Balon Swann

Ser Balon Swann is a supporting character in the ASOIAF novel series and a minor character in the TV adaption Game of Thrones. He is a highly regarded knight of House Swann and is the second son of Lord Gulian Swann, the head of the Swanns and the Lord of Stonehelm. Balon ascended to the Kingsguard following the death of Ser Preston Greenfield, who was killed during a riot by angry rioters.
==Appearance==
Balon Swann is a young man who is big across the chest with thick and muscular arms. He is burlier than Ser Arys Oakheart but is not as tall nor handsome as the latter.
==Biography==
===A Game of Thrones===
In King's Landing, Ser Balon Swann attends court with a retinue if knights and sworn swords. He participated in the Hand's tourney, which was held by King Robert I Baratheon to celebrate the naming of his friend Lord Eddard Stark as Hand of the King. During the joust, Ser Balon defeats Alyn, one of Ned Stark's household guards, before being defeated himself by Ser Gregor Clegane, the Knight of Clegane's Keep and head of House Clegane. Balon took part in the archery competition where he and exiled Summer Islander Jalabhar Xho were beaten by commoner Anguy the Archer, who outshoots them.
He later joins King Robert during a hunt for a hart in the Kingswood. Ser Balon returns to King's Landing along with Prince Joffrey Baratheon, his bodyguard Sandor Clegane along with many others who joined in the hunt, after Robert sets his eyes on a massive wild boar. Following their departure, Robert is grievously wounded by this wild boar. As Prince Joffrey is actually a bastard and a product of incest between his mother Cersei Lannister and her brother Jaime Lannister, therefore making the boy illegitimate for the throne, Lord Petyr Baelish suggested to Ned Stark that Balon Swann could be a possible ally to aid him in a power struggle against Cersei in order to prevent her from making Joffrey king. However, Ned rashly chose to recruit the City Watch of King's Landing instead which would consequently lead to his own imprisonment.
After King Robert died from his wounds, Ser Balon remained in court. He warns Ser Dontos Hollard of approaching Lady Sansa Stark, Ned Stark's eldest daughter, when the newly-crowned King Joffrey I holds court.
===A Clash of Kings===
During a tourney to celebrate King Joffrey's thirteenth nameday, on the second tilt of the joust, Balon unhorses Morros Slynt, the eldest son of Janos Slynt, the commander of the City Watch. Later, when Sansa Stark finds a mysterious note from a mysterious ally underneath her pillow, she believes that it is from Ser Balon but is actually from Dontos Hollard, who is now a court fool.
As the War of the Five Kings rages on, Lady Tanda Stokeworth holds a small dinner in the Red Keep, where Lord Gyles Rosby gave a toast to King Joffrey. Ser Balon, in an attempt to raise the spirits of the guests, cracks a joke that three glasses would be needed (to represent the other kings that rose; Stannis I Baratheon, Renly I Baratheon, and Robb Stark, the latter being the King in the North, after the Northeners and the Rivermen declared independence). While many laughed at Balon's joke, Varys, the master of Whisperers, believes it to be treasonous and he reports it Tyrion Lannister, the acting Hand of the King. Believing what Balon said is a harmless jest, Tyrion decided to not follow up on it.
While Ser Balon supports King Joffrey during the war, Ser Donnel Swann, his older brother and the heir to Stonehelm, originally served Renly Baratheon but then joined Stannis Baratheon's cause after Renly's death. Lord Gulian Swann, the father of Donnel and Balon, refused to support Stannis and pleaded illness as an excuse while remaining at Stonehelm. Balon Swann, while in the company of regent Cersei Lannister, was present amongst the royal party as Princess Myrcella Baratheon is sent off to Dorne with her sworn shield, Ser Arys Oakheart through a ceremony. During that time, Balon bears a banner depicting the Lannister lion while Ser Aron Santagar, the Master-at-arms of the Red Keep, bears a banner that depicts the stag of House Baratheon.
When a frenzied and savage mob instigates a chaotic riot in the streets of King's Landing, Ser Balon fights his way through and manages to survive. Because Kingsguard Ser Preston Greenfield was killed by the mob, Cersei chooses Balon to replace him, which Tyrion approves, though he disapproves of Cersei's choice to strip Ser Boros Blount of his white cloak and replace him with Osmund Kettleblack. Prior to the Battle of the Blackwater, in which Stannis Baratheon will invade King's Landing, it was planned by Tyrion that Ser Balon, Ser Mandon Moore, and Sandor Clegane will lead sorties during the battle.
