282 AC – Harrenhal, Riverlands – Seat of Power: Aerys II Targaryen
The time for the tourney arrived, taking place less than a month after the year changed. This time, it would be held in the once-abandoned but famously known Harrenhal Castle. Once upon a time, a brave man and his men thought their tall walls would protect them from their enemies and it did... until Dragons proved them wrong.
Once upon a time, this place was considered cursed; for many that resided in it like the Strongs, perished under mysterious circumstances. Yet, those stories did not stop the proud Lords from joining and even residing there.
From all over the 7 Kingdoms people arrived, with even the Dornish making a surprise visit. Of course, only a few truly knew why the Southerners had arrived; many mistakenly thought it was due to the tourney.
Usually, Dorne chose not to participate in such matters or if they did; it was a rare thing. This time, there were more of them present; willing to help with the coup if it meant their Princess could become a Queen.
Amongst them was, of course, Elia's brother; Oberyn.
Present were also the North, with the leading lords being the current Lord Rickard Stark and his children; Brandon, Benjen, Eddard and Lyanna. The Tyrells had paid a visit with Lord Mace and his second-born, Ser Garlan; who would participate in the tourney.
In the Royal Booth, Aerys had been present with young Viserys while Rhaella had fallen 'ill' and had remained in King's Landing. Rhaegar would participate in the tourney and thus was absent but his second cousins; Robert, Stannis and young Renly were there.
Visenya, of course, had made an appearance and was not alone. Tywin had, to the surprise of many, joined her and so did Kevan. None of their children had come with them, having been left back at Casterly Rock with Genna.
The only other Lion present was Jaime; who had to be present as a Kingsguard.
It had been too long since they last saw one another, due to them residing in different castles but all that was about to change. Jaime, like all the Kingsguard, had been informed of everything and while he could not wait for the abusive Aerys to be taken down; he was more than happy to see his good-mother again.
When they met in front of the gates of Harrenhal, a warm embrace was exchanged; none truly caring for passerby eyes.
Visenya pulled back first, her smile big and soft while she placed her warm hand on his cheek. Jaime had grown tall, taller than her and he had matured rather nicely; taking the good genes of his father but touches of his deceased mother.
"Look at you, with the white cloak. A proper Kingsguard" she commented, her thumb caressing his skin.
Jaime placed his one hand on top of hers and gave a proud toothy smile, his green eyes shining with emotions.
Of course, his moment of joy could not remain intact; not with his father, who was still bitter about the whole ordeal.
"More like a glorified bodyguard than a knight" Tywin commented, walking past them with his hands behind his back.
He was in a rather foul mood, for he did not wish to see Aerys at all. Yet, he knew he had to and would have to remain patient for a few days until the time for the coup was right. That did not mean he was happy about it and he had a tendency to make it rather clear to those around him, especially those who knew him well enough to see the difference between his usual cold facade and his true character.
Of course, seeing his once prized heir wearing that white cloak; was a reminder of what Aerys had taken from him, right between his fingers. True, he did have Trystan as his new heir and he knew Visenya would produce more children; but he was still bitter whenever he was reminded how his firstborn and the plans he had for him, were all ruined by a stupid man wearing a golden crown.
Jaime's smile did not drop, despite his father's harsh words. Being a knight was his dream and now he had the highest honour, to protect the King. He was among people who shared the same mindset and received compliments for his naturally good sword skills, as well as his looks.
He was part of a group, of a small family one might dare to say. And while with Aerys and his abuse, there were dark days, he never regretted that opportunity. Especially once he came to realise that he could be free from the control of his father, having no longer the responsibilities he once had as heir.
"Do not listen to him" Visenya reassured him, her smile not once dropping.
She had missed Jaime the past year, having always grown a soft spot for him; amongst all three of Tywin's children. The boy had a pure heart and he often reminded him of Rhaegar, which was perhaps why he had taken so much liking to him.
And now, seeing him as a man and doing what he truly loved; made her both happy but also proud. She could not offer that life to Rhaegar, no matter how hard she tried, but she would support it for Jaime; until the very end.
It was the 4th day of the Tourney, halfway through the 8-day plan and it was the day when everything would fall into place.
