =/= Harpy. Harpies are female. Green Grace = Harpy. And just like MMD, she slid in right under Dany's radar. If anything, she'd better learn that women aren't any more trustworthy than men when it comes to this Game, and sometimes even less so.

However, I think it's well past time that Dany got her fuzzy bottom out of Slaver's Bay and on to Westeros. She never should have married Hizdar, even for the sake of making peace, and locking the dragons down was a HUGE mistake. She had no way to know that the child was actually a victim of Drogon's. She simply wouldn't ever think of the idea that one of the Sons of the Harpy went out, found and killed the child, then paid the father off to burn the body, bring the bones to court and claim the dragon did it. Tyrion would've in a flat minute, but none of the people around Dany right now are devious enough to consider that possibility.

Dany's somehow gotten it into her head in the books that she doesn't need to worry about when she finally moves on Westeros. Somehow, she seems to be operating under the assumption that she can just waltz across the Narrow Sea, flaunt her dragons and epic army, and everyone will promptly fall all over themselves to let her have the Iron Throne. If she had any sense of the idea that the when is as important as the how and where, she'd know that she doesn't have overlong to play on her training wheels in Meereen, and certainly not long enough to be marrying anyone.

Quentyn was brave, and honest. Maybe not much to look at, but a plain decent man is worth ten handsome bad boys. And there's no reason why she couldn't have said: "I will honor our agreement, but only after the Iron Throne is won" and moved on to Westeros. That way, she and Quentyn could've found an amicable way to back out of the agreement later, but the alliance would've been preserved.

Maybe Doran will honor it when he finds out what went down, maybe not. But Dany's stagnating in Essos. It's well past time for her to stop playing around and go home.

[Mulled Wino]

She never thought to find out exactly how Hizzy was stopping the killings by the harpy when no one else seemed to he able to do anything...Hmmm... I just cant get beyond that in discussing any other choice she may have had for a husband.

[Pinkie Baelish]

Her spurning of Quentyn's proposal is when I began to see her as somewhat of a lost cause. Xaro offers for you to return to Westeros, which is why you started your whole goddamn conquest in the first place? No thanks, I'll just stay here and try to fix an unfixable society. Your only ally in Westeros offers you a marriage alliance? No thanks, he's ugly and I've already said yes to someone highly untrustworthy. Barristan wants to tell you the truth about your father? No thanks, the Usurper and his dogs are going to get what's coming to them.

Staying in Slaver's Bay is a waste of time. There is no way for her to wipe out the institution of slavery just by herself without any strong allies. As soon as she leaves, someone else will take over and reinstate slavery. If she stays, opposition continues to increase, and she's only digging herself into a deeper hole. Essos can't be fixed. Get over it, and go to Westeros.

Seriously, the Targaryens just about eclipse the Starks in stupidity. It's probably all the inbreeding.

[Mulled Wino]

Having knowledge of Aegon is irrelevant to her marrying Quentyn or Hizdhar since neither negotiating parties have knowledge of him.

If those two Dornishmen tell the tale of Quentyn marching into a pit of dragons whilst yelling and whipping at said dragons, Doran is going to realize that his son had a moment where his son became so thickheaded that it will legendary. People will use him as the but of jokes forever, and warnings for small children.

Agreed. Doran has other heirs, he erred, not Dany's fault. I think its clear that Doran thought the Quentyn plan was a bit of a longshot. This is obviously a minority opinion but I see the Sand snakes thirsts for vengence with Oberyn brought up all the time as an argument for why Doran would never roll with Dany. Its a flawed argument, the Sand Snakes want retribution for their father, and to a lesser extrent Elia and her murdered children. They don't want revenge for a goofball that committed suicide by dragon.

[Ororo727 Jon Snow Fangirl]

Yes, she did make the right choice for what she is trying to accomplish in Mereen. Quentyn came with a piece of paper, no ships, no troops, just a piece of paper and promises.

[Nictarion]

Well at least she honored her marriage pact with Hizdar. Maybe Robb should have done the same.

