Criston Connington

## Knight of the Kingsguard

Criston Connington is a Knight on King Viserys III's Kingsguard, under the command of Lord Commander Tymos Westerling. Winning a tourney at aged sixteen under the guise of the Knight of the Sky, and fighting bravely in the War of the Seven Banners, Criston is a knight of much renown that holds close ties to the Targaryen family.

## History

Criston was born in 340AC, the younger brother to the Lord Robert Connington; their father being Ronnet. As the younger son, Criston could devote more of his time to putting in hard yards in the training ground, rather than learning the intricacies and mundane activities of life in court. Diplomacy was something that did not interest him, nor was it something that he must know, especially in contrast to his brother. He was lucky in his frame, and as he developed he grew the strength to handle Two-Handed weaponry. The training ground took him away from the struggles of his life; his father dying when he was but 7 years old.

With that, he also spent as much time honing his skill of the lance, yearning for the tourney fields. As a boy of just sixteen, he entered a tourney at Lannisport as a mystery knight; dubbed the Knight of the Sky, in order to be able to participate. As he was not a Knight, Criston had to use deception in order to get in the lists. In this, he became one of the youngest men to win a great tourney, unhorsing his opponent in the final round. Many of the Lords and Ladies were impressed by his display, and it earned him a Knighthood.

It became clear that he was martially adept, and that was a big pull in marriage, even for a second son of a Stormlander Lord. His elder brother arranged a marriage for him to a Dayne girl, the Lady Obella. It was a marriage that Criston did not want, though he always did his duty; for his brother and his family, and for his house.

Then everything changed in 362AC, when Obella died birthing their child, Nathaniel Connington. It was an unwanted marriage at first, but after 5 years, Criston had come to love Obella. Every time he saw the baby Nathaniel he could only think of her; his grief was evident, and it came in both sadness and anger. It was agreed upon by both families that Criston was not fit to raise a child, and the babe was sent to Starfall following Obella's death.

Criston was fit for some things though, and that was anything that involved a blade or a lance in his hand. Criston was sought our shortly after the death of his wife by the Targaryens. The King Viserys named him to the Kingsguard, if he would accept the offer, of which Criston did. He had a new life now, a new duty, and a family to protect.

He took his oaths seriously, though he did not desire another woman to sleep with anyway. Broad of shoulder, tall and strong, he was a good fit for the order of Knights. His face was kindly, though by now it has been chiselled with war and age, though his eyes remain kind.

In 364AC, when the War of the Seven Banners started, Criston got his first real taste of action, a true test of his mettle. He played an important part, fighting bravely, in the Battle of Corpse Lake and the Siege of Myr, alongside Aegor Targaryen. During the war, however, Criston's elder brother, the Lord Robert, was killed.

As the war came to an end, Criston guarded Aegor on his travels to Griffin's Roost, where he delivered the dead body of Robert to his son, Criston's nephew, and the new Lord of Griffin's Roost, the Lord Arrec.

## Recent Events

### 380AC: The End of Winter

An invitation was ent out to the Lords, Ladies, and Knights of the land inviting them to a great tourney to be held at Oldtown. At a meeting between the brothers of the Kingsguard in the White Sword Tower, Criston volunteered to stay in King's Landing to protect Prince Aenys, alongside fellow brother Draeghar Targaryen. His other five brothers would travel to Oldtown with the ill King Viserys III.