#dark!dany

I think you’re right that dragon binding/hatching/chimeras involve blood sacrifice; a lot of what we know of ASOIAF magic involves it (not just dragons; but the Red priests use blood to create winds and curses; it seems certain people can see the future after ingesting blood; the Children of the Forest allegedly created the Neck and the Broken Arm using a mass blood sacrifice). It’s GRRM’s fantasy way of exploring how certain people gained fantastic power by exploiting, dehumanizing and killing others. Jorah finding Dæny “surrounded by blackened logs and bits of glowing ember and the burnt bones of man and woman and stallion” seems compelling that given dragons are “fire made flesh” all 3 were used to hatch them (and maybe Dány, she’s surrounded by an eggshell of dying fire and dead flesh herself). Then there’s the dragonhorn that needs to be claimed with blood and seems to burn whoever blows it (if what Moqorro is saying is true), which could be evidence that another “fire and flesh” ritual involving human sacrifice is needed to control dragons just as it is to hatch them. Mirri mocked Dány killing the horse for Drogo, saying “by itself the blood means nothing”, was defiant when Dàny had her bound to the pyre and dumping oil on her like kindling, but once Dàny had her bound to the pyre and said “it is not your screams I want, only your life. I remember what you told me. Only death can pay for life” she became afraid. It’s the intentional, agonizing ritual immolation of another person that can bring forth dragons. This kind of mentality is based on dehumanizing others (literally killing them and using their body/spirit to make a weapon) for power, which, you’re right, does overlap with slavery and conquest.

Kaboom.

Also scary stories said that her large black bats would carry off children to be eaten (see poor Hazzea with black-scaled Drogon). And when Dunk sees her in TMK, she’s described as having long red hair and wearing black armor, the colors of House Targaryen (meanwhile the Lothston colors are gold, white, and black). Then the proprietor of the Lazy Eel calls Daenerys Daenela (nobody knows her name). I think Danelle was a deliberate reference, as are other Daeneryses and derivatives (Daena, Daenaera).

*Also, we have this mythical sword already and there's no need for it to be tempered; it works just fine. It's probably Dawn. She even gets a close-up when Young!Elrond!Ned goes to tend to Lyanna in the flashbacks.

Bloody flux has a very high mortality rate of 75%, so many people theorize that if Dæny had it she’d likely die quickly; and since her story isn’t to die in the Great Grass Sea before going to Westeros, they think she must not have it. She has fever and diarrhea to the point she thinks she’s dying, which are bloody flux symptoms, but she also attributes that much bleeding to menstrution, which could be in response to stress, she also ate some unknown berries and drank contaminated water, which can cause diarrhea. Then there’s the theory the excessive menstrual bleeding is actually a miscarriage, possibly giving her false hope of hearing a living child. So there are other possibilities than the bloody flux, but even if she does have it she’ll survive it (though I doubt Khal Jhaqo’s men will be so lucky). Though I don’t think she does; she is the pale mare, the bringer of death.

Well, Hizdahr appeared in Seasons 4&5, about the time the writing was getting weaker, but I think it’s apparent the writers knew what they were doing with Hizdahr, and that he was supposed to be a tragic figure Dæny doesn’t care about in the end (I mean Emilia said in S7 that goodbye to Jorah was “her shedding the rest of her humanity” so why not have the well meaning guy she repeatedly treated like trash be part of her arc?). No matter how you slice it, crucifying 163 random nobles without an investigation was a reckless move, as Dæny might’ve killed people who weren’t involved in crucifying the children—the show just made that obvious by having Hizdahr say his father was one of those who spoke against it. Same with her executing Mossador, a freedman leader who killed a Harpy’s son without trial; in the books Daario offers to kill them but she refuses and instead takes hostages. They tried to pull a plot twist with Hizdahr with many in the audience and even some characters thinking he was working with the Sons of the Harpy, but they stab him while he’s trying to lead Dænerys—the woman who killed his father, has him taken as a hostage, threatened him with dragonfire, locks him in a cell, forcibly marries him, belittles his culture, and threatens to destroy Meereen if they keep rebelling—to safety, proving he was looking out for her despite everything. Considering Dark!Dænerys ends up as canon in the show (and lbr there’s reason to believe it will be in the books), there’s nothing wrong with seeing her as the villain in her “relationship” with Hizdahr. In fact, it foreshadows her relationship with Jon come Seasons 7&8. I just wish Hizdahr’s death had more impact on the story, because he proved a lot about where her actions were going (as well as being a better leader of Meereen than Daario. Cmon show).