Daenerys X

Daenerys Targaryen (Artwork by Amoka)

Dany climbs down a stony hill which she dubbed "Dragonstone", since Drogon made his lair there. For days, she tried to live alongside the dragon, and she is pretty weak now. Since she saw a stream in the distance, she is now determined to follow it as long as it takes to reach the big river flowing to Meereen and thereby returning to her city. She was not able to control the dragon. Hungry and exposed to the cold nights of autumn, she walks the Dothraki Sea, drying up around her. While she walks, her mind wanders. She remembers her first journey through the grass as part of Drogo's khalasaar. Then she thinks of it breaking up after his death, og khal Pono, khal Jaqho and khal Mago making away with parts of the Dothraki. After that, she remembers the pit of Meereen, how she climbed on Drogon, enjoying the flight but unable to control the dragon. Hoping against hope, she longs for the rescue parties, imagining Daario finding her. She is convinced that the Yunkai'i are marching home by now, honoring the peace, and that Daario is safe.

At nightfall, she makes herself a bed of grass in the old ruins of a village. Falling asleep, she wonders who it was that poisoned her, whether it was Hizdahr or the Shavepate or the Green Grace. In the night, she has a vision of Qaithe talking to her from the stars, reminding her who she really is, and what. The next morning, ants are crawling over her and biting her. She gets up, shakes them off and walks again. She is hungry, and when she comes by some berries, she casts all caution aside and eats them. The rest of the day she spends retching green slime. That night, she dreams of Viserys, who blames her for his fate and calls her names.

Daenerys IX

Daenerys Targaryen

Daenerys prepares for the day in the fighting pits. Missandei pleads her not to go since people go there to see blood, but Dany thinks she has no choice. Irri and Jiqui on the other hand anticipate the event eagerly and discuss the fighters' chances. Barristan Selmy wants her to take Unsullied as guards instead of Brazen Beasts, but Daenerys replies that if the publicly doesn't trust them, the Meereenese wouldn't too. Barristan then tells her that the sellsword Meris was freed at her command, claiming that the Tattered Prince had wanted to go over all along, a plan spoiled by the Dornishmen. As a reward, he wants pentos. Dany declines that, neither trusting Meris or the Tattered Prince nor wanting to repay Illyrio's help with delivering Pentos to a sellword.

On the way to the pits, she is musing about the blood involved and the cruelty of it. When a litter bearer stumbles and falls, she commands that he is helped and fed. Hizdahr tells her that when he was a slave, he would have been beaten instead, and she tells herself to be happy about small victories. The car in which she and Hizdahr ride to the pits is full of sweets and other luxuries, and Belwas is happily eating some honeyed locusts, and Hizdahr tells her she needs to taste them herself. Dany declines, however, sickened enough by the prospect of the coming blood.

When they reach their seats, Hizdahr calls on the people to give a roar for Dany, and thousands shout out "mother" to her. She knows that they love the pits, however, and not her. She decreed that no children would die, another small victory, but there will be mock fights, follies and beast fights. At least the dead beasts will make stew for the poor. Then the fighting begins. Several cherished gladiators defeat their opponenets, an elephant kills several wolfes, then a mock battle of knights vs. Dothraki takes place. After the first folly comes, two dwarves jousting. One of them rides a sow, the other a dog. Their arms show Baratheon and Lannister to please Dany. When she learns that soon lions will be released to kill the unexpecting dwarves, she forbids it, and the mass shouts in disapproval.

Daenerys VIII

Daenerys Targaryen (Artwork by Amok)

The hall rings with the laughter and merriment of the Yunkish lords. Dany broods over her food, hating them. They celebrate the peace they have concluded, and the courses consists of all kinds of meat, tons of it. Hizdahr tries to calm her, telling her that they now have the peace they wanted. When she points out that the Yunkish mock her with the slave market outside the walls, he replies that they will be gone soon and that Meereen will stay free of slaves. Dany doesn't want to hear of it and watches the Yunkish, full of disdain. The captains of the four sellsword companies are there too, including Brown Ben Plumm. She would like to kill them all, but the Yunkish have hostages in return.

