Last month, HBO dropped the sad news that it has delayed its next Game of Thrones prequel series, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, to 2026. Previously, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms was slated to come out sometime this year, but alas, now we won't get to watch it until the cold months of winter, early next year.
But that doesn't mean we have to stop thinking about it. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is based on George R.R. Martin's Tales of Dunk and Egg novellas, about a stalwart knight named Ser Duncan the Tall and his precocious squire Egg. Members of the press got to see an early trailer for the series, and they've been talking up the much lighter tone of this show compared to its sister series. In Dunk and Egg there are no dragons, no wars, and no White Walkers. It's a smaller, more intimate tale of a knight and his squire traveling the land, so you can expect the show to be a bit gentler on the heart. But only a bit — this is still Westeros, after all.
To date, Martin has published three novellas in the Tales of Dunk and Egg series: "The Hedge Knight," "The Sworn Sword," and "The Mystery Knight." Season 1 of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms adapts the events of "The Hedge Knight," where Dunk and Egg first meet and attend a grand tourney at Ashford Meadow.
Let's while away our time by dreaming about some of the scenes from "The Hedge Knight" that we can't wait to watch in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms season 1. Beware FULL SPOILERS from "The Hedge Knight" beyond this point.
1. Dunk and Egg's first meetings
This first scene is really two scenes, but I'm excited for them both, okay? Duncan the Tall first meets Egg at an inn while he's on his way to the tournament at Ashford Meadow, hoping to win the attention of some lord or other who will employ him as a sworn sword. Dunk comes across a little bald boy naked by the stables and, assuming he's the stableboy, gruffly orders him to look after his horses. Egg mouths off a bunch but ultimately does as he's asked.
Egg asks Dunk to take him along to Ashford Meadow, saying he could be his squire. Dunk declines. Dunk himself has just barely graduated from the rank of squire after being knighted by his dying old master Ser Arlan of Pennytree. He's not interested in taking on a squire of his own quite yet.
But Egg follows Dunk to Ashford Meadow anyway. When Dunk next meets him, Egg is setting up camp for the two of them and cooking up some dinner, after Dunk left his belongings unguarded in a small grove outside the tourney grounds. More verbal sparring ensues, but since Egg has already proven himself more than capable of being a good squire, Dunk finally relents and agrees to tutor him in the ways of a knight. It's the beginning of a partnership for the ages which will ultimately have large ramifications on the history of Westeros.
2. Tanselle's puppet show
The tourney at Ashford Meadow is spectacular, with jousting and a melee, a bunch of makeshift shops, and more. Dunk and Egg spend no small amount of time taking in the festivities, including a puppet show where a young woman named Tanselle Too-Tall is weaving tales of knights and dragons and giants. Dunk becomes a little smitten by Tanselle and asks her to paint a shield for him to use in the tournament, since he needs a crest to identify himself in the lists.
Martin doesn't spend a ton of time describing Tanselle's puppets beyond the hypnotizing effect they have on Dunk and the crowd. This is one place I think the show could expand on the book and give viewers something memorable, making us fall in love with Tanselle's art just as much as Dunk does.
3. The laying out of Aerion Brightflame and Egg's secret unmasked
The big turning point of "The Hedge Knight" happens around halfway through the story, when Egg runs panicked through a crowd to tell Dunk that the Targaryen prince Aerion Brightflame is attacking the puppeteer booth. The symbol of House Targaryen is a dragon, and Aerion takes none too kindly to a puppet-version of one being slain, even if it's totally harmless. Dunk arrives right as Aerion breaks one of Tanselle's fingers, and our valiant knight charges through the crowd and punches Aerion right in the face, laying him out on the ground.
Alas, Aerion is royalty and has a lot of guards. Things quickly go sideways for Dunk as he's restrained and Aerion prepares to beat him senseless. But just then, Egg interjects and stops the guards...because they recognize him. In true Martin fashion, we get a big reveal in the middle of a highly charged scene and learn that Egg is actually Aegon Targaryen, the fifth and youngest child of Prince Maekar Targaryen. Count on this to be the big ending for episode 3 or 4 of the TV show.
4. The Trial of Seven
While Dunk may have been justified in stopping Aerion from hurting Tanselle and the puppeteers, he still struck a royal prince. As such, Aerion demands his head. Even if other members of the family argue against executing Dunk, the knight would still likely lose the hand and foot he used to strike Aerion. But under the counseling of Aerion and Egg's noble uncle, Baelor Breakspear, Dunk decides to opt for a trial by combat instead, which is his right as a knight.
However, Aerion invokes an even more ancient right he holds as a member of the royal family: a Trial of Seven. In this exceedingly rare form of trial by combat, seven warriors fight on each side. It stems from a belief held by the Andals, who revered the Seven gods; they thought their deities would be more honored by such a display and thus more likely to help the righteous side win. Of course, it all makes for a big, brawling spectacle.
There's a lot of drama surrounding the Trial of Seven as Aerion gathers allies around him and Dunk scrambles to do the same. There are betrayals and backstabbing as well as shocking displays of honor. The trial itself is also epic, and very much the climactic event of the story. If A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is going to do "The Hedge Knight" justice, it must do the pivotal Trial of Seven justice. I have no doubt that it will.
5. The death of Baelor Breakspear
While the Trial of Seven is the main event at the end of the first Dunk and Egg novellas, the fallout is what alters the future of the Seven Kingdoms. One of the big turns in the trial is that Aeron's uncle, Baelor Breakspear, shows up at the last minute to fight on Dunk's side, believing him to be innocent. Baelor is a fierce warrior and a great help in the duel.
But he doesn't emerge unscathed. At some point in the melee, he takes a mace blow to the head from his brother, Maekar. This staves in part of Baelor's helmet. He continues fighting until Dunk manages to subdue Aerion and win the trial. Everyone seems to have survived the ordeal...until Baelor tries to take off his helmet. When he does, part of his skull comes off along with it. He collapses, dying in Dunk's arms.
Baelor Breakspear was next in line to the Iron Throne. With him dead, it means that Maekar — father to Egg and Aerion — is next in line. For all Maekar's bluster in support of Aerion's claim to Dunk's life, he deeply regrets the accidental death of his brother. As a result of all this drama, he entrusts Dunk with training Egg as his squire, so that Egg won't grow up to be as rotten and short-sighted as his older brother.
The death of Baelor might be the single most memorable scene in the Dunk and Egg novellas, and when A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms premieres in 2026, we'll finally get to see it onscreen.
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