The Sworn Brotherhood of the Kingsguard

Customs

Duties

The Kingsguard is composed of seven men, all of them sworn knights. A Kingsguard knight serves for life, regardless of age or any physical or mental ailments. Like some similar orders that serve for life when an invalid Kingsguard knight is incapable of performing his duties it is presumed they will be taken up by his sworn brothers. The knights of the Kingsguard are forbidden to marry, father children, and to hold land. Regardless, the white swords may retain or be granted certain titles.   The first duty of the Kingsguard is defending the King from harm. They are sworn to obey the King's commands, to keep his secrets, to counsel him when requested and to keep silent when not, and to defend his name and honor. The King can decide to extend the protection offered by the Kingsguard to others. The Kingsguard are sworn to protect the queen, though not from anything the King might do. They are also sworn not to harm any member of the royal family.   In order to protect the King and the royal family night and day, the seven-man Kingsguard must rely to some degree on others. Princess Daenys has Cait Blackstone as her sworn shield, and other knights, generally of the Targaryen household guard are trusted with the King's security when the entire Kingsguard meets in White Sword Tower. The Queen may be guarded by her own sworn shield, or household knights.   The Lord Commander of the Kingsguard serves on the King's small council. When the small council is in session, one of the Kingsguard always stands guard outside the council chambers.  

Equipment

The Kingsguard wear all white cloaks and intricate suits of white enameled scales, their fastenings for breastplate and other pieces made of silver. They alone bear the right to carry a pure white unemblazoned shield. Their white armor has little decoration, although some members wear decorative brooches or gaudy helms. The Kingsguard's official standard depicts seven silver swords encircling a golden crown.  

Appointments

The rite for making a new member of the White Swords can vary. It can be a solemn and formal event in which the knight kneels as he makes his vows before the King, and he then receives the white cloak of the Kingsguard from the Hand of the King or the Lord Commander himself. The new Kingsguard might then be anointed by the High Septon in the names of the Seven.   The Lord Commander is always chosen by the king, with seniority and ability playing parts in the decision. Also, the Lord Commander is generally chosen from the existing pool of the Kingsguard.  

White Book

The white cloaks' uninterrupted history since its creation is recorded in the White Book, formally named The Book of the Brothers. The White Book is kept in the White Sword Tower, the tower of the Red Keep in King's Landing which is home to the Kingsguard. Every knight who has ever served in the Kingsguard has a page in the book, on which his deeds are recorded. The Lord Commander of the Kingsguard is tasked with keeping the entries up to date, while septons come three times a year from the Great Sept of Baelor to add heraldic drawings and illuminations.  

History

  The Kingsguard was founded during the reign of Aegon the Conqueror. The first Kingsguard was created at the suggestion of Aegon's sister-wife, Queen Visenya Targaryen, after a Dornish assassination attempt on their lives in the streets of King's Landing in 10 AC. She deliberately modeled the Kingsguard vows of holding no lands or title on the ancient vows of the Night's Watch, and seven knights were chosen because the king ruled the Seven Kingdoms, not because of the Faith of the Seven.   It is not yet known if Northerners could be honored with a place in the Kingsguard, however the initiation rites are similar to those of Knighthood itself so it is unlikely the order would accept those who are not knights themselves.  

