For the Cameras | Chapter 12: It's Hard to Stop It Once It Starts
a collaboration fic with @adecila
“After you,” Jon said, holding the hotel door open for Daenerys.
With a prim “thank you,” she ducked under his arm, hauling her enormous suitcase in behind her. Smiling, he rolled his eyes and then nodded farewell to Tormund and Grenn, who were staying in the room across from them. He adjusted her backpack on his shoulder as he slipped into the room behind her, his own (much more reasonably sized) weekender bag in hand.
Daenerys glanced around the room in admiration. “Oh, wow! This is—oh.”
Nearly colliding with her when she came to a dead-stop, he grabbed her shoulder to prevent a collision. “What? What’s wrong?” he asked, sweeping his gaze around the room in mild apprehension.
“Nothing, I just—I didn’t realise it was only going to be one bed,” she said.
Jon followed her line of sight to the large king bed that took up one wall of the room; off to the side was a sitting area with a couple chairs and a small couch. On the opposite wall was the door that led to the en suite bathroom.
“Right,” he said slowly. He’d not really considered it either. “These things are booked well in advance, and I didn’t know you’d be coming with me then. But I’m sure they figured—” He cleared his throat. “Well, it didn’t much change anything in their minds, you know?”
Blushing, she laughed sheepishly. “Yes, of course. That was silly of me. I just….hm. Yeah. OK. This is fine.” It sounded like she was trying to convince herself. Was she afraid he was going to maul her in her sleep? He liked to think he had more control than that.
With a reassuring squeeze, he made himself let go of her shoulder. “I can sleep on the couch, if it makes you feel better.” As he said it, he eyeballed the couch and immediately regretted making the noble gesture. It looked half his height.
But she shook her head. “No, no—it’s fine, really. That’s a pretty big bed. We could probably fit two more people on that thing and never…um, touch.”
For the longest time, I wanted to write about Dany as a leader and a ruler. Most of the time, the metas I see from Dany haters just talk about what an awful ruler Dany is, and amongst Daenerys fans, this is usually not discussed a lot, mostly because I think Dany fans spend a lot of time defending Dany from the accusations that she is evil or mad, so other subjects are neglected. Before I start, I just want to make it clear that I am not any expert on medieval politics or war strategy, so this will be mostly my understanding of the story. And of course, I can’t forget to mention that many of the ideas of the Meereenese Blot are here as well, but this is going to be my interpretation.
In this analysis, I will show why I think Daenerys is an intelligent and capable leader and ruler. I want to look at everything we know about Dany in all of the books: her childhood and education, her political beliefs, her actions and the economic and political situation she’s in. I’ll try to focus on what Dany has learned in each book, and how it helped her become a better leader.
Some of the things I’ll write here are similar to metas that I’ve written before. But I want this one to be as complete as possible, and to analyze every facet of Dany’s storyline as a ruler that I can think of. I will bring book quotes to back up what I say, so this will be very long (It’s around 20k words, so I hope at least someone will be interested in reading it, because I spent months scrutinizing all of the books to write this).
In this essay, I will talk about the following topics:
Dany’s childhood and education
Dany’s intelligence, wisdom and introspectiveness
Dany’s changing political views
Dany journey as a leader in A Game of Thrones
Dany’s journey as a leader in A Clash of Kings
Dany’s journey as a leader in A Storm of Swords
Dany’s journey as a leader in A Dance with Dragons:
Economy
The war against Yunkai and the question of peace and war
The question of taking the wealth of the slave masters
You know, I would just LOVE to see how much angst you can mix in with #10 of the romantic one-liners.... 😏😇💙
I have a feeling that you have this thing for me inflicting as much pain as I can on Jon and Dany 👀 Anyways, I hope you like this one and many Disney, Stitch and Groot hugs too!!! 🤗🤗🤗
10. “I have the feeling that you’re trying not to kiss me and I give you permission to just do it.”
It was hard. Pretending that nothing had happened between them. That she was the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms and he was her loyal paramount of the North. That he hadn’t spent almost two moons learning the way she tasted, the way she reached to his touch, the way she moaned in pleasure from his hands and lips and… Shaking his head, he pushed his thoughts aside; he wasn’t allowed to think like that. She had made that clear. What had happened between them could not blind them to their duties.
