Arryk Cargyll

Arryk Cargyll
Biographical information
Died	132 AC Dragonstone, the Crownlands
Political information
House(s)	Cargyll
Affiliation(s)	Kingsguard Greens
Title(s)	Ser
Personal information
Culture	Crownlander
Sibling(s)	{Erryk Cargyll}
World of Westeros
Series	House of the Dragon
Season(s)	1 · 2
Appeared in	8 episodes (see below)
First seen in	"The Heirs of the Dragon"
Last seen in	"The Burning Mill" (corpse)
Died in	"Rhaenyra the Cruel"
Portrayed by	Luke Tittensor

"It is for the Hand to find wisdom. We swore an oath of service until death."

―Arryk to Erryk

Ser Arryk Cargyll was a renowned knight, and member of the Kingsguard of King Aegon II Targaryen. He previously served in the Kingsguard of Viserys I Targaryen.

Biography

Background

Arryk was from House Cargyll, a noble house of the Crownlands. He and his twin brother Erryk were both named to the Kingsguard of Viserys I at the age of 18.

House of the Dragon: Season 1

Arryk and his brother Erryk attend the funeral of Queen Aemma Arryn and Prince Baelon Targaryen.

14 years later Arryk escorts Viserys and Queen Alicent Hightower as they are walking to the king's apartments.

6 years later Arryk stands guard at a meeting of the Small Council. Afterward his brother Erryk speaks with Alicent, who mistakes him for Arryk. The twins spar with swords in the Red Keep's courtyard while Princes Jace and Luke reminisce about the past. They are both present in the throne room when Ser Vaemond Velaryon petitions the Crown about the Driftmark succession.

Arryk searches Flea Bottom with Erryk.

The day after the king's death, Arryk accompanies Erryk to find the missing Prince Aegon under the orders of the Hand of the King, Ser Otto Hightower. While searching at a child fighting ring in Flea Bottom that the prince is known to frequent, Erryk tries unsuccessfully to convince Arryk to defect with him, using the establishment as proof of Aegon's unfitness to rule. Arryk maintains that their Kingsguard vows obligate them to serve Aegon until death. They are interrupted by Jayne, an agent of Mysaria, who offers to reveal Aegon's location to them in exchange for a meeting with Otto.

Arryk crosses swords with Criston.

At Mysaria's meeting with Otto, Arryk and Erryk learn that Aegon is hiding in the Grand Sept. They find Aegon beneath an altar there, but are intercepted by Ser Criston Cole and Prince Aemond, who were observing their meeting and have been sent to bring Aegon to Alicent rather than Otto. A fight breaks out between Arryk and Criston while Aemond pursues Aegon. Erryk abandons his brother, who is soon disarmed by Criston.

Arryk accompanies Otto to his parley with Rhaenyra at Dragonstone.

House of the Dragon: Season 2

Arryk oversees the defenses of the Red Keep. When a dragon is sighted approaching the city, Arryk orders the castle's garrison to aim scorpions newly mounted on the battlements skyward, and then to stand down once the approaching dragon is confirmed to be Vhagar.

Arryk guards King Aegon II Targaryen in the the throne room as he drinks with his friends, Ser Martyn Reyne, Ser Leon Estermont and Ser Eddard Waters.

Arryk is a part of Prince Jaehaerys's funeral procession to the Dragonpit.

Arryk is confronted by Lord Commander Criston Cole for his dirty white cloak, and Cole demands to know where Arryk was at the time of Prince Jaehaerys's murder. Arryk replies that he was attending the King. Cole refuses to accept that explanation, prompting an angered Arryk to demand where Criston was at the time, and why Helaena was not granted a sworn shield of her own. Criston ignores the accusations and accuses Arryk of sharing his twin brother's sentiments. An outraged Arryk calls Criston mad, but Criston asserts the Kingsguard has been dishonored and that he must be the one to redeem it. Criston orders Arryk to infiltrate Dragonstone and kill Rhaenyra. Arryk is appalled, noting the Kingsguard are sworn not to engage in such deceptions, that Dragonstone will likely be too well-guarded to infiltrate, and that he will almost certainly die in the process, but Cole assures him he will end the war before it truly begins, and threatens to question his loyalty to the King if Arryk refuses.

