'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms': An Unrevealed Book Detail Further Explains Prince Baelor's Death.

WARNING! SPOILERS for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms 1x05, 'In The Name of The Mother'.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, the third series in HBO's Game of Thrones universe, has proven a hit with audiences. The series, taking place after ongoing prequel House of the Dragon, but still nearly a century before Game of Thrones, follows the adventures of the lowborn Hedge Knight Ser Duncan the Tall, and his Squire, Egg, aka Prince Aegon Targaryen. The series is based on George R.R Martin's Tales of Dunk and Egg novellas, with the current opening season adapted from the first novella, The Hedge Knight.

While those who read the books were sadly aware of the outcome, non-book readers were left shocked by the ending of episode 5, 'In The Name of The Mother', which saw the tragic death of the heir to the Iron Throne, Prince Baelor 'Breakspear' Targaryen, after suffering a fatal head wound during the Trial of Seven. Some fans have pointed out a book detail thus far omitted from the TV series that may have contributed to Baelor's death.

The unlikely friendship between Baelor and Ser Duncan

For most of the first two episodes of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, 'The Hedge Knight' and 'Hard Salt Beef', Dunk, styling himself as Ser Duncan the Tall, has trouble finding another Knight or Lord who remembers his late Master, the wandering Hedge Knight Ser Arlan of Pennytree. This is a problem, as without a highborn sponsor to vouch for his Knighthood, Dunk will be barred from competing in the Ashford Tourney.

Thankfully, Dunk's luck unexpectedly changes with the arrival of the Targaryen Host. Prince Baelor 'Breakspear' Targaryen, eldest son and heir apparent to the current King Daeron II Targaryen, remembers Ser Arlan from a past Tourney, expressing respect for him as a worthy opponent. As such, he grants Dunk his blessing to enter the Lists.

Later, in episode four, Dunk finds himself imprisoned after striking Baelor's nephew, Prince Aerion Targaryen, in defense of the puppeteer Tanselle. Baelor, believing Dunk to be a good man, meets with him and offers advice, steering him towards requesting a Trial by Combat. He seems mildly irritated by Aerion's subsequent demand for a Trial of Seven, aka a Seven v Seven bloodbath supposedly in the name of the Gods which hasn't been implemented in centuries.

Fighting For Dunk

Being lowborn and new on the scene, Duncan initially struggles to find six other Knights/Nobles who will fight with him. Four, Ser Lyonel Baratheon, Ser Humfrey Hardyng, Ser Humfrey Beesbury, and Ser Robyn Rhysling, are assembled by Egg, while Lyonel knights Raymun Fossaway as a replacement for his dishonorable cousin, Ser Steffon Fossaway, who reneges on an earlier promise to fight for Dunk.

This still leaves Dunk short one Champion, and for a few horrible moments, it seems he may have to forfeit the trial, and likely his life.. until, just in the nick of time, Baelor arrives, declaring his intention to fight for Dunk. Many fans would dismiss Baelor's late arrival as being for dramatic effect, but there is another valid reason.

Baelor needed to borrow armor.

Baelor Targaryen was not planning to compete in the Tourney at Ashford Meadow. He was mostly attending to watch the jousts of his nephews, as well as his own son and heir, Prince Valarr Targaryen, who was competing as one of the personal champions of Lady Gwin Ashford, who's Nameday the Tourney is celebrating.

Because Prince Baelor hadn't expected to compete, he had not bothered to bring his personal suit of armor with him. In The Hedge Knight novella, Baelor borrows Valarr's armor when he decides to fight for Dunk. While the need to borrow armor may explain Baelor's late arrival to the Trial, it could also be a contributing factor in his death.

Ill-fitting armor could have caused Baelor's death

Most nobles in Westeros, be it for a Tourney or true battle, wear armor that has been made especially for them. However, during the Trial of Seven, Baelor, 39 in The Hedge Knight, was using armor made for Valarr, who was around 17-18 at the time.

While Baelor was fit for his age, armor made for an 18 year-old boy is unlikely to be a perfect fit for a man of nearly 40. Unfortunately, this may have been a contributing factor in Baelor's tragic death. The blow of Maekar's mace, which could have been relatively harmless had Baelor been wearing his own properly fitted armor, was fatal in the ill-fitting armor of his son.

Now Dunk, blaming himself, is broken, and the path of Targaryen history has been changed. We'll see where that new path begins to lead when the finale of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms first season airs.