So far, different competitions have taken place including archery, fighting and even riding. Different lords and their heirs participated in each, many being crowned winners while showing off their skills. It was a great opportunity to bring pride into one's family, grow personal fame and even draw the eyes of Lords and their daughters; establishing a good match.
Of course, those small competitions could never be compared with the men's biggest joy... the Jousting Tournament. It was a tough sport, requiring years of practice, certain health and even some luck; but mostly, it required multiple skills.
In one of the most dangerous and yet one of the most favoured competitions, dozens of Lords and highborn sons had chosen to participate, the majority having been disqualified sooner or later.
The toughest opponent was a mysterious knight, clad in black armour and nicknamed; Knight of the Laughing Tree. Of course, such a name came from the blazon on his shield, a smiling weirwood.
This mystery knight managed to defeat two of Ashara Dayne's brothers and even Kevan Lannister, all while remaining on the saddle. The knight even managed to unhorse Ser Willem and defeat him later in ground combat, much to the dismay of his fellow Kingsguards.
Yet, when asked to identify himself; the mystery knight just fled. Despite Aerys' orders to find him and the attempts of both Lannister and Targaryen soldiers to capture him... there was no sign of him.
As if had just disappeared into thin air, not even the horse or the armour could be found. Magically, the very same way that knight had appeared; it had also disappeared. This would leave many to comment and gossip about it, forming tales that their children would narrate to their descendants and stories the Maesters would write when focusing on the particular tourney.
Visenya had taken good notice of the mysterious knight, having been intrigued by the masked presence but also impressed by the skills the knight possessed. However, she seemed to be the only one to actually take notice that this mystery knight was rather short and thin for a man; and would not ignore the fact that perhaps a woman was hidden under that dark armour.
After all, she had done it disguised as Rhaegar and no one found out; until she was forced to ditch the helmet. She would not be surprised if a woman had chosen to copy Visenya's idea, for it would be the only way she could truly participate in the tourney.
The knight, though, had disappeared and thus she would never be able to find out if her suspicions were true... at least, not anytime soon.
At last, after many worthy rounds; only two had remained standing and one of them would be the official winner of the Jousting. On one side, there was the undefeated and young Targaryen Prince; Rhaegar, with the red favour of his aunt decorating his lance and successfully having taken down his previous opponents.
His opponent in this final match was none other than his loyal guard and teacher; Ser Barristan Selmy. The Bold Knight, as was known, had a remarkable score of winning when it came to Jousting and he was a rare talent to it. Something that the Targaryen knew too well, for the noble knight had trained both him but also Visenya in Jousting; and based on the impressive performance of the dragoness; one could not question his skills.
They both got ready and while it was a close call, in the end; Rhaegar was crowned victorious. He unsaddled his teacher with the second try, his lance breaking upon impact but the result was all the same.
He had just won, his very first Jousting and the crowd was going wild around him. Many of the common folk knew him, dozens of women were crushing on him and young children aspired to become like him.
He took off his fancy dragon-winged helmet and lifted it high in the air, making the crowd cheer louder and louder for him. At the Royal Booth, Ellia and her children cheered for him loudly while Robert, who was by her side; commented on how he should have been down there and how he would have been the winner instead.
Visenya smiled with pride at her nephew, her smile small but natural; as for a moment, she did not think of the plan that was about to take place.
And then...the time for everything came.
Before Rhaegar could take the flowered crown to name a woman to be the new Queen of Love and Beauty, the show started.
Visenya's smile dropped and she exchanged a look with Tywin before both gave the faintest of head nods. They barely had to look at the soldiers around them, to give the signal for the coup.
In a matter of seconds, dozens of soldiers and Lords had all pulled out their swords and pointed them at their enemy. In the different Booths, those Lords that were not informed of the coup; found swords placed close to their necks and silent glares that passively told them to remain quiet.
Those Lords that were part of the plan, including the big ones like the Starks, Arryns, Tyrells, Martells and even the Baratheons; also stood up but their soldiers were the ones pointing their swords at their enemies.
In the Royal Booth, Visenya's most loyal soldiers had acted around the same time and had their swords pointed at Aerys but from a distance. Even Oberyn had joined the fun, and he seemed the most willing to end the Mad King on the spot; if he was permitted to do so.
For despite his bloodthirsty nature and his lack of control when it came to a fight, he had sworn not to act out of line. Visenya had personally talked to him, behind Tywin's back; and a common past of theirs was enough to make the cocky prince listen.
