#aegon the conqueror with teats

[thaliajoy-blog]

A Daenerys looking like Nefertiti & wielding the symbols of the power of the Pharaoh. + A tiny Viserion.

[mursartifice]

oh my god im in awe, i cannot breathe she is my mother and my daughter and my love

Mother of thousands, in her womb lies the salvation of the world.

(open for better quality)

[book-daenerys]

GEORGE R. R. MARTIN’S STATEMENTS AND HOUSE OF THE DRAGON INDICATING THAT DAENERYS TARGARYEN IS THE PROPHESIED HERO OF A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE

George R. R. Martin: *associates Daenerys with the founder of the Targaryen dynasty who intended to unite Westeros in preparation for the War for the Dawn - she’s literally called “Aegon the Conqueror with teats”*

*has Daenerys dream about burning white walkers with dragonfire* 

*makes it clear that Daenerys is Azor Ahai/Princess That Was Promised* (“Azor Ahai shall […] wake dragons out of stone”/“No one ever looked for a girl. […] Daenerys is the one. […] The dragons prove it.”)

*confirms that Daenerys and her dragons are the Fire - which, according to his own description, symbolizes “love”, “passion” and “sexual ardor” in contrast to Ice representing “betrayal”, “revenge” and “cold inhumanity” - of A Song of Ice and Fire*

House of the Dragon (note that GRRM had more influence on that show than on Game of Thrones): *plays a song called “The Prince That Was Promised” - which was inspired by Daenerys’ theme songs - during the reveal of Aegon I’s prophetic dream (which came from GRRM himself)*

*has Aegon I name his dream ‘the song of ice and fire’ - which, as the GRRM himself already confirmed, refers to the Others and Daenerys Targaryen and her dragons*

*reveals that Aegon I’s dream (aka the song of ice and fire) is about a Targaryen king or queen - most likely Daenerys Targaryen - uniting humanity against the Others*

*has Daemon see the red comet (aka the herald of Azor Ahai) before it cuts to Daenerys (aka Aegon the Conqueror with teats, Azor Ahai Returned/Prince That Was Promised, the Fire of ASOIAF) and her dragons (aka Lightbringer) in his prophetic dream*

[thesunfyre4446]

I’m surprised to see so many people happy with the Sept scene, it’s complete illogical fan service.

They should’ve been clawing at each others faces. Instead you have Rhaenyra chuckling and joking “I’ve begun badly” girl, Vhagar made a mukkbang out of your son. A little bit of “Bitchy Alicent” peeked out towards Rhaenyra but still. Alicent knows Rhaenyra is a liar, the “On my mother’s memory” is a dig at that so why should Alicent believe at face value that Rhaenyra didn’t order Jaehaerys’s murder?

Rhaenyra also never apologizes about Jaehaerys, never expresses remorse or condolence. Her feelings last episode were more to do with it being bad publicity and less that a child her littlest sons ages was murdered. The whole thing is being treated like a one sided Rhaenicent fic where they wax on and on about Luke’s death and Alicent must repent for it every single day and twice on Sundays. While Jaehaerys is brushed over, that is if he’s even mentioned at all. His murder is never something that Rhaenyra needs to atone for. It’s never something Alicent or Helaena hold a grudge towards her for. All is forgiven.

That’s what the show is doing.

Not only that the Sept scene has ruined the potential of f Rhaenyra taking King’s landing. This meeting didn’t end badly, they didn’t throw insults or hands. Both just said they had no part in the murders of their son and grandson, both believed the other. Then Alicent let Rhaenyra go peacefully and Rhaenyra never intended on actually stabbing Alicent.

Alicent tells Rhaenyra that she meant it when she said she’d make a fine Queen- despite Rhaenyra never showing the potential to be a great ruler and Alicent deploring her for years because Rhaenyra’s lack of regard for duty usually led to Alicent having to fulfill them as well as her own and Viserys’s.

While Rhaenyra walks away from this reaffirmed with this thought that Alicent is still this pure soul and gentle heart- despite Rhaenyra accusing Alicent of hiding her true nature behind a cloak of righteousness and then saying “Now they see you as you are”. How do you go from getting sliced by Alicent to basically saying “Alicent is a sweetheart, she wouldn’t hurt a fly!”

Sure Aegon is about to almost die from injuries gotten in battle against the blacks and Rhaenyra will lose Jace and Viserys, that is going to impact both women but after this meeting of “It wasn’t me!” The other things can be explained away too, can’t they? Rhaenyra didn’t directly burn Aegon and Alicent isn’t the one who skewered Jace and kidnapped Viserys.

