History Main / LadyAndKnight

'''Sansa':'' ''(shaken)'' And I vow... that you shall always have a place by my hearth, and [...] meat and mead at my table. And... I pledge to ask no service of you, that might bring you dishonor. I swear it by the old gods and the new.
-->-- ''Series/GameOfThrones'', S6 E1 "The Red Woman"

** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'': The leaders of the city state of Ul'Dah. [[HugeGuyTinyGirl Nanamo]] the kind-hearted sultana and her army commander [[LargeAndInCharge Raubahn]], [[AsskickingEqualsAuthority a former champion gladiator.]]

* The Akira Himekawa ''Manga/TheLegendOfZelda'' manga adaptation of ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast A Link To The Past]]'' presents Link's relationship with Zelda in this manner. Link is a boy from a HeroicLineage of knights chosen by the gods to protect Hyrule and the princess. A lot of the imagery, such as Link bowing to Zelda, is more stereotypical of this trope than in other ''Zelda'' works. There are even implications of a CourtlyLove between Zelda and Link.

->'''Brienne''': Lady Sansa, I offer my services once again. I will shield your back, and give you counsel, and give my life for yours if need be. I swear it by the old gods and the new.\\
(beat)\\
'''Sansa''': ''[shaken]'' And I vow... that you shall always have a place by my hearth, and [...] meat and mead at my table. And... I pledge to ask no service of you, that might bring you dishonor. I swear it by the old gods and the new.

** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'' has a young Tifa invoking the imagery when she asks a young Cloud, who's about to leave so he can become a member of SOLDIER, if he'd promise her to protect her when she ever was in trouble. While Tifa herself becomes a strong ActionGirl in her own right with time, she still remembers the promise and, when they're reunited, she reminds him of it and wishes that he fills it if it's needed. [[spoiler: What she doesn't know and he can't remember is that, during the destruction of their DoomedHometown, ''he already filled it'' by rescuing Tifa from the rampaging Sephiroth and fighting him.]]Additionally, Cloud agrees to act as Aerith's bodyguard in exchange for one date when they meet in her church. While it is a playful joke between them at first, Cloud comes to take his role as Aerith's bodyguard seriously and spearheads the mission to rescue Aerith when she is captured by Shinra.

* ''LightNovel/RebuildWorld'': CyberPunk version with Alpha as a seductive ArtificialIntelligence EvilMentor to the UnscrupulousHero Akira. He seems to follow her every command blindly as an UnwittingPawn, despite being irritated by her constant seduction attempts. But Tsubaki’s attempts to turn Akira away from Alpha, make him recite a list of ManipulativeBitch actions she’s taken before citing IGaveMyWord and IOweYouMyLife to justify serving her in a MyMasterRightOrWrong situation. Generally speaking however, Akira is a DefrostingIceKing who becomes more and more connected to those around him, despite Alpha’s wishes to keep him isolated and dependent on her.
* {{Genderflip}}ped variation: Ashram and Pirotess from ''Manga/RecordOfLodossWar''.

[[folder:Light Novels]]
* ''LightNovel/TheAsteriskWar'': Julis Riessfeld is the Bright Lady and [[TheHero Ayato Amagiri]] is her White Knight. Ayato even says his purpose in life is to protect Julis.

* ''LightNovel/TheFamiliarOfZero'' has noblewoman Louise and her Knight Saito. While bratty to begin with, she eventually matures into a Bright Lady and Saito shows great courage and devotion as her White Knight (if a little perverted).
* ''LightNovel/FateZero'':

