Girls Gone Canon Cast - GGC Episode ?? — The Hedge Knight Part 3

Episode Date: January 16, 2026

We close our coverage of the Dunk and Egg novella, "The Hedge Knight" once again... so come back next week for more "The Hedge Knight." (No, really, come back next week on either Monday or Tuesday for our coverage of the HBO show "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.") This week: "Getting to know Chloe" instead of Eliana   Background music: "Death of Kings" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ----- Eliana's reddit account: https://www.reddit.com/user/glass_table_girl Eliana's blog: https://themanyfacedblog.wordpress.com/ Chloe's twitter: https://twitter.com/liesandarbor Chloe's blog: liesandarborgold.com Intro by Anton Langhage

Hello and welcome to Girls Gone Cannon re-re reads The Hedge Knight. Part 3. I'm one of your hosts, Chloe. And I am another one of your hosts, Eliana. This is the last part of how we have broken up the first novella of the Dunkin Egg series slash A Night of the Seven Kingdoms. And as you can probably tell from Chloe's many rees, we have. covered yes this story once before many many years ago this is probably like the third time you're hearing this preamble so I'm not going to give you the whole thing it is the spoilers

I think I've read this novella before and I did like the ending except for the one part except for the real one um so and also like the real ending oh yeah that's just spoilers all yeah spoilers all we're going to talk about everything that happens in this novella we're going up until the end of it, we're going to talk about everything that has happened so far in Hot D and then Fire and Blood and in A Song of Ice and Fire and in all of the other materials. And of course, after this, well, I mean, we're putting this out and in a couple days, we're going to be watching the episode with all of you. And then guess what?

We're going to do it all over again. You can catch us. Yep, we're going to do it all over again. You can catch us in the front of the week. It's juries out, TBA on what day, but Monday, Tuesday, somewhere around there. We're going to record, put it out. And after we record and put out the episode, you'll get it in your ears. Patrons, check it out at patreon.com slash girls gone canon, where you can get it in your RSS feed, your own private RSS feed.

And check us out. You know, we have covered this before, as mentioned, blah, blah, blah, blah. Listen to the headers of the last two episodes. And we love the novella. it has been many a year, eight whole years. If you will, I will not, but thank you, eight whole years. And we

covered it together. One dreary day that turned into a night. Almost nine. Because we were recording, oh my God, stop. We've been in love for a long time, and we want you to listen to that love, and we don't want to remember anything about that, because that was

a long time ago. So here's your rehash. Maybe in another eight years, we'll do this. Yeah. Oh, that's actually an interesting idea. That could be cute. And every eight years, we meet here to discuss. It's like a presidential election or something. It's like HDM. Oh, okay. So yeah, we are going to do that. And yeah, so your schedule, the schedule of when new episodes drop will change for a bit. Then it'll go back to normal. We'll probably resume with our Tyrion coverage, our very last POV. Oh, if you're new here, We do a POV by POV reread of a song of ice and fire.

That's like our main thing until it's not. We'll cross that bridge trying to get there. That bridge is like peeking at us. It's like almost here. It's almost here. Your move, George. Your move. We will have, of course, like another like very large segment this year where we'll be covering House of the Dragon.

So you can savor Tyrion for a very long time, which was already going to be a long time. Yeah. But now it's really going to be. But yeah, I am excited because we get a couple of breaks in between. The shows have become like these natural mini breaks from the POV for these long ones, which works. It's really working for us. All the shows. Yeah.

Many shows right now. Like something that I'm super jazzed about is that not only is it Dunkin Egg season soon, it's already industry season. Which has like, you know, industry is so good. Yeah. It actually is taking the head. This is so fucked up. It's taking the 9 p.m. But it's taking the 9 p.m. HBO Sunday slot for the whole season.

So Duncan Egg is starting this week. It'll be on episode two. But Duncan Egg is after it. Duncan Egg is at 10 p.m. ET. Yeah. The episodes are going to be really brief, I hear. So, like, you're not going to get to bed too late. Maybe you, dear listener, Chloe might.

Get up early. Yeah. Chloe will get to run late. I'm fine. I'm not an insomnia, so it's okay. I just don't sleep and it works out awesome for me. Yeah, Chloe and I had a bad night of sleep yesterday separately. Pray for us.

Yeah. So with that in mind, let's do this episode. You know who didn't have a great night of sleep either? Baylor, because he's dead. Oh, yeah. Well, no, he's now sleeping forever. Taking the dirt nap. Yeah, it's going to be a crazy episode.

I am sad, though. We're going to get sad. Before that, I wanted to bring some comments from Spotify in because you all seem to be getting excited for Duncan Egg. You seem to be pre-gaming Dunkin Egg on TV. And so Derek commented on Spotify. Derek commented on Spotify and said, can't wait for next week's episode of Getting to Know Eliana. This killed me. this comment, it's like, oh my god, lull.

I guess that kind of was, sorry. Yeah, I guess we have been doing that a lot. All right, getting to know me. Getting to know all about me. I think we feel really intimate with you all, you know? Well, not like that. I mean, I guess you got like very, yeah, vulnerable. Yeah.

Yeah, I don't know. I just thought like, is that like a good lesson for youths? Not that youth should be necessarily to us? I don't know. Put your power. Bring your permission slip. God. I hope we learn much more about you today.

I also appreciate him. Do you need me to talk about when I lost my virginity, Eliana? Like what will make you feel better here? I don't know. Like if you want to, if that, like, if you feel moved to do so, sure. He couldn't get it in the hole, even though there wasn't much to get in the hole. That's a canonical experience. I think.

Yeah, and the angles weren't angling. And I was like, it should just, like, go in. Like, it should go in. Like, that's, like, the whole thing. Like, it's shaped so that you, like, put it in. Why isn't it going in? I know there's not much of it to go in. And then, like, there were a lot of positions tried until finally one took.

And then it was over. And that was that. It was terrible. Yeah. Being a teenager sucks. Being, yeah. Actually, yeah, it does. Yeah.

It was a time. It was a time of many emotions. And that's what Dunk's going through. Oh, Dunk is a teenager. Yeah. He's a teenager. That's why we talked about it. That's why we talked about, like, what level of, you know, sexual experience is, like, acceptable for someone of Dunk's age.

And that's why we shared about our own experiences. He shouldn't fuck until he's married. And that's what Egan the Fifth thinks to. Maybe, because he's the one he's going to have to sit there in the hay and listen. and pretend it's not happening next to him? Oh my God. You mean I grew up as a teenager and was like, the only way I'm going to stop this motherfucker from fucking so much

is making him Kingsguard someday. Oh. That'll put the dick back in. Yeah. What if it was? Oh, my God. Dunk did. Fuck.

Soon, too. Wow. Soon. Well, thank you for the comment, Derek. We did get another comment. from Girl Blogger. Go Girl Blogger, yes. And it's so cute. It's sweet. She says, I just wanted to say I love this pod so much.

I could listen to Game of Thrones Ace Woff content for days. Always excited to see a new upload. Thank you. Yay, thank you. Glad you're enjoying. I like that they were able to put in a heart emoji thing. A heart thing. Yeah.

Emodicon. Oh, my God. This one's for... The next one's for you. This one's great. Yeah. Okay, this one comes from our friend, PKP, 033. Chloe, which player from the Eagles would you like to see in the Ashford tourney, Go Birds, Eagle emoji?

Yeah, Go Birds. Okay, this is probably like a popular pick, but I'm like, this is like your fantasy draft. So go off with a popular pick, right? Especially after the playoff game Sunday, while it was an embarrassing defeat, while I've had to watch two very embarrassing defeats in the last, however many, days since Jesus's birthday or whatever that it is, the Lions lost. Let me just backtrack to give some context. The Lions losing, yeah, well, like, I'm used to the Lions losing, but on Christmas, they lost so hard. And it was so embarrassing, Eliana, because they played poorly.

Like, it wasn't just they lost because the refs are cruel, or because the game is bullshit. No, it was, like, a bad game. Like, they did not do well. and the other team was better. Who were they playing against? I think that was the fucking Vikings, the motherfucking Minnesota Vikings. That was fucking Vikings. So anyways, I digress. The Vikings played better.

Like, that was the worst part. Like, afterwards, the commentary people were all, like, saying things about how the Vikings played really well. And the Lions did not. And I was like, that's so true. It was terrible. It was like a horrible thing to watch. Being a sports fan sucks. So that said, the Eagles.

who also lost this week. However that said, Sequan Barkley made history. He rushed for 106 yards, the most rushing yards in Eagles postseason history. Also, he did 605

rushing yards and got past Brian Westbrook's record in total. So, yeah, it's a big deal. And he was like really great last season two. I mean, you know, so it's just a good pick. Like, I think he would do well, but I don't want him to die. Oh. I mean, you don't, most people do not die at a tourney. Yeah, but like this tourney, this tourney, tourney is deadly. People don't usually die in the tourney. People only die when they

go on trial and then other people die. People only die when they're in the justice system. Once you move into the Lesterosys. Is it like the justice system? I know, right? I'm just. But yeah, yates for days. So how did your family feel then, I guess, about, uh... I mean, basically, I was on the floor going, holy shit, that was terrible. And they didn't say a single word. Like, they just took the hit, didn't say anything about it, went to bed upset.

I'm like, wow, you guys are professionals at this, at losing. Wow. Oh, yeah. Yeah, I guess the Eagles do win often. So you... Yeah. It's hard being a winner. They actually don't win that often, but just a couple lucky times.

Yeah. No more go birds. And that's okay because up next the Phillies come back and then they can disappoint me too. Yay. But at least I have the tigers. They could do something. And the pistons are really good right now again. So we love Detroit basketball.

Yeah. So thanks for the comment, PKP. Am I supposed to get into basketball now? I'll do this for you. Oh, I've always been into basketball. basketball. That one is like I'm a real, real, real, real fan of pistons, man. It's one of the sports that I actually understand. We gotta watch some 2000s pistons. Basketball, like soccer is one of the sports that makes, it's easier to understand. You put the ball in thing.

Yeah. Yeah. And it like moves. And that's fun. Yeah. I understand it. You put the ball in thing. Got it. Yeah. But I've been learning everything else. It does have the main driving concept of ball. Yeah, but it has been fun to be going on this journey. Oh, they know ball. All right. Yeah, sports are terrible. Finally, we had a comment from Tune World who listened to our Rapped episode and said, thanks for another great year. Y'all were in my top five wrapped yet again.

And I'm relieved you read comments from older apps because I go through them randomly sometimes and feel like it's necro posting to comment on them. Are you saying that our past episodes are dead? What is dead may never die? Undead? Oh. Well, you can always leave us comments. Please do it.

We will see them, especially on Spotify. It has a great system. You have Apple, though, so I just let you do that one. Yeah. Because you're the apple of my eye. Aw, I'm the, what's this, the fucking Fossoway? Oh, the green apple. Yeah, you are my Fossaway.

I am green today. And I'm wearing red Oh my God Did we plan this? Tumworld also said If you ever covered Avatar The Last Airbender on Patreon

That would be the thing That would immediately make me subscribe To the Zorse tier Just saying Interesting Interesting I wonder if that's like a trigger For other people too

Like if we did that If that would finally do it Interesting I don't know Yeah I think I'd have to think about how I feel about it Yeah because I mean we already do it It's a swath.

Well, it's also just like, recovering, like, you know, the way of water. So, like, how many more Avatar and T-wow do you need? Like, what the fuck? Oh, my God. I can't. I don't even want to do this podcast anymore. Put me out of my misery.

