Chapter II

As each house poured into Casterly Rock, the place started to fill with more familiar and non-familiar faces, House Brax, House Lorch, House Westerling, House Marbrand, and House Crakehall. One by one, Alyxandra, her mother Lady Jonquil Dober and her father greeted each Lord as they passed through the land of Casterly Rock. Tents had been set up by the lords of the Riverlands, the Vale, the Reach, and the Stormlands, The Dornish Prince and as well as the King in the North had their tents too. Lastly there was King Aerys Targaryen, who was a gentle and kind ruler, unlike so many of his ancestors such as the Mad King. He greeted them with gleeful grins and softly spoken words.

"My Lord and Lady of Casterly Rock, I thank you for hosting this wonderful tourney. And who is this beautiful child?" he asked, as he turned to Alyxandra.

"This is our daughter Alyxandra. She'll be watching from the stands," implied her mother with the comment aimed at her more than the King, "Are your sons competing in the tourney Your Grace? I noticed they are not with you at this time."

"They are very much so, Daemon is in the jousting and melee, and Rhaegar in the archery," he pronounced proudly, "They have left me to ready themselves for today."

"That is understandable, Your Grace. I pray to the Seven that they win their events," chimed her mother.

The three of them bowed as Arys nodded and turned away to join his sons.

"Did I mention you look beautiful, my girl?" smiled her mother and turned to face her.

That was just a cover up for fronting her before the King, and as always it angered Alyx. Her mother was born to House Mooton of Maidenpool, and was named after Jonquil from the famous song about the pool. Her mother's sister, Elena, had married Lord Redwyne of the Arbour. Alyx had inherited her mother's beauty and blonde kissed brunette hair but not her personality or ideas, which included wanting her daughter being a lady, not a warrior.

Alyxandra went to respond in anger, but her father held up his hand to stop her. She closed her mouth, and turned towards the cluster of tents. The nobles glanced her way as she went past in a stormy mood, with eyes pointed at the ground so she wouldn't meet theirs. She kept walking until she was way out of range of her mother. The colours of the tents and banners was her favourite as a child, run around blended them all together in a sea of rainbows, playing swords fights with other children and laughing as they hit each other.

"My lady, I thought you would be sitting in the stands by now," came a seductive voice from behind her. She turned to see Daemon Targaryen, in armour of scarlet, "I hope you will be watching me in the joust and melee."

At the age of eighteen, he was without a doubt a traditional Valyrian Targaryen. Muscular build and shoulder length silver-hair, piercing violet eyes and a smile that would melt a Lady's heart like dragon's fire.

"Your Grace," she bowed, "my apologies, I did not see you there."

He grasped her hand and raised her up, "My lady, there is no need to bow."

As she went to speak again, she could feel every eye of each tent surrounding her watching. She hated being noticed like this, she could sense the rumours beginning.

"Prince Daemon, I must excuse myself back to my family. My mother is very stressed about the proceedings of today," she said quickly, and disappeared from his view.

Alyxandra practically ran back to the stands, flying past one tent and the next with blushing cheeks. Without even looking to where she was going, she crashed into a man wearing armour. Next thing she knew she was laying on the ground, covered with dirt. Gasps came from the crowd and shouts of "My Lady, are you alright?"

She sat up on her elbows, telling them all she was fine and brushed off their hand gestures to help her up. Then she noticed who she had run into, her father's squire Matthias Hart. He ignored her waving him away and pulled her to her feet.

"Are you okay, My Lady?" Matthias inquired.

"Like I told all the other knights and lords, I'm fine. Really," she responded, "Is my father looking for me?"

"No but your Lady mother is. Would you like me to escort you to where they are?"

"Yes, thank you," giving a small smile at him.

They made their way through the ocean of fabric, blunt swords, horses and jousting lances till they reached the House Dober tent. When they entered, her mother gave out a loud gasp.

"Alyxandra! Where have you been?! Look at you, you are a complete mess and the tourney starts soon!" she rushed over pulling grass from her hair and turn her around to look at the damaged done to the dress, "Myrelle, take Alyxandra back to the castle and get her changed into another dress and fix her hair immediately. Try and get rid of the dirt off her skin too."

Matthias spoke up, "I'm sorry my Lady. It was my fault, I ran into her while getting prepared for the joust."

Jonquil looked at him and back to Alyxandra, giving a hard stare which softened.

"I apologise my dear, I did not mean to get angry with you. I just want this tourney to go as planned."

"I know mother, and it will." Accepting her mother's apology then turned around and mouthed thank you to Matthias.

After the first few jousts, she began to pretend she didn't feel well. She needed to get away somehow so she could get ready for the melee. Her father winked at her, and she could see that he wanted her to win it.

"Mother, I'm not feeling very well. Maybe it's this heat?"

Her mother looked at her, studying every portion of her daughter's face.

"You do look sick, maybe you should go lie down for a while. But try to be back here for the joust if you are feeling better," her mother told her, "Myrelle, take Alyxandra back to the tent and give her some water, and if it get worse call the maester."

