Daenerys I 

Characters

• Dany – 13 years old, long sliver pale hair. Purple eyes.

• Viserys Targaryen – gaunt, young, feverish look in his lilac eyes. Called “The Beggar King.” Not very nice to his little sister.

• Magister Illyrio – a dealer in spices, gemstones, dragonbone, and other things. Dany and Viserys are staying with him in Pentos. Would sell anyone for the right price. Described as “massive.” Has a yellow beard, crooked yellow teeth.

• Khal Drogo – 30, tall, skin the color of copper, mustachios bound with gold and bronze rings. Long black hair.

• Illyrio’s servants. One is 16 and talks a lot. The other is old, small, grey, and silent.

• Khal Moro

• Rhogoro – Khal Moro’s son

• Brother to the Archon of Tyrosh – has a green beard.

• Ser Jorah Mormont – a balding older man, past forty.

Characters Mentioned but not actually seen

• Rhaegar Targaryen – Dany’s brother. Deceased. According to this chapter, he “died for the woman he loved.”

• Elia of Dorne -

• Kingslayer

• Lords Lannister and Stark

• Ser Willem Darry – took Dany and her brother from Dragonstone to Braavos. He died in Braavos. She barely remembers him.

• Houses Tyrell, Redwyne, Darry, Greyjoy

• Aegon the Dragonlord

Location

• Pentos – one of the free cities.

  Dany travels from Magister Illyrio’s manse to Khal Drogo’s manse. Khal Drogo’s manse was given to him by the magisters.

Other locations mentioned

• ·       Vaes Dothrack

• Fabled lands beside the Jade Sea

• Nine Free Cities

• Narrow Sea

• Land of the Andals (Rhaesh Andahli in Dothraki)/Westeros – it’s across the narrow sea from Pentos

• Casterly Rock

• Eyrie

• Highgarden

• Vale of Arryn

• Dorne and the Isle of Faces

• Trident

• Kings Landing

• Dragonstone

• Myr

• Tyrosh

• Qohor

• Volantis

• Lys

• Port of Ibben

• Summer Isles

The short version of what happens:

Daenerys Targaryan prepares to meet Khal Drogo for the first time. She sees the Khal and Jorah Mormont at the manse of Khal Drogo. Her brother is gross.

The longer version.

Dany’s brother gives her a gift from the man they are staying with, Magister Illyrio. Dany questions why the magister gives them so many gifts, when he has a bad reputation. Viserys threatens her. She bathes and is dressed and gives a bunch of backstory about the fall of the Targaryen dynasty and her own personal history. It’s sad. She was born nine months after a midnight flight to Dragonstone, while her father and brother (Rhaegar) were killed. Her mother died in childbirth. The knight that helped the Dany and Viserys escape Westeros died. They were put out and took to wandering the free cities and selling their personal possessions.

They arrive at the party or whatever at Khal Drogos mansion. Magister Illyrio leaves Viserys and Dany alone and Viserys threatens Dany again. She starts to cry and Viserys makes her stop. She straightens up in time for Khal Drogo to come look at her.

Thoughts.

Where do I begin?

This chapter, once again, packed in so much detail. And for me, it’s a really good way to remember that each narrator has his or her own biases. Daenerys has never been to Westeros. She was not alive during the Sack of Kings Landing. She has ONLY heard about her own personal history from her brother, who was also young. (I suppose their household told her some things as well.) All of the stories and places she heard about were just stories to her. She doesn’t know anything about Westeros, other than what she has been told. If she ever gets there, I wonder if she’ll be like “I was fighting for this? This uncomfortable chair? This crowded, smelly city?” Girl will probably want to go right back to the khalasar.

I liked that Dany immediately questioned why Illyrio would give her a gift like that. While Viserys is all “well, he’ll remember me when I have my throne.” Hey, dumbass, even IF you become kind of Westeros, you will not rule Pentos. Ever. What will you have to offer them? Trade agreements? 

The part where she was turned out of houses and they wandered the free cities was sad. It must suck to be nobility. I mean, it sucks to be smallfolk too, but nobles and their heirs are always in danger. For what? Marginally better living conditions and food? I guess when everyone is working to exhaustion; those castles with servants must be nice.

 Khal Drogo has a mansion in Pentos. And yet the “horselords” continue to live a nomadic lifestyle. He also has a manse in Vas Dothrak. Not really sure how these economies work, but whatever. I’ll just go with it.

There are mentions of red priests and the “Lord of Light” and again with the seven. They mention the unsullied, as well. It's like he planned out these books or something. 

Dany just wants a home. And she’s being sold to a nomadic warrior twice her age instead. 

Viserys is a gross asshole. I would think that a boy of 8, who was cast from his kingdom with only his sister (who he was expected to marry) would be nicer to his only sibling. I mean, now he's 21. But for the last 13 years they have only had each other. Interesting how he pretends with the borrowed sword. Beggar King indeed. I wonder if he would have earned that nickname if he wasn't such a blowhard. 

I think the show must have poisoned my view of Jorah, because I seem to have forgotten that he was banished to Essos for selling people to slavers. There is no way Dany will EVER forgive him.Also, he's described as older and not as attractive as show Jorah Mormont. 

Dany is a slave. When she is being dressed, they discuss how Khal Drogo is rich even his slaves wear golden collars. Then they give her a golden collar, a heavy torc with ancient Valyrian glyps. A torc is a necklace. I had to look it up.We know it, she knows it. 

This line: Her brother Rhaegar battling the Usurper in the bloody waters of the Trident and dying for the woman he loved. So much more romantic than “Rhaegar carried her off.” Who told her that Rhaegar loved Lyanna? 

I’m wondering what Illyrio was plotting here. If he’s is, in fact, a sincere Targaryen loyalist, then what is to be gained by this move? He must know that Viserys is incompetent.  Or is he just trying to please the Dothroki?