Modern fusion AU where knighthood is a qualification generally gained at University. And while it's offered as a complete subject by itself, most rich, lordly kids take it as an add on: politics with knighthood, business with knighthood, the classics with knighthood, etc. Meaning most modern knight have the title but have never really worked for it. It's just a title to show their status. Like having a BSc after your name. Sir whatshisface BSc.
Hedge knights do it the old fashioned way. They gain knighthood through an apprenticeship.
Dunk never would have been able to go to university. Dirty poor and street smart rather than book smart, squaring himself to Sir Arlan of Pennytree was the only way to do it. And Sir Arlan worked him harm and trained him harder, showing him what a knights service surely was on every road in the seven kingdoms, and at every holdfast that would take them. And when Dunk was ready for his teast, he would swing them by the nearest University (on maybe Oldtown, maybe all Knights qualify out of Oldtown as the holder of the citidel and the great sept? I'll come back to this point). And Dunk would earn his certificate of knighthood that way.
I'm wondering what the tourney at Ashford would be like in this AU. Just Dunk the apprenticed knight rocking up, surrounded by all these knights that are knights on a technicality. And if you thought Baelor (who double graduated, took knighthood as a complete course as well as studying statesmanship) was down bad for hedge knight Dunk, then oh boy, apprenticed knight sir Duncan is all his dreams come true
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4