"I won't need a maester, just a sleep," said Alyxandra said in a fake groggy tone.

As she was out of sight of her mother, she and Mayrelle giggled all the way to the tent. Her handmaiden tightly braided her hair so her helmet would sit properly and strapped the knight's suit to her body.

"My lady you look absolutely magnificent, like the legendary Nymeria," exclaimed Myrelle, clapping her hands.

She had to laugh, "I won't be invading any countries Myrelle. I'm so nervous that I'm shaking," she said looking down at her hands.

"You'll be fine, you have trained for this," said Myrelle urging her on, "There is a horse waiting for you at the back of the tent with a squire boy to lead you to the melee arena."

"Thank you Myrelle," she said with a gleaming big smile.

Putting on the helmet with the suit, it was heavy but she was strong enough to move around in it and swing a blunted sword. As the squire led her down to the melee to register many people stared at her, whispering and gossiping about the mysterious knight. She felt more important in armour than in lustrous gowns. She was first up against Ser James of the Golden Company, a tall and difficult opponent. If she could get past him, she would be unstoppable.

Her first fight had been short; the Golden Company sellsword had fallen to his feet after a blow to his neck, rendering him unconscious. Some sought of power pumped through her body, as everyone shouted out "Knight of the Moonmaid".

She actually couldn't believe she made it to the final, but her opponent made her quite nervous. It was the Targaryen Prince, and he was sure to know who it was under the armour. As she entered the ring, the crowd went into hysterics of shouts and cheers. But they were louder for Daemon. The young squire gave her the shield and sword, and then the flag flew through the air at the beginning of the match. They circled each other, like two creatures ready to pounce. But he leapt first, striking his swords at her body but she quickly dodged and shoved him in the back with her foot, knocking him to the ground, and raised her sword to hit him, but missed as he rolled away, rising to his feet again. Blade against blade, the swords sang at each other. The rally went on for some time, but to her it felt like forever. Hit after failed hit she finally took her chance to win. She pushed his sword away from hers, ducking under his arm and hit the blunt sword to his back, falling again to the ground. She jumped on him and raised the point of his sword under his helmet. He raised his hand as a sign of defeat.

"I yield! I yield, Ser."

She looked behind her to see her father clapping and yelling "Knight of the Moonmaid! Knight of the Moonmaid!"

It was late afternoon, on the third day of the tourney when the final four joust participants were left. Ser Artur Brax, Lord Thomas Merryweather, Prince Daemon Targaryen, and Matthias Hart.

Matthias knocked Ser Thomas from his horse and roar came from the crowd as splinters of wood flew about. The Lord had to be carried to the maester for his injuries. Then it was the joust between Prince Daemon and Artur Brax, with Daemon's jousting lance slammed into his opponent's chest plate. So into the final match were the Prince and the Squire.

As the two men rode out upon there steads, Alyxandra could see words being passed between them. Matthias looked over at her with dark, angered eyes. As the Prince rode to his end, the spectators threw up a cheer and his father clapped at him proudly. He turned to look at her, gave a wink and closed his dragon shaped helmet. She looked down at Matthias whose horse was about as fired up as he was, its hoof pawing the ground, ready for the sprint. Both were handed their lances and the flag was waved. Riders at each ends kicked their horse into a fast speed at each other, but as she watched, it was like everything had slowed. The figures on horseback blended together and Matthias' lance hit its target, splintering. The Targaryen helmet fell to the ground as Daemon's horse slowed. A large splinter had lodged itself into Daemon's shoulder, with blood travelling down his armour but he didn't wince.

The first reaction from the crowd was shock followed by silence. No one had ever defeated the Targaryen Prince in a joust before. A clap was coming from behind her, and she turned to see who it was. King Arys was clapping at the man who defeated his son, cheering. Others soon followed his congratulations to the squire, eventually the whole arena joined. A young boy handed the winner the crown of flowers for the lady he thought was beautiful, and he started riding in the direction of Alyxandra.

"For you, my Lady," Matthias said as he placed the white hydrangeas on her lap.

All she could do was stare at him in shock, as the crowd cheered on.

"Alyx!" hissed her mother, "Go on. Put it on your head."

She picked it up ever so gently like it was going to fall to pieces, placed the ring of whites on her head. She stood up, walked down the stairs of the stands and into the jousting yard. The ground was silent as she walked over to winner's horse; he put out his hand and raise her up onto the horse's back. She gripped his waist as he started his mare into a gallop around the arena. The crowd yelled out and clapped as they rode past. He turned to her and said;

"Congratulations on winning the crown my Queen of Love and Beauty."

She smiled at his compliment and took in the whole atmosphere. At her first tourney, she had won the melee in disguise and was crowned queen of the tourney. Matthias briefly stopped at his injured opponent.

"My apologies Your Grace, I did not mean to injure you."

"Your apology is well accepted. You did win fair, and you deserve congratulations. Oh and my lady," he said in the most seductive voice, "I was going to crown you with the flowers if I had won, and you look absolutely beautiful in them,"

"Thank you, Prince Daemon," said Alyxandra and nodded, with red rising in her cheeks again.