The tourney and the celebration at large was the most grand event of Aerys' reign thus far. It was more grand than his coronation, which had been a more somber affair after the sudden death of King Jaehaerys II.
The celebration began with a giant feast inside the Great Hall of the Red Keep to commemorate Rhaegal and Rhaegar's name day. After today, the twin princes would be four and ten, not officially men yet in the eyes of the realm but one year closer. All the lords and their families were invited, from the lowest to the most powerful. The Great Hall was big enough to fit around a thousand, and so there was more than enough space for everyone. The Great Hall hadn't been host to such a grand event since the Maiden's Day Ball during the reign of King Aegon III.
It was said that the amount of food and wine that was served during the feast could have fed the entirety of the Crownlands. Under the orders of Rhaegal and his mother, the guards and other servants were instructed to hand out the leftovers to the people of King's Landing in order for them to take part in the celebrations in their own small way. After all, it was not just Rhaegal and Rhaegar's name day. It was also a celebration of the return of the dragons. The whole realm should experience joy on this day.
Not that all of the lords were celebrating. Some, in their hearts, felt frustration and fear toward the future.
On this day, however, everyone was all smiles and flatteries.
Gifts were delivered to Rhaegal and Rhaegar, but as the crown prince it was Rhaegal who received more attention from the lords. However, many still remembered Leyton Hightower's gift, and their enthusiasm had dwindled somewhat since then. They knew that their trinkets would pale in comparison to a dragon egg, especially one that had successfully been hatched.
A small complication did arise during the feast. A brother of Lord Blackwood and the young Lord Bracken almost came to blows after drinking a little too much wine. They got into another argument about who owned the pair of hills between their lands, with both men shouting the hills' different known names during the screaming match to prove their point. It took several men to restrain the two intoxicated lords and separate them. Lord Blackwood and his heir Tytos Blackwood made personal apologies to Rhaegal and Rhaegar while the Brackens were noticeably silent in the aftermath.
During the feast, both Rhaegal and Rhaegar were asked to dance with many of the ladies of the realm who were near their age. After a while, Rhaegal lost count of how many ladies had asked for a dance. His dancing skills were average at best, and despite his stamina his legs were becoming tired.
The two dances that he enjoyed the most were with Ashara and his sister. Of the two, Ashara was the better dancer, but Shaena seemed to enjoy herself the most as she moved well for her age in her striking red dress. While Shaena loved her archery and horse riding, she also loved her dresses and her dances. In that sentiment, she had Rhaegal beat, for Rhaegal was no expert in the more "sophisticated" arts of a lord.
Dancing with the energetic Lyanna Stark was also a noteworthy experience. She had no direction and just made up her moves on the spot. From the resigned look on Rhaegar's face, he found the experience more than a little tiring too.
Brandon had just laughed at the brothers after.
It was worse when Malora pulled off something similar, and it was worse because Rhaegal knew that she was trying to get under his skin on purpose.
Despite her age, she was more of a brat than Shaena and Lyanna.
Dancing with the young Cersei Lannister was another memorable experience. Rhaegal had seen her around the Red Keep over the past several days, but he never approached her. Not after her father's not so subtle attempt at trying to usurp his sister's place. Funnily enough, she had never approached him either. This was despite the fact that he had noticed her gaze following him every time they were near. He wondered if something had happened before deciding not to dwell on it. The girl's emotions were not his concern.
The most awkward dance for him had to be with Elia. The Dornish princess did little to hide her interest in him during their time together, but all Rhaegal could offer in return were polite but distant gestures. He did not know why she would feel anything for him, other than wanting to be queen one day, but the truth of the matter was that he had zero interest in her. In a world without dragons, it might have been beneficial for him to marry her to secure more power, but even then it would not be a union of love or even desire.
Mina Tyrell looked a little bit too enthusiastic during her dance with Rhaegar, but his brother did not seem to mind and enjoyed himself.
Rhaegal shared some conversations with Lord Steffon Baratheon during the feast as well, expressing his compliments with the Lord of Storm's End over Stannis' performance during their short campaign on Skagos. The Lord of Storm's End thanked him for the words while Stannis looked proud of himself.
Roose Bolton expressing his congratulations in private to Rhaegal was another little surprise. The heir of the Dreadfort conveyed his desire to build a closer partnership with the house of the dragon in the future, stating that he and his house were in the service of the crown in whatever they might need.
It was an interesting offer, especially in a wild and large kingdom like the North. House Targaryen would need many allies there in the future, so it was something Rhaegal took into serious consideration.
Lord Beric Dayne also shared some words with Rhaegal and Rhaegar, thanking them both for their friendships with his children.
The twins thanked the lord as well, conveying their appreciation for Ashara's and Arthur's presence in court.
Rhaegal did his best to ignore the knowing glances Lord Beric's wife was giving him.