Fucking make army. Speaking of old comments. Yeah, shout out to Chris Pine. Okay, no, it's Chris Pine on Spotify, but I think it's Chris Pine. It might be. I think it's him. I mean, he hasn't said he isn't. Yeah, I've never seen them in the same room.

And maybe Chris Pine on Spotify was taken. You know, like maybe he had to add next. That's true. That's true. He's not the first Chris Pine on Spotify. Yeah. Anyways, Chris Pines is making his way through old episodes and he's leaving comments. We can't wait to bring them up with Tyrion.

I don't know if this is Chris Pine, whoever they are. I mean, it could be. It could be you. Chris Pine. It could be a Chris Pines mega fan. Yeah. It would be a great. Come on the podcast.

Yeah. Prove it. Yeah. Yeah. Show your. Reveal yourself. Show yourself. Mystery night.

Can't wait to bring up these comments, though, when we get to Tyrion, I'm sure we'll tickle some of them in. Yeah. Sometimes I might like, I don't know what the context is for this. That's fair. We might have to listen back, you know? Oh. Who knows? We must start back

All that said, thank you for the comments And thank you of course to our other favorite Hedge Knight Warren For sending us an email In response to our Second Two Second out of three coverage

Of this exact story Because the rest is yet to come And I'm sure we will hear more from him Yeah kind of like in regards to discussions of Bastardy and the show

while also referencing like Catlin 2 and John's looks and how you know all the Tarragarians

look and whatnot so yeah good times yeah I do look forward to Warren's

opinion on the whole TV show about him oh yeah it's about him it's about him the Hedge Knight

yeah the Hedge Knight and if you if you want to give us your thoughts get to our email, our Twitter, our blue sky, question mark, wherever you might find us online, Patreon. Girls Gone Cannon, C-A-N-O-N,

you can send us that email at gmail.com. Yeah. Without further ado. Spotify and Apple. Oh yeah, them too. Mm-hmm. How about them apples? The false ways.

Stop. Let's do this fucking shit. Part three. Hedge Knight, Dunk goes to find the puppeteer's wagon and look for his shield, but to his dismay, they're gone. Never fear, though, Tancel left the shield with Steely Pate, who gives us a little bit of brevity and tells Dunk, follow me inside. And so Dunk sits where he's commanded to on a low stool must be funny for a tall fellow like him, and Pate tells him Tancel's uncle was wise. They left for Dorn immediately, besides. Tansal didn't want to have to watch Dunk die.

And then Pate returns with the Avengers upgrade. Dunk's shield rim before was pretty shitty and cheap. It's been replaced with new, twice as thick, metal reinforcements, heavier, stronger. And the paint job's pretty sick. She did a good job. Mm-hmm. It's described here as, She had made a better job of it than he could have ever hoped for.

Even by lantern light, the sunset colors were rich and bright. The tree tall and tall. and strong and noble. The falling star was a bright slash of paint across the oaken sky. Yet now that Dunk held it in his hands, it seemed all wrong. The star was falling.

What sort of sigil was that? Would he fall just as fast? And sunset Harold's night. Oh, I like that Dunk is really considering that, right? Like, what is this omen in my hands? Uh, and I like that we start, like that we sectioned it this way, that we started with the shield.

I think that's important to open. and with the shield, especially because we end it with it kind of splintered and chipped. We have the couple lines in the sworn sword that suggests, well, so two things. So first, when Dunk has the shield in the fight here, the shield was thicker than Dunks had been. Solid oak banded with iron. His beautiful shield was useless now. He tossed it aside, Elm Tree, Shooting Star, Broken Lance, and. an all and drew his sword, but he hurt so much he did not think he could swing it.

But in the sworn sword, he has the shield whole again. Do you think that he gets his shield fixed, but when they go to Dorn, he gets it repainted? I think so. Like, I think, like, they're in Dorn long enough. I'm curious why we never, you know, we kind of do a flashback, but who knows? Well, because in the sworn sword, he has it, And it is fine, but then it gets destroyed by Longinch. So did he? Dunk fucked. I think he does maybe after that.

Because, like, I don't know if he did yet before just because of the way that he acts with, the way he acts with Rowan Weber is like, a boy who is not yet fucked, you know. Yeah, that's true. That's true. A lot of boys act like that, though. That's true. Actually, also true. Just because you do it once doesn't mean you're fixed.

Yeah You have to establish behaviors Yeah and speaking of that I want to say that when Establishing behaviors Kind of more of just like Chloe copy pasted

And as she is doing this doc So the fucking comment Of can't wait for next week's episode Of Getting to Know Aliana is now in the header section So it opens every single fucking page Of our notes right now As we go through this outline

So you can be reminded of your virginity and how you lost it? I guess. I didn't mean to put it in the header. I'm sorry. I've had one day. It's okay. I was like, why is this back here? Then I scrolled down. I was like, it's on every page.

All right. Let's talk about Dunk and him not losing his virginity yet. He says that he should stay. That's true. We do have to get serious. Dunk is trying to get serious right now, right now. He's like, I should have been serious and he should have stayed with the chalice to have wings to fly away instead.

And that this shield was like death. But Payne points out like, no, no, no, no, no. Oh, my God. Let's interpret it differently. The tree and the leaves are alive and asks if he knows the old shield rhyme. Aw, he's like giving gas in him up. He's like, oak and iron guard me well.

And dunk finishes with, or else I'm dead. and doomed to hell, which is something Arlen had taught him long ago. It's like a nursery rhyme within a nursery rhyme, right? Like, Duncan Egg is a fable told to children as they grow up. Arian is a monster in this story that gets his story told to people throughout the main series when they were children. There's like a kid's book named after him. Really? Which one?

Yeah. I forgot. Old Nan tells, Old Nan used to talk about it. I think maybe it's Bran or John that says it, but it's like, there's a book that they read about the dragon, drinking the becoming the dragon, and then he doesn't. I bet old Dan that, like, really enjoyed that one. She's like, let me tell you about that guy who broke my hand.

I mean, yeah, exactly. I would be that petty too. I would hold that grudge forever. Yeah, good for her, poisoning them against him. Yeah. Poor Nancel. But yeah, it still is like, It's like a fairy tale told the kids the entire story, so it's kind of fun because this is like a fairy tale rhyme that young knights and squires learn when they're learning to be knights.

And it's passed on like a little oral rhyme tradition. Yeah. So the fairy tale gets his fairy tale little saying. Sometimes, yeah. He asks Pate how much he wants to be paid. And Pate's like, I will only take one copper from you. Pate walks with dunk back to the lists through gray and white fog, though the rain has stopped.

Small folk drift toward the field. Hundreds are at the fence. Farther on, a woman calls out, good fortune to you to dunk, and an older man takes his hand and says, May the gods give you strength, sir. A begging brother blesses his sword. A maid kisses his cheek.

Why? he asks Pate. Why are they being so kind to me? What am I to them? And then, Pate says, A Knight who remembered his vows. Crowd goes wild. It's honestly like a beautiful moment. He's like, I'm going to die.

And I think he thinks everyone came to just like watch him die. But no, they came because they were like to support him. And it's like so beautiful because it is. You know, they are supporting that I remembered his vows. He's surrounded by so many other knights and nobility. And nobody's showing up for them. They didn't even show up the day before, which is like what we were talking about last week. You know, I was like, I think, you know, people just like, morale was low after the whole dunk thing.

And they're like, I'm not going to go. I'm not going to support, you know, the festivities today. They came to see this. And there's very much this idea, I think, going on throughout Dunkin' Egg. I mean, it goes on in the main series as well, right? Like, sort of coming of age, this loss of innocence. We talk about that a lot, I think, throughout Brand and Aria's arcs. But this is a loss of innocence as well as like a reclamation of justice.

And the entire country has kind of gone through this, right? Like, they went through another civil war, this generation civil war. And that's, of course, the Blackfire Rebellion, because we're never going to shut up about it. And that shattered these ideas of, like, optimism. and Westrose, right? Like, this was very much like a sort of post-World World War I moment for them of like, whoa, what the fuck was that? And this is what has happened so far during Darren's dynasty,

like during the Civil War, that was Darren's dynasty, like pre that during and after. We're still in it. And it's been fueled by, like, people who are like Macar and Aryan. And Macar is one of the heroes of that war. And, like, look at him being, like, super shitty. Yeah. Not very peacetime of him, huh?

No. Not very... Quote unquote, peace time. Yeah. Not very cool. There's something great, too, that, like, they're supposed to be the good guys, right? Yeah. These guys are supposed to be the good guys.

They're supposed to... You know, and so you have this whole group. You have lords betraying dunk to go be on their side, especially because the Blackfire rebellion, I think, plays a big part of, like, you have no choice, right? The political climate is, are you going to be a trait? after the war we all just experienced. And so you have the good guys who are not the good guys at all. It goes back to what you're saying.

It goes back to like the beginning of the story, right? Like these are supposed to be the good guys. And we've seen like they don't even fucking remember these people who showed up. Many of them might have actually also fought in the wars for those same lords as well. But if they can't remember Arlen of Pennytree, they're not going to remember like these people too. And that's why they're showing up for Dunk. And there's this great bit here of like, so you have the bad guys who are supposed to be the good guys. And they are able to find the seven.

But when you actually dissect who's on the team, like it's not true knights or lords or people or just like humans that are pledging their heart towards justice. It is half of them are like Kingsguard who can't say no. They have no choice because this is the vow they took. Yeah. There are other family members. right from the same family that also can't really say no and are kind of honor driven to do this thing and so it's not like regulation but it's hard to fight the crown it's already making it an unfair fight that's weighed in one entire direction also by people that aren't really in it for their heart

they're in it out of duty and then you have dunk and as he walks up to where they're all gathering you have a woman call out good fortune to him. So the mother. You have an older man taking his hand and saying, may the gods give you strength, the father. You have the begging brother who can be the warrior maybe. You have Steely Pate who is the Smith. You have the young maid, the maiden.

Like maybe the begging brother is a stranger. I don't know. but you have, here it is. There's the seven. You're looking for seven righteous to, like, tell you that God is going to do his thing. Yeah. But no, like, this is it. This is the real seven.

This is the real seven literally, physically in front of you. I don't know. I thought that was kind of beautiful. That as Dunk approaches that crowd, he's blessed by the real seven right there. I love that. I love that. And, I mean, you know, it shows, like, we're, not that justice should be decided by public opinion, but

literally. Not what I'm saying, but you can see that they see, that they see that something, everyone witnessed what happened, right? It was like in front of everyone, but also these people make up the power of the faith of the seven, which is what we talk about a lot

when we're discussing like a feast for crows, when we're discussing how faith is going to take center stage in the story going forward. Yeah, and these are the people that look to faith, right? For so much of their life and to help their life because the people that are supposed to be the good guys are not the good guys. And also like, you live in a place where you fear retribution for

standing up for what you think is right when Arian was being cruel and they did lie. So, you know, it is interesting. I also guess I didn't really think about it, but it's got obviously like parallels with like the one-one Joffrey like Joffrey at the water with Aria and Micah and Sanzah and the unfair deaths that come

in the face of quote unquote justice right like this is the king's justice the king's justice isn't justice yeah absolutely and what happens when someone resigns themselves with that yeah absolutely no hunger games no peace oh my god

shout out Hunger Games, watch or listen to our other series. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Go to Patreon, bro. It's actually really good. Not that, like, I don't know why I said actually, like, you should check it out. We're proud of it. It's because we're predisposed to adding that to, like, things that we're passionate about that are also deemed, like, feminine and weak and by society. So, oh, be proud. Be proud of it. Speaking of things we're covering on Patreon, you guys, since we didn't talk about this at the beginning of the episode, we're here,

our Patreon episode this month, we're continuing our folding in Dorn series, part two. So, uh, yeah, we'll tell you more about it. I'm hyped. A, in the episode would be, like, I don't know, maybe, like, listen at the beginning of the episode next week when we remember to plug it, so.