* This is a core aspect of the story in the light novel ''Lance 'N Masques''. Youtarou is a young knight who's sworn to protect his "lady" Makio, the 6-year-old daughter of the head of a major corporation. While many of the most powerful knights in the world are women and many are charged with protecting and supporting men, the ideal remains a "Knight" protecting a "Princess", making sure that whatever path she chooses he clears that path of obstacles, while the "Princess" in turn commits to choosing the right path and becoming someone the knight can be honored to serve
* ''LightNovel/UndefeatedBahamutChronicle'' has [[TheHero Lux Arcadia]] fulfilling ''both'' sides of the trope. First, he is the White Knight to ''four'' different Bright Ladies: Lisesharte Atismata, [[TheAtoner Celestia Ralgris]], [[RoseHairedSweetie Philuffy Aingram]] and [[AmbiguouslyHuman Krulcifer Einfolk]]. He’s also the Bright Lord and [[SubordinateExcuse Yoruka Kirihime]] is his [[DarkIsNotEvil Black Knight]].
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[[folder:Literature]]
* ''Literature/AvalonHigh'' resolves [[Myth/ArthurianLegend canon]] problems by CleaningUpRomanticLooseEnds: the modern reincarnation of King Arthur becomes a couple with the Lady of the Lake. While he fends off the forces of darkness, she provides him comfort, Excalibur, and meta knowledge about how best to twist their story in this cycle.
* The ''Literature/{{Belgariad}}'', being a deliberate hotbed of fantasy tropes, has this more than once:
** Sir Mandorallen of Vo Mandor is a White Knight with ''two'' Bright Ladies; he is devoted to the Baroness of Vo Ebor, but is also sworn to defend Ce'Nedra as the Queen's Champion. (He's also quite desperately in love with the former, but his affection for Ce'Nedra is entirely platonic.)
** In ''Polgara the Sorceress'', one of the prequels, Polgara herself is the White Lady to Count Ontrose's Bright Knight. (That one is mutual, but [[BecauseDestinySaysSo Destiny wasn't having it]]. It does take her a couple of thousand years to fall in love again, though.)
* Among the Blood of the ''Literature/BlackJewels'' universe, women usually rule while men are expected to do most of the non-magical fighting. The Blood's governmental structure depends on the formation of Lady and Knight dynamics between the Queen and the highest-ranking males of her court.
** Jaenelle Angelline and Daemon Sadi, although Daemon pushes the boundaries of GoodIsNotSoft more than is customary for a White Knight.
** Cassidy and Gray are a straighter example after CharacterDevelopment.
* Taran and Eilonwy in ''Literature/TheChroniclesOfPrydain'' grow into this.
* Technically it would be 'Captain and Supply Officier' but Lafiel and Jinto from ''Literature/CrestOfTheStars'' fulfill the spirit of the trope. He defers to and protects her, while she is a princess with a drive to serve her empire. On the other hand, since Jinto is arguably TheQuisling, his fellow humans see them as the darker variety.
* ''Literature/DonQuixote'' is a DeconstructiveParody of this trope, since Don Quijote is a dirt poor nobleman who [[CannotTellFictionfromReality who is so obsessed with chivalric novels that he's lost a few screws and decided that he is a vagrant knight]]. As for the fair lady, well, she does not even exist! He created his sweet lady in his head just because of The DulcineaEffect.
* ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'' has a bizarre example made horrifying by the circumstances: [[spoiler: Harry Dresden]], Winter Knight and [[spoiler: Molly Carpenter]], Winter Lady. Not only does she have unrequited feelings for him, but he's her teacher. Again. But now she has magical influence over his mind (it's [[GreyAndGreyMorality unclear]] what side of the trope [[BadGuysDoTheDirtyWork they]] fall on). [[spoiler: Fix]], Summer Knight and [[spoiler: Lily]], Summer Lady are a much more benevolent example.
* Sparhawk and Ehlana in ''Literature/TheElenium'' trilogy are this in the most literal of senses; Ehlana is Queen of Elenia, and Sparhawk is the Queen's Champion (and later husband).
* ''Literature/TheHouseOfNight'' series adores this trope[[note]] Vampyre society is traditionally matriarchal; females have a stronger connection to the gods and are more likely to manifest magical abilities. Males are something like foot soldiers -- trained in combat and referred to as 'protector' but rarely ever placed in positions of command.[[/note]]. Nearly all LoveConfession[=s,=] if requited, are followed by the man swearing eternal love and fealty to the woman.
** Particular examples include [[TheChosenOne Zoey]] and [[FaceHeelTurn Stark]] and [[LovableAlphaBitch Aphrodite]] and [[DefectorFromDecadence Darius]].
** [[OfficialCouple Dragon and Anastasia]] became this after Dragon had gone through some CharacterDevelopment. (Anastasia, being a MartialPacifist, would not accept [[BloodKnight Dragon]] as her Knight unless he agreed to become TheFettered. He did, and a MoralityChain was born.)
* Creator/JulieKagawa's ''Literature/TheIronFey'': In ''Literature/TheIronQueen'', Ash swears a Knight's Oath to Meghan.