And for once in his life, he wanted to throw his duty to the wind. For once, he wanted to take what he wanted and run away. Leave the world to fix itself. Hadn’t he given enough to everyone but himself? Sighing, he made his way out of the keep and into the cold air. He needed to avoid the sight of Lords and Ladies flirting blatantly with the Queen while he was forced to watch and keep his promise not to make a scene.
Out into the Godswood, he hid himself away from everyone. Needing peace from people’s questions and desires to rant or demand his attention. His whole body was simply exhausted from the mask he’d been forced to wear since the moment they’d stepped off the ship. He came before the great white weirwood, eyes gazing at the red crying face. His father had once brought him here as a boy, crying on his lap after learning the meaning of bastard. A child subject to the cruel jeering of men and women who took pleasure in their anger.
A twig crunched in the snow behind him, Jon quickly twisting around only to find the woman haunting his every waking moment wrapped in a familiar looking cloak and followed by his great white direwolf. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he bowed his head slightly before his grey eyes found her lavender ones. “Your Grace,” he greeted, turning fully to look at her. “You should not be out here alone.”
“My Lord,” she returned, coming closer until she was standing beside him. So close so that the smell of her bath oils she used in her hair clouded his senses. “I seem to have inherited a loyal guard in Ghost,” she replied, smiling down as the wolf in question slinked his head under her palm for scratches.
Jon chuckled, shaking his head as he glanced down at his companion. “Aye, he is quite the loyal guard,” he commented, glancing up at the soft smile on her face as she gave into Ghost’s demands. “What brings you out here, Your Grace?” She wasn’t one for flowers and poetry but she had a role to accommodate with the Lords and Ladies of Westeros. The trueborn Lords and Ladies. Cursing himself mentally, he turned his head away from his Queen and direwolf, instead moving towards the bench in front of the weirwood. Away from her. Anything to retain the distance she’d put in place.
Daenerys looked up from Ghost, pausing in her administrations to the mute direwolf. He huffed, pushing his nose into her palm before slinking away, silent as his namesake as he went to check the perimeter. It left her alone with the brooding Lord who had been avoiding her like the plague since she’d told him that their duties had to come first. It had been a knife in her heart, watching every wall she’d torn down on her ship with him rise once more as if doubled and tripled in thickness. An armour she did not know how to penetrate. Even as he sat down on the bench, she couldn’t help but feel she’d done more damage to his already fragile heart that she feared at White Harbour.
“I have long since learned there is only so much… pandering I can take before I need to escape for a moment,” she answered honestly, moving so she could take in the white weirwood in front of her. The red tears seeping from the eyes on the bark had a tragic look to it. As if the Old Gods themselves were crying through these trees. “I believe you understand the sentiment. You seemed to cringe yourself during the feast.” She had noticed it all; how he barely stayed in the room when she entered, barely looked at her. Yet when he did… A shiver ran down her spine, knowing exactly what he was capable of; his mouth and hands holding only a fraction of what he was capable of doing to her.
Jon smiled weakly, hands clenching to stop himself from reaching for her even as she came closer to him. She had made it clear; their time on the boat was only a once off thing. She didn’t need him. He had no right to ask anything of her. To want anything from her. Bastards like him didn’t get happy ever afters. His brain knew that. Now he just needed to train his heart to understand it too.
Daenerys frowned when Jon said nothing, turning her gaze from the tree to look at him. Truly look at him. Dark circles had formed under his grey eyes, dull and lifeless as they gazed down at the pond at their feet. The smile on his face never reached his eyes now, a mask firmly in place so that no one could see the scars and cracks that he bore beneath his armour. His left fist was clenching and unclenching, like it always seemed to do when he was talking with her. As if he was stopping himself from reaching out and pulling her into his arms. Warring within her was a voice telling her this was wrong - and sounded suspiciously like Tyrion’s - while another told her that she should grasp happiness and love with both hands.
And she was done letting her own happiness come last in life.
