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[Yo fair warning I had to research how jousts actually work, like points and stuff and it is confusing, to be honest. I think I got it well enough but lord of mercy is it kind of dumb, I didn't even know the point is to break the lance. I thought the point was for someone's ass to land on the ground and that's how you won...]
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186 AC
Kingslanding
Daenerys Targaryen
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Aerion loops around the tilt dropping the broken lance and catching the one tossed at him all while Roach stays moving. Roach is already running down the line as the Knight from the Reach from House Tarly gets turned around. The horsemanship in this match is such a vast difference it would be a wonder if the Tarly man could even land his lance.
Roach angels himself allowing my brother to land his lance on the helmet of the Tarly knight sending his head back. A lesser man would have fallen right then and there but this Tarly knight manages to hold on until his horse comes to a stop at the end of the tilt. He slumps and falls to the ground almost looking boneless as he hits the ground.
The crowd cheers and my brother tosses the lance to the ground as Roach walks off the field. Aerion hops off Roach and runs back toward the knight and slides next to him after getting to his side. He lifts his helmet and begins patting his cheeks or something before the knight shakes his head and sits up looking around in obvious confusion.
Aerion pulls him to his feet and pats his back as the crowd cheers once more, I wonder for a moment if he actually cared or if he just is putting on a show. I have seen him 'accidentally' cripple a man with his lance but he made a show of this man. Likely because the king is watching and it's our nephew's name day celebration, would be in poor taste for a man to die.
"Roach is making these horses look bad." Shiera chuckles at her own joke as we watch Aerion walk away with the Tarly knight.
"I agree, Roach is the real winner in all of these jousts." Mya throws her own words with a smile on her face.
I wonder if they would believe it if I told them Aerion would agree with them, he loves that horse...
My mood sours seeing Daemon ride out with his stupid helmet in one hand under his arm and his lance raised high. The crowd cheers, he has always been a favorite with his skills that impress most of the onlookers. It helps when he is wearing armor that costs almost as much as Aerion's and Aerion makes a boatload of gold, Daemon lives on an allowance from the king. That just shows his priorities, he wastes gold on something like this when he could instead put it toward his future and his 'House Blackfyre'.
Not that I will let there be a House Blackfyre, I am just waiting for a reason.
I narrow my eyes and try to light Daemon on fire with my gaze as he looks up at the box with a pitiful look on his face. Like a kicked pup, he acts like I should care about his feelings and has looked up at me each time he has ridden today.
Aerion better put him on his ass, I can only bear with this annoying traitorous bastard so much.
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186 AC
Kingslanding
Aerion Targaryen
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"Who is next?" I pour some water on my face as I ask the young boy in the tent with me who is helping out of my armor.
"I am pretty sure you are against Ser Aegor this go around." I nod and resist the cruel smile at the thought of dunking that fool in the dirt.
"Good lad, run and get me some more water." He nods and runs out of the tent.
I stand up and crack my neck while hearing shattering lances in the distance, Daemon better make it to me. I could see Daenerys gritting her teeth the first time I caught the fool gazing at her like a man who lost his soul. I would pay good money to know just what she did to ensnare Daemon in such a way.
I know she has never given him the time of day so it's not like she flirted with him or something. She has always hated him and Aegor while treating the rest of the bastards as true siblings. I can only chalk it up to Targaryen's madness sending him on a pointless quest that will end with him becoming ashes.
At least when that happens the king's sword will return to the king.
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I keep my lance aimed at the heavens as I sit mounted on Roach across from Aegor on his own midnight-colored horse. Roach seems even more fired up than usual seeing the bastard's sigil of the horse with dragon wings. The only horse allowed to dream of growing dragon wings is Roach and the rest will meet the dirt early.
The horn blows and my trusted partner rips the dirt with his hoofs as he heads straight to victory, my lance lowering. I keep my lance close to my side positioned for a thrust into my half-brother's shoulder. I have done this song and dance with him many times before and always aim for the same spot.
Roach lines me up a gorgeous shot and I take it with my ass only raising slightly in the saddle. The lance connects and shatters against Aegor's shoulder as his lance whizzes over my own.
If the big man won't fall off his horse I can always win by points but that is not fun for all of the crowd screaming.
