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winelover1989 · 6 years

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Dany’s Destiny & Prophesies of Essos - Azor Ahai, Stallion who mounts the world & Promised Prince

Dany is the only character whose life has been so strongly tied to Essos, she is the last survivor of a race of Valyrians from Essos, an advanced civilisation shrouded in mystery and mysticism. Even though her family fled to their western most outpost, Dragonstone, before the doom of Valyria, conquered Westeros, built King’s Landing where they first setup camp, established the Targaryen dynasty and over time lost their dragons and all ties to magic of old Valyria…Dany was conceived right before they fled the mainland of Westeros, she was born at Dragonstone and fled to Essos soon after to wander throughout the continent and one day return dragons and the fire magic back to the world.

As I read the books, I realised that Essos has been a source of many prophesies which might be connected to each other and to Dany. The weirdest thing is that all of these prophesies were birthed in Essos, even though they concern a threat in Westeros and maybe that is the reason behind or what lead to so many races (First Men, Andals & ‎Rhoynar) from Essos migrating to Westeros‎, which was originally inhabited only by the Children of the Forest. What’s even more bizarre is knowing that this threat was created by the Children of the Forest in retaliation to First Men and it is strongly hinted that winter and change of seasons in this world might also have been a result of it.

As pointed out to me, ancient mythology and prophesies end up twisted after being passed down over the course of thousands of yeas and frequently take shape in very different forms in different cultures. So here are all the prophesies of Essos which not only seem to be connected to each other but also to Dany and exploring this connection and speculating Dany’s destiny is the goal of this article/meta.

Stallion who mounts the world!

The Dothraki believed that a day would come when all clans would gather in Vaes Dothrak and will be united into a single clan. That’s why Vaes Dothrak was built to accommodate all clans even though only the widows of fallen Khals lived there all year long in the temple of Dosh Khaleen & the Dothraki were wanderers who rarely came together to the city at the same time. “The stallion is the khal of khals promised in ancient prophesy, child. He will unite the Dothraki into a single khalasar and ride to the ends of the earth.”

So when Dany was taken to Vaes Dothrak in season 6 & all Khalasars had gathered there, it was a rare occurrence and it explains why they agreed to follow her beyond the narrow sea, which they consider to be the end of the world. Her display of strength by walking out unburnt, as the Dothraki follow strength above all, at the perfect prophesied moment is what finally got them to follow a woman, which would have been unimaginable for them.

In the book when Dany eats the horse heart during her pregnancy, the crone of Dosh Khaleen has a vision which she assumes to be about her unborn child, “As swift as the wind he rides, and behind him his khalasar covers the earth, men without number, with arakhs shining in their hands like blades of razor grass. Fierce as a storm this prince will be (She is Daenerys Stormborm and note the usage of the word prince, I’ll get to it later)…

…His enemies will tremble before him, and their wives will weep tears of blood and rend their flesh in grief…

…The bells in his hair will sing his coming, and the milk men in the stone tents will fear his name” (In the books, the Dothraki wore bells in their braid which they don’t in the show but she braided her hair in Dothraki fashion). The old woman trembled and looked at Dany almost as if she were afraid. “The prince is riding, and he shall be the stallion who mounts the world”. It seems like this prophesy came true, after Field of Fire in Season 7 and as it turns out, Dany is the stallion who mounts the world. But note that the crone says, “The prince is riding,” and Jorah earlier tells the lore to Dany as, “ The stallion is the khal of khals promised in ancient prophesy,” which hints to the fact that the Stallion is a variant of the Promised Prince for the Dothraki.

Also if we only consider the book canon, in House of the Undying, this is one of Dany’s visions, “Beneath the Mother of Mountains, a line of naked crones crept from a great lake and knelt shivering before her, their grey heads bowed.” In the books, the Mother of Mountain is a religiously significant mountain in Vaes Dothrak & there is a lake the Dothraki view as womb of the world. After the horse heart eating ceremony, when the birth of the Stallion was celebrated, Dany was asked to bathe naked in that lake so this seems like foreshadowing for something similar to Dany walking out of the flaming temple scene in the books.

Asshai version of Azor Ahai

Asshai lies on the far East side of Essos, beyond the Dothraki grass sea. The religion of The Lord of Light, the Red Priestesses and the masked woman Quaithe, Dany meets in Qarth are from Asshai. It is also notable that the fossilised (stone) dragon eggs Dany received as wedding gift were also said to be from the shadow lands of Asshai. So the contribution of this culture to prophesy and Dany’s destiny is crucial.

MELISANDRE :

(This is what she says when she asks Stannis to burn the idols of the seven gold and pluck a burning sword from the flames) “In ancient books of Asshai it is written that there will come a day after a long summer when the stars bleed and the cold breath of darkness falls heavy on the world. In this dread hour a warrior shall draw from the fire a burning sword. And that sword shall be Lightbringer, the Red Sword of Heroes, and he who clasps it shall be Azor Ahai come again, and the darkness shall flee before him.” She lifted her voice, so it carried out over the gathered host. “Azor Ahai, beloved of R’hllor! The Warrior of Light, the Son of Fire! Come forth, your sword awaits you! Come forth and take it into your hand!”