“I have the feeling that you’re trying not to kiss me and I give you permission to just do it.” His head shot up at her words, eyes searching hers for who-knows-what before her face was cupped between his gloved hands and his cold lips found her own. He had stood so quickly, she almost lost her footing until one of his arms banded under the cloak she’d stolen during their time together. Losing herself in the taste of his mouth and the touch of his hands, she wanted to stay a thousand years with him. No duties, no worries, no pain. One day, she promised Jon and herself. One day they would reach that point. But for now, they would lose themselves in each other.
“However many years we have left, I want to spend them all with you.”
Can it be some fluffy angst? 🥺😁
Sooo when I saw this quote I IMMEDIATELY thought of leap of faith universe. 🥺🤭 This is angsty fluff/fluffy angst in the only way I know how....with a happy ending! Enjoy! (?)
(Oh this has a TW for cancer)
Romantic One Liner Prompts
When his mother died, he'd been too young to be in hospital rooms with her for longer than a few moments at a time, the doctors afraid that he'd be bringing in all the germs and general dirtiness that followed around a preteen boy. It had been relatively quick; she fell off her horse and broke her neck and after a few days on a ventilator, his uncle made the sad decision to turn it off, with the knowledge that her organs would go on to help others. It was what Lyanna would have wanted.
All he remembered was entering the room a couple of times, the last time kissing her forehead, whispering he loved her and would miss her, and then being ushered out by his Uncle Benjen. The woman lying there with all the machines and tubes was not his mother, so it was easier for him to process. He'd kissed her goodbye when he had been on the way to school, surrounded by her earthy scent from spending her waking hours with horses in the stable, and the faintest sweetness of winter roses.
Any other time in the hospital as a patient, he had blocked it out, because he hated it so much, but there was one thing he oculd never get rid of when he walked through the doors nad it was that antiseptic coldness. It gave him a headache, forced him back to those days saying goodbye to his mother, to his uncle Ned after his heart attack, and then when he'd been there after his accident, his discharge from the military already stamped the moment he'd coded on the trauma room table Beyond the Wall.
Now, he was not here as a patient or as a visitor, but as a supportive partner. That antiseptic smell was still there, the room cold and sterile, and he maintained his composure, because he had to be strong. He couldn't afford to succumb to his own fears about why they were there or his spiraling thoughts of doom and gloom.
The papery gown crinkled under his light touch, his hand running up and down her cold arm, comforting her as best as he could. He didn't say "it will be fine" because they didn't know if it would be fine. He studied her blank expression, her lavender eyes sunken, dull shadows under them. It had been a long time since he'd seen those shadows.
They'd only been married a year, he thought, glancing at his silver wedding band. He leaned on the edge of the exam table, his arm wrapping around her shoulder, bringing her head to his shoulder. She rested it there, eyelids fluttering closed, her tiny body sagging against his, exhausted.
"What if it's back?" she whispered.
"Then it is back and we deal with it."
She nodded, turning her face into his chest, her hand clutching his shirt. He covered it with his, lifting to kiss her knuckles. "You didn't go through it the first time with me," she murmured. Her eyes clenched shut, tears trickling down her cheeks, wetting his hand when he tilted her chin up so he could gaze down a ther. She sniffed. "I was so sick, Jon. I thought the cure would kill me."
He cocked his head, knowing that all to well form his own accident recovery. "You have me now," he said. They'd talked about this, breifly, when she'd been having the headaches again, when he found her on the floor of their bedroom, sick to her stomach, too dizzy to stand, the pain blinding. She'd called her doctor immediately, scheduled an appointment.
They were waiting on rush lab results now, to determine if she would go down the hallway to get a brain scan. He brushed a lock of her hair behind her ear, tucking the long strands back over her shoulder. It had grown out since he'd met her, tumbling beautiful over her shoulders, like a silver waterfall.
The motion had her tears falling faster, but she remained silent. "I don't want to shave my head again," she mumbled. "It's stupid, but...I don't want to have to do that again."
