Post by SlyWren on Apr 6, 2016 19:57:46 GMT
Well I think there's a certain subtlety to most of it in that if you were to just read Dany's story, it all works fine. It's when you see Braavos from Sam and Arya's perspective that hey, that's not the Braavos that Dany described. It's when Ned, Jaime, Catelyn, etc., meet Darrys that hey, none of them are great bears of men. Nor would Darry have ever had soft hands if he were a master-at-arms. Or when Tycho tells Jon that Braavosi don't joke around about dragonlords, and Arya learns the story of Braavos' founding that you realize that Braavos makes no sense for the Targaryens to have hid in. Or when Illyrio tells Tyrion a bunch of history about Dany and Viserys. Or all the characters talking about where lemon trees actually grow which isn't Braavos. Etc.
Well I think there's a certain subtlety to most of it in that if you were to just read Dany's story, it all works fine. It's when you see Braavos from Sam and Arya's perspective that hey, that's not the Braavos that Dany described. It's when Ned, Jaime, Catelyn, etc., meet Darrys that hey, none of them are great bears of men. Nor would Darry have ever had soft hands if he were a master-at-arms. Or when Tycho tells Jon that Braavosi don't joke around about dragonlords, and Arya learns the story of Braavos' founding that you realize that Braavos makes no sense for the Targaryens to have hid in. Or when Illyrio tells Tyrion a bunch of history about Dany and Viserys. Or all the characters talking about where lemon trees actually grow which isn't Braavos. Etc.
The subtlety is there so long as you read Dany's story on its own.
Fair point. Still, the fact that her take on the past coming only from Viserys might be tainted. . . seems like that's made pretty clear, even on it's own.
Well I know I've mentioned this before in the past, but I'd say it has a lot to do with people being convinced of other theories that rather rely on Dany being Aerys and Rhaella's daughter. Primarily speaking of course of RLJ and their head canon regarding it. That if Dany isn't Dany well then you might have to completely throw out everything about RLJ. Or at least change some ideas about it. Which of course meets a lot of resistance among the fandom.
Especially if Dany is Rhaegar's child. RLJ becomes really hard to make work.
But I truly believe if you were to go over the story, look through the characters, you'll find far and away more support that Dany's the one who needs to be explained here, not Jon. We're told "who" Dany's parents are so we accept that, while seeing that Jon's mother gets a lot of speculation (so long as you first ignore Eddard and Edric saying it's Wylla) and assume there's more of a mystery in regards to Jon than there is with Dany. Dany's mystery just doesn't have anybody coming straight out and challenging you to truly sit back and say "Hey wait a minute..." you have to first learn all the various pieces that prove that Dany's story needs to be explained better.
YUP! Jon gives us more of a clue because he doesn't know who his mother is, but is sure of his father. So, we know to look for something.
But Dany--she thinks she knows who her parents are and isn't looking. So readers don't look.
Though even just in Game: Dany looks at Viserys before his crowning and thinks
When the sun of her life reached her, Dany slid an arm around his waist. The khal said a word, and his bloodriders leapt forward. Qotho seized the man who had been her brother by the arms. Haggo shattered his wrist with a single, sharp twist of his huge hands. Cohollo pulled the sword from his limp fingers. Even now Viserys did not understand. "No," he shouted, "you cannot touch me, I am the dragon, the dragon, and I will be crowned!" Game, Dany V
Dany knows he's not her brother. Granted, this could be strictly symbolic, but she calls herself the true dragon earlier when holding her eggs. And after Jorah told her Rhaegar was the last dragon. She knows instinctively she's like Rhaegar. Not the man who had been her brother.
Throw in the armor moment, and:
She lifted her head. "And I am Daenerys Stormborn, Daenerys of House Targaryen, of the blood of Aegon the Conqueror and Maegor the Cruel and old Valyria before them. I am the dragon's daughter, and I swear to you, these men will die screaming. Now bring me to Khal Drogo." Game, Dany IX.
There's a lot in Game to tell us she's Rhaegar oriented--not Aerys or Viserys.