Yeah, it'll be there. It's not going nowhere. Don't worry. Don't worry. Well, up at the Challenger Paddock, Raymond awaits with his cousin's horse and thunder, who is tossing around beneath some very heavy mail, which someone gifted them, and Pate blesses the armor is very well made.

Then Dunk sees the others approach. Robin Reisling, Humphrey Beesbury, and Humphrey Harding, mounted on Aryan's charger. Dunk tells them he's in their debt, but Harding says, no, the debt is Aryans, and they mean to collect. Bars! Ars!

Aririan's written a check that his ass can't cash. No, he can't. I bet he has no ass. As a person who has no ass, I'm allowed to say that. Yeah, he's flat. A little twink like that. Ugh. Okay. That's all. I'm allowed to body shame for that, for Aryan. As a person who has done. J.K., don't body shame. It's bad. Yeah, he's not real, but it is bad. Yeah. The public opinion doesn't determine justice. Other things to not listen to us about. Yeah, George says cancel culture is wrong. So don't cancel us.

Oh my God. That's the meaning of this story. We're just having fun, okay? This is our second time doing this story. But Anne-Rie couldn't do it again in a week. Because we took it really seriously the first time we did it, by the way. That's a lie, too.

I mean, we didn't, we didn't. You know, the duality of us. All right, so Humphrey Harding says his legs broken, but he can still sit a horse. And it turns out they're related Humphrey Beesbury is Harding's

brother-in-law. How crazy is that? Yo, I love a Beesbury. Two hunfs. Yeah, I'm into the Humphreys. I really like them in this. I find them fun. I'm sad about them, though.

Well, he won't. I want more. I know. But I want more before. Maybe George will write me a novella. Just kidding. Aw. So Egg had brought Robin Riesling with him,

and now they are five. But then, coming to the paddock in antlered glory, Lionel Barathean, the laughing storm. That makes six. Dun, dun, dun,

and of course he's styling, he's serving, cunt, he is in cloth of gold with his antlered helm under his arm and dunk fakes him. And he's like, and Sir Stephan,

I have to thank him for bringing you. And Lionel's like, what? He didn't fucking bring me, dude. I wouldn't miss out on this shit. sounds like fun. I love rebelling. What? No, I'm just kidding. Ha ha. Unless. Uh, uh, that's foreshadowing, chlorshadowing. Lionel says egg brought him and he goes, my own lad tried to chase him off,

but he slipped between his legs and turned a flagon of wine over my head, which like, not only eggs is he convincing, but he's annoying too. Like, that's great. He annoyed him into coming. Also, that's so Cartoon Network of him. That's Looney Tunes. It is. I guess I kind of like that. He's an egghead. He's like

more fun but not at all. He So I think before we said like when he comes out He's like Oh my God I'm agon You know

That was very aria-ish of him I'll be like You'll have to answer to my dad This This is Is aria of him You know Slipping between the legs

Yeah And then like Dumping wine on someone's It's very aria of him too and just fucking shenanigans dude. I love that like Egg was actually able to make this work. You know, that's good practice for him, learning to make alliances at an early age.

Actually, though. I was thinking that he does a really, really good job in this, um, like of becoming a human and of kind of managing and collecting. You see the direct ties to the later great council maybe, too. That's true. That's a good point. I'm like honestly surprised because I'm like, I mean, how much dissuade is a fucking.

like child have, like 10 year old kid, apparently a lot. So, good for him. I was really convincing when I was 10. I've told the stories about me selling beer, remember? Yeah, I think so. Yeah, I was like, I believe this about you. I had an empire, you know? I was the Supreme Chancellor of the Star Wars Club that had one pool party and never met again.

Honestly, that's all you need. Yeah. I'm like, don't fuck with me. I was ready to take over a small country at that time, so Egg should maybe grow up a little. No, I'm just kidding. I'm going to take over a big one, kind of, but... I was probably just as annoying as egg, so I can't really flex.

Aw. You had a lot more hair and great hair. Lionel wasn't going to miss being a part of history and fighting Kingsguard Knights. He's like, what a time, what a chance. or tweaking Maycar's nose which like also real we love our big troll

Lionel dunk thinks that surely Stefan must be must bring the last one the seventh and meanwhile at the other end of the meadow the column of nights

come trotting out of the mist ugh so dramatic so inxie this is good I'm ready I'm so ready I'm so ready the three

King's Guard came first, like ghosts in their gleaming white enamel armor. Long white cloaks trailing behind them. Even their shields were white, blank and clean as a field of new fallen snow. Behind rode Prince Micar and his sons. Arrian was mounted on a dapple gray, orange and red, flickering through the slashes and the horses caparison at each stride. His brother's distrier was a smaller bay, armored in overlapping black and gold scales. A green silk plume trailed from Darren's helm. It was their father who made the most fearsome appearance, however. Black curved dragon teeth ran across his shoulders,

along the crest of his helm and down his back and the huge spiked mace strapped to his saddle was as deadly looking a weapon as any dunk had ever seen. Six! Raymond exclaimed suddenly. They are only six! It was true. Dunk saw. Three black nights and three white.

They are a man short as well. Was it possible that Arian had not been able to find a seventh man? Real. Probably not, because he has a bad personality, first of all. Yeah, that's true. This is actually like a really interesting, this is a really interesting color scheme now, especially when Stefan joins.

If you think about it. Yeah, it's very bright, right? Like they actually had a very bright kind of coalition. Well, it's like very, so like they're talking about like it's just black, white, and then the red. I'm like, oh, because well, he wouldn't necessarily be red, but I assume like, you know, the Fossoway's at his step in. Yeah, the red and yellow. Yeah, so then it's like very Targaryen-esque, even with him there. So I think that's just- And then you have Ned, which has like the red and white, diamondy, whatever from Harding. The, uh, reasling is black and yellow too,

isn't it? Black and yellow, black and yellow. I actually don't like that song. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. That's okay. I mean, it only has a few purposes, and that's mostly Sandor Clegane. Oh, I thought you were going to say, you know what it is? The Steelers or whatever.

No. Isn't that what it's about? No, it's about Sandorkelyne. Oh, sorry. Of course. My bad. You know what I love? I listen to the Caleb hearing podcast.

a lot and like you know he has this guy Chance that's his producer and Chance will be Google and stuff to like fact check Caleb in case Caleb's getting out of control. Caleb asks for it like maybe we need a fact checker maybe that would keep us in check Uh

No so no House Reasling does not have a black I'm like Jake Alley Oh that's what we were fact I thought we were fact checking the songs still I thought we're still on the song no no I'm over the song I decided to look up House Reasling because I'm like it's not black and yellow.

House Reesling is like a cellar door on a black brick wall or an oaken door, right, no, no, no. It's an oaken door branded with iron and a gray stone against a black masonry. So it's like oak and iron. Yeah, I was thinking like a cellar, I guess,

which makes sense. Yeah, it's like a cellar. It looks like the reeling wine. Mmm, which is what I should be drinking. You are so right. Yeah. No, it's okay. I had a big girl glass of wine last night.

It turned into two. I'm good. I'm good today. I'm off the sauce. But, okay, back to the actual sigils. So then you have the green silk from Darren is interesting, though. I thought that was kind of interesting to set him apart from his kin in a way. Not with the black and red.

You know, he was the one that was apart from them. Really good color story. And who else on Dunk's side? You have Baylor come out all in black, which is so slick we'll get to. And you also have bees berries. So you have the bees in the trap, sigils. In the trap. Bees?

Bees. Question mark. So you have a lot of more yellow and then Raymond with the yellow with the, well, I guess green later. But Apple. Apple on Apple crime. I don't know. Interesting. Interesting.

That said, in the actual passage we just read, and maybe I said this eight years ago, it wouldn't surprise me. That's so Ned. Yeah. The Three Kings Guard came first, like ghosts in their gleaming white enamel armor. Long white cloaks trailing behind them. Even their shields were white. Against, he dreamt an old dream of three knights in white cloaks.

And later Ned had known their faces as well as he knew. his own once, but the years leech at a man's memories, even though he has vowed never to forget. In the dream, they were only shadows, gray wraiths on horses made of mist. Like, boom. Yeah. Same shit.

Interesting, and I also think it's fun to think of like Lionel. Again, more gold. Right? Another yellow and black. Thinking of color, it's all black and yellow. That one actually is. We do know that one for sure. Yeah. Hey, I knew the other couple. Yeah, yeah. No, no, I don't, obviously.

Because I was like, of course. Of course. I love when you just agree with me. Yeah. But I do think like Lionel coming back eventually, right? And Dunk and Egg's story is interesting too, because you have the ghostly memories coming at you from a fight long ago. So that's kind of fun.

I don't know. This is fun. It's very Nedley. Dunk has a lot of Ned or what we like to call number one POV energy. First POV that we ever did, energy. Yeah. In the beginning, there was Ned. There was.

That's true. Yeah, those colors, the color story is just so interesting to me because, like, again, we were talking about how, like, we've got the black and the white here. And, like, George likes to play with that and the idea of, like, you know, things are not just black and white, right? Like, which is what Maycar in the area and maybe trying to, like, make it seem. And even Dunkin Egg seems like a much more, like, straightforward story, but it's not, right? And that's what we see here with Ned's dream, right? at first they seem like they're out there in their white armor etc but I love that in now the memories of them are actually gray he's like realizing wait there was more to

that there's more of that story more to these people and these men whose memories he no longer can conjure big sad yeah man I can't wait for that dunk I'm like let's traumatize him a few more POVs you know like let's get him to be ned status because that's what he'll be doing with his friend the king. I mean, watching his friend the king lose his shit. That's actually something

that I was thinking of actually when you were talking earlier about like how the Kingsguard make up this side like and they can't necessarily say no to doing this. We're gonna see like

we're absolutely going to see egg ask Dunk to do some stuff that Dunk's like I don't know if I should do that. It's gonna be like well you have to you're the Kingsguard. That's going to be a much later Dunkin' Egg. story.

Yeah. I mean, that's it, right? Like, bit by bit. That's the human heart of conflict. That becomes it. With itself, you know? Because that's what this is. Yeah.

And then, you know what? My favorite is? Emmett really loves the idea. My roommate, yeah. You know him. He loves this idea of Dunk has the choice of saving Agon or Rhaegar.

And he chooses getting Rhaegar and Rale out. And then when he goes back, Agan is gone. It's too late. Wow. I know. So I can always hold onto that.

It hurts. It hurts so bad. He says it all the time too. I'm like, shut the fuck up. Maybe it's the other way. Maybe he wanted to save his friend. He wanted to save his friend.

No, yeah. That's what I mean. Oh, okay. But, like, but Agan is the one who told him, save the kid first. Come back. Oh, or maybe I'll wait for you. That would be good.

And then he comes back and it's not in time or something. Yeah. we'll see. Well, egg and paint, Armored Dunk, Lionel sharpens his sword, and Robin preys, Raymond paces, and Humphrey speak quietly. Let me go, just Humphrey, Humphrey, just humming in the back.

I don't know why that's the image that came to my head. Finally, Stefan appears asking Raymond to dress him, and Dunk asks, where's his final friend? They need one more to make seven. And Seven's like, actually you're going to need two, unfortunately, because...

