As long as man had purpose, he would have something holding him back from weakening for dying. With a goal or vision in mind, he would fight and slash his way through his challenges until it became his reality, or so some men thought. Robert of House Baratheon, First of His Name, King of the Andals and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm, saw a vision in his mind – a vision of the fall of House Targaryen and the death of all its members – and he made it a reality. He slayed Prince Rhaegar Targaryen himself and marched his men into King's Landing and took the Iron Throne for himself.
But that was where his vision ended.
The King, as accomplished as he was, no longer had a purpose. His goal was accomplished and done the moment he first sat on the Iron Throne, and from that moment on he was a free man – a free and pointless man. No longer did he have enemies to slay or lands to conquer; he had only council meetings to attend, coppers to count, or schemes to unravel; no longer did he feel the blood-rushing thrill of a battle between life and death, nor the joy of fighting alongside his bonded brothers – Eddard Stark and Jon Arryn.
Day after day, night after night, it was whores upon whores and wine upon wine. At first, Robert had thought he would have loved the extravagance and carefree lifestyle – it was the life he had desired to share with Lyanna Stark – just day after day of relaxation and luxury, but now he loathed it. Perhaps the love of his life was a definite requirement, or maybe he had changed over the years, but he no longer wanted such a life. The wine didn't taste as sweet as it used to, and the woman just didn't feel the same. The King yearned for the past when he could have rode side-by-side with Eddard as young men, drinking and humping through life without thought with only their swords by their side.
Well. There was no longer a war and he hadn't wielded his battle-axe for many years; his belly had become bloated and his arms grew weaker by each drink, but he could still see the thrill of battle through other means.
"Guards!" The King had loudly said as he slammed his empty cup on his table. "Bring me the Master of the Coin! I am hosting a tourney!"
With the demand of the king, the whole of King's Landing worked to organize the tourney in haste, and even though some haste needed to be bought with gold they shouldn't have spent, it was bought. Within days hundreds of invitations were sent out to the many Lords on the Realm, and thousands of posters were plastered upon the walls over all the cities in the Kingdom, attracting thousands of Sell Swords, Knights or even peasants who want to make a name. The King wanted this even to become one to remember, and it was shaping up into precisely what he desired.
With the week the responses came rolling back. First were the Arryns, the family of the Hand of the King. Then came the Lannisters, the family of the Queen, Cersei Baratheon, and the Kingslayer, Jaime Lannister. Tywin Lannister had also said that he would be personally visiting the tourney – most likely looking forward to seeing his son win the tourney – or so Robert had claimed rather sarcastically. The Tully and many of the noble houses had decided to come, with only the Starks declining the invite, which was not too surprising to many since the northern folk saw tourneys as a waste of gold. There was also many famous and noble knights aiming for the glory and fame, and of course the fifty thousand gold dragons to the winner of the joust, twenty thousand to the melee, and twenty thousand for the archery.
The royal account had no such funds, and like usual, the Master of the Coin had borrowed from the King's rich in-laws, the Lannisters. Lord Tywin had no problem with providing the funds. The Lannisters had none more than gold, and thought that the sight of Jaime Lannister winning the event made worthy of the ninety thousand gold dragons in Lord Tywin's mind.
King's Landing was almost immediately filled with addition thousands of people, which included hundreds of merchants, selling goods coming as far as Pentos, retired soldiers or battle-loving peasants flooded into the city with palpable excitement, and of course, thousands of Knights and Sell Swords trying to gain a life of glory. Hundreds of goats, cow and pigs were butchered and grilled for the hungry appetites of the increased number in the city, and the entire King's Landing was festering with festivities and joyful crowds.
"I do loath such large crowds." Tyrion Lannister muttered as he waddled along the crowded streets with his short legs, his large head shook as he looked around. "Our good king Robert relishes these tourneys, but I'm afraid I am rather ill-suited for such festivities."
Jaime Lannister chuckled lightly as he walked behind his brother, ignoring the various looks he was getting from the women in the crowd. "You are most ungrateful, brother. Father had paid much gold for such a massive event, and as his kin we should at least pretend to enjoy the tourney."
