Diksha Sundriyal
HBO’s ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms‘ begins with a man digging a grave. Given the bloodshed that has been a trademark of ‘Game of Thrones‘ and ‘House of the Dragon,’ starting a story with a dead body in Westeros isn’t out of place. The body is that of a knight, Ser Arlan of Pennytree, who is being laid to rest in a meadow by his squire, Dunk, who doesn’t bury his sword with him because it would just rust in the grave anyway. He says parting words, remembering how Ser Arlan took him, taught him what he could, and never hit him when he didn’t deserve it, except one time when he was hit for stealing an apple pie, which he didn’t.
Apart from the sword, Dunk also has his mentor’s three horses, selling which would get him a lot of money, but he knows it wouldn’t last forever. He needs to find something more permanent for himself, which is when he gets the idea to do what Ser Arlan was on his way to: compete in a tourney. As he holds the sword, he notes that it fits him just as well as it fit Ser Arlan, and with that, the theme song of ‘Game of Thrones’ starts to play, before stopping abruptly because Dunk has to relieve himself behind a tree, on which sits a lone bird. When he is done, he packs up and heads towards Ashton Meadow. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Dunk Meets Egg
On his way to Ashton, Dunk stops at an inn to get some food and rest. As he gets off the horse, he notices a bald boy standing outside the inn. He assumes it is the stableboy and orders him to take care of the horses. When he enters the inn, it’s empty, apart from a drunk man unconscious on one table. While Dunk talks to the woman who gives him food and water, the drunk man wakes up. He looks at Dunk and says he dreamed of him, and points his knife at Dunk, telling him to stay away. While Dunk is left confused by the whole thing, the woman tells him to pay the drunk man no mind. The man pays for his drinks and leaves. The coin, notably, has a Targaryen seal on it. With Ashford just a day’s ride away, Dunk decides to leave once he’s had dinner.
But when he reaches the stable, he finds the bald boy on one of his horses. He chides the boy for playing with the horse that could kill him with one kick. The boy, however, claims that he could ride the horse just as well as Dunk. When Dunk mentions he is a knight, the boy points out that he doesn’t look like one, especially since he has a rope for a scabbard. Noting that he is headed for the tourney, the boy requests to accompany him as his squire. When Dunk says he has no need for a squire, the boy comments that every knight needs a squire, and he looks like he needs one more than most. Dunk doesn’t have time to banter with the boy and tells him that he is better off than squiring for him. As he leaves, he leaves a coin for the boy for tending to his horses.
When the boy doesn’t pick it up, Dunk thinks he is sulking, but comments that once he leaves, the boy will surely scoop up the coin. However, this doesn’t happen. As Dunk rides away, the boy just watches him leave, paying no mind to the coin at his feet. As the sun comes up, Dunk reaches Ashford. He finds a bustling village preparing for the tourney. He goes to meet the master of the games to tell him he is there for the games. The man notes that only real knights can participate in it. Dunk says that he squired for Ser Arlan of Pennytree, who knighted him before he died, but the man notes the lack of conviction in his words.
Dunk Tries to Prove He is a Knight
The master of the games doesn’t recognise the name Ser Arlan of Pennytree, and asks if there were any witnesses to Dunk’s knighting ceremony. He jokes that there was no one but a bird in a tree. The man tries to scare him by telling him of the dreadful punishment that befalls a man pretending to be a knight, but it’s just a jape. Still, Dunk does need someone to vouch for him, noting that the tourney is a big event. There are literal princes participating in it, and he cannot let just anybody challenge the good Lords. As a dejected Dunk starts to leave, the man asks if any other knight will know of Ser Arlan. Dunk notes that his master once fought for House Dandarrion in Dorne, so Ser Manfred should remember him.
The game master tells him that if Ser Manfred can vouch for him before the games commence, he will be allowed to compete. The game master also reminds him that the loser has to forfeit their possessions and must get them back by paying a ransom. He asks if Dunk has money for ransom, the young knight goes from “god, no!” to “I won’t need to pay ransom.” Off he goes to the camp of House Dondarrion, but it turns out Ser Manfred is resting. His two mistresses tell Dunk to come back later in the evening, but not until they note that he is a hedge knight, “like a knight, but sadder.” As he leaves, he thinks about how he will have armor and gold and other possessions of the knight he defeats, but the possibility of that appears less when he witnesses other knights practicing.
