Mercenary: Mercadier, d 1200

Sellswords aren't unique to Game of Thrones.  Men throughout history have sold their sword to whichever commander or ruler pays the most, or offers opportunities for perks such as plunder or maybe even titles, lands, and the ultimate reward, power.  In addition to their knights and men-at-arms, kings and other rulers in Medieval times augmented their armies with mercenaries, and some mercenaries prospered through the arrangement.   Unlike local fighters, mercenaries weren't afraid to do dirty work, like laying waste the lands of rebellious vassals or enemies.

Mercadier appears in history as a leader of Brabant or Belgian mercenaries in southern France.  He entered the service of the Richard the Lionheart in 1188, while Richard was still Duke of Aquitaine.  Richard saw the need to punish a rebellious vassal, Aimar V of Limoge and hired Mercadier to get it done.  His services obviously pleased Richard, who put him in charge of 17 castles captured from the Count of Toulouse.  Mercadier and his men accompanied Richard on the Third Crusade.  However, when Phillip II of France returned home early, Richard sent Mercadier back to France, rightly sensing trouble with Phillip.  Mercadier and his men guarded Richard's estates during his absence.

Upon Richard's return from the Holy Land, he continued to employ Mercadier.  When another vassal, Ademar de Balnac died, Richard gifted Mercadier de Balnac's erstwhile estates in Limousin.  Mercadier was busy fighting off Phillip II for Richard in Berry, Normandy, Flanders and Brittany.  In 1199, at Chalus, Mercadier was at Richard's side when Richard was wounded by a chance arrow shot.  Mercadier referred the services of his own physician, but it was not enough to save the King's life.  After Richard's death, Mercadier ordered the hapless archer who'd shot Richard flayed alive in retribution.  Mercadier then offered his services to Eleanor of Aquitaine.  Living by the sword meant dying by it, too, and in 1200, while Eleanor was escorting Blanche of Castile to wed Phillip's son Louis, a mercenary hired by John ambushed and killed Mercadier.  A bridge at Chateau Gaillard was named for Mercadier.