The Shavepate is not in command of the Brazen Beasts anymore, as Dany remembers musing about the new situation. His family is in conflict with Hizdahr's. Daario was unruly before the wedding, and she is glad that he isn't there, although she doesn't like that he is one of the hostages. When Brown Ben Plumm comes near, she accuses of him of switching sides. Ben tells her the story of his first battle and draws some conclusions: you should never trust a sellsword, and sellswords don't want to die. He then leaves after Dany threatens to kill him, and Barristan comes. He tells her that Ben is right. Dany asks if there are possibilities to sway the companies, but Barristan doesn't know of such things.

It is clear that Dany doesn't expect the peace to last long. After asking Barristan about the possibility of sellsword desertion, she commands that the captured Windblown are released to confuse their enemies and prepare the ground a bit. She then states that the Yunkish grow weaker every day since the flux ravages in their camp. Barristan doesn't want to know of these plans; he suggests to take the Dornish road, to leave Meereen and use the Dornish for an attack on King's Landing. Dany declines, however, since she doesn't believe in the strenght of Dorne. She summons Quentyn and takes him down to the dragons, showing them to him. Quentyn is terrified, but he tries to hide it and tries to persuade her again of allying with him. She declines, however and goes back to the feast.  After the feast, she goes to bed with Hizdahr, letting him enjoy a short fuck before he falls to sleep. She can't sleep, however, and asks Missandei to tell her of her home and soothe her with stories about the good in the world.

Daenerys VII

Daenerys Targaryen

Dany can't sleep. While the night is slowly pushed away by the upcoming day, she watches Daario beside her in bed, naked, admiring his body and arousing herself. She is in love with the sellsword, and while thinking about simply escaping with him she is realistic enough to concede to the fact that Daario loves the queen, not her alone. Two nights are left before she has to wed Hizdahr zo Loraq, and she dreads the day. When Daario awakes, he propses that she married him instead, but she dismisses the thought right away. They shortly talk about the city, and Daario states that half of the people are hers, regarding her as her mother, a thought that makes Dany uncomfortable. Daario then tells her that there are some Westerosi sellswords come over from the Windblown who asks for an audience with her, claiming they have a gift for her. She allows them for the day after tomorrow, curious about them.

The next night, Dany sleeps bad, having nightmares about Hizdahr and their marriage. When she opens the court the following morning, the Green Grace approaches her, scolding her for sleeping with Daario in barely hidden words. Dany is struck by it, barely avoiding a scandal by blaming Brown Ben Plumm. Daario then lets forward the Westerosi. Three Dornish talk last, claiming that they are knights and travelling under false name, a fact that Daario clearly didn't know and that angers him. They ask for a private word, and the court is cleared. Two of the knights then present themselves as Gerris Drinkwater and Archibald Yronwood, the third - Frog - claiming that he wants to present his gift first. He gives her a rolled up parchment, which turns out to be the secret marriage contract for her and Quentyn and Viserys and Aryanne. Frog then presents himself as Quentyn Martell, asking for her hand. Skahaz and Daario both speak up against it; Skahaz claiming that she needs a king of Ghiscari blood, Daario telling her that the three are worthless as are their promises. Dany declines, stating the obvious: she is to marry tomorrow.

Daenerys VI

Daenerys Targaryen (Artwork by Amoka)

Dany is riding out of Meereen with some of her bloodriders, additional guards, her handmaids and a wagontrain of food. The Astapori fugitives are camping below the city walls, the bloody flux rampant about them. The situation is dire, the people dying by the score, and not enough food to feed them all. After having a good look over the compund, Dany lets the train halt and starts distributing food. Since she claims that as a dragon she is immune to the disease, she then helps the people to burn their dead and tend the wounds, something no one has done since the sick are too feeble and the healthy too scared. She calls the Unsullied to help, who afterwards wash themselves in the sea. On the way back to Meereen, her handmaids argue about who will get the bloodrider Rakharro, with Dany ending the dispute by stating that his life is hers.

