Every GAME OF THRONES Easter Egg in A KNIGHT OF THE SEVEN KINGDOMS Episode 2

The first season of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms has introduced many characters from the world of Westeros, bringing with it numerous references to George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire. This breakdown covers all the Easter eggs, terms, and background lore from Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon, and Westerosi history found in the show’s second episode.

Baelor “Breakspear” Targaryen, Heir to the Iron Throne

The dish “Hard Salt Beef” was a new experience for someone unaccustomed to such simple fare. Prince Baelor Breakspear, son of King Daeron II and Hand of the King for thirteen years, is the heir to the Iron Throne. His attendance at a tourney held at the relatively unimportant castle of Ashford, along with his brother Maekar, highlights the Targaryen family’s efforts to regain influence across the Seven Kingdoms. Nevertheless, Baelor’s presence is significant; he’s popular with commoners and highly regarded by nobles as both a skilled fighter and a competent leader.

Let’s talk about Prince Baelor’s sons, Valarr and Matarys. I spotted Valarr competing in the jousting tournament right from the start, and honestly, despite the fancy armor and noble name, I had a feeling he wouldn’t last long as a champion. I’d have put money on it, actually – he just didn’t seem like a winner.

Baelor mentioned his two brothers, Aerys and Rhaegal, but neither of them were fighters. The Targaryen family often repeats names throughout its history, as fans of the show know. This series is set about 90 years before the events of Game of Thrones. This Aerys isn’t the one who eventually becomes known as the Mad King, and this Rhaegal isn’t one of Daenerys Targaryen’s dragons.

Two of Baelor’s nephews are unaccounted for. Maekar has four sons, and his son Aerion Brightflame came to the tourney with him. However, Maekar’s sons Daeron and Aegon haven’t arrived as planned and their whereabouts are unknown. Dunk believes they’re still alive, which is reassuring. Maekar’s youngest son, Aemon, is training to be a maester – we’re talking about the famous Maester Aemon himself.

Notable Houses

The second episode of the show included lots of nods to key families, symbols, and characters from the world it’s set in. Here’s a rundown of the most important ones.

Florent

House Florent is a prominent family from the Reach, claiming descent from Garth Greenhand, a hero from ancient legends. Their emblem features a red fox surrounded by blue flowers on a white background, though this detail was simplified in the Game of Thrones television series. While they pledge allegiance to House Tyrell, the Florents believe their lineage gives them a stronger right to rule the area.

In the show Game of Thrones, House Florent initially supported Renly Baratheon, but switched their allegiance to Stannis Baratheon after Renly died. This also meant they were connected to Stannis through his wife, Selyse, who was a member of House Florent.

Hayford

The minor House Hayford resides on a hill in the Crownlands. Not much is known about them, but their location is near King’s Landing to the north.

Tyrell

Throughout the episode, we saw a lot of House Tyrell, easily recognized by their golden rose symbol. They were involved in key moments, like the clash with House Baratheon and the jousting tournament. Though once a powerful family in the world of Game of Thrones, the Tyrells ultimately didn’t survive the conflict with Cersei.

Baratheon

House Baratheon, symbolized by the stag, played a significant role in the latest episode. Lord Lyonel Baratheon found himself in a power struggle with House Tyrell, and later competed as a jouster in the tournament.

Hightower

During the start of the jousting tournament, someone from House Hightower was seen, recognizable by their family symbol – a tower. In the HBO series, this symbol features green flames, a change from the orange and red flames in the books. This green color is a reference to the Hightower family’s role as one of the two main sides battling for the Iron Throne in House of the Dragon, where they are known as ‘the Greens.’ Their low profile in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms mirrors their diminished influence in Westeros after the devastating Dance of the Dragons civil war. However, even though they largely stay out of royal politics nearly a century later, House Hightower remains a significant and powerful family in the Realm.

