Characters / Trials and Tribulations of the Oathkeeper

King Daveth Baratheon

King Daveth Baratheon

"The greater the power, the greater the temptation to misuse it."

"It's easy to see the world in black and white, right and wrong. Good and evil. But the truth is the world we live in is more gray than we care to admit. Where noble heroes stand out in the light, another lurks in the shadows."

The eldest and only trueborn son of King Robert Baratheon and Queen Cersei Lannister. Quiet, calculating, and determined, Daveth is regarded as a cunning strategist and capable administrator. His methods involve maintaining House Baratheon's hold on the throne as well as ensuring the long-term stability and integrity of the Seven Kingdoms remain intact — even if it means getting his hands dirty.

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• The Ace: According to his uncle Tyrion Lannister, Daveth was considered a child prodigy and was everything his brother (in reality, maternal bastard half-brother) Joffrey was not, excelling at almost anything he set his mind to.
  Tyrion: A rather smart and bright lad, not bad for one as young as he is. [...] Rest assured: Daveth knows what he's doing; you'd be surprised to learn just how quickly one can deliver results and get the job done in days or weeks where it'd take most men months or years.
• Adaptational Intelligence: Being the first male heir born into royalty, he was basically given the best education money can buy. Turns out being a child genius means he basically aced his studies, soaking them up like a sponge. Once he understood political intrigue and public administration, he learned how to use his enemies' own tactics against them... turns out he's good at that one too.
• The Apprentice: To his grandfather Tywin.
• Arranged Marriage: To Sansa Stark, as part of King Robert's plan to unite House Baratheon to House Stark by blood. It works out.
• Back from the Dead: Daveth was resurrected by Vaeraleah... twice. Both times was when he was sick (once as a child, the other after negotiating peace with Dorne).
• Badass Bureaucrat: Daveth was basically considered the true power behind the Iron Throne in all but name alongside Lord Jon Arryn during Robert's reign prior to his introduction in Season 1. Took his job very seriously.
  Ned: We're starting without the King?
  Renly: Winter may be coming, but I'm afraid the same cannot be said for my brother.
  Varys: His Grace has many cares. He entrusts some small matters to use that we might lighten the load.
  Littlefinger: We are the lords of small matters here.
  Daveth: Every decision we make here in this very chamber, Lord Stark, could greatly affect the lives of every person within the Seven Kingdoms. Whether the task is great or small, it is our duty to ensure that the realm prospers in times of peace or war.
• Big Brother Instinct: From the start he is protective of Myrcella and Tommen, until he arranges for both of them to be married off to Trystane Martell and Margaery Tyrell respectively.
• Cain and Abel: Daveth and Joffrey. Downplayed in that there’s no love between them in either direction, and either would not be too upset to be the Cain.
• Catchphrase: His "You have my word" saying is almost mirrored to House Lannister's unofficial motto "A Lannister always pays his debts" and is used mostly in either a positive or negative context.
• Character Development: From his initial appearance until his marriage, he changes from being cold, cynical and stoic to a wiser, attentive and honorable young man. He credits Sansa for saving him from himself.
• Child Prodigy: Was a very fast learner at a young age.
• The Chosen One: According to Vaeraleah, the Prince That Was Promised prophecy includes three people to fill the role and Daveth is indeed one of the three prophesied saviors she envisioned. The other two include Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen.
• Comic-Book Fantasy Casting: The author explicitly says that in the live-action adaptation, he'd be played by Henry Cavill.
• Dark and Troubled Past: During the First Greyjoy Rebellion, Euron Greyjoy killed his childhood friends in front of him before taking him as a prisoner where he was routinely subjected to cruel, brutal torture on the Iron Islands for almost a year until he was rescued. Although he survived, it had quite a traumatic psychological effect on him.
• Deadpan Snarker: Not much, but he does have his moments.
  • When chewing out Robert:
    Robert: This would've been going a lot faster if we didn't have any certain baggage slowing us down!
    Daveth: Come now, father, I'm sure you wouldn't even consider leaving our family behind, would you? We have a long road ahead of us, so certainly it wouldn't hurt to at least maintain a steady pace so the others can keep up.
  • At a Small Council meeting:
    Ned: Perhaps we had best wait for Ser Barristan and the King to join us.
    Daveth: Then you'll be in for a rather long wait, my lord. And time is a precious resource we cannot afford to waste when it comes to governing the realm.
  • About how he got his "Oathkeeper" nickname:
    Daveth: I didn’t get to where I am now in order to be called that without getting my hands bloody.
• Defrosting Ice King: Very stoic initially; Sansa's affections changes him ― makes him feel more... human.
