Chapter 11: Daenerys

Daenerys is wed to Khal Drogo.

Characters Present:

• Daenerys Targaryen: a princess, sold to Khal Drogo for who knows what. Thirteen.

   

• Khal Drogo: Drogo is his name, Khal is his title. People naming their children forget this.

   

• Illyrio: a Magister.

   

• Ser Jorah Mormont: An exiled knight. He offered his sword to Viserys the night Dany had been sold to Khal Drogo.

   

• Viserys: Daenerys’ older brother. Lilac eyes. Very prideful and arrogant, despite the fact that he is nicknamed “Beggar King.”

   

• Irri: One of Dany’s handmaids, gifted by Illyrio/Viserys. Dothraki. Selected to teach Daenerys riding.

   

• Jhiqui: One of Dany’s handmaids, gifted by Illyrio/Viserys. Dothraki. Selected to teach Dany how to speak Dothraki.

   

• Doreah: One of Dany’s handmaids, gifted by Illyrio/Viserys. Fair-haired, blue-eyed, from Lysene. Selected to teach Daenerys “the womanly arts of love.”

   

Location: Outside of Pentos

Recap:

I think the first sentence of this chapter sums it up.

Quote

 

Daenerys Targaryen wed Khal Drogo with fear and barbaric splendor in a field beyond the walls of Pentos, for the Dothraki believed that all things of importance in a man’s life must be done beneath the open sky.

 

 

 

 

 

Forty thousand Dothraki warriors and their women, children, and slaves are camped outside of Pentos for this wedding. Khal Drogo gave his manse to Daenerys and Viserys to use until the wedding. Ser Jorah has sworn his sword to Viserys. Viserys is still a jerk.

Illyrio reminds Viserys that the Dothraki do things in their own time, and to be patient. Viserys reminds everyone that HE is the rightful Lord of the Seven Kingdoms (if this is true, why is he not, you know, sitting on the throne? Oh, yeah, because he sucks.)

Sometime before her wedding, Dany has a dream about waking the dragon. It’s prophetic. She’s pregnant (though not described as such, just ungainly.) in the dream, and her brother disappears and a dragon appears.

Dany’s wedding is described in excruciating detail. The Dothraki are drinking and killing and fornicating everywhere. She’s lonely and scared. Viserys is pissed off because he’s a useless git. Dany is presented with gifts, including three slaves and three dragon’s eggs. One of the slaves is supposed to teacher her about sex, and Viserys is quick to point out that he knows she is good. Gross, Viserys. The dragon eggs are beautiful. Ser Jorah gives her some books in the Common Tongue. Khal Drogo gives her a horse, which she has to ride in front of everyone. She isn’t afraid of riding and enjoys it. She gets taken off the horse and has to go with the Khal for their wedding night. She’s scared. Viserys threatens her. Dany is 13, so the last few paragraphs of this chapter is a rape scene.   

Other locations mentioned:

• Vaes Dothrak: somewhere in the far east.

   

• Lysene.

   

• Shadow Lands beyond Asshai

   

Thoughts:

• Way too descriptive on how Illyrio eats. Did people in the middle ages really get food all over their face constantly?

   

• Viserys wears a black tunic with a red dragon.

   

• The dream is obviously prophetic. I wonder if that means most/all dreams are? Probably not.

   

• Dany jumps her horse over the fire “as if she had wings.” Like a dragon. Born for the very first time. Like a dragon.

   

• How annoying that the Dothroki wear bells in their hair. Where do they get the bells? Is there a slave that has to make them? Why would you want to jingle everywhere you go, like my cat?

   

• I wonder what Illyrio’s end game is here. He’s smiling “enigmatically” when Viserys threatens Jorah.

   

• Speaking of Jorah, obviously, he’s already sending messages back to Bobby B, but we don’t know that yet. Viserys is quick to trust him.

   

• Watch the wedding here: https://youtu.be/c0IhEYId-rQ

   

• I can’t wait to get back to Westeros. These chapters always seem to out of place.