7

Daenerys

The collection of pavilions beneath the city's walls seemed like a city unto itself. Near a hundred of the structures sat in orderly rows, made out of cloth and silk of varying colors, some of them standing taller than houses. Banners whipped in the wind from the peak of each pavilion, displaying the coat of arms of the knight who sat beneath its roof. Inside each pavilion, highborn knights armed and armored themselves for the tourney due to commence within the hour. Poorer knights, having not the coin for pavilions, prepared themselves beneath the pink sky of the early morning.

Dany had seen many tourneys in her time, but this one - held in honor of Aegon and Rhaenys' wedding - was by far the largest.

She came to a stop outside the grandest pavilion of them all, twice as tall and twice as wide as the others, made all in black and red silk, the three-headed dragon of her house waving proudly in the wind above it. She slipped into the tent and found Aegon at its center, in the midst of being armored by Robb. Newly knighted, Aegon had no squire to see to his needs so Robb, who served as Rhaegar's squire, had volunteered. The king would not be competing in today's tourney thus freeing Robb of his duties.

"You look dashing, nephew," she said, announcing her presence. Robb, tightening the straps on Aegon's breastplate, looked to her with a smile. Aegon did not look to her at all, staring instead at the helmet he held in his hands, looking sullenly into the ruby eyes of the three-headed dragon which crested it.

"I look a fool child playing dress up in his father's armor," he said. "Had I the time I would have gone to the armorer and had him fashion a new set, but alas…"

"Your father would take offense to know you disregard his gift so."

"Then he should not have given me a gift so worthy of disregard."

"Be thankful you are allowed to ride in the tourney at all," Robb muttered. "No matter how much a fool you look."

Though squires of a certain age were sometimes allowed to compete in tourneys, Rhaegar had barred them from entry, needing some way to keep the number of entrants from growing unwieldy. Dany had borne witness to days worth of Robb's sulking after the announcement had been made. He had hoped to finally showcase his skills, his ability with a lance having earned him some acclaim in the training yard.

"There!" Robb exclaimed, buckling on the last of Aegon's armor. He paced around Aegon, inspecting his work. He stopped in front of him with his arms crossed. "Despite your misgivings, my lady love has the right of it. The look suits you."

Aegon frowned.

Dany stood next to Robb. "It's missing only one detail."

"And what would that be?" Aegon asked.

"Your lady wife's favor, of course." He and Rhaenys had been married the day before in a ceremony which had brought Dany to tears. She felt no small amount of envy watching her niece and nephew wed in the Great Sept of Baelor, knowing her own wedding could never be so grand. At the wedding feast, Rhaegar had allowed her a cup of Arbor gold, enough to make her head spin. Intoxicated, she had made the fool decision to participate in the bedding ceremony, seeing parts of her nephew she hadn't seen since they bathed together as children.

The blank look on Aegon's face told her he hadn't even considered asking for Rhaenys' favor. What a fool her nephew could be at times.

"You were going to ask for her favor, weren't you?"

He sighed. "I suppose I must, mustn't I?"

"Of course you must! Come, I suspect she's already taken her seat."

Robb and Aegon followed her out of the pavilion, Aegon carrying his helm beneath his arm and Robb carrying his shield. They paused a moment outside the pavilion while Robb saddled Aegon's steed. Obsidian, Aegon had named the horse. Though fierce looking, he had an even temperament, allowing Dany to stroke his snout while Robb saddled him. Once it was done, Robb took the horse's reins in hand and the three of them joined the river of knights in glittering steel flowing toward the lists.

"Hurry up, will you!" A familiar voice barked. Dany spied Viserys standing outside his pavilion. His armor was silvered steel, his pauldrons and helm fashioned into the shape of snarling dragon heads. His heavy black cape bore a silver three-headed dragon, his personal coat of arms. The subject of his ire was Trystane Martell, his squire, who struggled to saddle his horse.

Robb glared at Viserys' back. Dany had done everything in her power to ensure her betrothed and her brother spent as little time in each other's company as possible. She feared when next they squabbled she wouldn't be able to stop it from escalating to violence.

"I don't care how many knights you unhorse," Robb said, "so long as you send that one flying."

"I intend to." Aegon had as little love for Viserys as Robb.

The lists was bordered on one side by a set of high, wooden stands from which the highborn would watch the spectacle and on the other side by an empty field in which a mass of the lowborn gathered to do the same. At a cursory glance, it seemed to Dany more had gathered to watch the joust than had come to see Aegon and Rhaenys wed.

