A Dance with Dragons-Chapter 30

From A Wiki of Ice and Fire
Jump to: navigation, search
Daenerys V
A Dance with Dragons chapter
ADanceWithDragons.jpg
POV Daenerys Targaryen
Place Meereen
Page 395 UK HC (Other versions)
Chapter chronology (All)
Daenerys IV
Davos IV  ← Daenerys V →  Melisandre

Daenerys VI

Synopsis

Daenerys begins every morning my counting the enemy ships in the harbour. Today she has counted roughly twenty-five. She has an argument with her admiral Groleo, who is advising her to send her dragons to attack the enemy fleet. Daenarys tells him to attack with ships, but he replies that she dismantled his ships, and all the timber in twenty leagues has been burned so he can build no more.

Hizdahr has thus far had success in preventing further murders. She has had her betrothed followed and Skahaz mo Kandaq reports that Hizdahr has visited eleven pyramids and it has been twenty-six days since a murder has been attempted. He surmises that he must be one of the Sons of the Harpy or else these others would not have listened to his words alone. Skahaz asks that he may question Hizdahr, but Dany will not let him, stating that she must trust in Hizdahr or face open rebellion in the city. Skahaz also advises her that the fleets in the blockade all have family members in Meereen and that she should use them as hostages, a contemplation she also rejects. Barristan Selmy advises her that she has done a wise thing.

Grey Worm meets with her next to tell her that the first refugees from Astapor are arriving in Meereen and that Astapor is burning. Dany learns of the fall of Astapor, and that many inhabitants have contracted the bloody flux while under siege, with the survivors now fleeing towards Meereen.[1][2] The survivors also say that they believed and waited everyday for Daenerys to come and save them. She tells them that they will be safe in Meereen now. Dany is advised not to let the survivors and their illness into the city, and reminded again of Eroeh and of how sometimes those whom she tries to save end up worse off.

There are further appeals to use the dragons, however they are followed with comments that they cannot be controlled right now, and even the Unsullied are afraid to go into the dragon pit to feed them. Dany says she cannot and will not unleash the dragons at this point in time. Ultimately she decides not to let the Astapori into the city and that they should have a separate camp outside the city until the flux passes.

Ser Barristan appeals to her to take the battle to the enemy. She then reminds herself that a queen represents her people and not just her own person. She thus decides that she cannot have the Unsullied take the field or else she would have to leave the Brazen Beasts alone to defend against the Sons of the Harpy which will not suffice. She then says that she must marry Hizdahr, for the good of the city.

References and Notes

  1. A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 30, Daenerys V, pages 398-402.
  2. Daenerys believes the "pale mare" part of her vision of Quaithe in Chapter 11 to refer to this disease. The bloody flux was also mentioned in Chapter 25