Egg’s Secret Revealed on ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’

It’s no surprise that episode three, titled “The Squire,” delved deep on all things Egg. Still, most of the runtime focused on Egg’s training as Dunk’s squire, preparing to serve his master during the upcoming jousts and his enjoyment of life at the tourney. Dunk and Egg’s relationship deepens as they sleep beneath the stars, share goose egg sandwiches cooked on a campfire, and practice sewing. It’s exactly the sort of small, slice-of-life storytelling that sets A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms apart from HBO’s other views into Westeros. But that all changes when Dunk punches Prince Aerion, and Egg has to bail him out… by revealing that he’s Aegon Targaryen, Aerion’s younger brother and one of the missing sons of Prince Maekar.

That moment arrives at the end of the episode, right at the midway point of the six-episode season, but there are a few telling hints along the way. The first is when Dunk and Egg watch Aerion end a joust by stabbing his opponent’s horse in the neck, unseating the knight in the most cruel way possible. The scene initially plays more into Dunk’s story for the episode, as he grapples with the fact that knights don’t always uphold the standards of honor he believes in (particularly after he himself has been offered a chance to win a fixed joust). But when Dunk tries to comfort Egg by playing it off as an unfortunate mishap, Egg is adamant that Aerion’s actions were intentional. Of course, Egg is correct - even Dunk knows it - but the scene takes on new meaning when you realize that Egg isn’t simply a good judge of character, he actually knows Aerion’s cruelty intimately.

The second bit of foreshadowing is more obvious and more ominous. A fortune teller stops Dunk and Egg as they wander the campground, delivering a prophecy to each of them that makes little sense. To Dunk, she claims he “shall know great success and be richer than a Lannister,” which is exactly the sort of pleasing lie you’d expect would earn her a few coins. To Egg, however, she says: “You shall be king, and die in a hot fire, and worms shall feed upon your ashes. And all who know you shall rejoice in your dying.” Egg looks stricken, but Dunk just laughs. His squire, a king? That’s too absurd! Of course, Game of Thrones fans may remember that Cersei also had a run-in with a fortune teller, Maggy the Frog, and her prophecies all proved true - so we’re not as likely to dismiss these fortunes as Dunk is.

By the time Egg came rushing to get Dunk because Aerion, offended by Tanselle’s puppet show, was breaking Tanselle’s fingers as punishment, I figured the big reveal must be on the way. Dunk does the noble, stupid thing and punches Aerion in the face, loosening a royal tooth - so Aerion commands his guards to break all of Dunk’s teeth. As they prepare to curb-stomp Dunk’s face against the stage, Egg returns and orders them to stand down… by name. Then he calls Aerion “brother” before the screen cuts to black.

So Egg has prevented Dunk’s execution for the time being, though it remains to be seen how he’ll have to answer for the crime of laying hands on a Targaryen. Yet other pieces are falling into place, like the fact that the drunk noble Dunk encountered at the inn in episode one must be Egg’s other missing brother, Prince Daeron. We also have seen how the small folk and nobles alike view the Targaryens - Aerion’s cruelty in the joust sparked a riot in the stands, while Raymun Fossoway denounced the Targaryens as “incestuous aliens” and “tyrants.” Dunk’s crime may make him more of a hero than any tourney victory ever could, assuming he survives to see the other side of it.