Chapter 40

Chapter 40

MYSARIA

Mysaria sat in the stands as she watched the Tourney grounds fill up as all the contestants entered the grounds. The ground had been prepared for the melee, with wooden walls surrounding the designated area.

However, she found her eyes reaching for the Royal House, more importantly towards Princess Rhaenyra and her lifelong friend, the Ladt Alicent who sat beside her. One of the chairs in the Royal House was conspicuously empty, and she realized that it must have been set for Prince Aenys.

Though as she was glancing at the Royal box, she didn't miss the sudden shift in the atmosphere in the Royal house as a maid entered the box with a cot and said something in the ear of the daughter of the hand.

What message had the maid brought?

The herald had reached the center of the Tourney grounds and with a massive blow of the horn, began to shout.

"The contestants are ready! Today, for the melee we have, some of the realm's greatest knights competing for honor, and a chance to win the grand prize of twenty thousand gold dragons!" the crowd cheered as they salivated at the massive prize.

Twenty Thousand gold dragons were enough for a peasant family to last over several generations. And she looked towards the tourney ground, and found a number of contestants looking towards her, they were the knights who were there on her command. There to keep an eye on Daemon who had been growing more and more erratic for some time.

"BUT THIS TOURNEY IS RATHER SPECIAL!" the herald began as the crowd quieted down as the herald continued.

"FOR TODAY IN THE MELEE, THE KNIGHTS OF THE REALM SHALL HAVE A CHANCE TO TEST THEIR METTLE AGAINST NOT ONE BUT TWO PRINCES OF THE REALM!" and her head snapped towards the Royal box once again and she realized that the empty seat must have been the one set for Prince Aenys, for he was the only other Prince of the realm apart from Daemon.

"TO MY RIGHT I HAVE OUR OWN COMMANDER OF THE CITY WATCH! THE MAN WHO BROUGHT THE STEPSTONES TO HEEL! RIDER OF CERAXES! WIELDER OF DARK SISTER! DAEMON TARGARYEEEEN!" the herald announced, with much flair, and the crowd went mad as the very ground shook as the crowd roared. After all, it was rare for them to catch a glimpse of the royal family.

The cheer became even louder as a man clad in pitch black armor entered the tourney grounds, his armor made of dull with only the rubies in lain in the chest plate glistening ominously in the light of the sun as he walked to the center of the ground, and riled up the common folk, taking out his sword, a white favor tied to its hilt, no favor tied to it.

And then Harold began once more, his voice thundering across the stands.

"AND TO MY LEFT, WE HAVE THE MAN WHO SLEW THE GREAT DRAGON VHAGAR! THE MAN WHOSE MEN HEAL MEN AND WOMEN ALL OVER THE WORLD! THE MAN WHOSE HEALING TOUCH IS FAMOUS THROUGHOUT THE LANDS!" the herald began as the crowd rustled as the other figure entered the tourney grounds from the other side.

"BUT TODAY, WE SHALL SEE THE SKILL AT ARMS OF OUR OWN HEALER! TO MY LEFT, WE HAVE THE DRAGON SLAYER! THE HEALER PRINCE! AENYS TARGARYEN!" the herald announced, and the crowd thundered as they saw the famous Prince step into the tourney grounds.

His armor glistened in the Sun, the steel polished to a sheen, though she didn't miss that this was a new set, different from the one he had worn when he had fought Jason Lannister in their famous duel. This one shone in the Sun. The armor was decorated with dragons with a massive dragon head inscribed expertly into the breast plate, giving the Prince a ferocious appearance.

The Prince had not participated in a tourney before this, and the commoners were excited to see their favored Prince step onto the grounds. Yet, why was he here? and as she narrowed her gaze at the Prince in question, she found him staring at Daemon and one of the knights standing to the side, one wearing a red favor, a single tower with a flame on top inscribed into his chest plate and it all came together.

Daemon had entered the lists only with one purpose, to teach his niece, a lesson. She had heard whispers from the castle that the Princess had chosen the young Hightower as her consort, and Daemon was here to put an end to that. He wanted to kill the boy in question to send a message to his niece and to the Hand of the King, whom Daemon believed to have engineered the match.

Though she had heard nothing to support this conjecture, and as she looked at the Royal box she saw that both the Princess and the Ladt Alicent were surprised, just like her. Prince Aenys's name had not been on the lists as of the morning, and though that didn't matter much for a Prince of the realm, it showed that the Prince had entered the tourney on a whim.

Her gaze moved towards her planted knights as she looked towards the Prince in question and gave them a nod. She received nods in return. Daemon had entered the tourney at great risk to himself, and she was not going to let him fail. A tourney was a deadly affair, and death wasn't as uncommon as one may think, with nearly every tourney having a few knights dying of their injuries.