"Dany we don't know yet if..." If it's back, he didn't say, the words stuck in his throat. He took a deep breath and moved his arms from her, placing them on her cheeks, her face tilted to his. He wasn't very good with words, he hoped he could explain this to her. "I love you, Daenerys, and I have loved you since the moment you walked into my life and jumped out of a plane with me." He dragged his thumbs over her cheekbones, her forehead furrowed. The motion drew his attention briefly to the thin silver scar that he could see in a part in her hair, from the first surgery she had.
He took a deep breath, his heart hammering into his ribs, swallowing down that fear that he'd almost lost her, but he didn't, because he had her now. And he would have her forever too, she wans't going anywhere. "Dany whatever those results show, I am here with you, forever. For a thousand years and more, like we promised each other before the heart tree and however many years we have left, I want to spend them all with you."
She hiccupped, her hands wrapping around his wrists, smile wavering. "I love you too. So much...but it's a lot..."
"You're my wife," he breathed. He grinned. "My dragon, my partner, and whatever happens I'm here. I'm with you Dany."
She nodded quickly, eyes closing again as he brushed feather kisses over her cheeks, kissing away the tears. Her arms snaked around him, holding tight, and she released a long, shaky breath, mumbling, "I am so lucky I found you."
Me too, he thought, eyes screwed shut, squeezing her close. He had made his peace with the idea that if it was back, he was going to be there for her in everything. It would be better, he thought, because he was here for her. Last time she had been alone. Sure, she had her brothers-- one of whom was an esteemed doctor himself-- along with Missandei, but this was different.
They remained in each other's arms for a long time, until the door opened, her oncologist entering, Dr. Mel a tower of crimson hair and odd robe-like dress with her medical coat. "Good afternoon," she drawled, her accent unique and entracing. She turned her blue eyes to them, smiling serenely. "Daenerys, how lovely, you have found your promised prince."
Dany laughed, wiping her eyes with the heel of her palm. "Um, yes, I suppose I have."
"Lovely. I reviewed your blood tests and I am pleased to tell you upon first look I do not see indicators of a cancer resurgence, however I will do a CT scan to confirm. That being said, there was an anomaly in your bloodwork." Mel smiled again, unblinking, her head cocked. "One I suspect you will be pleased with."
Pleased? Jon barely registered that, because all he heard was Dany's relieved sob, her hand clutching his, her other going to cover her mouth. "Oh! Oh thank you Mel! There's nothing?" She frowned, realizing there was more. "Wait...what...pleased? I don't understand."
Jon didn't either, an arm around her shoulder now, his hand so tight in hers he wondered which one might break the other's first. "Whatever it is," he began, but didn't finished, because Mel spoke over him.
"You're pregnant."
His heart stopped beating, before it lurched into his throat, strangling any sound he might have made. In his arms, Dany cried out, shocked, her hands over her mouth. She dropped them after a second, whispering, incredulous: "Pregnant?"
"Hmm, indeed. I suspect your migraines were the result of fluctuating hormones, the dizziness and the nausea were morning sickness that perhaps carried out throughout the day." She squinted. "Are you still jumping out of planes? That might also have something to do with it, you're dehydrated again."
"But I..." she stuttered, while he was also at a loss for words. She pressed her palm over her belly, breathing. "I wasn't supposed to be able to...after the chemo and...and the radiation..."
"This is a miracle from the Lord of Light," Mel cooed.
Jon thought it more a miracle from his Old Gods, but as Dany believed in neither the Fire God of Mel or the Old Gods of his forest, he said nothing. He wasn't sure how he felt, the knowledge that they were having a baby...he met her gaze, the joy within her formerly sad eyes. "A baby," he whispered.
"A baby," she laughed, beginning to sob, arms clutching him. "I didn't think it was possible!"
"I'll give you both a moment," Mel said, turning and leaving them, door closing quietly behind her.
In his arms, Dany cried, relief and exhaustion and happiness at once. He scrubbed his palm over his face, dropping it to her back, rubbing lightly. She pulled back and lifted up her gown, peering at her flat stomach. "Hello in there," she called, lightly touching her fingertips to her hipbone. "It's Mummy and Papa."