(This is the essence of their religion) On one side is R’hllor, the Lord of Light, the Heart of Fire, the God of Flame and Shadow. Against him stands the Great Other whose name may not be spoken, the Lord of Darkness, the Soul of Ice, the God of Night and Terror. “You are he who must stand against the Other. The one whose coming was prophesied five thousand years ago. The red comet was your herald. You are the prince that was promised, and if you fail the world fails with you.”

(This is what she tells Davos) “When the red star bleeds and the darkness gathers, Azor Ahai shall be born again amidst smoke and salt to wake dragons out of stone. The bleeding star has come and gone, and Dragonstone is the place of smoke and salt. Stannis Baratheon is Azor Ahai reborn!”

DANY: With all this in mind, let’s analyse the birth of Dany’s dragons from stone/fossilised eggs.

This really reminds me of Melisandre’s, “and the cold breath of darkness falls heavy on the world.” When Dany is unconscious after childbirth/blood magic sacrifice of her child, she has a dream where she is running through a hall and she repeatedly hears whispers in her brother’s voice chanting,

“… don’t want to wake the dragon …” The red door was so far ahead of her, and she could feel the icy breath behind, sweeping up on her. If it caught her she would die a death that was more than death, howling forever alone in the darkness. She began to run.

In this dream, wings sprout from her back, she turns into a dragon after the whisper fades to “… wake the dragon …” and flies through the red door to the battle of Trident

“… the dragon …” And saw her brother Rhaegar, mounted on a stallion as black as his armor. Fire glimmered red through the narrow eye slit of his helm. “The last dragon,” Ser Jorah’s voice whispered faintly. “The last, the last.” Dany lifted his polished black visor. The face within was her own.

She has a similar dream in the next book :

That night she dreamt that she was Rhaegar, riding to the Trident. But she was mounted on a dragon, not a horse. When she saw the Usurper’s rebel host across the river they were armored all in ice, but she bathed them in dragonfire and they melted away like dew and turned the Trident into a torrent. Some small part of her knew that she was dreaming, but another part exulted. This is how it was meant to be. The other was a nightmare, and I have only now awakened.

This is a link to my analysis on why Dany is fire resistant even in the books and she was performing a ritual when she burnt Drogo. Before lighting the fire, this is what she observes,

Dany looked and saw it, low in the east. The first star was a comet, burning red. Bloodred; fire red; the dragon’s tail. She could not have asked for a stronger sign.

Remember when Melisandre tells Stannis that the fire is his & urges him to come forth as Lightbringer awaits him? Not to mention the part about raising dragons from stone. Well, this is when Dany hears one of the stone eggs crack and walks into Drogo’s funeral pyre.

“Now, she thought, now”… “She heard a crack, the sound of shattering stone”… ”a chunk of curved rock, pale and veined with gold, broken and smoking. The roaring filled the world”...“She heard the screams of frightened horses, and the voices of the Dothraki raised in shouts of fear and terror, and Ser Jorah calling her name and cursing. No, she wanted to shout to him, no, my good knight, do not fear for me. The fire is mine. I am Daenerys Stormborn, daughter of dragons, bride of dragons, mother of dragons, don’t you see? Don’t you SEE? With a belch of flame and smoke that reached thirty feet into the sky, the pyre collapsed and came down around her. Unafraid, Dany stepped forward into the firestorm, calling to her children. The third crack was as loud and sharp as the breaking of the world.”

Once Dany is reborn admist salt & smoke and waking dragons from stone because of the fire magic within her, this event brings fire magic back to the world:

The warlocks of Qarth are able to perform magic instead of using tricks.

The pyromancers in King’s Landing tell Tyrion that suddenly they are able to produce wildfire at a much faster rate because the spells used in the production of wildfire have suddenly become very potent for the first time after the death of the last dragon.

Thoros, Beric’s Red priest was able to resurrect him with the prayer he had previously said countless times to the dead. Beric is later able to resurrect Catelyn Stark with the same magic and Melisandre after learning of it from Thoros on the show, uses the prayer to resurrect Jon Snow.

Even in the Citadel, a fire magic test every maester failed, lighting a dragonglass candle, had a successful result for the first time in years.

There are three important Stannis-Melisandre quotes about this rebirth & Lightbringer, which shine some light on why do they even mention dragons in this prophesy if it’s just about a hero with a flaming sword:

Stannis : “Nine mages crossed the sea to hatch Aegon the Third’s cache of eggs. Baelor the Blessed prayed over his for half a year. Aegon the Fourth built dragons of wood and iron. Aerion Brightflame drank wildfire to transform himself. The mages failed, King Baelor’s prayers went unanswered, the wooden dragons burned, and Prince Aerion died screaming.” Queen Selyse was adamant. “None of these was the chosen of R’hllor. No red comet blazed across the heavens to herald their coming. None wielded Lightbringer, the red sword of heroes. And none of them paid the price. Lady Melisandre will tell you, my lord. Only death can pay for life.”

‘Only death can pay for life’ is what the witch tells Dany when she tricks her into sacrificing her son for Drogo’s life and Dany repeats the phrase during the Drogo’s ritualistic funeral & birth of her dragons

Stannis: “She talks of prophecies … a hero reborn in the sea, living dragons hatched from dead stone … she speaks of signs and swears they point to me.”

The name Daenerys Stormborn comes from the circumstances of her birth - a great storm at sea, destruction of Targaryen fleet & their escape across the narrow sea to Essos. Also she was reborn at the Dothraki sea.

