#;; in my huge meereenese conspiracy post i'll write about how the children are later used against her

[kaerinio]

as a means of getting some of the prominent slaving families to turn over information about the sons of the harpy, dany demands a gold and a blood tax. the gold tax is, of course, monetary, while the blood tax requires each family send a boy and a girl to serve at court as pages and cupbearers. she notes that such positions are highly coveted in Westerosi court structures, which is true. while it isn't fully specified in the text which boys and girls should be brought to her court, i would say that dany would demand heirs ( the oldest boy and the oldest girl ). not only does this apply external pressure onto the families to give up information ( delivered in the form of the fear that comes from knowing that the scions of these families are in the dragon's lair ), but there is a definite underlying motive on dany's part.

ultimately, dany institutes the blood tax to not only strike fear into the hearts of her enemies, but to also be a force of good in the lives of the children. she wants to transform meereen, doing away with the highly oppressive nature and culture of slavery, and by hosting the children of its most prominent families in her court, where many freedmen serve, where freedmen interact with daenerys on a regular basis, where daenerys hosts artisanal markets that prominently feature freedmen, she hopes to directly impact the future of meereen! she wants to disrupt their worldview.

additionally, daenerys is aware that these are children! frightened children, at that. while she attempted to hold a stern face, it only took one look at their tear-filled eyes, and she completely melted and went to comfort them. she remembers what it was like to be a frightened child, alone, in a terrifying situation. skahaz wishes that she would be harsher, but that is not in her nature when it comes to children, and she feels that, at least in this, guiding with a gentle hand will be much more effective for inspiring change. the relationship she has with the children is, of course, maternal. she cares for them, plays games with them, tells them stories, takes meals with them, and we see that the children love her dearly!