He lightly pressed his hand over hers, touching her belly, and smiled, unable to stop. It was frozen to his face, the dopey grin. "It still stands," he said, a moment later, after they had quietly reflected, fingers joined over her stomach.
"What?"
"However long in this life we have, whether it's just a year or for a thousand of them, I want to spen dit with you." He brushed his lips over her brow, embracin gher, amending it slightly. "With you both."
Dany nodded, touching her fingertips to his cheek. "Me too." She laughed, glancing down at her tote bag. After a second, she climbed from the bed and went to it, pulling out her battered notebook. She flicked to her list, which was all checked off and removed the pen, making a notation at the bottom.
When she left with Mel to go get a CT scan, just to double check, he took a quick look at the note she'd made.
Have a baby dragon.
He picked up the pen and made a simple edit, before folding the book back up and returning it to her tote.
When you’re introducing your new girlfriend to your sister and you’re desperately trying not to think about the sexy times you two have shared but you’re failing miserably….
When you’re meeting your lover’s family for the first time and you’re trying to present a kind and Queenly front and not think about all the times he’s plowed you but it just isn’t working…
They’ve been banging so frequently now that they have to go and be regal it’s a real struggle. Dany to not think about Jon rearranging her guts or the face he makes when she is playing with his pillar and stones while Jon not think about Dany riding him into the night or trying to decipher the Valyrian and Dothraki she shouts while he’s partaking in his daily dessert of her cookie. It’s a miracle they’re…..technically pulling it off
Summary: Desperate for more knowledge about her dragons, Daenerys Targaryen flies to the Wall to meet the one man who may have answers. There she meets Jon Snow, the 998th Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch. Surrounded by enemies, Lord Commander Snow struggles to defend the Wall and save the Night’s Watch from itself. Will the Lord Commander and the Dragon Queen be able to set aside family history and work together to unite Westeros against the ultimate enemy?
Ever wondered what Jonerys might look like with the book version of the characters? DiW mostly follows the books, but with a streamlined plot that’s still accessible to show watchers.
She felt very lonely all of a sudden. Mirri Maz Duur had promised that she would never bear a living child. House Targaryen will end with me. That made her sad. “You must be my children,” she told the dragons, “my three fierce children. Arstan says dragons live longer than men, so you will go on after I am dead.” - Daenerys IV ASOS
Daenerys Targaryen by Arantza Sestayo, for the cover of A Song of Ice and Fire 2022 Calendar.
In ancient Babylonia, Venus was known as the ‘divine lady’ and the ‘illumination of heaven’. As the evening star, Venus appears after sunset in the night sky, disappearing for several days before re-emerging as a morning star on the sun’s opposite side. The unique path of Venus through the sky has given rise to many prominent myths spanning cultures throughout history. The morning aspect of Venus was designated ‘Lucifer’* by the ancient Romans, literally translating to ‘Light-Bringer’, a figure presented in poetry as the herald of dawn. Venus has associations with sweet-smelling flowers such as roses and myrtle. The circle-and-cross symbol for Venus, like the Ankh, may represent life or sexual reproduction, and denotes the female sex.
*While the latin word for morning star, Lucifer, has since been applied to the allegorical fall of Satan, it’s important to note that another allegorical Venusian figure, Jesus Christ, is also referred to as ‘the bright morning star’ and ‘tu verus mundi lucifer’, or, ‘the true light-bringer of the world’.
Mars, the god of: War. Spring. Virility. Valor. Fertility. Agriculture.
Epithets: The Father. The Protector. The Avenger. The Venerable. The Healer. The Peacekeeper.
In ancient Mesopotamia, Mars was seen as a ‘star of judgment’ and the ‘fate of the dead’. In Roman art and literature, the wolf appears as a sacred animal or symbol of Mars. In one depiction of Mars on the Altar of Peace, he can be seen alongside a wolf, holding a spear wreathed with a garland of laurel, symbolizing peace gained through martial victory. Often, Mars is depicted as nude, representing his fearlessness in battle. Similar to Venus, Mars takes a notable retrograde path through the night sky—appearing to move backward and further east each night before continuing west. The symbol of Mars depicts a sword and shield, used to denote the male sex, as well as the element of iron.