"I'm different from you, brother; I am not a Knight and I do not gain any glory from such a suffocating crowd, though I do appreciate the fresh products that are coming into the city." The dwarf had a small smile on his lips as he remembered the three whores that made his magical night and the many that he hadn't bedded yet. "If I wasn't a Lannister or so loved by my family, I would have long moved to Lys and enjoy every night in bliss."
"Do try to not marry any of them; father will definitely not be happy with having another whore daughter-in-law from you."
The Lannisters, even the small one, could see countless banners on full mast all around the city. From the pierced sun of the House Martell to the white falcon of the House Arryn, emblems fluttered in the wind as Knights of almost all Great Houses rode into the city en mass. The neighs of horses were almost as loud as the merchants in middle of the market, and the gleaming shine of the suits of armor in sight was almost too bright to bear. Rubies, sapphire, emerald, red gold and diamond filled the market as a line of knights marched to the tourney arena.
"So the Martells actually came," muttered Tyrion as he crossed his small arms. "I don't think I've seen them this close to King's Landing since the start of King Robert's reign."
Jaime nodded with an apathetic nod. "Well. They really aren't admirers of our good Ser Gregor Clegane, and seeing how both him and the Hound are in this tourney, it only makes sense that they would come and try to take his honor."
"Can you blame them?" Tyrion asked with a hint of mockery. "That giant of a man raped and killed their princess; if it was us and Cersei suffered that fate, you would have killed that Mountain before he could take one last shit."
The Imp and the Kingslayer walked into the Red Keep and walked idly by the golden cloaked watchers standing guard along the grand hallways of the King's home. The heavy steps of the armored knight stomped into the Great Hall, and the two brothers bowed to the King, who sat upon the Iron Throne. Robert had his usual cup of wine in his hand and his face was almost as red as the Lannister emblem. His black hair was damp from sweat and his bloated belly suggested he consumed more than a few rack of lamb.
The Great Hall looked a lot different compared to when the Targaryens ruled. Instead of Dragon Skulls and sleek, cold walls, the hall was covered with top-made tapestries and priceless artifacts. The gold inside the room was enough to feed a village of five hundred for years, and the shining marble that covered the ground was so smooth people could use it was mirror. The only unchanged part of the hall was the Iron Throne – a monstrosity of a chair made of hundreds of melted swords.
"Your Grace," greeted Jaime and Tyrion as he fell to one knee and bowed their heads. "Everything is accounted for and the tourney can start at any time." The Baratheon Knights were already marching to the arena, led by the king's own brother, Renly Baratheon. "The Great Houses have mostly arrived and the Lords have begun to settle into the viewing area."
Robert bellowed a laugh and stood up. "Great!" cried the king. "Let's get going! Prepare my steed and let us ride over with the knights!" Robert stepped down from his throne and headed out of the Great Hall. "Ah Tyrion, have you placed your bets today?"
"Not yet, Your Grace, but I do hope to win quite a bit, so I don't think I'm going to bet on my dear brother here." Robert's laugh bellowed again as Jaime shook his head with a smirk, seemingly amused by his little brother. "I spent quite a bit on the ladies from Lys last night, so I need to win some back."
"Oh I know what you mean; I spend a lot of many things with those women the past week!"
Jaime had a dark look on his face as he forced himself to not glare at the King; while the Kingslayer had no desire for the King to bed his sister, he also hated the fact that he would so casually disregard his queen as if she was some common whore he bought. Cersei Lannister was one of the most desirable and beautiful women in the realm, and she deserved better.
"Haha! Let's go see some action!" cried Robert with a boisterous laugh. "No more slow meetings or menial copper counting; just men battling for honor, glory and fame!"
The sun felt particularly scorching. The seemingly yellow beams of light crashed down onto the dirt road leading up to the River Gate of King's Landing and every person walking on it. The dark hair of many sell swords and merchants felt extremely hot and dry in the summer heat, and many people appeared to be soaked in sweat. The horses pulling on large merchant carts were heaving and the armor-clad knights looked ready to slash through the crowd into the city. The tourney was going to start very soon, and people were desperate to get into the city – contenders and attenders alike.
'This is not good…' thought a young man no older than fourteen years.
