#dothraki scene

[lukitua]

The moon floated on the still black waters, shattering and re-forming as her ripples washed over it.

Daenerys in the Womb of the World

[all-pacas]

so in one of tumblr's list posts, years back, i saw someone complaining about male gaze in writing, "she breasted boobily down the stairs," that sort of thing. and it specifically was copying lines and paragraphs from books that did this sort of thing, and it complained at some length from this line from asoiaf:

When [Danerys] went to the stables, she wore faded sandsilk pants and woven grass sandals. Her small breasts moved freely beneath a painted Dothraki vest.

"why do we need to know about her breasts and lack of chest support?" was the point: this is weird fanservice. dany is underage. grrm is a terrible writer.

let's talk reading comprehension. because grrm absolutely has his faults as a writer, but pov is not one of them.

dany has been in qarth, a decaying, elegant city where everyone is dressed more elaborately and is more wealthy than the last. she needs an army, and her only hope is by courting the merchants and leaders and wealthy of the city to support her. she spends months bribing officials, learning etiquette, dressing the part of a wealthy noble. she has done everything right, and she has failed: no one wants to support her, no one takes her cause seriously. her so-called friends have turned on her; she has run out of time, hospitality, and resources. her only resort is to leave, to try and hire a ship to take her and her people elsewhere.

here is the full scene this line is drawn from:

She was breaking her fast on a bowl of cold shrimp-and-persimmon soup when Irri brought her a Qartheen gown, an airy confection of ivory samite patterned with seed pearls. "Take it away," Dany said. "The docks are no place for lady's finery." If the Milk Men thought her such a savage, she would dress the part for them. When she went to the stables, she wore faded sandsilk pants and woven grass sandals. Her small breasts moved freely beneath a painted Dothraki vest, and a curved dagger hung from her medallion belt. Jhiqui had braided her hair Dothraki fashion, and fastened a silver bell to the end of the braid. "I have won no victories," she tried telling her handmaid when the bell tinkled softly. Jhiqui disagreed. "You burned the maegi in their house of dust and sent their souls to hell."

is this: a) weird, pointless male gaze about her breasts, or b) a note about characterization. what does this tell us about dany: that she has breasts, or that she is dressing in a way she knows will make the people of qarth unhappy, a way she knows they will dismiss, a way she feels comfortable because she is no longer up to the task of trying to fit in. is this she breasted boobily, or is this characterization. why does dany feel more comfortable in these clothes? why are her pants "faded?" why is she more comfortable in worn leather than samite and pearls?

[letsduneit]

i just found out that jessica's face tattoos translate to the litany against fear which... wow. (for those curious, david j peterson, the linguist behind the chakobsa in dune part two, posted it to his twitter account. edit: i've been informed he also has a tumblr account @dedalvs check him out)

we can see jessica recite this litany during the water of life scene in dune part two, but also during paul's gom jabbar scene and the desert storm scene in dune part one. it goes as follows:

"i must not fear. fear is the mind-killer. fear is the little-death that brings obliteration. i will face my fear and i will permit it to pass over me and through me. and when it has gone past, i will turn the inner eye to see its path. where the fear has gone there will be nothing. only i will remain."

here are her tattoos:

and here is the chakobsa translation:

david j peterson is also the dude behind a bunch of other popular conlangs, like the dothraki and valyrian languages from game of thrones. i was so hyped to hear he'd partnered on with denis villeneuve for the dune movies and he did not disappoint! you can thank him for the realism of paul's chakobsa scenes in part two, especially his final grand speech.

[dedalvs]

you are SO awesome. i’ve seen game of thrones probably 8 times and am of course watching house of the dragon, and every time i watch, i can’t get over how awesome the languages are. it is genuinely so cool that you were able to make them! my friends and i walk around saying random high valyrian or dothraki phrases (badly). i saw you were on tumblr and wanted to drop by to say you’re AWESOME (and that scene with aegon and aemond at the council meeting was too funny with aegon struggling). hats off to you 🔥🔥

Thanks! Have a picture of my saucy boy Roman.

[book-daenerys]

A list of Daenerys Targaryen's positive moments

i.e., scenes that highlight her kindness and/or compassion.

Ordered Jhogo and Quaro not to harm or kill Viserys (AGOT Dany III)

Begged Jorah not to tell Viserys he was being mocked by the Dothraki (AGOT Dany IV)

Pleaded with Khal Drogo (going so far as to use the "pillow tricks" Doreah taught her) to allow Viserys to rejoin them at the head of the column (AGOT Dany IV)

Asked Viserys not to call the Dothraki "savages" (AGOT Dany IV)

Prepared a meal and gifts (including fine clothing and a cloak) to Viserys to help him look more regal and earn the respect of the Dothraki (AGOT Dany IV)

Calmed Doreah with a touch and defended her from Viserys (AGOT Dany IV)

Asked Jorah to stop a drunk Viserys from provoking the Dothraki (AGOT Dany V)

Offered Viserys her dragon eggs and a seat beside her as long as he dropped the sword (AGOT Dany V)

Took on the task of translating Viserys's demands to Drogo to spare Jhiqui from harsh punishment (AGOT Dany V)

Purchased a fertility charm for Doreah and sought gifts for Irri and Jhiqui (AGOT Dany VI)

Found a stall selling sausages made with garlic and hot peppers and offered them to her handmaids and the men of her khas (AGOT Dany VI)

Took the Lhazareen women under her protection to shield them from sexual violence (AGOT Dany VII) (as George R. R. Martin puts it, "In the village of Lhazarene, Dany is appalled by the rape and slaughter that she’s seeing. […] Dany can’t enact the idea of “don’t take slaves”, but what she does there is saying “I’ll take the slaves. I’m the queen, all the slaves belong to me.” and in that way she can extend some protection over the women who were being raped.")

Ordered Qotho and others not to harm Mirri (AGOT Dany VII, AGOT Dany VIII)

Was determined to die for Drogo if necessary (AGOT Dany VIII)

Freed Drogo's slaves and offered them the choice to leave or join her khalasar as equals - "I see the faces of slaves. I free you. Take off your collars. Go if you wish, no one shall harm you. If you stay, it will be as brothers and sisters, husbands and wives. [...] To each of you I say, give me your hands and your hearts, and there will always be a place for you." (AGOT Dany X)

Resolved to be a source of strength for her people, suppressing her own fears and embracing her role as Drogo’s queen (ACOK Dany I)

Went without food and drink with the rest of her people while they crossed the Red Waste, refusing any special treatment for herself (ACOK Dany I)

Cared for Doreah as she succumbed to fever, providing her water, comfort, and support until she died, before allowing the khalasar to continue their journey (ACOK Dany I)

Ensured her people's basic needs for food and water were met in Vaes Tolorro (ACOK Dany I)

Tasked Rakharo and a group of men with pulling up the plaza in Vaes Tolorro to make the land fertile (ACOK Dany I)

Ordered Aggo to repair the gates of Vaes Tolorro to make sure she and her people were prepared for any potential threats (ACOK Dany I)

Tended Jorah's wound herself (ACOK Dany I)

Wanted to restore Jorah's home and honor (ACOK Dany I)

Wants to avoid destroying King's Landing, rule with compassion and create a beautiful, joyful kingdom where her people can thrive and welcome her as their queen (ACOK Dany II)

Acknowledged the need to train her growing dragons to avoid destruction (ACOK Dany III)