She walked up the stands with Aegon and took her seat, watching as he approached Rhaenys, who sat next to her father and Jae in the king's private box. Rhaenys looked resplendent, dressed in a rich red gown, her head topped by her ruby studded tiara. Jae, sitting on the opposite side of his father, looked sullen and miserable. He had drank more than his fair share at the wedding feast, needing Robb's support to make it to his bedroom at the end of the night.

"My lady," Aegon addressed his wife. "Might I have the good fortune to bear your favor in the coming tourney?"

Rhaenys smiled. It was not reflected in her eyes. "Of course, my lord." She pulled a golden ribbon from her hair and wrapped it around his upper arm.

"Thank you, my lady." Almost as an afterthought he placed a kiss on her cheek. He hurried down to the lists to prepare for the joust, seeming glad to do so.

It was odd, seeing them so awkward around each other. For sixteen years they had been brother and sister, now they were husband and wife. It was clear they were both taking the transition poorly.

Dany chose not to sit with her family, instead sitting next to Robb's family a few rows beneath the king's box. Robb's mother, Lady Catelyn, was a woman whose beauty had not been marred by her years, her skin like porcelain, her hair a deep auburn which shone in the sun, her eyes the watery blue of a Tully. Her husband, Ethan Glover, sat next to her. For all his years in the south, he still had the look of a Northman: his chestnut brown hair pulled back into a ponytail, his beard thick and coarse. His eyes, a deep forest green, were his most attractive feature. He was not an handsome man besides.

Ethan had once served as Brandon Stark's squire, to whom Catelyn had been betrothed. After Rhaegar ran off with Lyanna Stark, Brandon rode to King's Landing to demand recompense. Ethan and a group of others rode with him. Brandon was executed, along with his father and everyone else who had ridden with him, save Ethan who languished in the black cells for the duration of the war which followed their deaths. He was not released until the Great Council stripped Dany's father of his crown and Rhaegar ascended in his place. Rhaegar offered Ethan safe passage to Deepwood Motte, where his brother ruled as lord, but Ethan chose to remain in King's Landing to serve as Robb's sworn shield. Somewhere in the course of his duty, he fell in love with Catelyn and they married. Their union had borne fruit, a six year old daughter named Minisa who had been left behind with her septa in the Red Keep.

Next to Catelyn sat her sister Lysa, who shared in her sister's features but not in her ageless beauty; her face sagging and lined, her hair dull, her eyes less vibrant. She was married to Lord Jon Connington. Unlike Catelyn's marriage, Lysa's marriage had been arranged by Rhaegar, who had grown tired of seeing his friend and counselor go unmarried for so long. As she had been taken as a hostage to the crown after the War of the Usurper, Lysa had little say in the arrangement. The marriage had borne no children and was unlikely to do so, as Lysa spent her days at Lord Connington's castle Griffin's Roost while he spent his days in King's Landing performing his duties as master of laws.

Lady Asha, Catelyn and Lysa's good-sister, sat next to Lysa looking more than uncomfortable. Dany imagined she had been left there by her husband Edmure, who was competing in the joust. She was an attractive woman, though unconventionally so, her black hair kept as short as a boy's. She was dressed in breeches and a tunic which bore the golden kraken of House Greyjoy. She even wore a dagger belted at her hip, the only woman Dany had ever known to do so. She seemed to have as little interest in conversing with her good-sisters as they had with her.

A horn sounded to signal the start of the joust. The first two combatants to line up in the lists drew an excited murmur from the hundreds of smallfolk who had gathered to watch the spectacle. Renly Baratheon, Lord of Storm's End, sat ready at one end of the lists. He was tall in the saddle, his green enameled armor polished to a sheen, his helm adorned with a wrack of golden antlers. Renly had grown up in King's Landing, taken as Rhaegar's ward after the end of the War of the Usurper. Though the youngest brother of the titular usurper, his good looks and charming ways had earned him the love of the smallfolk, and it seemed they remembered him well.

His opponent was another who had grown up in King's Landing as Rhaegar's ward, Harrold Arryn, Lord of the Eyrie and Warden of the East. Harry's steel armor shone like polished silver, his helm adorned with falcon wings. A rich blue cape trailed from his shoulders depicting the sigil of House Arryn: a blue falcon in flight before a white moon. He was not so tall as Renly, but was broader about the chest and arms. He had enamored himself amongst the smallfolk in his time in King's Landing as well, particularly the women. Dany knew he had fathered at least one bastard before leaving for the Vale.

Of the two, Dany was more familiar with Harry. Renly had been eight years her senior and never seemed much inclined to spend time in the company of her or her niece and nephews. Harry had been of an age with Rhaenys, however, and had often joined them in play as children. She had exchanged only pleasantries with him since his return to the castle, but she rooted for him as he and Renly took up their lances.

