HBOThe World of Westeros is a rich world full of its own religions, history, and superstitions, and therefore, it’s no surprise that certain numbers are significant. In particular, the number seven pops up again and again in Westeros: there’s the faith of The Seven, the popular curse “Seven hells,” and there are, of course, Seven Kingdoms in Westeros. Or are there? The last moments of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Season 1 seem to suggest this base assumption is actually completely wrong. It’s a hilarious final gag for the show, but it also highlights how history can often take precedence in a medieval world. Warning! Spoilers for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Season 1 Episode 6, “The Morrow,” ahead!In the final scenes of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, Ser Duncan is preparing to set off with his horses when young Egg runs after him, saying his father sent him to serve as Dunk’s squire. (This turns out to be a lie, but Dunk doesn’t know that.) Dunk tells Egg that Chestnut is his to ride, and they set off on a journey. How many kingdoms is Dunk a knight of, anyway? | HBO“Where are we going, ser?” Egg asks. “Don’t know,” Dunk replies. “I suppose we could go anywhere in the Seven Kingdoms, though I’ve never been to D-” “Nine,” Egg interrupts. “There are nine kingdoms.”Dunk doesn’t believe him, but Egg actually rattles them off: Crownlands, Westerlands, Stormlands, Riverlands, The Iron Islands, The North, The Reach, The Vale of Arryn, and Dorne. As they ride off for whatever Westeros has in store for them, a title card reads Knight of the Nine Kingdoms. But how does this make sense? We’ve heard “the Seven Kingdoms” long before Dunk and Egg in House of the Dragon, and long after them in Game of Thrones. So, how has everyone had this wrong for centuries? The answer lies in one of the most important parts of Westerosi history. The Nine Kingdoms, ExplainedThe Targaryens conquered seven kingdoms but established new regions. | HBOThe “Seven Kingdoms” actually refers to the seven realms that were conquered by Aegon the Conqueror, the first person to unite Westeros into one kingdom. The true Seven Kingdoms were the Kingdom of the North, the Kingdom of the Isles and the Rivers, the Kingdom of Mountain and Vale, the Kingdom of the Rock, the Kingdom of the Reach, the Kingdom of the Storm, and the Principality of Dorne. The great houses we know in House of the Dragon and beyond were actually the result of the Targaryens gifting certain areas of the realm to families who sided with them. The Starks in the North, the Arryns in the Vale, and the Lannisters of Casterly Rock in the Westerlands were all allowed to be wardens of their respective areas. Then, the Tullys were granted the Riverlands, the Tyrells were granted the Reach, the Baratheons were granted the Stormlands, and the Greyjoys were granted the Iron Islands. Dorne joining Westeros later is part of the reason there are technically more than seven kingdoms. | HBOThat’s seven, but there are some key places missing. First, there are the Crownlands, the area where the Targaryens settled and established King’s Landing. Then, there’s Dorne, which the Targaryens claimed initially, but didn’t technically join Westeros until centuries later. This is why the Iron Islands were split from the Riverlands: Aegon knew how important the number seven was, so he made it so he ruled over seven kingdoms plus his own region until Dorne joined later. So, essentially, there are seven kingdoms in Westeros, the same way there are 50 U.S. states: there are also a bunch of territories, but “50” is an easier number, and the capital was somehow an exception.Seven is a lucky number in our society, and pops up all the time in multiple religions: the seven sacraments of Catholicism, seven heaven and hells in Hinduism, seven circles around the Kaaba in Islam, seven branches on a menorah in Judaism, etc. This correction just proves how important it is in Westeros, too. We may still call it A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms when the series returns next year, but we’ll know what that really means. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is now streaming on HBO Max.