"SO, PEOPLE, PLACE YOUR BETS AND GET READY TO WITNESS HISTORY!" the herald announced as the two Princes moved towards the edge of the tourney grounds and took out their swords. Daemon held his infamous Dark Sister in his hands, the Valyrian steel recognizable even at such a distance. Though Prince Aenys's sword bore the same smokey pattern, the Prince's Valyrian steel blade was shorter than Dark Sister's yet no less dangerous.

The herald looked at the gathered knights and moved back, and the crowd stilled as he picked up his horn and blew on it after with all his might.

PAAAAAAAAAN!

Marking the beginning of the melee!

0000

ALICENT HIGHTOWER

"The Prince had a confrontation with Prince Daemon in the nursery. He asked me to tell you that he would be fighting in the melee and would explain later."

The words of Anya rang in her ears as she watched Aenys walk into the Tourney ground clad in the new set of armor he had received from Qohor, as her mind raced to piece together the reason for his decision.

"I didn't know Uncle Aenys planned on participating in the tourney," questioned Rhaenyra from the side, and Alicent saw him staring at her brother, his gaze constantly shifting between Gwayne and Daemon.

"He didn't," she uttered as Rhaenyra's head snapped towards him.

"Then why is he down there in armor," she questioned, and Rhaenyra turned to face her friend as she thought of what to say. Was her guess right? Did it really have something to do with Gwayne?

And if so, should she say it? In the end, she decided to keep her thoughts to herself as she shrugged and answered Rhaenyra.

"I don't know," she said as she turned to glance at the tourney grounds once more. The participants had moved to the edge of the ring and had taken out their swords. Aenys held his Valyrian steel blade in his hands as he stood opposite to Daemon, the only other fighter with a Valyrian steel blade.

PAAAAAAAN!

The herald sounded the horn, and the men moved, their feet shifting as sounds of metal clashing against metal rocked the area. She watched Aenys try and rush towards Daemon, yet his path was cut short as a hedge knight stepped in his way, forcing him to halt his approach.

And she was wrong, it wasn't just one knight. It was three, three knights clad in armor with no sigils on their form surrounding Aenys, making her heart thump.

The tourney ground was filled with shrieks and shouts, and fights were taking place at every corner, yet she found her eyes rooted to Aenys, who moved cautiously as the three knights circled him. Two of them wielded swords, while the last one had a morning star in his hand, much like the newest member of the Kingsguard, Ser Criston Cole.

She felt her heart stop as she saw the knight with the morning star swing it at Aenys, forcing him to step back, though the other knight with the sword was quick to capitalize on the opportunity, as he swung his blade at Aenys and she gasped as the blade hit his armor.

"Seven above!" she gasped as she brought together her hands in prayer and begged the seven for their blessing, praying to them to bless Aenys.

Thankfully, it appeared as though Aenys was fine, as he turned and parried the knight's next strike before he swung his leg at the knight's side, catching him off guard as the knight fell to his knee, and she felt her heart thump as she saw him bring up his sword for the final blow before he suddenly moved to the side as the morning star landed with a thud.

THUNK!

The morning star tore up the very ground Aenys stood on as the last of the three knights pounced on Aenys as the battered knight struggled to his feet.

She didn't miss how the three knights seemed rather fixated on Aenys. Were they underestimating him due to his reputation, hadn't they heard of his infamous duel with Jason Lannister for her hand? Were they simply oblivious to his skill at arms, or was this part of another plot?

"Gwayne!" she heard Rhaenyra gasp from the side as her friend rushed out of her seat towards the edge of the royal box. Alicent made to follow as she glanced towards the part of the grounds where Gwayne was fighting, and her eyes widened as she recognized that dull black armor.

Daemon. And she felt a chill run through her as she realized that her earlier fears were right as she watched Daemon pushing Gwayne back.

CHING! CHING!

She could see Gwayne struggling to keep up with the rogue Prince who was relentlessly attacking her brother, who seemed to be on the back foot. She looked to the side and saw that Rhaenyra was placed as a sheet as she stood there with her gaze focused on the clash between Gwayne and Daemon.

CHING! CHING! CLUNK!

"AAAAAAAA!" suddenly, she heard the crowd roar, and she looked towards Aenys once more and felt her heart still as she saw his bloodied armor as the knight wielding the morning star lay there in his feet crying out in pain as blood dripped from his shoulder where in place of an arm only a bleeding stub remained.

The other two knights didn't back off, though, and came at him again, though Aenys didn't back down again as he parried their strikes one after another. His new armor was lighter and allowed for more mobility. He had commissioned it from Qohor for that specific purpose.

Each attack made her heart sink as she found her eyes glued to Aenys's form as he danced through the tourney grounds, his sword work showing years upon years spent in honing the skill, and though she knew little of the art. She could tell that he was no ordinary man. His movements were fluid as he evaded strike after strike, facing two knights, yet he fought on equal footing.

And then she saw it shift suddenly as one of the knights picked up and threw dirt at his face.