Melisandre: “There is no sacrifice more precious. From his king’s blood and his untainted fire, a dragon shall be born.”

Until I read the books, I didn’t know that Baratheons were cousins to Targaryens, Robert’s grandmother was one before marriage. That drop of Targaryen blood made Robert’s claim stronger than Ned’s in the rebellion. The blood of Old Valyria has dormant ancient fire magic which once allowed them to bond with dragons, tied them to prophesies and was the reason why they wed siblings, to keep the bloodline and the magic in their blood pure. So Stannis’s drop of Valyrian blood was the reason behind Melisandre’s ability to make a shadow demon with Stannis’s seed or cast spells to kill Balon Greyjoy, Robb Stark & Joffery Baratheon with Gendry’s (Edric in books) after Dragons returned fire magic back to the world.

But Dany is as Valyrian as it gets so the ritualistic sacrifice of her unborn child, was what set in motion the birth of Dany’s dragons. But here’s a question... What is Lightbringer or the Red Sword of Heroes? And why would Azor Ahai need to raise dragons from stone to get this flaming sword of heroes? I’ll get to that in a bit...

Speaking of Dany’s childbirth, when Jorah took her inside that tent, this is what she saw:

Inside the tent the shapes were dancing, circling the brazier and the bloody bath, dark against the sandsilk, and some did not look human. She glimpsed the shadow of a great wolf, and another like a man wreathed in flames.

Remember the part about the crux of the religion of Red Priests : Lord of light vs the Great Other. Well Bran has become an omnipresent god and Jojen takes Bran to the Three Eyed Raven because Bran is the ‘Winged Wolf’. So maybe the Winged Wolf is the what the followers of the Lord of Light call, the ‘Other who shall not be named’. These two shadows during the ritualistic sacrifice of Dany’s child which paid the price for the birth of dragons, could be the Lord of Light & the Great Other.

Stories by two Lysene characters

There’s an Azor Ahai story which is quite famous in the fandom, of Nissa Nissa and the forging of Lightbringer. Davos’s friend Sallador Saan, the pirate from the islands of Lys was the person who tells this story:

“Burnt,” said Salladhor Saan, “and be glad of that, my friend. Do you know the tale of the forging of Lightbringer? I shall tell it to you. It was a time when darkness lay heavy on the world. To oppose it, the hero must have a hero’s blade, oh, like none that had ever been. And so for thirty days and thirty nights Azor Ahai labored sleepless in the temple, forging a blade in the sacred fires. Heat and hammer and fold, heat and hammer and fold, oh, yes, until the sword was done. Yet when he plunged it into water to temper the steel it burst asunder. “Being a hero, it was not for him to shrug and go in search of excellent grapes such as these, so again he began. The second time it took him fifty days and fifty nights, and this sword seemed even finer than the first. Azor Ahai captured a lion, to temper the blade by plunging it through the beast’s red heart, but once more the steel shattered and split. Great was his woe and great was his sorrow then, for he knew what he must do.“A hundred days and a hundred nights he labored on the third blade, and as it glowed white-hot in the sacred fires, he summoned his wife. ‘Nissa Nissa,’ he said to her, for that was her name, ‘bare your breast, and know that I love you best of all that is in this world.’ She did this thing, why I cannot say, and Azor Ahai thrust the smoking sword through her living heart. It is said that her cry of anguish and ecstasy left a crack across the face of the moon, but her blood and her soul and her strength and her courage all went into the steel. Such is the tale of the forging of Lightbringer, the Red Sword of Heroes.

Another character, Dany’s handmaiden, Doreah, who is also from the island of Lys has a weird story about dragons :

“He told me the moon was an egg, Khaleesi,” the Lysene girl said. “Once there were two moons in the sky, but one wandered too close to the sun and cracked from the heat. A thousand thousand dragons poured forth, and drank the fire of the sun. That is why dragons breathe flame. One day the other moon will kiss the sun too, and then it will crack and the dragons will return.”

Both stories seem like highly embellished myths. The moon is not a dragon egg, it shouldn’t take 3-6 months to forge a sword and tempering it in warm blood? It sounds like nonsense but since both of these people are from Lys, maybe stortelling among Lysene people leans more towards fantasy and metaphors. Here are a few key things to note:

Dany called Drogo her ‘Sun and Stars’ and he called her ‘Moon of my life’

You know how Azor Ahai spent days (30 + 50 + 100 = 180 = 6 months) forging the sword? Well somewhere during the end of the first trimester of her pregnancy, at Vaes Dothrak, Dany began sleeping cuddling her dragon eggs, in the books.

As far as quenching in water, catching a lion and beasts hearts are concerned, I find it a bit weird that at Vaes Dothrak, in the Dany POV chapter right after the one which ends with her sleeping while cuddling an egg, she was told to take a ceremonious bath in the holy lake the Dothraki called ‘Womb of the world’ after she ate a beasts heart.

Much later when Viserys had died and a wine merchant makes an attempt to poison Dany on Robert’s orders, she returns to her tent and out of nowhere gets the idea of warming up her dragon eggs in hot coal, something even she thinks is madness. I find it too much of a coincidence that right after she’s done with this, Drogo returns from his hunt having slayed a white lion for her and gifts her the lion skin to wear as cloak.