Arryk versus Erryk.

Arryk arrives on the island aboard a ship; his arrival is unnoticed by all save Mysaria (who had recently seen Erryk escort her from her cell after Rhaenyra released her), who raises the alarm. Arryk manages to fool the guards on the castle gates and Ser Lorent Marbrand of Rhaenyra's Queensguard that he is Erryk, and slips into Rhaenyra's private chambers. She initially mistakes him for his twin, until Arryk draws his sword and apologizes, insisting he had no choice. Before he can attack Rhaenyra, Erryk bursts in, draws his own sword and attacks his brother, initiating a brutal and savage duel which ends with Arryk's death at Erryk's hands. Erryk commits suicide immediately afterwards.

The Cargyll brothers are laid to rest on Dragonstone.

Arryk and Erryk are buried together on Dragonstone. Jace calls Arryk a villain and says he sullies his brother's grave, but Rhaenyra feels that she cannot fault him for keeping his oath. At a following session of the Green Council, both Jasper Wylde and Alicent berate Criston for ordering Arryk to assassinate Rhaenyra, with Jasper calling Arryk's death a needless loss to the Kingsguard.

Personality

Ser Arryk is an honorable man who tries to follow the vows of the Kingsguard as best he can, but unlike his brother he believes that the right thing to do is to serve until death, regardless of the type of person the king he serves is.

Although he is a man of honor, Ser Arryk is very committed to his duty and this means that he is willing to accept dishonorable acts if it means he must fulfill his oath even if he does not agree with what he has to do.

Despite ending up on opposite sides during the Dance of Dragons, Arryk deeply loved his brother, Ser Erryk.

Quotes

Spoken by Arryk

Criston: "Your brother is a thief and a traitor to the crown!"

Arryk: "You well know how it pains me."

Criston: "How are we to know that you do not secretly share his sentiments?"

Arryk: "I denounced him before the king. We were one soul in two bodies, yes. If I'd shared his sentiments, I would've fled with him."

— Criston Cole and Arryk

Erryk: "We were born together."

Arryk: "You parted us! But I still love you, brother."

— Erryk Cargyll and Arryk

Spoken about Arryk

"Brother! Do not do this, I beg you."

―Erryk Cargyll pleads with Arryk during his assassination attempt of Rhaenyra

"He is the basest of villains. He sullies the grave of his brother."

―Jacaerys Velaryon

"I cannot fault him for keeping his oath."

―Rhaenyra Targaryen

Behind the scenes

Arryk Cargyll's character description for Season 2 reads as follows:

"A member of the Kingsguard and loyal supporter of King Aegon II – despite his twin brother’s loyalty to Queen Rhaenyra."

In the books

In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, Ser Arryk Cargyll was also the twin brother of Ser Erryk, and both were knights in Viserys I's Kingsguard. Bran and Sansa relate to their tragic death.

In 129 AC, following King Viserys's death, Arryk sided with Aegon II and the greens, while his twin aligned himself with Rhaenyra and the blacks. Arryk and Ser Gwayne Hightower escorted Grand Maester Orwyle when he traveled to Dragonstone, in an unsuccessful attempt to reconcile Rhaenyra.

Olenna Tyrell's personal guards (whom Olenna humorously call Left and Right, since she cannot tell them apart) are named Erryk and Arryk, perhaps named after the legendary twin Kingsguards.

According to George R.R. Martin, the Cargyll twins have been inspired by the twin knights of Arthurian myth, Sir Balin and Sir Balan.

Appearances

• – "The Kingsguard - Bronn" (illustrated)
• – "The Heirs of the Dragon"
• – "The Princess and the Queen"
• – "The Lord of the Tides"
• – "The Green Council"
• – "The Black Queen"
• – "A Son for a Son"
• – "Rhaenyra the Cruel"
• – "The Burning Mill" (corpse)

External links

• Arryk Cargyll on A Wiki of Ice and Fire (potential spoilers for House of the Dragon)
• Arryk Cargyll on The Official Guide

House Cargyll
Head	Unknown	Heir	Unknown
Seat	Unknown	Region	Crownlands
Deceased	Arryk Cargyll · Erryk Cargyll
Overlords	House Targaryen