Diffused tension between Ser Jorah and Arstan by gently intervening and telling Jorah that no offense from Arstan's part was intended (ASOS Dany I)

Believes that "a queen must listen to all, the highborn and the low, the strong and the weak, the noble and the venal", that "a queen should hear all sides before reaching a decision" and that "a queen must listen to her people" (ASOS Dany I, ASOS Dany II, ADWD Dany VI)

Is horrified and visibly shaken by the brutal training methods of the Unsullied, especially the requirement to kill infants (ASOS Dany II)

Invited Arstan to join her in her litter, concerned for his well-being in the intense heat (ASOS Dany II)

Apologized to Irri for Drogon biting her hand and gently kissed the spot where Drogon left his marks (ASOS Dany II)

Is willing to kill her enemies, but refuses to harm innocents (ASOS Dany II)

Believes that kings and queens are meant to protect the vulnerable and deliver justice (ASOS Dany III)

Freed Missandei, eight thousand Unsullied, all the slave boys in training and all the other slaves in Astapor (ASOS Dany III)

Killed the slavers of Astapor and spared all children under twelve (ASOS Dany III)

Abolished the practice of giving the Unsullied new slave names every day, allowing them to return to their birth names or choose new ones (ASOS Dany IV)

Allowed the Unsullied to choose their officers (ASOS Dany IV)

Allowed all the freedmen to join her, even though they were a burden and couldn't fight, out of a sense of moral obligation (ASOS Dany IV)

Attacked the Yunkish slavers when they least expected it at night to spare the former slaves from heavy casualties (and it works: only about a dozen were killed) (ASOS Dany IV)

Was merciful to the Yunkish slavers and left Yunkai untouched (ASOS Dany IV)

Freed the slaves of Yunkai (ASOS Dany IV)

Offered mercy to sellswords or slaves who pledged loyalty to her (ASOS Dany IV)

Decided to conquer Meereen to secure food for her people and prevent them from starving along the march (ASOS Dany V)

Sent for a healer to ensure Strong Belwas's wound was properly cared for before proceeding with her council (ASOS Dany V)

Refused to risk the lives of her Unsullied in an attack on Meereen's gates where the Meereenese could use boiling oil to kill them (ASOS Dany V)

Engaged with the freedmen, allowing them to touch her for encouragement, listening to their requests, and even stopping to speak with a pregnant woman seeking her blessing for her child’s name (ASOS Dany V)

Ended slavery in Meereen (ASOS Dany VI)

Promised to take Missandei home someday (ASOS Dany VI)

Crucified 163 slavers in response to the slavers' crucifixion of 163 slave children (ASOS Dany VI) (some would disagree that this was a positive moment, but I believe it was because, in this feudal setting, it's uncommon for monarchs or nobles to care about commoners, let alone take action against those who mistreat them, so it does showcase her compassion towards the slave children. Also, Dany's real mistake was not killing enough slavers to neutralize their power to retaliate)

Hung murderers, amputated the hands of looters, and castrated rapists (ASOS Dany VI)

Rejected the luxurious harpy throne in favor of a simple ebony bench (ASOS Dany VI)

Forbade men to sell their wives and children, ensuring no one is forced into slavery (ASOS Dany VI)

Forgave Ser Barristan and spared Jorah's life despite his betrayal (ASOS Dany VI)

Decided to stay in Meereen and rule as its queen to protect the freedmen and prevent the city from falling back into chaos or slavery (ASOS Dany VI)

Took it upon herself to wake up in the middle of the night and personally see the body of Stalwart Shield, the first of her soldiers murdered by the Sons of the Harpy (ADWD Dany I)

Honored Stalwart Shield by closing his eyes, giving him a proper burial, vowing that he wouldn't be forgotten and naming a company of freedmen after him (ADWD Dany I, ADWD Dany II)

Had the Unsullied walk in pairs at night, then eventually ordered them to stop patrolling the streets of Meereen to prevent further assassinations (ADWD Dany I, ADWD Dany II)

Rejected Skahaz's suggestion to punish noble families indiscriminately and instead increased the reward for information about the Sons of the Harpy to a thousand honors (ADWD Dany I)

Was merciful to Reznak despite her suspicion that he might be one of the betrayers Quaithe warned her about because she acknowledges the treacherous nature of prophecies (ADWD Dany I, ADWD Dany II)

Sent her small khalasar, led by her bloodriders, to free slaves in the hinterlands and secure crops for Meereen’s market (ADWD Dany I, ADWD Dany V)

Sent Daario to negotiate with Lhazar, leading to an alliance that brought food and trade to Meereen (ADWD Dany I, ADWD Dany V)

Wanted to win the Meereenese nobility to bring peace to the city (ADWD Dany I)

Agreed to wear the tokar to be accepted as Meereen's queen, despite her initial desire to ban it (ADWD Dany I)

Didn't force the Meereenese to adopt her language, instead learned theirs and spoke to them in their own tongue, while also allowing them to continue using their language freely (ADWD Dany as a whole)

Refused to grant the slaver Grazdan any compensation from the freed weavers and instead ordered him to give the freed weavers a new loom for forgetting the name of the old slave woman who taught them (ADWD Dany I)

Ensured fairness by alternating between summoning former masters and freedmen for their petitions (ADWD Dany I)

Spared the life of a noble boy who tried to attack her after she denied his request for justice due to her pardon for crimes during Meereen's sack (ADWD Dany I)

Made a point of personally listening to the petitioners instead of delegating the responsibility to her advisors (ADWD Dany as a whole)

Dismissed Reznak's suggestion to scourge those who come to her with complaints about her dragons, saying that "no man should ever fear to come to me" and thinking many of the claims must be genuine (ADWD Dany I)

Paid the claimants for their lost animals, but required them to swear an oath at the Temple of the Graces in the future to ensure the validity of their claims (ADWD Dany I)

Locked Rhaegal and Viserion after Drogon ate Hazzea (ADWD Dany II)

Rejected Skahaz's advice to execute Hazzea's father or to rip out his tongue (ADWD Dany II)

Chose to pay the blood price for the death of Hazzea, offering the father a compensation and memorial while asking him never to tell what happened to anyone (ADWD Dany II)

Comforted Missandei after her brother died by inviting her to share her bed, offering to send Missandei home to Naath and expressing her desire to keep her safe (ADWD Dany II)

Balanced the demands of the craftsmen's guilds with the needs of the freedmen, deciding to allow only guild members to claim titles of journeyman or master, while ensuring the guilds accept skilled freedmen into their ranks (ADWD Dany II)

Replanted olive trees (ADWD Dany III)

Vowed to be the calamity that transforms the slavers back into people (ADWD Dany III)

Proposed a trade deal with Xaro, offering Meereen's salt and wine (ADWD Dany III)

Ordered the construction of a ditch to bring water to the fields for planting beans (ADWD Dany III)

Rejected Xaro's comparison between slavery and rain and passionately defended her belief that no one wants to be owned (ADWD Dany III)

Spared Ghael's life even after he spat in her face (ADWD Dany III)

Hugged and kissed Mezzara, one of her young hostages, to thank her for bringing her morning meal (ADWD Dany III)

Assembled a diverse council that included both nobles and freedmen, ensuring the latter held important roles in both her administration and her army (ADWD Dany III)

Refused Xaro’s offer to leave Meereen in exchange for ships (ADWD Dany III)

