Spoiler Warning: House of the Dragon Season One
The story of House of the Dragon cannot adequately be told through tales of fire-breathing dragons and battle royals. Lesser characters are instrumental in shaping the future of Westeros. Any clever individual could, with a well-placed dagger strike or a discreetly filled cup of poison, disrupt the entirety of the royal lineage. As such, in times of intense political turmoil, rulers must take care to surround themselves with the greatest number of talented individuals possible.
Now that King Viserys has passed away, the time has come to choose between the Greens, who installed the illegitimate successor, King Aegon, to the Iron Throne, and Princess Rhaenyra, the rightful heir who has become the reluctant ruler of the Black faction. Many have already chosen sides. It is possible that their allegiance was decided by long-standing oaths or simple geographic happenstance. However, some individuals have been forced to look internally in order to determine which cause they feel is the most righteous.
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One of the most notable defectors from King’s Landing and the Greens is Ser Erryk, a knight who had long served as a member of Viserys’ Kingsguard.
Erryk in A Song of Ice and Fire
HBO
In the A Song of Ice and Fire saga, Ser Erryk serves as the sworn shield of Princess Rhaenyra. He is a knight and a member of House Cargyll.
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In the novels, Ser Erryk has a twin brother, Ser Arryk. When civil war befalls Westeros, the two brothers take opposite sides of the conflict. At one point, Arryk is sent to infiltrate the Blacks by pretending to be his brother, but Erryk discovers him, and the two fight to the death at Dragonstone.
Erryk in King’s Landing After Aegon’s Illegitimate Ascension
Much like in the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, Ser Erryk in the Game of Thrones television universe also has a twin brother named Arryk. As of yet, it is unclear if they will cross paths again or if their identical appearance will be used in a plot against the Black Queen.
Before King Aegon is installed on the Iron Throne, Ser Erryk and Ser Arryk are sent to King’s Landing to search for him. They ultimately find the reluctant King-to-be but are set upon by Ser Criston Cole and Aemond Targaryen, who was also sent to find him. In the ensuing scuffle, Ser Erryk slips away and goes to free Princess Rhaenys, who was confined to her quarters for refusing to support the illegitimate ascension.
He begins to smuggle her through the city, ultimately setting the stage for Rhaenys’s epic interruption of the coronation ceremony, where she smashes through the floor of the Dragonpit on the back of her dragon Meleys.
Ser Erryk’s Allegiance to the Blacks
After aiding in Princess Rhaenys’s escape, Ser Erryk flees King’s Landing, eventually arriving in Dragonstone. He kneels and pledges his life and sword to the cause of the Blacks, delivering the same oath that he had once delivered to become a member of the Kingsguard. Despite having had to make a hasty retreat, he does not come empty-handed. He presents Queen Rhaenyra with King Viserys’s crown, which sets the stage for her impromptu coronation ceremony.
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Ser Erryk, in choosing to forsake his station at King’s Landing to ally himself with the Blacks, stands apart from the vast majority of characters in the House of the Dragon universe. Had he been discovered freeing Rhaenys from captivity, or at any point during his journey to Dragonstone, he would have almost certainly been sentenced to death for treason.
His support for Queen Rhaenyra, who he knows to be the rightful ruler of Westeros, demonstrates his commitment to tradition. He chose the Blacks without knowing how viable they would be as an opposing force to King Aegon, guided only by his sense of justice.
In the Game of Thrones universe, allegiance is an incredibly complicated thing. Your House may have entered into an alliance with a particular ruler long before you were born. Alternatively, choosing a particular side may be the only way for you to save your own skin. As such, it is always worth noting when someone picks a side in a conflict that is not immediately in line with their best interests.
Ser Erryk is an honorable man and a powerful knight. He will be an invaluable asset to Queen Rhaenyra and the Blacks in the civil war that will characterize upcoming seasons of House of the Dragon. However, the Queen and her family (along with the audience) will need to watch out, as it could be revealed at any moment that Erryk is, in fact, Arryk.
