Tales of Dunk and Egg

Tales of Dunk and Egg is a series of fantasy novellas by George R. R. Martin, set in the world of his A Song of Ice and Fire novels. They follow the adventures of "Dunk" (the future Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, Ser Duncan the Tall) and "Egg" (the future King Aegon V Targaryen), some 90 years before the events of the novels.

Three novellas have been published – The Hedge Knight (1998), The Sworn Sword (2003), and The Mystery Knight (2010) – and Martin has stated his intention to continue the series. A collection of the existing three novellas, with illustrations by Gary Gianni, was published as A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms on October 6, 2015.

The first novella was originally published August 25, 1998, in the Legends anthology, edited by Robert Silverberg. The story was later adapted into a six-issue comic book limited series by Ben Avery, drawn by Mike S. Miller, produced by Roaring Studios (now Dabel Brothers Productions) and published by Image Comics and Devil's Due between August 2003 and May 2004. Devil's Due published the complete limited series as a graphic novel in June 2004. Following the termination of the partnership between Dabel Brothers and Devil's Due, the graphic novel has been republished in various editions.

The story opens with the death of Ser Arlan of Pennytree, a wandering "hedge knight". Ser Arlan's worldly goods are inherited by Dunk, his squire. Hoping to follow in his master's footsteps, Dunk sets out for the town of Ashford, where a tourney is due to be held. En route, he gains a squire of his own in a boy named "Egg". The steward at Ashford is unimpressed by Dunk's credentials, but Crown Prince Baelor speaks up on his behalf, and he is permitted to enter the tourney under the name "Ser Duncan the Tall".

Before he can compete, Dunk gets into a fight with Prince Aerion, Baelor's nephew, over a peasant girl whom Aerion had assaulted. Aerion instructs his guards to knock Dunk's teeth out, but Egg intervenes, revealing that his real name is Aegon and that he is Aerion's younger brother. Dunk is taken to Ashford Castle to be tried. He chooses to face Aerion in a trial by combat; Aerion (backed by his father, Prince Maekar) demands that it be a "trial of seven", in which two parties of seven knights contend on horseback.

With help from Egg, Dunk succeeds in recruiting five knights for the trial. He remains one short until Prince Baelor himself joins his party. In the ensuing fray, Dunk triumphs over Aerion and forces him to withdraw his accusation. Three members of Dunk's party are killed, however, including Baelor, who is critically injured by a blow from Maekar's mace.

Later, a rueful Maekar approaches Dunk with a proposition. Realizing that Aegon needs a mentor if he is to grow up to be a better man than Aerion, he wants Dunk to continue training the boy at Summerhall, the Targaryens' palace. Dunk suggests that Aegon might learn more outside palaces, and Maekar agrees. The two set out in search of adventure, Dunk as a hedge knight and Egg as his squire.

The second novella was published in 2003 in the Legends II anthology, also edited by Robert Silverberg. The story has been adapted into a graphic novel by Ben Avery and drawn by Mike S. Miller, in cooperation with publisher and distributor Marvel Comics. The first comic was released on June 20, 2007, and the graphic novel was released on June 18, 2008.