It's so bitchy. I declare to find with the accusers. I'm Aryan 7. This is a big day for me. Be happy for me. Oh, my God. It's not like you're going to die. Stefan is so type B.

He's like type even further. I don't know. Type like F. F in the chat. Yeah. For Fossa way. Wow. Stefan defecting were a lordship.

That's so blackfire rebellion behavior. Because as we know, many of the people who supported Damon were people who were hoping to become lords upon his victory that made up a big part of his coalition. That's interesting. I didn't think about that until you brought it up. Very well thought. That was well thought of your race. It's a metaphor. Yeah.

Or something parallel. Absolutely. Yeah. Well, and it's that like very much vacuum, right, of like the country's at peace, but shit was really weird, and now it could get weird again. And people are like, could just get a lordship during all this turmoil, you know? They'd be killing traitors and they'd be giving me lordships. I don't know.

They're acting like the people that they were supposed to be standing against. Yeah, but I get it. Opportunities rise. They call. Oh, I meant Maycar was being more. Like, I don't know. You guys want to switch sides. Yeah, that's true.

Yeah. Yeah, that is like, you're encouraging it. Like, that's a thing after Darren fought so hard. And got so far. This is what you do. But in the end, it didn't even matter. It didn't even matter. Raymond is like, as soon as, also like the audacity of this bitch because

Raymond is armoring him. And he's like, oh, armor me, Raymond. Like, I have to go to the other side, though. And Raymond's like, what the fuck? Like, the fuck did you say? He's like, I knew you were a loser, but you're, that much of a loser, okay. So he refuses to help, and Stefan,

he's like, Stefan, you forgot your vows. You forgot your vows to be a knight. And Stefan's like, well, that doesn't matter because I'm about to be a lord, go off. Lord Fossoway, not a sir, Fassaway. Raymond declares he'll take his cousin's place and he's like, Dunk, you have to knight me. And Dunk's like,

I don't know, for some censored reasons that I'm not going to say out loud. Maybe I shouldn't be the one. to knight you and Lionel's like Come on Dunk any knight can make a night And Dunk's like I know But that gives me pause I don't know about that

And Lionel's like okay I'll do it You go go deal with your shit And so Dunk goes to meet Lord Ashford Who has just arrived I just love that it seems like I mean clearly he's probably done it more than once So Lionel's like whatever fuck it

I'll do it I'll do it It's also kind of sad Because like this is a moment and his behavior here like Lionel's behavior really also makes you see why you would have such a great friendship with him and why the betrayal would be so deep. Yeah.

Like that's some reynocent betrayal going on there for boys. Yeah, that's true. For boys, what's that? That's Lionel and Duncan Egg. That's their little trio, their Trist, their Thruple. Yeah. They were homies. He came through on a lot for this.

Like, not only did he come through for joining the side. He also does, in being like, I've got it, I will do this. All right, we're gonna,

we're making knights. Like, that's so cool. That's just so cool of him. Yeah. I mean, in history. Like,

yeah. A real one. Interesting. I can see, though, why the betrayal someday hit so deep when they fight and,

you know, when the kid is like, I'm not marrying you. Yeah. Yeah, that's for real. That's for real. Here's the knighting sequence. He slid his sword out of his sheath and shoulder dunk aside. Raymond of House Fasoi, he began solemnly touching the blade of the squire's right shoulder.

In the name of the warrior, I charge you to be brave. The sword moved from his right shoulder to his left. In the name of the father, I charge you to be just. Back to the right. In the name of the mother I charge you to defend The young and innocent The left

In the name of the maid I charge you to protect all women Yes all women Dunk left them there Feeling as relieved as he was guilty We're still one short He thought as Ag-held Bunder for him Where will I find another man

How do I reach these kids Yeah, I think we've probably discussed this before. Everyone's probably discussed it. So whatever, I just love, you know, we get the knighthood vows from. That's why it hits so hard. It's worth like a second nod. It's so good, yeah. It hits so good in like the best episode, basically, I guess, of season eight, you know,

A Night of the Seven Kingdoms. Yeah. It's kind of sad because, like, it makes you think if he, I mean, will, do you think he'll, it really makes you think. Do you think he'll be made a knight in any way? Or do you think the Kings, like the Kingsguard nighting ceremony, I guess, would be the closest thing to him being a knight. And it's likely that it's similar vows.

So will it do? You know, like, will it do? Will it cover the same things? I imagine that could be such an emotional scene for him finally getting something. something close to being knighted officially and gaining that legitimization in the eyes of all of the people of Westeros. I guess he can't like,

he can't like let his secret out, right? Like there are those things. It's, as you said, this is Ned like behavior. And I kind of, he's going to have to tell egg. He's going to have to tell egg because egg's obviously going to want to be knighted by him. And that's what everyone's going to expect. Everyone expects that the knight that you intern for will knight you

and he has to be like I can't do it and so it ends up someone someone's gonna night egg probably and then he will night what if it's Lionel my heart just like

stopped a little I mean it could be sorry bro it could be like it could be like it could be Lionel it would be crazy if it was his dad oh my God yeah That would be crazy. That would be interesting.

Like, that would be, like, really interesting from a, like, family healing moment. I don't know. But I assume, I kind of assume Egg might be the one who does it with Dunk in private. That sounds, like, lewd. But, um... I was thinking that, too, like, maybe, like, Egg tells him it doesn't matter. Like, I think you're a knight, and if you know the words, you know them. Lionel said them that one time, you can say them.

Yeah. Well, I, no, I was thinking Egg would end up nighting dunk after whatever. Whatever. Sweet. Okay. Which is kind of like, who else would know how true of a night he is other than A? Yeah. And it's kind of an interesting reversal, too.

Plus, there's a lot of legitimacy from it in a way as well. I don't know. I don't know. Hmm. Hmm. Wow. You know, I don't want to brag, but I'd say we're on fire. Not like, wait, that's insensitive.

I'm sorry. That's insensitive to say. Is it insensitive to Arian who meets up with Dunk? Or to Ag. Oh, that's true. Him too. Yeah, or the other Targaryens that all die that are in this and then get burnt because that's how they like to passage into the other world.

Yeah, yeah. You know, we can go on. Too soon. Prince Erian meets Dunk and he chides and he's like, oh, you only found five men, soon to be six, by the way, with Raymond, who's counting. I guess everyone. is counting. Yeah, actually. Dunk is like, well, I'll fight six against seven, and I'm like, ah, six, seven.

I get it. I finally get it. I actually don't, but I get it because I'm young. Lord Ashford says he will be found guilty if he doesn't find seven, which, like, I know we've already kind of mentioned this at many turns in this episode, but somehow, this doesn't necessarily feel like justice. Yeah. In fact, it feels, again, like punishment, like retribution.

I don't know. Justice, more like the Targaryans are saying just us. Yeah. Except for not those ones. Yeah. They're just like, I'm sorry that you didn't have a big enough LinkedIn network. What the fuck? Ain't connecting.

I know. In real life. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Well, Dunk uses this time to ride. along the fence where many knights are sitting and he calls out to them and he's like,

did you know Sir Arlen of Penny Tree? And this is so cat. Wow. For he and Sir Arlen knew them, he says. They served them, ate at their tables, slept in their halls. He notes Arlen took an injury in the Dondarian hall and Manfred is like, okay,

whatever, not paying attention. Arlen unhorsed the Grey Lion of Lannister who refuses to raise his eyes. And then Dunk's speaks about how Arlen was a good man who taught him to be a knight. Not a sword, not just a lance. He taught him honor.

And then he begs Lord Otho Bracken to join their cause. But Lord Otho responds, this is Dunk's cause, not his. So I thought this was kind of interesting, especially when he asked Otho to do it. And because he was, Dunk was only doing what knights are supposed to do, right? defend the innocent and no one, no one there was going to stand up against Aryan. And yet Sir Otho is known, he's supposed to be just, right? Dunk calls on that.

He's like, I heard you were just. Like, I heard that you were good and, you know, and that this cause is just. And Othikos, that may be, said the brute of Bracken, who had at least the grace to reply, but it is your cause, not mine. I know you not, boy. and this idea of taking up someone else's cause, I think just like really stood out to me. It feels very, I said this earlier,

if we're going to something else, and I don't know why I'm citing World War I a lot, but it feels very, World War I. You know, one person gets into it, and then you have all these alliances, and then everyone else has got to get into it, right? And that's what it means, like, you know, when one person's cause gets taken up,

but it's also very much like what happens with Robert's rebellion, you know, all the calling upon of the, the alliances and tying everything up. Like, that's what leads to, people are like, wait, uh, nobody was like, yo,

that's your fucking problem there. John Aaron. Right. Robert Barathean and Ned and also, I guess Brandon's dead by this point. Or maybe they were. Maybe they were initially, you know? Maybe the starts were like,

yo, the Targaryans kidnapped our daughter. And only later on, like, did things. But, you know, we even see, with the war of the Five Kings and how everything starts unfolding. Again, people taking up other causes, but no one would do it here for dunk. And, you know, there was a lot of plotting, I guess, beforehand with Robert's Rebellion, and that's because they saw that this was a just cause as well, right? They saw an evolution of the Crown's tyranny at that point,

and they're trying to gain rights for themselves as lords and for the other lords, which, you know, again, same cause that led many of the lords, I guess, to turn against egg in later years. Hell, I mean, Ned's girls, right? Yeah. Everyone fighting for Ned's girls, for Rob, for Kat. That's true. Catalan in the inn at the crossroads and asking for them to, you know, attend her cause because they knew her as the young girl of River Run who helped run her father's home when he was ill.

I mean, they all knew her. she grew up there from being a little girl. So, like, I don't know. It's a great turn in opposite way because we see Dunk doesn't necessarily have that same advantage. And also that these lords are afraid, right? They are afraid to speak up because dare you draw the dragon's ire,

the people that are supposed to support you? I don't know. And then also, he really fucked up because he should have just told him the Blackwoods were on Aryan side. Like, that literally would have done it, like, just lie a little dunk, you fool. But... You didn't know, yeah.

That's another reason why the Brackens don't want to commit to a battle, because they were just on another side of that battle with Agin, and where Betha and... Oh, true. Yeah. Yeah, that's a good point. Yeah, that's part of it, but...

I mean, I like what you said. They're all, like, afraid of the crown and what it's going to do. And, yeah, I mean, it's not even, like, that they should go in. into it because of the alliances or like you're talking about Ned's girl like and pledging to that like when you see the way that the crown acts against other people like it should be that your cause is also mine because justice matters our freedom is tied to one another but obviously they're in it for themselves because it could be you yeah you could be it next that's what

You know, all that. People love, like, non-woke society. They're like, who cares about not being able to walk the king's road, like, uh, um, you know, a maiden naked. Like, oh, he used to walk it when there was a stark. But who cares about that, the society says? But I'm like, I don't know, it does still matter.

Honor does matter. Chivalry does matter. Like, the people still want it. The lords might not say they want it, but they do want it. Yeah. They're just scared, bro. They're scared. They should just, you know, become equitable with the small folk a little more, man.

Like, if you do that, then you can rise up against the Targs. They don't even have dragons anymore. I'm just like, this is. They didn't even have dragons. It's easy. Just, you know, just. Easy mode. Yeah.

That's what Jamie is like, wow. Wait, no, just stabby, stabby. Just sneeze a few times. The plate's coming, you know? I mean, that's. That'll knock a couple down. Sorry, anyways. We have the classic passage.

Heart sick, dunk, wheeled thunder, and raced back and forth before the tears of pale, cold men. Despair made him shout. Are there no true knights among you? Only silence answered. Across the field, Prince Aryan laughed. The dragon is not mocked. He called out. Then came a voice.

