As the end of Game of Thrones draws nears there is one thing that is relatively undeniable, Dragons tip the scale of power in a battle. One need only ask Jaime Lannister when his army was attacked by Denaerys Stormborn Targaryen, the Mother of Dragons, her three full grown dragons and her army of Dothraki screamers. While it is true that the Dothraki did a great deal of damage to the Lannister army, it was her three dragons that laid waste to the soldiers, the wagons, and their weapons. Only by Bronn’s last second heroics (or interference, depending on whose side you were on) did Jaime not die in a fiery blast by Drogon.
Yep…Dragons are nice to have…when their not killing a farmer’s sheep or cooking small children…I know, nobodies perfect. But I’d rather have them given the choice. But….what if the circumstances had changed and Denaerys were never given her dragon eggs…oh wait, we never talked about how she got them in the first place. A pox on me for a clumsy lout. Let’s us step through Star Trek’s “Guardian of Forever” (always important to throw in other references to keep you people sharp) and recount where her dragon eggs came from.
This tale has been recounted briefly in the “What if Khal Drogo had lived?” post but here is the gist of what went on.
Denaerys is offered to Khal Drogo in marriage in return for his support, or more importantly, his armies support in her brothers attempt to take back the Iron Throne. It was during the wedding reception that Illyrio Mopatis who was Viserys and Denaerys sponsor during their time in exile from the Seven Kingdoms, had brought to her a chest with three petrified dragon eggs as a wedding gift.
“Dragon’s eggs from the shadow lands beyond Asshai. The ages has turned them to stone, but they will always be beautiful.”
Viserys himself though them fakes. “Fakes, no doubt.” He obviously changed his mind later. He became frustrated by the seeming lack of interest of Khal Drogo and his horde to follow through and assist him in his conquest of Westeros, so he attempts to steal the eggs.
He slips into her tent and proceeds to put the three “fake” eggs into his bag. Ser Jorah Mormont enters to stop him.
Ser Jorah: “They don’t belong to you.”
Viserys: “Whatever is hers is also mine.”
Ser Jorah: “Once, perhaps.”
Viserys: “If I sell one egg, I’ll have enough to buy a ship. Two eggs a ship and an army.”
Ser Jorah: “And you have all three.
Viserys: “I need a large army.
Ser Jorah still stands in his way.
Viserys: “But let me go.”
Ser Jorah: “You can go, you can’t have the eggs.”
Viserys: “You swore an oath to me. Does loyalty mean nothing to you?”
Ser Jorah: “It means everything to me.”
Viserys: “And yet here you stand.”
Ser Jorah: “And yet here I stand.”
It is difficult to know how much of that was loyalty and how much was Jorah’s feelings toward Denaerys but the effect was the same. Viserys when faced with the prospect of facing Ser Jorah, decides to think better of stealing the eggs and leaves the tent empty handed. This led to him making the fatal mistake of drawing a sword and threatening Denaerys unborn child. With that, Drogo gives Viserys what he desired most of all. A gold crown, in the form of hot, melted gold dumped over his head killing the self-called last dragon.
So we have petrified dragons eggs, a dead Targaryen prince, and a future mother of the “stallion that will mount the world.” Unfortunately, Khal Drogo falls ill from sepsis, Denaerys loses her baby trying to bargain to save the Khals life and soon loses the Khal after she kills the empty shell that used to be her “moon and stars.” In the despair of her loss, she attempts to end her life in the same funeral pyre that claims the Khal, taking the dragon eggs with her. When the smoke literally clears, she is unharmed and has three baby dragons clinging to her now naked body as her clothes had been burned off of her. The rest as they say is history as her dragons become the means that her claim on the Seven Kingdom will depend on. Her ace in the hole. But what would have happened if they changed her aces to threes. What if she didn’t get her dragon eggs?
Let us suppose that there were no dragon eggs for Illyrio to give her. They remained hidden to the world, lost in the Shadow Lands. Without the dragon eggs, and thus no dragons, Denaerys negotiating power is greatly reduced. Just the fact that she had three dragons helped hasten her entry in the city of Quarth when those in power wanted nothing to do with her or ragtag group. She was able to use one of her dragons to barter from a slave owner for the possession of an army of unsullied and for soon to be faithful councilor Missandei. She then allowed one of her dragons (the one she had promised to the slaver) to close the deal…permanently.
It was these Dragons that reduced the ships of the slavers to flaming pyres when they were foolish enough to attack the Mother of Dragon’s Mareen stronghold. It was through these additional ships, (the ones that weren’t burned and those they repaired) when added to the iron-born vessels that made it possible for Denaerys voyage (along with her Dothraki and their horses) over the sea to Dragonstone. In fact, without her dragons, chances are Yara and Theon might not have searched her out to join their forces. Nor would Euron had intimated a possible joining through marriage with Denaerys. Although the addition of a Dothraki horde might be advantageous to any battle. But would she still have the Dothraki?
To be fair, just because she would be dragonless doesn’t mean she would be helpless. She could be persuasive and she still had the power of fire not consuming her. This would probably have still given her control of the Dothraki as she needed no dragons to burn down the Vaes Dothrak and take the gathered Khals down with it. She would have still emerged unscathed and the Dothraki would have still followed her. She would have just needed an opportunity. It wouldn’t be near as impressive though as three huge dragons at your disposal.
So events would definitely been different, the challenges and her name would certainly be shorter: “Daenerys Stormborn of the House Targaryen✔️, First of Her Name✔️ the Unburnt,✔️Queen of the Andals and the First Men✔️Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea✔️Breaker of Chains?and Mother of Dragons” She might have still freed the slaves but less likely without the dragons. The last title would definitely drop off. Still pretty impressive really. So could she still claim her throne? Would be much more difficult but perhaps. What do you, our Game of Thrones experts think? Let us know at GVNation.
Senior Writer at GeekVibesNation – I am a 50 something child of the 70’s who admits to being a Star Trek/Star Wars/Comic Book junkie who once dove head first over a cliff (Ok, it was a small hill) to try to rescue his Fantastic Four comic from a watery grave. I am married to a lovely woman who is as crazy as I am and the proud parent of a 18 year old boy with autism. My wife and son are my real heroes.