* Technically it would be 'Captain and Supply Officier' but Lafiel and Jinto from ''LightNovel/CrestOfTheStars'' fulfill the spirit of the trope. He defers to and protects her, while she is a princess with a drive to serve her empire. On the other hand, since Jinto is arguably TheQuisling, his fellow humans see them as the darker variety.

[[/folder]]

* ''Manga/AyakashiTriangle'': Matsuri is a ninja exorcist who swore to protect Suzu, a very kind person whose [[MagneticMedium nature]] gives her [[TheBeastmaster a sort of authority]] among [[OurSpiritsAreDifferent ayakashi]]--Suzu’s ability to command them is what first brought Matsuri’s admiration. Utagawa admiringly calls them “The [[GenderBender lady]] knight protecting her princess.” In the past, Suzu didn't accept his protection, as Matsuri was a distant, mildly PoisonousFriend who refused to explain ''[[SupernaturallyDeliciousAndNutritious why]]'' ayakashi might attack her. After discovering his reasons, Suzu embraces Matsuri's role as her bodyguard, using his general deference toward her as a means to [[BodyguardCrush bring them close together]].

* Euphemia vi Britannia and Suzaku Kururugi from ''Anime/CodeGeass'' are a literal example: she is the princess of the Britannian Empire and he is soon knighted by her. She is a PoliticallyActivePrincess trying to create a situation where everyone can coexist peacefully while he pilots a Knightmare frame to fight unfortunately necessary battles.

** The Mistress of the Night Sky, Hayate, has this kind of relationship with her Belkan Knights, the Wolkenritter, especially with regards to Vita who is [[BodyguardCrush very devoted to her]]. The relationship began with Hayate as the [[IllGirl sickly]] DamselInDistress they must protect until Hayate managed to come into power as a PersonOfMassDestruction that leads them in battle.

The Lady and Knight is a chivalric image that many of us probably know very well, though perhaps you didn't realize they come in two flavors. A staple in fiction everywhere, the Lady And Knight dynamic is at least OlderThanFeudalism, though no doubt that whole era of Romantic adventure stories like ''Myth/KingArthur'' and ''Myth/RobinHood'' perpetuated it. While it is very common in works set in a Medieval era or [[MedievalEuropeanFantasy equivalent fantasy version]], they can pop up anywhere but even in modern settings, they are usually meant to invoke that era's ideal image of a Lady and her Knight.

* In keeping with the Galactic Empire's overall FeudalFuture imagery and motifs, Siegfried Kircheis and Annerose von Grünewald of ''Anime/LegendOfGalacticHeroes'' seem to have a subtle version of this relationship going, with Kircheis serving Reinhard at least partly due to a childhood promise he made to look after her little brother in her absence.

* ''Manga/AttackOnTitan'':
** Unofficial knight imagery is incorporated into Ymir, the stern and brawny protector of angelic-seeming [[spoiler:royal heir]] Krista. (They're listed here because, [[spoiler:while more selfishly motivated than they first appear, their actions are generally good or at least neutral]].)
** Also, to some extent, there is Bianca, the Captain of Finé's Royal Guard, who is very protective of her Archduchess -- to the point of having animosity towards Izetta until she finds out how devoted she is.