The build up of tension, rage, hate, resentment was just destroyed with this meeting. It doesn’t bode well for the Queen in chains/Half year reign/Maegor with teats storyline. We probably aren’t going to get one of the lines of all time, Alicent saying that her Grandson was an innocent child and Rhaenyra’s sons were “bastard blood shed at war” and Rhaenyra probably won’t even put Alicent in gold chains.

The entire war just seems pointless after this, these two started this way before Viserys died. With Driftmark or even long before that when Rhaenyra had Alicent’s father exiled from Kingslanding and Alicent wore that dress… but they don’t want to finish it anymore?? These women are about to sacrifice their whole families for this and neither of them want it. Now they realize how pointless it all was? How they could’ve co-existed in the same place?

Also, why have the writers seemingly forgotten about Alicent’s very valid fear for her children’s lives if Rhaenyra ascended? Her fears are being validated with each episode yet they’re hinging it all on the ramblings of a dying man while he was dope sick?? On Viserys’s ramblings why didn’t Alicent(the writers) remember the conversation Alicent and Viserys had by the fire in ep 3? The one where Viserys explicitly says “a male babe born to me wearing the conquerors crown” he’s describing his son Aegon. Could Alicent have not countered Rhaenyra’s “he meant the conqueror” with “No, years ago he told me the same thing”

After having the blame of her Grandson’s murder placed on her for having non dissociative sex for once in her life, yet again Alicent will be filled with guilt. This time at the thought that the entire war and its casualties are her fault because of a misunderstanding.

Free Alicent, Ryan Condals whipping boy.

I would honestly take Benioff and Weiss, at least the seasons where they had the material laid all out for them were good. Condal has a full story outline but is still fucking up right out of the gate.

(Sorry for the long rant)

anon you ate and left no crumbs. i truly have nothing to add.

up until ep 7 the show made sense. in ep 6 alicent tells aegon that if rhaenyra becomes queen him and his brother will be murdered. but by ep 8 she apparently doesn't give a fuck anymore?

[muiltifandomnerd]

It will be awesome to see Daenerys and Jon try to reinstablished what does it mean to be a Targaryen.

show bad but i kind of dig the idea of drogon destroying the iron throne AT dany's command as a callback to the way it was forged in the fires of the conquerer's dragon balerion. but this is probably a bit too on the nose and the iron throne is likely going down with king's landing. the red keep is situated at an elevated height over the rest of the city where the smallfolk live in cramped quarters, this is meant to be evoking irone throne imagery of the king seated at top of the stairs and looking down at his subjects <- both the layout of the city and the throne as symbols of the gaping inequality foundational to the feudal hierarchy.

[marwyn]

it was always a bit weird to me that the ancestor dany resembles naerys? do we think there's an significance to this or grrm did put too much thought into this?

I definitely find it interesting to compare and contrast Naerys with Dany, as GRRM does in that description: “She was a wisp of a woman, smaller even than Dany (to whom she bears a certain resemblence), very slender, with big purple eyes and fine, pale, porcelain skin, near translucent. Naerys had none of Dany’s strength, however.” A major theme in Dany’s storyline is the subversion of what came before in her family history—“Aegon the Conqueror with teats,” “no one ever looked for a girl,” she dreams of flying on a dragon to the site of Rhaegar’s defeat and slaying white walkers (“This is how it was meant to be. The other was a nightmare, and I have only now awakened”), she’s dismantling the system of slavery that Ghis established after Valyria burned down their trees, etc. Thus, despite Dany’s initial similarities to Naerys, i.e. subjugation by a cruel older brother, forced marriage at a young age, and traumatic childbirth, I expect her life will continue to turn out quite differently—autonomy, a marriage for love, maybe even a happy ending? If “the dragon has three heads” really indicates that Dany will be part of a trio of some kind, I think it will be a contrast to the unhappy one of Aegon IV, Naerys, and Aemon.

[sunderwight]

In the theme of "just ignoring whatever the people behind the show say", I have disregarded the idea that the people of KL don't cheer to see Meleys' head because they've somehow forgotten that she killed a bunch of them just a short while ago and are thus somehow mourning her.

I think reactions are muddled because they just really don't know how to take this.

The last time a dragon was killed and anyone other than the riders involved saw it would have been when Maegor slew his nephew Aegon and Aegon's dragon Silverwing. And even Maegor didn't parade the dragon through the streets. Because Maegor presumably understood that his control over the populace was reliant upon the image of dragons (and Targaryens, by association) as closer to gods than to mortal things. That image is diminished by reminders that dragons can not only be killed, but are reduced to the same rotting animal parts as anything else after the fact.