[WardenOfTheNorth]

Yes, she did make the right choice for what she is trying to accomplish in Mereen. Quentyn came with a piece of paper, no ships, no troops, just a piece of paper and promises.

You expect Quentyn to bring thousands of Dornish troops and a fleet across the narrow sea, with no guarantee from Dany that she will join them? With winter coming? And pirates on the Stepstones? Really?

[assjfjgjsgjljljglgjfjsduar]

You expect Quentyn to bring thousands of Dornish troops and a fleet across the narrow sea, with no guarantee from Dany that she will join them? With winter coming? And pirates on the Stepstones? Really?

Yeah I can see wanting Quentyn to bring ships, to help bring Dany's forces home. But that he should've hauled tens of thousands of troops over to Meereen only to have them turn right around and come back doesn't make a damn lick of sense. Especially when even a seasoned sailor like Victarion lost half his ships getting to Meereen.

Yes, she did make the right choice for what she is trying to accomplish in Mereen. Quentyn came with a piece of paper, no ships, no troops, just a piece of paper and promises.

But the goal isn't Meereen, is it? The goal is Westeros. Or is it? What IS her goal? Does she even have one? And what I said above — it makes no sense for Dorne to risk its troops on a mission that might not even work.

[imajasjam]

You expect Quentyn to bring thousands of Dornish troops and a fleet across the narrow sea, with no guarantee from Dany that she will join them? With winter coming? And pirates on the Stepstones? Really?

I agree that it's a completely crazy thing to suggest.

But so is Dany stopping her wedding to Hizdhar the day before it's supposed to happen.

[Ororo727 Jon Snow Fangirl]

You expect Quentyn to bring thousands of Dornish troops and a fleet across the narrow sea, with no guarantee from Dany that she will join them? With winter coming? And pirates on the Stepstones? Really?

They have no idea that winter is coming and yes. How else did they thing that she and her unsullied are to get to Westeros? You say that they should worry about pirates, how do you think Quentyn was going to transport the dragon back?

[StarkDragon]

Dany is 'just a young girl', as she puts it. The young being the tip of her blunder, she's inexperienced to the difference between what the world IS and what she wants it to be. She wouldn't be the first fool, even outside of fiction. Especially given she has a powerful advantage, dragons, which she may have originally thought would make all the difference.

She doesn't want to believe she can't free these slaves who call her mother, a word that seems to mean everything to her apparently, just as she doesn't want to believe her father was a nutjob, and that anyone who stood against him could be understood or have good cause, or even be semi-decent.

Ergo, I think Dany has a very limited scope, which is typical of the inexperienced (and thus the young). She needs to learn that the game isn't focused on what's right, or what she thinks it should be. It's about the evolution of societies, and the means of men and women who wish to continue to grow beyond their station, imo.

[western wolf]

I'd like to hear the general consensus of the forum on this matter. Strong opinions allowed, but please no Dany bashing. Let's stick to the high road and have an academic discussion on the merits or detriments of her choice.

Dany was not attracted to either man, and both were considered political marriages. She had no love for Hizdhar, yet, it seems that her lack of attraction to Quentin played a great part in her choice. It's true the pact he presents was not about her, specifically, however, do you feel that she really thought this through? She professes to want to conquer the seven kingdoms, but when handed the opportunity to have the allegiance of Dorne, quite a powerful ally, she makes her choice in 30 seconds to continue to marry Hizdhar for the peace of Meereen. Why would she choose Meereen over Westeros?

On the other hand, is it loyalty to finish what she started; her reluctance to abandon her "children" in Meereen which causes her to spurn Quentin for Hizdhar?

So, the bottom line is this: Was Dany correct in chosing her marriage to Hizdhar and should she be commended for her loyalty to rule Meereen and heal the fractured peace? Or was she short-sighted in brushing aside Quentin, and thus the allegiance of Dorne and the chance to jump-start her invasion of Westeros?

I think that she was incorrect to marry Hizdar. Her marrying is sending a signal to anyone in Mereen that she is planning to stay for some time, when her goal is to take back the IT.

This is going to be a case of her not being able to have both Mereen and Westeros, because the distance is just too great. Either she takes one or the other, and by marrying Hisdar she is binding herself in Mereen for some time.

