Though a smaller field of knights participated in the second day’s tournament, none could say the results were not noteworthy and remarkable. With an unusual format in which the thirty-two jousters competed in small pools of four each, with the best advancing to the next pool, much of the morning was taken up resolving the contests. In the end, two pools of knights were left. In the first, Lord Manfred Dondarrion of Blackhaven, Ser Sarmion Baratheon, Ser Aidan Dayne, and the heir to Ninestars, Ser Triston Templeton, jousted with one another. It was remarked by many that the Knight of the Twilight had a poor start, and was defeated by the unheralded Ser Triston in the first pass while the Stormbreaker defeated Lord Manfred handily. In the next contests, Ser Triston continued his streak, defeating Lord Manfred, while the knight from Starfall seemed to redouble his efforts and drive the Baratheon knight from the saddle with a great clatter. Ser Sarmion rose up in a rage, and threw his unbroken lance after the victorious knight before ungraciously departing the field shouting curses and imprecations. It was later reported he would not continue, and forfeited his place. It may have been that Ser Aidan would then have advanced, if only Lord Manfred—stung by two straight defeats—did not suddenly hit the Dornishman square in the chest and force him from the saddle in their final tilt.
In the second pool, Seth Blackwood defeated Ser Andry Chester in their first tilt, while Ser Janden Melcolm defeated the Dornish hostage, Ser Jossart Vaith. The next set of jousts between Blackwood and Melcolm on the one hand and Chester and Vaith on the other proved to be draws after three courses each. Ser Jossart placed himself in contention to win the pool by then defeating the Blackwood esquire, only to find that Ser Andry also won his his contest against the knight from the Vale. This led to the unusual situation in which no immediate decision could be made as to who won the pool. The king determined that the draws would be repeated until there was a result, and in such a fashion Seth defeated Ser Janden and Ser Andry defeated Ser Jossart. These two fought for the privilege of tilting against Ser Triston Templeton to determine the victor of the day, and by his steady nerve Seth Blackwood advanced.
Yet the day was Ser Triston’s, who had already defeated one famed knight and a noble Marcher lord. He drove Seth Blackwood from the saddle, and claimed the prize of 1,000 gold dragons, a place in the grand final, and the crown for the queen of love and beauty which he delivered to his distant cousin Jyana Arryn, a beauty known far and wide as the Jewel of the Eyrie.