Queensguard

The Queensguard was created by Daenerys Targaryen to serve as her personal protectors in Meereen, mirroring the Kingsguard of the Seven Kingdoms. Its most prominent member and de facto commander was Ser Barristan Selmy, the legendary knight who had served three kings in Westeros before crossing the narrow sea to find the true Targaryen heir. Selmy was named Lord Commander of the Queensguard, a position that carried the weight of his long and storied career. The order was intended to be a body of knights bound by vows of loyalty and protection, though its ranks were thin compared to the seven sworn brothers of the Kingsguard. Daenerys herself was the sole focus of their duty, and the Queensguard had no formal role in guarding her consort, Hizdahr zo Loraq, a distinction that would later create ambiguity during the political turmoil in Meereen.

Composition and Leadership

The Queensguard was never a full complement of seven knights. Its most visible member was Barristan Selmy, who wore the white cloak and armor of the order. Selmy took his duties with utmost seriousness, training young freedmen in the arts of sword and shield, horse and lance, hoping to create a cadre of knights worthy of the queen. He spoke to them of chivalry, telling them that "without honor, a knight is no more than a common killer." Among his charges were Tumco Lho, a black swordsman from the Basilisk Isles whom Selmy considered the best natural swordsman he had seen since Jaime Lannister, and Larraq, called the Lash, who fought with whip and trident. The Queensguard also included Strong Belwas, the massive eunuch former pit fighter, though his role was more that of a personal champion than a formal knight. The order's small size reflected Daenerys's precarious position in Meereen, where she relied heavily on Unsullied, sellswords, and freedmen rather than a large corps of Westerosi knights.

Role in Meereen and the Crisis of Succession

During Daenerys's reign, the Queensguard served as her closest protectors, standing beside her in court and accompanying her on public appearances. Selmy was present at Daznak's Pit when Drogon descended, and he witnessed Daenerys leap onto the dragon's back and fly away. In the queen's absence, Selmy assumed the role of de facto ruler, styling himself the Queen's Hand. He convened a council of captains and commanders, including Grey Worm of the Unsullied, Skahaz mo Kandaq, and representatives of the freedmen companies, to govern Meereen and prepare for war against the Yunkai'i. The Queensguard's authority became entangled with the larger question of who ruled in Daenerys's stead. Selmy ordered the arrest of Hizdahr zo Loraq on suspicion of poisoning the queen, a move that effectively dissolved the fragile peace and plunged the city back into conflict. The Queensguard, in Selmy's hands, became the instrument of a regency council, though its primary duty—protecting the queen—could not be fulfilled while she was lost.

The Queensguard After Daenerys's Disappearance

With Daenerys gone, the Queensguard's purpose became uncertain. Selmy continued to wear the white cloak and armor, but he acknowledged that his first duty was to the queen, not to Hizdahr. He told Skahaz that he had sworn no vows to Hizdahr zo Loraq, and that if the king had conspired at Daenerys's death, he would see to him himself. The Queensguard thus became a partisan force in the power struggle, aligned with the Shavepate and the freedmen against the Meereenese nobility. Selmy's decision to arrest Hizdahr and prepare for battle against the Yunkish siege was taken without any formal Queensguard council; he acted alone, guided by his own sense of honor and duty. The order's future remained tied to Daenerys's return, and Selmy clung to the belief that she was still alive, riding Drogon somewhere beyond the Dothraki sea. Until that day, the Queensguard existed in a state of suspension, its white cloaks a symbol of a queen who might never return.