Actions of the Kingsguard

  Ser Robin Darklyn has the honor of being the first Kingsguard to perish, though his fate is not entirely known, it has after some years become public knowledge that he was sent to Dorne in an attempt to recover, or discover the fate of Rhaenys Targaryen and never returned. It is assumed, much like Rhaenys herself, that he succumed to violence.   The first Kingsguard, and first Lord Commander, Corlys Velaryon as well as Ser Richard Roote were killed defending King Aegon I in an attack in the streets of King's Landing in 35 AC by a gang of brigands who hoped to earn fame for the assassination. Despite killing the pair of Kingsguard, the 5 attackers were slain by the two who fell as well as the other two Kingsguard, Ser Griffith Good and Ser Winston Edgerton.   Following the death of Aegon I of natural cause, the Kingsguard suffered losses under Aelyx I, mostly during his assassination itself. Griffith Goode was the first to fall, having been sent alongside the Hand of the King, and Prince Baelon to tend matters of the realm he was killed in the fighting with the Giant of the Trident. Ser Raymont Baratheon when guarding the King alone shortly after Prince Baelon's exile defended the King against a pair of aggressive attackers, cutting one but killing neither, removing the King from the Streets before the scene escalated or gathered any more attention.   Ser Gregor Goode, and Ser Addison Hill were killed in an attempt to defend Aelyx I from the unruly mob of Warrior's Sons and Poor Fellows who had killed Septon Durristan. Ser Glen Haigh was injured during the assassination but managed to flee the scene, seeking help, he and Ser Humfry returned to the Sept with a contingent of Targaryen guardsmen in an attempt to recover the King's body only to discover it had been torn apart and strung along the street. Ser Humfry was struck by multiple assailants suffering broken legs when he and Ser Glen rode through the crowd in an attempt to clear them from the King's dismembered body, ultimately failing to recover Aelyx I losing a number of Targaryen men in the attempt.   Under Baelon I the Kingsguard have lost Ser Humfrey and Ser Raymont Baratheon in battle at the battle beneath the Gods Eye, and the Blackwater Fork respectively.  

Historical Members

 

Aegon I Targaryen (10–37 AC)

• tSer Corlys Velaryon, first Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, died defending King Aegon.
• tSer Robin Darklyn, known as Darkrobin, assumed killed in Dorne in an attempt to discover the fate of Rhaenys Targaryen.
• tSer Richard Roote, died defending King Aegon.
• Ser Gregor Goode, brother to Ser Griffith.
• tSer Griffith Goode, brother to Ser Gregor, killed in the fighting with the Giant of the Trident in 31 AC.
• Ser Humfrey, better known as Humfrey the Mummer. A hedge knight.
• Ser Winston Edgerton, known as Wise Winston, refused the post of Lord Commander after the death of Corlys Velaryon.
• Ser Addison Hill, the Bastard of Cornfield, initiated after the loss of Robin Darklyn, The Second Lord Commander of the Kings Guard following Corlys Velaryon.
• Ser Jacob Towers, initiated after the loss of Richard Roote.
• Ser Raymont Baratheon, initiated after the loss of Corlys Velaryon.
• Ser Terryl Tudbury, 'Terryl the Turtle' was initiated after the loss of Griffith Goode and was noted as carrying a large shield on his back like the sigil of his birth house.

Aelyx I Targaryen (37–42 AC)

• tSer Gregor Goode, brother to Ser Griffith, slain by the mob at the Sept of Remembrance along with his King.
• Ser Humfrey, Survived the attempt to recover King Aelyx's body from the Sept of Remembrance, though he bore wounds from the attempt that some say made him unfit to serve.
• Ser Winston Edgerton, refused the post of Lord Commander after the death of Addison Hill.
• tSer Addison Hill, killed at the Sept of Remembrance alongside Gregor Goode in an attempt to defend King Aelyx.
• Ser Jacob Towers, assigned to the protection of Prince Vaemon and his wife Rhaela during the royal progress.
• Ser Raymont Baratheon; prevented an assassination attempt on King Aenys I during the Faith Militant uprising.
• tSer Terryl Tudbury, a skilled knight and an honorable man who served with little distinction before dying of the shivers in 40 AC.
• Ser Glen Haigh, initiated after the loss of Terryl Tudbury, was the sole survivor of the assassination of Aelyx I, saved Ser Humfrey during the attempt to recover the body of King Aelyx afterword.

Baelon I Targaryen (42–48 AC)

• tSer Humfrey, crushed when he was unhorsed at the Battle Beneath the Gods Eye.
• Ser Winston Edgerton.
• Ser Jacob Towers, named Lord Commander after the death of Addison Hill.
• tSer Raymont Baratheon, killed at the battle of Blackwater Fork.
• Ser Glen Haigh.
• Ser Symon Tollett, initiated after the loss of Gregor Goode.
• Ser Richard Blackwood, initiated after the loss of Addison Hill.
• Ser Rymond Swygert, initiated after the loss of Humfrey the Mummer.
• Ser Olyver Mallister, initiated after the loss of Raymont Baratheon.

Quotes

No knight of the Kingsguard should outlive his king when that king dies by violence.

— Gerold Hightower when speaking of Aelyx I.