I will take Sir Duncan's side. A black stallion emerged from out of the river vests, a black knight on his back. Dunk saw the dragon shield and the red enamel crest upon his helm with its roaring three heads, the young prince. God's be good. Is it truly him? Lord Ashroyd made the same estate. Prince Valor!

No. The Black Knight lifted the visor of his helm. I did not think to enter the lists at Ashford, my lord, so I brought no armor. My son was good enough to lend me his. Prince Baylor smiled, almost sadly. No. Now it ends. There you go.

Now it ends. Seven against three, but not. I forgot. I forgot that that was Lord. or Ashford's line. No, he turns. I know, right? That's what I can think.

That's all I can think of now. First of all, I want to admire Prince Baylor's physique that as whatever age. He is. He's fitting in his son's armor. Like, that's not like, you know, Lucy Goosey shit. Like, that's some rigid material. And I'm like, okay, okay. May I propose that Prince Baylor was daddy?

Yeah? I mean. Yes. Not to, I know Daddy's like over, but that's true because he's over too, he's dead. That's true. But like, Prince Baylor. Daddy? Yeah, no, absolutely.

I mean, like. Like, do you think he's got a little bit of like silvery gray in his dark chest hair? Oh, I didn't think about that. Yeah, probably. And he doesn't have too much or too little. He's got just the right amount. And like the cheekbones? Yeah, cheekboat.

He's got a jaw. a jaw. I mean, like, these are like things that, you know, they actually don't matter to me that much. Yeah, people have them. He's got good shoulders. Yeah, yeah. You know, they're just nice to imagine. He's got good forearms and hands. I don't always think about a song of ice and fire characters to this extent and physically appreciate them. So this is just an appreciation. Yeah, I just want, I mean, for once, you know, we have like a little, I'm just impressed as, you know, that he can do that. Like, because he's kind of daddy. Yeah, he is.

In spirit Yeah. And physically. Mentally and emotionally. It's more than just physical. Yeah. Yes. Mentally, emotionally, physically, every way. He's also a play

on the Arthurian portrayal of a black knight. Real. That's very real. The trope that comes up in a lot of, you know throughout different Arthurian legends and styles and whatnot but not even just that just in general when it comes to chivalric tales and whatever you know usually you have the black knight coming in mysterious contender lacking in heraldry in color and sometimes but not always like there is kind of an association with them as being an antagonist right and like we see the way that

kind of gets played upon when it comes to for example the tourney at heron hall right and those sorts of tropes around like mystery knights but here with bailor i think there's a really fun irony with that he's the black knight and like not only is he clearly a heroic figure like the dominant color being black especially like the streaks of red like he's the one character no one's going to doubt that heraldry someone comes in in full black armor you're like oh it's a targaryen right like they're not mysterious yeah i love that and i would argue not even necessarily antagonist, but like the moral judgment and authority of the story, right? Like, stands as like the judgment that kind of the character comes up against. And I love it, like the silent rival, the dark champion. And also the question of like, what night are you? Which is literally something he said. But that's, you know, the question of the black night showing up and challenging. And also he's like, you know, he's tuxedo mask. He's racer acts. He's like all these kind of characters that show. show up the mystery character and who they,

what they actually are on the inside. I'm like, those are the two I could think of off the top of my head. I'm like, Racer X, I'll never forget. Oh my gosh. This year or last year, maybe the year before, whatever, the last time I saw Speed Racer at Philadelphia Film Society for my birthday a couple years ago, there was a great audience and they were like, they called who Racer X was.

They'd never watch Speed Racer at all. And I'm like, what were you doing in your childhood? What is going on in this world? Everybody should be watching Speed Racer. At least have an understanding. It's a great piece of media. I highly recommend. I was a big Speed Racer fan as a kid.

Like, I still have this graphic art that one of my mom's co-workers made me when I was like a six-year-old. It's in a frame, and I still have it. It's really funny. I got to post it. Like, I'll send it to you because it's very funny. Like, I was very into Speed Racer. So I had all, oh yeah, I had all the DVDs. But so we went and saw.

the wonderful live action Wikowski sister movie. And highly recommend if you haven't seen it, but there's this whole mystery box of a character whose name is Racer X. And somebody is like, oh, I bet it's so-and-so's redacted, redacted. If you haven't seen it, you need

to see it. But like, I bet it's redacted, redacted. And they were like, at the very end, there's a very slow reveal where they, like, look at the camera and they're like, no, he's not redacted, redacted. And then literally, the scene breaks and they're like, yeah, he's redacted, redacted.

Like, they just like reveal it. So it's very funny because I just think of these girls that were losing their mind in this theater. And that's kind of also, but that's Baylor's thing too. Like, you don't, no one actually knows where his heart was. Like, we do the sad smile on his face and like doing his duty. Like knowing he's doing the right thing. Even though it could bring about some violence with his family and like what he's doing, he's doing to fight that fight that they're supposed to be carrying on

from the Blackfire Rebellion, right? Like, he's doing the right thing against what is being paraded as the right thing. This, like, fucking farce, this folly, right? It's a folly. So, Baylor's showing, I don't stand with this folly, and I don't think that my father, the inventor of Toaster Strudle, would stand for it either.

Yeah, I mean, that is actually... That's what he's doing, right? And, like, it's important. Because he, yeah, not only is he daddy. I mean, he's swinging that thing around, but responsibly. Stop it. You have to be stopped. No, but, like, that's, it's true.

It's true, right? Like, he knows how to do it in a way that, like, it's, it's important. It matters. Respectfully. Yeah, respectfully. Like, he's, the point of, you know, we've talked about this, especially, like, in the previous episode. Him swinging it.

I think we actually might have talked about it a little. And Baylor isn't stupid, right? Like, he's not ignorant of the way that power, the trappings of power. He's very well versed in it. He was raised in its shadow when it came to whether or not a sword is the same thing as kingship. He knows what legitimacy looks like, and he knows that dunks cause needs legitimacy, and he knows he's the one who can provide it best. And he knows that for dunk to stand any chance,

not even though just surviving in the immediate thing of like, if for some reason Dunk should happen to actually win the fucking trial, right? Like for dunk to survive even past the trial and not be penalized and like face retribution afterwards for winning. Yeah. Right? And inflicting bodily harm against three members of the royal family

and the Kingsguard, because you know that they're going to try and find some way to spin it if he does happen to succeed and he hurts them, there has to be some sort of fan fear. There has to be the trappings of power, the legitimacy, or else he just get in trouble, right? Because at the end of the trial, like, they could end up being painted as traitors. Like, they're going to spin it any way they want. We've already seen them do it. Instead, he becomes basically a literal, like, meat shield for dunk. Yeah, actually, literally does that.

His death saves his life, honestly, which is the whole vision, the whole story, the whole shebang. Yeah. We're not there, but we're about to be. So, yeah, that's true. That's absolutely true. It's so, it's kind of sad. It's really a bummer. You just feel really morose.

It's funny, we were just talking about this offline, but, like, some folks are really excited about the lighthearted nature of the Dunkin' Egg show. And I'm like, but that's not really true because it becomes quickly tense. and then bad and then things get bad next novella too yeah I think the vibes like kind of like a little lighter in a way in the mystery night but like the swore it

the sworn sword yeah it's just dreary in mystery night it's so heavy so yeah which is fine but you've got to be in the right mood for it it's like it's very heavy and it's very it's like a feast for crozy it literally is very thick

yeah the way it opens I'm like yo people are in fucking cages like what's going I'm not. Yeah. Oh, rock and roll. Oh, like, things are bad? Yeah. This is not cute.

Well, things are also going to be bad here. So buckle up. Maycar and Baylor argue. I'm sorry that I can't pick one pronunciation. I like my car, but I just don't want to commit to it. And I think Hannah and Zach at Goo do my car. And maybe that's where sometimes I try it for fun. But I think I'm a Maycar girl.

I don't know. I like Maycar because also I remember, I don't know if I did it, but a couple people did it for a while with their flare on the subreddit, the ass-off subreddit being May Cars Mark. I was like, that's cute. Oh, cute. I also am like, baby, you can drive my car. I don't know.

Oh, okay, okay. Interesting. I'm jamming. Is that a speed racer related song? Okay, never mind. Go, go, go, go, speed racing. Yeah, literally, though. Chimp, chimp and fucking.

love every character from SpeedRacer. I want to watch Speed Racer right now. I don't even really like Dunkin' Egg that much. I really like Speed Racer. You want to be a Speed Racer podcast? That would be crazy. I don't think. I only watched like a few episodes like here and there so I don't really know much of

anything. Want to watch more? It would be an interesting. It would be an interesting journey. You want to watch Speed Racer with me? You can do like yeah, you're, you give a spoilery a perspective. I give an unfothed. Can we watch the movie together and then we do an episode about the movie?

Yeah, I've never seen it. Yeah, you could. Oh, you're in for a treat. We probably should, actually. Maybe we should. Yeah. I think so. Yeah.

You're in for a treat. Okay. Great decisions are happening. My passion project. Yeah. Speed race for you is what Pacific Rim is to me. Add it to the dictionary, folks. Make R and Baylor argue, but Baylor says the gods will decide if Dunk was right or wrong,

and he trots off to the end of the field. All of his men surround. dunk, Lord Reasling, Lord Lionel, the Humphreys, Sir Raymond, who... Yeah, who has a change to make to his sigil, dun, da, dun, he reveals his shield,

which differentiates him from his cousin. It's a green apple instead of red. He says, I fear I am still not right, but better green than wormy, A? Sir Lionel laughs and dunk grins, and even Baylor seems to approve stoically.

I love the, uh, this being in here is the big moment, right? The splitting of the houses. Having it be a green house is interesting considering when there was a house that splintered and one faction of the house was called green. Oh, that, that one. I thought we went the other time more recently when the house splintered. Oh, yeah, that too, right? Yeah. Well, and it's very ballsy considering history. Well, I guess in this scenario, herstery, Ranira Targaryens, and And then, like, in the main story, you have Jana Fasaway, Mace Tyrell's sister married into a green Fossaway family.

Interesting. So, and the Terelles are kind of the current greens, right? They be greening. Yeah, they are. Really makes you think. Really makes you think. That's how I feel about this episode. That could be the title.

Really makes you think. Also, you know, like Baylor seeing this. And he approves, but at the same time is he having, like, you know, those gifts of like dog, the dog with the war. PTSD flashwax. Yeah. Oh no, not that this is fine The yeah, there's like that other

PTSD one Yeah, yeah That's that's Baylor right now Yeah I'm a fan also of the I have no idea what I'm doing dog Oh yeah Absolutely

I've related to that one a lot Yeah That's a favorite That and hello Yes this is dog Those are probably my two favorite dog memes Yes Yes this dog

Yeah Baylor calls for council Not the first Targaryen Council will attend In these novellas I'm sure the septent addresses the crowd with prayer and he tells them the accuser's lance is banded and tipped with steel dun dun dun and instead they will arm themselves with terny lances made to break and they're like what why like they have guns and you're making us curious like what but these are not just any terny lance well they are but normal terny lances are 12 feet long and if their points strike it keeps them away and no one can touch you. And, I mean, as we've discussed, that's a little cheat code, right? That's a little

makes us more chivalrous and honorable, right? So comes back to what you were kind of saying, like, you have to have a carefuler plan since you're facing all the royals. You need some legitimacy on your side. Yeah. So aiming for the helm or the chest is the goal. Unhorsing them is the other goal. And dunk staying alive is like a huge goal of all of this. They're all doing this for him. If the accusers are slain, or if they withdraw, they are judged guilty. If Dunk dies, he's guilty. Seems fair. Yeah. Easy, peasy. If any of my nephews die, no, JK. Honestly, I'm sure there's part of him that, like, did a little bit, maybe even just a little bit, was like, it could be fine if Aaron dies. Um, I do think it's interesting what you're saying of like, you know,

They're using it for the distance. It makes me even think of Oberyn Martel, you know, using the spears against the spear against Gregor and how that distance, he's able to use that to his advantage. But also we see here, like, there's a, there's very much a real strategy behind what Baylor is doing. I assume Maycar has one as well, because both of them have real wartime experience, right? It comes into this. and I do think it's interesting like I wonder if Lionel

like it's not super sure if he would have been old enough I guess to fight during the rebellion or not his date of birth is places between 176 AC and 194 which is like a huge gap and it's like basically as big of a gap as the days that like the years that we give all of you

for when we might have been born it's also So 194 is just like two years before the rebellion. So like this is a huge range. Was he in it or not? Yeah, that's a good question. And if he was, he would have been really young, right? Really young and scrappy and yeah.