"What is going on?! What is this?!" Aerys shouted, daring to stand up and look around him, unbothered by the weapons aimed in his direction. He glared at the people around him and pointed a finger at the Kingsguard. "Don't you just stand there you idiots! Do something!"
Yet his shouts were met with deaf ears, for his loyal protectors did not move a single muscle; especially Jaime. The Young Lion merely glared at him, feeling this impulsive need to see everything come to an end.
He had been waiting for this for far too long, ever since he was forced to stand guard in front of his chambers and listen to the pleas and cries of Rhaella; as he raped and harmed her.
Aerys was furious and he glared around, seeing that he was outnumbered.
Elia had hugged her children closer to her body, fearful that a stray move might harm them but did not move. Instead, she remained seated and hidden behind her brother's figure while observing carefully.
Even the Kingsguard did not make a move, any kind of move. Because of their oath, they could not harm their King but they could choose to stand back; which was what they had agreed to do.
They all supported Rhaegar after Ser Barristan had a good talk with them; on behalf of Visenya. They knew Aerys was not himself anymore and if everything could go down without unnecessary bloodshed, they were more than willing to cooperate.
And so, Aerys found his biggest paranoia coming to life as he was surrounded by soldiers that were ready to strike him down; should he choose to make the wrong move.
And in the middle of it all, stood none other than his younger sister; who he had long ignored and underestimated. The Dragoness that had earned the favour and support of the Realms and had chosen to finally stand up to the injustice she had long let slide.
Some people in the crowd started to become uneasy, amongst them Lords whose loyalty was currently placed with Aerys; even though they had yet to be presented the chance to bend the knee for a new Ruler.
"I demand to know what is going on!" Aerys shouted again, the silence only driving him madder with each passing second, evident by the look in his eyes and the faint bearing of his rotten teeth.
"What is going on, your Grace, is an upstage" Visenya said as she slowly stood up with Tywin by her side. "It is time to step down, brother and let Rhaegar take the Throne as your rightful heir"
Her voice was calm and yet cold, having no personal feeling of any kind for the man with whom she shared the same blood. They never had the best of relationships and at that moment, Visenya felt no guilt for what she was doing.
Aerys had crossed the line too many times, had harmed their sister and was currently a danger to the Realm. He was a self-destructing man, who would go down with a huge fire explosion and take them all down with him; unless someone stopped him before it was too late.
And if she had to be that someone, she was more than ready for it. Her ancestors had done it before and she held no shame in following their footsteps, this time the right way; no wars and innocent bloodshed needed.
"Never!" he spat. "I am the King! I am the Dragon!" he raged, his body shaking and so close to snapping.
"Any man, who must say I am the King; is no true King" Tywin said, standing next to his wife. "A phrase you refused to hear from me all those years"
Aerys was furious and he looked more like a frenzied corner animal than a human being. He glared at Tywin, his gaze cold and deadly; madness lurking behind it, waiting to be unleashed.
"I am the King!" he repeated as if that would change something.
As if this reminder would make everyone step down and kneel, begging for his forgiveness. However, the only thing that phrase did; was to prove even more why Aerys was no longer fit to rule and wear the crown.
"Not anymore" his sister argued, always remaining calm and not once losing her temper. "Look around you, the Lords have decided" She turned her body halfway to face the crowd. "From today and forth, the Seven Kingdoms have chosen a new and worthy King; Rhaegar Targaryen!"
Now that the crowd was finally becoming aware of what was going on, seemed to support the idea. Cheers and yells of agreement echoed across the open area, with many showing their support for Rhaegar as their New King.
Only a few of the Aerys loyalists did not dare to make a move or even let out a single sound, rather just sat there obediently and waited for things to unfold. Whether they would bend the knee to Rhaegar, would be seen later on.
Firstly, they had to finish with it; properly.
Hearing the cheers and realizing that his own sister went against him, to crown his son in his place... made Aerys see red in his vision, from the rising anger that combusted within him like wildfire.
"Traitor!" Aerys shouted, taking a step closer to her. "You dare rebel against your King?!" he shouted at her, although he was addressing everyone who dared to point a sword in his direction.
