Many knights appeared on the training grounds of White Fort, Viserys's hill, to watch the contest between His Majesty Viserys Targaryen III and Prince Oberyn Martell, The Red Viper.
Rhaenys and Daenerys, meanwhile, watched the joust from the balcony of the King's Tower, looking down.
Only duels between top masters possess true artistry.
The Red Viper, known as "Dorne's Mightiest Warrior," was considered a super-class master even across the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros and the entire known world.
Though Viserys was young, he was also famous among the Andals for his bravery and fearlessness, a warrior in his own right.
Viserys felt that currently, the super-class warriors were probably Robert Baratheon, The Red Viper, the Kingslayer, Khal Drogo, and a few others.
Ser Barristan, the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, who was between first-class and super-class, was old; he could crush ordinary opponents with his combat experience, but his stamina could not match that of younger men.
As for the other Kingsguard, many were incompetent fillers.
Below them were The Mountain, The Hound, Greatjon Umber, Garlan Tyrell, Lyn Corbray (who liked young boys), and Victarion Greyjoy, Commander of the Iron Fleet.
There should also be some masters in hidden corners like the wildlings beyond the Wall, the gladiators of Meereen, the Iron Islands, and the Free Cities, but Viserys simply lacked information.
The Red Viper entered the arena lightly armored, wearing only soft leather and smooth silk underwear, in addition to greaves, vambraces, a gorget, a cuirass, and a war skirt.
A layer of shimmering copper scales covered his chainmail, but together, they provided less than a quarter of the protection of full heavy plate armor.
After removing his armguards and visor, The Red Viper also wore a simple helmet.
This was also the fighting style of the dornish; their smaller dornish horses and hot climate dictated their preference for light cavalry tactics rather than the heavy armored knights of a charge.
The Red Viper's round steel shield was polished to a dazzling shine, bearing a sun-pierced spear emblem cast from a mixture of red gold, yellow gold, white gold, and brass.
Viserys donned black heavy plate armor, with three dragons drawn upon the black steel plates, as if eternal night had fallen. Over Viserys's heavy armor was a black surcoat with a red dragon.
However, Viserys's helmet was not a flat-topped great helm, to avoid obstructing his vision; Viserys used a dragon-winged helmet instead.
The spear The Red Viper used was ten feet long; dornishmen loved using spears, similar to the one he later used in his duel with The Mountain.
The spear shaft was made of ash, smooth, thick, and heavy, with the last two feet being steel.
The slender, blunted, leaf-shaped spearhead tapered into a rough spherical tip; this was, after all, a practice duel, not using real weapons.
Otherwise, the spear tip would have been wickedly sharp, keen enough to shave with.
Viserys's weapon was a thickened and widened blunt sword, which seemed somewhat mismatched with his appearance. On Viserys's oak shield was a roaring dragon, baring its fangs and claws.
"Your sword and armor are too heavy, His Majesty Viserys. This will affect your speed and deplete your stamina," The Red Viper advised Viserys.
As a seasoned veteran of the battlefield, and having traveled extensively across Essos, The Red Viper possessed extremely rich combat experience.
"I am fighting The Red Viper; it's only natural to be serious," Viserys replied.
The Red Viper shook his head, thinking the young man was overconfident and that Viserys would be dragged down by the weight of his armor and greatsword.
The Red Viper's imaginary opponent had always been a massive brute like The Mountain; Viserys's physique was clearly not that of a mountain of flesh.
The Red Viper felt that Viserys should be agile and fast, rather than a strength type, so wearing heavy armor was somewhat putting the cart before the horse.
However, seeing Viserys's confidence, The Red Viper said no more.
"I trained with a master-at-arms in Dorne, then joined the Second Sons, and even led my own company once," The Red Viper moved his long spear a couple of times.
"I received instruction from Ser Willem Darry, master-at-arms of the Red Keep, and later from Ser Roland Lake, Syrio the Water Dancer, and Syrio, the former First Sword," Viserys also stretched his limbs.