Not many lords were left standing by the end of the feast, many of them drinking themselves to unconsciousness and having to be carried away once the feast began dying down.
Despite some of the negative feelings lying under the surface, the feast ended with no big issue. And it would be remembered as a grand and festive affair in the years to come.
---
The tourney began earnestly. It was a great occasion for the men to hit something, namely each other, and for the smallfolk to watch the lords try to kill one another for their amusement….hypothetically speaking.
The tourney was hosted in the outskirts of the city, outside of the walls in the grand tourney grounds.
Since it was such a grand event, many had signed up for the tourney. The rewards from each competition also were tempting on their own, and for the joyous occasion King Aerys was more than a little generous with the gold he was willing to spend.
The main events of the tourney included the archery competition, the axe throw, the melee, and finally the jousts. Aerys also had a "tourney for the singers" which would occur before the jousting competition. For the squires and younger competitors there would be two events: riding at the rings and the melee. Rhaegal signed up for the latter while Rhaegar chose both. Rhaegal had little interest in trying to lift a ring with his lance and so let Rhaegar have that event for himself.
Of course, Shaena was disappointed. As a lover of horses, she had wanted to see him ride during the tourney. He made it up to her by promising that one day he would participate in the joust and carry her favor. She accepted the promise with a wide smile.
The one who was perhaps the most excited to hear that Rhaegal and Rhaegar were participating in the melee was none other than their second cousin, Robert Baratheon.
It had been years since Rhaegal had seen Robert, and the Baratheon lad had shaped out to be the kind of person that Rhaegal had expected. He was loud and brash, but he was also very upfront with what he thought. In that vein, the heir to Storm's End hated the double speak of the court just as much as Rhaegal did. So they had that in common at least.
Rhaegal quickly noticed the blossoming friendship between Robert and Eddard Stark, the second son of Rickard. The two had different personalities, but they clicked well with one another. Of course, Rhaegal had less favorable thoughts on the younger Stark boy since he was always glancing at Ashara like a love struck puppy. As she had done with Mace before, Ashara ignored him. What made this situation more annoying for Rhaegal was the very real possibility of the boy asking his father for a betrothal between him and Ashara. As a second son, Eddard had more freedom than Mace, and house Dayne was no great house. So a marriage between the two would be seen as a great honor by Ashara's father.
Maybe he was just overthinking it.
Rhaegal tried to maintain his composure, and he mostly succeeded. Officially, he had no personal relationship with Ashara, so he could not be seen meddling with her affairs. It was not the first time that someone had glanced at Ashara with desire. It would not be the last.
Rhaegal also noted how there was an air of indifference between Robert and Stannis, with most of it coming from the former. The two were brothers, but the brothers shared different interests. While Stannis could appreciate the grandeur of a tourney, he did not take much pleasure in the fighting as Robert seemed to do. Because of that, Robert did not take much interest in his little brother and ignored him for the most part, only asking questions about Skagos after hearing that a battle had been fought there. It made Rhaegal wonder what had made Robert spark a friendship with Eddard in the first place. Perhaps the seemingly quiet wolf had a louder voice when away from the public.
There was not much love between brothers, and Rhaegal pitied them. It was then not surprising to see that Stannis was spending more time with Tytos and Monford rather than his own brother. It had happened during the feast, and it was also happening during the tourney as Stannis sat with their group rather than go to where his father and mother were. If Steffon noticed his son's absence, then he did not show it as he sat graciously in the Royal Box with his wife at the behest of Aerys.
The squire's melee as it was being called would not begin until after the regular melee concluded, so for the first couple of days of the tourney Rhaegal did not have much to do but just watch the festivities.
The axe competition was dominated by Northerners and the few Ironborn that had come to the capital, which was not surprising. It ended up being a close struggle between Jon Umber and an Ironborn from house Ironmaker. In the end, it was the Northerner who ended up taking the prize as he was cheered on by members of his house as well as by his fellow Northerners. Rickard Stark clapped for the giant of a man as well.
"I told you that he would win!"
"That's because it was not fair! The judge could not see!"
"You sound like a poor loser."
"Says you!"
Amusingly, Shaena and Lyanna ended up making a bet somewhere along the way about who was going to win, and now the two girls were arguing. Rather than stay in the Royal Box with Daeron and their parents, Shaena had instead chosen to join Rhaegal and the others closer to the action and sit below in a private area that Rhaegal had cleared for himself and his group of friends.
Rhaegal half-expected to see the two girls come to blows, and it almost came to that after their conversation somehow shifted from the axe-throwing competition to how Rhaegal was a much better fighter than Brandon. The two older brothers had to step in and split them apart for the rest of the day while Shaena and Lyanna glared at one another.
Perhaps letting the two girls meet was not such a good idea.
The archery competition ended being a lot less tense. The winner was a lowborn man hailing from a town near Stonehelm supposedly, but no further details were shared.
