Of White Trees and Blue Roses
I own nothing. This all belongs to GRRM, and I'm just playing with the story he gave us.
~X~
Chapter Ten – The Mystery Knight
The two youngest Stark siblings walked behind Brandon as he made his way to the noisy and crowded room where challengers entered the lists. Ben was talking animatedly with Brandon's squire while Lyanna determined who had made it through to the second day. Her eyes found the sigils she was looking for—porcupine, pitchfork, and twin towers—and she smiled to herself.
Small groups of men had formed, and their combined voices became a roar—the louder it got, the more they shouted. Brandon pushed his way through to the front and Lyanna and Ben followed.
The clerk sat in front of his ledger didn't look up as he wearily asked, "Name?" When there was no reply he lifted his head and recognition registered on his face. "Ser Brandon Stark of Winterfell. And who do you wish to challenge, my lord?"
"Prince Rhaegar Targaryen." Once Brandon had answered, the tone of the murmurs within hearing distance changed and the clerk's face paled.
"I'm afraid the good prince's challenger has already been chosen. Ser Arthur Dayne entered his name—"
The knight of the kingsguard in question looked up from the group he was standing with, and then walked over to the table.
"I heard my name?"
The clerk stammered. "Ser Brandon...h-he wished to challenge Prince Rhaegar..."
Ser Arthur looked at the man the clerk seemed so intimidated by. "One of the Starks." Even without the direwolf on his shield, he had a recognisable wild, stern look of the North about him; last night his good friend had confided about a dream of wolf knights he'd had the previous night. "I'm sure that the prince would relish Ser Brandon's challenge. I will go and inform him of the change of plan."
Bowing, the white cloaked knight went to leave the room, finding that the way parted easier than he had expected. Suddenly, there was a peal of laughter that grew closer.
There was a clanking amongst the noise, and a short knight approached wearing ill-fitting armour that could only be described as patchwork—a painted greave here, a black iron boots, and mismatched gauntlets. His shield was painted with a white weirwood on blue.
He can barely walk in his armour, Ser Arthur thought to himself. Surely he doesn't expect to joust.
The clerk seemed to be thinking in a similar vein as he asked, "This must be a joke...Ser."
The patchwork knight finally reached the front table.
"I wish to enter the lists." The mystery knight's voice was unnaturally loud, as if he thought that his booming tone might disguise his usual tone. Sniggering and derisory comments could be heard in the background.
"I'm afraid only experienced knights may enter."
"That is what I am. Don't let my attempt to mask my identity fool you."
The murmuring grew louder, and the clerk raised his hand for a little quiet. "And what might your name be, good ser?" Sarcasm dripped from his tongue as he spoke.
"I have no name. I am a nameless knight."
A wave of laughter flowed over the room before it fell quiet, waiting for the farce to continue.
"If you cannot give a name then how can anyone vouch for you? The rules are that any entrant whose status as a knight is doubtful must have two known knights who will speak for him."
The patchwork knight's artificial voice boomed over the murmuring. "This condition I can satisfy. Ser Jamie Lannister of the kingsguard, will you speak for me?"
The atmosphere grew excitable as the youngest, newest white cloak made his way forward and took a look at the mockery of the knight who had asked for him. Instinctively, his eyes found Lyanna Stark standing close by with two of her brothers.
Since their chance meeting a few nights previous, Jamie had thought long and hard about who it was that Lyanna Stark wanted to help enter and why she needed his help. Now he knew why, but he was more confused to ever as to whom. He had decided that it must be her younger brother, but he was also nearby. Surely it couldn't be the middle brother—the quiet one who kept his head down and followed Lord Baratheon and Lord Arryn around like a lost sheep.
All eyes rested on Jamie for a moment. "Yes, I know this knight. It took a while to recognise him though his...armour." He paused a while to smirk. "But I'm familiar with the laughing tree sigil. It comes from a tale a boy I trained with at Casterly Rock told me once, and more importantly, I remember the day that boy was knighted."