20 at the oldest, yeah. At the oldest, yeah. So interesting to compare that. Like you brought up Robert's Rebellion. Interesting to compare it a little bit to that and think about that. Yeah, he'd be like, I guess, what, around 35 then at this point in the story. if he were born in 176. Did you see the pictures of him for the show?

No, I forgot. Any stills of him? What he... I saw his casting, like, back then, but then I decided to wipe it from my mind. So it's gonna be fun. I have to say one thing. Okay. Can I say one thing?

Yeah, yeah. Always. He was a cunty little earring. Ooh, okay. I'm into it. Yeah. Oh, it's so good. So, like...

How old does he look in there in the show? Like, um, 30s, 40s, somewhere in there? Okay, so, like, in the show, ostensibly, it's... It's possible that he was part of the Blackfire Rebellion as well. Like, not that he was like... Yeah. Yeah. You know what I mean? Y'all. He's, like, fought in the war. He was in the war. The wars.

Yeah. Interesting. Interesting. Well, the Kingsguard. I've heard of them. Baylor declares that the Kingsguard can't kill him due to their oaths. So if they keep the others off of base... he can deal with the king's guard. Lion's like, is that chivalrous?

And Baylor's like, the gods will let me know. We'll find out from the gods. Good luck. Bad news about that. So they prepare. Steely Peyton Egg help to arm Dunk, who thinks about his oak and iron prayer. And Egg insists he must be the one to put the lance in Dunk's hand.

Dunk's companions all arm and get ready. I found Egg being like, I have to put his lance in his hand really cute and meaningful, especially considering what we were talking about with potentially knighting him. And it's kind of meaningful, right? Like to crown him is to kill him, to put the lance in his hand is to kind of like, you know,

to put him on his path of fate in a way. Right? I see it as very much fulfilling kind of a fateful moment for Duncan Egg. Like this is the moment that Egg is putting the sword in his hands later as Kingsguard, right? The moment he might knight him, like we're speaking about him, arming him, feels important. And also, it's an important moment for Egg who's going to become a squire and then become a knight and then become a king. I mean, these are all stages of their lives. They're going through together in their career. It's very meaningful that here is like a freaking 10-11-year-old.

Egg is like, I will put the sword in your hand, Dunk. I will give you the lance so that you can go kill my family. And this is what you'll have to do for me the rest of your life. Good luck. Well, that is actually what he wants, though. He is a little like, hmm, maybe he could kill my older brother, Aryan. Could be fun. He's not against it. This is his hero. It's his hero. Yeah. And I mean, Aryan is his monster, right? And yeah. I actually saw it as kind of like almost when we were redescribing it right now. It's almost like giving him his tourney favor. But also, also I like what you said. Like, no, this is his hero.

He's like, I'm putting the lance in. It's my job. Yeah. It is his job. Aw, kids with jobs. My God. Candice Everdeen would be so happy. Put them in the mines.

They yearn for the mines. She said that. Dunxies, Aryan, get handed a real war lance. It's eight feet, black as night, and realizes like, yeah, he's trying to kill me. The horn blows and dunk freezes for one awful heartbeat. He's forgotten everything. He'll shame himself, lose it all. But thankfully, thunder remembers and moves first.

He remembers the life. Dunk doesn't think that he deserves. And Dunk's training snaps back in, all right? Lock in, Dunk. He trots, then goutes. Callops, couches his lance, swings the shield to cover his left, and angles it to deflect. Oak and iron guard me well, or else I'm dead and doomed to hell. The crowd becomes distant waves.

Dung tries to become one with thunder. I am thunder and thunder is me. And I feel like there's something going on here thematically too, a little of like the horse's named Thunder. And then we're here. We're in it with the laughing storm. Oh, cute. That's it. That's all I have.

No, that was cute. I liked it. I liked what you had. Good job. Thank you. Good job. Also, like, becoming one with thunder, dunk is a skin changer. Confirmed. He's changing into his horse. Someone called glides, I guess. Dunk is a horse theory.com. I mean, he does, sounds like people do take dunk for a ride, so. Oh, my God. Shout out. Horses, shout out Dunk, he fucked.

This isn't a tourney joust any longer, folks. There's a barrier, but not that much of a barrier. No safe angles. It's straight on. Faster, deadlier. Baylor's huge black horse is flying somewhere in Dunk's peripheral, but Dunk narrows to one truth. Only Aryan matters.

Arien rides in with the dragon shield flashing, Lance held high in the dangerous way Arlen once warned him about. Dump tries to do it right. Aim for the center of the chest. Don't watch the point. Don't watch the dragon. Watch where you mean to strike. Except he does watch the dragon. And his point slides.

His lance hits Aryan's shield. And so, no, right. Hits his shield instead of his chest. It gouges the painted flame. And then Aryan's point hits him. something smashes then into dunk side like a hammer okay

just because like you've brought it up a few times and now it's like top of mind and like does it mean something the gouging of the painted flame fires and then summer hall I don't know I'm probably like I'm probably making this up

but no like for real but what if it means something anyway I think it almost could Maybe Thunder stumbles

Dunk loses his lance He almost loses his seat And thunder nearly goes down in the mud But somehow gets back up That's my boy, thunder Dunk realizes Arian has driven the lance through him Splintered ash and iron

Are sticking out of his ribs Horrific Dunk reaches across, grabs the shaft And rips it out In one brutal yank Blood follows His shield, Tanzal's shield the sunset and the tall oak and the falling star suddenly feel like a joke

he throws it away and draws his sword but he's in so much pain he can barely imagine swinging it like the shield did enough right it protected him a bit and I do think like there is something beautiful about it you know that the thing that's supposed to protect dunk is from someone that he protected it's a cycle we're all connected that's the true favor right there that's the true turny favor of the shield that's actually really it is wow Wow. Wow. Oh my God.

This must be all so embarrassing, though, for Lord Ashford's daughter. I just remembered her. I mean, must be embarrassing for Lord Ashford, like, all of it. That's true. What a thing no one will ever forget of you. Like, oh, man, he hosted that one tourney. It was a total shit show. It was Targaryen on Targaryen.

It was nuts, bro. But it pays off probably, like, if he's still alive. Yeah, that's true. When Egg becomes king, he's probably. like, you guys, remember that time? I have a great story now. Poor Lord Ashford. He waited so long for, you know, his flowers or whatever. God. He looks around, dunk, not Lord Ashford.

And the field is chaos. One of the Humphreys is clinging to his horse, hurt. The other one is down in bloodstained mud with a broken lance in his groin. Oh, no. Baylor is moving, still intact enough to unhorse a king's guard. Nice. Another white cloak is already down. Mekar gets unhorsed too. Nice. Dunk tries to find Arian and he's turning around and then Arian unfortunately finds him.

He hits him from behind at full gallop. What a bitch. He's such a little bitch. Fuck. Thunder rears and dunk sword goes flying and dunk crashes into the mud. He can't breathe. He can't see his helm slit. His slit is jammed with mud.

And he claws at it. Sorry. I just wanted to say it. I know. I know you're like just like I feel the earth. I feel moved to say this. Slit. That's a fun one.

I don't know. I might have to add that one to the vernacular. So his helm slit is full of mud, just brimming with mud, and he's trying to claw it out. And he staggers up blindly. And in the blur, he catches a dragon shield and a spiked morning star on a chain. And then his head explodes. He's down again. One eye is swollen shut with blood.

Cold metal bites into his cheek and he thinks, he broke my head. I'm dying. Worse, he's failed everyone. Raymond. Baylor. He's nothing. He's not a champion. He's not even a hedge knight.

He's no good. Dunk Belunk in the mud. Arian looms over him like a laughing dragon taunting him to cry, offering to take only a hand and foot in his teeth. The morning star whirls above him like a falling star about to split his skull and dunk rolls. Whoa, I don't remember what the language is in it, but like a falling star about to split his skull. But no, the falling star can't split his skull because the falling star is his. That's his falling star.

He became his shield. Wow. Okay. Dude. Dude. Incredible. Honestly, incredible. And then he finds his strength out of nowhere and it's city strength, or as they would say in Dune, desert power.

Flea bottom strength. He throws himself into Arian's legs and drags him down and climbs on top of him in the mud. Take off your shirt. Arian tries to smash dunk with his shield lip. Dunk's battered helm takes it. dunk rips Aryan's fancy little shield away by breaking the straps and then starts beating the shit out of him with it I'm enjoying that that's it's enjoyable I can't not smile I'm grinning from ear to ear right now I'm so sorry and he crushes the fancy dragon flame crust off of his helm the prince runs out of flames

long before dunk runs out of blows arian goes for a dagger and dunk smashes his hand ha ha ha it's what he deserves serves. The knife flies away. Yeah, it's like great dramatic irony. This isn't terny work. Yeah, yeah. This isn't tourney work. This isn't night lessons. This is Alley fighting with Armouron. Let's go. Let's fucking go. Beat the shit out of him. Yeah, I mean, they got daggers. Kill him. Everywhere. Kill him. I can't wait to see that. You're going to be so happy. If Egg is like actually, he can't hear him. But I feel like the story would have told us.

Like, the story would have had Dunk here if Egg were yelling, Gallup, Calais. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I do love, you know, that this kind of fighting that Arian and Dunk Resort to, it isn't one that benefits having a better trained

or bred horse. It's not something that it can works like that. We have this, the line of, like, he could vanquish Sir Duncan the Tall, but not dunk a flea bottom. The old man had taught him jousting in swordplay, but this sort of fighting

he had learned earlier in shadowy wines and crooked alleys behind the city's wine sinks, dunk, whatever, flung the battered shield away, and wrenched up the visor of Aryan's home. I feel like he's probably about to go for those little grapes, the little grapes. And,

I didn't think about it. You just, the horses really are the whole thing. Like, him selling the horse and the value once they found out the horse was, you know, like, wow, That's the whole thing.

But like dunk is valuable. Just like everyone else. Oh. I wasn't sure. I was like, okay, dunk's the horse. No, sorry. The horse sale. What are we talking about?

Like him selling his horses is a metaphor for the entire fucking story. Like, I get it as you are speaking about how like this nothing matters. Like they're stripped down to who they are. Yeah. Yeah, they are. Like you can't. and like, you know, sure, he's got the bigger size, but like even, you know, strength can be bested as well as we see in Storm Swords. And, you know, and all of this matters, right?