Lifting his now warm canteen of water, he gulped down whatever was left and threw it to the side. Even now, a very long line stretched behind him and an almost equally long line stood in front, with the gate so close yet so far. Based on the position of the sun he could tell it was almost noon, which was the start of the tourney, so it was not likely he was going to make it, unless he did something about it.
Looking around, he noticed that no one was really paying attention to their surroundings; everyone was too parched by the scorching day. While the heat did not bother him, drops of sweat dripped off of his pale face and his sun-kissed blond hair. His bare torso revealed his light skin-tone and muscular physique, with only a small strap that held on to the sword on his back and the strap of a small bag flung over his shoulder covering his chest. His tattered pair of sandals had long since been abandoned as the horde of horses lined up ahead of him decided to lay a detailed web of manure in his path. But, those horses may also help him in this situation. It appeared that the one man holding into a series of ropes attached to the dozen of horses was a salesman, targeting the Knights in the Joust in case their horses die. The young man smirked when he saw the man stagger and appear to be at the verge of a heat stroke, it would make it a little easier for him.
Reaching into his pocket the young man let his thumb rub against the flat edge of his knife before walking closer to the horse on the rear. With a sharp and discreet jab, the knife pierced the horse's rear and an expected loud neigh of pain sounded out. With chuckle, he repeated his movements as quickly as he could to three other horses next to the first horse, and they reacted in kind.
"Whoa!" cried the horse salesman as felt his horses stampede towards him, "What the hell?!" He jumped to the ground to his right and rolled further out of line to avoid the horses; the reins in his hand lying on the ground. "Someone grab them!"
The young man smirked and quickly sped forward. "Don't worry old man, I got it!"
Quickly breaking out into a sprint, the wind blowing through his unruly and spiky hair, he quickly neared the horde. People ahead in the line jumped out of the stampede just like the salesman and chaos quickly ensued. All the way to the gates, people scrambled and cried out in shock. The horses were in a frenzy and were extremely close to trampling over hundreds of people, and some knights were drawing their swords to cut them down, which would have worked if the horses weren't running full speed.
But luckily or unluckily for the salesman, the young man was just as fast.
With a bright smile on his face, the young blond ran behind the horde of horses, their attached rein within his reach, but he wouldn't reach for it. The gates were becoming closer by the second and the guards at the gate had drawn the swords and some had armed their crossbows. 'Just a few more seconds…come on horses!' The line in front had completely scattered and there were small crowds gathering around the open area and they watched the young man trying to catch the horses, 'Alright!' Seeing the gate was extremely close with no on ahead, he grabbed the rein into his hands and ran on.
"Control your horses or we will cut them down!" cried the golden cloaked guard at the gate.
'Fine!' The young man pulled on the reins and pulled himself closer as he sped ahead. With a burst of strength, the blond leaped from the ground and into the air. People around watched on in shock as they watched the man jump at least three meters into the air, so much so that they barely realized he landed on the front horse. "Stop!" Kicking the side of the front horse, he reeled the reins back as hard as he could, yanking the horse's head back until it slowed. The horses to the side followed, but the attached reins only gave them a few meters of freedom, and the man's grasp on the reins was so tight that all the horses started to slow.
The horses stopped right in front of the gate, and the guards were still ready to attack. "Get down of the horses, now!"
"Relax, these are not my horses!" The young man jumped off his horse and crossed his arms as he stood in front of the guards. "That old salesman over there almost fainted and released the reins."
The old man in his fifties finally made it to the gate and quickly bowed to the guards. His breath was extremely rapid and his face was red, looking as if he would faint and collapse. The young blond resisted the urge to chuckle as the older man took the reins from him and bowed to the guards again. "I-I am so sorry, Ser," pleaded the man in between breathes, "But I was too tired when they frenzied and couldn't control them." The man turned to the blond and bowed thankfully. "Thank you so much young man, for stopping them."
The guard in charge sighed and shook his head. "Just step to the side, we will deal with you and your horses later!" The old man staggered to the side, pulling his horses hard with a grimace. "And we thank you for your work."
The blond waved his hand and smiled. "No problem at all, but can I please pass the gates; I need to get to the tourney." The guard nodded and gestured him inside. "Thank you so much, Ser." He turned to the old man and bowed. "Good luck to you, old man." 'And sorry about that.' The young man walked freely into the city and breathed in fully. "King's Landing!"
