The smaller the story, the deeper the impact when executed right. With banners fluttering as far as eyes can see across windswept fields and dusty roads, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms welcomes viewers to a relatively tranquil land of Westeros where armies, beasts, or white walkers find no place to march out loud.  

The new story, which unfolds in Game of Thrones' frozen universe of ice and fire, shows that true heroism roars louder through knights, swords, and cloaks. However, a lingering absence of dragonfire prevails.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms will feature no dragons because the story takes place in a period before the disastrous events in the Westeros timeline. The series takes place one hundred years before Game of Thrones, while the Targaryen civil war (House of the Dragon) happened several decades earlier. 

Dragons disappeared from the world, and magic reached its lowest point during the war called the Dying of the Dragons by Archmaester Gyldayn in George R.R. Martin's Fire and Blood. The last known dragon went extinct roughly 50 years before the series begins, meaning that Westeros has already moved on from the age of dragonlords. House Targaryen's last dragon died in 153 AC, during the final part of King Aegon III Targaryen's reign.

In the timeline of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, the Targaryen dynasty still maintains control over their kingdom, and their substantial dragon heritage continues to affect their family history and monarchy. In this HBO hit, VFX can be put to rest as the mighty beats do not appear in Weteroes until Daenerys Targaryen hatches three dragons out of the funeral pyre for her husband Khal Drogo in Game of Thrones. But, ultimately, a new show calls for a fresh storyline.

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While there is no physical presence of living dragons, their ancient fire still serves as an important backdrop for the show that shapes the present and accurately adapts the source material.

The series faithfully adapts George R.R. Martin’s Tales of Dunk and Egg novellas. The trilogy takes place approximately 90 to 100 years before the events of Game of Thrones.

Martin's enticing novellas include: The Hedge Knight, which forms the basis of Season 1 of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, The Sworn Sword, and The Mystery Knight, all originally published between 1998 and 2010 and later compiled in one book in 2015.

These novellas do not depict major battles or dragon combat as the story follows Ser Duncan and his squire Egg. The eccentric duo travels across Westeroes to compete in tournaments and battle in feuds to hone their untapped potential.

Highlighting the daily life in Westeros through their depiction of honor and chivalry, the show reveals how small changes can impact future royal successions. Though there are no dragons, familiar faces might still return in the upcoming episodes. 

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