Chose not to kill her child hostages even after the Sons of the Harpy continued to murder freedmen at night despite Skahaz's protests (ADWD Dany IV)

Said she "would sooner perish fighting than return my children to bondage" (ADWD Dany IV)

Thinks she owes it to the freedmen who perished (Stalwart Shield, Mossador, Rylona Rhee) to marry in order to end the slaughter in Meereen (ADWD Dany IV)

Agreed to marry Hizdahr if he gave her ninety days without killings in Meereen and eventually fulfilled her promise (ADWD Dany IV, ADWD Dany VII)

Believes that "a queen belongs not to herself, but to her people" and "the realm" (ADWD Dany IV, ADWD Dany V, ADWD Dany IX)

Rejected Daario's suggestion to kill all the Great Masters during a wedding (ADWD Dany IV)

Rejected Groleo's suggestion to use her dragons against the Yunkish (ADWD Dany V)

Supports agriculture in Meereen by planting beans, grapes and wheat (ADWD Dany V)

Forbade Skahaz from torturing Hizdahr after realizing that torture doesn't bring reliable results (ADWD Dany V)

Rejected Skahaz's suggestion to seize the kin of ruling families in Meereen, choosing instead to trust Hizdahr and hope for peace (ADWD Dany V)

Ordered food to be brought to the first Astapori refugees who came to Meereen (ADWD Dany V)

Refused Ben Plumm's advice to use her dragons in battle (ADWD Dany V)

Corrected Ben by emphasizing that the people she feels responsible for are not mere "bad apples," but human beings who are sick, hungry, and afraid, seeing them as her children (ADWD Dany V)

Set up a camp and sent food and medical care for the Astapori refugees sick and dying of the bloody flux (ADWD Dany V, ADWD Dany VI)

Insisted on personally delivering food to the Astapori refugees, despite the risks, to show solidarity with her people and understand their suffering firsthand - "I will not turn away from them. A queen must know the sufferings of her people" (ADWD Dany VI)

Knelt beside an old man and bathed him on her own initiative (ADWD Dany VI)

Shamed her followers into helping her prepare and burn the dead, organizing the effort and working alongside them (ADWD Dany VI)

Allowed Grey Worm and the Unsullied to bathe in the salt sea after their work, respecting their faith and privacy regarding the true name of their goddess. (ADWD Dany VI)

Believes that "a queen loves where she must, not where she will" (ADWD Dany VII)

Ordered Daario to treat Quentyn with courtesy (ADWD Dany VII)

Refused Quentyn’s marriage offer because she didn’t want to abandon her people (ADWD Dany VII)

Ended her affair with Daario after marrying Hizdahr (ADWD Dany VII)

Reassured Quentyn when he was scared of her dragons, expressing understanding rather than mocking him for his fear (ADWD Dany VIII)

Warned Quentyn to leave her court for his own safety (ADWD Dany VIII)

Insisted that the leftover food from the feast was given to the poor (ADWD Dany VIII)

Remembers the people she lost (Doreah, Quaro, Eroeh, Hazzea) in an attempt to accept the deaths in the fighting pits as a necessary price for peace and to avoid greater bloodshed (ADWD Dany VIII)

Ensured that a collapsed palanquin bearer was moved off the street and provided with food and water (ADWD Dany IX)

Forbade children to participate in the combats at Daznak's Pit (ADWD Dany IX)

Refused to allow thieves or debtors to be sentenced to fight in the pits, only murderers, rapists and slavers (ADWD Dany IX)

Ensured only free men who chose to fight would be allowed in the arena (ADWD Dany IX)

Stopped Hizdahr's plan to have dwarfs (unbeknownst to her, Tyrion and Penny) fight three lions in the pits (ADWD Dany IX)

Flew Drogon away from Meereen and prevented further harm to her people (ADWD Dany IX)

Bonus: On the ADWD cover for Brazil, I [Marc Simonetti] put Daenerys at the top of the stairs of the Meereenese pyramid. I had undoubtedly been, unconsciously, influenced by the series. And George [R. R. Martin] told me that Daenerys wants equality for everyone, she wants to be at the same level as her people, so I had her climb down to keep it consistent.

[jon-sedai]

I feel so dumb for never having realized this before but I was thinking about the bookend in AGoT between the Others, the dragons, and two heroes: Waymar Royce and Daenerys Targaryen.

While squaring off against the Others, Waymar Royce asks for a dance.

Ser Waymar met him bravely. “Dance with me then.” He lifted his sword high over his head, defiant. His hands trembled from the weight of it, or perhaps from the cold. Yet in that moment, Will thought, he was a boy no longer, but a man of the Night’s Watch.

It’s notable that this scene is eerily silent save for the bits of dialogue. And when Waymar’s dance finally begins, there’s a notable lack of music.

The pale sword came shivering through the air. Ser Waymar met it with steel. When the blades met, there was no ring of metal on metal; only a high, thin sound at the edge of hearing, like an animal screaming in pain. Royce checked a second blow, and a third, then fell back a step. Another flurry of blows, and he fell back again.

I’ve always asserted that Ser Waymar is a failed last hero if we judge his success based off Old Nan’s blueprint.

So as cold and death filled the earth, the last hero determined to seek out the children, in the hopes that their ancient magics could win back what the armies of men had lost. He set out into the dead lands with a sword, a horse, a dog, and a dozen companions. For years he searched, until he despaired of ever finding the children of the forest in their secret cities. One by one his friends died, and his horse, and finally even his dog, and his sword froze so hard the blade snapped when he tried to use it. And the Others smelled the hot blood in him, and came silent on his trail, stalking him with packs of pale white spiders big as hounds—”

Both Ser Waymar and the last hero lost their companions and both had their swords shatter to the cold. Yet Waymar failed to complete one important step: find the children of the forest. The children are also known as “the singers”. So it’s notable that Ser Waymar attempts to dance without any music(ians) to accompany him. And because he does so, his dance ends in failure.

But then we have Daenerys Targaryen in the Dothraki Sea.

As Daenerys Targaryen rose to her feet, her black hissed, pale smoke venting from its mouth and nostrils. The other two pulled away from her breasts and added their voices to the call, translucent wings unfolding and stirring the air, and for the first time in hundreds of years, the night came alive with the music of dragons.

Dany performs a miracle in bringing dragons to life, the first person to do so in centuries. And these dragons sing a song that proclaims her, an exiled young princess and a widow, Azor Ahai reborn - the champion of fire, and warrior of light.

This bookend between the first and last chapters is so poignant. It’s not just that fire has returned to combat Ice. It’s that Dany brought back the music necessary to complete this dance. We start the book with a failed hero and end it with the rise of a true one; also interesting that Waymar’s end comes while he’s down on his knees whereas Dany rises to her feet reborn.

This makes Dany’s identity as the promised prince(ss) all the more impressive.

“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.

Waymar failed because he didn’t have a song to accompany him. Yet Dany has a song to dance to. A song of fire.

I think this raises some interesting questions regarding the nature of this great conflict. There not only has to be a song to dance to, but it seems that there is a key distinction between the singer and the dancer. Rhaegar Targaryen failed to fulfill the prophecy because he was the singer and not the dancer. His role was to provide the hero’s musical accompaniment. In a way, it’s almost like he as the bard is the herald. And the herald is rarely, if ever, the main character. So notice how Rhaegar heralds the hero, the king, while looking at Dany.