"No, I have already chosen a King and I am supporting him; Rhaegar" she argued, narrowing her eyes and glancing at two Lannister Guards. "Viserys Targaryen, in the name of your New King and the power of the 7 Kingdoms...You are to be imprisoned for your crimes against the people and your abuse of power, taking the lives of innocents and bringing the realm to the verge of war and famine. Take him"
Before the two soldiers could grab Aerys, the Mad King snapped and in one last attempt; he went for the one person that had been a thorn by his side ever since they were children... Visenya.
He moved relatively fast for his skinny body and he stretched his hand before anyone could truly anticipate him. Long and curled nails were extended along with bony fingers and were aimed for Visenya's neck, ready to choke the life out of her once they wrapped around the delicate skin.
Visenya could react or at least try, yet she never found the chance to do so. Because someone grabbed and pulled her back, making her stumble but retain her balance.
In front of the eyes of hundreds of people, Tywin pulled his wife behind him with one hand and with his dominant one; landed a very good punch on Aerys' cheek. The hit was so clean and well calculated that a bruise quickly formed on the pale skin while the Mad King found himself against the floor.
Many gasped at the sight; none expecting the Lion of Casterly to truly react in such a manner; yet many would praise him for defending his wife and most likely saving her life from her mad brother.
Even the Kingsguard needed a moment to snap out from the shock and all exchanged a look, curious if they should interfere since the King was harmed. Yet, the looks they exchanged were all they did and none chose to move; for deep down they all agreed that it was well deserved.
"Tywin" Visenya exclaimed surprised, looking at her husband; who remained standing between her and Aerys.
He was flexing his fingers, not used in such vulgar and violent actions but he did not regret it. He glared at the fallen King with all the hatred he had gathered all those years, while personal satisfaction was quick to build within him at the pathetic sight of Aerys.
It felt good getting back at him for everything that he had done to him and he did get back, in more than one way.
"Seize him" he ordered his soldiers, who grabbed the dizzy King and started to drag him out of the booth.
As they did, his crown slipped from his head and rolled against the floor; before stopping by Jaime's feet.
The young knight bent and picked it up, before looking at his good-mother. As much as he would have preferred to see her on the throne, he knew it was not possible. Yet, he was not forbidden from imagining it before he handed her the golden band.
"Thank you, Jaime," she said and took the crown that both her grandfather but also her father had worn, before Aerys.
The material was familiar to her, cold to the touch but not new. She remained serious, holding back her smile as she turned to face Rhaegar and the crowd.
"We have a new King! Rhaegar Targaryen, First of His Name. King of the Andals and the First Men and Lord of the Seven Kingdoms. Long may he reign!" she said, her voice easily booming across the area for everyone to hear.
"Long live the King! Long live the King!" the crowd shouted, showing their eager support.
As those four words were repeated across all the stands, Visenya looked down at her nephew with a proud look and a small prideful smile.
Rhaegar had remained seated on his horse the entire time and had been watching everything from below. He saw how his father started to act, the madness he had long started to suspect resurfaced at a terrifying pace.
When he tried to attack Visenya, he was ready to jump down his horse and make his way somehow up to the Royal Booth. To his surprise but also relief, Tywin interfered most unexpectedly.
Now he could feel relieved but that did not remain for long, not after Visenya talked to the crowd. The more he heard the crowd shout for him, cheering as he was now their new King... the more his worry grew.
It became evident in his violet eyes and even his horse seemed to sense it, as it scratched the ground with one hoof and moved its head back and forth. Rhaegar kept the reins tight, not letting the animal do any crazy stand and he looked around him.
When he spotted Visenya with the crown and saw the pride in her red-flecked amber eyes, he felt a part of his growing worry disappear. She was always proud of him and now, she truly was; as she named him King in front of the world and had gathered him the supporters he needed.
While he was informed of the plan and his new position long before it took place, it did not make it any less stressful. Even Elia had vividly supported this decision and it was hers, Visenya's and his mother's trust that made Rhaegar agree to everything.
Now that Visenya held the golden crown of his father, he knew that the biggest part of the plan, the biggest worry; was over and the crowd cheering his name helped with the situation.
Amongst the crowd, he took notice of the Starks and when his eyes locked with Lyanna; a smile was exchanged between them, a smile that made him feel far more confident in his actions and his new position.