I catch the new lance after discarding the broken one and level it to strike as Roach runs down the tilt. Aegor roars as he levels his own and this time connects his lance, the lance breaking on my chest not even budging me on the saddle. A worthy trade on my part as my own lance catches him while he ass is out of the saddle leaning toward me and he slips back and right off the horse.
He hits the dirt with a thud as Roach comes to a stop and rears up, a big show-off is what he is.
"Ahhh!" Aegor gets up yelling and starts to climb under the tilt to run down Roach.
A fool's idea as the horse merely lines up his backside and as the raging idiot approaches launch a single foot back into his chest. He thought he was going to pull me off but instead caught a hoof for his troubles. His roar went choked and the crowd went deathly silent as Aegor lays in the dirt silent as the grave.
My brows raise as I look down at my steed and wonder if he killed him, he only used one foot so he wasn't trying to. I have seen Roach do a double-foot kickback and break a stable door into splinters.
A makeshift stretcher is brought out made from two wooden shafts and cloth, they set it down next to him and take his helmet off. Aegor is slumped and looking half dead but they confirm he is breathing and roll him onto the stretcher and carry the large man off the field.
"That was a tragedy, I would never be able to go in public again." I shake my head and pat Roach on the neck and he walks at a brisk pace out of the field.
Halfway out the crowd starts cheering again and I resist the urge to shake my head, these guys will cheer at anything. We watched a dude's head get smashed open earlier and they cheered as if it was the most entertaining thing they ever saw.
They call us mad.
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186 AC
Kingslanding
Daemon Blackfyre
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"Why did you do that?!" I hiss at my brother who is laying with bandages covering his entire torso. "The Maester said it is a blessing you don't have a collapsed lung or blood filling them!" Aegor merely lays stiff as a board with his eyes staring off into the distance.
"Maybe it's best to let him rest." Some no-name whore my brother had been enjoying dares to speak up but I bite my tongue from lashing out.
I can't hurt my image anymore, Daenerys already looks at me like I am a bug. I need to look my best and win the joust, crowning her my queen of love and beauty will soften her heart. I will prove my love for her is the best thing for her, then she will agree to marry me instead. That or she can carry my children instead of Aerion's.
"Maybe you are right, I need to prepare so you watch over him for me." I look at the whore who is obviously picked for her resemblance to a certain sister of ours.
She nods and bows a bit before sitting next to Aegor with a loving smile on her face that almost makes me laugh.
He will never love you, you are wasting your time.
No matter how much he denies it he only loves his dear rival, a passion for their competition over someone they hardly pay attention to. They only like the idea of winning over the other and long forgot their true passion. Shiera is a pretty little trophy to mount on the wall in their eyes and she would stand for their victory over the other.
Passing through the flap of the tent I spot Brynden himself looking this way from another tent with clear interest in his albino eyes. I wonder what he would even do with himself if Aegor never recovers and goes simple or something.
I shake my head and focus on my goal, winning this joust and crowing my queen.
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She will only look my way to glare into my very soul, if only those eyes were filled with love with the way they so easily pierce into me. I am certain she is the one for me, the way she affects me with a simple glare. My heart pounds in my chest and my body aches with longing, Aerion is not worthy of her.
In truth no one is, but if she must be sullied by a man it will be me and me alone.
I break my eyes away from the goddess and lock eyes with Aerion, his lips curl up into a grin I can barely see from this distance.
Oh how I wish this lance was one for battle and not a tourney, I would run him through and claim my beloved. But alas I can only play the game set out before me and climb the mountain to reach the peak where she awaits. One step at a time, one handhold at a time until I reach her, and then everything will be as it should be.
The horn blows and I tap the side of my silver horse, picked to match Daenerys own silver horse.
She charges forward toward the mass of darkness slowly leveling its lance at me and I ready myself. I will lean into this with a full-powered jab, I will have him in the dirt on the first tilt and then I will face the last opponent in the finale.
The moment arrives as my horse brings me to the opportune position to thrust my lance and win this match. I am a bit surprised to see the position Aerion is holding his lance but choose to ignore it as it will hit my armored stomach. I watch the tip of my lance hit him at the joint of his shoulder and my lance shatters into a thousand pieces. The blue sky of victory is the next thing I see before I slam into something.
Cheers and ringing fills my ears at my perfect display- wait.