But we all know that the Dragon eggs finally hatched in the fire of Drogo’s funeral pyre and Drogo dies at the hands of his spouse, Dany, much like Nissa Nissa died at the hands of her husband.

Remember how Doereah mentioned in her story that the moon wandered too close to the sun? Dany, ‘the moon of Drogo’s life’ slowly steps closer to the flames realising that it’s not burning her skin, to her Sun & Stars’ burning body.

Doreah mentions that the dragons ‘drank the fire of the sun’ and Salladhor Saan tells Davos that Nissa Nissa’s ‘soul and her strength and her courage all went into the steel’ (Lightbringer). Drogon is Drogo’s namesake, he is the strongest of the three, the one whose life was paid for by Drogo’s death and hemight even carry Drogo’s essence/soul.

In Doreah’s story the moon ‘cracked from the heat’ & In Salladho’s story Nissa’s ‘cry of anguish and ecstasy left a crack across the face of the moon’, uncanny similarities right? Well this is how Dany describes the sound of the last egg hatching, crack was as loud and sharp as the breaking of the world.

So the point I’ve been trying to make is, the central concept of Azor Ahai is : “Azor Ahai shall be born again amidst smoke and salt to wake dragons out of stone.” Dragons are crucial to this because Lightbringer or Red sword of Heroes isn’t really a flaming sword! Thoros wielded a flaming sword dipped in wildfire since the beginning, Beric later unsheathes out a flaming sword inflamed by real magic not the wildfire trick, Melisandre gives Stannis a glowing sword and Jamie too once has a dream, while sleeping on the stump of a Weirdwood tree, of him and Brienne fighting dead people with their matching Valyrian steel swords which happen to be burning in blue flame. Drogon, a red fire breathing dragon, fire made flesh, is the weapon referred to as Lightbringer or the red sword of heroes. It could just have been lost in translation or misinterpreted over thousands of years. It makes sense that the return of dragons & fire magic to the world is what’s required to combat ice magic.

Promised Prince

All we know of the Valyrian version, the Promised Prince prophesy, is Rhaegar read about as a child & there are only references to it:

“As a young boy, the Prince of Dragonstone was bookish to a fault. He was reading so early that men said Queen Rhaella must have swallowed some books and a candle whilst he was in her womb. Rhaegar took no interest in the play of other children. The maesters were awed by his wits, but his father’s knights would jest sourly that Baelor the Blessed had been born again. Until one day Prince Rhaegar found something in his scrolls that changed him. No one knows what it might have been, only that the boy suddenly appeared early one morning in the yard as the knights were donning their steel. He walked up to Ser Willem Darry, the master-at-arms, and said, ‘I will require sword and armor. It seems I must be a warrior.’”

In AFFC, before dying Maester Aemon gives us more insight into what it might have been when he finds out about Dany;s dragons:

“No one ever looked for a girl,” he said. “It was a prince that was promised, not a princess. Rhaegar, I thought … the smoke was from the fire that devoured Summerhall on the day of his birth, the salt from the tears shed for those who died. He shared my belief when he was young, but later he became persuaded that it was his own son who fulfilled the prophecy, for a comet had been seen above King’s Landing on the night Aegon was conceived, and Rhaegar was certain the bleeding star had to be a comet. What fools we were, who thought ourselves so wise! The error crept in from the translation. Dragons are neither male nor female, Barth saw the truth of that, but now one and now the other, as changeable as flame. The language misled us all for a thousand years. Daenerys is the one, born amidst salt and smoke. The dragons prove it.” Just talking of her seemed to make him stronger. “I must go to her. I must. Would that I was even ten years younger.”

“The dragon must have three heads,” he wailed, “but I am too old and frail to be one of them. I should be with her, showing her the way, but my body has betrayed me.”

Before dying, Maester Aemon asks another important question pointing towards Dothraki mythology regarding after life, which might also point towards Drogo’s (Dany’s Nissa Nissa) essence in Drogon.

What if the horselords have the truth of it? Will I ride through the night sky forever on a stallion made of flame?

From Maester Aemon’s reveal, it’s easy to assume that the Promised Prince prophesy is more or less the same as what the Red Priests of Asshai believe but a good insight into it is when Dany has a vision of the birth of Rhaegar & Elia’s son Aegon at the House of Undying.

The man had her brother’s hair, but he was taller, and his eyes were a dark indigo rather than lilac. “Aegon,” he said to a woman nursing a newborn babe in a great wooden bed. “What better name for a king?”

“Will you make a song for him?” the woman asked.

“He has a song,” the man replied. “He is the prince that was promised, and his is the song of ice and fire.” He looked up when he said it and his eyes met Dany’s, and it seemed as if he saw her standing there beyond the door. “There must be one more,” he said, though whether he was speaking to her or the woman in the bed she could not say. “The dragon has three heads.”