* ''Anime/IzettaTheLastWitch'' has Finé, the brave, gallant, and charismatic [[TheHighQueen High Queen]], protected by her friend Izetta, who happens to be an insanely powerful witch and bears UndyingLoyalty to her Princess. As bonus points, Izetta is usually white-clad. As you might have guessed, their relationship produces truckloads of LesYay.

There are two particular variations of the Lady And Knight dynamic: the '''Bright Lady and White Knight''', a good version, and an EvilCounterpart, the '''Dark Lady and Black Knight'''. While the types are fairly distinct, it's not unheard of for Ladies and their Knights to switch from one to the other, should they perform a HeelFaceTurn or FaceHeelTurn. For more information about the two different types, see [[Analysis/LadyAndKnight the Analysis page]].

Compare MistressAndServantBoy which has a similar dynamic, but the Knight is less about serving and doing menial tasks and more about protecting his Lady and his honor. If the servant also happens to be a BattleButler, however, they may overlap. If there's rescuing going on but none of the courtliness, it's a RescueRomance.

* In ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneyDualDestinies'', it becomes clear that Simon Blackquill [[TheFourLoves loved]] Metis not only as a student loves a mentor, but also as a samurai loves his patron. That's why he almost kills himself shielding her daughter.

* ''VideoGame/VirgoVsTheZodiac'': Virgo and Pisces form a pair. Pisces is always a Bright Lady; whether Virgo is dark or light is up to the player.

%%* Queen Tara and Ronin in ''WesternAnimation/{{Epic}}''.

* ''VideoGame/EldenRing'' plays with this - the Dark Lady is Ranni the Witch, a [[TheChessmaster scheming]] demigoddess with a [[TheBaroness chilly, aloof, and ambitious]] disposition, and from the moment she meets the [[PlayerCharacter Tarnished]], she immediately starts pressuring them into helping her scheme to become the TopGod, with you increasingly becoming her Knight. The thing is, [[spoiler:it's a RomanceSidequest, and everything suggests that by the end of it, Ranni genuinely loves you - that, and the game makes it clear her real goal is to save the world from the manipulations of the [[GodIsEvil Great Will]], as her family was torn apart by its edicts. As a result, Ranni comes off as an AffablyEvil AntiVillain at worst, and it only ends badly if ''you'' betray ''her.'']]

** In ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess Twilight Princess]]'', Link is the knight to another princess ([[spoiler:Midna]]), who even lampshades it once or twice. Also an example of RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething, as she is a very competent Lady.

** A light-sided Sith Warrior can go for this with a light-sided Jaesa Wilsaam. You, the surprisingly moral knight in polished black armor; her, the former Jedi turned moral Sith; the two of you intend to reform the Empire from the outside in, with a platonic relationship between you.

* ''VideoGame/WildArms1:'' Although she's quite capable of [[LadyOfWar taking care of herself]] most of the time, Cecilia is the RebelliousPrincess (and later Queen) Bright Lady while Rudy ''and'' Jack serve as her White Knights. Rudy is a more straightforward WhiteKnight as he will do everything he can to save those around him. Because of his [[DarkAndTroubledPast Dark And Troubled Past]] it takes Jack a while to fully grow into the role.

[[/folder]]

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* ''LightNovel/{{Campione}}'': Genderflipped example between Godou and two of the members of his UnwantedHarem, Erica and Liliana (both of whom are {{Magic Knight}}s to boot). Once of Erica's main goals is to make Godou into a true king as a Campione, but she's clearly more interested in being able to have him as her lover/future husband. Liliana, on the other hand, ''tries'' to prioritize her role as Godou's knight, despite obviously having feelings for him as well.