Who said that gambling was hard?

Theon POV

Time flew by, and soon, It was time for the Tourney of the Hand. Nothing much happened apart from Tyrion Lannister returning to King's Landing. It was something that I was grateful for, and I could sleep now knowing that no Lannister would try to kill me because Tyrion was captured.

Today, the first day of Tourney, I found a place to watch it. I got some gold coins from Lord Stark and had some bets, hoping that what I remembered from the books was right. The first thing I remembered was that Jory was defeated on his third joust, so I bet that he will win his first two. Next was that Jaime Lannister would win against Barristan Selmy and so on.

I bet only on those that I knew would win, and gold coins just kept coming into my hands. Heirs and second sons of Crownlands just kept giving me coins. Loras Tyrell was someone who brought me a fortune.

It was sad that people still believed in the Kingsguard. Apart from Barristan and Jaime, the rest were average at best. So when Loras unhorsed them, I gathered even more coins. Suckers, they couldn't even complain as they were readily accepting my wager.

As the semi-finals came, I found fewer and fewer people to bet with, and the day ended with me having a big pouch of coins hanging on my belt. The feast after the first day of Hand's tourney was boring to me. The only joy I got from it was talking with Thoros and his new friends.

"I heard you earn quite a bit of gold coins," Thoros remarked.

"Yes, there are many lords who are complaining about losing all their spending coins to you, Theon," Lord Beric Dondarrion adds.

"Lady luck smiled on me today," I replied with a smile.

"Now that you have some coins, I don't need to buy you wine anymore," Thoros commented.

"Good for you," I replied. "But don't come to me thinking that I will repay you. I am Ironborn, and I pay only the iron price. So how about a bet of who would win tomorrow's match?"

"No, I am not giving my gold to you, don't even think about it," Thoros quickly replied.

"Oh, come on. Do you think I will be lucky two days in a row?" I asked him with a sly smile.

"I am still not drunk enough, for you do fool me," Thoros responded.

"That can be changed," I replied and took another tankard of ale.

With laughter, Thoros, too, took another tankard and drank with me. Beric sitting next to Thoros smiled and joined us. Before long, I could feel myself getting too drunk, and before I knew it, the night had fallen.

"Let's drink to you this time, Beric," Thoros said. "I heard that Lady Allyria Dayne is the most beautiful lass in Seven Kingdoms. I still wonder why you haven't married her yet."

"Hah? So Beric is afraid to commit yet, I wouldn't wait long. You aren't getting younger, and in one of those Tourneys could kill you," I told him. "Well, you have a priest of the Lord of Ligh with you. He can bless you or something."

"Good idea. Why I don't do it?" Thoros asked.

"Enough, I think you both had enough to drink," Beric replied with a hopeless smile.

"Just one more," I told him and took a tankard and gulped it down.

After that, I don't remember anything else, just that I woke up in stables the next morning.

…

I somehow got in time for the tourney. After waking up this morning, washing, and grabbing some bread, I ran to the tourney grounds. I was just in time before the joust began. Still having a pouch full of coins, I tried to find some sucker to make more.

Tyrion Lannister was easy to find. What I didn't expect was for him to be with another person. Peter Baelish, otherwise known as Littlefinger or called Mockingbird, for wearing it as a personal crest.

"Well, it seems I found two of wealthiest men in King's Landing," I greeted them. "You wouldn't be afraid of having a bet, would you?"

"Theon Grayjoy," Tyrion greeted me. "I saw you taking gold from everyone who had it. It seems your luck is pretty good."

"Why don't you test it how far it will go?" I asked him. "How about you, Lord Baelish? It wouldn't be a significant loss for you anyway, as I will spend my winnings in your brothel."

"Is that so?" Littlefinger asked me. "Sure, I bet that the Mountain will win."

"It will be my brother. He won't make a mistake against Loras like last time," Tyrion said.

"He first must go past the Hound," I told him. "I bet that Loras will win against the Mountain, but it will be the Hound who takes the first place prize."

"Why so specific. Can you see the future or something?" Tyrion asked me.

"Maybe, are you afraid?" I threw a jape at him.

"No, how much are you willing to lose?" Tyrion asked.

"All," I answered and took my pouch from the belt.

It was a big pouch with more than a hundred gold coins in it. Tyrion laughed and took his pouch. Littlefinger looked at us for a moment and did the same. Suckers, now I have to hire a ship and wait till Lord Stark gets angry and goes back north. I will then slip out, and who will stop me?"

As I remembered, Loras rode on a mare in heat, which distracted the stallion of the Mountain. The Hound won against Jaime, and Loras gave the win to Hound for saving his life. I got two pouches of coins and was preparing to leave.

"It seems we lost. How about a bet to who will win the Melee?" Littlefinger asked.

"If you want to," I answer. "I bet on Thoros of Myr. But I think I have taken all your gold."

"Oh? You believe in your friend," I don't know if the fact that he knows about us should scare me or something, but I didn't give a damn. "I let you have fun in my brothel for a week, free of any costs."

"Haha, I would bet too, but I don't have any coins anymore," Tyrion laughed.

"Well, I don't have a reason to deny the wager," I replied. "Who do you choose?"

"The Hound, I believe he isn't satisfied with his victory in the joust," Littlefinger responded, somehow I think he is scheming something. I don't like it, but I am nobody to him, so I didn't worry too much.

The Hound lasted till the end but was defeated by Thoros's flaming sword. Looking at Littlefinger's face, I didn't find anything that would indicate him being angry at the loss. He just smiled creepily. It gave me goosebumps, but I refused to believe he was planning something against me.

"Will you come today?" Littlefinger asked me.

"No, I have to compete tomorrow at the archery. After that, I will come to enjoy my winnings," I answered him with a smile.

"I will be waiting," He told me and left.

Why are you going to be waiting? Why do you need to be so creepy? Still, I can't back down now. It would be suspicious if someone like me didn't enjoy free entertaining. Is Littlefinger planning something I don't like at all?

"Ha, have fun," Tyrion said before he too left.

Fun? Yeah, I worry too much. I will have fun tomorrow night. Then I will leave the city and enjoy my new life in the Summer Islands. There is nothing to worry about, not at all.

A.N. I know this chapter is quite short, but it is more of a prelude to the next chapter, which I will post tomorrow, probably.

Thank you for your support more than 200 followers and over 100 favs, is not something I imagined I would get.