Why does Maekar allow Egg to go off with Dunk?

[Lady_Qohor]

So I've just finished the Dunk and Egg stories and I have to ask why on earth Maekar allows his 8 year old trueborn son to go off with some unknown hedge knight? I know Dunk argues to Maekar that if Egg is allowed to go on this journey maybe he won't end up as bad as Aerion or Daeron but that just doesn't seem to be worth the risk. A running theme of The Hedge Knight is that nobody can really vouch for Dunk, nobody at Ashford has known him longer than a few days, nobody can even prove he's actually a knight and yet Maekar just hands him over his young prince son. Dunk could be cruel, incompetent, a traitor, he could sell Egg to slavers to repay some gambling debts, he might be a secret Blackfyre supporter and hand Egg over to Bittersteel to be used againt Maekar as a hostage.

Yes you can say that Maekar is grieving at that moment but it still doesn't seem enough to justify such a risky decision. I can't honestly think of another highborn parent in Westeros who would willingly hand over their trueborn child to some unknown hedge knight that nobody has known longer than a few days.

[Eltharion21]

"Can I offer you a nice Egg in this trying time?"

                                                 Maekar to Dunk at the end of the Hedge Knight.

Joke aside, there might be several factors, firstly Egg was really down the line for any possible inheritance.

His older sons seem to be disappointments, Egg seems to have liking  of Dunk : 
 “My youngest son seems to have grown fond of you, ser. It is time he was a squire, but he tells me he will serve no knight but you. He is an unruly boy, as you will have noticed. Will you have him?”,

Baelor's attitude toward Dunk might have influenced decision, his actions during the challenge and their conversation, though I agree that he was taking a chance with him. He also might have sent spies with Bloodraven to keep watch on them during their travels. 

[Seams]

This is all driven by Bloodraven. He is playing a long game intended to shore up the main Targaryen line as heirs to the throne, and he sees Aegon V / Egg - in combination with Dunk - as the best prospect for an effective Targaryen king.

He also wants the boy out of King's Landing for awhile because he is going to unleash the Great Spring Sickness and kill off a large percentage of the population in the city.

Traveling the countryside also will help Egg to be a better king. He will get to know what life is like in the realm and pick up knowledge that can't (or won't) be taught by maesters. For instance, Egg muses out loud in The Sworn Sword that the small folk can teach him about poisonous plants.

I don't know if Bloodraven would have had a conversation with Maekar, where he would literally instruct him on letting his son squire for a hedge knight, or whether it was an unspoken "mind control" situation - I've explained elsewhere that Bloodraven is closely linked to Tanselle, who manipulates the dragon puppet. Maybe he said something vague like, "I know you are ambitious. Things can swing your way if you do as I say. Be sure to say goodbye to your father and to your nephews via Prince Baelor."

But Maekar also seems indulgent toward his sons. He helped to create the whole Trial of Seven situation because he believed the sons who said that Dunk was a bad guy. Maybe he feels guilty about that and now swings the other way, wanting to indulge Egg.

Maekar would know that Bloodraven has a thousand eyes and one. If Bloodraven assured him that Egg would be watched over and kept safe, he would probably have 1000% trust in this reassurance.

[James Steller]

3 hours ago, Lady_Qohor said:

So I've just finished the Dunk and Egg stories and I have to ask why on earth Maekar allows his 8 year old trueborn son to go off with some unknown hedge knight? I know Dunk argues to Maekar that if Egg is allowed to go on this journey maybe he won't end up as bad as Aerion or Daeron but that just doesn't seem to be worth the risk. A running theme of The Hedge Knight is that nobody can really vouch for Dunk, nobody at Ashford has known him longer than a few days, nobody can even prove he's actually a knight and yet Maekar just hands him over his young prince son. Dunk could be cruel, incompetent, a traitor, he could sell Egg to slavers to repay some gambling debts, he might be a secret Blackfyre supporter and hand Egg over to Bittersteel to be used againt Maekar as a hostage.

Yes you can say that Maekar is grieving at that moment but it still doesn't seem enough to justify such a risky decision. I can't honestly think of another highborn parent in Westeros who would willingly hand over their trueborn child to some unknown hedge knight that nobody has known longer than a few days.

Given how his older sons turned out, I think it’s safe to say that Maekar is not a particularly good father. His way of fixing that with Aegon is further proof of that. He’s just lucky that it worked out with Dunk.

[Canon Claude]

1 hour ago, James Steller said:

Given how his older sons turned out, I think it’s safe to say that Maekar is not a particularly good father. His way of fixing that with Aegon is further proof of that. He’s just lucky that it worked out with Dunk.