Because, like, Dunk's got that kind of real-world brawling of experience and no one's going to actually truly fight Aryan, perhaps, is what we've seen. Like, people might have come at him a little harder than Valor, but not really. And it's Dunko Flea Bottoms fighting that best. this prince. Like when the people who cheer for Dunk to win, those are not the nobles, right? The nobles won't even look at him. It's the small folk, the ones who came for a knight who remembered his vows. And that's why it is meaningful that it's the boy from Fleabottom who wins. You know, it's the ones, the vows that he lives by having, you know, never actually sworn them. Dunk runches up Irian's visor, the weak point, and he sees terror in his purple eyes.

and he has a sudden violent urge to do something so monstrous, something so not nightly. So instead he shouts, yield. And Aryan whispers, I yield. Which is it good enough. What a little bitch. And like, Dunk is like, all right, cool, sick. You know, and he's like, you have to tell them, whatever. It's dishonorable of him.

And also, I'm going to say, you know, okay, I don't hate the blackfires. I don't hate the blackfires, but I'm just saying it's a little bit of a blackfiry behavior. in terms of gilding and then, you know, doing four more rebellions afterwards, or five, arguably, as Chloe pointed out last time. I mean, yeah, right? And not just that, but also, like, the rumors about their behavior have been substantiated by their actions, to be fair. Not all of them, but, like, hashtag not all blackfires are. But, like, kind of, kind of. And also interesting, because. Because, you know, we start to get Arian's backstory bit by bit through these novellas. And you can also see, I think George had a lot of plans for him.

Like, he's mentioned consistently in the main series. As early as Game of Thrones, I think, are clash. And after this, we're about to learn he goes to Lees. But there he fights in the second sons. Right? So second sons. And it said he has bastards. And then he comes back and he fights in the third rebellion.

and then he tries to convince Aries the first with Blood Raven to put Agor Rivers down. So then they get turned down on that, obviously. He gets sent to the night watch, Bittersteel, and then he ends up marrying his cousin, and he has a son named Magor, and then he drinks his wildfire and dies. So, like, he does do some stuff. Like, he comes back. It's not like he's just gone forever, and then he drinks his wildfire and dies. He doesn't stay out in lease.

He actually comes back. back and does some politicking and does some stuff with Blood Raven, Uncle Blood Raven. So, Uncle Cousin, Blood Raven. Uncle Cousin, Blood Raven. Yeah. Yeah. Got to cover all of it, you know. You can kind of see there's something else going on with him. So I'm interested to see if we do get more of him in the future or in blood and fire. We'll probably hear more about him. But it seems George might be interested in him a little bit. Or at least was at the time.

And maybe this was the peak, who knows. I wouldn't be surprised, yeah, if he showed up again in later Duncan Egg stories. Like, it could be fun. Yeah. Very interesting. Right. He has some substance in there. Not just the wildfire, different substance. Yeah, he does.

I mean, he's kind of a Joffrey character, and you and I do think Joffrey's an interesting character. Yeah, absolutely fascinated. Not even kidding. Yeah. Not trying to be sarcastic. Yeah, we're not. I know a lot of times I come off as sarcastic. I'm not being that.

Apparently I do too, and I'm like, oh, God. I didn't mean that to sound snarky or passive aggressive. I was being earnest. Oh, is it my voice? Okay. I think it is. It's just her voice. Fuck. Me, oh, is it the way I sound?

Just kidding. Oh, is it me? Yeah, absolutely. It's us. For a second, Dunk can't believe it's real. He looks around and sees Maycar. fighting to reach his son, aw. And Baylor holding him off.

The laughing storm has joined Baylor. Raymond and Stefan are slashing at each other on foot in front of the stand. The red and green apples splintered into nothing. A king's guard is carrying a wounded brother off. The white cloaks all blur together. Another white knight is down. It's still. Steel on steel and people can still die if this doesn't end now.

Arian tries to die for his morning star and dunk kicks him. face down like you little bitch no he doesn't say that grabs him by the leg but basically drags him through the mud like the dirt he is or oh yeah like the trash he is all the way to Lord Ash for his stand

shaking filth onto Lord and Lady alike and Dunk Dunk forces the accusation Aryan spits dirt and says And withdraw my accusation I can't wait to see that I really do hope he

takes him by the scruff of the neck like a kitten being dragged by its mother. Yeah. I really hope to see that. I think he drags him the other way, right? He's dragging him by the foot. Oh, by the foot, right. Oh, nice. Yes, it's the leg. No, you're right. You're right.

So that his face is just like fucking, like, dragging through the mud, which is what he deserves. I'd rather see it both ways. Oh. Yeah, you're right. I'd like to see it twice. Yeah. Yeah. So nice we did it twice. Also, I just want there to be a big credit moment right here of like, Aryan Targaryen will return in blood and fire.

You know, doomsday. The Targaryens will appear in Doomsday. True. Wow, you're right. We're going to get so much interesting Aryan stuff in Blood and Fire. Blood and Fire. Out now. Any moment, dude.

Any moment. Look under there. So after all of this, Dunk doesn't even know how he leaves the field. Like, he hurts everywhere. He's exhausted. Egg helps him strip armor off. Raymond helps. Even Steely Pate helps.

Complaining, of course, about his dented male the entire time. Dunk grabs Raymond and he's like, okay, the only thing that matters, who died? So Beesbury died. He was slain by Donnell of Duskendale pretty much immediately. Humphrey Harding is gravely wounded and is going. going to die later, ripped to my boys. I know. The rest are bruised and bloody.

The Kingsguard, one was carried off incensed it. Darren gets unhorsed and trampled by his own loose horse. Broken foot probably. Wow, another foot. Wow. Okay. But he ended up just laying in the mud exactly like he planned. Good for my boy.

Good for him. Dunk feels a huge relief because Darren's dream was wrong. unless Arian died, but Arian didn't. Dunk spared him, so everything's great. Things are going to be good. Things are awesome, and everything's coming up, dunk an egg. And dunk drifts in and out, right? Half drunk with pain.

People are arguing about treatment. He hears oil, wine, maesters, like he's in a hospital, basically, Bay. And then a voice cuts through, boiling wine, not oil. And finally, Prince Baylor stands above him. in black armor, scarred, beaten. His dragon helm is broken and missing pieces, like the fight had taken bites out of him. Ooh, like a dragon.

Dump tries to say the only thing he can. Your grace, I am your man, please, your man. Baylor says he needs good men, the realm, but something's wrong. Baylor's speech is thick. His fingers feel like wood, Raymond, and Pate struggle with his helm because it's crushed down in back, smashed into the gorget.

Good steel, Pate says. Steel that stopped the blow. And then they lift the helm and something red and wet falls out and someone screams. Oh. It's very vivid. Very oh.

And then he started to scream. Do you think... This is a stupid question. This is like... legitimately a stupid question. I just don't know. Could he have lived if he just, like, kept it on? I can't entertain this question.

Oh, indefinitely? No, not without major brain damage, and he was also, like, it would, no. That's true. No. Yeah. He couldn't. Okay. Okay.

Yeah. You're right. No, it's over. You're right. It's... It was over. And it, like, literally pains me to think about it. Like, I, like, could puke.

And I'm so upset about it. We have to move past some of it because... Okay, we can move past. I was just like pretty... Yeah. Because it's going to get gross again for a moment. Okay. So, Dunk sees Baylor standing there in his black armor with only half a skull, blood, bone, something blue, gray, and pulpy.

And Baler touches the back of his head almost gently. And then he looks confused for one cloud passing moment, and then he falls. And there it is. There is the dream. Dunk catches him. Later, people tell him that he kept saying up, up, like he did to thunder, but Baylor didn't rise. Baylor Breakspeare is burned in the yard at Ashford because Targaryen's lives end in flame. Dunk shuffles past the beer.

Baylor is dressed in black velvet with the scarlet dragon sewn on. Black velvet in that little, sorry. Gold chain, heavy at his throat, same. and sword sheaved at his side a thin golden open visor helm on so that people can see just his face Ballard stands vigil looking like a slimmer, handsomer Baylor

except for the streak of silver gold in his hair that makes Dunk think of Aryan and he tells himself that's not fair egg's hair is coming back bright too and egg is decent enough oh you gotta have some good eggs and some bad eggs is what he's saying He's just a

He's a neutral egg He dies too soon for us to really know much about him The egg was spitting It was spinning Oh my god In the air Valor's grief turns sharp And he asks Dunk why the gods took his father

And left him And then it's like, be gone Which is traumatic but he's allowed to be Yeah and I do wonder how they'll play Valors Why would the gods take him and leave you in the show? I think there's a lot of ways that it can be played, right? It could be very accusatory, kind of like Catlin's

It should have been you to John. But I think it's also a line that's very heavy with grief because when you lose someone you love that you admire, you are in that bargaining stage, right? Like the why, why? You're trying to seek meaning from your loss and sometimes there is no meaning, and I am, I'm just curious how the actor will play it, because, you know, like, yeah, obviously there's some spite in it by having him tell Duncan to be gone.

But it's also just like, just pain and grief, right? It is kind of a cruel thing to say. There is, of course, an implication that Baylor's life was worth more from valor, but, like, I mean, it was to valor. Like, that's his dad. Of course it's worth more. to him and I think that's just really human like it's rude to say but I think anyone would wonder to an extent also like why why did this person live and not this person I love yeah that survivor's grief

right and also the weight that he has to bear like yeah now he's now he's now he's air yeah his dad was a shield for him too his dad not only shielded dunk in the realm but he shielded his children too from the toxicity of their house and how that iron throne bears down on you and eats away at you and, you know, kept them balanced throughout all of that. He was very wise, it seems, for their family. He was very much a peaceholder, right? He wanted there to be peace, and he fought very hard and worked very hard for that very calm peace to keep existing in his brother's realm, or his father's realm.

Yeah, there was a calm peace, but also, like, there's something you said earlier of, this is supposed to be, this is the peace time, right? this is the peace time and I think... They're supposed to be working hard to have peace because that's important. Yeah, and Biller was very good at doing that and also, like, you were talking about,

um, you know, he's the heir, like, I think, and the shield, you know, his father was a shield, I think there's an aspect of like, if I were the heir, right, and, or going to be one day,

and my dad was an awesome person, and ruler like Baylor, you would want to see them eventually take the throne so you can follow and see what that example looks like for the time that you eventually become king, not just go straight into like

oh fuck, I'm king now, you know? Yeah. Man. Yeah. It's rough. It's not only a mean line. It's mean, but it is, I think, a human question. Well, and I like really how you compared it with

cattle, and I think that's the closest thing to that grief. You know, why should you live when he does not? Yeah. What makes it so worth, what makes your life worth his? Yeah. Or worth more than his. It's not, not even like more or less, it's just

why? Why? Yeah. The words of Aaron Burr and Hamilton, you know, death doesn't discriminate between the sinners and the saints. It takes and it takes and it takes and we keep living anyway. We rise and we fall and we break and we make our mistakes. If there's a reason,

I'm still alive when everyone who loves me has died. I'm willing to wait for it. Yeah. You know? Yeah. That's so Aaron Burr of him. It's interesting. Mm-hmm.

Wait for it. Wait for it. I'm sure Amin wonders this too regarding his whole family at some point. Dunk Limp of the Castle with no answers, only the song lyrics, only Aaron Burr singing in his ear. I am indimitable. That's what he actually tells Valor. He comes back. He's like, let me sing this song for you.

