Daniel and his three friends
We met not only Daniel but also his three friends in chapter 1, verses 6-7:  "Now among the sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.  Then the commander of the officials assigned new names to them; and to Daniel he assigned the name Belteshazzar, to Hananiah Shadrach, to Mishael Meshach, and to Azariah Abed-nego."  These three also joined Daniel in the test proposed to the overseer of the commander of the officials (1:11) and with him entered the king's personal service as we read in chapter 1, verse 19:  "And the king talked with them, and out of them all not one was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king's personal service."
In chapter 2, these men prayed with Daniel for God to grant him knowledge of the king's dream and the interpretation of it (2:17-18).  At the end of that chapter, we read:  "Then the king promoted Daniel and gave him many great gifts, and he made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon and chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon.  And Daniel made request of the king, and he appointed Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego over the administration of the province of Babylon, while Daniel was at the king's court" (v.v. 48-49).
But in chapter 3, Daniel's three friends found themselves in trouble for disobeying the king's edict regarding his golden image.  Their trouble lead to their being threatened with death by fire.  Their response in 3:16-18:  "Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego answered and said to the king, 'O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to give you an answer concerning this matter.  If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us our of your hand, O king.  But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.'"
The king's fury was understandable.  These three young men owed their positions to his kindness toward their friend Daniel.  Who were they to challenge him?  So into the furnace they went.  And Nebuchadnezzar had a position from which to watch their sufferings and deaths.  But they neither suffered nor died, nor were the three of them alone in the furnace.  The king was appropriately amazed.  It seems that he has used this furnace before but never with this outcome.
How did Nebuchadnezzar respond?  3:28-30 tells us:  "Nebuchadnezzar responded and said, 'Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, who has sent His angel and delivered His servants who put their trust in Him, violating the king's command, and yielding up their bodies so as to not serve or worship any god except their own God.  Therefore, I make a decree that any people, nation, or tongue that speaks anything offensive against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego shall be torn limb from limb and their houses reduced to a rubbish heap, inasmuch as there is no other god who is able to deliver in this way.'  Then the king caused Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego to prosper in the province of Babylon."
At the end of chapter 2, the men were honored with their positions because Daniel requested this of the king.  At the end of chapter 3, it seems they were honored because the king saw that Daniel's God was theirs also.  The first time they were given significant positions  because of their relationship to Daniel, the second because of their relationship to God.