So this is strange. It's doubly strange due to Cole's decision to try and call Meleys a "traitor dragon", which was a bad idea and almost certainly went against previously established notions and precedents.

To go back to Maegor again, the guy was such a widely unpopular king that he is still wielded as an example to discredit other Targaryens. Otto warns that Daemon is too like Maegor. Anti-Rhaenyra statements often slander her as "Maegor with teats". Being like Maegor is shorthand for "person technically in the line of succession who should never inherit because the people and gods would not support their rule".

Maegor, however, flew Balerion. The Black Dread. Aegon the Conqueror's dragon. The dragon. The same dragon that Viserys I claimed. The fabled "last living creature to see Valyria before the Doom" that still lives large in the cultural legacies of Westeros even by the time of Robert's rule.

Dragons can live for centuries, and they don't seem to give much of a shit about political allegiances when accepting or rejecting riders. While it's certainly a feather in the cap of any Targaryen that can tame a powerful dragon, you cannot hinge much on the dragon's "opinion". You can call Rhaenys a traitor but not Meleys, because ideally if they'd killed Rhaenys and not Meleys then one day one of Aegon II's own descendants might have claimed and ridden Meleys.

Cole, I think, has made this decision because he finds the idea of dragons as beatable animals reassuring in the wake of watching the battle at Rook's Rest. He's trying to take control, to treat this as a victory. He's not registering the unease and questions he's introduced into the minds of the even the least transgressive common folk by putting a dragon on the level of an animal, or the fact that this undermines certain ideas that bolster Aegon's right to rule as much as Rhaenyra's. After all, the people of King's Landing haven't come back from witnessing a battle where the dragons unleashed their terrible might.

I think this fits well into the impending uprising that is going to result in Certain Events at the dragon pit, too. No cheering. Just unease.

[chaos-of-the-abyss]

hbo desperately trying to give a piece of dany's storyline to each of their flop ocs masquerading as characters from fire and blood in the hopes that it will get them a fraction of dany's influence, popularity, and relevance

[tessarionbestgirl]

“Softening the main Targ because people “love” them” is just history revisionism unless anon somehow means Jon. Dany is wayyy more aggressive and cold in the show. Her ending was planned early, so this makes sense for the show to do this bc book Dany can’t even kill hostages much less nuke a surrendered city. It almost feels like Ryan is adapting book Dany which is bizarre bc she and book Rhaenyra are about as different as you can get!

Yes, I think D&D took Jon nuances and made him a generic prototype hero. In the book he is so much more strategic than the short temper guy he is in the show, I hate the battle of the bastards and that whole arc because nothing show!Jon does after his death fits in his book version, their fanfic was always there, It Just got progressively worse when they didn't have material to adapt. I pretty sure when Jon comes back from the dead he is not going to look the same. Death always takes away something from people in asoiaf.

And in part agree to the whole Dany thing, they made her since s1, more cruel and military focused than she was in the books and taking away her connection with magic took essential part of her character and her arc. In that sense, yes, they adapted part of Dany's arc into Rhaenyra, but It does not fully works. Because both characters are supposedly care about "prophecy" and the weight of the family legacy, but Rhaenyra behavior through the first season does not reflect this. Furthermore, the arc that Rhaenyra is supposed to be copying in this season is Dany's in the book A Dance with Dragons.

Whatever the claims are completely different, because Dany is fighting against oppression and slavery and Rhaenyra is fighting for her to be queen. Thematically, ironically, Alicent is the one who borrows the most from Dany in the show. Her young version arc is a westerosi version of what Dany goes though in book one, her marriages are very much alike as well. Even the Idea of she, narratively, to be more than the mother of the one who should be "the king/The stallion who mounts the world" is present in the show.

But It does not fully works and is bizarre and disconnected because those characters are never originally thought out to be the same and neither Ryan or Sarah, despite understanding certain themes they are unable to recreate because they are not as talented as writers as Martin is. Rhaenyra is a character to be a Cersei's reflection and hint at Cersei future conflic and endgame.Alicent is her own character but being a mother still essential part of who she is and her motivation, taking that and make her sacrifice her only child is insane character murder because It took the motivation she was build up into It, It takes her character foundation. I have no idea what her story moving up because lmao what even is the story after that "queen in chains"? Just after they ended her finally reaching her "freedom".

Daenerys presence on a Dance of the Dragons, It should only happens as a hidden subject, though the prophecy. Same as Jon with the Gregan And Jace pack, that they cut out for no good reason what só ever.

And the Aegon's prophecy I truly I believe it is something real, It already play a part on Dany dreams and because Martin himself said will play a part on future events so is confimed as true and canon.