But! - there’s different kinds of songs. Dany has one, made by her dragons. But it’s not be the only one. The children of the forest are heavily associated with the last hero and while Waymar Royce is dead, there lives another: Bran Stark.

Bran found the children, the singers, and is a step closer to completing the last hero’s journey.

Now Bran is an interesting case.

“Go,” Bran whispered to his own horse. He touched her neck lightly, and the small chestnut filly started forward. Bran had named her Dancer. She was two years old, and Joseth said she was smarter than any horse had a right to be.

He has a dancing horse but at some point has to leave her behind. So does that mean that he has to learn to do the dancing in his own way?

And I find it interesting that Bran has a female dancer horse because this creates a neat parallel with Dany, a dancer who may also be the stallion that mounts the world; if it’s not her, then it has to be her mount, Drogon. This is important if we consider that the last hero, Azor Ahai/the promised prince, the Stallion That Mounts the World, etc. are all different yet complimentary manifestations of one heroic legend.

But the issue of songs doesn’t end there because there still exists one Jon Snow, another version of the last hero and promised prince. Jon isn’t a bard but he has been positioned as being adjacent to dancers. I won’t harp on about Jon’s parallels with Waymar Royce because they’ve been done to death. But it seems that Jon, like Bran and Dany, will succeed where Ser Waymar failed.

Because not only does Jon have music to herald him:

That night he dreamt of wildlings howling from the woods, advancing to the moan of warhorns and the roll of drums. Boom DOOM boom DOOM boom DOOM came the sound, a thousand hearts with a single beat.

But he is also positioned as a last man standing among many dead heroes:

“Stand fast,” Jon Snow called. “Throw them back.” He stood atop the Wall, alone. “Flame,” he cried, “feed them flame,” but there was no one to pay heed. They are all gone. They have abandoned me.

And he has a sword that will not shatter against the cold:

“Snow,” an eagle cried, as foemen scuttled up the ice like spiders. Jon was armored in black ice, but his blade burned red in his fist.

It’s noteworthy that Jon is the son of a singer, Rhaegar Targaryen. The very singer who sang the song of ice and fire; and notice how Jon is clad in both. Plus he has been mentored by another, Mance Rayder, whom he eventually succeeds.

At a quick glance, it’s very interesting to me that Jon is constantly listening to songs beyond the Wall. There’s the song of the blue winter rose (which in a way heralds his own birth), the song of Joramun and the Horn of Winter, and many others.

It’s also noteworthy just how often giants are mentioned as the subject of songs in Jon’s POV chapters. I bring this up because of the Last of the Giants:

Ooooooh, I am the last of the giants, my people are gone from the earth. The last of the great mountain giants, who ruled all the world at my birth.

I think there is a parallel here between the dragons, the giants, and the children of the forest. These are all dying species, yet they linger on for the song of ice and fire still needs to be brought to completion.

And let’s consider where our heroes fit in all this. Dany commands the dragons, Bran learns from the children, while Jon begins to befriend the giants. All these creatures make musical accompaniments for our heroes to dance to.

Lastly, I’m inclined to think of the Stark girls though I’m not entirely sure where they would fit in all of this. Arya, at some point, trains to be a dancer:

On the way back to his chambers, he came upon his daughter Arya on the winding steps of the Tower of the Hand, windmilling her arms as she struggled to balance on one leg. The rough stone had scuffed her bare feet. Ned stopped and looked at her. “Arya, what are you doing?” “Syrio says a water dancer can stand on one toe for hours.” Her hands flailed at the air to steady herself. Ned had to smile. “Which toe?” he teased. “Any toe,” Arya said, exasperated with the question. She hopped from her right leg to her left, swaying dangerously before she regained her balance. “Must you do your standing here?” he asked. “It’s a long hard fall down these steps.” “Syrio says a water dancer never falls.” She lowered her leg to stand on two feet. “Father, will Bran come and live with us now?”

Now Arya is no singer, but her wolf is.

In another place, his little sister lifted her head to sing to the moon, and a hundred small grey cousins broke off their hunt to sing with her.

On the other hand, Sansa is no dancer but she is known for her ability to sing. And boy does she sing beautifully.

Her throat was dry and tight with fear, and every song she had ever known had fled from her mind. Please don't kill me, she wanted to scream, please don't. She could feel him twisting the point, pushing it into her throat, and she almost closed her eyes again, but then she remembered. It was not the song of Florian and Jonquil, but it was a song. Her voice sounded small and thin and tremulous in her ears. Gentle Mother, font of mercy, Save our sons from war, we pray,

In fact, a lot of Sansa’s songs are prayers for those who dance to the music of swords. Her songs are soothing, calming. And see this during Stannis’ assault on Kings Landing when she is able to calm Sandor and the noble women through the power of song. Hers is not a song to dance to, it’s a different kind though I’m not entirely sure what it entails. I do want to say, though, that Sansa is often paralleled with creates that take flight; various birds and bats. So she is a singer, much like the dragons.

I may have neglected other characters here, but I just thought it was intriguing that our main heroes (Jon, Bran, Dany, maybe Arya) are all positioned as dancers for the song of ice and fire.

[loggiepj]

To Love A Lannister

chapter 14 | chapter 15

"They attacked Meereen," Oberyn stated, "Queen Daenerys did the right thing, killing all the masters to stop slavery."

Your guardian father hummed in agreement, still looking at you. Absorbed by the newfound information about your sister, you found yourself lost in thoughts. Daenerys hadn't only gained Unsullied army on her side, but also the Dothraki. The Dothraki were known to be ruthless, and war was nothing to them but sport. When you were young, you'd play with your friends, pretending to be Dothraki when you all were far from one. Any tourney held in King's Landing was nothing in comparison to the way the Dothraki fight.

"Varys has confided to me in secret to meet them in Dragonstone," your guardian father added, making you glance upon the mention of a familiar name. Varys used to be part of the King's council. You thought he was still part of the council, advising Tommen and Tywin. If the Lannisters would find out, it would be considered treason. "To bend the knee. I hear the Ironborns have also supported her side recently."

"And what does Prince Doran has to say about all of these?" you butted in, the mention of your real father's name in your mouth caused a turmoil in your stomach.

Oberyn placed the cup of wine he was drinking on the table, leaned his back comfortably against his seat, then lifted his legs to rest upon the edge of the table. "After much convincing given how he always admire the Dothraki, my brother has already advised to proceed, although it might take us a bit longer due to some complications."

Furrowing your brows deeper, you asked, "You mean his son's marriage?"

Your guardian father nodded. "He tried persuading Trystane but to no luck. Marrying them would pledge alliance between the Martells and the Lannisters. It would cause a rebellion within the house."

You only frowned upon them. "So you wish to stop them then?"

"Unless Myrcella can be easily persuaded to support the true Queen," Oberyn said, "we have no choice but to make a scene just to stop any wedding from happening."

"This is an insult!" you argued. "They're just in love!"

Remembering Myrcella's ecstatic behavior upon her mother's surprised visit in Dorne, you couldn't help but feel sympathy for them. You saw her with Prince Trystane together when you first arrived back home, and you could tell it was rare — falling in love with the person your parents wish for you to marry at first.

It was then you found out the plans Lord Tywin arranged for his granddaughter. Maybe that was why he kept you alive in the Capital. Maybe that was why he accepted Yronwood without second thoughts, because regardless if you would marry Cersei or not, Myrcella would still marry Trystane.

The only thing different was both Myrcella and Trystane were already enamored with each other.

