I finally put my finger on something that really gnaws at me with the antis’s discourse. Here’s the thing:
1) Most of them will argue that Dany’s invasion of Westeros is unjustified, that nobody wants her in Westeros, that she’s an aggressor motivated at the core by selfish reasons. Westeros doesn’t belong to her; her father forfeited the Targaryen’s claim to Westeros by breaking the feudal contract, etc.
2) Most of them will also argue that Dany was in the wrong for agreeing to help Jon in 7×04 only if he bent the knee. If she calls herself protector of the Realm, she should offer her help, not sell it. She was ready to let Jon’s men die if Jon didn’t submit to her.
Can you spot the problem?
Even if these assertions were both true (and it’s been debated over and over that they’re most likely not…)
Point 1) say that Dany has no right and no claim over Westeros.
Point 2) say that she has responsibilities toward Westeros.
But, why should Dany be responsible for something that doesn’t belong to her? That she has no rights over? And why should she sacrifices resources and men for a country that doesn’t want her? That hates her, even (quoting an anti, here…)?
We call this
and
I kind of disagree with you on this? I think the reason why both points exist simultaneously is because the first has more to do with legal realities and her right to rule, while the second is all about her perception of herself as a ruler.
According to the logic behind a lot of antis, the Targaryen’s lost their right to rule to the Baratheons by right of conquest, which makes sense because the Targaryen claim was based on the conquest of Aegon the Conqueror. Then the Lannisters killed a Baratheon king and grabbed the throne, so they have the right to it. For the record, I don’t think anyone actually wants Cersei to be queen, but if you’re looking at it from this perspective, she legally is the queen.
Now, of course, Daenerys doesn’t think that Cersei is legally the queen. She believes that, since everyone in the Targaryen line of succession above her is dead, the Iron Throne is her birthright. I’m not a legal expert, but i’d say that that’s a valid argument too, since the Targaryens unified the Seven Kingdoms and held them for 300 years. Because she believes she claims to hold the power of te “Queen of the Andals and the First Men”, she also takes on the responsibility of “Protector of the Realm.” Jon tells her about an apocalyptic threat which will affect the North but also all Seven Kingdoms, and she won’t help unless he bends the knee. I think she’s right to be concerned about Cersei and I understand her frustration at having one of her kingdoms refuse her, but I do think that this wasnt the right course of action. Odds are the North would have been more likely to accept her as their queen after she saved all Seven Kingdoms and demonstrated the power of her dragons without burning people alive. That’s just my take though.
Well, the matter of the legitimacy of Dany’s claim is certainly up for discussion. Personally, I tend to agree with these justifications as to why Dany would still be (as far as everyone know) the “rightful” queen of the 7k.
As its core, a feudal contract dictates that a monarch must protect his subjects in exchange for their fealty: that’s the whole “contract” part. If we’re staying on legal terms, Dany as protector of the 7k has no obligations to help those who refuses to pledge to her. It also doesn’t help that the North has a reputation for not exactly being Targaryen friendly. Us viewers believed Jon when he told Dany “I’m not your enemy”, in 7×03, because we know Jon. But Dany doesn’t. Or didn’t back then, anyway.
Had Dany kept her original conditions (”I’ll help you if you bend the knee”), she would’ve done what monarchs do. Not what heroes do, but not what villains do either. Just what monarchs do. Of course, in the end, she does end up helping Jon without being promised anything in return. The fact that Jon pledged to her afterward doesn’t change that.
On another note, I really, really appreciate how polite you are. Respectful debates and discussions are always great, and they don’t come by so often lately TT
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