The Prince's Tourney I

The sun hung in the sky like a curtain, showering the land below it with its golden blessings. White fluffy clouds drifted across the sky leisurely, as if at peace with the world as birds streaked below them.

The air was clean and different, spiced with the refreshing smell of the sea and the calming aroma of the green grasses and the cacophony of mumblings made the whole place vibrant and full of life.

Looking down from the sky, my eyes set on the field before me and the surroundings. The grounds were wide and sprawling with trimmed green verdant grass, stretching as far as my eyes could see. And Tents and pavilions were neatly spread in rows along the edges of the field.

In the center of the field was a large circular area filled with packed brown earth that made it seem full. A long and thick wooden beam was horizontally set up in the middle of the field, separating it into two equally spacious sides.

Tiered stands surrounded the field all around it with thick brown wooden blocks lined in such a way as to separate the field from the stands.

The stands were packed with people from all walks of life; from the nobles or high borns decked in exquisite silk apparel to the peasants or commonfolk who were donned in mundane tunics or clothing.

The stands were divided into categories, with the highborn men and women occupying the cushioned seats closest to the arena while the common folk was seated in the upper tiers.

Past the stands, numerous tents, pavilions, and stalls dotted the green expanse in rows upon rows. Knights in their shiny armory, seated upon their noble steads, wealthy merchants and nobility clothed in all sorts of flamboyant fabrics, and the regular people went about their business.

The stalls and vendors were bustling with people who wanted to buy wares, food, and alcohol, creating a rich atmosphere.

And all over, the grounds were adorned and decorated with colorful and impactful banners and pennants, bearing and displaying the sigils of the various knights and houses in attendance.

The most populous and striking were the banners displaying a large crowned black stag on a field of rich gold. The sigil of my father's house, the sigil of House Baratheon...

"Is my little lion impressed by the sights?" My mother giggled softly as she raised me closer to her face, my body shifting in the soft white cloth wrapped around me.

"I'm sure he's very excited, your grace, it's his tourney after all." Elyse cooed politely with a pretty smile, seated on a cushioned chair on my mother's left, her voice as soft as silk.

She was dressed in a pink tight kirtle that emphasized her curves with a hairpin adorning her long brown hair. She was a beautiful young lady.

Seated next to her, in a similarly colored kirtle with a low neckline with a golden chain adorning her neck, Esle nodded in agreement.

She was as pretty as she was thin and also, and she looked like a younger version of Elyse with her wavy brown hair loosely cascading to her back. These two were my mother's ladies-in-waiting or simpler terms, her handmaidens.

They were the younger cousins of Jeyne Farman, supposedly a good friend of my mother. Two lovely girls who thought of nothing but flowery things and marrying dreamy knights, they were nothing special but at least they did their jobs well.

They, my mother, and I were situated on a raised strong wooden platform that overlooked the whole grounds, covered with a thick crimson canopy that blocked the rays of the sun.

It was ostensibly decorated with the royal colors of black and gold and the Baratheon sigils. Steps lead to the platform from below and flanking those steps are the Kingsguard.

There were two thrones fixed on the platform. One was occupied by my mother and in extension me and the other was empty since my father was at the moment, occupied with some important business...

"I suppose that is true," My mother smiled as she kissed my forehead, making me smile. "He has been giddy ever since we came here. This is the only time he's been this stimulated...well if you don't count the time we rode through the city that is."

They all giggled at this but I winced when the memory of that experience played in my head. I never imagined the actual stench of the city would be that horrendous, tears nearly fell from my eyes.

The revolting and nauseating smell of feces, urine, and garbage was so overwhelming for my sensitive nose that even now, I could smell it as if it was sticking in my nostrils.

It was a very unpleasant experience and I could only hope that with the mercies of time, I would get used to it...

"I just hope my little lion doesn't get disappointed at his tourney." My mother commented softly as she looked at me with her loving emerald eyes that seemed to sparkle with the ornate green sapphire hanging from her diamond-crusted necklace.

My tourney. Today was the tourney that my father sprang up to celebrate my entrance into this world. Hopefully, it would be as interesting as it has been hyped to be and give me what I need...

It had been officially more two weeks since I was reincarnated into this world. But lying in the arms of my mother for hours at this place, without doing anything or seeing anything interesting made it seem like much more time had passed.

I have learned a lot during this time and also, I've met some interesting people, people who are more than they seem...

For one, I now had an inkling of where I was. I was in Kingslanding, the capital city of the Seven Kingdoms, and the home to the Baratheon Dynasty.

I was still clueless about the Seven Kingdoms but as a result of eavesdropping on the conversations of my father and his retinue, the maids and servants, and my mother and her ladies, I at least knew their names.

The Riverlands, The Westerlands, The Reach, The North, Dorne, The Stormlands, and The Iron Islands. My father was from the Stormlands and my mother, uncle, and Farman siblings were from the Westerlands.

It was basically an Empire but due to some unknown circumstances, it was not considered as such despite the fact my family ruled the entire continent of Westeros.

I didn't know how big the continent was but given the culture and the appearance of those around me, I hypothesized that it was as big as Europe.

Also, I figured out the dynamics of my maternal and paternal families. My grandfather from my mother's side was the Lord Paramount and Regent of the Westerlands while my uncle Renly was the Lord Paramount Of The Stormlands.

In medieval European terms, my grandfather and uncles were the Westerosi equivalents of Dukes, only answering to my father the King.

According to my mother, the House Lannister, was the richest and most prosperous house in all of Westeros, and this explained why my father married my mother.

The most interesting part of all this was that my father was a rebel, King. That is, he overthrew the previous dynasty to become the man he is. The previous royal house was the House Targaryen.

I did not know much about them since the castle servants and my family did not talk much about them as if it was a written rule not to do so.

The only other thing I knew about them was that the previous King was mad and that his son, Prince Rhaegar was killed by my father in the war.

I had also heard whispers of people and especially my father calling my uncle Jaime Kingslayer, which means he probably killed the old King.

But judging by the less than happy look on his face and the scorn in the eyes of my father who called him that, I knew it wasn't a title worth carrying...

Suddenly, thunderous shouts and screams filled the place, startling me and bringing me out of my thoughts. What was going on?

"Look, your father is coming." My mother said dryly and adjusted my body to face the field as the sounds of horses trotting and metal clanking added to the roars of those around.

Shifting my little head, my eyes instantly fell on the approaching columns of riders flanked by armored knights sitting on groomed Palfreys, holding flags that bore the embroidered sigils of some houses and the man leading them at the head.

At long last, the tourney was starting...