GRRM: In some sense he[Aegon the Conqueror] saw what was coming 300 years later, and wanted to unify the Seven Kingdoms to be better prepared for the threat that he eventually saw coming in the north."Daenerys Targaryen is no maid, however. She is the widow of a Dothraki khal, a mother of dragons and sacker of cities, Aegon the Conqueror with teats." ADWD

Whatever I am not as sure in the book canon Viserys even know the prophecy. I think It died with Jaehaerys, and I have a strong theory of why he didn't pass that information, but, this post is to long already. I believe neither Aegon nor Rhaenyra knew about it.

The Daemon part is acually the one I believe, I stugled a lot about how this arc ended, but after analyzing and digesting, I think it makes a lot of sense for him to suport Rhaenyra after he come to sort religious experience, because is not for her, It is because he new view on the events, and that makes sense.

Either way, Sorry for my Ted talk anon, AMD thanks for sending a ask.

[horizon-verizon]

This is gonna be controversial, but MANY theories on here and Reddit essentially boil down to “everything Daenerys achieved by herself was there so that she can, at the very last moment, give it to Jon Snow so that he’s a true hero of the story”. And barely anyone realizes how weird, misogynistic and anticlimactic all of this would be. I’d say the majority of the fandom actually believes it with no questioning.

Daenerys fulfilling the prophecy of Azor Ahai before we even know about it, being the only candidate who actually woke dragons from stone as the prophecy requires ? Her having prophetic dragon dreams where she witnesses dead kings holding swords of pale fire as she runs from icy breath that would cause her a death worse than death ? Drogo clearly being her Nissa Nissa and Drogon being Lightbringer (she puts Drogon’s egg next to his heart) ? Her being the one to hear of all the prophecies like the dragon has three heads ? Her anti-slavery campaign being a very obvious precedence for her liberating those enslaved to the army of the dead (she has a dream about being Rhaegar on the Trident and seeing Robert’s host MADE OUT OF ICE right before her maneuver with Kraznys ???) ? Her being compared to Aegon the Conqueror, clearly putting her in the centre of the three heads of the dragon ? Maester Aemon lamenting that no one ever looked for a girl ?

Nope, scratch that, prophecy is tricky and it’s too obvious for it to be Daenerys, hence it’s going to happen verbatim, Jon will skewer her on his sword and be the true hero because he has a right set of genetics.

People may hate what I’m about to say, but GRRM talked extensively about how he wanted to play with gendered expectations and subversions with her character: he made her into a female khal who has bloodriders and wears bells in her hair; the crones in the Dosh Khaleen likely saw HER in their prophecies but wrongfully announced her son Rhaego to be the Stallion because of their patriarchal views; she is called Aegon the Conqueror with Teats... but all of this was meant to be one giant red herring and he’s going to reverse it one last moment and have her be another woman killed so that a man can be sad/become a hero ?

I despise it with a passion. “No one ever looked for a girl” ? Well, apparently they were right to do so.

People would rather take really bad writing than accept that a woman/girl is the magical heart (if not the primary) of the series they really like, esp if they thought it was a "manly" series. It is known.

[crazycoke-addict]

The Symbolism of Visenya Targaryen

There have been many symbolisms of Visenya Targaryen, possibly more than Aegon the Conquerer. Aegon's symbolism comes from the legitimacy of Aegon ii to prove that he is the true heir. Aegon wore the conqueror's crown. He weilds blackfyre, which was originally weiled by the conqueror himself. Aegon's dream involving the prince that was promised is talked about a lot.

However, there is a lot of symbolism of Visenya Targaryen, and she is shown to have more of an impact. Her dragon Vhagar is still alive where Aemond Targaryen ends up being her rider. Vhagar is the green's biggest weapon. They have the biggest and oldest dragon whose been around since the conquest and is no stranger to war. While Team Black, their dragons are either small or inexperienced with war except for Caraxes and Vermithor.

The sword Dark Sister that once belongs to Visenya now belongs to Daemon Targaryen. This is interesting because before Aegon II got blackfyre, which used to be Aegon, the conqueror's. Viserys had blackfyre during his time as king. Viserys and Daemon had an estrange relationship because Daemon believed that he was capable of ruling, similar to how Aemond believes that he's the best qualified ruler than his brother aegon ii.

Visenya was the oldest, so when she wasn't second born like Daemon or Aemond. But because she was a woman, they passed down to aegon instead because in the rules of succession, a man must be chose heir before his sister. I think that Visenya feels a bit resentful because she did rule the six kingdoms more than Aegon did.

