Chapter 149: Marriage Competition, Dog-licking Competition
In King's Landing's Dragonpit Square, the common folk, nobles, and Kingsguard soldiers in the stands were greatly shocked as they watched the Dragon Corps led by Daemon in the sky, and the common folk cheered and rejoiced towards the Dragonriders.
Daemon received the loudest cheers, and some also shouted Princess Gael's nickname, "Winter Child"; others called out "Light of the Realm" to Princess Rhaenyra; and Beaumont Baratheon of Storm's End, with a booming voice, let out a storm-like roar, shouting his cousin Princess Rhaenys's name, praising her as the "Uncrowned Queen."
Daemon, clad in dark red armor with a three-headed dragon sigil on his breastplate, intricately carved with red-gold, black-gold, and sapphires, and a blood-red cloak billowing behind him, rode on Blood Wyrm Caraxes's back, flying low to greet the cheers and screams of the crowd.
Below, the mounts waiting to compete in the tourney were startled, rearing up on their hind legs, and some knights, unable to control their steeds, fell into the dust.
King Viserys on the high platform smiled at Daemon. "That boy Daemon, he's stolen all the thunder before the tourney even began. He flies too fast."
It would be best if he fell to his death, thought Otto Hightower maliciously, trying his best to conceal his displeasure. He said to King Viserys, "Your Majesty, this is a knight's tourney, not a dragon's tourney."
The air was filled with the sound of leather wings slicing through the air and the roars of dragons. King Viserys shrugged. "There's no harm in letting the nobles and commoners witness the dragons. Didn't you hear their cheers?"
Otto Hightower forced a smile. "Your Majesty, Daemon's Dragon Corps is indeed impressive. These Dragonriders are either Daemon's sons or his future daughters-in-law, and Princess Rhaenys is the mother-in-law of Daemon's son. Daemon's bloodline controls so many dragons, while Your Majesty's bloodline, apart from Rhaenyra, has yet to produce a Dragonrider. Those with ill intentions might say that Prince Daemon has monopolized all the dragons."
King Viserys glanced at the children nearby; Aegon, Aemond, and Helaena, among others, all looked at Prince Daemon and Blood Wyrm Caraxes in the sky with adoration. Even among a group of Dragonriders, Prince Daemon was the most outstanding.
Even though King Viserys deeply loved his brother, seeing Daemon's entire family as Dragonriders while his own children had yet to tame any dragons, Viserys felt somewhat uneasy.
King Viserys said sadly, "Aegon and the others are still too young. I wasn't riding a dragon at their age either. Besides, if I had had my way back then, and placed dragon eggs in their cradles, the hatchling from Aegon's cradle might have been able to carry Aegon into the sky."
When Queen Alicent gave birth to their first child, Aegon, King Viserys finally welcomed the Prophet Prince from his firmly believed dream prophecy. He immediately ordered the Dragon Guard to retrieve a dragon egg from the Dragonpit, hoping that Princess Rhaenyra, as the older sister, could place a dragon egg in her half-brother's cradle.
In King Viserys's view, this ceremony was like when Princess Rhaena placed dragon eggs in the cradles of King Jaehaerys the Conciliator and Queen Alysanne, a blessing and a legacy.
The dragon eggs that Princess Rhaena placed in her younger siblings' cradles hatched into Bronze Fury Vermithor and Silverwing, two colossal dragons that are second only to Vhagar.
However, Princess Rhaenyra refused to place a dragon egg in her half-brother's cradle, because Princess Rhaenyra firmly believed that King Viserys's obsession with a son had caused the death of her mother, Queen Aemma.
Otto Hightower and Alicent also did not insist on placing a dragon egg in Aegon's cradle, because they had their sights set on the larger dragons in Dragonstone and the Dragonpit.
A Targaryen can only ride one dragon in their lifetime, and the hatchling from Aegon's cradle would never grow as large as Princess Rhaenyra's dragon Syrax.
Therefore, Otto Hightower and Alicent preferred to let Aegon grow up and tame one of the adult Targaryen dragons.
Queen Alicent did not have such strong ambitions, so she had no specific targets for her children's dragons. Ser Otto Hightower, however, was different; he had his eye on the dragons Daemon had left across the Narrow Sea: Bronze Fury Vermithor and Silverwing.
Since Daemon's children rode their companion dragons hatched from their cradles, Bronze Fury Vermithor and Silverwing have remained without Dragonriders.
Otto Hightower planned for Aegon to ride Bronze Fury Vermithor and Helaena to ride Silverwing. Bronze Fury Vermithor was King Jaehaerys the Conciliator's mount, and Silverwing belonged to the Good Queen Alysanne.
King Jaehaerys and Queen Alysanne ruled Westeros side by side for over half a century and were deeply loved by the common folk. King Jaehaerys was also a staunch supporter of primogeniture.
If Aegon were to ride Bronze Fury, it would remind the nobles and commoners of Westeros that Aegon should be the rightful heir to the Iron Throne after the Grand Council.