The noise reached a crescendo and the clerk had to bang his hand on his desk to restore order. He whispered something in the ear of his young helper, and the boy ran off.
The clerk looked suspiciously at the smirking Ser Jamie Lannister, but his fear of his father stopped his tongue from calling him a liar. Instead, he scribbled something in his book and then put his quill down slowly.
"Is there a second man to speak for the...Knight of the Laughing Tree?"
There was a tense minute that only ended when Ser Brandon Stark stepped forward. "I know this hedge knight, though it seemed he has lost his armour since I last saw him. He helped my father during a spate of Ironborn raids on Deepwood Motte. I will speak for him."
The crowd was now whipped up into a frenzy of both shouting and laughter, and through it pushed Lord Whent himself. He held his hand up as his eyes took in the short knight in armour so ridiculous it might well have been motley.
"Who are you? And why do you mock my tourney?"
"I do not wish to mock your tourney, my lord," the mystery knight answered. "I only wish to compete."
Lord Whent's jowls shook. "And why do you think you are fit to compete when you can't even afford basic plate?"
The knight shifted awkwardly. "I didn't say I couldn't afford plate. I never came here with the intention to compete, but I was convinced to do so when a friend of mine was shamed by others. This was the best I could find at short notice to fight for my friend's honour."
Once the room settled, Lord Whent spoke again. "You fight for honour...and who, pray tell, are the knights you wish to challenge?"
The patchwork knight walked forward a step or two and put down a sheet of paper in front of the clerk. "I care not what order I come up against them. If the gods are with me then they will make sure I am victorious against all three."
After thinking for a moment, Lord Whent spoke over the roar of many voices. "The Knight of the Laughing Tree has two men to speak for him, and though I doubt he is a true knight worthy of competing in this tournament, I will allow him to enter. No doubt the champions he wishes to challenge will be glad of a weak opponent to ensure they pass through to the next day." He turned to the patchwork knight. "Just remember...if you shame yourself, you shame your friend also."
~X~
Most of the men in the room followed the unlikely knight and laughed as he clumsily tried to mount his horse. Lyanna, Ben, and Brandon were amongst them.
"I hope for his sake that wasn't your crannogman friend," Brandon said with a warning tone.
Lyanna answered with a pretence of shock. "You mean you had no idea who he was? Then why did you speak for him?"
Brandon scowled. "Don't try me. In return for the favour I did you, you can take a letter for me." He reached inside of his armour and pulled out a sealed parchment. "Lyanna, take this to Lady Ashara and put it in her hands, no one else's. Do you understand?"
Lyanna reached out for it and rolled her eyes, only for Brandon to snatch it away.
"And don't try to read it."
"Yes, yes. Now give it here so I can get back in time to find a good seat."
Once she had the letter in her hand and she and Ben were out of Brandon's sight, Lyanna carefully tried to look inside the folds without breaking the seal.
"You said you wouldn't peek," Ben stated, but Lyanna didn't answer. Instead she smiled when she caught a glimpse of two little words written in Brandon's bold hand.
Marry Eddard.
Only then did she look at her youngest brother. "Shouldn't you be catching up with Howland? He'll need some help to remove his armour."
"Aren't you coming with us?" Ben asked.
"What do I look like—your squire?" Lyanna laughed. "At least one of us has to be seen to be around when the Knight of the Laughing tree is about, else they'll suspect. Besides, I have an errand to carry out. I'll see you at the tourney ground."
The two went their separate ways, Lyanna looking for Princess Elia and her ladies in waiting. When she finally found them, she curtsied, and then walked over to Ashara Dayne, whispering in her ear, "My brother sent you this."
The blonde girl smiled, said thank you, and tucked the letter into her sleeve.
Lifting her skirts as she ran, Lyanna hoped that she might be in time to take a seat next to Ned and her betrothed