Rhaenyra and Visenya are similar in a way that they are being undermined because they are women leading a war. They are both the oldest children who have a half-brother named Aegon who ends up becoming King because of the succession. Throughout season 2, Rhaenyra is reading up on Visenya.

Rhaenyra is frustrated because she doesn't know anything about battle and how to plan them because Viserys never taught her even though he told her about Aegon's dream and didn't think of giving her a lesson about battle plans. So, she turns to history with some answers.

There are many female warriors, but the targaryen only had two which Rhaenys and Visenya. Visenya Targaryen lived long Than her siblings so there's more information and she also won the wars that she was a part of. She successfully got some of the kingdoms to reunite and successfully put her awful son Maegor on the iron throne.

Rhaenyra has shown to idolise Visenya by wanting to name her daughter Visenya, and when her mother was pregnant, she told her mum that if they had another daughter, then her name would be Visenya, Rhaenyra picked an egg that has a similar colour to Vhagar's colours.

Rhaenyra has also been showing her inner Visenya when she slapped Lord Bartimos. Her plan involving the dragonseed, which causes a lot of death, is something that I believe that Visenya would've done if she was in the same position.

Rhaenyra has been nicknamed Rhaenyra the cruel, which is a reference to Maegor, the cruel who is Visenya's son. Rhaenyra, the cruel was made by the greens as propaganda for the common people and the kingdoms to side with aegon ii.

They also refer to her as King Maegor with teats, this is because they believe that she ordered the death of Prince Jaehaerys, Aegon, and Helaena's eldest son, which is similar to Maegor murdering his nephew Aegon whose the eldest son of Aenys and his wife Alyssa. So they believe that Rhaenyra killed her nephew Jaehaerys so that Aegon has little claim to the throne. There also been speculation that Visenya murdered her nephew Aenys.

Viserys and Daemon's relationship is similar to Aenys and Maegor's relationship. Viserys said that Daemon has a seat in the council whilst Aenys once had Maegor as his hand of the King. Both Daemon and Maegor believe that they should be their brother's heir or deserving of the iron throne. Both Aenys and Viserys had to exile their brother's. Maegor married another woman despite having a wife, while Daemon tainted Rhaenyra's reputation.

Visenya does have a similarity to Alicent Hightower, which is shocking. But it's more of the fact that their sons are always second choice to the king. Aegon favoured Aenys over Maegor, just like how Viserys favoured Rhaenyra over Aegon. It extends from the love for their mother. Viserys love Aemma and feel guilt over her death, and Aegon loved Rhaenys and married for desire.

Visenya represents the oppression and the burden that the main women go through in the show. Whether it be their gender, their children, or the succession itself.

[thaliajoy-blog]

Aegon the Conqueror with teats ! 🫣

[nessjo]

Masterlist

~House of the Dragon~

Team Black

Team Green

Aemond:

Naerys Targaryen (OC) - sneak peak

Velaria embōñar issi | Lucerya Velaryon (OC) masterlist

Benjicot Blackwood

• The love for the Enemy | Benjicot Blackwood x (OC/reader) masterlist

Others

Team Black or Team Green?

Team Black: Maegor with Teats

Aemond and Aegon being themselves

Aegon the dirty minded

Daemon would so f*uck a dragon

Aegon's High Valyrian

These two give me the same energy

Fanart

Aegon the Conqueror and his sister-wives (via Zacckiell on Twitter/X)

Rhaenyra Targaryen (via Zacckiell on Twitter/X)

Jacaerys Velaryon and Helaena Targaryen (via СТРОНГКОНЕКШН on Twitter/X)

Queen Helaena and King Jacaerys Targaryen (via СТРОНГКОНЕКШН on Twitter/X)

Queen Alicent Hightower (via СТРОНГКОНЕКШН on Twitter/X)

Renaissance Rhaenyra Targaryen (via Dalbe on Twitter/X)

Maegor and Aenys Targaryen (via Dalbe on Twitter/X)

Helaena Targaryen (via Dalbe on Twitter/X)

Queen Dowager Alicent (via Dalbe on Twitter/X)

Queen Naerys Targaryen (via Dalbe on Twitter/X)

[restitutor-orbis]

It makes me sad that so many people wrap up Daenerys as simply another claimant to the Iron Throne, as if that's her real desire to attain. No. She believes it's her duty to reclaim the Iron Throne, and perhaps to some extent get justice for her family.