However, Otto Hightower's plan faced great difficulties. It was widely rumored that Daemon used sorcery to control dragons, and it was an undeniable fact that Vermithor and Silverwing had followed Daemon to battle.
No one knew if these two dragons, once controlled by sorcery, would accept new Dragonriders. Even if the dragons were willing to accept new riders, the powerful Daemon would certainly not easily relinquish control of these two dragons.
The cheers of the common folk brought Otto Hightower's thoughts back to the arena.
Blood Wyrm Caraxes landed in the tourney grounds, kicking up a large amount of dust, and Daemon leaped off Caraxes's back, bringing the cheers of the common folk to a crescendo.
Daemon climbed the steps to the high platform, where the great nobles gathered. In the Dornish noble box, Qaohrun Martell of Dorne rose to greet Daemon.
Qaohrun's father, Prince Enrik, had passed away several years ago, and Qaohrun had become the new Prince of Dorne.
Qaohrun Martell had lustrous black hair and dark eyes. He said, "Prince Daemon, your entrance on a dragon was truly impressive. Are you satisfied with the Dornish warriors I sent to the Three Daughters?"
Daemon nodded slightly. "Very satisfied. The Dornish warriors made my enemies tremble. I've truly seen the truth of the saying, 'Dornish warriors are as numerous as sand.'"
Princess Nymeria, graceful in a sand-colored silk dress, said softly, "Prince Daemon, today your son Prince Aegon is betrothed to Princess Rhaenyra, and your son Jaehaerys is already betrothed to Laena. Am I, a Dornish princess, not worthy of your son?"
If Daemon's son were to marry Nymeria, then House Daemon would gain Dorne as an important ally.
However, Dornish men were overly hot-blooded and violent, and Dornish women were known for their promiscuity. Furthermore, some Dornish people still resented Daemon for conquering Dorne, and Daemon did not want his son to marry a Dornish person.
Moreover, Nymeria was already over twenty, and it was rumored that she had lovers throughout Dorne.
Daemon feigned regret. "What a pity! If I had known you wished to marry my son, I would certainly have listed you as an important marriage candidate. Miss Nymeria, your age is not quite suitable for my sons; my sons are still young."
"However, I do have many noblemen under me who are around your age. I could introduce you to a few; they would surely vie with each other to marry a Dornish princess!"
Daemon's confidantes, Raven Greyjoy, Son of the Wind, Qidan Massey, Andy Harver, and others, were all unmarried and were younger sons of nobles. Daemon estimated that these men would be happy to marry Princess Nymeria.
Facing Daemon's proposal, Princess Nymeria rolled her eyes. "I want to marry a dragon, but you want me to marry a dragon's servant. This clearly won't satisfy me."
Daemon left the Dornish noble box and was embraced by Lord Tymond Lannister of Casterly Rock in the Westerlands noble box, like an old friend. In the Reach noble box, Lord Marthos Tyrell of Highgarden complimented Daemon's beautiful armor.
In the Vale box, Lady Jeyne Arryn and Lady Rhea Royce, the "Bronze Bitch," rose to greet Daemon. Behind them stood a crowd of Eyrie knights wearing falcon helmets and sky-blue cloaks, as well as the Bronze Knights of House Royce.
Lady Jeyne Arryn became the Lady of the Eyrie at a very young age. A regency council composed of Vale nobles ruled the Vale in her name for many years until Lady Jeyne Arryn came of age. Now, Jeyne Arryn had grown into a graceful, elegant, and mature woman. She had long brown hair draped over her shoulders, wore a sky-blue gown, and a pure silver falcon sigil on her chest. Lady Jeyne Arryn said, "Prince Daemon, even in the Eyrie, singers are still singing ballads that praise your great conquests. Today, Rhaenyra and your son Aegon are engaged, and I am very happy for my cousin Rhaenyra."
Rhaenyra's mother, Aemma Arryn, was Jeyne Arryn's aunt. In the future, if Daemon wanted to defend his daughter-in-law Rhaenyra's Iron Throne, House Arryn of the Vale was a necessary ally to win over. Daemon firmly believed that deterrence was more effective than appeasement. The Eyrie was easy to defend and difficult to attack, and in its long history, it had never been breached by a ground army. However, when Visenya, riding Dragon Vhagar, descended from the sky, the last child-king of the Eyrie and his mother had no choice but to kneel and surrender.
Now that Daemon's eldest son, Aegon, and second son, Jaehaerys, were both engaged, only his third son, Baelon, remained unbetrothed. Lady Jeyne Arryn was an ideal marriage prospect.
Lady Jeyne Arryn had many suitors. Like Laena of House Velaryon and Dragonstone Princess Rhaenyra, she was very popular in noble marriages because many dreamed of marrying her and ruling the Eyrie alongside her.
However, would Lady Jeyne Arryn like Baelon? Baelon had served as a squire to Lord Roderick Dustin, the Wolf of the Barrows, for many years. He loved hunting and outdoor adventures, was unkempt, and full of wildness, so he might not win Lady Jeyne Arryn's favor. The most crucial point was that rumors suggested Lady Jeyne Arryn maintained close relationships with some noblewomen. Jeyne Arryn, like Laenor, was someone who preferred sweet wine.
