A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Episode 4 Recap & Spoilers

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The fourth episode of “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms,” titled “Seven,” begins with a particularly strong scene: Ser Duncan the Tall is shown lost in thought while imprisoned. Shortly after, Prince Egg – who reveals himself to be Prince Aegon Targaryen – enters, dressed in the traditional Targaryen colors of red and black, accompanied by a guard. In the previous episode, “The Squire,” Egg summoned Duncan to help Tanselle Too-Tall after Prince Aerion became upset with her puppet show. Egg then apologized to Duncan for pretending to be a stable boy, and Duncan began to understand the difficult situation he’d found himself in.

The fourth episode centers on the bravery of young Prince Aegon and the quiet courage of Duncan the Tall. We also get a good look at the latest generation of Targaryens, who appear even more cruel and unstable than their predecessors, highlighting a stark contrast with the common people, who seem more virtuous.

Duncan Is Arrested While Egg Tries To Help Him

Prince Aegon, known as Egg, explained that he was meant to serve as a squire for his older brother, Daeron, but Daeron was a heavy drinker and didn’t want to participate in the tournament. Instead, Daeron had planned for them to hide at an inn until it was over. Egg also mentioned that it was actually Daeron who shaved his head. It’s funny how Duncan still treats Egg like an ordinary boy, ignoring his princely status. Duncan avoids talking about Daeron and gets straight to the point: Egg was the one who originally told him he was just a stable hand.

Egg is now clearly fond of Duncan, openly showing his emotions. He confesses he simply wanted to be a squire and didn’t want to miss the tournament, but Duncan responds with a sarcastic remark that he’d have taken anyone as a squire. He then reflects that their meeting was a stroke of bad luck, realizing they’ve unexpectedly become companions for life.

Duncan had hoped to earn renown, but instead found himself in prison after striking one prince and abducting another. He and Aegon both argued their sides of the story to Prince Baelor, who proved to be a truly honorable knight. Baelor understood Aerion’s dangerous nature and, while acknowledging the cruelty of Aerion’s attack, scolded Aegon for not coming to him directly and instead relying on Duncan to handle the situation.

The episode’s biggest surprise comes as Prince Baelor instructs Egg to serve Duncan some wine and then leave. It’s revealed that Daeron, who his father discovered hiding near Ashford, wasn’t telling the truth about his brother Aegon. Daeron claimed Aegon had been kidnapped by a bandit, but both Duncan and Prince Baelor recognize that Aerion is untrustworthy and that Daeron is a liar.

Daeron claimed a robber knight kidnapped his little brother, but his story feels suspect. He didn’t try to find the supposed kidnapper when Duncan was at the inn four nights ago, only after his father, Maekar, located him. Baelor needs to patiently explain to Duncan that Aerion is still the King’s grandson, a member of the royal family, and harming him is an act of treason. It’s similar to the puppet show put on by Tanselle Too-Tall, which depicted the killing of a dragon – the very symbol of the royal house.

Aerion calls it a veiled attack on House Targaryen, an incitement to revolt.

You know, it really gets me thinking when Duncan points out that all knights, even the ones who are princes, swear the same oaths. He’s right – whether you’re a hedge knight wandering the roads or a royal prince, you’re still supposed to protect people who can’t protect themselves. It’s a simple point, but it feels really important.

Aerion Demands A Trial Of Seven

Aerion is determined to see Duncan punished, and the court is likely to side against him. Duncan is currently accused of assault and kidnapping someone of royal lineage, prompting Prince Baelor to question Duncan’s skill as a knight. The expected solution is for Duncan to request a Trial by Combat to prove his innocence. However, Aerion, known for his unfair tactics, reveals a surprising alternative plan during the trial. Realizing he would lose in a direct fight against Ser Duncan the Tall, he refuses the combat and instead demands an ancient and seldom-used Trial of Seven when Duncan appears before the judges.

This is a very old practice, similar to a duel to settle disputes. It’s rarely used these days. The Andals brought it with them when they came to Westeros from across the Narrow Sea, along with their religion of seven gods.

