20. When all Smiles Died

The whole realm received invitation from Lord Whent for the tourney he is holding on the occasion of the name day of his daughter. H einvited Lords and Knights from every corner of the realm and offered great prices for those who won in the tournaments of tourney. The rewards offered by Walter were three times greater than those offered by Lord Tywin Lannister, the richest man in Westeros, in the tourney in honor of Prince Viserys's birth at Lannisport in 276 AC. The lavish prizes offered by Lord Whent brought hundreds of challengers to the tourney. Walter also wanted to present his massive castle and his fine sons.

Hearing about this grand tourney, all the lords and knights of the realm went towards Harrenhal. It was a great opportunity for Lords to meet and form alliances with each other and young Knights to gain honor and glory. All the lords from North to Dorne and Westerland to Vale came to take part in the tourney. 

But the tourney was just a front for what it truly was. It was a meeting held by Prince Rhaegar, Heir to the Iron Throne, to gather support for a Great Council so that he can peacefully overthrow King Aerys. Prince Rhaegar is the King that almost everyone wants. He is charming, brave and handsome, gives his winnings from tourney to the poor and orphans, and has a sweet voice when he sings.

While King Aerys II Targaryen who has grown madder and more paranoid since he was captured by House Darklyn during the Defiance of Duskendale. In his paranoia, that keeps increasing everyday he sees traitors everywhere, even in his own shadow, and his most favourite method for killing these traitors was burn them alive with wildfyre, an alchemical substance made by the guild of pyromancers. He refuses to let servants wash him, making his hair grow too long and matted and his nails reaches his feet. He became one of the most hated kings of the Targaryen reign if not the most. He is hated so much that in closed circle he is called the Mad King.

The tourney was going splendidly, Prince Rhaegar himself came to participate in the tourney. His plan was to charm the lords of the realm by winning the tourney into supporting him in the Great Council, but all his plans were foiled when King Aerys left the Red Keep for first time in years and came to Harrenhal to attend the tourney. King Aerys II Targaryen attended the tournament only because Lord Varys, an eunuch from Essos whom Aerys made his Master of Whispers, warned him that Rhaegar, his son and the crown prince, arranged the tournament as a pretext to meet with several high lords to discuss removing his father as king in an informal Great Council. Many in attendance were shocked by the king's physical decline.

Lord Tywin Lannister was not at Harrenhal because of a quarrel with King Aerys, although many westermen and his own son, Jaime Lannister attended the tourney. Jaime rode in the joust and became one of the favourites in the joust. But during the tourney fifteen-year-old Ser Jaime Lannister was admitted into the order of the Kingsguard in the middle of the joust. Jaime was admitted so young without proving himself in any martial way was that Aerys wanted a hostage as he thought that Tywin was planning something against him. Although Jaime wanted to compete in the tourney the next day, Aerys commanded him to return to King's Landing that night to guard Queen Rhaella and Prince Viserys.

Held that first night within the Hall of a Hundred Hearths was a great feast for lords from throughout the Seven Kingdoms. Besides Starks and Howland Reed, other northmen in attendance were Dustins, Hornwoods, Manderlys, and Mormonts. Lord Robert Baratheon drank wine with Ser Richard Lonmouth. Prince Rhaegar sang a song for all the knights and lords gathered there. Benjen Stark teased his sister, Lyanna, for crying at the singing of Prince Rhaegar Targaryen, so Lyanna poured wine over her younger brother's head.

Lady Ashara Dayne, the most beautiful women of the realm and sister to the kingsguard Arthur Dayne, the Sword of the Morning, danced with a knight of the Kingsguard, Prince Oberyn Martell, and Lord Jon Connington. Brandon Stark convinced Ashara to dance with his shy brother, Eddard.

The tourney took place over ten days, of which the competition lasted seven days, with five days allotted to the joust. There was a seven-sided melee in the ancient style, in which Lord Robert Baratheon unhorsed many. Besides the melee and the joust, the tourney included an archery contest, an axe-throwing contest, a horse race, and a tourney of singers. There was also a mummer show.

Lord Walter Whent's fair daughter was the queen of love and beauty when the tourney began. Her honor was defended by her brothers and her uncle, Ser Oswell Whent of the Kingsguard, but they were all defeated in the tourney.

A mystery knight, the "Knight of the Laughing Tree", appeared in the lists to fight for the honor of a crannogman, Lord Howland Reed, Heir to Greywater Watch. King Aerys sent men, including Prince Rhaegar Targaryen, to learn the identity of the mystery knight, who appeared and disappeared mid tourney, but they were unsuccessful. Prince Rhaegar along with his friend and Kingsguard followed after the knight and found pieces of armor discarded and thrown. They followed the pieces which led to the castles godswood and found the mystery knight but let him go as he knew he meant the king no harm.

In the end of the joust, Prince Rhaegar emerged as the champion, defeating four knights of the Kingsguard, and when he was handed the crown of Queen of Love and Beauty, he chose Lyanna Stark as the new queen of love and beauty, placing a crown of blue winter roses in her lap who embarrassed but accepted the crown to end the messy business. This was scandalous in that, not only was Rhaegar already married to Elia of Dorne, who was present at the tourney, but Lyanna herself was believed to be betrothed to Robert Baratheon, but no betrothal was signed and it was only Robert Baratheon loudly announcing it. This caused Martells, Oberyn Martell to be exact who was present in the tourney, and Baratheon's, as Robert Baratheon has loudly confessed his love for Lyanna Stark everyday while sleeping with whores each day, to feel insulted.

With this tourney came to an end without achieving its actual purpose but sowing the seeds for a war that will involve all the kingdoms of the realm.

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Author's Note:

This book ends here. The sequel will be written soon with the name Winter is Coming. Please enjoy and thanks for following me till now.