Blood of Dragons

On a day veiled in the grey mists of autumn, with the chill damp clinging to the air and the tourney field churned to mud, scores of knights of the realm (and some from outside of it as well) gathered to celebrate the forthcoming union of Lord Plumm and Princess Elaena Targaryen. Though the elements were challenging, the spirit of competition burned brightly, witnessed by King Aegon IV himself, his companion Missy Blackwood, the royal bride-to-be, and her aged betrothed. From the first clash of lances early in the day, by late afternoon only sixteen champions remained.

The lists saw their share of valorous deeds and sudden reversals. Early in the contests, the heavy ground claimed more than one rider simultaneously. Ser Orbert Farman and Ser Omrys Baratheon both found themselves unhorsed, with Ser Orbert proving the master in the ensuing melee on foot. Ser Jon Roxton, too, was forced to fight with blunted steel against Ser Harstyn Tully after a similar mutual unhorsing, ultimately felling his opponent after a hard-fought exchange. Ser Balon Selmy’s strong riding saw Lord Plumm’s nephew Ser Oswyn unseated with such violence that he was carried off the field insensate, though word later spread that his injuries were not serious despite his withdrawal from the tourney.

As the day wore on, certain knights distinguished themselves through skill and endurance. Ser Joffrey Caswell and Ser Quentyn Ball engaged in a relentless exchange, both knights shattering lance after lance in a crowd-pleasing spectacle before Ser Joffrey emerged the victor. The contest between Ser Otho Royce and Ser Doran Dondarrion became much talked about, stretching to an astonishing nine passes and fifteen broken lances before Ser Otho, by sheer persistence, unseated the Blackbolt. Not to be outdone, Ser Quentyn Ball later engaged Ser Morgil Hastwyck in another memorable tilt of six passes, a true test of horsemanship and accuracy.

The path to the championship was arduous. The Dornish knight Ser Aidan Dayne, far-famed as the Knight of the Twilight, rode with grace and skull, his beautifully wrought armor a familiar sight as he overcame opponent after opponent. But even he faced the rigors of a double unhorsing when he and Ser Orbert Farman crashed to the earth together. Their subsequent duel on foot was a masterful display, with Ser Aidan’s revealing exquisite skill that the heir to Fair Isle could not match. Meanwhile, Ser Jon Roxton, bearing a green favor that drew many an eye (it was said to belong to Beranda Sarsfield, and many are the rumors swirling about them), carved his own path through the ranks, his resilience and skill earning him a place in the day’s final confrontation. He secured his place by overcoming Ser Orbert Farman in a keenly contested match that decided who would face the formidable Dayne.

Thus, the stage was set for the ultimate tilt: Ser Aidan Dayne against Ser Jon Roxton, heir to the Ring. The air crackled with anticipation as these two seasoned warriors charged. For three passes, lances shattered and both knights held their seats, a testament to their prowess. But on the fourth pass, Ser Aidan’s strike was true and powerful, sending Ser Jon Roxton tumbling into the mud.

With this victory, Ser Aidan Dayne was proclaimed champion of the tourney. He received the rich prize of a thousand gold dragons and the victor’s laurels, a crown woven of autumn flowers to bestow upon his chosen Queen of Love and Beauty. What followed was a moment of courtly chivalry. Ser Aidan, approaching his beautiful lady wife, Aisling Ryswell, with the crown in hand, spoke of her as the queen of his heart but humbly asked her leave to bestow this particular honor upon another. Lady Aisling, with commendable grace, gave her consent.

The Knight of the Twilight then turned his steed towards the royal dais. There, before Princess Elaena, he offered the flowered ccrown, declaring that none other than the bride-to-be could be the Queen of Love and Beauty on such an occasion. He further intimated that his gesture was also in homage to the memory of one who had held the princess and her sisters in the highest esteem. Princess Elaena, after a moment of composed surprise and a brief, pointed exchange with the knight, accepted the crown, acknowledging the spirit in which it was offered, and placed it upon her platinum-pale hair with its bright golden streak. Her sisters, it was noted, watched this interplay with expressions of mirth and intrigue—after all, Elaena had been slighted in the last tourney thrown in celebration of her wedding. Throughout this presentation, King Aegon IV was observed to be visibly displeased, his scowl a stark contrast to the cheers of the crowd.

And so, as the mist began to thicken with the approach of evening, the wedding tourney drew to its close. A feast followed, a small sample of the grander feast intended on the morrow to follow the wedding.