NOVEL FROG 7- Harrenhal Journey
-281 AC-
All the lords, big and small, of Westeros had set out for Harrenhal for the tournament. Lord Walter Whent was distributing prizes three times those of the birth tournament of Prince Viserys organized by Tywin Lannister. The generous rewards were heating the blood of all men who sought to make a name for themselves in the realm, eagerly anticipating what they would win.
Only a few experienced individuals saw the underlying reasons for hosting the tournament, oscillating between whether to support Prince Rhaegar or not.
It was known among Prince Rhaegar's own circle of friends and knowledgeable lords that he was dissatisfied with King Aerys and aimed to succeed him. Arthur Dayne and Oswell Whent of the Kingsguard, unaware of the King's recovery, supported Prince Rhaegar in his quest for the throne.
Lord Commander Hightower, aware of the King's recovery, had not assigned Arthur Dayne and Oswell Whent to protect the King, as requested by Prince Maegor and King Aerys, but merely instructed them to act as Prince Rhaegar's personal guards.
A week before the tournament at Harrenhal, Prince Rhaegar and his retinue sat in the halls of Harrenhal, making plans.
Lord Jon Connington: "My Prince, we have won the support of the people and most lords. At the feast to be held at the end of the tournament, we will seek support for your ascension to the Iron Throne in place of King Aerys."
Rhaegar smiled. "The support of the realm is behind me, dear friend. Unfortunately, the Mad King has offended many lords and ladies. From now on, only a miracle can keep my father on the throne."
Though Rhaegar did not show it, his mind was on his wife, Princess Elia Martell, and their newborn son, Aegon. The Princess's health had never been good, and the difficult birth of Aegon had further weakened her health, making it impossible for her to have more children. Rhaegar thought to himself, "The dragon has three heads." His mind constantly went to the prophecy he had read in the library of Fatih Aegon, believing that the Promised Prince would come from his line.
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It had been three days since King Aerys and his retinue set out for Harrenhal Tournament, expected to arrive within two days at most.
Anyone peering into the royal crest-adorned carriage could see that King Aerys had shed his Mad King image. He had groomed himself for the occasion, trimmed his nails, and even shaved. His once silver-white hair had returned to its platinum hue, and with his neatly trimmed beard, he looked imposing once more.
Seated in the opposite seat of the carriage were Tywin and Cersei Lannister, accompanied by Queen Rhaella, who had forgiven herself. Tywin had believed Jaime would be trained by the Kingsguard, but Jaime had only received training from Prince Maegor in the past year. According to Jaime, Prince Maegor effortlessly bested Ser Arthur Dayne, widely known as one of Westeros's greatest knights, in training sessions, appearing almost unbeatable. To Tywin, Jaime's admiration was evident.
In the past year, Tywin had followed King Aerys's advice and strived to regain his former vigor during his spare moments. At the age of 39 this year, Tywin Lannister was not in his prime, but he was slowly recovering. Tywin had never considered himself a great warrior, believing himself to be more of a commander than a fighter.
According to Mera, her soul had completely merged with Maegor's, making it impossible for them to part without an ancient spell. With their souls fully merged, Mera had seen all of Maegor's memories and had realized that she and this universe existed only in TV series and novels in another universe. Suffering from identity crisis for a long time, Mera had managed to recover with Maegor's support and had begun to enjoy TV series, anime, and novels from Maegor's memories.
Maegor, Mera, and King Aerys had met and aimed to participate in the Harrenhal Tournament with the goal of winning it. If Maegor could at least win the tournament, he might prevent his brother Prince Rhaegar from publicly crowning Lyanna Stark as the queen of beauty and love before all the realm. He could also prevent the standard bearers from demeaning the Martells, Baratheons, and Starks. Even if Rhaegar and Lyanna Stark were to marry again after the tournament, it could at least remain secret for a while.
During the tournament, King Aerys's display of power would delay Rhaegar's plans for the throne. With King Aerys and Mera's suggestions, they planned to open the Portal in the dungeons of the Red Keep, feeling quite excited about their upcoming journey to the first world.
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Within the walls of Harrenhal's tournament grounds, all participants and guests had gathered, with Lord Walter Whent rising to speak.
"My lords, my ladies, I thank you all for coming to celebrate my daughter's nameday with this tournament. I wish success to all the brave knights of the realm and those who seek to prove their courage. I also extend my gratitude to Prince Rhaegar Targaryen, whose presence honors us."
Rhaegar stood as the crowd erupted in applause and cheers, about to speak when the horns of messengers sounded.
"From House Targaryen, King Aerys the Second of His Name, King of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms, and Protector of the Realm!"
"From House Targaryen, Prince Maegor!"
"From House Lannister, Lord Tywin Lannister!"
As the names were announced, all voices fell silent, everyone looking towards the figures descending from the carriage. Some lords who had seen King Aerys in recent years waited to mock his disheveled appearance, while others wondered how the King had convinced Tywin Lannister to accompany him to the tournament.
The crowd was astonished upon seeing King Aerys disembark from the carriage, unable to reconcile his appearance with the mad king described in rumors. Tywin Lannister followed the King closely, with Prince Maegor and his squire Jaime walking beside him.
Aerys walked towards the stage prepared for Lord Walter Whent, joining his son Prince Rhaegar.
"Shouldn't you greet your father when you see him?" he asked Rhaegar, who seemed frozen and unable to react. The last time he had seen his father like this was at Viserys's birth. Aerys's eyes, once cloudy and accusatory, were now clear and focused.
Aerys raised his voice. "This is the first time I've witnessed a tournament where the King was not invited, yet the Prince was received as the chief guest. Do you think little of me, Lord Whent?"