But Daenerys fundamental character arc is loneliness, and a desire for kinship. Dany doesn't really want the Iron Throne (and perhaps that's why she may be the best claimant to it, as well as her desires for social justice), but on family. It's why I don't think the remaining Starks, especially Arya and perhaps to some extent Sansa, are going to immediately hate Dany. I do think Dany is likely going to have a tragic end (which makes me sad), but I don't think it's going to be at the hands of Jon or anyone. Dany is not a villian. It would be all too cliche to make her one - a daughter of a mad king, a mad queen, the eastern queen with magic, the head of the "barbarian horde" - those are all inherent cliches that somehow the fandom takes as established reality but that is inherently so boring, especially if we keep in mind that Martin originally envisioned ASOIAF in the 90s, and all the realities of 90s fantasy that entails.

I do find it interesting - and this very well might just be Martin's own writing failure - that there is no greater criticism toward the sexualization of Dany as a woman in power. "Aegon the Conqueror with teats", the "whore of Westeros", etc. But that's a whole different conversation.

[pessimisticpigeonsworld]

GRRM and the Medieval Setting (Part One - Daenerys)

ASOIAF, like most high fantasy, takes place in a medieval-esque world. There's medieval aesthetic, technology, and sensibilities. These sensibilities in ASOIAF include misogyny, racism/xenophobia, classism, and the allowance of slavery. These things are objectively bad, however, the fandom is obsessed with trying to justify them. Their argument is that these things aren't actually bad in ASOIAF because that's just how things were in the Medieval period and they're cultural norms. This is far from what GRRM is trying to communicate.

GRRM uses most of his pov characters to criticize the medieval sensibilities and ideas. I'm not going to go into every character, but I will do a few of the main ones in a series. This post is going to focus on Daenerys.

Daenerys' primary arc at this point in the books is her campaign against slavery and ruling Meereen. Obviously, the main issue GRRM condemns in her chapters is the existence of slavery. From Dany's first chapter, we are introduced to the Essosi slave trade from the perspective of someone being sold.

Throughout AGOT, the horrors of slavery are introduced. Pentos keeps their slaves thinly disguised at servants despite their agreement with Braavos, Dany is raped routinely by Drogo, the Dosh Khaleen and Khalasars use enslaved eunuchs as servants and healers, Khalasars raid villages and enslave their people, Drogo's Khalasar rape the Lhazareen women, and Eroeh is gang raped and murdered by Khal Jhaqo and his bloodriders. While ACOK doesn't make a point of showing the horror of slavery, in ASOS and ADWD Dany devotes herself to ending the slave trade in Slaver's Bay, foregoing her original goal of the IT.

GRRM fills Dany's chapters with horrific descriptions of the effects of the Essosi slave trade. He portrays the slavers as cruel and "cartoonishly evil". Despite the criticisms of certain fans who routinely defend Essosi slavers, these portrayals are on purpose.

GRRM does have issues with writing characters of color (many of the Dothraki) as stereotypes who don't have much do differentiate them from each other. However, this doesn't actually apply to the antagonists of Dany's story. Kraznys mo Nakloz, Hizdahr zo Loraq, Galazza Galare, Grazdan mo Eraz, and the other slavers are meant to show just how abominable slavery as an institution is. Their cruelty and inhumanity is a conscious choice to reflect the real world people who did the monstrous things that inspired GRRM's version of slavery.

Moving on from slavery, Dany's arc also addresses the misogyny inherit to the Medieval era. Dany is mocked, underestimated, undermined, and devalued because of her gender. She suffers marital rape and a traumatic miscarriage. Each of these things are portrayed as the injustices they are.

Dany is demeaned by her adversaries not just because of her gender but also because she's a non-conforming woman. The slavers spread rumors of her being a monstrous demon who's driven by her lust for sex and power. She's condemned for being a woman who refused to remain in the position society assigned to her.

GRRM shows the common misogynistic beliefs and methods of Medieval men used to suppress women of the time. He also shows that it's his antagonists who employ the smear tactics and refuse to alter their worldviews because of Dany's gender.

GRRM took the femininity that Dany is demeaned for and turned it into symbols of her strength. She's the Mother of Dragons, Mhysa, the Dragon Queen, Khaleesi, Aegon the Conqueror with Teats.

GRRM touches on racism and xenophobia in Dany's chapters. The Dothraki and other Essosi people are viewed and savages and less important by the Westerosi lords. The Lhazareen are demeaned by the Dothraki and Ghiscari. The Qartheen view themselves as superior to everyone around them.

GRRM gives a unique perspective to Dany concerning regional and cultural divides. Dany is a refugee and an exile who has never known a true home. She's travelled throughout many cities of Essos, come into contact with many different cultures, and has learned to appreciate them.