If they could forbid you and Cersei, it wouldn't hurt if they could also break Myrcella and Trystane apart. But Trystane being next in line to his father Prince Doran, it would cause an uproar amongst the Dornish folks.

Prince Doran held a massive feast for the guests when you all finally arrived in Dorne a week ago. Although his presence couldn't help but make you feel bothered. Even when he hugged you, congratulating you for your win against the murderer of his late sister, you wondered how good of a father Doran was if he only knew.

Your guardian father had welcomed you as if nothing had changed, and you couldn't hate him for hiding such facts from you since you were a kid. He did it for your own protection.

"Oberyn has told me how you had grown quite fond of Cersei," your guardian father said, bringing you back to the present. "I trust you have already had your fun. You know your duty, Y/n."

"My duty that was only made known to me a month ago?"

"It's difficult, I know," he answered. "But it's easier this way. You don't want to end up in a decision you'd truly regret for the rest of your life — choosing between her and your own family."

~~~

The night finally came to an end. You left the room rather abruptly, eyes glistening with tears for you were lost on what to do. And it was your inattentiveness that made you bump into Cersei as she closed the door of Myrcella's chambers.

"Why are you still awake?" Cersei asked. When she saw your eyes red, she cupped your face and pulled your chin to look at her. "What's wrong?"

You bit back, holding your emotions as you forced a smile. "Nothing, Your Grace. Just a silly argument with my father."

Her eyebrows knitted in worry and confusion, knowing you weren't being transparent with her. When she was about to speak, you stopped her. "I want to show you something." Holding your hand in hers, Cersei let you lead the way.

You walked through dark hallways and climbed down spirals and spirals of stairs until you both arrived in the grand library of the Sunspear castle. You had spent most of your life in there. It wasn't as great as the Red Keep's, but it stood its purpose for centuries.

You led Cersei to the center of the room, pointing to a huge painting displayed on the entire wall, with portraits of faces on top of italicized names and vines connecting each individual.

"It's the family tree of House Martell. Did you know that Prince Doran's great great grandfather was a Targaryen?" you asked, as you pointed the almost faded face on the wall, while your other hand still held Cersei's. It was a mystery to you she hadn't let go.

Cersei smiled. "You should be wary who you're sharing it with. One could tell you're supporting the wrong line."

"It's not a harmful knowledge. This is also written in scrolls I found in your library, you know," you chided in, chuckling. "Not unless you don't read them, then you wouldn't know."

She laughed, slapping your arm playfully, finally letting you go as she approached closer to the wall.

You then fell silent as you watched her stare at the wall with fascination, her fingers brushing on your portrait connected to your guardian father's name.

Absentmindedly grabbing a dusty book from the shelf, you began, "Sometimes, I wish I wasn't part of it, part of the duty expected out of me."

Cersei then glanced at you, before she closed the distance. "Y/n—"

"Do you sometimes feel that way too?" You placed the book back although stopped midway when her hand touched your arm.

She sighed, nodding. "I . . . I do, and then I remember my children and what I would do for them."

You averted your gaze, heartbeat quickened from how near the Queen was.

Cersei continued, "They say never love anyone besides your children and family. Because love is poison. A sweet poison, yes. But it will kill you just the same."

You met her eyes, already staring right at you. "You will be the death of me, Cersei."

The book somehow fell unto the floor, making a distinct yet sharp noise that could wake any resident nearby. You quickly shushed Cersei's lips when you heard sounds of metal armor clanking outside, pushing the woman against the nearest shelves to hide.

"Is anyone in there?!" one of the Dornish guards yelled into what seemed like an empty room. You and Cersei were pressed against each other in one corner, the dusty wooden shelf and an old abandoned large furniture hid the both of you. Unaware of Cersei's gaze following your face, you peered behind the shelf to check if the guard had left.

And when you both heard the door closing, you leaned back and looked at Cersei, smiling as if you won a game of hide-and-seek. It was only then when you finally noticed how the distance between you and the Queen was inexistent.

Cersei then grabbed your neck and kissed you.

Hesitantly pulling away, you whispered, "Someone could see us."

"Let them," she pleaded, her eyes never leaving your mouth. "A lioness does not concern herself to the opinions of the sheep."

When her eyes finally met back yours, you pushed your mouth against her lips and took back what you desired.

It was carnal, hungry, desperate. As if you were both deprived from each other for too long. You gently lifted and placed her on top of a study table, scrolls and papers crumpled and fell from the action, before your hand made haste bunching her dress up to her waist. Kneeling before her, you wasted no time tasting her once you had pushed her chemise out of way.

"Y/n," Cersei let out a strained moan, her hand immediately clutching your head, fingers threading through your hair as if it were reins to which she would ride you. And she did, pushing your face harder and closer into her as she rode you. The Queen's other hand was behind her as support while you lifted one of her thighs on your shoulder.

The Lioness chanted your name like a prayer as she threw her head back. Your tongue never grew tired bringing her to ecstasy, flicking against her swollen aching bud. The sounds you made, grunting and moaning as she pulled your hair, only spurred Cersei on. You couldn't believe she was capable of getting this wet and dripping before until your fingers entered her with ease, with no resistance of whatsoever, her tight and warm cunt desperately sucking your fingers inside her.

"Yes, yes, Y/n, yes!" Cersei whimpered as she pulled you closer, if it was even possible to pull you closer.

And if the Dornish guards had heard another sound, they'd ignore and let you two had your ways. Because there was no way no one could not hear how loud the Queen Mother was as she came, her body trembling. The table screeched against the cobbled floor from the movement.

Once she came down from her high, Cersei pulled you up to her, grabbing the collar of your tunic as she pressed her lips against yours, tasting herself from the kiss. You could feel one of her hands snaking inside your breeches, somehow managing to quickly untie the knots with one hand.

You moaned into the kiss, feeling the wonderful warmth of the woman's hand stroking your hardening shaft. "I miss this," Cersei whispered, pulling away. "I miss you."

The genuine tone of adoration from the Lannister woman made you fall in love with her more. "I miss you too, my Queen." The term of endearment brought a smile to her face.

Cersei was already lining your cock into her entrance before you plunged it right in. The action made the both of you break from the kiss, groaning as her nails dug into the skin of your back.

Beginning a slow rhythm, you rested your forehead against hers, eyes staring into each other. She grabbed your face for another kiss, her other hand reaching your ass as she cupped it and pulled you closer and deeper. It made you lean back and change the pace, thrusting relentlessly.

You laid her spread down on the table as you pushed into her between her legs without stopping. She arched her back and threw her head against the wood, hands reaching any item within reach just to ground herself.

Then she looked back at you as she whimpered. "I want to see you. I want to see you, Y/n." Her hands were already opening your tunic and once done, she cupped and squeezed your breasts, making you moan from the action.

"Cersei."

Her eyes were full of lust that you found yourself nearly there, your thrusts getting sloppier and sloppier each second. You leaned your body forward, on top of her and kissed her to cover her louder moans. Hands on your hair, she pulled you back from her as she looked into you. "I want to see you come undone before me," she requested with a soft whimper.

Cersei's face contorted in pleasure before you with a piercing focused gaze made you lose it as you spilled into her, thick ropes of cum spurted inside her throbbing cunt that was greedily milking you. The sight of you coming on top of her, moaning and grunting your release, made the Queen lose her own composure. A strangled moan made its way out of her throat as she hugged you, burying her head into your neck while her cunt squeezed and devoured your cock as she convulsed.

"Y/n . . . Y/n." Both of your cum leaked inside her, stuffing her full. The feeling made the pleasure last longer as she held unto you, whimpering into your ear.

And it was such a wonderful melody.