When the Andals invaded Westeros, they brought their Faith of the Seven with them. One of their customs was a Trial by Seven, where both sides would choose seven champions and let the gods decide the outcome. I remember hearing about a dispute between Maekar Targaryen and his son, Aerion. Maekar wanted his son to simply defeat Ser Duncan the Tall in a duel, but Aerion demanded a Trial by Seven. He believed Daeron Targaryen had been unfairly treated, and that a matter of Targaryen honor deserved to be settled with the gods as witnesses.

Prince Baelor announced the trial would take place at dawn. Duncan now had to find six knights willing to fight against Aerion, or be considered guilty himself. After the meeting broke up, Duncan immediately went to Thunder, where Raymun led him to his cousin, Ser Steffon Fossoway, who quickly offered his support.

You shan’t die under my watch, Ser. I promise you that.

The feeling that the Targaryens are outsiders in Westeros, a common theme in Game of Thrones, continues in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. Ser Steffon reminds everyone that his family has lived in Westeros much longer than the Targaryens, who have since lost their dragons. Following this, Raymun mentions plans to bring in five more knights to fully staff Ser Duncan’s group.

Prince Daeron And Egg Step In To Save Ser Duncan The Tall

Prince Daeron comes across very differently than he did in the first episode of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. We see him take Aegon outside the castle where Duncan narrowly avoids a knife attack. This scene also shows Daeron to be something of a drinker who had to fabricate a story to avoid his father’s anger. It’s clear he and Aegon are allies. Egg shares that when he was a child, Aerion used to terrorize him, even threatening to harm and marry him – a practice common in the Targaryen family for generations. Aegon adds that Aerion was cruel, even throwing his cat into a well, which explains why he wants Aerion removed. Egg also points out that Aerion genuinely believes he is a dragon trapped in a human body, which clarifies his angry reaction to the puppet show.

Aerion has the support of the Kingsguard, his father Maekar, and Daeron, who isn’t eager to fight Duncan. Meanwhile, Egg vows to find the rest of Duncan’s allies and declares he’ll continue to arm Duncan as his squire. Daeron briefly pulls Duncan aside, revealing he believes Duncan’s dreams are prophetic and apologizing for not being truthful before.

Look, I swear I saw it with my own eyes. I saw you, Ser, standing near a huge fire, and… a dead dragon. It was massive, with wings that seemed to stretch across the entire field. It had actually fallen on you, but somehow, you were alive, and the dragon… well, it wasn’t. It was an incredible sight, I still can’t believe what I witnessed.

When Duncan asks if he killed a dragon, Daeron cannot confirm.

Duncan was thrilled to get his shield back, newly restored by Steely Pate. Pate revealed that the shield’s artwork was done by Tanselle, and shared hopeful news: she’d left the shield with him, and her acting troupe is traveling to Dorne. Their heartfelt conversation deeply moved Duncan, showing a vulnerable side of his personality.

House Targaryen Is Split

As the sun rose, Duncan gathered his chosen fighters – Ser Robyn Rhysling, Ser Lyonel Baratheon, Ser Humfrey Beesbury, and Ser Humfrey Hardyng. Baratheon was participating for enjoyment, while Rhysling fought for religious reasons. Hardyng held a grudge against Aerion, who had unfairly injured his horse during a previous lance attack, causing both rider and animal to fall. Just before the competition began, Steffon, eager to prove himself, declared his support for the prosecution, offering to fight on their behalf. However, he had compromised his integrity by accepting a lordship in return, and Raymun refused to provide him with armor.

Just before the trial began, Raymun dropped to his knees and asked Duncan to knight him. Duncan was unsure, but ultimately Lyonel Baratheon performed the knighting ceremony for Raymun, leaving Duncan to handle everything else. As this happened, Duncan had a vision of his former master, Ser Arlan of Pennytree. He then turned to the gathered royals in the arena and reminded them of a time when they had served him. He followed this with a speech about the qualities of a true knight – bravery and a dedication to protecting those in need.

A loud noise from the audience caused laughter, but Duncan pressed on, asking if there weren’t any honorable knights present. Just then, Prince Baelor, the heir to the throne, dramatically entered the fighting pits and announced his support for Duncan. Maekar was stunned, until Baelor, in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, explained that Duncan had defended the innocent, and justice ultimately belonged to the gods.

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2026-02-09 04:36