John Fredrick Parker
Donor
Those familiar with ASOIAF know about Bronn -- a low-born sellsword who saved and served a high lord, and subsequently rose in status, eventually marrying into a (lower) noble house. My question is, could (or did?) something like that happen in OTL's middle ages? To be clear what I'm looking for:
*a man of common or foreign birth makes his living by sword (so mercenary, bodyguard, bandit, what have you)...
*then, by happenstance, enters the service of a person of high family (eg a Duke's son or daughter)...
*is eventually made a knight for his service, and...
*marries the daughter of a well off Baron (lower noble)...
*who, in turn, happens to be related to an Earl/Count, and is in the line of succession for said title.
Bonus points if:
*said riser becomes Earl/Count, and...
*has a child who marries one of the children of the Sovereign...
*putting his grandchildren in line of succession to the throne.
It goes without saying that such a chain of events is highly unlikely, but given that I'd still like them to be a plausible as possible.
*a man of common or foreign birth makes his living by sword (so mercenary, bodyguard, bandit, what have you)...
*then, by happenstance, enters the service of a person of high family (eg a Duke's son or daughter)...
*is eventually made a knight for his service, and...
*marries the daughter of a well off Baron (lower noble)...
*who, in turn, happens to be related to an Earl/Count, and is in the line of succession for said title.
Bonus points if:
*said riser becomes Earl/Count, and...
*has a child who marries one of the children of the Sovereign...
*putting his grandchildren in line of succession to the throne.
It goes without saying that such a chain of events is highly unlikely, but given that I'd still like them to be a plausible as possible.