~~~

"I know you're mad after what we've discussed with your father," Oberyn said, holding a lit torch as you delved further into the dark.

With the deafening sound from the rushing waterfall, no one would notice two individuals such as yourselves creeping inside a secret entrance to one of the deepest caves in Sunspear. As a kid, somehow you had stumbled on such place while swimming with your friends, competing who could jump from such a high peak where the water meets the ground. You almost drowned that day, but you remembered being rescued by a scaly crocodile. No one believed you that time.

When you only gave Oberyn silence as you followed his trail, he sighed. "I heard news from the castle you've been very busy with the Dowager Queen. You got to be careful, Y/n."

"I am careful," you spat back. "As you always never fail to remind me every single day."

"Doran changed his mind," he said, making you glance at him in confusion. "He now believes marrying his son to the young lioness would secure Dorne's place in the Kingdom. I had no idea how Tywin had managed to convince my brother. But Doran's been cautioning us to stop whatever the seven hells we were doing. He even intercepted Varys' ravens coming in and out of Sunspear. The Sands are starting a rebellion in the open desert upon hearing the news. Ellaria was frustrated. I am telling you, Y/n, you are the only one string holding us together to bend the knee to Queen Daenerys."

"What happens now?"

You both continued to walk in silence, crawling against uneven slippery surface only ignited by the torch carried by Oberyn. Then he paused, looking down what seemed to be an empty chasm before he looked at you, nudging ahead.

"Are you mental? Is this my punishment?"

Oberyn rolled his eyes, as he then pulled you. "Don't be a fool." You turned towards him as he said, "Don't forget to breathe though."

You gave him a scornful look before letting yourself fall back towards the dark hole. Cold water hit your body the moment you were submerged. Catching breath, you heard splashing next to you with Oberyn grunting. "I'm too old for diving."

Chuckling, you swam towards the nearest bank and brushed the wet hair from your face. As your eyes adjusted to the darkness, all you could see was a large chamber ahead, even larger than the Sept of Baelor in King's Landing.

"You know, your mother didn't only give you to us before she left for Dragonstone," he started, shaking off the water from his boots. "You came with something, a shiny scaly egg. Something that hasn't been in existence in Westeros for quite some time."

You heard chains unrolling from a distance, making you look back at the darkness ahead, your hand at the sheath of your dagger.

"It hatched when you turned seven," Oberyn went on, panting as he climbed towards a high cliff, ushering you to follow him. "Only a few trusted Sands knew about its existence, doing their best to feed it, to take care of it. Goats it's favorite. Ever wondered why there's a whole pasture of goats at the end of Sunspear. It wasn't just any merchant's animal farm."

You heard a growl so deep and unnatural in this world, the hairs at the back of your neck stood. You unsheathed your dagger, not sure whether it could help your case, but Oberyn held you back as he shook his head no. "There's a reason why your guardian father hired someone from the Citadel to teach you some old High Valyrian because it only understands that language."

From the faint light coming from the cave's ceiling, you could see a shadow move before you, making you wary. It was only until you were face to face with the beast did you manage to figure out that your hunches were right. You had only seen them on paintings, on some pages from old books. But if you could talk to the painters or the publishers, you'd ask them why they never tell anyone how huge and terrifying an actual beast looked like.

You stood frozen, your dagger falling to the ground when the creature snorted a smoky breath your way, leaning forward towards you as if smelling you. You had so many questions but no words seemed to come out. Then it took a step back, a light visible in its throat before it came out from its mouth, blowing huge flames towards the ceiling, lighting the whole cave.

It was a full sized dragon, so huge it would cover the entire Red Keep. The dragon had distinguishing silver rough scales, long talons and metallic gray wings, its tail looked like spikes with ends as sharp as spearheads.

"Y/n, meet Nymeros." Oberyn's voice made you realize you were still there and that it wasn't some dream or imagination. The beast leaned forward once again, even closer than before as it gently nudged its head against your body, making you nervously gasp. Your trembling hands reached towards its snout, a smile forming slowly on your face when it closed its eyes from your touch.

"I think it's time for you to learn how to ride a dragon."

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

I truly appreciate your continued support in reading my stories. You can help me create more stories by supporting my writing thru this link.

Thank you so much ❤🥰

[daenerystargaryensgirlfriend]

Daenerys book differences

{only the firsts three seasons}

In S1, we mostly see how badly Daenerys was treated by Viserys and then how, with Drogo's help, she proceeded to go against him and then become the mother of dragons. In the first book, we actually see how she herself started to outshine him; she started to grow as a leader and started to create her own circle of people. To give an example, there's this scene when she orders the khalasar to stay behind ("you're learning to talk like a queen," "not a queen, a khaleesi"), and Viserys gets mad at her (as usual). In the show, it's a man from the Khalasar who humiliates him and takes away his horse (Rakharo, if I remember correctly). In the book, it's Daenerys; she's the one who humiliates him using her dothraki knowledge. This shows not only that she was starting to defy her brother but also her leadership's growth.

Still in S1, in the last episode, there's the speech where she says, "And I swear to you, that all those that will harm you will die screaming." There's a similar speech in the book, but she says that all the men who raped a little girl will die screaming.

In s2, when she sends people away and she sees how her people are not doing well, she looks frightened, and she needs Jorah to tell her that "she needs to be their strength" (completely erasing her leadership moment). In the book, however, she already knows that she needs to be their strength and that she can show no weakness or fear.

Still in s2, when they arrive to Qarth, she just starts screaming in one of the seven that she will burn down cities and whatever ("we will lay waste on armys and burn cities to the ground"). Also when they enter and they don't agree to take her to Westeros, she gets mad again and looks childish. In the books, however, the seven let her stay in Qarth out of curiosity, and she's also the one to explain to Xaro how business works, showing her intelligence.

In S3, she wonders whether to buy the unsullied or not. In the book, she affirms that she wants people to follow her because they believe in her and not because they've been bought. Does that sound familiar to you? of course, because they gave that whole speech to Ser Barriston, again taking away her intelligence.

Also, with the second sons it's not Daario that guides her like it happens in the show. In the book, Daenerys is the one who plans the attack against Yunkai, giving them different information to trick them and getting the second sons drunk. Again, her intelligence and leadership were given to her male advisors.

[melrosing]

What do you think of Daenerys relationship with her handmaidens

I think it’s a bit of a mess tbh and that mostly hinges on the fact that Irri and Jhiqui are severely underwritten. They have no truly distinct traits from each other, they have no motives or aspirations besides helping and hanging out w Dany, they rarely weigh in with their own thoughts on Dany’s humanitarian and political projects besides in a very ‘yes man’ manner, and this is never meaningfully unpicked. And then the Dany/Irri sexual stuff is just. yeah a complete and total mess that I won’t go into fully but I do think it’s bizarre that in the first scene this takes place we reckon w what it means for Irri to do this for Dany within their power dynamic, and Dany interrogating this for herself has its part in driving her to do what she then does in Astapor. But then weirdly it happens twice (I think?) again in later chapters without any level of reflection, or any real reason WHY it would’ve happened again, and I find this difficult to make sense of. It seems really OOC for Dany to basically renege on what she realised about their power dynamic on like. a horny whim?? and ofc we never get Irri’s thoughts on it. So yeah it’s a total mess and hugely symptomatic of GRRM’s severe disservice to his Dothraki characters.