[WardenOfTheNorth]

They have no idea that winter is coming and yes. How else did they thing that she and her unsullied are to get to Westeros? You say that they should worry about pirates, how do you think Quentyn was going to transport the dragon back?

Why wouldn't they know winter is coming? Don't all the maesters get sent white ravens from the Citadel heralding the change of season? They do have some ships, I think. But not a fleet. They are not gonna risk those without a guarantee from Dany. The seas are stormy that time of year. Doran is calculating. He isn't going to risk thousands of lives for nothing.

[Pod The Impaler]

I'd like to hear the general consensus of the forum on this matter. Strong opinions allowed, but please no Dany bashing. Let's stick to the high road and have an academic discussion on the merits or detriments of her choice.

Dany was not attracted to either man, and both were considered political marriages. She had no love for Hizdhar, yet, it seems that her lack of attraction to Quentin played a great part in her choice. It's true the pact he presents was not about her, specifically, however, do you feel that she really thought this through? She professes to want to conquer the seven kingdoms, but when handed the opportunity to have the allegiance of Dorne, quite a powerful ally, she makes her choice in 30 seconds to continue to marry Hizdhar for the peace of Meereen. Why would she choose Meereen over Westeros?

On the other hand, is it loyalty to finish what she started; her reluctance to abandon her "children" in Meereen which causes her to spurn Quentin for Hizdhar?

So, the bottom line is this: Was Dany correct in chosing her marriage to Hizdhar and should she be commended for her loyalty to rule Meereen and heal the fractured peace? Or was she short-sighted in brushing aside Quentin, and thus the allegiance of Dorne and the chance to jump-start her invasion of Westeros?

Well, I think the answer is that it was the wrong choice, in relative terms.

Lack of attraction ? Well, I don't think that was entirely the issue - it was not Hizdahr she was attracted to. Would it have mattered if she was attracted to him ? Maybe, maybe not. If he'd arrived with some Dornish toops or a sellsword company (of his own) then maybe she'd have seen him in a different light. perhaps if she hadn't been bedding Daario yet, she would have considered it.

Truthfully, she saw him as a boy, not a man. (This is despite the fact she's not much beyond a girl herself.) He still had the aura of "virgin" all over him, which is a black curse to any man's chances.

I think poor Quentyn got the shit end of the stick - he's neither the scheming Hizdahr nor sleazy Daario type of guy, yet he gets rejected out of hand, despite the fact that of all three of these suitors, is probably the most likely to be true to her and actually care for her. And he did what he did out of duty and a desire to prove himself back at home, to silence all the put-downs and such.

Although, I think ideally, Dany needn't have chosen to be with any of them.

[hollowcrown]

She made the wrong decision. She could've fled to Westeros with 3 Dragons by now. maybe let them grow a bit then subjugate Westeros with her 3 grown Dragons - like what Aegon the Conqueror did, but with the spears of Dorne behind her.

But look and how she's ended up - she's about to lose her army and she's shitting herself by a river in the Dothraki sea.

[Ororo727 Jon Snow Fangirl]

Why wouldn't they know winter is coming? Don't all the maesters get sent white ravens from the Citadel heralding the change of season? They do have some ships, I think. But not a fleet. They are not gonna risk those without a guarantee from Dany. The seas are stormy that time of year. Doran is calculating. He isn't going to risk thousands of lives for nothing.

So calculating that he was willing to risk his sons life over sea?

[Lord Bronn Stokeworth]

It depends on the question. Is she trying to solve Mereen's problems or conquer Westeros? Depending on the answer, she either did the right thing or the stupid thing.

As for Doran getting mad, I fully expect him to. He seems fully willing to blind himself to inconvenient facts about his hatred. For example, he doesn't seem to consider that Aerys purposely kept Elia and her children in KL while allowing his own family to escape. So, even though Quentyn fucked up, he won't see it.

[Pod The Impaler]

Doran is largely responsible. He kept his plan so secret that Viserys never knew it, nor Arianne, nor Dany, nor anyone else, until it was too late to be helpful.