Imagine a Westeros where swords aren’t constantly drawn, where alliances aren’t perpetually strained. It feels odd, doesn’t it? Like seeing a normally turbulent ocean suddenly still as glass—beautiful, but unsettling. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms dares to explore this unusual calm, raising the question: what exactly is happening during this pocket of relative peace?
Knight isn’t boring. Reviews suggest the miniseries holds up. But the story visits Westeros during what might be called an intermission between the major historical dramas. Curious about the timeline? Let’s orient ourselves, examining the key players and events.
When Does A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Take Place?
Think about those historical reenactments, the ones with meticulous attention to detail. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms shares that spirit, drawing directly from George R.R. Martin’s The Hedge Knight. The novella is set in 209 AC—After Conquest. This refers to Aegon Targaryen’s invasion, when he and his dragon-riding family dominated Westeros following the Doom of Valyria.
209 AC is bookended by other major events depicted in House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones. It sits 78 years after the Dance of Dragons (the Targaryen civil war in House of the Dragon), and 89 years before the catalyst of Game of Thrones.
What’s the significance of the Targaryen dynasty during this period?
Consider the British monarchy after losing much of its political power—still regal, but operating in a different landscape. In 209 AC, House Targaryen still rules, but the Dance of Dragons caused severe change. The event decimated the Targaryen dynasty and destabilized the political balance, starting the extinction of their dragons. They were the family’s primary method of control.
The last Targaryen dragon died 20 years after the Dance (153 AC), long before Daenerys brought them back in Game of Thrones. By the time of Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, very few people have seen a dragon. Despite this, Daeron II Targaryen, known as Daeron the Good, rules. Most significantly, he unified Dorne with the rest of Westeros, making the Seven Kingdoms whole.
Daeron’s reign survived the first Blackfyre Rebellion, 14 years prior to Knight. His punishment of the rebels shifted land among the Houses and ushered in an era of peace. But in the same year Knight is set, Daeron’s rule ends with the Great Spring Sickness—an epidemic that kills thousands and sets the stage for the dynasty’s decline, along with more Blackfyre rebellions.
What were the relationships between the Great Houses at this time?
Consider the ebb and flow of political tides. At this point, the Great Houses—Stark, Tully, Greyjoy, Lannister, Martell, Tyrell, and Baratheon—experience relative calm. The tourney at Ashford Meadow, central to Knight, brings together figures from these Houses. Lords of House Lannister and House Tyrell, Damon Lannister and Leo Tyrell, participate, along with several Targaryens—princes Aerion, Valarr, Baelor, and Maekar.
Lyonel Baratheon, son of the Storm Lord, is a major ally of Ser Duncan the Tall during the tourney. He becomes a major political player in the years that follow.
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Is this interlude of peace simply the eye of the storm, a brief respite before the next wave of conflict crashes upon Westeros?