Shaena pouted. "I could have won."
Rhaegal smirked. "I don't think you're that good yet, sister."
While Prince Lewyn was training her, she was still fresh.
Ashara, who was sitting on the row above them, chimed in. "You should think about beating me first, princess."
Oh?
Rhaegal glanced at Ashara. "You're better than my sister?"
Ashara looked smug. "Prince Lewyn says that I have talent."
Arthur, who was seated next to her, rolled his eyes. "Yeah, if only you trained more and didn't lounge around as much."
Ashara glared at her brother for the remark, but Arthur didn't look bothered by it.
"I'll get better, I swear it!" Shaena said with a huff. "Then I'll be able to shoot while riding on Arion!"
Arion was the name that Shaena had given her favorite steed.
Oberyn chuckled while Euron sat next to him looking bored. "Is the Targaryen princess trying to become a Dothraki?"
Shaena tilted her head. "A what?"
"Eh, maybe you'll learn one day."
Shaena didn't like the dismissal from the older boy, but she was unable to get a word in before Lyanna laughed at her from her spot.
"Haha! That's funny. I'm a better rider than you!"
"Says who!?"
"Me."
"That means nothing."
"Do you want a match!?"
"Yes!"
Apparently not even distance was going to keep these two apart.
Mace laughed. "It's good to see a friendship blossoming between the two of them!"
Monford looked at the Lord of Highgarden with amazement. "Is that what you think is happening?"
"Of course."
Either Mace was willfully blind or he was just trying to lighten the mood.
Rhaegal was just glad that the crowd was more focused on the competitions rather than his sister. Even if he did not much care for it, perception mattered, and she was the sole princess of the realm. Her conduct reflected on the rest of the family.
Although based on the way Lord Stark was glancing their way with a frown, it was obvious that he had not missed the way his daughter was behaving. It took his wife placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder for the man to relax, albeit slightly.
'It seems the young Lady Stark will get a stern talking to later.'
Feeling a bit of pity for the young girl, Rhaegal decided to just sit back and allow his sister to have fun with her new friend. Apart from Ashara, Shaena did not have any other lady in court that she could truly get along with. Mace's mother had asked his father to allow one of her daughters to have a place in court with Shaena, and it was only because his father had promised a boon to those that had accompanied him to Skagos that he relented. His father did not have a high opinion of the Tyrells, and he saw Mace's mother as another fool trying to grasp for power.
Rhaegal had not personally met the woman, so he would reserve final judgements for when he did. He did know Mace, though, and the young lord was easy to understand. He had a greater opinion of himself than he should, but his ambitions were easy to understand. Rhaegal did not mind him much so long as he did not grasp for more than he should.
Thus, the first day of the tourney came to an end with the first two events concluded.
---
The melee was going to be a much grander affair, with two divisions created. One was a free-for-all, while the other was a clash between two teams. Because of the large number of knights, hedge knights or otherwise, and other fighters present at the tourney there were enough competitors to fill up both divisions with ease.
While death was not planned for during the melee, it was a chaotic event, and accidents were bound to happen. So when the free-for-all started on the second day of the tourney, Rhaegal was not surprised to see that some of the fighters were killed during the struggle.
None of the Kingsguard were participating in the free-for-all, nor were there any knights that Rhaegal recognized.
Aerys seemed to be enjoying the spectacle from the Royal Box. "So many aspiring warriors in one location! If only there was a vacant spot in my Kingsguard. I could have awarded the winner with a white cloak and the honor of serving house Targaryen."
Next to him, Rhaella watched the bloodbath in front of her with a detached expression while Daeron seemed fascinated by the fighting.
"Father, when can I train?"
"Whenever you wish, Daeron."
At Aerys' flippant answer, Rhaella stepped in. "Maybe in a few years. You are still too young, son. Not even Rhaegal started when he was your age."
Daeron looked slightly disheartened but still nodded.
Jaime, who was seated in the Royal Box alongside Cersei and the rest of his family, glanced at Daeron with curiosity.
"You want to become a knight?"
Daeron looked surprised that someone was talking to him, but he quickly nodded.
"Yes! I want to become like my brother. He's the best, and I want to beat him."
"Prince Rhaegal." Jaime understood. "I heard he fought his first battle. Is that really true?"
"Of course it is! My brother doesn't lie!"
"Can you tell me what happened?" Jaime was more than a little eager to know more.
Daeron crossed his arms. "I don't know. Rhaegal might not be happy with me…."
"Please! I'll. Uh. I'll owe you a favor!"
"Oh, okay. That sounds good." That sounded like a fair deal to Daeron.
Rhaella just watched the two young boys talking excitedly with one another in silence. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Joanna looking pleased. Rhaella had to suppress a grimace.
'Why am I not surprised.'
Aerys didn't notice as he continued to clap for the fighters down below.