Now this scene has been interpreted in so many different ways, but as a writer I can offer one thing, flashbacks are very tricky, they are meant to be used only when they are crucial for the character ‘receiving’ them and execution is the key. What do I mean by that? George writes flashbacks in the form of dreams, visions, stories, memories, etc. Like Maester Aemon told Sam about Rhaegar’s understanding of the conception of his son with Elia, but as far as the birth of that son is concerned, it’s presented in the form of a vision...a vision Dany is having in the House of Undying. She was led to Qarth by the bleeding star after she was reborn admist salt and smoke, having woken dragons from stone to learn a few things, the insight she gains at the House of Undying being the most crucial. Right after a series of visions including Rhaegar’s quoted above, she walks into a room full of Undying in their mortal forms,

“Daenerys of House Targaryen, be welcome. Come and share the food of forever. We are the Undying of Qarth. Long have we awaited you. We knew you were to come to us. A thousand years ago we knew, and have been waiting all this time. We sent the comet to show you the way.”

Here the writer is again stressing how important it was for Daenerys to have these visions and receive this information to fulfil her destiny a thousand years in the making. Another interesting thing, she is not just having a vision but also interacting with it : He looked up when he said it and his eyes met Dany’s, and it seemed as if he saw her standing there beyond the door. “There must be one more.” There’s a dual meaning here, Rhaegar could be planning a third baby, the one he later has with Lyanna or he’s asking Dany to seek Jon. Or as this suggests : though whether he was speaking to her or the woman in the bed she could not say. “The dragon has three heads,” Dany might just be receiving a prophesy.

It was a popular theory in the fandom that since everything Targaryen comes in three, three dragon riders would be required to defeat the White Walkers or conquer Westeros but with the Night King claiming an Ice Dragon, that seems bleak in he books as well. Notice that in ‘The dragon must have three heads,’ dragon is singular... Why? I’ll get to that...

So what is the Song of Ice and Fire?

This is one of the most debated questions in the fandom and for some weird reason, it’s widely believed that the entire title is dedicated to Jon’s parentage because of the minor symbolism of ice in Lyanna’s house motto, ‘Winter is coming’ and the word fire in Rhaegar’s house motto ‘Fire and Blood’. But to assume that the title of the entire series has a single interpretation based on the subtext in the house mottos of two long dead plot devices is beyond absurd, especially considering that Rhaegar’s quote was in context of his son with Elia Martell. I’m not denying it though, it is a possible interpretation but of all the interpretations, I would put this one at the bottom most tier of symbolic long shots. Many other interpretations have far more weight to them :

The Lord of Light & The Great Other

The two mystical hero journeys of the story - Jon going to a Wall made of Ice, discovering the dangers that lurk beyond and gaining the knowledge of how they can be defeated and Dany receiving dragon eggs on the other end of the world and returning fire magic to the world.

But what if there’s another interpretation? When Dany finds herself pondering over the meaning of these cryptic prophesies, she asks Jorah, “What is the song of ice and fire?” and he replies, “It’s no song I’ve ever heard.” In this world, the most famous songs are composed to tell the stories of epic battles and the word Dance is often refereed to as fighting as well, which brings me to my theory Dance of the Dragons 2.0....

Dance of the Dragons 2.0

The first one was a massive civil war fought over succession between two rival Targaryen family branches, the most defining aspect of this civil war were air force battle sequences way ahead of their times between mounted dragons which brought destruction of epic proportions to the world. (Source)

DoD 2.0 is something George has been hyping more than anything and even though there are several theories involving characters, who aren’t Targaryens & weren’t even included in the show, somehow gaining the ability to control one of the dragons well enough to wage war on Dany for political reasons, I don’t buy it. The first DoD might have been a civil which led to the demise of dragons but that info dump is foreshadowing for something bigger.

The second one will be a mystical battle of biblical proportion during the Great War, with much higher stakes. Thanks to the show we know which antagonist gains control of one of the dragons, The Night King! He is not only fire resistant like Dany but has also effectively mounted a dragon, that too an Ice Dragon. As prophesied, she has united all Dothraki and led them to the end of the world, woken dragons from stone and with her Lightbringer, Drogon, she’s the only one capable of fighting Night King mounted on Viserion in a Dance of Dragons 2.0 like battle sequence.

Coming back to ‘The dragon (singular) must have three heads’, if Dany is pregnant during their battle then her dragon would quite literally have three heads : Drogon, Dany & the unborn child. After all, pregnancies are added in a fiction only to serve as plot devices, relevant in driving the plot and character’s arc in some way.

Though I believe it would take a lot more to defeat the Night King, involving a lot at ground level and just as Dany is the only one who rivals Nigh King’s physical powers, Bran is the only one who matches his mental powers so he will be paramount in taking down the Night King. But I expect a fire storm of an aerial battle sequence, a far more spine-chilling version of the Dance of Dragons Westeros witnessed the first time around and more epic than any battle we have ever seen on the show, considering that Night King & Dany have never been equally matched before. Maybe it’ll end with her third shocking walking through fire unburnt moment.

That should give the singers something to write about... a epic mystical aerial battle, a dance of dragons... between life and death, the Night King and Daenerys Targaryen, Lightbringer and the first Ice Dragon, ice and fire... A song of Ice & Fire.

#GoT meta #daenerys targaryen #daenerys stormborn #Daenerys Targaryen meta #Azor Ahai #Promised prince #stallion who mounts the world #asoiaf #OK I'm posting it already #This has been sitting in drafts for weeks #Let me know if you find typos

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lovecomesinattheeyes · 7 years

Text

Epiphanies Chapter 2

Please enjoy! It’s posted on ao3 as well. Here’s a link to part one. Leave some love to help speed the next chapter along? Maybe?

