Daenerys left Daario Naharis to oversee the welfare of the Bay of Dragons. But what happened to the region after her assassination?
Game of Thrones season 5, episode 10 “Mother’s Mercy” saw Daenerys’ aide, Tyrion Lannister, and closest confidant, Missandei, and the Unsullied commander, Grey Worm trying to placate Meereen from the brink of a civil war. The grand old city was crumbling down under the pressure of violence, corruption, and deceit due to the fact that an outsider named Daenerys Targaryen had ended its slave trade and liberated its enslaved.
Meereen, the largest and the most formidable of the cities along Slaver’s Bay (later renamed the Bay of Dragons) is said to be nearly as large as Astapor and Yunkai combined. But what was Daenerys’ tryst with Slaver’s Bay, and why did she devote so much time to a region when the HBO show, Game of Thrones was building her up to head home (Westeros) from the beginning?
The Bay of Dragons, originally known as Slaver’s Bay is a region on the southern coast of Essos. It lies to the southeast of Westeros and the Free Cities and to the west of Qarth. It played a critical role in the international slave trade, with the appalling practice existing since the days of the old Ghiscari Empire. Slaver’s Bay is more of a small sea, with the Valyrian peninsula situated on the far west coast. The three former Slaver Cities, namely Yunkai and Astapor, and Meereen lie on the east coast of the region. These cities were infamous for selling the enslaved to the Free Cities, Dothraki, and Qarth. The practice came to a screeching halt when Daenerys arrived on the scene and liberated Astapor in Game of Thrones season 3, episode 4 “And Now His Watch Is Ended,” then Yunkai, and finally learned to rule as Queen in Meereen.
The Liberation Of Slaver’s Bay
Game of Thrones season 3, episode 3’s title “Walk of Punishment” refers to the sea wall in Astapor where the “disobedient” enslaved are crucified and displayed as a warning to the rest of the slaves. Daenerys, Ser Jorah, and Ser Barristan Selmy are horrified to see the condition of the crucified along this stretch. The Mother of Dragons offers water to one of the dying slaves who refuses, saying, “Let me die.” During the Sack of Astapor, Daenerys orders the Unsullied to slay the soldiers who work for the Good Masters and to kill every man holding a whip. She also orders her newly acquired army to strike the chains off every slave they see. She not only emancipates the city’s enslaved but offers the Unsullied a choice to fight for her as free men or to leave. The eight thousand Unsullied soldiers agree to serve her and in the end, Daenerys is able to purge Astapor of slavers.
In Game of Thrones season 3, episode 7 “The Bear and the Maiden Fair,” Daenerys finds herself outside the Yellow City, Yunkai wanting to liberate its people. Since Ser Jorah claims that the Yunkish are guarded by strong walls, she sends a messenger to the slavers demanding their surrender. Soon after an emissary, Razdal mo Eraz representing the Wise Masters enters Daenerys’ camp. He makes her a generous offer and asks her to sail back to Westeros and leave the slavers to conduct their affairs in peace. She, in turn, orders the release of every slave in Yunkai. Later, Daenerys unsuccessfully meets with the Second Sons commanders who’re unwilling to break their contract with the Yunkish elite. However, the tide turns in Daenerys’ favor when the sell sword lieutenant, Daario Naharis murders his comrades and pledges him and the Second Sons to Daenerys’ cause.
Yunkai falls in Game of Thrones season 3, episode 10 “Mhysa,” thereby marking Daenerys Targaryen’s second victory as a liberator. With an army of Unsullied, the Second Sons, and advisors, she sets to sack the mother of Slaver Cities, Meereen. In contrast to Astapor and Yunkai, the siege of Meereen is bitter, nevertheless successful. In Game of Thrones season 4, episode 4, “Oathkeeper,” the ferocious Queen administers justice by nailing 163 Great Masters as retribution for the innocent children they crucified earlier. Daenerys assumes the throne in the Great Pyramid while the Targaryen sigil banner conceals the bronze harpy at the Pyramid’s apex.
Daenerys Leaves Daario Naharis In Charge Of Meereen
Even after having the Meereenese navy at her disposal, Daenerys halts her war on Westeros to focus on Slaver’s Bay. She stays back to deal with the host of administrative problems that rise after the region’s liberation. Her years as Queen of Meereen hone her leadership qualities and her decision-making skills. She successfully fights the underground insurgency group, and the ardent defenders of slavery, the Sons of the Harpy. The second siege of Meereen that takes place in Game of Thrones season 6 culminates in Daenerys and her council meeting with the three slaver emissaries. The trio put forward the conditions that she leave Slaver’s Bay on foot, abandon the Great Pyramid, and whatnot, but Daenerys puts into motion her plan. She has Drogon burn the slavers’ warships, while Daario and her Dothraki horde butcher the Sons of the Harpy surrounding the city.
By the end of Game of Thrones season 6, peace returns to Meereen, and Daenerys finally sets sail to Westeros. However, before leaving, she acts upon Tyrion’s advice and commands Daario Naharis and the Second Sons to stay back as peacekeeping forces while the Meereenese choose their own leaders. Daario complies, but Daenerys meets a tragic end in Westeros. While Daario is an ace fighter and knows the region well, he has little to no experience in governance. Against such a backdrop, it’s highly likely that multiple insurgency factions would have mushroomed throughout the Bay of Dragons. Daenerys did leave specific instructions for the welfare of Meereen and the Bay of Dragons before departing, but it cannot be confirmed whether those were translated from paper to reality. After all, Game of Thrones abandoned the Meereen plotline post-season 6.
With dangerous sell swords in charge, it’s easy for the Bay of Dragons to slip back into old ways. Moreover, the three dragons served as a deterrent, but since two of them are gone, the insurgents will face weak opposition in overthrowing Daenerys’ order. The cities of Astapor, Yunkai, and Meereen are deeply embedded in slave history, and their elite have always wished to maintain their political and economic independence. Earlier in Game of Thrones season 5, Lord Varys referred to Meereen as an “ungainly beast,” while Missandei commented that only the Unsullied could keep peace in Meereen. Quite obviously, this means that opportunities for insurgency look greater because the Unsullied sailed away to Naath at the end of Game of Thrones. Even if Daario stays true to the promise he made to his Queen, he and the leadership will likely face trouble avoiding uprisings and conflicts.