Several fighters started to distinguish themselves as the melee progressed. Among them were members of houses Swann, Tyrell, Peake, and Corbray. Some Northern houses were also in the mix too, such as houses Cerwyn and Karstark. In the end, though, it was a tall knight who had just as many muscles who came out on top. The man was wearing dark armor emblazoned with three running dogs.
"I do not recognize that sigil," Rhaegal said as he watched the mystery knight defeat the last of his competition with a powerful swing of his war hammer.
"Neither do I," Rhaegar admitted.
It was only after the knight was declared the winner that Rhaegal got his answer. The sigil belonged to a newly formed house in the Westerlands. The previous Lord, Tytos Lannister, awarded a keep to his kennelmaster after he saved the lord's life. This knight was that kennelmaster's son, and what a giant of a man he was. If not for the Umbers and the Skagosi, Rhaegal would have been more impressed.
'He just won more renown for his fledgling house,' Rhaegal thought, clapping with the rest at the knight's victory.
After a short break, it was the second and final event of the day: the team's melee.
There were two teams, and the leaders ended up being none other than Tygett Lannister and Brynden Tully. Unlike with the free-for-all, two members of the Kingsguard were participating this time around. They were Prince Lewyn and Ser Barristan the Bold. The two knights ended up on opposite sides, with Prince Lewyn having been chosen for Tygett's team while Barristan was in Brynden's team.
With two opposing sides rather than a free-for-all, the team's melee was more of a mock battle, with two commanders to match. Horses were provided as well, so there was more diversity with tactics.
Brynden displayed his shrewd nature as he was able to envelope Tygett with a direct pincer attack, led by Barristan himself on one side. During that initial clash, Barristan defeated two knights from house Royce with practiced ease. The sight of the house reminded Rhaegal of the theft of their Valyrian steel sword, but he did not dwell on it.
Brynden led the front in a relentless assault as he kept Tygett pinned down in order to prevent the Lannister from redirecting men to his flanks. In that violent struggle, Brynden managed to duel Prince Lewyn to a standstill. He did not win, and it was very possible that if they'd kept clashing Brynden would have eventually lost. Thankfully, that did not come to pass as Barristan shattered what remained of Tygett's line with his envelopment.
It was a decisive victory on Brynden's part, and the Blackfish's already positive reputation would no doubt continue to grow after this showing. The fact that the knight was sworn to Rhaegal would bring more prestige to Rhaegal himself too.
The only ones not happy with the outcome were Tywin and Brynden's brother. The lion's disappointment was self-explanatory. His brother's poor performance reflected on him, or so he thought. With the way the man supposedly perceived slights, he might even start to hold a grudge against Brynden. Hopefully the man was not so petty as to go that far.
The Lord of Riverrun was an interesting case. From what Brynden's own reports as well as what informants the Alchemists' Guild currently had told Rhaegal, there were many whispers of heresy among the faithful in the scattered villages of the Riverlands. If Rhaegal was paranoid, then he would assume that the discontented lord was behind this unrest. As Rhaegal had no proof of that, he would not go that far. Still, according to Brynden, the Lord of Riverrun felt dissatisfied by many things, namely the fact that their aunt had not been queen after Jaehaerys was named heir, which just made Rhaegal snort in his mind.
'The arrogance.'
His grandparents' actions might have been foolish, but they had nothing to do with the present. Of course, Rhaegal knew the man just wanted to reap in the benefits that his dragons would bring, but that was a foolish hope. The past could not be changed.
Rhaegal did not dwell on the trout for too much longer as the second day of the tourney concluded.
---
The squire's melee was next, and Rhaegal could finally have some fun of his own.
There were cheers from the audience as Rhaegar completed his third attempt at riding at rings with much fanfare. Rhaegal could tell that his twin was enjoying the spotlight and the performance of it all. A real entertainer this one.
Other participants included Arthur, Tytos, and surprisingly Stannis and Monford. Monford's riding was by far the clumsiest as he spent the least amount of time on horses in their group. His showing was still decent overall. No doubt Monford's father had encouraged Rhaegal's childhood friend to participate in at least one event during the tourney, and the riding at rings was the less hectic of the two.
As Rhaegal expected, it was Rhaegar who was named the winner. While his skills with the sword were not on par with Rhaegal's or Arthur's, Rhaegar's skill on a horse was better than either of theirs.
Of course, that wouldn't matter when it came to the melee.
Rhaegal had his own private tent set up in the tourney grounds. After the first event concluded, he headed there to prepare himself for the melee. The others who were participating were doing the same. He was not surprised to see that Oberyn had decided to take part. Despite the prince's skill, he was not yet a knight, so he was allowed to compete with the rest of them.
Euron's decision to join was more of a surprise, but one that Rhaegal welcomed. It was also true for Brandon's decision to participate.
