Synopsis
Egg's morning training
Egg trains Thunder in the early morning.
Egg trains Thunder in the early morning.

Egg gets up very early in the morning while Dunk is still asleep, and leads his war horse Thunder to a nearby field. He explains to the horse that Dunk is twice the size of his former rider and the tourney ground will be as muddy as this field or worse. If Dunk loses, both of their dreams will be crushed, so he says they need to train. Egg calls Thunder to run across the field repeatedly, while training to rush up to him and present his rider with a new lance or his sword.

Egg encounters Ser Robyn Rhysling.
Egg encounters Ser Robyn Rhysling.

Egg's excited shouts get the attention of a one-eyed knight walking by, who questions if he stole the horse. Egg says he only borrowed it, and the knight realizes the horse seems to know the boy. He asks what happened to the bald child's hair, which Egg counters by asking what happened to the knight's eye — then he quickly realizes that this must be none other than Ser Robyn Rhysling, considered "the maddest knight in the Seven Kingdoms." At a tourney a few years ago a splintered lance took out his left eye, but, filled with battle rage, he powered through the injury to keep fighting. Rhysling acknowledges that he considers himself a vessel for the Warrior, and when the Gods call for madness men must deliver madness. Filled with religious fervor, Rhysling walks through life barefoot like a mendicant, and always refers to himself as "we" because the Gods are with him. He continues on to Ashford while Egg returns to Dunk's hedge camp.

Egg informs Dunk he isn't among the first round of competitors who start today.
Egg informs Dunk he isn't among the first round of competitors who start today.

Dunk, now awake, says Egg shouldn't go wandering off like that. He asks what's for breakfast but all Dunk has is hard salt beef, and they need to do their morning chores first. Dunk needs to sew a patch on his clothes, which Egg has never done, so he decides to show him how. Afterward Dunk starts vomiting from anxiety at the upcoming tourney while Egg sits in a tree singing a song to himself about the Battle of Redgrass Field. When Dunk finally tells him to fetch his armor he is confused, and explains that Dunk won't be jousting today because the honor of first challenge goes to high born or renowned knights, not a hedge knight who has never competed before. Dunk admits he honestly didn't know that, so they set off to the tournament camp.


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Dunk and Egg's day out
Dunk awkwardly greets Tanselle while buying some eggs.
Dunk awkwardly greets Tanselle while buying some eggs.

Able to enjoy a full day before his big joust, Dunk decides to go to the market row and buy supplies for a hearty breakfast beyond mere salt beef. He buys fresh bread and some large rashers of ham, then tries to buy some goose eggs (though he has a bit of trouble communicating with the foreign vendor, a Tyroshi who doesn't know the Common Tongue). Dunk embarrasses himself awkwardly saying hello to Tanselle, the beautiful Dornish puppeteer girl. She says that Dunk's repainted shield should be ready by the evening. Afterwards a bemused Egg pokes fun at Dunk for his crush.

Egg eats the most delicious breakfast he's ever had.
Egg eats the most delicious breakfast he's ever had.

They return to the hedge camp, and after tending to the horses, Dunk shows the boy how to cook the meal on a frying pan over an open fire. They enjoy their delicious meal earned through hard work, then return to the jousting field to cheer along with the crowds. Many knights charge in the tilts, including Humfrey Hardyng and Humfrey Beesbury.

Humfrey Hardyng battles Humfrey Beesbury.
Humfrey Hardyng battles Humfrey Beesbury.

During the mid-day break, Dunk and Egg enjoy sitting on a sunny hillside overlooking the tourney grounds. Egg remarks he could be quite happy here – by which he means staying here a long while. He muses about becoming a knight and winning his own parcel of land with Dunk, marrying some lord's second most beautiful daughter while Dunk marries the most beautiful. He asks if he can remain as Dunk's squire after the tourney, and Dunk solemnly reiterates that if he loses the tourney he'll lose his horse and won't really be a knight anymore.

