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111 AC
King's Landing
First-person POV
Viserys Targaryen
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The stands filled with excited whispers as the announcer began. To my right, my loyal hand of the king followed by my daughter and his daughter sat in the royal box. With them, my wife's cousin, Lady Jeyne Arryn, was also given a seat alongside her own lady companion, Jessimine Redford. To my left, my fellow lords of the small council save for the grand maester and my dear cousin Rhaenys as well as her husband.
Her children didn't sit beneath them. Instead, they sat distinctively closer than normal. They were in the seats meant for Daemon and Aemon. I knew that Daemon was probably going to participate but I wasn't sure about Aemon. Either way not having chairs for both would be noted by the lords.
Sitting beside them was Lady Rhea and her guard who besides their required greetings hadn't spoken a word to the rest of the family.
'Now that I think about it the last I heard about Aemon was something about him taking part in a horse race of some kind on the street of sisters. But Lady Rhea was here and that most likely meant that Aemon would have a tent set up somewhere.
The horn from the arena blared and the crowd went silent. Without further ado the announcer, a man wearing an orange and red outfit with a black four-legged version of my house's sigil started speaking to the audience.
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"Lords, Ladies, and people of King's Landing. His grace, King Viserys the first of house Targaryen, has a few words to say before we begin this most amazing event if you could all bring your attention to the royal box." After a few moments of him speaking, he pointed to me with a custom staff and tipped his large, feathered hat.
I smiled and rose to speak with my adoring public. The crowd cheered upon seeing me as they always did whenever I held such tourneys. I've always been fond of such events and Aemon often jokes that I find any excuse to throw a party which is much more true than I ought to admit.
I cleared my throat for my speech and began to speak in my kingly voice.
"People of King's Landing! My friends! My family! Today we gather to celebrate the birth of my new heir! When my son is born! I hope that you all will celebrate this glorious moment with me! Since my reign has begun, this is the largest celebration that has ever been thrown in the seven kingdoms! As such, for the next seven days games shall be held throughout King's Landing."
I carried on for a few minutes longer but ultimately I cut it a little short to save time. So after I finished my speech, the announcer began to speak again.
"For the first joists of today's grand events, we have drawn lots from the greatest lords here in King's Landing and the bravest knights in the seven kingdoms!"
When he finishes speaking horns blow and a group of knights rushes out of the entrance tunnel. I return to my seat waiting to see what today will bring when I feel a hand on my shoulder.
I turn to see Otto out of the corner of my eye as he leans in to speak to me. On his face, there is a strange grimness that surprises me somewhat. On such a joyful day surely there's nothing that could bring down such a joyous mood in the air.
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111 AC
King's Landing
Third-person POV
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As Viserys sits down another horn blows through the air and a rumble starts to rise as the great lords approach. Many of which, in another world, would have never been here nor participated if it were not for the letters of a good friend.
The first lord, thundering through the entrance tunnel thundered in banners waving and armor shining. The announcer lifted his voice as far as it would go for all to hear him.
"Lord Borros Baratheon! The heir to Storm's End! The Great Stag of the Stormlands!"
In yellow and black, Lord Borros rode in like a storm into the tourney grounds the hooves of his horse rumbling like thunder. His great stag-horned helm shot up into the sky as if to proclaim his strength and Fury. He rode in his father's stead after somehow managing to convince lord Boremund of his friendship with Prince Aemon despite his inability to read as well as others. However, unlike his conon self Borros can grasp letters although not quite as well as the average man.
The storm panders roared with cheers like the breaking of a storm and even a few of the lords showed their support as they lifted mini Baratheon flags. This even caught the eye of the King himself who hadn't noticed them before. Later when inquiring he would come to find out that several of the great lords' houses had merchandise in their honor being sold by the new stall owners brought in by House Royce.
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Behind the heir to storms' end, more and more lords poured in one after the other each just as impressive as the last.
"The proud heir of Casterly Rock and future lord of the Weasterlands! Ser Jason Lannister!" The announcer called out as the next knight entered taking his place next to Borros in the line of warriors.
Lord Jason Lannister in his Lion regalia looks like a shining lion in gold and red armor. The heir to Casterly Rock, no less impressive than his long-time friend. The shining lord's lion armor and banner were met by a rousing cheer from the Weaterlands' lords, especially from the box of lord Tywin Lannister. The loudest of which, came from Jason's twin brother Tyland Lannister.
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If the flags of the Stormlanders had been surprising the Westerlanders banners and flags were even more so. One little girl even held up a stuffed lion in the crowd and cheered wildly for the young lord.
As it was, each great lord made an entrance in glorious fashion, the official announcer identifying each of them. From lord Tyrell who rode in like the wind on an elegant steep his armor all green and gold roses.
He too was met with grand cheating and applause and several small folk women and ladies of lesser houses threw false yellow roses into the arena to celebrate his coming. The items had been sold cheaply to women who had been given them at a discount. Atop this, the Reacher lords had brought the largest party as always and many of them held green and gold flower flags as well.
