The Three Treasons

The Three Treasons is a prophecy delivered to Daenerys Targaryen by the Undying Ones of Qarth, foretelling that she will know three betrayals: one for blood, one for gold, and one for love. The prophecy haunts Daenerys throughout her time in Meereen, as she struggles to identify each betrayal among those closest to her, and its ambiguous fulfillment shapes her growing mistrust and isolation.

Origin and Content of the Prophecy

In the House of the Undying in Qarth, the Undying Ones spoke to Daenerys in riddles. "Three treasons will you know," they said, "once for blood and once for gold and once for love." The prophecy was part of a larger set of threefold predictions that also included three fires and three mounts. Daenerys remembered these words clearly, and they became a touchstone for her suspicions. When she later recalled the prophecy to herself, she listed the treasons in the same order: "One for blood and one for gold and one for …" She trailed off, unable or unwilling to complete the thought, but the pattern was fixed in her mind.

Daenerys's Attempts to Identify the Betrayers

As Daenerys ruled in Meereen, she constantly measured those around her against the prophecy. After Mirri Maz Duur's betrayal at the funeral pyre of Khal Drogo, Daenerys counted her as the first treason, for blood. When she learned that Ser Jorah Mormont had been spying on her for the Usurper Robert Baratheon, she identified him as the second treason, for gold. But the third treason—for love—remained a source of deep anxiety. She wondered who would be the third: "Would Reznak be the third? The Shavepate? Daario? Or will it be someone I would never suspect, Ser Barristan or Grey Worm or Missandei?" The uncertainty poisoned her trust, making her question even her most loyal servants.

The Prophecy's Role in Daenerys's Decision-Making

The prophecy directly influenced Daenerys's political and personal choices. When she learned that Brown Ben Plumm had betrayed her and gone over to the Yunkai'i, she immediately connected it to the prophecy: "Three treasons will you know. Once for gold and once for blood and once for love. Was Plumm the third treason, or the second?" She could not be certain, and that uncertainty gnawed at her. The prophecy also made her suspicious of her own seneschal, Reznak mo Reznak. When Quaithe warned her to "beware the perfumed seneschal," Daenerys sniffed suspiciously at Reznak and considered having him arrested and put to the question, wondering if that would forestall the prophecy or if some other betrayer would take his place. She recognized the treachery of prophecies: "Prophecies are treacherous," she reminded herself, "and Reznak may be no more than he appears."

The Prophecy's Ambiguity and Daenerys's Isolation

The Three Treasons prophecy never received a clear, unambiguous fulfillment within the events of the book. Daenerys was left to guess which betrayals had already occurred and which were yet to come. This ambiguity deepened her sense of isolation. After Brown Ben Plumm's defection, she reflected bitterly: "Would she never have a friend that she could trust? What good are prophecies if you cannot make sense of them?" The prophecy became a lens through which she viewed every potential ally and every setback, contributing to her growing wariness and her ultimate decision to fly away on Drogon, leaving Meereen behind. The treasons remained a haunting, unresolved thread, a reminder that even a queen's power could not protect her from the betrayals of those she trusted.