The announcement that Lord Whalon of Rosby, the far-famed Jousting Lord, was to host a tourney was met with great pleasure among the chivalry of King’s Landing and its surrounding lands. Many young knights, as yet unheralded, saw in it an opportunity to start carving out a name for themselves in the tournament circuit. Moreover, they proved quite right.
More than three dozen knights and squires entered the contest, among them past champions and various notables at the court. Those causing the greatest stir were the recently-arrived knights and lances of the Brothers of the Battle, the warriors who had fought so notably in Dorne. Led by the renowned Jaremy Dustin, heir to Barrowton in the North, all the fellowship shared the greatest pavilion on the tourney grounds. Four of them entered the tourney, and two remained after the first round of jousting cut the field down by half.
Jaremy Dustin would prove victorious once more, defeating the Dornish hostage Ser Jossart Vaith, son of the infamous outlaw Lord Caston who met a sorry end after his hopeless fight. His comrade-in-arms, Aron Lightfoot, did not do so well against the heir to Storm’s End, Ser Tancred Baratheon, however; both men unhorsed one another in the first pass, and after the second Lightfoot retired from the field. Harstyn Tully would go on to defeat Ser Burton Crakehall, the Knight of the Twilight bested Ser Ondryn Waters (son to Ser Gueren, the famous tourneyer), Ser Elmer Crakehall—carrying the favor of Princess Ariana Martell, to the wonderment of many—overthrew Ser Harmon Massey, Ser Janden Melcolm defeated Ser Ermen Frey, and one of the Hand’s retainers—Ser Jarwen Hollard—defeated the heir to Ninestars after a hard-fought match that was decided by Lord Rosby.
Yet the greatest upset of the day came when Ser Ethos Mertyns, the royal huntsman, faced the commander of the City Watch, Ser Dagur Saltcliffe. The Iron Serpent had ridden in fine style of late, and he was under the eye of Prince Aegon, several of the Targaryen princesses, and his lady wife, Reyna of House Tyrell. The two bold knights rode at one another, holding nothing back ... and to the surprise of all, both shattered lances, yet it was Ser Ethos who dealt the heavier blow. Ser Dagur fell, to the surprise of all.
On went the tourney. Ser Janden would come to overthrow Ser Ethos, while Ser Aidan Dayne defeated Elmer Crakehall. Jaremy Dustin, the last of the Brothers of the Battle, swept Ser Jarwen Hollard, leaving Ser Tancred to knock the Tully knight to the earth. Then it was the next most noted contest, much anticipated, when the Knight of the Twilight faced the leader of the Brothers of the Battle. Three courses they ran at one another, and none could doubt that Ser Aidan had the better of the northman with each pass. Yet Prince Aegon loomed over Lord Whalon’s shoulder, and the two fell to discussing the facts. Some thought perhaps Dustin would be granted the victory—or, rather, Dayne would be denied it—yet it must be said the Jousting Lord shook off the Targaryen prince and gave the victory to the Dornishman.
In the end, it would come down to Ser Tancred Baratheon, son of the Lord of Storm’s End. He had ridden in tourneys before, bravely but without any great fame, yet here he was the last but one of three-dozen knights, some of high repute indeed. He withstood the first course against the Knight of the Twilight, but the second proved his undoing. Though wounded in his fall, Ser Tancred was heard to hope to face Ser Aidan again before being carried from the field. The Dornishman received the flowered crown of the queen of love and beauty from Lord Whalon ... but curiously asked chose not to deliver it to any lady there, instead taking it into his keeping. Some wondered at that, when Princess Ariana was in the stands cheering him on, and his cousin the Black Tempest, and Lord Ryger’s good-niece Aisling Ryswell who had received the crown from him once before during the king’s grand tourney.
Afterwards, Lord Rosby held a fine feast, but some of the knights who wished to enter found themselves forced to ride a course against the Jousting Lord before gaining admittance for their parties. Prince Aegon was not among those, however; it was said he visited the pavilion of the Brothers of the Battle, and then was seen departing with several of them back to King’s Landing forthwith even though the sky was darkening.