The tournament arena had three large sections, with a large pavilion built to overlook all three. At the center of the pavilion was a heighten area with a large canopy providing shade from the scorching sunlight for the spectators below. The King himself sat at the center of the heightened area with the Queen, Cersei Lannister, sitting to his right, looking beautiful and regal in her red gown. The young prince Joffery Baratheon sat one row down from his parents, and his siblings, young Prince Tommen and Princess Myrcella Baratheon sitting across from him. Many other powerful people sat close to the royal family, including the Queen's Father, Tywin Lannister. The other lords were all sitting along the pavilion, looking over the tourney arena and the gigantic crowd of spectators on the other side.
Petyr Baliesh, the recently named Master of Coin, estimated that the city will gain from the increased expenditure, if the prize gold to the winners were not as high. In the previous days, every inn in King's Landing, high-end to dirt poor, had been filled and more people are filing in. The merchants had more coins in their pockets than they could carry and the entire city was in a state of festival. But there had also been a few drunken fights, stabbings and rogue horse races down the Street of Sisters; needless to say, the City Watch had been very busy.
"Lord Baliesh, I heard you are an occasional gambling name?" asked Tyrion with a smirk on his face and a drink in his hand. "Care to wager on the winner of the joust?"
The man with short black hair smirked and nodded. "You've heard correctly, Lord Tyrion." Littlefinger stood from his seat and moved closer to the dwarf, who was sitting far away from his family, "How about one hundred gold dragons as the wager?"
Tyrion finished his drink and held it out to a servant to fill his cup. "That sounds good, and I'll place that amount on my brother, Jaime Lannister as the winner."
Petyr smiled and nodded. "Very well, I will place my money on Gregor Clegane; the Mountain is someone I believe to be able to dismount your brother."
"Can anyone place their bet with you two?" asked a new voice from their right. Prince Oberyn of Dorne walked up to the two with his usual witty smile. Tyrion immediately felt his smile leave his face as he made eye-contact with the known sexually-ambivalent man. Oberyn had clear contempt in his eyes when looking at Lannisters and the smirk on his face did not make Tyrion any more comfortable.
"Of course, Prince Oberyn, the more the merrier," Littlefinger said gestured to a young servant and had him jot down the bets. "Lord Tyrion and I have respectively placed bets on Ser Jaime Lannister and Ser Gregor Clegane. Would you like to stack either of our wagers or would you prefer another knight?"
The prince smirked and sat down next to Petyr. "I want both of those to lose, so I'm going to wager on someone else." Tyrion have a forced smile before returning to his drink, but Littlefinger nodded. "Please place one hundred gold dragons on Ser Barristan, whom I believe to be the best knight in the tourney."
Tyrion smiled rather forced and sat back against his seat. "I certainly wish you the best of luck."
The prince smirked, "As do I."
"Come on, your wagers are so boring!" cried a loud and gruff voice from behind, and the three immediately turned back and bowed lowly for the King. "Jaime Lannister, Gregor Clegane and Ser Barristan are always the one who wins; but this year I'll wager that it is different!"
Littlefinger bowed again before speaking. "Care to place a wager, Your Grace?"
Robert laughed and lifted his drink into the air. "I'll place a thousand gold dragons that someone besides those three will win! How about it Littlefinger, are you going to accept that bed?"
"Your Grace, it is highly unlikely that someone besides those three will win." Tyrion said as he finished his drink again. "Perhaps you should stack on our bets."
"I agree with the Imp." Oberyn cut in, ignoring the slight twitch Tyrion gave at his nickname. "Those three are the best Knights in Westeros, perhaps the entire world, so the chance of some random knight winning is very unlikely."
Robert waved the two off and looked back at Petyr. "So? Are you going to accept or not."
"Well, I certainly will not decline, Your Grace." Littlefinger bowed and nodded at his servant to jot down the new numbers.
"Alright!" cried the King as he raised his cup high. "Let's get this tourney started!"
Tyrion chuckled and leaned ahead. "I believe the first event is the Archery Competition." He shook his head and rested back against his seat and sipped on his wine. "Well, I didn't bet on this so I'm not even going to bother."