Dany POV

For a moment, she thought that Sam and Bran were joking. When it became clear they were not, she realized the gravity of the revelation. That her claim to the throne was slipping. Jon’s inability to lie and the outburst that ensued in him learning of his true parents had convinced her that this was real. He had sworn to bend the knee and he was doing so, even if what he was offering was more than just loyalty. She had considered offering marriage to this Northern Fool a few times. But now that it was happening, there was a lightness in her chest that she didn’t know she could feel.

She forces her eyes away from Jon’s. She could get lost in his gaze, but there is business to attend to. Their mission to convince the Northern Houses to accept her is too important.

“Shall we?” Sansa asks, beckoning to the door back to the Great Hall.

Dany goes to take a step toward the door but Jon’s hand pulls her back. “Give us a moment everyone. I need to speak with Daenerys alone. We will join you shortly.”

“Jon,” She goes to argue but the look of desperation in his eyes silences her. She turns to look back at the rest of the faces and nods at them. They begin to shuffle out and Jon’s shoulders relax slightly. Once the door closes he pulls her to his chest.

“Dany,” The rough and desperate way he says her name has her walls of composure crumbling. “Are you okay?”

She angles her head to look up at him and with this new knowledge his dark eyes look a little more silver than they did grey. Her cool façade breaks and she nods her head. “I’m not alone anymore.”

He gasps and kisses her softly. “You will never be alone again so long as my heart beats.”

Her smile brightens a little more. “A dragon raised in a family of wolves,” She ponders as she runs her hand along his face.

“You are my family now too.” His hands squeeze her middle.

“Ah yes, you being Rhaegar’s son would make me your Aunt. Does that change your carnal desires for me?” She grins at him playfully.

“There are worse familial bedfellows.” Jon shrugs thinking of Craster and his wives or Jaime and Cersei.

“Are you disappointed? Not being Ned’s son?” She asks softly. He drops her hand and looks down, sighing softly as he considers his answer.

“I’ll always be Ned’s son.” He admits. “He was the one who raised me, taught me what it means to be a Stark. He loved me as his own and treated me with respect. He will always be a part of me and nothing will change that. I may have Targaryen blood, but I still have Stark blood too.”

Dany nods. Her day has completely upended. She came here looking for a successful military alliance and now she’s found a blood relation in a man she’s already in love with. Not to mention, this man has just agreed to become her husband. Pieces of her life have just fallen into place and she can’t help the swell of love that bubbles into her. She pulls Jon’s lips to hers again and pours as much gratitude and devotion as she can into their last moments alone before they announce to a bunch of Northern men why a marriage between them is a good idea.

Jon disengages from her lips and smiles before they make their way to the door. He takes a deep breath, resetting his disposition before he walks through into The Hall.

A cacophony of voices assaults her ears. “Where is the King? Where is this so called Dragon Queen? I don’t see any dragons! Are we expected to-“ As Jon walks, in the room goes silent.

“My Lords.” He says as he stands behind Sansa’s chair.

Dany feels eyes shift from him to her as she walks into the room behind him. Standing off to the side she slowly looks around, perusing the reactions to her. Most men seem to have the usual slack jawed gazes she’s accustomed to seeing. A small girl, standing before a bunch of hard looking men catches Dany’s eye. The girl has a sour look to her face and Daenerys wonders who she is fleetingly before Jon begins speaking again.

“As you can see, I’ve returned with someone. This is-“ He’s cut off by Missandei as she strides through the room with Jorah Mormont and Varys flanking her.

“Daenerys Stormborm of House Targaryen, Queen of the Andals, the Rhoynar and the First Men, Protector of the Realm, Queen of Meereen, Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, Mother of Dragons, The Unburnt, Breaker of Chains and Lady of Dragonstone.” As she finishes the long string of titles she comes to stand next to Daenerys, her arms clasped in front of her. Jorah takes his place to Daenerys’ other side and Varys stands slightly behind Missandei.

What begins as low grumblings grow in volume until Jon cuts in again “She has given us dragonglass. Loads of it. Enough for every capable man and woman in our armies to have weapons made.”

“Aye and she’ll turn her dragons on us the second the Army of the Dead have been destroyed!” A voice in the back shouts.

“She will not!” Jon urges them to stay quiet. “In the weeks I’ve spent with The Queen, I’ve come to see her as just, honorable and fair. I’ve spoken to her closest Advisors, to her servants, to her warriors. All admire her and have proved that they are willing to follow her no matter where she may lead them.”

“Aye but it’s easy to lead when you don’t know what’s waiting for ye in the darkness!” A Lord from the Vale chimes in.

“If you are referring to the Night King and his Army.” Daenerys steps forward. “I have seen them. All hundred thousand creatures with their bright blue eyes and the skin dangling from their corpse like frames. I have been North of the Wall, and I have promised your King that we will defeat the wight walkers.” Hushed voices scatter through the room like leaves before they become more forceful once again.

“For claiming to be a Mother of Dragons, you seem to be missing these beasts you birthed.” The small girl with the sour look stands and before Daenerys can respond the girl speaks again. “Hello Jorah. The last you were in Westeros you were iron clad and being taken for punishment by our King’s father. It seems your traitorous ways have proven deep if you have aligned yourself with this foreign woman who calls herself Queen.”