"An easy win for my lord," said a voice from behind her. Dany turned about and found the speaker to be Lord Gerold Grafton of Gulltown. He was a fat man with a curly brown beard. His cheeks were covered in pockmarks, his nose bulbous, his eyes small and set close together. He wore fine satin clothes and a heavy gold chain about his neck with a golden tower hanging from it.

"Lord Renly takes it easy," Ethan said, his voice gruff.

Lord Gerold stroked his beard. "Confident enough to place a wager, my lord?"

Ethan grunted. "Ten gold dragons says he takes it without breaking a lance."

Gerold patted him on the shoulder. "We have a deal, then."

Ethan won, in the end, though Harry made it a close thing. He and Renly made three passes on each other, with Renly unseating him on the fourth. The jousts continued on from there, with Ethan and Gerold betting on most of the matchups. Ethan won more than his fair share, and it seemed to Dany that Lord Grafton had a lot of coin but not a lot of sense. Though he continued to lose, he never once seemed perturbed.

To Dany's surprise, Viserys acquitted himself well, unhorsing Hosteen Frey in his first bout and defeating Quentyn Martell in his second. Aegon performed just as well, unhorsing Edmure Tully in his first tilt - Catelyn gave a rueful shake of her head while Asha tried not be caught smiling - and Horas Redwyne in his second.

Ser Arthur and Ser Barristan lined up against each other in the lists, which caused another excited murmur to run through the crowd. Their last joust had been the stuff of legends. After the death of the previous Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, Ser Gerold Hightower, Rhaegar had named Arthur to the position. Arthur had politely declined, claiming the position should go to Barristan as the most venerated member of the order. When Rhaegar offered the position to Barristan he declined, claiming the position should go to Arthur as the most skilled member of the order. Rhaegar left it to them to settle the matter, and after a brief argument they decided to settle it with a joust. They broke two dozen lances against each other before Ser Arthur emerged victorious.

Their second tilt was not so dramatic, with Ser Arthur unhorsing Ser Barristan on their sixth pass. He went on to defeat Ser Robar Royce in his second tilt and Lord Yohn Royce in his third, easy victories both.

Ser Theon Greyjoy drew some interest from the crowd, being perhaps the first Greyjoy to ever take knightly vows. The interest was short lived, as the Ironborn knight was quickly unhorsed by Ser Jaime Lannister in his first tilt. Raucous laughter from Theon's brothers Rodrik and Maron chased him from the field. Ser Jaime went on to defeat Ser Andar Royce in his second tilt and faced Ser Oswell in his third. Ser Jaime and Ser Oswell made three passes against each other and on the third pass they were both knocked from their saddles. Afoot, they settled the matter with blades instead of lances, drawing their steel and dueling in the lists. The crowd was delighted to see two knights of the Kingsguard cross steel. Before long, Ser Oswell drove Ser Jaime to his knees and forced him to yield.

The jousting continued and the sun began to fall. As night drew near, the last tilt was announced. Aegon and Viserys lined up across from one another and a hush settled over the crowd.

"My coin's on Prince Viserys," Lord Grafton said.

Ethan mulled it over for a moment. "I'll not take that bet."

Dany turned to him, scandalized. "Aegon has ridden well," she said.

He smiled apologetically behind his beard. "Aye, that he has, but Prince Viserys has been the stronger rider today. Were they crossing swords I would put my coin on Prince Aegon every time, but he's not near so skilled with a lance as he is with a blade."

"I'll take your bet, Lord Gerold," she said, turning away from Ethan, eager to prove him wrong.

On their first tilt, Viserys and Aegon scored solid blows on each other's shields, leaving Dany confident in her choice. On their second tilt, however, Viserys managed an uncontested hit on Aegon's shoulder, sending him tumbling backwards off his horse and face first into the dirt. A collective gasp sounded from the crowd. Robb rushed in from the end of the lists to help Aegon to his feet. He rose unsteadily but seemed without injury.

Viserys ripped off his helm and roared his excitement to the crowd, celebrating for all the world as if he had won the tourney in full.

"Fret not, princess," said Lord Gerold. "I'd not take your coin."

With the day's jousting coming to a close, Rhaegar led the tourney's highborn guests to the bank of the Blackwater Rush where a feast had been prepared. Beneath the moonlit stars, they dined on soups and fresh salads, on boar and venison from the kingswood and trout caught fresh from the Blackwater Rush that morning. A bevy of wine pitchers were passed around, but Dany had no thirst this night. Sitting alongside Jae, Rhaenys and Rhaegar at the high table, she watched as Viserys celebrated the day's victories, drinking his fill and boasting loudly. Dany could only take solace in his impending defeat. He may have beaten Aegon, but he would not defeat Ser Arthur or Ser Oswell or any of the remaining riders.

