Post by markg171 on Jun 2, 2016 4:48:23 GMT
A very good question, and welcome to the forum!
The thing is, is that while I'm inclined to believe that Dany isn't who she thinks she is, and that Dany had a secret childhood that she can't really remember, she did still IMO get picked up by Viserys fairly young, probably around 5 years old (the year that "Darry" died). So while Dany will remember bits and pieces that don't really fit, a lot of it, given that she's 13 when the series starts, would actually still be what she's used to and does remember pretty clearly and right. She'd have lived 8 years of her life as "Dany", as opposed to the 5 she lived as "whoever". She could still have been picked up later on, but I think the window's probably max under 8 years old as the older she gets the more weird it would be that she doesn't remember everything properly (though she could've been Reek'd).
But regardless, I think first and foremost the best indicator of why Dany's mannerisms are so "bad" for a highborn, is because of her years with Viserys, not her prior years. She may have indeed been brought up a bit better in her first years, learning High Valyrian and what not, but her years with Viserys seem more of Viserys' own mistreatment of Dany more than anything as Dany can only really say that Viserys taught her what she knows and Viserys was her companion. She seems to have only really dealt with Viserys over the years, she has nothing really to say about the princes, archons, magisters, etc., who she supposedly lived with. So she probably never really met them or anything. That he didn't let her be bejewelled, dressed well, etc., while he himself was all that and busy courting his cause. Viserys was still the Targaryen king after all, not Dany. He needs to look well, but she doesn't until she's of marrying age as that's all he needs her for.
It's still an anomaly how a girl who's a princess could never have worn any fine clothes or learned proper lady mannerisms in years of living in the best places possible in Essos, but Viserys simply neglecting her is just IMO the only way to resolve that barring Dany simply being a newly bought slave or random imposter. Viserys tagged her along with him, but she didn't need anything or need to do anything for him until he wanted her married, so he didn't. He just relatively speaking let her be and he was the only "real" guest of where they were staying.
It's not perfect, but at the end of the day the fact that she knows what she knows, and doesn't know what she doesn't know, and certain mannerisms that you wouldn't expect, is still just one big anomaly no matter what. And that's really the biggest takeaway IMO, is just that there's something wrong there. It's a red flag. And they're all over Dany's story, so it can't just be that they're random mistakes by GRRM or anything.
From it, we might conclude that Dany must have been raised with or by a Maester, and, that Viserys was not.
Talk about a bombshell. At least, it was for me.
Dany's "Willem Darry" with his soft hands was probably in truth a maester. Viserys' "Willem Darry" was probably the real Willem Darry. Viserys seems like a man who's been raised by an old master at arms. Dany does not. Dany seems like a girl raised by a maester. Her knowledge of war strategy alone should give us pause. Her mastery of High Valyrian all but seals the deal.
Yeah if I had to guess then Dany's "Willem Darry" probably was some maester. She might've indeed met the real Willem Darry at some point (as that man has to die or be dismissed by Viserys at some point given that he's gone too), and I've often wondered if she doesn't bleed the two men together (she oddly remembers that Darry would yell at servants, but also be all kind and gentle to her as well), but if I had to guess her first "Darry" was a maester. There's only 2 people in all the books with soft hands and they're maesters and Varys.
Well Doran's own maester is known, and he also happens to have soft hands just like Dany's "Willem Darry" did
"Very good, my prince." Maester Caleotte bowed, Ser Gregor's head still clutched in his soft pink hands.
Interesting enough Caleotte is described as being "bald as an egg"
Areo Hotah jerked his longaxe upright and stepped to one side. Obara gave him a lingering last look and strode past, the maester hurrying at her heels. Caleotte was no more than five feet tall and bald as an egg. His face was so smooth and fat that it was hard to tell his age, but he had been here before the captain, had even served the prince's mother. Despite his age and girth, he was still nimble enough, and clever as they came, but meek. He is no match for any Sand Snake, the captain thought.
Which many fans have used to believe that Varys, who's similarly described, is actually a secret Targaryen descendant given that the "bald as an egg" is possibly a reference to Aegon "Egg" Targaryen, who shaved his head to hide his silver hair.
In which case then Doran would have a maester who's got the soft hands that Dany remembers Darry having, and a man who is possibly actually a long-lost Targaryen as his maester. I don't necessarily believe that Caleotte is the "Darry" she remembers (that man probably did die like Dany says and Dany remembers Darry being a "great grey bear" while Caleotte is 5 feet tall), but IMO Caleotte seems to at least keep justifying that Dany = Dorne as here's a man with soft hands like Dany remembers, and is described in Targaryen imagery, and serves in Dorne.
....but I don't think that prince was Rhaego, as he wasn't a prince and died upon birth. If it was Rhaego, his ride was, sadly, very short.
. It can't be unseen once you notice the oddities in and around her story.