Rhaegal's former armor was gone, burned to a crisp on Skagos. Rhaegal had another commissioned after he returned to King's Landing. It was very similar to his previous armor set, in that it was made of night-black plates. Beneath the plate armor he wore a hauberk of ringmail, with his helm elaborately decorated with a draconic motif. The three-headed dragon of house Targaryen decorated the breastplate, except this time the dragon was colored a dark green in honor of Ancalagon and his flames.
Rhaegar's armor was similarly designed, except his brother's ringmail was gold and his dragon emblem remained red.
It was an outlandish way to announce their presence, but Rhaegal wasn't one for halfhearted measures if he could help it.
Rhaegal would not be carrying Brightflame into the melee, nor would Rhaegar bring Dark Sister. To avoid risk, the traditional blunted sword would be their weapon. Rhaegal was not one to use a shield, but for today he would make an exception and carry one into the field.
Rhaegal was almost done with his preparations until he heard the flap of his tent opening. For a moment, Rhaegal wondered if Ser Barristan needed something, but that thought went away when he noticed that it was Ashara who had stepped inside.
The girl was smiling. She was wearing a white cloak over her silk dress to conceal her features.
"I feel like a spy sneaking in," she said as she hurried over to him.
Rhaegal was a bit amused. "How did you convince Ser Barristan to let you in?"
"There was no need. When he saw my face, he understood."
The knight was more aware than Rhaegal realized. Then again, out of the Kingsguard, he was the one who was around Rhaegal the most.
"You should not be here. If your parents realize-"
Rhaegal's complaints were silenced as Ashara wrapped her arms around his neck and began to kiss him. They had been more affectionate with one another since Rhaegal had returned, but with all of the festivities their private time had been cut short. The last thing either of them wanted was for someone to walk in on them.
Still, in the privacy of Rhaegal's tent, he allowed himself to kiss her back before pulling back when he noticed she was trying to unbuckle his armor.
"Ashara, you know we can't."
There were many reasons for Rhaegal's refusal to move further with their relationship.
"You worry too much."
"And you too little." Rhaegal caressed her cheek, which she leaned into. "I will not shame you or my sister by risking a bastard."
His decision to try and marry both Ashara and Shaena was already going to bring turmoil. In his desire to bring stability and prosperity to the realm, Rhaegal found his personal cravings walking him closer to conflict. He just knew that he could not bear the thought of seeing her with someone else. It was a terrible thing, for him to have all the power that he did but unable to stop his own heart in this matter.
"Besides, I have spoken to Qyburn about it. Motherhood at your age is too risky. My mother was older, and she is still not fully healed from when she gave birth to Rhaegar and I."
Queen Aemma Arryn's pregnancies were perhaps the most famous in recent history when it came to this issue. She married when she was one and ten. King Viserys I only waited two years before he consummated the marriage, which many maesters argued was the reason for her many troubled pregnancies. The fact that this phenomenon was observed throughout Westeros and not just in the royal family made Rhaegal understand that this was no maester conspiracy. Childbirth was a messy and complicated affair, and he would not risk Ashara for it unnecessarily.
Pragmatically speaking, there were many other considerations Rhaegal had to take into account before he became a father. Despite his desires, Rhaegal was still conscious of the fact that having two queens brought forth new problems that had to be weighed. He would not leave the realm in a state prime for civil war after his reign as King Viserys I had. That would make all of his work meaningless, and the resurgence of house Targaryen would be short-lived.
"I'll be patient," Ashara said after a moment's silence.
She was younger than Rhaegal but still more bold.
"That said." She went for his armor again. "There are other ways to satisfy ourselves and still be safe."
Rhaegal almost snorted. "Are all Dornish women this wild, or is it just you?"
"Careful now. I do not want you thinking of anyone else during this moment."
As Rhaegal still had time before he had to present himself in the field, he decided to amuse her and let her do as she wished.
It would not be a decision that he would regret.
---
Ned was seated with his family in the stands as the participants of the squire's melee began to walk onto the field.
There were many, more than Ned had expected. There were not as many as in the melee the day before, but the fighters today still numbered more than a hundred.
The entire realm really had gathered for the occasion. It was a sight to behold. Many were disappointed that the Targaryens had sent the dragons away, but the fact that the lords who had arrived early were present to see them was enough to dispel any notion that the dragons' return was a myth.
Robert still seemed to think so, though, much to Ned's amusement. Although with his participation in the melee, his friend was more concerned with facing the crown prince in the field than of any talk about dragons.
"Look! There's Brandon!" Lyanna said excitedly as she stood up.
Unlike the days prior, she was sitting with them today, mostly because the crown prince's group was not seated together. Many of them were participating in the melee, after all, including the prince himself.
Benjen stood up as well, looking eager to see their older brother in combat.
On the field, Brandon was wearing traditional Northern armor. It was less elaborate than the armor of Southern knights, but it was still practical and would keep him safe.
Their father just watched in silence while their mother was focused intensely on Brandon, not wanting to lose sight of him.