[silverflameataraxia]

I will never understand how this scene is somehow proof of Dany turning into a Mad Queen. She was supposed to sympathize with Viserys, the man who spent years abusing her, who threatened to let all the Dothraki men and their horses r*pe her, who threatened to cut her unborn child out of her? Yeah, I don't think so. She's getting justice against her abuser. I'm not gonna fault her for that.

[knightsickness]

As a Victarion fan, nothing brings me more joy than seeing one of the people my tumblr shooting for him.

There are tens of us Victarion fans!

people r always calling him stupid for not knowing the dothraki sea isnt actually a sea but like how was he supposed to know or guess that if no one had ever told him. there are many other reasons you can call him dumb this ones just petty its like calling him dumb for not knowing jaimes missing a hand. he lives in medieval times. the actually dumb guy in that scene was the one who called the gigantic guy with the volcano fist a fool and didnt think anything would happen

[therysss]

(Sketch) Rhaego Targaryen, Heir of The Iron Throne Dragon's Bay WIP Redesign of a redesign of my "main" ASoIaF AU: Age of Iron and Steam. You can find the other (few) arts from this project in the tag "The Age of Iron and Steam AU". Martin may hate me for fanficting, but it's kind of his fault for killing off this character who- oh my god, could have been great… Or terrible for, you know, stone houses and stuff. The whole conflict behind this doubt/prophecy is exactly what I want to explore in this AU beyond the New Age that has begun in Meereen. I'm not sure yet if I'm going to turn it into a fanfic, or just a series of drawings with scenes I have in mind since University prevents me from spending much time on either of those things. Well, this is Rhaego, the Stallion Who Mounts the World, or Who Will Mounts… He's only 14, GIVE HIM A BREAK! Anyway, design explanation: I wanted to reflect not only his Dothraki heritage, in a way that still honors his Valyrian heritage, but also shows a touch of his personality: Even when casual, the prince dresses richly. Over his bare chest, Rhaego wears a traditional hand-painted leather jacket, a gift from his sister, who painted the jacket in the colors of their house, featuring several embroidery of the three-headed dragon from the Targaryen sigil; the black and red scarves at his waist are held by two belts, one of bronze medallions holding Valyrian glyphs that means "Blood", "Power" and "Fire", respectively, and the other made of Valyrian Steel with rubies set into each of the "coins"; His braids are held back at the nape of his neck by a hair pendant whose end is shaped in the image of three dragon heads, with silver and gold rings, bells, black and red ribbons and other hair accessories along the length of the three braids that have never been cut. He also wears accessories all over his body, a scarf with rings on his arm, riding gloves that cover part of his forearm, several rings on both hands, silver earrings with rubies and most notably a Valyrian Steel necklace with a pendant in the shape of another Valyrian Glyph, "Raqagon" which means "Love".

[dead-dolphins]

Okay, it took me a while but here it is: Everything you need to know about Alpha Warlord Eren or my omegaverse AU!

This is my first time diving into omegaverse, so if anything’s off, let me know, lol. It will be called "Venus in Furs" and the story will unfold in a world resembling medieval time, but with a desert landscape! Think something along the lines of the Dothrakis from ASOIAF, so expect fierce desert tribes, intense/freaky customs, and the harsh beauty of endless sands! (also, lol, this will be my first time writing about desert lands, and my knowledge is mostly based on geology, so I'm excited to see how that translates into the story!)

Eren is the Khan, ruler of a nomadic tribe notorious for raiding beta and omega cities, as well as weaker alpha territories.

His reign is foretold by a prophecy that promises his dominance over the world when he unites with an omega goddess descended from the moon, whose children will cement his empire's glory.

Mikasa, an omega, is held captive in Hizuru, where she is worshipped as a goddess—a title that offers her no real protection. Her homeland was conquered by Hizuru, and her parents were slaughtered in the process.

They collide when Eren invades Hizuru just as the priests prepare to sacrifice Mikasa.

The moment he catches her scent and sees the scar on her cheek, he knows she is the omega from the prophecy, destined to be his mate.

Eren immediately takes Mikasa with him and intends to fulfil the prophecy without delay.

However, he quickly discovers that Mikasa is unaffected by his scent, a result of the potent suppressants forced upon her. This renders her resistant to his alpha presence.

Enraged by her rejection, Eren struggles with his frustration but realises he has no choice but to wait for Mikasa’s natural heat to return, a slow and gradual process.

Meanwhile, Eren has a harem of omega concubines, who serve him during his rut. He tends to them when they are in heat, but they are forbidden from bearing his children or receiving his knot; they exist solely for pleasure.

Once Mikasa enters his life, Eren distances himself from the concubines entirely. This stirs jealousy within one of them, who, driven by envy, makes Mikasa's day by day impossible.

The jealous concubine makes Mikasa fearful of Eren, deepening her desire to escape. His barbaric, violent demeanour only deepens her desire to escape, and she makes several attempts to flee.

Despite his rough nature, Eren remains surprisingly patient, understanding that he cannot force himself upon a virgin omega without causing harm. He waits, knowing he must allow her to come to him willingly.

Well... there's not much to it, you know, Mikasa’s heat begins to return, and as it overwhelms her, she finds herself needing Eren’s fingers, mouth and touch until she is ready to accept his knot. 🥴

Oh, I almost forgot, Zeke, Eren’s half-brother born of an omega concubine, enters the scene. Zeke makes several attempts to seize Eren’s throne. Noticing Eren’s omega, he sees an opportunity to provoke his brother. What he will do? I don't know 😘

[atopvisenyashill]

Worst things GOT did casting wise:

- making Dany too beautiful (+ styling her in a way that she never has a hair out of place, always wears BLUE - which makes her look peaceful and soft and angelic, not making her burn her hair off etc). I just think of that one official art piece that's in the illustrated AGOT book where dany is bald, with the dragons and sparks and frames around her and its so striking instead of the "beautiful angelic blonde women stand empowered with her tits out" scene we got

- casting Iain Glen as Jorah and not like. a random Lannister (like. Come on. He is a burly and ugly man... why are you casting one of the most beautiful men to play him.... this is how we ended up with dany/jorah shippers)

-making Joffrey too unattractive (this is not meant to disparage JG who is a great actor and seems like a really cool dude and i'm not saying he's ugly but I think from his very first scene Joffrey looks very punchable and it would have been so much smarter to make the audience .. relate to Sansa's infatuation with his golden looks. In my head (and in all the official art) Joffrey looks like a male version of cersei/a younger version of Jaime.)

- making Dany, Jon, Robb, Marg, Brienne etc 10+ years older than Sansa and the younger starklings .... It's not "the main characters and arya (who is so cool and can kill people) + the little children" it's ONE AGE group of equally important characters

Like I know people are upset at Ned/Jon etc being too attractive, WHICH I GET, but I feel like those were very vibe based casting decisions and i'm ultimately fine with that (I also think it's easier for the audience to root for someone if they're attractive so like. I guess they had to do it) but these other things resulated in people's perception of the characters being so wildly different from what they're supposed to be. The real reason people get so angry whenever someone says they wish tamzin had stayed is because they don't like the idea of daenerys not being this ethereal beauty (TM is beautiful but not in a conventional way) that they can fully root for without issue.

