Tristan de Bois

## The Black Knight

**Tristan de Bois**, also known as **"The Black Knight"**, was the older brother of Ygraine and Agravaine de Bois, the brother-in-law of Uther Pendragon, and one of Arthur's maternal uncles.

## Biography

### Early Life

Ygraine was a memeber for the House of de Bois, the youngest child and only daughter of her family. He grew up with her two older brothers, Agravaine and Tristan who were both close to her and protective of her.

The de Bois had ruled over Camelot for generations, being the descendants of the founder of Camelot, the legendary King Bruta. Even during Roman rule, the de Bois still ruled over Camelot and it flourished.

Tristan de Bois and Lady Enneni Oer, of the House of Oer, were betrothed from a young age, with the House of Oer knowing that the House of Gwertherion, the rulers of Camelot, where planning to marry back into the de Bois family to make their ruling claim stronger.

### Loosing Camelot

Uther, the son of the late Roman Emperor Constantine III, took intrest in Camelot. When Uther was twenty he gained supporters in Francia and Camelot, and conquered the latter, overthrowing the House of Gwertherion. Uther killed the king at the time, king Idnerth Gwertherion, but spared his wife and unborn child.

Uther asked for Lady Ygraine de Bois' hand in marriage to strengthen his claim of ruling Camelot. Lady Ygraine was smitten with the smart, young king, even though he overthrew the Gwertherions. Uther took the crown under the title of "Uther Pendragon" after the dragon-shaped comet.

Tristan liked Uther, and thought he was a better king than the late King Idnerth Gwertherion. The House Oer wasn't happy with this, as they knew Lady Enneni wouldn't have a chance to the mother of king/queen anymore. However, they didn't break-up the betrothal, knowing that it would lead to war.

Tristan and Enneni married a few months after Uther became king. A year after he took Camelot, King Uther and Lady Ygraine married. Lady Ygraine was sixteen at the time of their wedding. A traditional jousting tournament was held in Camelot before Uther's marriage to Ygraine.

A few years after he and Enneni were marreid they had a son, Bagdemagus.

Due to Uther not having an heir for a long time, Bagdemagus was Camelots heir. The House of Oer and some anti-Pendragon people wanted Bagdemagus to become king, and plotted to kill Uther. The plan was that Bagdemagus would then marry back into the House of Gwertherion. Sir Tristan found out and put a stop to it.

Sir Tristan became a great friend and ally of Uthers.

### Death

When his beloved younger sister Ygraine died during childbirth, Tristan blamed Uther for her death and arrived in Camelot to challenge him to a duel. Uther won the duel but before he died, Tristan swore in his dying breaths that he would rise from the dead and avenge Ygraine.

His son was ten at the time of his death, but he went on to become the king of Aquitaine, after marrying the Frankish princess Adelheild, the daughter of Chlodomer Merovingian of Francia.

## Trivia

* + His surname, *De Bois*, means "of wood" in French.
* Tristan is the first of two characters of the same name to appear in the show. The second was the smuggler Tristan and the lover of Isolde.
* Given that Tristan blames Uther on Ygraine's death rather than accepting it due to birth complications, it is likely that he and Agravaine are aware that their sister conceives through the use of magic on Uther's requests.