The trumpeter blew the long horn, and the duel officially began.
When the two were ten yards apart, The Red Viper attacked swiftly.
The Red Viper thrust his spear; Viserys blocked it with his shield and pushed it aside.
Then Viserys swung his greatsword, striking at The Red Viper. The Red Viper dodged unharmed, and his spear thrust out again.
The Red Viper tracked Viserys's movements, only after engaging could he gauge his opponent's strength and speed.
The Red Viper intended to end the match with a fierce offense, as Viserys's heavy armor and greatsword would quickly deplete his stamina.
Although The Red Viper watched Viserys's movements, he still felt that Viserys's gear was completely counterproductive; Viserys should have focused on agility and quick attacks, like himself, supplemented by strength.
No warrior is perfectly balanced.
The Red Viper preferred to end it with a quick attack rather than a war of attrition, which would also better preserve the king's dignity.
The Red Viper retreated and then lunged, his spear arcing at an elusive angle across Viserys's breastplate, the rounded tip striking with a dull thud. Had it been a sharp blade, it would have been a grating sound of metal cutting.
Viserys looked at The Red Viper, truly a master of the spear.
Robert used a warhammer, the Kingslayer used a sword, but The Red Viper excelled with the spear.
If he were to duel with those first-rate or second-rate warriors, he would find it difficult to make significant progress; he still needed this kind of super-class SSR to hone his skills.
Viserys looked at The Red Viper; he began his counterattack with nimble steps.
The heavy blunt sword let out a dull roar, stirring up a cold, ghostly light.
"This is a fight, not an assassination," The Red Viper said helplessly, feeling that Viserys's fierce assault was somewhat akin to a tactical suicide, and he would quickly lose his agility.
"It is indeed a fight."
The speed of both men began to soar; the dornishman's spear swayed left and right around the greatsword. Like a venomous snake opening its mouth, its forked tongue darted in and out.
Viserys was equally flexible and versatile; The Red Viper's spear struck his abdomen, while his greatsword also swept upwards, and The Red Viper was also hit with a dull thud on his arm.
Both The Red Viper and Viserys were adept at feints; The Red Viper began to use feinting techniques, attacking low but actually thrusting high, the spear aiming upwards to strike the abdomen, then the shield.
But Viserys was not The Mountain; Viserys was equally perceptive in discerning The Red Viper's attack. The Red Viper's fundamental skills were extremely high, making it much harder to gain Insight into such a master.
"Be careful!" The Red Viper circled, thrust, and retreated swiftly, wearing down Viserys's movements.
"Thanks for the warning!" Viserys, in turn, defended, dodged, and then advanced with his greatsword close.
Spears emerged like a forest, and swords burst forth like fire.
The Red Viper gradually shed his arrogance; Viserys was not a brute, yet possessed a brute's strength, and his agility and resilience were extraordinary.
Considering his age, this talent was even stronger than Rhaegar's in his youth.
Rhaegar's talent was also good, but he simply didn't enjoy fighting much.
The Red Viper relied on his spear and speed, while Viserys used agility for close-quarters combat, always keeping The Red Viper in his sights.
The attacks of the true dragon and The Red Viper stirred up a storm of iron light, their movements as quick as butterflies flitting through flowers, steel weapons clashing with dull impacts.
Feints, thrusts, parries, it was dazzling to watch, often one wave rising before the last had subsided.
The crowd around cheered, proclaiming it an exhilarating battle.
Viserys and The Red Viper seemed to be of the same type, flexible and agile, making the battle both aesthetic and spectacular, yet fraught with danger.
"Is this a fourteen-year-old?" The Red Viper, fighting Viserys, began to tighten his nerves, growing more surprised with each exchange.
By all logic, Viserys's movement speed and attack speed should have decreased, his stamina unable to keep up with the pace of combat. But now, Viserys was still full of vigor, showing no signs of weakening.