“Lady Lyanna,” Jorah bows his head. “You have grown since I last saw you as a babe in your mother’s arms. This foreign Queen has earned my respect by freeing the slaves that I had created. I learned from my misdeeds and follow her as a reminder that no man should live in chains.”

“So she freed some slaves,” Lord Glover stands. “Lady Lyanna has a point. For someone who puts an emphasis on her dragons, we don’t see these-“ With that a large whooshing and a great flapping of wings can be heard. A shadow crosses over the windows blocking out the sun for just a moment. Screaming echoes from the courtyard outside and a great crashing of talons landing on hard earth shakes the dust from the rafters.

“You were saying?” Daenerys asks as the guards outside begin yelling. “Jorah, Varys, please see that the guards outside do not get themselves killed by Drogon.” With that Jorah and Varys exit the Great Hall quickly.

“Lord Glover,” Jon begins again. “I have seen that Queen Daenerys’ heart is good. She is not as her father was. She-“ He stops and looks at her. “She’s willing to sacrifice what is closest to her in order to do the right thing. She isn’t willing to kill innocent people in order to get what she wants. She came to help us.” Jorah re-enters at the back at nods as confirmation that the dying sounds outside indicate that everything seems fine for now.

“Conquering is not saving. She only means to earn our loyalty in order to take her Throne of Swords back. Once she has that she’ll force you to bend the knee, or worse.” Lord Dustin speaks up.

“I will not.” Daenerys answers forcefully as she takes a step closer to Jon slipping her hand into his. “I will wed your King in the North.”

A stunned silence washes through the hall. Jorah’s eyes meet Daenerys’, a shock of disbelief before his face smoothes to acceptance. He casts his eyes down but stays in the room. She looks at the Lords, waiting for someone to argue.

“Aye,” Jon answers dragging his gaze back to the Northerners, daring them to argue.

“A political marriage makes the most sense.” Sansa speaks up before the Northern Lords are able to react. “It will strengthen the country and the bonds between the Houses. Any ill-will us Northerners feel will be put aside.”

“If you expect us to think that this Dragon Queen hasn’t used some sorcery to convince our King to marry what’s between her legs, well then-“ Lord Cerwyn stands and angrily stares at Daenerys. Her spine straightens and she bites her tongue to prevent from spitting a fiery dismissal.

Jon’s rage billows and he slams his hand down on the table before Sansa.

“You WILL NOT speak about your future Queen in that manner! Belay the disrespect you have just afforded YOUR KING!” His heavy breathing is loud and the Great Hall goes silent. He drops his head and takes a couple of slow breaths before he stands back up.

“Now I know that The Targaryens reign ended in blood for all our families. There is no making right what was wronged. None of that was done by her, a babe not even born at the time of her father’s demise. If I, a Stark, can find it in myself to not place blame on Queen Daenerys, then I expect each and every one of you to do the same. She didn’t have to let us mine the Dragonglass. She didn’t have to come to Winterfell. She didn’t have to bring her dragons. She chose to. And I choose… to marry her.” Jon steps back and looks at the room, waiting for any further rebuttals. Some of the men nod, some shake their head, some merely wait to see if there are any further announcements.

When no one comes forward he continues, “Does anyone else have anything further to discuss at this time?” Either they’re too mad to talk or they have nothing further to say. “Aye, then I will depart to speak with my Advisors and rest from the journey here. If you have anything further to speak to me of, inform my sister and she will determine if my judgement is needed.”

With that he offers Daenerys his arm and they walk through the crowd of Northern Lords out to the courtyard, their Advisors following. The cold air is refreshing. She hadn’t realized how the North Men had riled her and set her blood boiling. Jon relaxes as he lets out a deep breath.

“That went about as well as expected.” Dany sighs as she gathers her wits.

“Aye, the best we can do now is prove that this union is truly good for the North.” His eyes glance around the courtyard, forcing hers to do the same. The small folk of the castle are tracking the couple with their scrutinizing gazes. Dany does not find this disconcerting as she has always been under near constant scrutiny at different points in her life. Jon however, seems to dislike it and rolls his shoulders uncomfortably.

“The stares will lessen,” She whispers squeezing his hand. “Eventually they will grow used to our presence together and will stop gazing like doe eyed girls.” He chuckles.

“I hope you’re right.” He stops as they arrive at some stairs leading up to the covered walkways. “Arya will show you to your room. I have some business to take care of. I will find you soon.” He brings her hand up to his lips, his eyes never leaving hers as he kisses first the knuckles and then the palm. She lightly rubs his cheek and smiles before pulling her hand away and nodding at him to take his leave. S

he decides that she liked the privacy and close quarters of the ship much more than the open air and watchful gazes of Winterfell. She watches her King walk away with Davos before her eyes are drawn to the small female that looks so much like him now standing in front of her.

“Your quarters are this way, Your Grace.” Arya says as she turns and heads up the stairs, Daenerys following close behind. They fall in line making their way through the walkways of Winterfell.

“Lady Arya,” Daenerys breaks the awkward pause.

“I’m no Lady.” Arya interrupts before Dany can finish her sentence. “Sansa is a Lady.”

“Then who are you?” Daenerys asks.

“I am no one.” Dany stops and looks at her discerningly, searching her gaze, trying to understand this seemingly lost girl.

