House Kettleblack
| House Kettleblack | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Coat of arms |
A black kettle within a black orle on a red field (Gules, a kettle within an orle sable) |
| Head | Oswell Kettleblack |
| Region | Crownlands |
| Heir | Ser Osfryd Kettleblack |
| Overlord | House Baratheon of King's Landing |
House Kettleblack is a noble house from the crownlands. According to semi-canon sources they blazon their arms with a black kettle on red, within a black orle.[1]
Contents
Traits
Members of House Kettleblack tend to be tall, with dark hair and hooked noses. The Kettleblacks are known for their unscrupulous behavior.[2]
History
Ser Osmund Kettleblack fought as a sellsword in the Stepstones and the Disputed Lands, fighting with the Gallant Men for Lys and Tyrosh. He claims to have been knighted by Ser Robert Stone, who is now dead.[3]
Recent Events
A Clash of Kings
During the War of the Five Kings, Ser Osmund, Osney and Osfryd Kettleblack are sellswords in King's Landing.[4] Queen Cersei Lannister has her cousin, Ser Lancel Lannister,[5] find sellswords to replace the House Lannister guards led by Captain Vylarr, whom Tyrion Lannister has sent from the capital.[6] Cersei secretly meets with the Kettleblacks to buy her own sellswords. Unbeknownst to Cersei, however, the Kettleblack brothers are already being paid by Tyrion's captain, Bronn.[4]
Cersei names Ser Osmund to the Kingsguard to replace Ser Boros Blount after she dismisses Boros for cowardice.[7] The brothers become popular at the Red Keep, especially with serving women.[8]
Osmund is assigned to guard King Joffrey Baratheon during the Battle of the Blackwater. Osfryd becomes the captain of Cersei's new red cloak guards[9] and remains with the queen during the battle.[8]
A Storm of Swords
Osney and Osfryd receive their knighthoods after the Battle of the Blackwater.[10] Cersei has the Kettleblacks retrieve Prince Tommen Baratheon from Rosby.[10]
The brothers' father, Oswell Kettleblack, rows Ser Dontos Hollard and Sansa Stark out to the waiting Merling King the night they escape from King's Landing.[11] Lord Petyr Baelish reveals to Sansa that he had sent the Kettleblack brothers to King's Landing when Bronn was hiring sellswords for Tyrion, and they have been secretly in his employ all along, unbeknownst to Tyrion and Cersei.[5]
The three brothers are called as witnesses for the prosecution in the trial of Tyrion Lannister for the death of King Joffrey, with Osfryd and Osney omitting information about Alayaya and Osmund lying.[12]
A Feast for Crows
Cersei tells the Kettleblacks to dispose of the corpse of Shae, not caring how they do so.[13] Cersei also has them kill two gaolers who slept during Tyrion's escape, which upsets Jaime.[14]
Osfryd is named as the new Commander of the City Watch of King's Landing after the departure of Ser Addam Marbrand.[15]
Cersei has Osney sneak into the Great Sept of Baelor and murder the High Septon appointed by Tyrion. Cersei offers Osney sex as a reward.[16] She plots with Osney, telling him to seduce Queen Margaery Tyrell and then confess to the new High Septon, the "High Sparrow". As punishment, Cersei will make sure he is sent to the Wall, where he is to kill Jon Snow.[16]
The plan goes awry when the High Sparrow has Osney tortured until he confesses to having slept with Cersei and murdered the previous High Septon. Osney and Cersei are both imprisoned by the Faith, awaiting trial. The small council removes Osfryd as commander of the gold cloaks and replaces him with Humfrey Waters.[17]
Oswell is at Gulltown when the Merling King docks and he learns some interesting information which he shares with Petyr.[18]
A Dance with Dragons
In addition to Osney, the imprisoned Cersei falsely[19] confesses to the High Sparrow that she slept with Osmund and Osfryd.[20] Ser Kevan Lannister, the Lord Regent, has the older Kettleblack brothers thrown into the dungeon. Kevan plans to send Osfryd and Osney to the Wall or have them face Ser Robert Strong in trial by combat, depending on their pleas.[21]
House Kettleblack at the end of the third century
The known Kettleblacks during the timespan of the events described in A Song of Ice and Fire are:
- Oswell, called 'Kettleblack', a man-at-arms in service to Lord Petyr Baelish.
- Ser Osmund Kettleblack, his eldest son, a member of the Kingsguard.
- Ser Osfryd Kettleblack, his second son, former Commander of the City Watch of King's Landing and sworn sword of Queen Cersei Lannister.
- Ser Osney Kettleblack, his youngest son, sworn sword of Queen Cersei Lannister.
Quotes
Amiable rogues all three, the brothers were in truth much more skilled at deceit than they'd ever been at bloodletting. Cersei had managed to buy herself three hollow drums; they would make all the fierce booming sounds she required, but there was nothing inside.[4]
—thoughts of Tyrion Lannister
Tyrion: When I think of how much coin I paid those wretched ... do you think there's any chance that more gold might win them away from Cersei?
Varys: There is always a chance, but I should not care to wager on the likelihood. They are knights now, all three, and your sister has promised them further advancement.[22]—Tyrion Lannister and Varys
Three hidden daggers, Alayne, now perfectly placed.[5]
Cersei: I must confess, I am running short of patience with dear Osney. It is past time he broke in that little filly. I named him Tommen's sworn shield so he could spend part of every day in Margaery's company. He should have plucked the rose by now. Is the little queen blind to his charms?
Osmund: His charms is fine. He's a Kettleblack, ain't he?[23]
The Kettleblacks ... they are hard men, and cruel, and they used me roughly, but what else was I to do? Tommen needed men around him I could trust.[20]
—Cersei Lannister to the High Sparrow
Behind the Scenes
The idiom "the pot calling the kettle black" seems to be inspiration behind the name of the House.
References
- ↑ The Citadel. Heraldry: the area of King's Landing
- ↑ A Clash of Kings, Chapter 54, Tyrion XII.
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 67, Jaime VIII.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 A Clash of Kings, Chapter 41, Tyrion IX.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 68, Sansa VI.
- ↑ A Clash of Kings, Chapter 25, Tyrion VI.
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 49, Catelyn VI.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 A Clash of Kings, Chapter 60, Sansa VI.
- ↑ A Clash of Kings, Chapter 57, Sansa V.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 4, Tyrion I.
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 61, Sansa V.
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 66, Tyrion IX.
- ↑ A Feast for Crows, Chapter 3, Cersei I.
- ↑ A Feast for Crows, Chapter 8, Jaime I.
- ↑ A Feast for Crows, Chapter 28, Cersei VI.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 A Feast for Crows, Chapter 17, Cersei IV.
- ↑ A Feast for Crows, Chapter 43, Cersei X.
- ↑ A Feast for Crows, Chapter 41, Alayne II.
- ↑ George R. R. Martin's A World of Ice and Fire, Osfryd Kettleblack.
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 54, Cersei I.
- ↑ A Dance with Dragons, Epilogue.
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 12, Tyrion II.
- ↑ A Feast for Crows, Chapter 25, Brienne V.
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