Aegon and Robb never made their way to the feast, giving Dany cause to worry.

"Off nursing his wounded pride, most like," Rhaenys said when Dany questioned her. Jae went off to find his brother and cousin to assuage her worries, but he never returned.

The jousting began the next day under the early morning light. Dany found Aegon in the king's box with Rhaegar and Rhaenys, but Jae and Robb were nowhere to be found.

"Last time I saw him, he and Jae were heading to the training yard," Rhaenys provided when she asked after her betrothed. When she questioned Catelyn and Ethan about Robb's whereabouts they seemed just as surprised as she, having assumed he was with her. She settled into her seat in the king's box, hoping Robb would show himself soon.

Viserys opened the day of jousting, riding against Lord Beric Dondarrion. They made four passes against each other, with Visery unseating Lord Beric on the fourth. After his victory, Viserys rode up and down the lists, pulling silver coins from a pouch attached to his steed's saddle and raining them down on the smallfolk. The smallfolk cheered and scrabbled in the dirt for the coins. Dany was sickened by the display. He'll do anything to win their love. If only they knew him as she knew him, they would not cheer for him then, no matter how many coins he threw their way.

The extravagant display was interrupted by the thunder of hooves, as another knight rode into the lists unannounced. The knight rode an unimpressive grey courser and wore armor just as plain. As he rode closer into view, Dany recognized his armor as the iron set worn by boys in the training yard, nicked and dented in a dozen places. The knight was tall and broad, his only distinguishing characteristic was the shield he bore, painted with grey waves.

As the knight drew near, Viserys ended his charity and dropped his hand to the hilt of his sword. A hush settled over the crowd.

The mystery knight stopped just short of Viserys. Without saying a word, he removed his gauntlet and threw it to the ground between them, a challenge. A gasp rippled through the crowd, highborn and lowborn alike shocked at the development. Viserys raised his visor to scrutinize the mystery knight. He turned to Rhaegar for an indication on how to proceed. A near imperceptible smile gracing his lips, Rhaegar nodded his consent to the challenge. Viserys turned back to the mystery knight, nodded his acceptance, and slammed his visor down. He reared his horse around and galloped to his starting position.

The mystery knight leaned over in his saddle to scoop up his gauntlet and cantered to his starting position. He did not stop there, however, continuing on to ride along the stands, eventually coming to a stop and pointing a gauntleted finger into the crowd of highborn attendees. It took Dany a moment to realize he pointed to her. Once he had her attention, he beckoned her forward. She spared a glance at Rhaegar, who urged her forward, and hesitantly made her way to the front of the stands.

"My lady, would you be so kind as to honor me with your favor?"

The voice which rumbled forth from the helm was unmistakably Robb's. Dany almost laughed, but didn't want to ruin his ruse. Instead, she pulled a lilac ribbon from her hair and wrapped it around his arm, not trusting herself to speak. He rode off to his starting position, receiving a lance from his squire. The squire wore bandages about the bottom half of his face and a hooded cloak to disguise his features, but Dany could guess at his identity.

She walked back to the king's box, trying not to grin. A small smile had found its way onto Aegon's stoic face and the look in Rhaenys' eyes was knowing.

The herald announced the mystery knight as the Knight of the Grey Winds and the tilt began. On their first pass, the Knight of the Grey Winds swung his lance wide, intentionally missing. Viserys scored a solid blow against his shield, but he held his seat. On the second pass, the Knight of the Grey Winds once again swung his lance wide and diverted Viserys' blow with his shield. A round of laughter went up from the crowd. Dany laughed too, she hoped Viserys could hear it. The third and fourth passes went much the same way, with the laughter growing louder each time. Viserys' frustration began to show, he barked at his squire as he received a new lance and made ready for another pass.

On the fifth pass, the Knight of the Grey Winds did not miss his strike. Viserys brought his shield to bear, but at the last moment the mystery knight deftly maneuvered his lance and caught him in the center of his chest.

Viserys flew from his saddle and struck the ground with a resounding thud. A cheer went up from the crowd who only moments before had showered him with adulation.

The Knight of the Grey Winds rode a lap around the lists, holding his lance aloft and soaking in the cheers, Dany's favor fluttering about his arm. His celebration was brief, he stopped to pick up his squire and raced away from the field. Viserys jumped to his feet, ripped his helm off and threw it to the ground. His frustration was met with more laughter. When he rounded and saw the mystery knight fleeing, he wrangled his horse and gave chase. The laughter followed him from the field.

