Answering a Whole Load of Questions from a Daenerys-Fan Part 1.
Okay, so these are @ princess-from-another-galaxy and I don’t want to clog up to replies on someone else’s page.
have you ever been in a relationship???
Yes, but this isn’t relevant to the inquiry. I think that you are looking at JonxDany like it is a 21st-century relationship, not a feudal one where Dany has absolute power over Jon. Dany has the RIGHT as queen to order people around, execute people on a whim, and burn Winterfell to the ground. She practically isn’t going to burn Winterfell to the ground, but it is still legally hers that she can do of as she wishes.
Moreover, Jon and the Starks have no leverage over the Targaryens. The North is powerless in terms of military and economics and is about to be overrun by ice zombies. There is no way for them to exert leverage over the Targaryens. They are at Dany’s complete mercy.
why would the woman who ended slavery half way around the world and made such an impact for it that they call her breaker of chains, want slaves ??
Again, I think that you are looking at this from a 21st-century Western state where people have rights. Under a feudal system, the king or queen technically has all the power and BEND THE KNEE does mean absolute subjugation. L’etat, c’est moi means just that. The entire power of government is imbued in one person who makes laws, enacts laws, and judges cases. There is no written constitution, no separation of powers, no Bill of Rights, no independent courts, no federalism, no capitalism, etc. The ruler holds all the land and has complete control over all the economic activity. To open a market or plant certain crops or trade with certain people, a vassal had to get approval from the Crown and the Crown will grant a monopoly (i.e. the East Indies Company.) Moreover, the Crown has a right to approve or reject marriage alliances. We saw this right after Aegon’s Conquest with Argella’s forced marriage to Orys and the forced marriage of Torrhen’s daughter (which he and his sons protested.) This is done to keep rebellious lords in line and to prevent lords from forming powerful blocs and alliances against the Crown. A wise ruler would have never let Rickard Stark, Hoster Tully, and Jon Arryn get away with the marriages they were planning because it was clear they were preparing to act against the Crown.
Now, it is wise politics for the ruler to present a certain image and be liked so he/she doesn’t lead people to rebel, but absolute dicks can survive in the system as well. The books give us Robert, who was good at being liked, but also Tywin, Walder Frey, and Roose Bolton. If you are a savvy politician or control a strategic waterway, you can be a tyrant and rule with fear. Tywin was a pretty horrible man but was able to survive at the pinnacle of power for decades. He would have gotten away with everything if he was kinder to Tyrion and cultivated him.