During the Battle of the Blackwater, a gore-splattered Balon Swann, wielding a mace, leads the Lannister forces with Tyrion and Ser Mandon. After the royal forces were temporarily overwhelmed by Stannis and his forces, Balon withdraws back into the walls of King's Landing. In the aftermath of the battle, in which House Baratheon of King's Landing was victorious over Stannis, due to the timely arrival of Tywin Lannister and the Tyrell forces, Ser Balon and the Kingsguard spent the next six hours knighting more than 600 men, with Bronn amongst them. In addition, Balon's brother Donnel, who was captured, bends the knee to king Joffrey Baratheon.
===A Storm of Swords===
Balon Swann continues to serve as a Kingsguard both in the Red Keep and in Maegor's Holdfast. He is present during Sansa Stark's wedding to Tyrion Lannister. During the royal breakfast in the Queen's Ballroom, Ser Balon alarmingly jumps back when King Joffrey unsheathes Widow's Wail, a Valyrian steel longsword that was gifted to him by his grandfather Lord Tywin Lannister. Later, when Brienne of Tarth and Jaime Lannister returned to King's Landing, they confronted by Ser Loras Tyrell, who falsely accused Brienne of killing his lover Renly Baratheon, though he was unaware that it was caused by Stannis Baratheon and the Red Priestess Melisandre. During the ensuing confrontation, Balon Swann intervenes.
During Tyrion Lannister's court trial, after he was accused of killing King Joffrey Baratheon, who was poisoned during his wedding feast, Ser Balon was called in as the first witness to testify. He was the only one out of all the witnesses whose testimony is wholly true and in favor of Tyrion; he praises the Imp for his bravery during the Battle of the Blackwater and claims that he didn't believed that Tyrion is the one who killed Joffrey. However, Balon includes that Tyrion had struck the boy king out of wrath during the Bread riots. Ser Meryn Trant testified against Tyrion by expanding on Ser Balon's account; Meryn claimed that Tyrion had knocked Joffrey to the ground and began kicking him, shouting that it was unjust that Joffrey had escaped while unharmed during the riots. This caused Tyrion to realize his sister Cersei's plan; it began with an honest man, who will be milked for all he would give before being followed by other witnesses, who will then tell a worse tale.
Following the court trial, Jaime Lannister notes that Ser Balon Swann is worthy and well-suited of the white cloak of the Kingsguard. In White Sword Tower, as Jaime holds a meeting with his fellow Kingsguard, Ser Balon feels ashamed for having not prevented King Joffrey's death. When he was made to swear a vow to remain true to the Crown, Balon promises to defend the king, the newly-crowned King Tommen I Baratheon, even if it means fighting his own family. He then goes to guard King Tommen.
===A Feast for Crows===
A day after Tywin Lannister's death, as he was murdered by Tyrion, Ser Balon Swann stands vigil together with Jaime over Tywin's corpse in the Great Sept of Baelor. Because of King Joffrey's poisoning during the Purple Wedding, Jaime extends security by assigning Balon to be King Tommen's primary Kingsguard, in which he will guard the latter every morning, which he dutifully does so.
Balon Swann is later re-assigned by Cersei Lannister to return Myrcella Baratheon to king's Landing while under the guise of visiting King Tommen. However, he was also given two additional assignments; Deliver a large skull (ostensibly the skull of Ser Gregor Clegane, or the Mountain) to Prince Doran Martell in Dorne. For the third assignment, he was tasked with playing his role in a plan that is shrouded in secrecy.
Following the death of Ser Arys Oakheart at the hands of Areo Hotah, Princess Arianne Martell was arrested and imprisoned for conspiring to crown Princess Myrcella Baratheon in an attempt to start a war with House Lannister. A few weeks later, when she was summoned by her father, Prince Doran Martell disappointingly tells her that she and her cousins, the Sand Snakes, may get the war they wanted badly before revealing that Ser Balon Swann is on his way to Sunspear, the ancestral seat of House Martell. 
Doran feared that once Balon discovers that Arys Oakheart has been killed and Princess Myrcella has been permanently scarred, as a result of Gerold "Darkstar" Dayne's attack, it will only be a matter of time when he will report his discovery to the Lannisters, who will then declare war on Dorne in retaliation. As Dorne is not prepared for an open confrontation, Doran buys time by ordering several of his noble bannermen to delay his arrival; for eight days, House Wyl makes him go hunting and hawking on one end of the Boneway. Balon then feasted with House Yronwood for a fortnight at their seat of Yronwood, and Lady Jordayne arranged games in his honor at the Tor, though Lady Nymella Toland, the Lady of Ghost Hill, is intent on outdoing Jordayne.