The Ghiscari culture is the one Dany has the most complicated relationship with, but that's purely because of slavery and her constant struggles with the slavers class. She appreciates the Ghiscari people, and embraces their culture, just as she does with every culture she lives in.

GRRM uses Dany and her openness to show how every society has its flaws and its goodness. Just like his characters, the cultures he's created are flawed and very human. Ultimately, GRRM likes the thought of unity between nations, this is reflected in his writing of Dany's chapters.

Finally, GRRM addresses the classism which is intrinsically tied to feudalism. This is already sort of addressed through the slavery section, but he does also go into the class divide outside of this. First off, through Dany's early life, he examines how, without wealth and familial ties, she and children like her are left defenseless and in poverty.

He shows how it's the lower classes and impoverished people who are most often enslaved. The Meerenese nobles are able to afford feasts while the lower classes starve during the siege of Meereen. The Free Cities are ruled by the wealthy slave masters.

Dany, as I've said many times, was raised in poverty, this informs the way she treats her people. GRRM makes a point to show how everyone, from Dany's Dothraki handmaids to the Ghiscari nobles are allowed to speak in Dany's council meetings. She sits for hours to listen to the cases brought before her by all her subjects, the lowborn, the freedmen, and the nobles. She listens to them and takes their opinions and best interests into consideration.

This is something GRRM has gone out of his way to show in his books. His books are full of lords and kings ignoring the smallfolk and using them as disposable pawns. Dany and a few other characters are specifically written to view the common people as significant. This is meant to be significant.

Dany's story is not meant to be read just as someone conquering for power or a spoiled girl who doesn't care about the economies she disrupting. GOT sent the message that Dany is wrong for going against the status quo and many in the fandom seem to just accept this. Just because GRRM wrote a story set in a world with medieval values doesn't mean we should accept the norm of that world as right. He chose to write characters who are outsiders to criticize the world that ostracized them.

Dany's story is about equality, social change, and freedom. The slavers aren't in the right just because their cultures normalize slavery. The men aren't more worthy than Dany and other women just because Westeros and Essos are misogynistic. It's not ok to be racist or xenophobic towards other cultures just because most cities/regions in Planetos have a superiority complex. Classism isn't acceptable just because the nobility think they're superior because of blood or money.

[asongofstarkandtargaryen]

JON SNOW DAY 7: FOILS AND ADVERSARIES ⚔️🦹‍♂️ JON SNOW - YOUNG GRIFF

On ADWD, we find out during Tyrion’s pov chapters that the long dead prince Aegon Targaryen (son of Rhaegar) has supposedly survived the sack of Kings Landing - which caused his mother and sister’s lives- and is secretly living in Essos all these years. It could make an interesting Anastasia-vibes story if Aegon was who he says he was, however introduced so late in the story, the boy is probably a fraud - even if he has no clue about it. This meta is treating the theory of Aegon not being the actual child of Rhaegar and Elia as canon and similarly considers Jon being Rhaegar and Lyanna’s actual secret child.

So we have one prince who isn’t who he claims and believes to be and another one who doesn’t even know he’s a Targaryen. It’s quite the symmetry with both boys around the same age ignoring the truth so far.

Let’s start comparing them from their appearance. I find it ironic - and also fitting- that Martin made the “fake” Targaryen having the family’s traditional looks with silver hair and purple eyes. Meanwhile, the boy who is actually a Targaryen is favoring his mother’s Stark look:

"Your father's lands are beautiful," he said. His silvery hair was blowing in the wind, and his eyes were a deep purple, darker than this boy's.  

ADWD - THE GRIFFIN REBORN

The boy absorbed that all in silence. He had the Stark face if not the name: long, solemn, guarded, a face that gave nothing away.  

AGOT, TYRION II

Aegon has lived a sheltered life with the adults surrounding him, pampering him. That has lead him to remain immature as a teenage boy (which isn't a bad thing itself, just doesn't make him the ideal leader)

"There is a gift for the boy in one of the chests. Some candled ginger. He was always fond of it"

ADWD, TYRION III

The lad did not seemed pleased. The perfect prince but still half a boy for all that, with little and less experience of the world and all its woes.

ADWD, TYRION VI

Meanwhile, Jon grew up aware of his bastard status. Compared to his siblings, he was less privileged and less pampered. All the experiences of his life, both as a neglected kid and as a teen black brother  made him observant of others and also mature for his age:

"I will turn fifteen on my next name day, and Maester Luwin says that bastards grow up faster than other children".

AGOT, JON I

They know nothing, Ygritte. And worse, they will not learn.