The same blond young man stepped out of the large crowd and followed the rest of the contestants into the preparation line leading up to the archery field. Like the others around him, he had a small wooden badge strapped to his upper arm, signifying his role as a participant. Around him and the other contestants were hundreds of spectators, trying to get a good view into the competition, even children who were sitting on their fathers' shoulders.
"Aren't you rather young to be in the tourney?" asked a rather feminine voice to the young man's left, who was a young and beautiful girl dressed in a jeweled silk dress. She looked to be his age but had a mature glint in her eyes and her long silky black hair made her look graceful and elegant. There were two other girls standing behind her dressed in similar fashions, and they were giggling to themselves as they stared at Naruto. "You're a head shorter than everyone else."
The blond smirked and crossed his arms. "Height doesn't make a better archer or fighter."
"Don't tell you've also signed up for the melee competition?" asked the girl with an amused smile. "You're going to have your head tore off your shoulders." Her black hair blew in the wind as she shook her head with a small hint of condescension.
"Deaths are allowed in the matches, but are still rare, so don't worry about me." The young man looked over at the girl with his peculiar blue eyes and smiled. "I like my chances in the matches." He turned back to the front of the line where people were slowly being let into the archery field. "And the Archery Competition is only shooting at targets, so it shouldn't be too lethal."
"So what's your name?" asked the girl with a pretty smile, "Just in case I have to tell the guards who the dead boy is."
"My name is very weird, so you won't have trouble remembering it. I am Naruto of Lys."
The girl laughed and covered her lips with her delicate fingers. "What kind of name is that?"
Naruto chuckled back and shrugged. "My aunt told me I was named after a random sound our goat made the moment I was born." The girl laughed as her two friends continued to giggle. "What can I say? We're not a very educated family, but I've grown used to having it as a name." The blond turned to the girls and smiled, revealing a surprisingly pearly white pair of teeth. "Who knows; maybe after today many people will remember that name."
"You sure are optimistic." The girl stood up straight and crossed her arms. "Well, my name is Arianne Martell, and these are my cousins," Arianne gestured to the two girls next to her. "This is Tyene and Sarella; we've all come to see the tourney."
Naruto had a look of wonder as he bowed to the girls. "My ladies; it's a pleasure to meet the princesses of Dorne."
"I should have known you'd recognize us by my last name." Arianne winked at Naruto and was about to speak more, but Tyene patted her shoulder and whispered something into her ear. Arianne looked reluctant at first, but nodded nonetheless. "Well, we have to go back to the viewing area to our parents, so if you manage to live pass today, we might see each other again."
Naruto nodded and smiled one last time. "I look forward to it, my lady."
Arianne winked again and walked off with her cousin, looking back at Naruto once before the crowd blocked her view. "Good luck, Naruto."
"Thank you, my lady."
"You sure were interested in that boy…" muttered Tyene with a knowing smile on her face. "Sure, he was a cute boy and had a nice body, but he's a peasant and your father will be angry if you associate yourself with him." Sarella nodded along, agreeing with her sister.
Arianne smiled and shrugged. "I don't know why, but I found him quite fun to talk to, and he's not like some of the other boys we've met who are all either too shy or too cocky." She licked her lips and smiled at her cousins, who were like her sisters. "And did you see his muscles?"
Sarella giggled and hugged Arianne's arm. "You are way too much like Uncle Oberyn – too horny for your own good." Arianne blushed a little and lightly slapped her cousin on her arm. "I mean, you're only fourteen years old and you're a princess, so you shouldn't act so rowdy around boys like that."
"I am the heiress of Dorne, so I should have the right to choose my man." Arianne bit her lips and looked back to see that the crowd had blocked her view of Naruto. "I'll choose my own husband, but it's not to say that I can't have some fun beforehand."
Tyene shook her head with a smile. "I love you, Ari."
The three girls continued to bicker and giggle as they walked back to the pavilion where their fathers were awaiting their return. They pasted by many stands of merchants of all sorts, some of which from Dorne. It was the first time the girls had left their small corner of Dorne. Their fathers wanted them to see their world with their own eyes, and so far King's Landing was very appealing to all three of them. Arianne had been very excited to travel all the way to King's Landing with her best friends and cousins, and it had been a great trip.
