It is the wedding feast of Khal Drogo and Daenerys Targaryen. Drogo’s entire khalasar — 40,000 warriors and uncounted women, children, and slaves — is gathered in a field outside of Pentos for the event. Pentos is uneasy, and Illyrio told Daenerys, Viserys, and Jorah, who swore fealty to Viserys the night of the engagement party, one night that the magisters have doubled the size of the city guard for the duration. Viserys seethes with impatience to get his promised crown, but Illyrio cautions him that Drogo will fulfill his promise in his own time and that first he has to take Daenerys toVaes Dothrak to present her to the dosh khaleen. Ser Jorah adds that a lesser man must not presume to order the khal, and Viserys retorts that the dragon does not beg, but Daenerys thinks there are no more dragons. That night, she dreams of Viserys hurting her until a dragon appears in a burst of flame, and he disappears.
The ceremony lasts from dawn to dusk. Daenerys is seated on an earthen ramp next to Khal Drogo, with Viserys, Illyrio, and Ser Jorah right below her. Daenerys feels completely alone and frightened, and Drogo ignores her throughout the feast, as they do not share a common language. The feast is a raucous affair featuring a mass orgy and a dozen deaths. As the feast begins to wind down, she receives her gifts. From Viserys, she gets three handmaidens provided by Illyrio.Irri is to teach her riding, Jhiqui the Dothraki tongue, and Doreah the art of love. Ser Jorah gives her a collection of old books containing songs and histories of the Seven Kingdoms. Illyrio gives the greatest gift of all, three petrified dragon eggs from the Shadow Lands beyond Asshai.
Next, the khal‘s bloodriders, Haggo, Cohollo, and Qotho, give her the traditional gifts of a leather whip with silver handle, an arakh chased in gold, and a curved dragonbone bow, each of which she refuses and gives to Drogo according to custom. After receiving many small gifts from other Dothraki, she is finally given Drogo’s gift, a fantastic filly with a smokey silver mane. Finally Khal Drogo leads her off to consummate the marriage. Daenerys is afraid, but Drogo firmly yet gently takes her in hand and arouses her. They have sex.
Quotes…
“I counsel you to be patient, Your Grace. The Dothraki are true to their word, but they do things in their own time. A lesser man may beg a favor from the khal, but must never presume to berate him.”
Viserys bristled. “Guard your tongue, Mormont, or Ill have it out. I am no lesser man, I am the rightful Lord of the Seven Kingdoms. The dragon does not beg.”
Magister Illyrio had warned Dany about this too. “A Dothraki wedding without at least three deaths is deemed a dull affair,” he had said. Her wedding must have been especially blessed; before the day was over, a dozen men had died.
“These are no common servants, sweet sister,” her brother told her as they were brought forward one by one. “Illyrio and I selected them personally for you. Irri will teach you riding, Jhiqui the Dothraki tongue, and Doreah will instruct you in the womanly arts of love.” He smiled thinly. “Shes very good, Illyrio and I can both swear to that.”
“Dragons eggs, from the Shadow Lands beyond Asshai,” said Magister Illyrio. “The eons have turned them to stone, yet still they burn bright with beauty.”
Khal Drogo stared at her tears, his face strangely empty of expression. “No,” he said. He lifted his hand and rubbed away the tears roughly with a callused thumb.
The whole way through most of this chapter you can feel the fear that she is feeling. They don’t speak the same language. Khal Drogo and his people are barbarians, having sex right out in the open and then killing each other. I’m pretty sure I would have ran screaming the other way.
Daenerys receives her wedding gifts. Ser Jorah gives her books, her brother gives her 3 slaves, one to help her with the Dothraki language, one to help her with riding and one to help her with the ways of love. Such a good brother. Master Illyrio then gives her 3 petrified dragon eggs that she absolutely loves and Drogo gives her a beautiful horse and she impressed the khalasar with her riding. She also received gifts from the bloodriders, 3 different weapons but she graciously told them that they were for a warrior and gifted them to Drogo.
Finally, the time has come that she has been dreading. The consumation. They rode away from the rest of the party to a tent and when Drogo sees that she is crying, he is very kind and gentle with her until she is ready. All of a sudden Khal Drogo is not looking so bad.
Book to HBO
The scale of the wedding is much smaller. Ser Jorah is introduced here, rather than in the previous chapter. Daenerys riding her new horse joyfully, leaping over one of the bonfires and then telling Drogo that he gave her the wind, is gone. The largest change is the end of the chapter, however. In the novel, Drogo is gentle and patient with her, and takes his time until she is ready to consummate their marriage. Here, his advances are rougher and she’s in tears as the scene ends.