• Determinator: He shares this trait with his father Robert and uncle Stannis: once he has a goal on his mind, he will not stop until he sees it come to fruition.
• The Good King: Despite being the son of a usurper, Daveth protects Westeros from all enemies who threaten its stability, whether it's from foreign or domestic elements, and enacted a series of reforms benefiting the realm as a whole.
• Happily Married: To Sansa.
• Heterosexual Life-Partners: He's childhood friends with Robb Stark, the Young Wolf. Both were around the same age and despite only meeting each other once before Season 1, they still kept in contact via raven messengers.
• The High King: He solidified his own powerbase and accumulate political influence in a short span of time long before ascending the Iron Throne, and managed to unify all of Westeros under his rule ― putting down one rebellion after another.
• I Did What I Had to Do: To get the results he wants, even if it means getting his hands dirty. Some of his methods used are questionable and in some cases can be bloody, but only if it becomes either personal or he's left with no choice.
• I Have Many Names: Because of his reputation for getting results so quickly, 'Oathkeeper' is his most famous nickname and is what many people commonly refer to him as. This overshadows the other names he's been called: 'Young Stag', 'Black Lion', 'The King in Winterfell' or 'Hero of the Blackwater'.
• Matricide: Sentenced his own mother Cersei Lannister to death for treason after she lost a Trial by Seven.
• Promotion to Parent: It's mentioned that Daveth helped raise Myrcella and Tommen, as his father Robert was emotionally distant.
• Ruling Couple: Him and Sansa. Daveth may be ruling the Seven Kingdoms from the Iron Throne, he shares power with his wife and considers her an equal. The two prove to be an effective pair.
• The Strategist: Turns out Daveth has a natural talent as a military commander and politician, easily able to think several steps ahead and in some cases can outsmart his enemies on the battlefield and at court.
• Strong Family Resemblance: Tall, Dark and Handsome in his prime. He's supposedly the spitting image of his father. Given that Daveth closely resembles a younger Robert, Ned Stark remarked on how much they look alike.
• Superior Successor: To both his father and the predecessor before him, the lazy Robert and the insane Aerys II. Daveth proved to be a more suitable King than both of them and united the realm under his banner.
• Survivor's Guilt: He was at Lannisport when the ironborn raided the port city and literally watched his friends get cut down by Euron Greyjoy before being taken prisoner and routinely (often brutally) tortured during the First Greyjoy Rebellion before being rescued. All of it happened when he was just 8 years old!
  • Although he survived the whole ordeal, it traumatized him so much that he still carries the psychological scars and memories of it with him wherever he goes.
• Try to Fit That on a Business Card!: "Daveth of the House Baratheon, the First of His Name, King of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms, Protector of the Realm, the Bringer of Storms, Guardian of All Westeros and Shield of His People."
• Would Hit a Girl: When Cersei tries to slap him before the Battle of the Blackwater, Daveth responds by catching and twisting her wrist.
• You Wouldn't Like Me When I'm Angry!: Do not make him angry or risk triggering the infamous Baratheon Rage. Even Daveth's patience has its limits. If pushed too hard, overstep your own boundaries or even try anything foolish and he will snap.
  • He punched Joffrey so hard it knocked out three of his teeth and exiled him to the Night's Watch for starting a city-wide riot.
  • His destruction of the Iron Islands and driving the Ironborn to near extinction when Balon Greyjoy rose up in rebellion again.
• Young and in Charge: Became King of the Seven Kingdoms at the age of 17. After Chapter 179, his reign spanned 13 years.

Queen Sansa Stark

Queen Sansa Stark

Sansa Stark, the Red Wolf

"We didn't ask for any of this to happen. It only takes a single spark to start a fire, but sometimes… Sometimes you have to take a stand against such injustice."

The second child and elder daughter of Lord Eddard Stark and Lady Catelyn Tully. Described as beautiful and demure, she was better known for her aspirations to become a great lady and to marry a handsome prince. As the story progresses, Sansa matures and becomes more of a strategic player in the political game.

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• Affectionate Nickname: Daveth calls her "little dove".
• Arranged Marriage: Robert offers a marriage alliance to Ned involving her and his eldest son Daveth, thinking there could be nothing better than joining his best friend's family with his own.

  King Robert: You helped me win the Iron Throne, now help me keep the damned thing. We were meant to rule... together. If your sister had lived, we would have been bound by blood. Well, it's not too late. I have a son, you have a daughter... we'll join our houses.

• Arch-Enemy: As the series progresses, Sansa becomes this to Cersei Lannister due to the latter's overall cruelty and selfish nature, much like in canon.
• Perfectly Arranged Marriage: To say Daveth is a way better match for Sansa than Joffrey is would be an enormous understatement.