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SPOILER WARNING
This page includes content relating to the Dance of the Dragons, and therefore contains potential spoilers for future seasons of House of the Dragon, as revealed in George R.R. Martin's writings. Anyone wishing to remain completely spoiler free for this prequel series should avoid any pages displaying this tag. |
"The Kingsguard - Bronn"[3] is the twelfth short of the fourth season of Histories & Lore. It is the seventy-first short of the series overall. It was released on February 17, 2015 in Game of Thrones: The Complete Fourth Season. It was narrated by Jerome Flynn as Bronn and written by Dave Hill.
Premise[]
Bronn sheds some light on the unfavorable moments from the Kingsguard's history, including their blind loyalty for less-than-honorable kings.[3]
Narration[]
Bronn: Most boys dream of becoming a Kingsguard. Rich boys from good families get the chance. Smart boys stay at home and sing songs about them instead, opening purses and thighs, because the Kingsguard isn't really good for much else.
There was one Kingsguard (I forgot the bastard's name) who swore an oath to his dying Targaryen king to crown his daughter after him. The very night that king died, this Kingsguard crowned the king's son instead.
When an old man on the Small Council dared to protest, this honorable knight opened his throat. The bastard died in the very civil war he started along with the old king's son, daughter, and most of their dragons.
And the Kingsguard? All that duty and honor and not enough brains to figure out which Targaryen to give it to. Twin brothers even ended up on opposite sides, died with tears on their cheeks as they cut each other down.
I suppose I should think that's tragic, but stupid men do stupid things every day and nobody cries over them.
Prince Aemon the Dragonknight may be the most famous Kingsguard who ever lived. How did he die? Defending Aegon the Unworthy from the brothers of a man whom Aegon fed to his dogs.
The man's crime? Sleeping with one of the many mistresses Aegon wasn't using, and the man was one of Aegon's own Kingsguard.
Arthur Dayne, Gerold Hightower. Sure, if half the stories about them are true, they could swing a sword better than most. Makes their lives even more of a waste. Bodyguards to the maddest king the Seven Kingdoms ever saw.
Watching their king burn men alive. Standing guard as their king raped his queen. Hiding the Stark girl that Prince Rhaegar stole away, causing a war that toppled their king. And all this without any gold or women to show for it.
Stupid buggers! The only one with any sense was Jaime Lannister. When his father stormed the city, he put a sword through the Mad King's back rather than die gloriously at his post. He's still here. They are not.
Even if the Kingsguard are the greatest knights in the realm, knights are just arses in armor. Riding whatever horse their daddies gave 'em. Putting on a white cloak does not make a man smarter of bolder.
It's just a pretty little curtain. Behind it is the same pile of shit.
Appearances[]
Individuals[]
- Ser Criston Cole (unnamed)
- King Viserys I Targaryen (mentioned indirectly)
- Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen (mentioned indirectly)
- Prince/King Aegon II Targaryen (mentioned indirectly)
- Queen Alicent Hightower (unnamed)
- Lord Lyman Beesbury (unnamed)
- Ser Arryk Cargyll (unnamed)
- Ser Erryk Cargyll (unnamed)
- Prince Aemon Targaryen, the "Dragonknight"
- King Aegon IV Targaryen, "the Unworthy"
- Ser Terrence Toyne (mentioned indirectly)
- Bethany Bracken (mentioned indirectly)
- Ser Arthur Dayne, the Sword of the Morning
- Ser Gerold Hightower, the "White Bull"
- King Aerys II Targaryen, the "Mad King" (unnamed)
- Queen Rhaella Targaryen (mentioned indirectly)
- Lyanna Stark (mentioned indirectly)
- Prince Rhaegar Targaryen (mentioned)
- Ser Jaime Lannister
- Lord Tywin Lannister (mentioned indirectly)
Houses[]
- House Targaryen
- House Toyne (unnamed)
Institutions[]
Locations[]
Events[]
Titles[]
Miscellaneous[]
Cast[]
Behind the scenes[]
- This is the second of two shorts on the Kingsguard.
References[]
- ↑ Cian Gaffney (July 15, 2014). Game of Thrones Season 4 DVD/Blu-ray Release Date Confirmed. HBO Watch. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
- ↑ Histories & Lore: Season 4, Short 12: "The Kingsguard - Bronn" (2015).
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 Game of Thrones: The Complete Fourth Season (2015).
- ↑ Vanessa Cole (July 22, 2017). Game of Thrones writer Dave Hill gives a behind the scenes look at the creative process. Watchers on the Wall. Retrieved December 15, 2023.