On the breaking his fast with Robert and Elbert on the morning of the tourney in his rooms, Ned hurried towards the tourney grounds with two guards following Ned carrying the gifts for Royal Family in thin long rectangular chests made out of Ironwood, intricately carved with dragons.
The mansion housing the King and the Crown Prince is near the tourney grounds, Since the newborn Prince Viserys is too young to travel and the Queen is needed to take care of him, only the King and the Crown Prince have come to Lannisport. The King will hold court after breakfast and before the tourney begins, so that all the prominent Nobles who have arrived may pay their respects and present themselves to the King. As a Stark of Winterfell, Ned is supposed to be there, as Ned is a second son he will be called in after all the Heirs and Lord Paramounts have presented themselves and before the direct vassals of Great Houses. After that is done there will be a feast at midday to start the tourney.
After waiting outside the chamber the King was holding court in for a while, the valet opened the side door and indicated that Ned should enter through the main doors. So Ned took a fortifying breath and entered the chamber head held high and straight backed just as the Herald near the foot of the dias on which the King waited alongside the Crown Prince on his right .
" Lord Eddard Stark of Winterfell, second son to Lord Paramount Rickard Stark, Warden of the North, Lord of Winterfell"
First thing he noted on entering the room was the King, seated in massive chair carved with dragons, Aerys Targaryen is a lean man, with silver hair and purple eyes, he is a handsome man in his early thirties, dressed in rich silks of red and black, crowned in the dragon emblazoned crown of Aegon the Unworthy, the King cut a imposing figure.
Next one he noticed would be the Crown Prince, seated in a less grand chair, and crowned in a thin band of Valyrian Steel circlet, Prine Rhaegar has his Father's build and hair, but his eyes were a dark indigo to his Father's purple, he is more beautiful than handsome, not that he was effeminate but everything harsh in Aerys features seemed to have softened in Rhaegar.
Four Kingsguard have arrived with the King and the Crown Prince, two stood directly behind the Royal Family and another two infront of dias the King was seated on without being in the straight line of sight. Ned couldn't identify who was whom as they had their face plates closed.
There were other Nobles who stood in the room on the sidelines, he spied Robert and Elbert among them, and spied who must be Lord Tywin Lannister, a man with broad shoulders, thinning blond hair, sideburns, cold green eyes and a commanding presence standing just left of the dias with a gaggle of blond haired, green eyed lords and ladies.
Once Ned reached the dias he got down on his right knee and with eyes on the floor, said, " Your Grace, I am Eddard Stark, I come bearing gifts from my Lord Father Rickard Stark and well wishes of the North".
After interminable time while Neds hands sweated, the King remained silent and observing Ned with glint in his eyes before saying, " Ho, Rise, and what are these gifts?"
At that Ned signalled the two guards carrying the cases, waiting beside the valet, they arrived near the dias bowing all the way, Ned took the largest chest and opened it showing velvet lined interior and nestled inside it are a bastard sword with a blue tinted four and a half feet long blade, with High Valyrian script craved in to the fuller, with dragons carved in to pommel and crossguard and decorated with sapphires and a beautiful sheath stitched with silver and gold dragons. Next two chests contained a Longsword and Arming Sword of the same design. As soon as swords were presented there were whispers among the crowd.
" These were ordered to be forged as soon as news of Prince Viserys birth reached Winterfell, Your Grace. These blades are forged using a new variant of Steel discovered in forges of Winterfell, as you can see the variant has a distinctive blue coloring and the variant was named Wintersteel. Wintersteel while twice as durable and flexible compared to ordinary steel and holds the edge thrice as better, is difficult to forge. Forging three blades has taken three months for smiths of Winterfell and this tourney seemed a appropriate time to present them, Your Grace. Your Majesty has House Starks apologises for not getting them to you sooner", Ned replied to Kings question in as steady a tone as he could manage while bowing, then he handed the chests to the King's Valet so that the King may take a closer look at the gifts.
After the King and Crown Prince examined the blades, the King said with a smile, " If your boasts about their characteristics are true, House Stark has given a marvellous gift indeed."
" They are, Your Grace. Wintersteel has undergone numerous tests in and out of live combat. If its characters weren't true House Stark would never dare present them gift as gift for Royal House of Targaryen. And You honor us with your kind words", Ned replied again with a bow.
"Ho oh, So, what is this I hear of House Stark keeping direwolves as pets?", the King asked in a curious tone.
" House Stark does have direwolf companions and mine own, named Ironeyes is in the woods outside Lannisport, as I feared his presence might invoke panic in the populous and horses are not very fond of him either", at that the whispers doubled and there were a few gasps in the room, "How direwolves came to be companions for House Stark is a long story, Your Grace, which includes something my Lord Father commanded me to speak with Your Grace about after begging for a private audience."
" Is that so, you will have your private audience, Lord Eddard, join me and the Crown Prince to break fast with us tomorrow morning, and bring your direwolf, Ironeyes was it, along with you", King commanded with a wave of his hand.
" As you command, Your Grace", Ned replied with a bow and joined other Nobles in the sidelines.
Ned stood close to Robert and Elbert and spoke with them in quiet tones and felt eyes on himself, when he looked up his gray eyes locked on to the Crown Princes indigo ones and they were unreadable, after a moment the Prince broke the contact, while Ned and the Prince exchanged five or six letters in the last year and a half they usually were polite enquires about Northern culture, Old Gods and Northern people from the Prince to which answered honetly, they certainly weren't friends Maester Aemon hoped they would be, maybe that would change with them meeting in person, Ned would have to wait and see.
The Nobles continued to stream in, some brought gifts like Ned, others didn't, three hours after Neds own entrance, the interminable flow of Nobles ended, there were some more waiting outside but they were minor enough that King didn't mind offending them, and tables were set, feast was called and the tourney began.