Crakehall

Dunk interviewed two of the Kingsguard knights who traveled with Baelor and Maekar to Ashford. One was Ser Roland of House Crakehall, a very old family from the westerlands with roots stretching back to the earliest days of Westeros. They now serve House Lannister, and their emblem is a black and white boar on a brown background. The young Jaime Lannister will eventually train as a squire with Ser Roland.

Duskendale

Ser Duncan also talked with Ser Donnel, a member of the Kingsguard from Duskendale. Duskendale is a large port city on Blackwater Bay, located northeast of King’s Landing. At this time, the old noble family Darklyn governed Duskendale, but Ser Donnel wasn’t one of them.

Ser Donnel was suggested to have a humble background, similar to Dunk, a character from the Flea Bottom slums. This aligns with what little we know from George R.R. Martin’s books, which don’t show any noble lineage for him. However, the TV show later revealed that Ser Donnel actually comes from a wealthy family involved in the crab fishing business. So, while he isn’t a lord’s son, he definitely grew up with money.

When Ser Criston Cole, a cruel and dishonorable man, attacked Duskendale during the events of House of the Dragon, Lord Gunthor Darklyn refused to surrender. Despite his son, Ser Steffon, faithfully serving as a member of Rhaenyra’s Queensguard, Cole beheaded Lord Gunthor for his defiance.

Florian the Fool

As a long-time watcher of Game of Thrones, I always appreciated how the show subtly referenced the stories within its world. Remember Sansa Stark’s love for tales of knights and romance? Well, the show beautifully brought one of Westeros’ most famous legends to life in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. Specifically, the second episode featured a performance of the tale of Florian the Fool and his love – a story that’s clearly a favorite among the realm’s bards and storytellers.

Florian is a knight from the Riverlands who supposedly lived during the legendary Age of Heroes, though he’s likely a character from stories rather than a real person. The idea of knighthood didn’t exist in Westeros at that time; it came much later with the arrival of the Andals. According to a puppet show, Florian was a bit of a fool, but also a brave knight, though he didn’t have fancy armor – it was plain and simple. He’s similar to a wandering, low-ranking knight. Despite his humble appearance and lack of status, he fell in love with a beautiful woman named Jonquil when he saw her bathing with her sisters. Jonquil was mentioned by Tywin Lannister in Game of Thrones when speaking to Arya Stark.

In the first episode of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, we learn about the town of Maidenpool. It’s named after Florian and the woman he loved. Several locations within Maidenpool – like Jonquil’s Pool and Tower, and the Fool’s Gate – also honor their romance. Even a knight at Ashford, who is falling for a puppeteer, unknowingly echoes this story.

Blackfyre Bastards

While practicing with a sword at Dunk’s camp, Egg mentioned the “Blackfyre Bastards,” who had fought and lost a civil war against the Targaryens fifteen years earlier. The conflict began after King Aegon IV, nicknamed “The Unworthy,” declared all his illegitimate children legitimate on his deathbed. Eventually, those of noble birth rallied around Daemon Blackfyre, taking his name from a famous sword originally belonging to Aegon the Conqueror. This sword, passed down from his father, played a key role in Daemon’s claim to the Iron Throne.

Daemon Blackfyre was killed at the Battle of Redgrass Field, a fight that ended the First Blackfyre Rebellion. Dunk mentioned this famous battle while talking to Lord Hayford. Ser Arlan fought alongside King Daeron II, serving under Lord Hayford’s command. House Hayford’s loyalty to the king made Ser Arlan a key leader in Daeron’s army.

Although Daemon Blackfyre was killed in battle, some members of his family survived. That’s why the conflict is known as the First Blackfyre Rebellion, but the details of what happened afterward are a story for another time.

Mikey Walsh writes for TopMob and is a big fan of A Song of Ice and Fire. He’s hoping HBO will create a series based on the Blackfyre Rebellion. You can find him on Bluesky at @burgermike, and he also enjoys debates about the best Targaryen kings.

2026-01-26 06:37