 

5 hours ago, Lady_Qohor said:

So I've just finished the Dunk and Egg stories and I have to ask why on earth Maekar allows his 8 year old trueborn son to go off with some unknown hedge knight? I know Dunk argues to Maekar that if Egg is allowed to go on this journey maybe he won't end up as bad as Aerion or Daeron but that just doesn't seem to be worth the risk. A running theme of The Hedge Knight is that nobody can really vouch for Dunk, nobody at Ashford has known him longer than a few days, nobody can even prove he's actually a knight and yet Maekar just hands him over his young prince son. Dunk could be cruel, incompetent, a traitor, he could sell Egg to slavers to repay some gambling debts, he might be a secret Blackfyre supporter and hand Egg over to Bittersteel to be used againt Maekar as a hostage.

Imagine the red faces all round if Dunk turned out to be a scumbag. Though if anything did happen to Aegon, Dunk would have to get the seven hells out of Dodge. There's no way he'd be safe in the Seven Kingdoms if he'd misused a Targaryen prince, especially with Bloodraven keeping one of his 1001 eyes out for him.

[Lady Dacey]

Also Dunk has just won a trial of seven. This is a world where people believe such prerogatives. Dunk has proven his valor - more than once even, with his initial actions and then at the trial. Baelor "the one without a fault" believed in Dunk enought to fight for him, Maekar killed his brother defending the loosing side. Meakar is not only grieving, he feels responsible, guilty even. Entrusting his son to Dunk makes sense.

[Lady Dacey]

And he gives his son "the boot" (the Targeryen ring with Maekar's personal sigil). That's a hell of a safeguard 

[The Bard of Banefort]

It does seem a little crazy, but I think in light of the circumstances at the time--with Maekar having just killed his beloved brother by accident--he probably wasn't thinking as clearly or as critically as he would have been normally. Maekar was also so frustrated with Daeron and Aerion at that point that perhaps Dunk's implication that seeing the realm would be good for Egg in the long-run seemed like it was worth a shot.

[rotting sea cow]

Quote

There have always been Targaryens who dreamed of things to come, since long before the Conquest.

- Bloodraven

Maybe Maekar had such a dream?

 

[frenin]

On 10/10/2020 at 12:35 PM, Lady_Qohor said:

So I've just finished the Dunk and Egg stories and I have to ask why on earth Maekar allows his 8 year old trueborn son to go off with some unknown hedge knight? I know Dunk argues to Maekar that if Egg is allowed to go on this journey maybe he won't end up as bad as Aerion or Daeron but that just doesn't seem to be worth the risk. A running theme of The Hedge Knight is that nobody can really vouch for Dunk, nobody at Ashford has known him longer than a few days, nobody can even prove he's actually a knight and yet Maekar just hands him over his young prince son. Dunk could be cruel, incompetent, a traitor, he could sell Egg to slavers to repay some gambling debts, he might be a secret Blackfyre supporter and hand Egg over to Bittersteel to be used againt Maekar as a hostage.

Yes you can say that Maekar is grieving at that moment but it still doesn't seem enough to justify such a risky decision. I can't honestly think of another highborn parent in Westeros who would willingly hand over their trueborn child to some unknown hedge knight that nobody has known longer than a few days.

Nothing Dunk had done in front of him tells him he's nothing but an honest man.

And given how embarassing his older sons had proven to be, he was more than ready to give him a chance.

[Kierria]

Egg was not close to inheriting the throne.  Succession wise, he was not important at the time.  Besides, what better way to learn about life in general but to actually live it.  Egg learned a lot of valuable lessons and some not so but it was a good experience.  As the tag line for Young Sherlock Holmes says "before a lifetime of adventure came the adventure of  lifetime."  Egg saw firsthand the plight of the common women and men.  This is pretty much the same lessons learned by Daenerys, Jon, Aegon, Tyrion, and Barristan the more time they spend with the powerless.  Something that Cersei, Sansa, Bran, and Arrianne does not really know about.  Which is why I am puzzled by those who want to see Bran ruling.  The boy isn't fit for it and he has a thankless but very important job to do outside the wall. 

[sweetsunray]

4 hours ago, rotting sea cow said:

Maybe Maekar had such a dream?

 

At least all of his sons did. And then there's his brother Aerys who discovered an old prophecy about the dragons returning (wink, wink, wink). Aemon says he had dreams of the red bleeding star to Sam and dragons in the snow. He had such dreams all his life. I'd say it's possible both Aerys I and Maekar may have had dragon dreams. The dragon dreams seem to be more prevalent in the generations that didn't have dragons, but they still had an egg. I think Aerys I having dragon dreams may have been extra motive for him not to sleep with his wife, while refusing another one. He knew/believed tPtwP would be of Maekar's line imho via such dragon dreams.