Standing beside Lady Jeyne Arryn was one of her rumored companions, Rhea Royce, the "Bronze Bitch." When Daemon was still underage, Rhea Royce was also one of the potential marriage prospects for Daemon. Daemon married Princess Gael, and that marriage was fruitful and prolific.
Rhea Royce had never married. A few years ago, she moved to the Eyrie. Her horsemanship and hunting skills surpassed those of most men. Rhea Royce often led the Canyon Knight to clear out the wildling tribes of the Moon Mountains. The Stone Crows, Burned Men, Painted Dogs, and other wildling tribes all suffered crushing defeats at Rhea Royce's hands. Highland Clans gave Rhea Royce a nickname, "Bronze Widow," even though Rhea Royce had never been married.
Daemon gave Rhea Royce a mocking smile. "Rhea, are you still not married? I warned you back then, a woman who is too fierce will not be able to marry. My youngest son is not yet married, perhaps you can marry him."
Rhea Royce's anger flared. "Daemon, after all these years, you're still as annoying."
After the tourney began, the opening match was between Daemon and Ser Harrold Westerling, Lord Commander of the Kingsguard. Ser Harrold Westerling was old and frail, long past his prime, and Daemon easily won.
Criston Cole and Harwin Strong, the "Bonebreaker," performed excellently, advancing through the rounds and finally meeting in the afternoon's competition. This schedule was, of course, deliberately arranged by Daemon.
As fellow admirers of Princess Rhaenyra, Criston Cole and Harwin Strong were both seething with anger at Princess Rhaenyra's engagement tourney. These two rivals usually enjoyed being Princess Rhaenyra's hangers-on, and now, as enemies, their eyes burned with malice.
Before the match, Harwin and Cole rode side-by-side to Princess Rhaenyra's box, requesting a favor from the princess. Princess Rhaenyra haughtily said, "No, I am already engaged, you will not get my favor."
Cole and Harwin could only begin the match with disappointed expressions.
Harwin Strong was robust, but his agility, sword-and-shield skills, and lance skills all lagged behind Criston Cole's. Moreover, this tourney was not solely a jousting competition; contestants could use any weapon. Criston Cole was skilled with a flail, which made Harwin Strong even more wary. In previous training, Harwin Strong had never beaten Criston Cole.
As expected, when the match began, Criston Cole's flail whirled with powerful force. Harwin Strong could only clumsily parry with his lance and shield. Soon, his wrist ached unbearably, and he swayed precariously in the saddle.
When the two returned to the edge of the arena to begin the next round, Harwin Strong winked at his squire, who handed him a new shield.
When Criston Cole's flail struck the shield, the shield instantly shattered, and a burst of white powder shot out, hitting Criston Cole in the eyes. Criston Cole immediately felt a sharp pain in his eyes, and his vision went black. Immediately, Harwin's lance pierced him in the armpit, and Criston Cole crashed to the ground.
Daemon and some nearby nobles noticed the anomaly, but most of the audience did not see the powder spray, so people cheered for Harwin's victory.
Harwin triumphantly approached Rhaenyra, his face fawning, "Princess, a great victory dedicated to you!"
With his eyes in excruciating pain, Criston Cole ordered his squire to get him clear water to wash his eyes. Once his vision returned, he was furious. He immediately mounted his warhorse, brandished his flail, and charged at Harwin.
"Watch your back!" Rhaenyra shrieked.
Harwin turned his horse around, but the flail had already struck, hitting him squarely in the chest. Harwin and his horse fell to the ground. Criston Cole swung his armored fist, striking Harwin's face. Harwin was covered in blood, screaming repeatedly. If the Kingsguard had not intervened, Harwin would likely have been beaten to death by Criston Cole.
King Viserys said angrily, "Ser Criston Cole, what in the world is wrong with you? Are you trying to commit assault at a tourney?"
Criston Cole proudly stated, "Harwin put white powder in his shield. He is a despicable scoundrel. If Your Majesty does not believe me, you can inspect the shield."
The Kingsguard immediately went to look for the shield. Lord Commander of the Kingsguard Ser Harrold Westerling said, "Your Majesty, that shield has already been mixed with many other broken shields and cannot be found."
Criston Cole was very disappointed. "During the match, many nearby spectators should have seen white powder spray from Harwin's shield."
Harwin's father, the Master of Laws Lyonel Strong, said, "Is that so? Which noble is willing to testify for Ser Criston Cole?"
There was silence. No one was willing to provoke House Strong for the low-born Cole.
Harwin said, "Your Majesty, this is slander! Criston Cole has always been jealous of my noble birth. After all, he is just the son of a Blackhaven steward, and he has always been jealous that I could inherit Harrenhal from birth."
Daemon seized the opportunity to say, "Your Majesty, Harwin and Cole are both suitors of Princess Rhaenyra. They are both mad with love."
King Viserys said angrily, "Cole is exiled to the Wall, and Harwin is exiled to the Three Daughters."
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