Plummer asks Dunk to help Androw Ashford throw the fight for gambling money.
Plummer asks Dunk to help Androw Ashford throw the fight for gambling money.

But thinking on if he does win, he is about to say yes when they are interrupted by Plummer the games master, who asks to have a private word with him: Lord Ashford spent a large amount of money to host such an extravagant tournament to attract the great lords of the realm – and he is in fact quite overspent. Tournaments always attract a lot of gambling, but the odds against an unproven hedge knight like Dunk are very high. Thus, Plummer says that Lord Ashford's youngest son is planning to take a dive and hopes Dunk will go along with it: everyone will bet on Ashford's son versus an unknown, so the Ashfords will make big gains secretly betting on Dunk. Astonished and mildly insulted, Dunk says he will not have a victory that is not earned. Plummer gently points out that Dunk could lose all he possesses if he loses at any point in the tourney, and the extra money would be of great use to him. The horns then blow to signal that the jousting for the day has resumed.


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The day turns ugly
The Ashford heralds announce a new challenger: Maekar Targaryen's second son Aerion Targaryen, called Aerion Brightflame. He is outfitted in imposing custom armor, with sculpted flames coming off the head and plates that look like dragon scales. Aerion's uncle Crown Prince Baelor looks nervously at him from the royal viewing box where he is seated next to Lord Ashford, but his brother Maekar's seat is notably empty.

Aerion "Brightflame" Targaryen enters the tourney grounds.
Aerion "Brightflame" Targaryen enters the tourney grounds.

With a smirk, Aerion rides up to select which of the current champions he will challenge. First he approaches his cousin Valarr Targaryen, to his consternation, but then says he won't embarrass him today. He rides past and with a taunt challenges Ser Humfrey Hardyng. In their first charge Aerion swerves out of the way of Hardyng's lance rather than even try to deflect it with his shield. Egg starts shouting "Kill him!" On their second charge, Dunk realizes that Aerion's lance is aimed too low but can do nothing: Aerion intentionally aims his lance at Hardyng's horse, impaling it through the neck. Gouts of blood shoot from the wound, and the horse panics and falls through the tilt railing – snapping Hardyng's leg underneath it. Aerion lifts his visor and only continues to smirk at his violence, while Baelor hangs his head in disgust, having been fearful Aerion would do something like this. The crowd begins to boo and shout "Cheat!" at his dishonorable move, then starts throwing objects and surging onto the field. The Ashford knights and even the Kingsguard have to ride onto the field to quell it from turning into a riot.

Lyonel Baratheon leads a ribald drinking song in his tent.
Lyonel Baratheon leads a ribald drinking song in his tent.

Dunk decides it's a good time to leave, and as they walk out tells Egg he's sorry he had to see that, but as his squire he might have to deal with "accidents" like that if they happen on the tourney ground. Egg firmly tells Dunk that was no accident and Aerion meant to kill the horse.

Seeking to lighten their mood, they head to the alehouse, where Lyonel Baratheon and Manfred Dondarrion are leading a lively and ribald drinking song about a three-fingered girl named Alys. Egg ponders the lyrics with philosophical seriousness, wondering if such a girl ever existed. Dunk admits she might have but it's too coincidental she was named "Alys" and the song probably just calls her that for the rhyming scheme. Egg points out how odd it is that people would think such a girl worth remembering in song only to not credit her real name. He concludes that hers is a story of a dogged spirit triumphing over adversity, and it is a story of hope.

Later, the two enjoy some sausages at the market row, and Dunk asks if Egg ever knew his father, to which he responds "Not really." Dunk explains that he never met his father, though he probably saw him hanged as a thief. Back in the slums of Flea Bottom he and other orphans would sell rats and pigeons to a pot shop that would cook them into Bowls of brown, and the owner once remarked to him that his father was probably one of several thieves being hanged that day. Dunk isn't sure, but thinks that if his father was as big as he is he probably wouldn't have made a very good thief.