He'll never catch him, Dany thought, smiling, No man ahorse can hope to match him.

The jousting continued with no more surprises. As the sun began to slip below the horizon and braziers were lit, the herald announced the final bout: Ser Arthur Dayne, the Sword of the Morning versus Ser Loras Tyrell, the Knight of Flowers. The cheers which followed Ser Loras' name were decidedly high pitched, the handsome young knight having won quite a bit of adoration from the female members of the crowd. He looked like a knight from a song, his armor intricately enameled with vibrant jeweled flowers, his cape made of woven roses. Ser Arthur looked no less heroic in his brilliant ivory armor.

The Knight of Flowers rode well, breaking three lances against Ser Arthur, but in the end he was unhorsed. The herald announced Ser Arthur as the champion of the tourney to raucous cheers. He was offered a prize of five thousand gold dragons, but he politely declined them. A wreath of pink desert roses was handed to him and he strode into the stands, placing the wreath on Rhaenys' head himself and proclaiming her the Queen of Love and Beauty. Dany watched and fantasized about the day Robb would place a crown of flowers on her head.

Another feast followed, with the melee and archery competition scheduled for the next day. Viserys had the courage to show up to the feast, empty handed and sulking. He glared daggers at any who dared look his way and took a whole table for himself, forgoing food in favor of cup after cup of wine. Once he was deep in his cups, he began to rant that his defeat shouldn't count, that the whole day of jousting should be repeated, but none listened to him. When he angrily brought his thoughts to Rhaegar, Rhaegar had him escorted to the castle by Ser Rolland Storm. Once he was gone, men began to laugh at him behind their cups, even men he had defeated.

Dany delighted in his suffering. It was only fair, after he had made her suffer for so many years.

After the feast she returned to the castle. Robb found her on the way to her room, surprising her and pulling her into a side passage. Though he had doffed his armor, he still wore her favor around his arm.

"Would you care to join me for an evening stroll, my lady?"

"I would be honored, my lord."

He lead her a quiet corner of the castle gardens. A marble fountain with a wide circular basin sat there, a statue of the Maiden with her arms outstretched rose from its center. A pitcher of wine and two cups awaited them on the lip of the fountain. Robb lead her to sit at the fountain's base and poured them each a cup of Arbor gold. She intended to sip her wine, but Robb downed his quickly and urged her to do the same. Two more cups followed in quick succession and by the end of her third she was left with the undeniable fact that if she attempted to stand she would promptly fall flat on her face. Robb seemed in better shape than she, but only by a little.

He pulled her close and kissed her then, his lips tangy and sweet. She ran her hands across his chest while he explored the curves of her body. She pulled away, licking her lips, enjoying the hungry look in his eyes.

"My hero," she slurred. "The Knight of the Grey Winds."

He laughed. She giggled. Neither of them seemed capable of stopping. They collapsed against each other, laughing until they couldn't breath anymore.

That was how Viserys found them.

His lilac eyes, full of malice, settled almost instantly on the ribbon bound around Robb's arm.

"I knew it," he said, his voice low, his speech slightly slurred. "I knew it! Aegon couldn't stand against me, so he sent his mongrel dog to humiliate me."

"You'll not talk to me that way," Robb said. He made to rise but Dany held him in place, her eyes wide and fearful, remembering the last time Viserys had come to her drunk.

"I'll talk to you whatever way I please, whoreson. I've half a mind to-"

Viserys' word were cut off as Robb broke out of Dany's grasp and drove his fist into Viserys' chin, snapping his jaw shut with a clacking of teeth and sending him falling backwards. He stood over Viserys, fists clenched and face red. Viserys lunged to his feet with a curse and tackled him about the middle, driving him backward until he tripped over the lip of the fountain and they both splashed into the fountain's waters.

Dany clumsily dove out of their way as they fell into the fountain. When she managed to pull herself to her knees, her movements slowed by wine, she saw Robb and Viserys rolling in the fountain's waters, punching and kicking and biting and scratching at each other. First one was on top, then the other, then the other. She screamed for them to stop, for someone to come help, but nobody listened.

Robb ended up on top, straddling Viserys' chest and holding his head under the water. Viserys' pale hands beat at Robb's chest and scratched at his arms, his movements becoming ever more erratic the longer he went without air.

"Robb, stop!" Dany screamed.

Robb was lost to her words, his face red and snarling.

Viserys' hand retreated beneath the water, it returned holding a dagger. The blade was thrust up once, twice, thrice.

Robb fell into the fountain's waters, dying them red.

Viserys' rose and took in a lungful of air.

Daenerys screamed.