Ned didn't know if he should cheer for his brother or Robert, but in the end he decided to cheer for them both, hoping for the best.
The crowd began to clap and cheer when the crown prince stepped onto the field with Prince Rhaegar at his side. They wore similar armors, but the dragon symbols on their respective breastplates set them apart.
"It's just like his dragon's flames!" Lyanna said with growing excitement.
Benjen nodded enthusiastically.
"His dragon's flames?" Ned repeated, confused.
"His dragon! Ancalagon!" Lyanna didn't look away from the two Targaryen princes. "He breathes green flames! It was so cute!"
'How is that cute?' Ned thought, unable to understand his sister's mind.
"Lyanna, calm yourself," Rickard said, annoyance flashing on his face. "Have I not told you how to behave as a proper lady of house Stark?"
Lyanna pouted, but she listened as she sat back down. She was not happy, though.
Ned didn't think too much about it as his eyes caught movement coming from the Royal Box nearby. He saw the beautiful lady from before, who he now knew was Ashara Dayne, arriving before the king and queen, with the queen gesturing to one of the available seats for her to take. She seemed to be in a good mood as well, but why Ned did not know.
Ned had been surprised to know that she was a longtime friend of the royal family and very close to the princes as well as the princess. Robert had been enamored by her as well, but thankfully his friend had been more focused on the melee rather than give her any serious thought.
Ned gave her one final glance before he refocused on the fighters down on the field.
There would be more time for Ned to think about her later.
---
Rhaegal would admit to feeling lighter and in a better mood as he stood in the field with the rest of his competition.
"I guess we're here," Rhaegar said as he stood beside Rhaegal before glancing at him. "You were almost late."
"Something came up."
"Oh?"
Rhaegal would not explain.
While his brother was left feeling curious, Rhaegal scanned the field. Arthur had chosen to start on the opposite end while Euron and Oberyn were grouped together in between them. Were the two of them following Rhaegal and Rhaegar's example and teaming up until they had to turn on one another at the end?
Tytos and Brandon were on their own, as was Robert.
Most of the participants were wearing less ornate armor than Rhaegal, which was not surprising. Many of them were squires still, and what equipment they had was provided by the knight they served under. There were exceptions of course, such as with Oberyn and Euron.
Robert wore no recognizable armor apart from his shield which he had emblazoned with a stag. The young Baratheon only had basic chainmail and a breastplate.
'I guess I've made myself a target.' Despite his status, Rhaegal recognized the glances that the others were sending him. They were looking eager to fight him it seemed.
It was just as well. Having his victory handed to him would not be fun. He wanted to see just how good he was while the realm watched. His family was watching at least. He spotted his father waiting eagerly while his mother had her hands clasped, no doubt praying to the Seven to keep him and Rhaegar safe. Shaena and Daeron were both just as eager as their father, which did not surprise him.
The start of the melee began by the sound of trumpets.
In an instant, the fighters on the field began to either turn to the nearest opponent or pick out specific targets if they could.
As was their plan, Rhaegal and Rhaegar would fight side-by-side in the beginning to thin out their competition. He was not planning on using his magic to win. That would just defeat the purpose of waiting to be knighted.
There were some ambitious squires who immediately went after Rhaegal and Rhaegar, no doubt with thoughts of glory of defeating a Targaryen prince.
Rhaegal did not recognize them, but it was easy to parry their blows and strike back with his own powerful swings. They did not have the skill or sense to be able to fight back after their initial attack was fended off, which left Rhaegal feeling dissatisfied as he cleared through many of his early encounters with ease, all the while ignoring the cries of pain and anguish around them. While blunted weapons were the norm, injuries and death were still likely, just as it had been with the regular melee the day before.
Rhaegal had not grown in war. By all accounts, he had lived as one of the more pampered Targaryen princes in history. And yet, he was still astounded by his calmness in the face of battle and blood. Of course, when compared to his actual battle with the Skagosi, this was child's play.
Rhaegal's easy victories did not last for long as he found himself facing Oberyn. The Dornish prince did not announce his presence, rather ambushing him while Euron did the same with Rhaegar.
"Now that isn't very knightly of you," Rhaegal mocked as avoided the downward slash from Oberyn's sword.
The Dornish prince did not seem amused as he faced-off against Rhaegal. "T'ch, blame this damn competition. They wouldn't let me use my spear. 'Not safe,' they said. Bullshit I say."
Rhaegal chuckled, his voice muffled by his helm. "It's supposed to be a celebration, not a bloodbath."
"Yeah, well, it still left me at a disadvantage. Fighting you in close quarters is not something I look forward to."
Rhaegal tilted his head and accepted the compliment before rushing forward. The armor slowed him down, and with Oberyn's reflexes he was able to block the first few strikes as he tried to avoid getting too close to Rhaegal.
