it would be very beautiful to me if during the "how good a knight are you" scene Dunk came clean about not actually having been knighted (I can't remember if this is explicitly clear in the show, but it's very obvious in the book) bc the guilt is killing him and he's like I got into this mess bc I didn't know my place, I can't keep lying especially not to the prince when he's trying to help me.
but if he's not a knight he's not entitled to a trial by combat, so he resigns himself to a normal trial and probably losing a hand and a foot, and maybe worse bc he lied too
and baelor is conflicted bc like bro just straight lied to his face, but also he thinks of Egg lying to be Dunk's squire, and how Dunk would've been completely alone in the world after Ser Arlan died, and despite lying about it Dunk's been a truer knight than most, and is just good in a way that people often aren't.
so then baelor is like you know what, fuck it we ball. and he's like okay kneel. and Dunk is so scared and miserable and guilty that he's like holy shit I know I did wrong but this guy is just going to take my head off right here and now. so he's freaking out, thinking he's about to die but is trying to be a man about it, like well this is what I deserve I guess, bc Baelor is fair and just and if he says I should die for this then that's that.
and then Baelor knights him
and Dunk's is like aren't I going to be punished for lying
and baelor is like you've still got to do a trial by combat tomorrow, I think you're being punished enough
(and then the trial of seven still happens, but Baelor lives this time and Dunk becomes his most devoted knight, and also they are in love)
