Daenerys’ Interpretations of the Prophecy
… but that had not saved Rhaego when the maegi murdered him in her womb. Three treasons shall you know. She was the first, Jorah was the second, Brown Ben Plumm the third. Was she done with betrayals?
Daenerys IX ADOD
Throughout ASOS and ADOD, Daenerys tries to interpret the ‘three treasons’ prophecy from the House of the Undying. In particular, she assigns the treasons to the actions of Mirri Maz Duur, Ser Jorah Mormont and Brown Ben Plumm. None of these match the prophecy particularly well and Daenerys herself doubts this interpretation. In addition, there are other treasons not included in these three. I will look at the three people named first, to see why they don’t fit well, and then other treasons.
Mirri Maz Duur
“Mirri Maz Duur was the first.”
Daenerys I ASOS
Daenerys assigns the first treason, for blood, to the actions of Mirri Maz Duur. Mirri Maz Duur does two things that might be considered treasonous; she attempts, and fails, to heal Khal Drogo and she performs a bloodmagic ritual to keep him alive when he is dying. The results of these, particularly the ritual, do not please Daenerys, but it’s not clear that her actions should really count as treason.
She volunteers to heal Khal Drogo after he has sent away his own healers and it seems that she tries to do a good job. However, Khal Drogo removes the poultice that she gives him, replacing it with another and ignores her advice not to drink wine. It is possible that Mirri Maz Duur has poisoned Khal Drogo, and some of the Dothraki do blame her, but there is little indication of this. Daenerys does not consider this as treason when she thinks about it later.
Mirri Maz Duur sat back on her heels and studied Daenerys through eyes as black as night. “There is a spell.” Her voice was quiet, scarcely more than a whisper. “But it is hard, lady, and dark. Some would say that death is cleaner. I learned the way in Asshai, and paid dear for the lesson. My teacher was a bloodmage from the Shadow Lands.”
Daenerys VIII AGOT
Daenerys is much angrier over the bloodmagic ritual that results in the death of her unborn child and fails to restore Khal Drogo to his previous self. Daenerys feels cheated and this is the event that she refers to when thinking about the treason in the prophecy.
However, Daenerys pleads with Mirri Maz Duur to find a way to keep Khal Drogo alive and is then strongly warned against the ritual. She is told she must pay with a death, but does not find out whose, apart from it not being hers. She is told to stay outside the tent, but Ser Jorah brings her inside and she also blames him for the death of her child. After the ritual, Mirri Maz Duur is happy that Daenerys’ son will not cause suffering to others, but at worst she fails to fully warn Daenerys of the consequences, which is hard to describe as treason.
Even if Mirri Maz Duur intentionally harmed Khal Drogo or Daenerys’ unborn child, her actions can’t really be described as treason. Treason is a betrayal by someone against a ruler or group that they have allegiance to. Mirri Maz Duur has recently been taken prisoner by the Dothraki and never swears an oath or shows any other form of allegiance to them that we see, so although her actions would be considered revenge, they are not treason.
There are some references to blood when describing the cut that Drogo receives and many in the bloodmagic ritual. It could even be said that Mirri Maz Duur did what she did ‘for blood’ by preventing Daenerys’ unborn child becoming a Khal and so preventing further bloodshed. However, as she carried out the ritual at Daenerys’ request, it’s hard to consider her actions as treason, so this interpretation does not fit.
Ser Jorah
“How could you? What did the Usurper promise you? Gold, was it gold?” The Undying had said she would be betrayed twice more, once for gold and once for love. “Tell me what you were promised?”
“Varys said … I might go home.” He bowed his head.
Daenerys V ASOS
Ser Jorah’s betrayal is the second link that Daenerys makes to the prophecy. In this case, his reporting to Varys is clearly treason. Initially his treason would be against Viserys, who he has sworn himself to, but after he is killed, he continues his treason against Daenerys.
However, the motivation for his actions have nothing to do with gold, as in the prophecy, but instead, a desire to go home.
“Daenerys,” he said, “I have loved you.”
And there it was. Three treasons will you know. Once for blood and once for gold and once for love.
Daenerys VI ASOS
Before Daenerys sends Jorah away, he confesses his love for her, which she tries to fit to the prophecy again, but now to the third treason, which is ‘for love’. Again, the motivation does not match the prophecy, his love for Daenerys is surely the reason why he stopped his betrayal and why he does not want to be sent away now. Also, if this is the treason for love, what was the betrayal for gold? There is little to link Jorah’s motivation to either gold or love.
Brown Ben Plumm
Three treasons will you know. Once for gold and once for blood and once for love. Was Plumm the third treason, or the second? And what did that make Ser Jorah, her gruff old bear?
Daenerys VI ADOD
The prophecy appears again in ADOD when Brown Ben Plumm switches sides with the Second Sons to join the Yunkai. Brown Ben Plumm’s betrayal is certainly treason, but his motivation does not match either love or gold.
“but it’s not all about the coin, Your High-and-Mightiness. I learned that a long time back, at my first battle.”
Daenerys VIII ADOD
He tells Daenerys that he betrayed her because she couldn’t use her dragons and he didn’t want to be on the losing side. He tells her it is not because of the pay, but because gold is no good to you if you are dead. He tells a story to illustrate his point.
Daenerys starts to question her own interpretations of the prophecy at this point.
Other Treasons
As well as those already mention, there many other treasons that are not interpreted by Daenerys as being part of the treasons as she is ruling Meereen. These include the murders of the Unsullied and other ex-slaves as well as the poisoning of the locusts. These are not linked to the three treasons prophecy. Why should some treasons be included, but not others?
Break the Ice 