"BOOOOOO!" the crowd showed their disapproval, and though such an act was frowned upon, the melee had no rules, and she saw Aenys step back as the dirt hampered his ability to see clearly.

The knights were quick to take advantage and moved in with their swords aimed at Aenys's neck. He jumped back and avoided their initial strikes, yet she felt her gut wrench in trepidation as she saw Aenys taking off his helmet as he tried to rub away the dirt.

"No!" she shouted, though she knew that her voice wouldn't reach him, and she watched with dread as his back hit the wooden walls of the ground, leaving him with no more ground.

The knights caught up and brought down their blades as Aenys put up his own sword, though it mattered little, and she watched in horror as his sword fell from his hands, hitting the ground with a thunk as the knight swung their blade at his neck.

"NOOO!" she shouted with all her might as she saw the sword inch towards his neck, and with no helmet to protect his face, the strike could be fatal. In the end, she closed her eyes, as the Kingsguard suddenly approached her and held her back as she began to cry.

"My lady, the Prince is fine. Look!" spoke the Kingsguard, and she felt her heart skip a beat as she opened her eyes. The tears marred her vision, yet she saw Aenys standing there, his face drenched in blood as one of the knights facing him fell to the ground, as Aenys took out the dagger he had plunged in his neck.

The last of the knights rushed towards Aenys, though she didn't miss the hesitation in his steps, as he launched himself at Aenys once again, who rolled away and picked up his sword as he got back on his feet and began to attack the last knight.

Half his body was drenched in blood, and he looked ferocious as he slowly overpowered the last of the knights to the commoner's delight. She felt her legs grow weak, though thankfully, the Kingsguard brought forward her chair as she helped her into it, and one of the servants brought a glass of water for her.

"Thank you, good ser," she said. Her heart eased slightly as she saw Aenys disarm the last knight.

"No worries, my lad…" but before she could take a sip of the water, she stilled as she heard the chilling scream of Rhaenyra from the side.

"NOOO!" and her eyes flowed her gaze, and the glass of water fell from her hands, and her heart stilled as she saw Daemon Targaryen swing his sword at her brother's fallen form.

0000

DAEMON TARGARYEN

Daemon watched as Gwayne Hightower collapsed to the ground, his helmet broken from his strikes fell off to the side, Daemon smiled as he walked towards the bastard, who brought up his sword, and Daemon didn't miss the red favor tied to its hilt.

Daemon brought up his sword and swung it at him with all his might.

"AHHH!" he shouted, as the Green bastard brought up his own blade to defend himself.

CHING!

Their swords met, as the Hightower bastard tried to get back to his feet. Yet Daemon didn't give him any time and brought down his sword again.

CHING!

And again!

CHING!

And again, as the bastard defended for his life until it happened on the fifth blow.

As the bastard raised his sword, Daemon brought down Dark sister, and as their swords met, chunks of metal flew around as the steel sword gave out in front of the eternal edge of his Valyrian steel blade.

CLUNK!

The castle-forged steel failed to stand up to his blade and broke into several pieces, and Daemon smiled as he saw the Hightower bastard, pale as he raised his sword once again.

"I yie…." Yet as Daemon swung the sword once again, he saw the bastard's eyes widen as he realized that this was the end, the bastard tried to crawl back, yet Daemon was fast as he brought down his sword, aimed straight for his neck.

"NOO!" he heard a distant scream in a rather familiar voice, as he swung his blade.

Yet before the steel could cut through flesh, another sword blocked his blade, a blade with a pattern similar to one of his own. And he suddenly felt someone kick him in the gut and he was sent reeling back.

"AGHH! Daemon grunted in pain as he stepped back and looked up, and his eyes widened as he saw exactly who had interrupted his final strike.

Half his body was covered in caked blood. His short blonde hair had become a dark red because of the blood that dripped down his face. Yet those amethyst orbs resembled his own, much like the sigil under which the man opposite to him fought.

"Aenys!" he said as he gripped his sword, and he saw his brother stand tall infront of him, glaring at him his helmet lost to the fighting.

Otto's son stood up and made to join him, yet was interrupted when a knight from the tried to attack Aenys, a hedge knight with no sigil.

"Take care of this. Me and Daemon have a little score to settle," commanded Aenys as he evaded the knight's wild swing and kicked him towards Otto's third son, who responded with a nod and began to engage the knight as both of them circled each other.

He looked around the tourney grounds and saw bodies littered on the ground, with only the four of them left standing. Two knights lay there on one side in a pool of blood, and Daemon realized that those were the men whom Aenys had killed.

"I am impressed, Aenys. I had never thought you would make it for this long!" Daemon said as he saw Aenys wipe the blood off his sword. He didn't reply to his words and simply glared at him.

Daemon shrugged, cracking his neck, and walked towards Aenys, who stepped forward as well. As Valyrian steel met Valyrian steel, dark purple stared into dark purple, and the crowd's cheer shook the whole arena.

0000

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