Back in Meereen, she welcomes a delegation of the Green Grace and some Loraq family members as well as her seneschal to prepare the wedding. She is incredulous about the traditions she is expected to maintain, along them presenting herself naked for examination before the female part of Hizdahr's family and washing the feet of her husband-to-be. She also has to wear a tokhar full of pearls to symbolize fertility. Dany declines all this and is convinced only to wear the special tokhar, finally stating that she will Hizdahr's feet if he washes hers first. When asked about reopening the pits for the wedding, Dany says that Hizdahr can open them after the coronation if he likes. After, she welcomes Hizdahr himself, who tells her that he has no problem with that and thinks the rituals as hollow and in need to be abolished. He has news for her: the Yunkai'i are ready to make peace with Meereen if the city pays indemnities, doesn't interfer in the slave trade anymore and allows Astapor to be rebuilt as a slave city. They also insist on the wedding to prove the truth of her intentions.

Daenerys V

Daenerys Targaryen (Artwork by Amoka)

Daenerys is counting the ships sailing up and down the river, confusing the number and concluding that it doesn’t matter since the enemy has brought Meereen down anyway. Groleo, her admiral, comes forward and complains about the situation, urging her to unleash the dragons on the enemy ships. Dany has nothing of it, telling him to build new ships which Groleo declines. When he leaves, Ser Barristan reports that the food situation is good since Meereen is planting crops and the Lhazaareen are sending food too. When Dany asks about the training of knights, Barristan proudly reports that at least five of them, maybe a dozen, may have it in them to receive the honor. 

Skahaz, the Shavepate, then comes and reports that Hizdahr zo Loraq has now visited the eleventh pyramid and that the killings have stopped for near thirty days now. He doesn’t trust him and suspects that he is in truth the Harpy, urging Dany to allow him to inter and torture him to find out the truth. Dany denies it, knowing full well the worth of a confession got under torture. Skahaz then produces a list of the captains of the ships besieging Meereen, telling her that everyone has kin in the city and that she should take them hostage and force the captains to relieve the city. Dany declines again, since this would mean civil war and disturb her shaky order. 

Daenerys IV

Daenerys Targaryen (Artwork by Amoka)

Galazza Gahare, the Green Grace, comes visiting Daenerys. With her she has a swarm of children in white, noble offspring traditionally serving for the temple for a while. When Daenerys greets her, she makes sure that the hostages serving as pages and cupbearers are clearly visible. When they both sit down, their discussion comes shortly to politics and war after some superfluous courtesies. Tolos and Mantarys have joined the Yunkish alliance, further enhancing the number of enemies that are at war against Daenerys. This is not the only problem, however. Daenerys thinks about attacks on the Brazen Beasts, her new city watch, which continue despite all efforts, and that she hasn’t taken to kill hostages as yet, despite the urgings of the Shavepate. 

The talk then changes to the subject of Astapor. Cleon the Great was slain by his own soldiers after commanding a sally against the besieging Yunkish army, and his successor Cleon II. suffered a similar fate only eight days later. Now there are two rulers, a king and a queen, and their followers fight each other in the streets while the Yunkish only wait. Dany doesn’t really want to hear the horror stories, and so they change subject once again. The Green Grace counsels Dany to marry a noble of Ghiscari blood as to reconcile the city with her rule and to stop the attacks. Even more important, such a marriage would open a chance for peace with Yunkai, it is believed. When Daenerys asks whom of the nobles she should marry, Galazza proposes Hizdahr zu Loraq, who conveniently waits below. The Green Grace then leaves Daenerys so she can talk to Hizdahr. 