===A Dance with Dragons===
Balon Swann arrives at Sunspear while accompanied by three knights, eight squires, twenty men-at-arms, sundry grooms, and servants. Along the way, they didn't encounter any Dornish hostility. Upon his arrival he was welcomed by Prince Doran, who holds a feast for him. He was also given a seat of honor beside Princess Arianne Martell. At the feast, Balon presents the apparent skull of Gregor Clegane to all who are present. Aside from Doran and Arianne, this also includes the Sand Snakes, Areo Hotah, and Ellaria Sand. During the feast, Balon Swann tells Nymeria, one of the Sand Snakes, that Gregor Clegane died from poison, which he believes is shameful. Balon was displeased that spun-sugar skulls, a sweet treat, is also being served. 
Unlike Arys Oakheart, he proved to be more strong-willed as he managed to resist Arianne Martell when she tried to flirt with him while Doran converses with Balon. Because of the honorable welcome that he had gotten, this earns the disapproval of some of the attendees, including the Sand Snakes and Daemon Sand, as they are perhaps thinking that Balon Swann and his envoy should be given a different sort of "welcome."
While intently watching Ser Balon during the feast, Areo Hotah is confidently prepared to fight the Kingsguard knight if he needs to. However, he noticed that Balon is strangely nervous; Areo noticed that the latter is not eating a lot, and he sweats profusely despite the coolness. When Doran suggested that he and his son, Prince Trystane Martell, will take a ship to accompany Balon and Princess Myrcella to King's Landing, as he thinks it will be easier, Ser Balon becomes unnerved by this and replies that a sea voyage is too dangerous, which Doran agrees, though he was suspicious at first.
Balon Swann was then invited by Prince Doran to the Water Gardens where Princess Myrcella is at. Once there, Doran excuses himself before retreating to his solar, where he secretly holds a meeting with Areo Hotah, Princess Arianne, and the Sand Snakes. During the meeting, he reveals that he has assigned Myrcella to lie to Ser Balon that Gerold Dayne is responsible for killing Arys Oakheart. In addition, Doran also reveals the details of Cersei's secret plot, which was provided to Doran by sources loyal to him; she plans for the party to be ambushed in the Kingswood by outlaws and brigands, who will cry out "half man!" while Prince Trystane will be killed. Because of the cries of the attackers, Tyrion Lannister will immediately be blamed for it while Balon claims to have catched a glimpse of the Imp. 
Doran's suspicions were proven when Balon averted the suggestion of traveling by sea, as it would disturb the planned arrangements. Prince Doran points out that even though Balon Swann dislikes his orders and his role in Cersei's plan, he is nonetheless compelled to obey, regardless of his personal feelings. Upon learning of the secret plot, the Sand Snakes were left in shock not only by that but also by the fact that a Kingsguard knight is also a part of it. The eldest Sand Snake, Obara Sand, who is hot-tempered and aggressive, wanted to kill Ser Balon but Doran forbids it as Balon is under Guest Right.
The next day, as in accordance with a plan the Martells had enacted, Princess Myrcella, under Princess Arianne's instructions, tells to Balon Swann that Ser Gerold Dayne had attacked her, and lies that he killed Arys Oakheart before asking Balon to hunt down Darkstar, which he will probably do, as in accordance with his duty. Furthermore, Obara Sand will lead him to High Hermitage, Darkstar's seat.
The Martell's plan successfully works; believing in Myrcella's partly-false story, Ser Balon sends a letter to House Lannister, reporting that it was Gerold Dayne who attacked the princess, clearing house Martell in the process. Once this was done, Balon begins his hunt for Darkstar with Obara and Areo Hotah.
==Trivia==
*It is feared by readers that Balon might being led to a trap by Obara Sand on Doran's orders, in which he might be killed for his part in Cersei Lannister's secret plan to have Trystane Martell murdered, in order to undo his betrothal with Myrcella Baratheon.
**Although Balon disliked his orders, he still attempted to dissuade Doran from traveling with Trystane to King's Landing via sea, using Autumn storms and pirates from the Stepstones as a pretext. Cersei's plan meant for Balon and Doran's parties to travel via land, where she had arranged for a group of hired outlaws to attack the entourage and kill Trystane, while shouting "Halfman", while Doran would have been the witness to absolve Cersei of any ploy. As he is sworn to obey and protect all the Crown's secrets, Balon tried to convince Doran not to travel by ship, as this would have ruined the scheme.
***While Doran already knew of Cersei's ploy thanks to his informants in King's Landing and told his relatives that Balon doesn't wish to follow through Cersei's orders, the Martells still don't trust Balon, due to the fact he is too loyal to his masters and that he might have received more ill secret instructions. 
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