ADWD, JON XIII

Aegon grew up thinking that he was the rightful heir of the Seven Kingdom. Naturally, this has led him to feel entitled of things he hasn’t earned himself. For example; he believes that his aunt, Daenerys, will be willing to marry him and offer him her large army only because he’s her nephew:

It does make for a splendid story, and the singers will make much of your escape once you take the Iron Throne … assuming that our fair Daenerys takes you for her consort.“

"She will. She must.”

“Must?” Tyrion made a tsking sound. “That is not a word queens like to hear. You are her perfect prince, agreed, bright and bold and comely as any maid could wish. Daenerys Targaryen is no maid, however. She is the widow of a Dothraki khal, a mother of dragons and sacker of cities, Aegon the Conqueror with teats. She may not prove as willing as you wish.”

“She’ll be willing.” Prince Aegon sounded shocked. It was plain that he had never before considered the possibility that his bride-to-be might refuse him. “You don’t know her.”

ADWD, TYRION VI

On the above passage, Aegon was so certain that Daenerys would be willing to become his bride that even the possibility of her refusing him shocked him.

Compare that to Jon, who his whole life was entitled to nothing. He was aware that unlike his siblings he wouldn’t be handled things because of the family name - something he didn’t have- and that instead he would have to work his way to earn his place in the world:

“I want to serve in the Night's Watch, Uncle."

He had thought on it long and hard, lying abed at night while his brothers slept around him. Robb would someday inherit Winterfell, would command great armies as the Warden of the North. Bran and Rickon would be Robb's bannermen and rule holdfasts in his name. His sisters Arya and Sansa would marry the heirs of other great houses and go south as mistress of castles of their own. But what place could a bastard hope to earn?  

AGOT, JON I

When Jon went to the Wall, nothing was handled freely to him. Jeor Mormont only paid attention to him after he became the unofficial swords teacher for his fellow new recruits and after he persuaded Maester Aemon to include Sam among those who would be promoted to Black Brothers. It was his own skills and accomplishments that made him Commander’s steward and it was his brave fight against the wight that earned him Mormont’s sword.

He doesn’t expect people to freely give him things, he understands that every gift comes with a price. Just like when Stannis told him that he would make him Lord of Winterfell, but only if he converted to the Red God.

On ADWD, Varys gives a speech  on why Aegon is the ideal leader:

“No.” The eunuch’s voice seemed deeper. “He is here. Aegon has been shaped for rule since before he could walk. He has been trained in arms, as befits a knight to be, but that was not the end of his education. He reads and writes, he speaks several tongues, he has studied history and law and poetry. A septa has instructed him in the mysteries of the Faith since he was old enough to understand them. He has lived with fisherfolk, worked with his hands, swum in rivers and mended nets and learned to wash his own clothes at need. He can fish and cook and bind up a wound, he knows what it is like to be hungry, to be hunted, to be afraid. Tommen has been taught that kingship is his right. Aegon knows that kingship is his duty, that a king must put his people first, and live and rule for them.”

This impressive list of traits that Aegon has aquired in order to rule one day, is missing the most important one: actual personal experience. Aegon might have been working and interacting with the common folk but he was always sheltered and was surrounded by adults loyal to him and his case. It’s not the same to do some kind of work because you want to learn the experience with doing something for living. He doesn’t really know what is like to be hungry- even if Varys tells us otherwise- because his caretakers would never let him actually be starving. When Aegon was afraid, he was always surrounded by people loyal to him  who could offer  him reassurance or simply their sympathy.  Finally, he doesn’t have any experience in ruling. Many people speculate that Varys and Illyrio are shaping him to become their puppet king but even if that isn’t the case fact remains that Aegon never ruled anywhere.

Unlike him, his supposed half brother had a little guidance when he became Lord Commander.  Maester Aemon, his best advisor, left the Wall not long after Jon was elected as the new Lord Commander. Jon had to navigate ruleship on his own without the help of a wiser adult. Unlike Aegon, Jon had the experience of truly serving before he was in a position of power - as he was a steward and later on he lived among free folk. He was also experienced in being truly afraid and terrified even when people who can comfort you are miles away and you are all alone.

We don’t know whether Aegon will put his people first because he has yet to rule. But we do know that Jon constantly prioritizes humanity’s well being. That’s why he made dealing with the Others his number one priority and that’s also the reason why he let the free folk on the south side of the Wall.

While Aegon is another candidate fighting for the Iron Throne because he feels entitled to it, Jon is fighting against the Others to save humanity.  

Bonus! their views on women.

Aegon’s:

"That's so," the boy said, "and who is there left in Westeros to oppose us? A woman."  

ADWD, THE LOST LORD

Jon’s

The women are the strong ones.

ADWD, JON III