[sweetsunray]

2 hours ago, Kierria said:

Which is why I am puzzled by those who want to see Bran ruling.  The boy isn't fit for it and he has a thankless but very important job to do outside the wall. 

He can see a thousand lifetimes through the trees and seems to feel their plight.

[Kierria]

On 12/20/2020 at 8:18 PM, sweetsunray said:

He can see a thousand lifetimes through the trees and seems to feel their plight.

He can only see what the trees "saw."  Seeing is not nearly sufficient.  Empathy is nice but it's also not enough.  Watching through the trees is like reading a book.  All those taken together won't come close to experience.  Experience is the best teacher. 

[sweetsunray]

3 hours ago, Kierria said:

He can only see what the trees "saw."  Seeing is not nearly sufficient.  Empathy is nice but it's also not enough.  Watching through the trees is like reading a book.  All those taken together won't come close to experience.  Experience is the best teacher. 

We learn and experience various lives from reading, beyond our own life. This is George's take on reading and writing - experiencing a life beyond your own. 

[Jay21]

On 12/20/2020 at 3:45 PM, Kierria said:

Which is why I am puzzled by those who want to see Bran ruling.  The boy isn't fit for it and he has a thankless but very important job to do outside the wall. 

I don't know how many people out there 'want' Bran to be ruler.  Bran's actor from the show as well as Dumb and Dumber have confirmed that this came from the horse's mouth. Maybe George will change his mind, maybe he'll never finish the book, but the word out there that Bran will be king comes from him first.  I just hope that by the time it happens it makes sense.

[Universal Sword Donor]

On 10/10/2020 at 6:35 AM, Lady_Qohor said:

So I've just finished the Dunk and Egg stories and I have to ask why on earth Maekar allows his 8 year old trueborn son to go off with some unknown hedge knight? I know Dunk argues to Maekar that if Egg is allowed to go on this journey maybe he won't end up as bad as Aerion or Daeron but that just doesn't seem to be worth the risk. A running theme of The Hedge Knight is that nobody can really vouch for Dunk, nobody at Ashford has known him longer than a few days, nobody can even prove he's actually a knight and yet Maekar just hands him over his young prince son. Dunk could be cruel, incompetent, a traitor, he could sell Egg to slavers to repay some gambling debts, he might be a secret Blackfyre supporter and hand Egg over to Bittersteel to be used againt Maekar as a hostage.

Yes you can say that Maekar is grieving at that moment but it still doesn't seem enough to justify such a risky decision. I can't honestly think of another highborn parent in Westeros who would willingly hand over their trueborn child to some unknown hedge knight that nobody has known longer than a few days.

Reread the convo between him and dunk. Not much explanation needed imo 

[Lord Lannister]

The reasons why Maekar lets Egg go off with Dunk makes sense and is explained in character well enough I thought. The real question is, why wouldn't Maekar insist on Dunk taking a helping hand from the royal family. Sure he tried to suggest it, and Dunk declined for... reasons... but some minimal safeguard beyond the boot would seem to be in order. If Dunk doesn't want to accept a position in a Targaryen household that's fine, but giving him some decent armor, horses, equipment and maybe another man at arms would seem in order.

[Universal Sword Donor]

3 hours ago, Lord Lannister said:

The reasons why Maekar lets Egg go off with Dunk makes sense and is explained in character well enough I thought. The real question is, why wouldn't Maekar insist on Dunk taking a helping hand from the royal family. Sure he tried to suggest it, and Dunk declined for... reasons... but some minimal safeguard beyond the boot would seem to be in order. If Dunk doesn't want to accept a position in a Targaryen household that's fine, but giving him some decent armor, horses, equipment and maybe another man at arms would seem in order.

While I totally agree that Egg def would have had an escort or something like better arms and armor in addition to the boot, the narrative plot point is to make sure that Egg gets life experience from that street life instead of living on the west side in that deluxe apartment in the sky. Dunks reply is explicit on that 

[Lord Lannister]

4 hours ago, Universal Sword Donor said:

While I totally agree that Egg def would have had an escort or something like better arms and armor in addition to the boot, the narrative plot point is to make sure that Egg gets life experience from that street life instead of living on the west side in that deluxe apartment in the sky. Dunks reply is explicit on that 

I get that. The topic question was why Maekar allowed it though, which is more questionable. From his point of view, some measure of security would be required. Even being on the road with a bit of money and some nice things doing Dunk's hedge knight gig in more style would've been a far cry from life at court. From a narrative standpoint, Egg keeping his identity secret might've been less of a plot hole there. Dunk's desires should've been less of a factor to Maekar.