Galladon's spear slammed violently into Edmund Waxley's neck armor.
The wooden lance exploded into splinters.
At the same time, the immense impact shattered Waxley's neck guard.
Fragments of wood pierced directly into his throat.
"Boom!"
Edmund Waxley was thrown from his horse.
His body twitched twice… then lay still.
A dark red pool slowly spread beneath him.
The crowd gasped.
They had not expected a kill.
Several knights rushed forward to check. Seeing the splinters embedded deep in his throat, they shook their heads.
Hopeless.
Galladon rode back calmly.
His expression did not change.
"Galladon Tarth wins!" Sir Lonmouth declared quickly.
The audience erupted.
Robert was the loudest, roaring Galladon's name.
Northern nobles, especially, were exhilarated. The North admired strength—and blood.
Many noble ladies who might have called another man cruel instead saw Galladon as brave and formidable.
As for Edmund Waxley—he was quickly forgotten.
Accidents happened in jousts.
In the stands, Marq Grafton's face darkened.
His carefully arranged "sniper" had failed—and died.
Worse, Galladon looked directly at him across the arena.
Their eyes met.
Marq's heart skipped.
Did he suspect?
He forced a smile.
Galladon answered with a cold snort.
You like schemes?
The Usurper's War will be your end.
He memorized Marq's face.
No one doubted Galladon anymore.
His horsemanship, strength, coordination, and precision were undeniable.
He advanced without further challenge.
The Knight of the Laughing Tree Appears
Soon after, something strange happened.
A short knight in mismatched armor rode out.
His shield bore a white weirwood tree with a red smiling face—the sigil of the Old Gods.
The crowd buzzed.
Galladon's expression shifted.
The Knight of the Laughing Tree…
He glanced toward the Stark seating.
Lyanna Stark was missing.
That confirmed it.
After failing to persuade Howland Reed to compete, she had taken matters into her own hands.
The Laughing Tree Knight defeated a Frey knight in a single pass, shattering his shield and knocking him down.
The crowd was stunned.
Even more surprising—she did not demand ransom.
Instead, she required the Frey knight to discipline his squire, who had bullied Howland Reed in the woods.
The knight complied, harshly reprimanding and beating the squire.
Only then did the Laughing Tree Knight return the armor and horse.
Howland Reed watched in disbelief.
No one had ever stood up for him like this.
The smiling tree on the shield burned into his memory.
The mysterious knight went on to defeat two more challengers from House Haigh and House Blount—again demanding only that their squires be corrected.
Then she vanished from the field.
The crowd loved it.
Galladon nodded slightly.
Lyanna's talent was undeniable.
The King's Suspicion
At the evening banquet, King Aerys grew enraged.
His Master of coin whispered that the Laughing Tree Knight might be Jaime Lannister in disguise—defying the king.
Aerys believed it.
He ordered the "White Bull," Ser Gerold Hightower, to face the Laughing Tree Knight the next day—and expose him.
But the knight never appeared.
Only the armor and shield were found hanging from a tree.
The arena was thrown into uproar.
Aerys flew into a rage.
He ordered Rhaegar to capture the mysterious knight at once.
Galladon simply smiled.
He could already predict what would happen.
Rhaegar would likely discover Lyanna's identity—but let her go.
Admiration would grow.
Affection would follow.
History moving quietly toward catastrophe.
Meanwhile, Robert laughed and drank beside Galladon—unaware that destiny was sharpening its blade.
The tournament narrowed to sixty-four knights.
Galladon continued his advance.
He defeated a knight from Bronze Gate easily.
Then came Jon Umber—the heir of House Umber, known later as the Greatjon.
Nearly seven feet tall, broad as a bear, the young Umber was a mountain on horseback.
But even he could not overpower Galladon.
First pass—Galladon shattered Umber's shield.
Second pass—Galladon knocked him from the saddle.
Umber, stunned but honest, admitted openly that Galladon's strength surpassed his own.
And Galladon was only fourteen.
The northern nobles were shaken.
Only Eddard Stark seemed unsurprised.
He had long known Galladon's talent.
(End of Chapter 40)
A/N:
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