1. NO YOU ARE SOOOOOO RIGHT ABOUT THEM REFUSING TO LET DANY LOOK UGLY. it’s not to say tamzin isn’t clearly beautiful, but i think she’s beautiful in the same way gwendoline christie is, which is that she’s very striking and she has a strong presence but she’s not exactly what people picture when they say “typical hot lady” (which is Crazy these are all able bodied white women, like the definition of “beauty” is soooooo fuckijg narrow that tamzin merchant is ~atypically beautiful) vs emilia definitely is, and YES like everything from not burning her hair off to emilia being,,,,,fuller in figure than dany as a fourteen year old would be is just very clear that they saw dany different than the way she is On The Page. i mean i know people whack george for saying that she’s like a sexy funny lady or whatever but george never lets go of the fact that she’s incredibly young whereas d&d completely miss that part of her character.

i will say i Get the criticism of tamzin perhaps not picking up on the conlangs easily because one thing you can say for emilia is that she had a decent head for the conlangs, she’s even still partially fluent in dothraki lmaooo. but all the other stuff they said about why they recast dany it’s like. hmmmmmmmmmm.

2. absolutely right about iain especially because he’s similar to idk paddy in that he’s got CHARISMA but unlike viserys, they didn’t intent to portray him as a deeply flawed, antagonistic character they went in portraying him as like an objectively Good Guy dedicated to dany. he’s just so much less creepy and pushy in the show and has several scenes where he shows some moral backbone - that “yet here you stand” “yet here i stand” scene is sooooooo good for example, the fact that he actually apologizes for spying on dany, giving him the greyscale story & not having him fuck a valyrian looking woman in a brothel 💀, etc etc - and you also just lose some of the creepiness here because emilia is clearly a grown if young woman and ian is handsome, so it’s like. welll of Course you want to root for them to be together! and never mind that this is a Massive departure from their book characterizations!! again, they have this idea of jorah in their head that doesn’t match up with what’s on the page even a little.

3. i do get your point re: joffrey and i think this is my problem with aidan as littlefucker too - they’re too obviously villains and it makes ned and sansa look stupid. like, in the books we have that moment where robb almost decks joffrey which does seem to signal something bad but the crown prince being full of himself doesn’t mean he’s going to threaten his betrothed’s sister with a sword then get his ass handed to him by a toddler. in the show we get QUITE a number of scenes where joffrey is shown to be a brat AND as you say, just like aidan, jack has a Certain Look, he looks like a shitty jock who has allegations against him ajsjdj like irl when jack smiles he’s so adorable!! but in the show they REALLY play up his ability to channel a greasy aura ya know aksjd. when the point of asoiaf is often that villains don’t LOOK like villains, but some of our Main Villains clearly resemble typical villains in the show.

4. “it’s ONE age group of characters” NO YOU ARE SO RIGHT. like, there’s several years difference from robert to ned to cat to the twins to tyrion but they’re all the same generation of characters. there’s that exact same age difference from brienne to robb, dany, jon to sansa, arya, bran, with theon kind of similar to characters like jorah, who are old enough to remember The Before Times but aren’t quite in either generation. but because they wanted dany, brienne, jon, robb, and margaery to be more of a Typical archetype rather than an exploration of that archetype, they aged everyone up and essentially invented another generation between the “adult” characters and the “kid” characters. not to be super nerdy here but one of my favorite worked shoots in wrestling is one cody rhodes did where he was ranting about the way young wrestlers get put through the grinder and he has this amazing line where he sums it up as “old men talking, young men dying” and it’s not to say there aren’t a lot of old dudes Also dying lmao but you really see this where young leaders are often unprepared for their responsibilities and used as puppets by older men and you just MISS THAT when that whole generation is so grown!

it’s like they looked at those themes of war being terrible and all consuming and brutal no matter how justified you feel you are and went “wow war is brutal 😍” LIKE PLEASE????

[jedimaesteryoda]

When their lord husbands died and a new khal took his place at the front of his riders, with a new khaleesi mounted beside him, they were sent here, to reign over the vast Dothraki nation. Even the mightiest of khals bowed to the wisdom and authority of the dosh khaleen. Still, it gave Dany the shivers to think that one day she might be sent to join them, whether she willed it or no. -AGOT, Daenerys V

A scene from where Daenerys's unborn child Rhaego is declared the Stallion Who Mounts the World. Dothraki society provides much reverence for horses which serve as both their primary mode of transportation as well as a source of leather, milk and meat. They associate themselves with horses.

It makes sense that their society is modeled after horses even along gender lines to some degree. The leaders of the horse herds are always older mares rather than stallions. They decide when the herd moves and where to graze as well as leading them to food, water and shelter. The dosh khaleen themselves dwell at Vaes Dothrak, which has both the lake of the Womb of the World, the largest source of freshwater in the Dothraki Sea and the only permanent shelter of the khalasars. The khals, who are always men, defer to the dosh khaleen, and see them as the true leaders of their people.

"yet Vaes Dothrak is large enough to house every man of every khalasar, should all the khals return to the Mother at once. The crones have prophesied that one day that will come to pass, and so Vaes Dothrak must be ready to embrace all its children." -AGOT, Daenerys IV

However, interestingly enough, no one among the Dothraki including Daenerys even consider the possibility that it is a Mare Who Mounts the World despite the rulers over horse and Dothraki society being female. It is through Daenerys's basic role that is often assigned to Dothraki women, as a mother, that she manages to become the prophecy figure as her child Drogon gives her a clear military advantage over any khal, including allowing her to kill in Vaes Dothrak without violating the taboo against steel and spilling blood.

[lukitua]

Hello! Since you clearly love Daenerys, I hope it's okay to suggest a scene for you to draw:

Dany walked right past him. There was an old man on the ground a few feet away, moaning and staring up at the grey belly of the clouds. She knelt beside him, wrinkling her nose at the smell, and pushed back his dirty grey hair to feel his brow. "His flesh is on fire. I need water to bathe him. Seawater will serve. Marselen, will you fetch some for me? I need oil as well, for the pyre. Who will help me burn the dead?"

By the time Aggo returned with Grey Worm and fifty of the Unsullied loping behind his horse, Dany had shamed all of them into helping her. Symon Stripeback and his men were pulling the living from the dead and stacking up the corpses, while Jhogo and Rakharo and their Dothraki helped those who could still walk toward the shore to bathe and wash their clothes. Aggo stared at them as if they had all gone mad, but Grey Worm knelt beside the queen and said, "This one would be of help."

Before midday a dozen fires were burning. Columns of greasy black smoke rose up to stain a merciless blue sky. Dany's riding clothes were stained and sooty as she stepped back from the pyres.  (Daenerys VI, ADWD)

This whole scene where Dany visits the Astapori refugees to deliver food, bathes an old man herself, helps to burn the dead and even inspires her followers to join in often gets overlooked, but I think it really highlights the lengths she goes to care for her people. It would be amazing if you could draw it at some point, but no worries if it’s not possible. Thank you for sharing your gorgeous art with us!!! <3

YES ABSOLUTELY!!! This is one of my top favorite Dany scenes as well, and I'll definitely add it to my list of works!! I have so many key moments that I want to draw that display her unyielding and defiant compassion and love. I can't say when or in which order, but I can promise I have a lot of Dany pieces in the works and I'll keep them coming as long as y'all will have them <3

And thank you so so much for enjoying my work!