'You'll never win that way,' Rhaegal thought as Oberyn continued to merely dodge and not make any counterattacks of his own.
For a moment, Rhaegal wondered what Oberyn's plan was, but when he saw Rhaegar still locked in combat with Euron he realized what the Dornish prince was really after.
'He's stalling me.'
No doubt, Oberyn was waiting for Euron to bring down Rhaegar so that they could then take him down together.
It was just the sort of plan that Oberyn would come up with.
It was a saving grace then that this was not the first time that Rhaegal was facing Oberyn in combat.
As he'd learned, Rhaegal pressed the attack by trying to close the distance between them. He knew Oberyn was quick enough to make that an almost impossible task, so Rhaegal combined that with feints and breaking his rhythm. Rather than keeping his speed, he began to slow at times and vice versa, which caught Oberyn off-guard several times, disrupting his own quick movements.
He heard the Dornish prince click his teeth in annoyance. "I hate when you start doing that."
Oberyn knew that time was not on his side. This was not a private match. At any time one of the other fighters could feel inclined to step in and interrupt their duel.
Rhaegal noticed Oberyn eyeing the others around them while he continued trying to keep his distance, which divided his focus.
'That's only going to make you lose faster,' Rhaegal thought as he suddenly stopped before turning away from the confused Oberyn.
"What are you-!"
Oberyn looked stunned as Rhaegal turned to where Rhaegar was, intending to help his brother rather than stick with their match.
"Son of a-!" Cursing, Oberyn panicked and ran after him. With his lighter armor and natural speed, he was currently faster than Rhaegal, so Rhaegal was not surprised when Oberyn was able to catch up to him and swing his sword at his exposed back.
'Finally!'
Quickly turning on his heel, Rhaegal raised his shield and parried Oberyn's sword. Rhaegal redirected Oberyn's sword to the side with his shield, and his quick movements caught Oberyn off-guard. No doubt he did not think that Rhaegal was capable of moving so fluidly in full plate armor.
It was just the opening Rhaegal needed to strike the Dornish prince down.
Oberyn fell to the ground with a cry full of pain as he was struck right in the torso. His lamellar armor still absorbed most of the impact, but Rhaegal knew his strength. Even with a blunted sword, he could potentially shatter the bones of others his age if he struck them more than once. It was why he had not chosen a mace, not wanting to accidentally kill someone on what was supposed to be a festive day. And with Oberyn's more slender build, he was not meant to take direct hits.
The Dornish prince was out of the competition with that hit as he groaned from his downed position.
"Sorry about that, but I mean to win this."
Oberyn just groaned again in response.
At least he was still able to do that much.
---
Handling Euron after was far easier. Unlike Oberyn, the Greyjoy was no great warrior. He had been able to keep up with Rhaegar mostly through trickery. Unfortunately, Rhaegar still kept to the normal ways of knightly combat and was not used to someone like Euron who did not care for such things.
His brother still had some growing to do.
Euron went down after letting out a string of curses, which was expected of him.
The twins were able to clear through more of the competition after that. They had little reprieve during this time, as many had been waiting to jump in. They had waited to see who would come out on top before jumping in, wanting the winners to be too exhausted to put up a proper fight.
Unfortunately for them, Rhaegal had more than enough stamina and endurance left in him.
Rhaegar was keeping up so far, but Rhaegal knew that it would not take long for his brother to slow down.
In the midst of the chaotic fighting, Rhaegal began to lose sight of his brother as there seemed to be a more concerted effort in bringing either of them down.
Rhaegal found that this had little effect on him. Most of these squires were slow and lacked the strength that he was used to when sparring against the Bold himself. They could not even come close to Oberyn, least of all Arthur.
Still, they had the numbers, and Rhaegal was not all that surprised when Rhaegar was starting to be beat back. He would have come to the aid of his brother had it not been for a mace coming down on him from above.
Rhaegal was able to raise his shield just in time to block the powerful blow from the mace. It was almost strong enough to push him back, which caused his eyebrow to raise.
There was someone else apart from Arthur with that kind of strength?
Stepping back, Rhaegal was able to get enough space to see that the one holding the mace was none other than Robert. The Baratheon must have discarded his sword and shield at some point in the melee and picked up a mace instead.
There were no words traded between them as Robert charged at him with a wide grin visible through his open visor. Right away Rhaegal could tell that the younger Baratheon was having the time of his life.
Unlike Oberyn, Robert was more akin to the type of fighter that Rhaegal was. The kind that did not shy away from close encounters but rather thrived in them. It was easy to see why. Despite his young age, Robert was already quite big. He still did not have the muscles to match his size, but no doubt that would come as he grew older.
Unfortunately for Robert, stepping into Rhaegal's preferred method of fighting only meant that he lost that much quicker, as Rhaegal was not only stronger than him but also faster.