The pavilion soon came into view, and the noise began to die down as they walked back to the Dorne Royal Family area. The high-class people were all rather quiet compared to the thousands of betting civilians, save the several people in the Lannister area – the Imp and few others, if Arianne saw correctly. Her father, Prince Doran, sat next to his own brother, Prince Oberyn, as they watched the recently started archery competition. They both left their female companion back in Dorne, much to her Uncle Oberyn's chagrin, but her father had insisted that the remain seen as a proper and elegant family, and Prince's Oberyn's sexual craze need to appear during their stay.
Arianne was amused. She had always been quite close to her uncle; perhaps that was why she had also found herself desiring the warmth of the opposite sex. She had seen many a time her uncle and one of his many women engage in passion – several time in their main courtyard if she remembered correctly. Prince Doran had been quite angry at his brother and had banned him from the courtyard for a fortnight, but it was far too little repercussion to deter the Red Viper from putting the gardens to good use, as he would say.
"I wonder how that Naruto boy would do?" muttered Tyene as she lazily rested her head onto Arianne's shoulder when she was out of Prince's Doran's sight. "He's our age; how good can he be?"
Arianne shrugged as she sat up taller and stretched her neck. "I don't even see him with all these people blocking the view."
Sarella giggled as she sat elegantly with her hands on her lap. "That's because he's short."
The archery area was one of the larger sections in the tourney, second to only the melee area. It was a large grass field with many targets installed at various distances from the archer line. The first row of targets was only several meters in front of the archers. Fifteen archers lined up at once and tried for their shot at the target, and the one best result would remain for the second round with further targets. There were quite a few people in the competition, so even fourteen people eliminated at each draw, the event well on for quite some time.
From the distance, Arianne couldn't really see the precise results of the archers – she and her family were sat on the right side of the pavilion, and the archery field was on the left side of the arena – but she could tell that Naruto hadn't taken his turn yet. But she didn't have to wait long. When the next line of archers lined up she clearly saw someone that was much younger than the rest and had a head of golden blond hair. He held his bow and pulled an arrow from his quiver, preparing to let loose on his target at the call of the judge.
"Is that him?" asked Tyene as she sat forward and squinted her eyes.
Arianne smiled and nodded. "Yes, that's him." The young princess resisted the urge to giggle as she watched Naruto stand next to full grown men who were all almost a head taller than him; he looked extremely out of place in the line. "He's the only kid in the competition."
Sarella shook her head and lightly patted Arianne's face. "Stop staring at him with that pretty smile on your face; your father is going to notice." Arianne immediately turned away and looked at her father several rows above her before glaring back at her cousin. "I'm serious; you have that look my father would have when he sees his women."
Tyene giggled and nudged Arianne with her shoulder. "Somebody is smitten over a peasant boy~"
"I-Am-Not-Smiting-Over-Anyone!"
Sarella hugged Arianne's arm and snuggled closer to her, ignoring some looks they were getting. "Awe, are you blushing?"
"Shut up!" said Arianne, trying to keep her voice at a moderate volume. "Just watch the competition!" The princess looked back at the archery field and noticed that the round had already finished. She quickly sat up taller to see where the blond boy got sent after he lost, but much to her ever shock she saw him standing with the other winner of the rounds. He looked serious and stoic down beside the other men, and just waited for the other rounds to finish. "Wow…he actually made it through the first round."
Tyene smiled and sipped on her summer wine. "I guess he's not as hopeless as we've thought."
Sarella sighed and rested back on her seat. "Well there are still plenty of rounds coming…" She looked over at Arianne, who was still sitting tall and focusing on the match. "Do you think he can actually win this thing?"
"I highly doubt it." Tyene, the ever realist or cynic, spoke what Arianne had wanted to say, but for some reason the princess was compelled to think otherwise – there was something about Naruto that made her want him to win.
Naruto once again stood on an elevated plank of wood that supported the weight of fifteen archers; it was the second round of the competition. From what the judges had told them, there will be five rounds, each round a number of contestants will be eliminated, and on the fifth round there will only be two archers left. With each round the targets will be placed further and further away, until the last round when the targets will be all the way on the other side of the field.