The two walk past a mysterious hooded woman who works as a fortune teller. She offers to read their future, and with a smile Dunk hears the usual generic prophecy that one day he will be rich as a Lannister. Bemused, he asks her to tell Egg's fortune: concentrating, she says that Egg will be king one day – but then he will die in flames, and his death will be rejoiced by all who know him. Egg is deeply rattled by this, though the laughing Dunk can't understand why he's be concerned by something so implausible.


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Night at the tourney grounds
They are then approached by Raymun Fossoway, who invites Dunk back to his tent to enjoy some fine cider (from his family's castle seat, Cider Hall). Dunk agrees but Egg nervously excuses himself because he would like to see the evening act at Tanselle's Dornish puppet show and says he can bring Dunk's shield after the performance.

Raymun asks Dunk what the Targaryens have ever done for Westeros.
Raymun asks Dunk what the Targaryens have ever done for Westeros.

In the Fossway tent Raymun asks who he is going to challenge at the next day's tourney, and Dunk reluctantly says he think he might be evenly matched with Androw Ashford (indicating he's giving serious thought to going along with Androw throwing the match, so Dunk can get desperately needed money). Raymun says he heard Aerion Targaryen was left spitting with rage that Lord Ashford decreed that as payment for badly injuring Humfrey Hardyng he had to forfeit his horse to him. Dunk tries to light-heartedly say he's incredulous that his squire thinks Aerion actually killed Hardyng's horse on purpose – he is, after all, a knight and a prince as well, and they always behave honorably. Raymun is aghast and says it's not hard to believe at all, going on a tirade that the Targaryens are "incestuous aliens" and tyrants, foreigners who conquered Westeros and in subsequent centuries dragged the people of the Seven Kingdoms into fighting their wars between rival branches of the family. Dunk is reluctant to say anything because in his one personal interaction with the Targaryens, Prince Baelor actually treated him with kindness and respect and vouched for him to join this tournament.

Having just "killed" the puppet dragon, Tanselle turns to see Aerion glaring at her.
Having just "killed" the puppet dragon, Tanselle turns to see Aerion glaring at her.

Aerion Targaryens is not amused by the Dornish puppet show.
Aerion Targaryens is not amused by the Dornish puppet show.

Meanwhile, Egg is at the Dornish tent enjoying the puppet show, which has switched back to showing the story of Serwyn of the Mirror Shield slaying a large, fire-breathing dragon puppet. This time, however, Tanselle herself is playing Serwyn. In the middle of the performance, however, she turns to notice Aerion stopping to watch along with his guards. At the climax of the performance, Tanselle "slays" the dragon puppet (which shoots out red confetti for blood), but gradually the crowd and puppeteers fall silent as they see Aerion approach the stage, glaring at them.

Back in the Fossoways' tent, Dunk remarks that he noticed Prince Maekar's seat in the viewing stands was empty. Raymun says he went to search for his two missing sons, who departed from Summerhall but haven't been seen since. Some fear they're dead, though Raymun thinks (as Baelor did) that Daeron is probably just off somewhere passed-out drunk again. Chuckling, Raymun says that Maekar's four sons are a sad, misbegotten group: Daeron the eldest is a sot (drunk), Aerion is vain and cruel, and there's also a third brother so useless at arms that they shipped him off to the Citadel in Oldtown to try to make a maester of him. There's also a fourth and youngest brother, lost with Daeron, but before Raymun can finish describing him Egg bursts into the tent to plead with Dunk that Aerion is hurting Tanselle.

Dunk rushes to the Dornish tent to see Aerion's guards breaking it up and turning over the braziers of fire. He pushes his way into the tent just in time to see Aerion grappling with Tanselle: as she struggles to get away Aerion grabs one of her hands and breaks one of her fingers, the bone snapping through the skin. Without even thinking, Dunk is filled with rage and charges through the guards straight to Aerion, punching him with a powerful right and left hook combo then throwing him across the room. Two guards grab Dunk's arms while on the ground Aerion starts to pull his dagger from its scabbard, but Dunk gives him a solid kick straight to his chin that knocks him to the ground again. More guards come and eventually four of them manage to restrain the big hedge knight.

