In the opening of Episode 4 of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, Dunk finds himself trapped in the dungeons, weighed down by the drama that ensued after Aerion's attack. Egg arrives with a basket of food, but Dunk's mood is not lifted by the presence of his squire. Egg's lies have caused a rift between them, and Dunk is more concerned with the betrayal than with the food itself. Egg apologizes profusely, tears welling in his eyes as he explains that he had been hiding with his older brother, Daeron, in an inn until the tournament was over.
Dunk is summoned to meet with Baelor Targaryen, and Egg accompanies him as he kneels before the High Lord. Baelor has Egg pour Dunk a drink, and in this moment of respite, Dunk defends his squire, calling him a good boy and a great squire. From their brief interaction, it's clear that Egg is not a traditional Targaryen - he wishes that Aerion had fallen and been killed.
When he's dismissed, we learn more about the Targaryen brothers. Daeron, the older "stupid knight" that Egg mentioned, has returned to Ashford and spread a story about how a large "robber knight" has kidnapped Egg - Dunk, of course.
At the same time, Aerion sees the attack against him as a veiled attack on House Targaryen. Unfortunately, striking Aerion hasn't done Dunk any favors; he now has two Targaryen brothers painting a target on his back. However, Baelor explains that there is a way out of this situation. Since Dunk is a knight, he could do a trial by combat, which is the right of any knight.
Naturally, this proposition brings him before the two Targaryen brothers, but Aerion outright refuses. Instead, he demands a Trial of Seven - another form of trial by combat but one that is ancient by design and few have heard of. By dawn, Dunk will need to find six other knights to fight alongside him. If he fails to do so, it will essentially show that he's "guilty," at least according to Aerion.
Wandering outside, Raymun Fossoway brings Dunk inside for some food, where his cousin Steffon hears about his predicament and promises to fight alongside him. In fact, he'll also bring along Lyonel Baratheon and Damon Lannister too.
"You shan't die under my watch, sir," Steffon vowed, his words dripping with honor and loyalty. Remember this, for it will play a crucial role later. When Egg arrives, accompanied by Daeron, Dunk immediately brandishes a knife at the older brother's neck, ready to strike. However, Egg manages to persuade Dunk to hold back. Daeron, the man from the inn in episode 1 who threatened Dunk, makes a delightful callback to our earlier encounter.
Daeron, for his part, is not inclined to fight. He even offers to collapse at the slightest touch. Unfortunately, Aerion will be fighting alongside the finest knights of the Kingsguard.
Egg's animosity towards his brother is palpable. He brings up Aerion's past misdeeds, describing him as vicious and evil. He's also deluded, believing himself to be a dragon in human form.
Outside the tent, Daeron confesses that he's had dreams of Dunk slaying a dragon by a campfire. The dragon is dead, but Dunk is alive—almost as if he fulfilled his destiny. He's also remorseful for his lie and apologizes to Dunk.
As Dunk wanders further, he encounters Steely Pate, who reveals that Tanselle left her newly-painted shield at the blacksmith's cart. Dunk gazes at the shield and ponders his own chances. It's clear that Tanselle and her family have fled to Dorne after the puppet show incident.
As dawn breaks, Dunk arrives for the Trial of Seven only to discover that Steffon has betrayed him. He's switched sides for Aerion's promise of making him a Lord. Raymun, having heard of this betrayal, spits on the ground and refuses to squire for him.
With fewer men, Dunk can't knight the boy, so he leaves it to Lyonel Baratheon to do so. Unfortunately, 7 against 6 isn't going to be enough—it needs to be a fair fight or else he'll be found guilty by default.
Dunk has no other choice but to give a rousing speech to everyone in attendance, explaining his actions as standing up for the innocent and doing his duty in the name of justice. He laments how nobody is honorable enough to stand by his side and is met with deafening silence.
Nobody steps forward... until one man rides in at the last moment. It's Baelor Targaryen! In a shocking turn of events, he decides to fight alongside Dunk in the name of honor, as the grand battle looks set to take place.