The Red Viper had traveled to many Free Cities and had fought many battles.
But The Red Viper had never found true balance; while top masters certainly wouldn't have obvious weaknesses.
Yet, top masters were not perfect in every aspect; they would always have a slight focus, making their advantages sufficiently prominent.
Unless, unless Viserys could be strong enough to surpass the Sword of the Morning.
"Could he really be a genius?" The Red Viper's spear whistled as it lunged, striking at Viserys's thighs, arms, and even his chest and abdomen.
But Viserys also dodged nimbly, avoiding the heavy blows. At the same time, he returned the favor, the two of them moving like two circles in the arena.
Viserys's shield blocked the spear many times; the three-headed dragon was becoming a perforated dragon, and the wooden shield also began to crack.
Viserys simply threw away his shield, ready for the final duel.
Viserys's greatsword came crushing down like a millstone; The Red Viper met him.
Viserys's crucial strike seemed avoidable, but he quickly changed his move.
The force pressed down on The Red Viper; though The Red Viper blocked with his shield, he still took the full force of the chop.
"Good lad!" The Red Viper praised, releasing his spear and retreating rapidly.
The Red Viper had withstood the greatsword, and as Viserys went for the finishing blow.
The Red Viper turned and grabbed his spear; the spear, like a venomous sting, showed a menacing smile, transforming into a blur of light and shadow.
The two fought with such fervor that their armor showed multiple dents from impacts.
In the end, it was The Red Viper's cunning spear and his age advantage that allowed him to defeat Viserys. And Viserys was even using heavy armor and a heavy sword.
But after the match, The Red Viper seemed to have learned humility.
Fighting a boy in his teens to such an extent was already an embarrassment for The Red Viper. Originally, this series of maneuvers by The Red Viper was intended for The Mountain, not for sparring with a child.
The chattering knights dispersed, still relishing the fight, leaving only Viserys and The Red Viper in the arena.
"Honestly, how long have you trained, your majesty the king?" The Red Viper wiped a bead of sweat from his brow and asked.
"For a long time, but formally, it's been from around my fourteenth birthday until now," Viserys replied.
The Red Viper gasped, "So you've only formally trained for less than a year? Seven Gods, what a freak. I heard the Kingslayer had great sword-fighting talent, but Tywin had him train relentlessly from the time he was old enough to understand, and recruited famous masters-at-arms for him. And you... this..."
The Red Viper wasn't looking down on Roland and Moro; among Viserys's instructors, only Syrio had high value.
Viserys nodded, also putting down his shield and sword. "What a blast, truly worthy of Dorne's number one SSR warrior."
"There's no other way, Oberyn. This is about stats. My stats will be paid to surpass anyone."
The Red Viper dropped his spear and walked over to Viserys, a look of admiration in his eyes.
This admiration wasn't for his looks, but for a warrior's ability, the mutual admiration of champions.
"A thirty-something Red Viper can defeat a fourteen or fifteen-year-old Viserys, but a fourteen-year-old Red Viper would undoubtedly lose. I originally thought Damon Sand of Dorne was a standout among the younger generation, but now, that boy can only carry your shoes."
"It seems my role as a mentor won't last too long either," The Red Viper quipped.
"Then at least wait until my spear reaches your level," Viserys decided to leech off him to the end.
The Red Viper also made up for the shortage of maesters; currently, it might be hard to find many educated people in all of Andals.
The Red Viper had attended the Citadel and had forged six links of a maester's chain before growing bored and dropping out.
Weapons, poisons, knowledge, hidden blades.
Among the super-class masters, The Red Viper was the most versatile, the most learned among those who could fight, and the most capable fighter among the most learned.
"When you dueled old Elmo Yronwood, he died shortly after. Was that intentional, or an accident?"
Viserys asked The Red Viper.
"I didn't use poison, but I also didn't intend for him to live," The Red Viper replied with a shrug.
Ãdvåñçé çhàptêr àvàilàble óñ pàtreøn (Gk31)