Looking to his sides Naruto noticed that he was the only person in his age group present; most others were at least ten years older than him. Some people were looking at him with strange glances, no doubt wondering how a kid fresh off his mother's teats made it into the second round; Naruto only chuckled at their ignorance – being older does not necessarily make one a better archer – the blond pride himself for being a marksman at ten.
"Alright you lot, draw your arrows!"
All fifteen men drew the arrows back and aligned their eyes with the center of the target, several meters further than the first target.
"And release!"
Naruto's fingers confidently released his hold, and his arrow shot out, piercing the air with a small glint on the iron tip. His eyes followed it, the few seconds that it took to travel to the target, and remained locked onto it when it struck the target. It was just as he expected of himself. The arrowhead was supplanted right in the center of the target, earning him a perfect score.
With a smile and a knowing expression, Naruto nodded at the other archers and walked over to the winners waiting area again, waiting for round three. Now more people were giving him strange looks, some of them even looked shocked. It confused Naruto; hitting a target at such a distance was extremely easy, so he didn't understand why so many people were surprised he did it and why so many other couldn't do it.
'I guess my days of training behind the brothels in Lys paid off.'
Time went on as steady as it always had, and Naruto passed round and round. Never once had his arrows hit any place but the dead center of the target, and he was attracting the attention of almost everyone watching. The fourteen year old boy continued to outmatch men twice his age with actual experience with a bow and arrow. But regardless of the other's outcome, Naruto kept emerging victorious in the matches. Some random man might also hit the dead center of the target, but when they were examined, Naruto's was either closer to the center or shot deeper into the target. Some people were starting to place last minutes bets on him winning, and he could swear he heard people asking for his name in the crowd.
Then, in no time at all, it was the final round. The only two men left were Naruto of Lys and Lothor Brune, a freerider from the Stormlands.
"Did that child really make it to the final round?" asked Ser Jaime Lannister as he stood next to his fellow Kingsguard, Ser Barristan as they awaited the start of the jousting competition. "He looks barely older than fourteen summers."
"You of all people should know that age doesn't really matter." Ser Barristan turned to the competition and stared at Naruto in wonder. "But that one really strikes as odd…he looks relaxed and calm and completely confident." The famous knight crossed his arms and leaned back against a wooden post of the pavilion, "Very interesting."
Just above the two knights was the royal family. The King himself sat on the elevated area on the pavilion and he watched with great interest at the last round of the competition. In his years he had never seen such a young man make it to the final rounds of a tourney, especially since the young blond looked to be a peasant – just a normal civilian on the streets. But his demeanor and confidence did not reflect his appearance. From his posture and elegant smile, he acted like a highborn soldier with training, or just a smart boy with a keen sense of observation. Either way, Robert was rooting for the boy.
"One thousand gold dragons on the boy!" announced the King to Littlefinger and Tyrion.
Tyrion chuckled and shrugged with Petyr gestured to his servant to record the King's bet. The Imp and Littlefinger were impressed with the boy, but they weren't confident enough to invest in him. If the King predicted that the young boy would win against the experienced man then they weren't going to say otherwise.
All the way on the other side of the pavilion, Prince Oberyn chuckled and crossed his leg over his other. He had heard the King's bet and had wanted to follow, but he would follow Tyrion and Littlefinger's way and play it safe. As interesting the boy was, he wasn't about to lose any gold over him.
"By the Great Seven, I can't believe he's actually in the final round!" cried Tyene as she sat up, fully awake and looking at the scene with great interest.
For the past while, Arianne and her cousins had been paying their undivided attention to the competition, getting increasingly tense as Naruto made it further and further to the top. They found themselves cheering for the boy, much to Prince Oberyn's amusement, and Arianne had been leaning forward so much that she might fall the pavilion soon.
"If he wins a lot of people are going to lose money." Sarella said with a smile on her face. "It would be a huge upset."
Arianne smiled and steadied her breathing in anticipation. "I hope he wins…"
"Of course you do~" teased Tyene as she and Sarella hugged Arianne's arms, holding their blushing sister close.
"Shut up!"
"Ready your bows!" announced the main judge as he stood behind the two remaining archers. "Draw your arrows!"