Lord Walter, who only knew the King from stories told by Prince Rhaegar and his brother Oswell Whent, immediately knelt. "Your Grace, I had not sent an invitation hearing of your health. Please forgive your humble servant!" He bowed his head, loudly pleading.
Aerys said, "Rise, Lord Whent. I did not come here to judge and punish you."
The King's voice grew louder. "Anyone scheming behind the Targaryen name with petty thoughts will be punished. But today, with all the lords of the realm gathered here, there is no need to dampen spirits. Whoever impresses me during the tournament will be considered for a vacancy in the Kingsguard. Let the tournament begin!"
Upon hearing the King's final announcement, the crowd excitedly speculated about who the new Kingsguard member might be, while the seven members of the current Kingsguard were inwardly anxious. If a new Kingsguard was to be chosen, it meant one of them would have to die.
The first day of the tournament would feature the Archery Contest, the Field Battle, and the Axe Throwing competition, with the Joust scheduled to begin on the last five days. The winner would be decided on the final day of the tournament.
Renowned knights from across the realm would participate in the Joust: names like Rhaegar Targaryen, Barristan Selmy, Arthur Dayne, Jon Connington, Gerold Hightower, Lewyn Martell, Eon Hunter, Yohn Royce, and Brandon Stark. The inclusion of Prince Maegor Targaryen in both the Field Battle and the Joust had surprised everyone. The time had come for this mysterious prince to demonstrate his abilities to the realm for the first time.
Upon learning of Maegor's participation in the tournament, all the Kingsguard and his brother Prince Rhaegar exchanged disdainful glances, believing Maegor would win in all the events he participated in.
The sneering glances from the Kingsguard and Prince Rhaegar had misled the people into believing Prince Maegor was incompetent. Betting began on the tournament from the first day, with Prince Maegor given the lowest odds among all the knights. Seeing this, Jaime Lannister and the Kingsguard immediately placed all their money on Prince Maegor for both the Joust and the Field Battle.
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The first four days of the tournament passed uneventfully, with the Final of the Field Battles set to begin on the 5th day. Among the participants were Barristan Selmy, Robert Baratheon, Brandon Stark, young Jaime Lannister, Oberyn Martell, Randyll Tarly, Brynden Tully, Lyle Crakehall, Amory Lorch, and Maegor Targaryen, comprising a strong lineup of ten.
As the referee started the final, "Wild Wolf" Brandon Stark faced off against Barristan Selmy, Jaime Lannister against Oberyn Martell, Randyll Tarly against Robert Baratheon, Brynden Tully against Lyle Crakehall, and Amory Lorch against Maegor Targaryen. In an unspoken agreement among the knights, they waited until they had eliminated their immediate opponents before engaging in a chaotic battle among the final five.
Barristan Selmy defeated young Brandon Stark and awaited his remaining opponents: Robert Baratheon, who had eliminated Randyll Tarly, and Oberyn Martell. Brynden Tully, after dispatching the powerful but slow Lyle Crakehall, observed the final battle between Amory Lorch and Prince Maegor.
Maegor had purposely chosen Amory Lorch as his opponent, one of the two men who would eventually kill his nephews and Elia, wanting to publicly defeat him before the eyes of the people.
Throughout the Field Battles, Maegor had made his fights look effortless, leading the crowd to believe he had intentionally chosen weak opponents. Despite having two swords at his waist, he had never drawn one, wielding only a single sword and not even using a shield to reach the finals.
Amory Lorch looked at Prince Maegor and said, "I won't go easy on you just because you're a prince, boy!" Before he finished speaking, he swung his longsword toward Maegor's torso.
The knights who had finished their battles dismissed Amory Lorch's sneaky move against the Young Prince as insignificant. Maegor took a step back, smiling as he evaded the incoming attack. "Quite the talkative one, Ser Amory," Maegor quipped, charging towards him. He swung his sword vigorously from side to side and from top to bottom.
The crowd believed Maegor was being pressed by Amory Lorch, but keen eyes noticed that the prince was effortlessly countering Lorch's every move without even drawing his swords.
Maegor brought his hands to his waist and, for the first time since the beginning of the tournament, drew both of his swords. "Alright, Amory Lorch, it's my turn now," Maegor declared. The Kingsguard narrowed their eyes upon seeing Maegor wield two swords. They rarely fought with two swords during training, and whenever Maegor did so, it usually meant defeat for one of them.
Maegor swung the sword in his right hand towards his opponent in a deliberately slow manner. Amory Lorch disdainfully blocked the attack with the shield in his left hand. Maegor then slowly swung his left-handed sword towards Lorch, who easily parried it as well.
The crowd was greatly disappointed to see both of the prince's slow and easily countered attacks. To them, the prince must truly be untalented.
Amory Lorch mocked the prince, provoking him to attack and aiming to capitalize on it to defeat him.
Maegor chuckled and crossed his swords at shoulder height. The knights and the crowd in the arena couldn't make sense of this stance; it was unprecedented.
The prince leaned forward slightly, glanced at Amory Lorch with a small smile, then suddenly lunged forward. As onlookers tried to comprehend what was happening, Maegor stood straight behind Amory Lorch and slowly walked towards the knights who had ended the fight.
As Maegor approached them, Oberyn Martell called out, "You should defeat your opponent behind you first, my prince." Suddenly, a loud noise echoed across the field.
Among the gazes of the crowd and lords, Amory Lorch, standing in the field, was split in half starting from his chest and fell to the ground.
As Amory Lorch was split in half, young ladies and women watching the fight began to vomit. King Aerys looked proudly at his son, while Tywin Lannister received the death of a loyal hound with a furrowed brow.