Daenerys III

Daenerys Targaryen (Artwork by Amoka)

Naked dancers are performing a show in Daenerys’ court room. Many watch the arousing show, and Dany is not left untouched herself. Next to her sits Xaro Xhoan Daxos. The Qartheen merchant has come from the city to treat with her, bringing a fleet with him. Dany’s hopes are lifted, as his arrival promises the reopening of trade routes and a better fortune for Meereen. She also got word from Daario, who stroke an alliance with the Lhazareen and thereby secured food trade by land. The Shavepate has founded a new city watch, the Brazen Beasts, who wear beast masks to hide their identity since the Sons of the Harpy have set a bounty on Daenerys’ head and promised retribution against the families of everyone who served her. 

When the dancers finish, Dany starts talking with Xaro. He overflows her with the usual compliments, again proposing marriage to her, which Daenerys declines. Xaro instead insists on reopening the slave trade. Dany declines this, pointing out that slavery is a gruesome fate and that no one would take it voluntarily. Xaro points out, however, that a friend of his approached him and pleaded to buy him as to escape Meereen, and engages in a philosophical argument of the need for slaves in order to create true culture and civilization. Dany is unable to really bring forth a good argument against this. When she comes to the subject of trade, Xaro asks her what she means to trade. Meereen has only three goods left, bad wines, salt and copper, none of which brings profit. The only thing Qarth would have been interested in are olives, but the slavers burned the trees when Dany approached. 

Daenerys II

Daenerys Targaryen (Artwork by Amok)

Daenerys wakes up from a night full of bad dreams. She can hear voices, and a child crying. Soon she has to learn that this night nine Unsullied and freedmen had been killed by the Sons of the Harpy, an unprecedented number. Among the dead Unsullied was the brother of her scribe Missandei, who is the child wailing outside. As always, there are neither witnesses nor hints that could tell who did the deed, and the only lead is the wineseller and his son in whose tavern two of the Unsullied were poisoned. Dany first wants to interrogate him “sweetly”, but after seeing Missandei and hearing the full tale, she decides to question them “sharply”. 

After his incident, she goes back to bed, taking Missandei with her and soothing the girl, who tells her a bit of her home Naath and her brother before falling asleep. Dany is restless, however, and walks through her room. Suddenly, Quaithe is standing in one counter, confessing not being really there. She says she came to warn Dany and to show her the path, before she brings forth some cryptic prophecies yet again. The glass candles are burning. She foretells the arrival of the pale mare, followed by the kraken and the dark flame, the lion and the griffin, the sun’s son and the mummer’s dragon. She then warns Dany to be aware of the fate of the Undying and to who she is, and to beware the perfumed seneschal. After that, she vanishes, not answering Dany’s questions. 

Daenerys I

Daenerys Targaryen (Artwork by Amok)

Daenerys sits in her throne room, awaiting the arrival of Grey Worm and some other advisors. Already there is Ser Barristan the Bold, her seneschal Reznak mo Reznak and the “Shavepate” Skahaz mo Kandaq. The Shavepates are a new movement in Meereen, the collaborators making their new affiliation public by shaving their heads instead of producing the enormous hair styles the Meereenese normally favor. A body was found at night, one of her Unsullied, murdered by at least six unknown attackers and left with goat genitals in his throat and the sign of the harpy. We learn that a terrorist movement named “The Sons of the Harpy” plagues Dany’s rule in the city and has its root in the Meereenese nobility.

The Unsullied are unequal to the task of protecting the city, but the Dothraki are worse (and therefore used to secure the hinterland of the city) and the Stormcrows try to secure a passage to the Lhazareen, as to get a trade route for food imports. So for the moment, everyone needs to live with the situation of constant terror, and precautions have to be intensified. Dany raises the bounty for hints to the attackers from 100 to a 1000 gold pieces, but no one really believes that this will work, since the Sons of the Harpy consist of the rich merchants and the nobility.