“You can’t be no one. You are Jon’s and Sansa’s sister. You are Lord Eddard and Lady Catelyn’s daughter. You are a wolf of Winterfell. You are an executioner. You are someone.” Daenerys turns watching as Arya does the same, both of them walking the same pace. “You can’t pretend to be no one because it’s easier than being someone. You must be who you were meant to be. Your brother has accepted that he couldn’t just be a bastard of the Night’s Watch. He became the King in the North because he had to. It’s not an easy thing to do, but it’s what must be done in order for us all to survive.”

Arya is quiet until they stop in front of a door. “I am still not a Lady.” She says forcefully. Daenerys smirks and bows her head once.

“As you say Arya.” Dany looks at the door. “This is my room?”

“Yes,” Arya turns her head, looking to the door at the end of the hall. “That is Jon’s.” Arya smirks before stepping past Dany and heading back the way they came. Daenerys watches her walk away and shakes her head slightly before opening the door and stepping into the room, Missandei, Tyrion and Varys entering after her.

“I can’t tell if she likes me.” Daenerys muses as she takes off her gloves and cloak and sets them on the small table in front of the window. The room is dark but the fire in the hearth makes it cozy. The four-poster bed looks inviting and the curtains, furnishings and rugs are good quality and condition. She wonders if all of the guest rooms are outfitted such as this one.

“I daresay she does.” Tyrion muses as he pours himself a glass of wine. “She didn’t pull her sword or knife on you. But the Stark children are an odd bunch, so who’s to say?”

“Your Grace,” Varys says. “I apologize if this is out of line. But what made the prospect of a marital alliance a viable option?”

Daenerys looks at Tyrion. “Can we trust him?”

Tyrion narrows his eyes at Varys. “I believe so. I remember when I told him I was marrying my niece to Theon Greyjoy in order to test that same thought. The information did not leak then, just as I believe it is safe now.”

“That was a mummer’s lie Tyrion. I could see through that in an instant.” Varys rolls his eyes and looks back at the Queen expectantly.

Daenerys pauses for just a moment, letting the weight of the information settle. “Jon Snow is not a Snow at all.” She says coolly as she takes a seat across from him. “He is a true born Targaryen.” Varys blanches, a look of confusion crosses his face.

“How can that be?” He muses and leans forward with interest.

“Jon’s mother was Lady Lyanna Stark. Lord Eddard found her in the Tower of Joy in Dorne bleeding out from having just given birth to Jon. She made her brother promise to claim the child as his own to protect him from the vengeance of his friend Robert.”

“Ah yes, it makes sense then why Ned refused to take part in Robert’s assassination attempt on you when he found out you were with Khal Drogo’s child.” Varys sits back in his chair deep in thought as Daenerys’ mind is sent reeling.

“He what?” She asks a little dumbly.

Varys looks up at her from his thoughts and nods. “Yes, Lord Eddard stepped down from being Robert Baratheon’s Hand. It angered the King so much, I thought perhaps Robert himself would kill Ned. But Ned stood strong and almost returned to Winterfell. Robert ordered your assassination anyway and after Jaime Lannister found out about Catelyen Stark taking this one,” he points to Tyrion,” Hostage, he killed Ned’s men and wounded Ned. The King eventually somehow convinced Ned to stay. It’s a pity he did, otherwise Ned might still be alive and the War of the Five Kings would not have ripped this country apart as it has.”

There’s a heavy silence in the room as Daenerys’ head spins. She hadn’t realized how deep the treachery went in Westeros. How much damage had taken place because of a Mad King and a doomed love.

“Claiming Jon as his bastard was a slight to his honor for many years, even though it was possibly the most honorable thing he’s done. It must have made him realize that even after 16 years, King Robert would still kill Jon if he’d known of his true lineage.” A deeper respect for the former Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North settles in Daenerys’ person. Perhaps Jon is more like Ned than she guessed. “Your Grace,” Varys continues. “Again I ask, how does his illegitimate birth cause a roomful of your Advisors to agree to a marriage between the two of you.”

“Because Varys,” Tyrion snaps. “He is legitimate. Samwell Tarly discovered evidence of an annulment between Rhaegar and Elia as well as a secret ceremony that took place between the Targaryen Prince and the Northern Beauty.”

“Well that is an interesting development.” Varys ponders. “So that would mean that his claim to the throne is technically stronger than our Queens?”

“Yes, but he’s convinced me he doesn’t want the Throne.” Dany answers as she stands and wanders to look out the window. “He says it is mine.”

“As is his heart.” Missandei teases.

Daenerys turns to look at her with wide eyes. “So he says.”

“Please do not tell me you think he is not truthful about his affections.” Missandei smirks. “We have all seen the near constant looks exchange one another. Not to mention hearing the nights you shared on the ship.”

Daenerys blushes and turns back to her Advisors. “You know?”

“Don’t be so surprised Your Grace,” Tyrion’s voice echoes into his cup as he takes a drink. “A ship’s walls aren’t exactly sound proof. At one point, I didn’t know if it was the howling of the winds I heard, or the howling of the White Wolf.” A blush rising to her cheeks forces Daenerys to turn to look back out the window.

“I do agree though,” Varys says. “About a marital alliance. Perhaps if a marriage broke this country, it could also remake it.” Daenerys ponders the thought as she watches her King sparring in the training yards below.

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