The Dragon's Wroth had scorched Dorne, but the Dornish spirit remained unbroken.In their fury, King Aegon and Queen Visenya placed heavy bounties upon the heads of the Dornish lords.Gold enough to make a common sellsword a lord, and a lord a prince.
But the Dornish struck back in kind.
Across the sands, rival lords proclaimed prizes for the heads of Aegon the Conqueror, Queen Visenya, and every marcher lord and ally who wore the Targaryen banner.
Assassins crept from the shadows, blades dripping with poison, arrows loosed from the dark.Every step outside the Red Keep became a risk.The Dragonlords were the hunters — and the hunted.
It was on one such day, when Aegon and Visenya rode through the streets of King's Landing, that death nearly found the Conqueror.
A group of cloaked men rushed from the crowd, daggers glinting in the sun.
Visenya moved first.
With a hiss of steel, Dark Sister was in her hand, a streak of black and silver.She cut one assassin down in a heartbeat, spun her horse to bar another.Aegon fought too, Blackfyre flashing, but it was Visenya's blade and swift eye that saved him.
When the assassins lay dead and dying, and the streets were awash with blood, Visenya turned her glare upon the king.
"Your guards are slow and lazy," she spat, eyes alight with fury.
Aegon wiped the blood from Blackfyre and replied calmly, "They are sufficient. This was no more than a rabble."
Visenya's face grew cold.Without a word, she stepped forward, raised Dark Sister — and slashed.
Before Aegon's guards could so much as lift a shield, the keen edge of Dark Sister traced a shallow cut across Aegon's cheek.
A thin line of blood welled, bright against the king's pale skin.
The guards gasped, horrified. Aegon said nothing — but the look he gave Visenya was of shock, and something like anger.
"You see?" she said."Even you, even now, with sword in hand and eyes wide open, could not stop me."
A moment passed between them, heavy as the weight of a crown.
"You need better protectors," Visenya said. "Knights of proven loyalty, unmatched skill, and noble blood. Men who will lay down their lives without question.Sworn to you, and you alone."
Aegon, after a long silence, pressed a hand to his bleeding cheek — and nodded.
"Then do it," he said. "Choose them. Swear them to me."
Visenya inclined her head, the ghost of a smile touching her lips."This I will."
Thus, at her command, the greatest warriors of the realm were summoned.Seven knights were chosen — a sacred number, for the Seven Gods — and their vows were modeled after the Night's Watch:lifelong service, no marriage, no inheritance, no house but the King's.
From among them, Ser Daemon Velaryon, a knight of the royal blood, valiant and fierce, was named the first Lord Commander of the Kingsguard.
The white cloaks they wore would soon become the most feared — and most honored — symbol of loyalty in all the Seven Kingdoms.