The tent full of people falls deathly quiet as Aerion rises. Baffled, he barely reacts to his injuries and with dull surprise he flatly asks why Dunk just threw his life away for this "whore." Finding his heroism to be incomprehensible, Aerion can't see how she was worth it. He glibly remarks that the girl is a traitor for showing a dragon die in a puppet show, as "the dragon ought never lose." Noticing that Dunk's kick loosened one of his teeth, in a bored tone he says they'll start by breaking all of his. Aerion's guards then wrestle Dunk down to set his mouth against the corner of the stage – but before they can smash his teeth against it they are interrupted.

Egg reveals that he is Aerion's younger brother, Aegon Targaryen.
Egg reveals that he is Aerion's younger brother, Aegon Targaryen.

Egg appears at the entrance to the tent and demands that they stop. Dunk warns him to run or they'll hurt him too, but Egg says that if they do they'll have to answer to his father. He then refers to the guards by name and commands them to release Dunk. Annoyed, Aerion calls the boy a little rat, and asks what happened to the bald child's hair. Egg responds "I cut it off, brother, I didn't want to look like you" – all are stunned at the revelation that Egg is in truth Maekar's missing fourth son, Aegon Targaryen.

The Squire

Egg shaved his head to escape not his name but the unbearable question of whether he shares his brother's capacity for cruelty.

Egg's Hair Dialogue With Aerion

Aerion's Instant Recognition

Maekar's Conspicuously Empty Seat

Egg's Hillside Dreams With Dunk

Thunder Monologue as Self-Projection

Egg's Disgust at Aerion's Violence

Silver Hair as Dynastic Marker

Egg did not shave his head to hide from the Targaryens as a category. He shaved it to escape two specific, related fears: that Aerion's capacity for cruelty is latent in him too, and that the succession mathematics he already understood as a court-educated boy could one day make him king. Dunk's company is the one context in which neither question needs an answer. The fortune teller does not warn him about his future. She ends the only reprieve he had found.

Egg Shaved His Head to Escape His Name

Egg Organized His Entire Life on the Road Around Two Fears He Could Not Speak Aloud

Maekar's empty seat marks a family fracture, his absence driven by missing heirs while Aerion shames the dynasty before the realm.

Maekar's Seat Visibly Empty

Sons Departed, Never Arrived

Maekar Left to Search

Baelor's Nervous Watch Over Aerion

Aerion's Disgrace Without Maekar Present

Maekar's empty seat in the royal viewing box marks a dynastic emergency: his eldest sons departed for Ashford days ago and never arrived, pulling him off the tournament grounds to search for them at the precise moment his youngest publicly disgraces the family. If those sons are dead or taken, Aerion becomes Maekar's most viable heir by elimination. The disappearance of multiple members of a royal party on a known road implicates a deliberate act, not misfortune.

Maekar's Empty Seat Signals a Family Crisis

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms

Broken Shield, Broken Self

Dunk's Direct Refusal Dialogue

Plummer's Financial Warning

Dunk's Precarious Material Situation

Aerion's Deliberate Corruption of the Joust

Egg's Conditional Squire Request

Refusal Framed as Character-Defining Commitment

Dunk's Refusal Will Cost Him Everything

A character study thread where fans analyze Dunk's pattern of refusing patronage and advancement, debating whether it reflects hidden wisdom, deep insecurity, or a subconscious belief that he doesn't deserve good fortune.

The foundational mystery of the series: fans sift through every detail of Dunk's memories and behavior to determine if Arlan ever spoke the words, or if our hero's entire identity rests on a lie he tells himself.

Dunk's Refusal Will Cost Him Everything

READER VERDICT

THEORY ASSESSMENT

STORY CONTEXT

WHY THIS MATTERS

Other Theories for S1E03

Egg Organized His Entire Life on the Road Around Two Fears He Could Not Speak Aloud

Maekar's Empty Seat Signals a Family Crisis