(Venus and Mars by Geraldine Arata)
While Venus represents the watery female essence, and her male counterpart, Mars, represents the fiery male essence, attributes of both deities can be found in Daenerys and Jon alike—from the warlike aspects of Mars to the path Venus takes through the sky and its association with ‘lightbringing’.
The journey that Daenerys takes seems to correspond with the planet’s movements through the heavens:
“To go north, you must journey south, to reach the west you must go east. To go forward you must go back and to touch the light you must pass beneath the shadow.”
Venus rises first in the summer sky as the evening star, plunging into the darkness during winter to rise again on the sun’s opposite side as the morning star to herald the sun.
Jon is, likewise, experiencing the path of the planet Venus in an allegorical sense—descending to the underworld only to rise again through resurrection.
Similarly, when it comes to Azor Ahai, we see Daenerys filling the prophecy literally:
“When the red star bleeds and the darkness gathers, Azor Ahai shall be born again amidst smoke and salt to wake dragons out of stone.”
In Jon’s case, he fits the prophecy figuratively:
After his first two swords shatter (Rhaenys and Aegon), Azor Ahai (Rhaegar) plunges his sword (phallus) into a willing (consenting) Nissa Nissa (Lyanna), whose cries of anguish and ecstasy crack the moon (her womb). Her blood, soul, strength, and courage went into the steel (her baby), and thereafter, Lightbringer (Jon) was never cold to the touch, but warm as Nissa Nissa (his mother) had been warm.
Jon even describes himself as a sword:
I am the sword in the darkness
And while it is still mere speculation that his true name is also Aegon Targaryen in the books (though there are arguments to be made), bearing such a name would give him further association to Mars and his shield:
Aegis is a device carried by Athena and Zeus, depicted as an animal skin or shield
Targe means shield in late Old English
Aryan borrowed from the Sanskrit word ā́rya/ari- meaning attached, faithful, devoted kinsman
The shield that guards the realms of men
As for Daenerys, her name might literally translate to ‘light lady’ or ‘lady of light’:
Dae (alternate spelling of ‘day’), of American origin, means ‘light and hope’
Nerys means ‘lady’ in Old Welsh
I am the light that brings the dawn
According to director Alan Taylor, George R.R. Martin confirmed during the filming of season one of Game of Thrones, that:
“It really is all about Dany and Jon.”
But just as both characters encompass the role of Lightbringer, Daenerys and Jon, together, represent the complementary opposites of Venus and Mars: Love and war. Water (ice) and fire. Female and male.
Born of Venus (Aphrodite) and Mars (Ares):
Concordia (Harmonia), who represents social, marital, and political agreement.
Twins Formido (Deimos) and Pavor (Phobos), who represent dread in the midst of battle and the personification of the fear brought by war, respectively.
Cupid (Eros), who represents desire, love, attraction and affection.
Thus, the union of Venus and Mars:
Inspires fear and dread in battle
Creates ideal social concord
Begets love
A Dream of Spring
“People know an ending—but not the ending.”
—George R.R. Martin
Spring marks the end of winter. It is associated with renewal, rebirth, rejuvenation, regrowth, and resurrection. March, the month in which spring arrives in the Northern Hemisphere, was named for the Roman god Mars, the god of Spring. The second month of spring, April, or Aphrilis, was sacred to the goddess Venus—its name perhaps derrived from equivalent Greek goddess Aphrodite.
Venus, as the ‘light-bringer’ appears most brightly in the December sky, signalling a phase of rebirth, where winter comes to an end, or spring. To the ancient Greeks, the planet Venus was known as Phosphorus, or ‘bringer of light’. The morning star also went by another name, Heosphorus, meaning ‘dawn-bringer’.
Dawn is described as:
“The first appearance of daylight in the morning; daybreak; sunrise”
However, dawn has another definition that might suggest further positive connotations:
“The beginning or rise of anything; advent: the dawn of civilization”
Art commissioned by @dragonanddirewolf
“It was only when a great warrior arose with his blazing sword Lightbringer that the darkness was put to rout, and light and love returned once more to the world.“