After a quick exchange between sword and mace, Rhaegal was able to make use of Robert's eagerness to knock the mace from his hand after the Baratheon overextended his form.
Robert grunted in pain as Rhaegal's sword struck his hands. The blow knocked out whatever momentum Robert had had, and so Rhaegal was able to quickly knock him out with a blow to the back of the head. Not the safest way to go about it, but it was the easiest. No doubt Robert would be able to remain standing with any blows that Rhaegal delivered head-on, and that would only risk further injury. Rhaegal had no close relationship with his second cousin, but he did not hate him either.
While Rhaegal found success, Rhaegar did not. And it was not because he was ganged up on. Rather, it was Arthur, dressed in similar light armor to Oberyn's, who swooped in to defeat Rhaegal's brother after successfully clearing his side of the field, which included Tytos and Brandon.
This meant that Rhaegal and Arthur were the last two standing on the field.
---
There were no words of greeting or congratulations exchanged between Rhaegal and Arthur as they faced one another. Instead, the two were instantly charging at the other. They had faced one another many times in the training yard, so it was a familiar dance between the two.
Both their swords clashed many times as they moved against the other, their shields largely forgotten as they focused on being as aggressive as possible.
They lost sight of their surroundings, and neither noticed how their attacks seemed to captivate the crowd. Their movements were quick and effective, and despite having fought for so long against so many opponents neither seemed tired or close to collapse.
Rhaegal would not have expected anything differently from Arthur, who was thinking the same of Rhaegal.
Their strikes seemed to mirror one another's, as despite seeming bigger and older Arthur was still able to match Rhaegal without his magic reinforcing him. But this was the same boy who had climbed the walls of Sunspear with his sister on his back when he was just five. He was just built this way.
Neither Rhaegal nor Arthur knew how long their match lasted. When it came to facing one another, it was never a quick contest.
When it came to deciding the winner on this day, the deciding factor ended up being Rhaegal's determination. He had more on the line today. He would not let himself be knighted after being defeated before the whole realm.
His swings became more fierce. His form more controlled but eager.
Arthur made no mistakes. He did not overextend himself, and he had the versatility to both block and counter with practiced ease.
When the deciding moment came, it came quick.
Rhaegal suddenly raised his shield after Arthur came in with another well-timed cut. But it was a feint. Rather than connecting with Arthur's sword, Rhaegal stepped back and moved his shield out of the way, causing Arthur to lose control of his body but for a moment as he stumbled forward, his sword hitting nothing but air. He had the foresight to quickly correct himself, but that split second opening was all Rhaegal needed.
Rhaegal raised his shield forward and bashed Arthur on the face, which caused him to stumble back. The shield bash disoriented Arthur just long enough for Rhaegal to deliver a pommel strike to his jaw. These two blows caused Arthur to fall to the ground as he cried out in pain. He still maintained his grip on his sword and shield, however. Before he had a chance to readjust himself, Rhaegal was already standing over him, foot on chest and sword aimed at his head.
Despite the pain from the shield bash and the pommel strike, Arthur was still grinning as he looked up at Rhaegal.
"I suppose we're even now."
His jaw wasn't broken at least.
With all of the excitement coursing through his body right now, Rhaegal could not recall what their respective scores on their many matches were.
He just knew that he had won this one.
Rhaegal was just barely able to register all the cheering and clapping from the crowd as he was declared the winner of the melee.
In the Royal Box, Aerys was on his feet and looking the most excited while Rhaella was more composed with her applause but still undeniably smiling. Daeron and Shaena were both shouting and cheering with the rest.
As Rhaegal helped Arthur to his feet, Barristan came walking into the field with a pleased smile.
The Kingsguard walked up to Rhaegal with a hand already on his sword. "Kneel."
Rhaegal's eyes widened briefly beneath his helm before he complied.
With one swift movement, Ser Barristan unsheathed his blade and raised it over Rhaegal's head while the crowd watched.
As Ser Barristan rested the edge of the blade on Rhaegal's right shoulder, he spoke. "Prince Rhaegal of house Targaryen. In the name of the Warrior, I charge you to be brave. In the name of the Father, I charge you to be just. In the name of the Mother, I charge you to defend the young and the innocent. In the name of the Maid, I charge you to protect all women. In the name of the Smith, I charge you to be strong in body and spirit. In the name of the Crone, I charge you to be wise and to know the cost of every choice you make."
With every sentence, Ser Barristan moved from Rhaegal's right shoulder to his left.
It was not an elaborate ceremony that was being performed in the Great Sept, but knowing his father he would want a repeat of the knighting done there as well. But for Rhaegal, this moment was more powerful than any ceremony, for he was being recognized by perhaps the strongest knight in the realm.
Rhaegal did not move until Ser Barristan lowered his sword.
"You may rise as a knight."
There were more cheers and applause as the impromptu ceremony concluded.
Rhaegal Targaryen was knighted at the age of fourteen.