My Thoughts on Daenerys’ 8th POV Chapter

Hello Thrones! It’s been a while since I’ve continued this series but I’m back with my thoughts on Daenerys’ 8th POV chapter. Dany has 10 chapters in AGOT so we’re almost finished - and when I’m finished I’ll probably continue with her ACOK chapters (although she only has 5 chapters there so it’ll probably be a short series). For this blog I’ll be using my physical copy of AGOT because the pdf version just doesn’t hit the same. Anyway, onto the blog!

We begin this chapter with a pretty gruesome image, the nearly dead Khal Drogo surrounded by bloodflies with poor Dany at his side. Dany sees that Drogo is just a shell of the man he used to be - he barely eats, doesn’t react to anything around him, and thrashes around during the night. It all comes to a head when he falls off his horse, delirious and in pain, and Dany calls for Mirri Maz Duur for help.

Of course, Dany is aware of the serious implications of Drogo falling off his horse. As they said among the Dothraki - ‘A khal who could not ride could not rule’. The Dothraki follow strength and they will not consider her a worthy leader once Drogo is dead. She does her best to keep Drogo out of sight but she knows that all his bloodriders and her handmaidens had seen him fall. It’s so easy to feel her desperation, she doesn’t want to lose Drogo and she knows the Dothraki won’t follow her after his death.

In her determination to save Drogo no matter the cost, Mirri Maz Duur’s spell is really the only thing she has left. According to Mirri Maz Duur, ‘only death may pay for life’ which s for all the bloodshed in this chapter. First the poor horse and the brutal death of Qotho at the hands of Ser Jorah. Dany, of course, can’t escape the horrors either, narrowly avoiding getting killed by Cohollo and going into labour on top of it all. It’s so heartbreaking. The birthing women think Dany is cursed and refuse to help, and Dany is too weak to protest as she is carried into Mirri Maz Duur’s tent. Mirri Maz Duur is in the midst of a bloodmagic ritual with Drogo - which probably isn’t the best place for Dany to be in - but there’s no other help.

This chapter is so heavy for Dany. First, there’s her fear of losing Drogo. It’s no secret that I’m definitely not a Dany x Drogo shipper, but there’s no denying that seeing Drogo on the edge of death is unbearable for Dany. I think that some part of her is aware that Drogo’s outlook is bleak but she’s desperate to do anything she can to save him. She’ll pay any price, although we later find out that that price is much higher than she imagined. But that’s for the next chapter.

That brings this blog to an end! Obviously there’s so many things happening in this chapter but I prefer to keep these blogs short-ish to avoid too much rambling. As someone who loves Dany, this chapter is makes me feel incredibly sorry for her and the dark circumstances she’s in. For my next post, maybe I’ll choose a lighter topic, although I do want to finish this series (in the next few hundred years 🤪). Anyway, see you all next time!

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