"Golden Knight" is always the title taken by the champion of the reigning tzar or tzarina of Kislev. This is an honorary rank bestowed on the greatest warrior among the druzhina (or occasionally in Kislevite history, boyars or even the common soldiery). Naryska is the daughter of the previous Golden Knight, who died at the side of Tzar Boris Bokha, Katarin's father.
As a girl, Naryska learned swordcraft from her father, honing her skills as a warrior from the finest in the realm. Though she was derided by her peers, she stood forward as a candidate as the Guardian of the Tzarina when the druzhina elected her father's successor.