He is introduced to Ser Steffon Fossoway and his cousin and squire, Raymun. Steffon challenges Dunk for a practice duel, but he refuses, which irks him even more. Raymun is much more amicable. Rattled by the interaction, Dunk decides to find quieter accommodation. He finds a spot away from the hullabaloo of the village, where a stream runs nearby, and there is a tree under which he can sleep later in the night. He washes himself, cleans his clothes (as much as he can), and then heads back to the village to see Ser Manfred. However, he is still sleeping because of his gouty toes. He tries to plead his case with the women, but there’s nothing they can do.
Dunk Meets Lord Baratheon
Dunk decides to hang around and ends up at a puppet show about dragons (which don’t exist anymore) and is smitten by the puppeteer, Tanselle, who also takes note of him. Moving on, he crosses paths with Raymun, who apologizes for his cousin, revealing that Steffon likes to beat his possible competitors in the yard, breaking their bones, just in case he meets them on the field the next day. Raymun also reveals that he is just a squire and won’t be competing in the tourney, but his cousin will. Seeing that Dunk is hungry, Raymun takes him to House Baratheon’s camp. Dunk notes the man sitting at the front, wearing a giant antler crown. Raymun identifies him as Lyonel Baratheon, the Laughing Storm, and Dunk says he thought the guy would be bigger.
Raymun fills Dunk’s cup with a drink and leaves right as Lyonel starts to tell a story about how jousting was invented. He ends on a note that no man could have devised such a joy. As food is served, Dunk realises why Raymun left him there. As the festivities continue, people eat, drink, sing, and dance, while Dunk focuses on just eating. Thanks to his size, he stands out in the crowd like a sore thumb, which leads Lyonel to single him out. He asks Dunk why he is at his camp, believing that, like every other lord and knight, Dunk is there to seek his favor. But the hedge knight says he is there for nothing but food. Lyonel also asks Dunk why he is slouching so much. He encourages him to “be tall” and not shrink himself for the world around him.
As the festivities get fiercer, Dunk and Lyonel take to dancing. To knock the shyness out of him, Lyonel teases Dunk by trying to step on his foot. Eventually, Dunk gets frustrated and steps on Lyonel’s foot, scared that the future Lord of Storm’s End might be offended. However, Lyonel takes it in good humor, and the dance continues. At the end of it, the duo sits together, with the antler crown on Dunk’s head, as Lyonel tells him of his battle stories. Dunk is impressed but also concerned that he may not have that courage and strength, and wonders what his chances are at the tourney. Lyonel doesn’t console him with lies, but he encourages him to test himself nonetheless.
Dunk Takes a Squire
As the party comes to an end, Lyonel leaves, and Dunk notices Ser Manfred leaving the tent. He remembers why he was there in the first place and runs after him. He tells Manfred of Ser Arlan, but the man doesn’t remember Dunk’s mentor. When Dunk mentions that Ser Arlan took a wound in his father’s service, Manfred points out that hundreds of men did the same, and much more, and he doesn’t remember their names either. He also refuses to vouch for Dunk, even after the latter reveals he won’t be allowed to compete in the tourney without it. Dejected, Dunk heads back to his accommodations and is surprised to find Egg there.
Apparently, the boy came to Ashford in a horse cart, found Dunk’s lodgings under the tree, groomed and fed the horses, caught a fish, built a fire, and is now cooking the fish over it. Dunk is impressed, but he tells the boy to leave, threatening to take him back himself if the boy doesn’t go. The boy mentions he’d have to ride him all the way to King’s Landing. This prompts Dunk to ask whether the boy is from Flea Bottom, and the boy says he isn’t, while conveniently not mentioning where he’s truly from. The boy comments that he would have raised the pavilion, but he couldn’t find one. Dunk says the tree is his pavilion, prompting the boy to note that it won’t save them if it rains. He also introduces himself as “Egg.”
When the knight introduces himself as Dunk, Egg asks if it’s short for Duncan, which prompts him to say that yes, he is Ser Duncan the Tall, remembering Lyonel’s comments. In the end, Dunk agrees to let Egg be his squire for the tourney, though he cannot promise what will happen after that. He also warns the boy about the hardships they will face because of their poverty, but he assures him that things will be fine after all. The duo calls it a night and lies down under the tree to sleep. They see a green shooting star in the sky, and Egg notes that seeing a falling star brings luck. When he says that other knights are in their pavilions looking at silk instead of sky at the moment, Dunk says that, in that case, they must be the only lucky ones around. Egg smiles and goes to sleep, and so does Dunk.
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