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To lord Elmo Tully heir to Riverrun, flooded in followed by a member of House Aryn. Not the lord but rather their own representative chosen by Jeyne. Aronold's father and lord of the gulltown Arynn's. The two of them sea and sky soared into place beside each other. To two of them a force of blue and white intercut with Tully red and Gulltown yellow as well. The fish and the falcon met with another uproar of cheers.
Little blue flags waved left and right in celebration of the honorable knights of the Vale and River lands. Meanwhile, up in the royal box, Lady Jeyne Arryn herself held a small blue and white Arryn flag. In that moment Lady Jessimine Redford, who had been seated next to her leaned over in her chair and whispered something in her ear. The lady nodded but did nothing as the crowd continued.
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After them was another lord whose presence shocked nearly all of the attendants. Lord Greyjoy rode in atop a horse as grey as the stones of pike. The Kraken lord of the Iron Islands received little to no cheers but rather just some polite claps from the other lords in attendance outside of those from the islands as well which were few. The current lord reaper of pike however, seemed not to mind this in the slightest and simply took his place amongst his fellow lords.
There was no great love for the Iron Islander to be found here. Many had heard terrible tales of the squid's deeds and many lords would confirm them to be true. Amongst the peasants of King's Landing, very few had even seen an Iron Islander at all, and most never would either, so there were no true cheers from the denizens of the capital as well.
Even so, in his black and gold Kracken armor, the Great lord rode his grey mount with pride and not a care for the opinions of others. Besides he only decided to partake in the joust for his own personal amusement his true ideal was the rumors of the maylee yet to come.
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After the lord of the Iron Islands arrived in the arena another made their way in. A rider in armor shaped to resemble wolves rode into the tourney grounds like a blizzard of northern force.
"The proud heir to Winterfell all the way from the icy lands of the north! Lord Rickon Stark!" The announcer cried out again as the grey knight entered his fur wolf cloak billowing behind him.
Rickon Stark wasn't normally the type to attend tourneys but he had been personally invited by not only the king but also his long-time friend Prince Aemon. He'd even been gifted the very armor he wore now by the prince though the horse was his own.
The heir to Winterfell was met by his own set of cheers and although few flags waved. The section of northern lords boomed with shouts and cheers like an avalanche of northern pride in their lord's heir. Mainly from the houses Manderly and Umber who were also in attendance though had no personal champions in the lists today.
Rickon himself was just as excited for this day as they were not just at the idea of the great games they would play, but also because he had received permission to act in his father's stead while attending the tourney. He'd even been granted permission to use the legendary great sword of House Stark during his time in King's Landing.
During the years since the Great Council of 101 AC, Lord Benjen Stark's health had been continually deteriorating and it'd been made clear that he was not long for this world. Thanks to Prince Aemon's recommendations sent over letter however that time had been somewhat extended by a few years. Now at the invitation of his long-time friend Rickon intended to seize the chance to display the strength of the new lord Stark before all the realm.
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The last few into the first bracket were those who weren't from great lord houses but tether were related to the members of the small council.
Gawayne and Bryndon Hightower rode in full Hightower armor silver and green with their family sigil on display. Gawayne was a well-known rider in King's Landing and the son of the hand of the king. So when his name was called out and the crowd roared his grin widened beneath his helm and his hand waved to the adoring audience even lifting the lance in his hand and pointing it up to the sky for a few thrusts.
Bryndon was not well known for his riding in the lists however, he too resolved his own fair share of cheers as well. He did not wave or make any fanfare he simply rolled his eyes at his brother's antics and moved into his place.
Although there were a few flags a small number of people did hold up seven-pointed stars and other such holy symbols as well.
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"We also have the one and only Ser Harwin 'Break Bones' Strong heir to Harrenhal!"
Harwin the last but certainly not the least to ride into the line atop a brown steed of strong body and build. He held in line next to the two Hightowers brothers. He towered over the two of them, Brynden less so than Gawayne, and greeted his two boyhood friends with but a simple nod which they returned.
It would later be noted that on this day the true reunion of the knights of the round began and nearly all of their future endeavors could be tied back to this glorious day.
Soon the announcer gathered the excited crowd's attention once again to anounce the first match of the day. The turn order was decided by the pull of names and even the royal box seemed to be quiet as the announcer reached into an ornate box and pulled out two slips. He cleared his throat and proclaimed the matchup.
"The first joust shall be Lord Stark and Lord Arryn! The Falcon and the Dire Wolf!"
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Not going to lie, I got like a super block at about 400-500 words, so if the quality seems up and down, it's because I kept not knowing how to continue and would take multiple breaks between sentences.
And God, it's so difficult when some characters don't officially have names or birth dates but just ranges of time they could have been born or died. Like for example did you know an unnamed princess of Dorne was at the Great Council of 101 AC? Or the current lords Tyrell and Greyjoy don't have names which is especially annoying for Tyrell because he's dead by the time of the dance but we don't know how when or why.
Just that his son is an infant at the time which means it's around then. Or Rickon's father Benjen who could have died anywhere from 101 to 120 AC-ish it's so annoying so if y'all have some suggestions to help that would be appreciated.
Honestly, the only thing I really like that I did about the chapter was that the match at the end was chosen via a wheel spin so it truly was random.
Anyways towards the end I kinda just gave up on it but I'll start working on the next chapter soon.