But he has no answers, none for valor, and none for himself. And his wound heals cleanly with the maesters and the boiling wine, leaving a deep scar between arm and nipple, a permanent reminder of what Baylor spent to keep him alive. The world makes no sense. And we have the line here of when a great prince dies so a hedge knight can live. I get the utter tragedy. But I'd also like to play the other side.

and say, I don't know, I think they can get more princes. I mean, eventually no, but that's okay too. And like, maybe more princes should die so more hedge knights can live. Have you thought about that? I mean, to quote Stanis Barathean, then we'll make new ones. Yeah, like you can always make more. Yeah. Maybe we let evolution take its toll for a hot minute and just see what goes down.

Oh, my gosh. Um, I'm just kidding. Baylor was really a good one, so it is a bummer. A bummer for all. A bummer for all. Callbacks. Classic. Bummer for all, hashtag.

Dunk sits under his elm by the green pool of water, staring at his foot, morose. When the royal guards appear, he thinks, ah, they finally come to kill me. But no, they've come for something worse. A private word. Prince Mekar steps out. he sends the guards away, and then he tells Dunk that Arian is being sent to lease. Maybe the free cities will change him, lull.

Then, Macar says the thing that's eating him alive, people will whisper that Macar are meant to kill Baylor. The gods will know it's a lie, but whispers don't care. And that fatal blow was his mace, he's sure of it, even though he doesn't remember the moment it happened. Mercy or curse, he doesn't know. So I forgot to put these in my notes

but I'm going to go off of what I told Chloe in our DMs regarding Maycar sending Arian because he's like maybe the free cities will fix him and like it doesn't but I can actually see I can actually see Maycar's logic in this right because you know

on one hand sending him away is just him not being a fucking parent again but at the same time Dunk points out there might be wisdom in that, but it's just him not actually taking care of his kids again. But it does make sense to send Arian to Lees because Westrose isn't really seen as that, like, powerful of a country, especially like Sands Dragons. Like, it's not seen as very cool amongst the free cities. They're like, oh, those weird, like, backcountry people. So being a prince from Westrose, especially when there's so many Targaryians in Lees, it's like, it's only like kind of special, right?

there's a lot of other powerful families and royals that would theoretically come through from like the other other free cities or the other areas of ESOS, which are seen as much more civilized. And then there's the fact that like Arian is treated so well because it's so obvious that he's from the royal family and a Targaryen in Westrose because of the way that he looks. Whereas in Lees, he's going to just look kind of like everybody else. So no one's going to just give him automatic special treatment. They're just going to be like, I don't know. Elycine? Whatever. Interesting.

Interesting. Yeah. Like, he's just a guy there for most part. There's a logic to it. Catch a few eyes, but yeah. It doesn't work, but there's logic. But you also see why they've done it for like multiple Targaryen princes when they act up. You know, like it's kind of like go back to your boys.

Yeah. Just go be one of the number. Good luck. Learn to be an actual human. Like Tyra Banks yelling at the models. Like, Tiffany, I was rooting for you. We were all rooting for you. You know, she's out here, Tyra Banking, telling America's

Next Stop models, like, they should have been more humble. Like, I shaved your head and you were fierce and you weren't humble about it. Is this what Doug's going to tell egg? I shaved your head. we should make that life partners wow um weirdly though through all of this dunk doesn't really like hate makar he feels sympathy for him and you know then comes the worst truth makar swung the mace but baylor died for dunk so in a way it wasn't just makar killing him dunk says i killed him too i don't think that's true and maker's like yeah i know right

Maker's like, yeah, you sure did, bitch. And when the old king dies and valor takes the throne, every bad harvest and lost battle will bring the same foolish line. Baylor wouldn't have let this happen, but the Hedge Knight killed him. Wow, your curse, Dunk. On that day, you were given a curse. Egan the 5th wouldn't have let that happen, but the Hedge Knight killed him. But they'll say that too for a little bit until history moves on.

Yeah, because I've never heard anyone say that in all five. books. Don't worry, Dunk. My God. That Agan wouldn't have let this happen, but his Kingsguard killed him. I don't know, interesting shadow of guilt to hang. Yeah, but everyone really likes Rhaegars

until they don't. Until he's dead. So it's all good. It all worked out, is kind of, but not. I don't know. Never mind. Let me, I take, I don't know. I don't know where to fall in all of it. We don't know yet. It's anyone's Game of Thrones. So true.

Um, Dunk admits he sits under the tree and wonders if he could have just spared a hand or a foot instead, like, how is a foot worth a prince? I'm like, bro, no, that's the whole point. You shouldn't have had to do that. Anyways, the Humphreys were good men too. The tree gives him no answer. Hmm. Hmm, interesting. Uh, he tries Arlen's old line. I wonder what the morrow will bring because no one knows. And then Dunk reaches for the only answer he can. stand on. Maybe some morrow comes when he'll need that foot. Maybe the realm will need it more than a prince's life. Reminds me of Amon's conversation with John

when he says, a craving can be as brave as any man when there is nothing to fear. And we all do our duty when there is no cost to it. How easy it seems then to walk the path of honor. Yet sooner late in every man's life comes a day when

it is not easy, a day when he must choose. Almost choose. Almost choose. Almost choose. And you know, Make our choose on this. He's unimpressed. I'm impressed, but he's unimpressed.

He's half philosophical anyways, and he says, maybe the gods are cruel. Maybe there are no gods. Maybe none of it means anything. And he's like, the high septent should try sleeping under a tree. And I'm like, yeah, exactly. like maybe, maybe everyone should.

Everyone should work retail. Everyone should sleep under a tree. Everyone should travel and explore. Yeah. True. True. And honestly, that could be interesting if the high sept and slept under a tree and then got

dreams. Whoa. Yeah. Then make our dream. meant like, you know, should try to be humble, bitch. Oh, yeah, I was also thinking, I don't know, I'm on this, like, weirdwood grind right now, I guess, in these past two paragraphs. Oh, you're weird-witting. Okay. Yeah. Okay. Maycar drops the actual reason, though, that he's here. His youngest son is fond of Dunk and refuses to squire for anyone else.

Will Dunk have him and Dunk panics? Me? Her? He's only a hedge knight. Maycar offers a real path. Come to Summer Hall. swear your sword to me. Become a household knight. You know, Egg will squire and like a master at arms will finish Dunk's training. And Dunk's really got to think about that. You know, he looks around at the pool, the reeds, the sunlit ripples and the dragonfly, skimming the water.

Dragons or dragonflies. I'm like, ah, yes. Yes, the prince of dragonflies. It's all coming together. Dunk has wanted dragons his whole life, but now it scares him. He tells Maycar, he swore to be Baylor's man, and Maykard calls that, well, that's pretty presumptuous, and asked what Baylor said, and dunk answers, the realm needs good men. That's so Baylor. It really was.

Those were practically his last words or so, so, yeah. Yeah. Not bad ones. It's not wrong, I mean, because you fill it with good men, and if you fill it with enough good men, you hope it catches, you know, you hope it. that that reinforces some of what's going on and what the country stands for. Yeah. You would hope. You would fucking hope.

Or you fill it with like one bad guy. It also has bad guys already in it. And you fill it with another bad guy. And that bad guy fills it with even more bad guys. And then it gets worse and worse and worse. Hmm. Okay. I don't like that one.

Sounds like a place you might know. I don't know. Like life? Real life. Real life. Yeah, good men A few good men Um

Wow, 20 Oh, maybe that's really, anyways, I already said that ish within the thing, so let's go to your thing. Got it. I love the dragonflies as an option in kind of like some Scandinavian and Slavic folklore There's like an oral history kind of thing of the idea of like dragonflies being spinners of the marsh.

Like they're carrying spirits between worlds or carrying fates and like, I don't know, that dragonfly could be carrying Baylor's spirit onto the next world. Oh, I didn't think about that. Like he's watching like he's there. Baylor is the dragonfly, I am literally saying, not metaphorically and not relating it in analysis and in comparison to Slavic folklore. I'm saying he's literally in the dragonfly. guy guys. He is. Just like when Ned

died and was in a pigeon. Or when Dunk was skin-changing into thunder. Yes. Serious things. These are serious things I'm saying. These are serious things. Take them seriously. No, I think that could be. That could be him. For true.

And I mean, aw. Well, okay, so Dunk makes his choice. And he chooses between the two paths, the road less followed. He will take Egg, but not to Summer Hall. Not yet. He wants to take Egg on the road for study abroad.

Egg rides chestnut, wearing Dunks' old cloak, and he keeps the swords sharp and the male scoured. They sleep in inns and stables, sometimes in halls, sometimes under trees. Makar's like, are you insane? Like, eggs are a prince? He's not going to do any of that. He's the blood of the dragon. Princes don't sleep in ditches.

They don't eat salt beef. And Dunk's like very quietly. He goes for the throat and he's like, Darren never slept in a ditch and Aryan's beef was always thick and rare and bloody. Yeah. And, you know, make her as all like, princes don't sleep in ditches or eat hard salt beef. And I'm like, but kings do. Yeah, that's the shit, man.

Like, that's how you make a king. Yeah. Dunk's going to turn that boy into a man. Yeah. Also, LMAO, let's get down to Dorn and go sleep with Tancel. Okay. Is that help? Yeah.

Also, I really love that, like, Dunk is like, please just let me not make this kid turn out weird. Like, you guys have had such a weird fucking kids. Like, we still have a chance. Like, let me make him, like, a normal motherfucker. Yeah. He's like, I will accept your job offer, but now it's time for negotiations. He's like, I want to work remotely. We're both going to, we're all going to work remotely, me and the kid.

Wow. Maycar stares at him for a while, and then he turns and rides off without a word. The next morning, Egg shows up at sunrise and plain clothes and old boots, and he says, My Lord Father says, I am to serve you. And don't corrects him. And he's like, serve you, sir. And puts him straight to work, saddling horses, giving him chestnut, and warning him off of thunder. Egg asks, where are we going?

And Dunk says, you know, I've never crossed the Red Mountains. Would you like to have a look at Dorn? And Egg grins because he hears they have fabulous puppet shows. Aw. Some welcome to Doolock Energy. J.K. Do lock is do you. I love that we're going through the Red Mountains

and we don't get to actually see it like we skip it obviously but kind of cool to have again another character like Ned go through the Red Mountains off the page. Yeah. And we're going to go through the Red Mountains kind of off the page. We're going to go on page as much as we can in our Folding and Dorn series.

Yeah, Part 2, Folding in Dorn, part two of the trilogy, if not the two trilogies, you never know. Yeah, I mean, depends on what they give us, you know, in blood and fire. Also, look under your chair. The Night of the Seven Kingdom. Oh, wow. A cotes, I do think we'll get Dorn a little bit.

Yeah, it doesn't have the same. I don't know. Yeah, I don't think we're going to go there necessarily, but I think we're going to get more Dorn stuff. Like, I don't know. A Coatsk. There's got to be one. Kings Landing scene, man. Of the Seven

I don't know. I don't know. We find out together, though. Yeah, give up, give up. Yeah, I'm going to give up. We will be back with a Night of the Seven Kingdoms episodes every week.

Yeah, that will return with Tyrion. Tyrion won in a Game of Thrones. Whoa. So get excited, get hyped. Look forward to that with you. and you know where to find us Online as Girls Gone Cannon

C-A-N-O-N on Twitter, Blue Sky Patreon, Spotify, everything, Apple, whatever you listen to, listen to us, we're there. We're here with you,

beside you, doing the same story three times in a row, or not in a row, but three times over and over. Yeah, thanks for doing this journey for us again. Yeah.

In the words of Hades Town, we're going to sing it again and again and again and again. And again. Thanks for doing this journey with us. Can't wait to start it all over again with you next week. As always, I've been one of your hosts, Chloe. And I've been another one of your hosts, Eliana. See you next week.

Bye.