Lothor Brune, a man in his late thirties, stood next to his opponent. His arrow was drawn and he was prepared to fire, just awaiting the call from the judge. Droplets of sweat dripped down his brows and onto his chin. Twenty thousand gold dragons were at stake at the moment. With such money he could quit his life as a freerider and maybe buy a high-class whore from Lys. He could enjoy the rest of his days in luxury and warmth, but he had someone standing in his way. A fourteen year old kid who managed to outmatch every opponent he came across.
'Damn this kid!' thought the man as he resisted the urge to look at the boy, wondering how nervous he must be at the moment.
Contrary to his opponent's belief, Naruto was quite calm. His arms were relaxed and his fingers were still; his breathing was quiet and steady, and his eyes were locked. This really was no challenge for him, even with such distance. No matter how far, given the right aim any target could be hit. Naruto was used to moving targets. A real challenge would be to try to hit a moving target on horseback with only one arrow in his quiver. A nonmoving target while standing on a firm platform is absolutely ridiculous, and, apparently to people in King's Landing, worth twenty thousand gold dragons.
"Release!"
Naruto's fingers released his hold, and just like before, his arrow sailed through the winds and across the field. As if time had slowed around him, Naruto's eyes focused on the tail of his arrow and watched to become closer and closer to the target, the marked spot of the center becoming larger. Then, one of Naruto's favorite sounds was heard, the sounds of the arrow hitting directly at the target. Once again, Naruto's arrow had planted itself right at the center of the target.
A smile came onto his face as the crowd roared in applause, but then he noticed his opponent was cheering as well.
"Judges need a ruling!" the three judges made their way over to the targets, and then Naruto saw. Both his and his opponent's arrows had struck the dead-center of the target. It appeared that Lothor had noticed the same thing and had stopped his cheering. The entire crowd, including the high-borns on the pavilion, was silent. All looking over at the judges and waiting for their ruling.
"What's the result?!" cried a loud voice from the pavilion, and people looked over and saw the King standing up and looking over at the judges.
The main judge ran over to the King and bowed. "Your Grace, the two arrows had struck the exact same spot and were equally deep into the target, so we rule that a second arrow must be fired."
"Alright then, let's get going!" ordered the King as the judge scrambled back.
The judges all stood behind the two contestants this time, and were all paying their undivided attention to the targets far ahead. The old arrows were still attached to the targets as the second arrows were drawn.
"Draw your arrows!" Lothor exhaled deeply as he drew his arm back and aimed for the target again, "Release!"
Lothor watched his arrow follow the same path as his previous one. His heart started to beat faster as adrenaline slowed his perception. The arrow was traveling painfully slow as it neared its target, but it was looking very promising. He could practically smell the gold coming to him and feel the tightness of the woman he was going to buy. Then his arrow finally struck the target, very much like his previous shot, landing mere hairs away from the first arrow. Two arrows were attached to his target, one right on the target and one a hair's width beside it.
But when he looked over to how Naruto did, his dreams shattered like his hope.
Naruto's target had two arrows attached to it, but the first one had been split in half and was sprawled out like a whore's open legs. The second arrow had hit the exact same spot as the first, and it split the first arrow in half. The second arrow had pushed the first arrow's head deeper into the target and forced its own head into the target enough to remain stuck to it. Naruto had struck the dead center twice in a row.
"We have a winner!" cried the main judge as he walked over to Naruto and lifted his arm into the air. "Probably the youngest winner I have ever seen!"
The crowd roared into a phenomenal applause and people on the pavilion were on their feet cheering, the loudest were among the three Dornish girls to the right side. The King himself was clapping for the boy as was countless other lords and knights. All the while, Naruto smiled and bowed to both crowds and always had a smile on his face.
"I can't believe it!" cried Tyene loudly as she clapped hard for the boy. "That guy actually did it!"
Arianne was on her feet and was waved her arms around in celebration. She felt extremely happy for the young man and wanted to run down and congratulate him, but decided that it could wait. The peasant boy still needed to receive his prize of twenty thousand gold dragons! "You actually did it, Naruto!"
"Damn, I should have betted on him!" muttered Prince Oberyn as he looked over at the King, who was laughing and raising his wine glass at the boy.
Naruto bowed low for the King before the judges all turned to him. "Please follow us to get your prize money; if you want, we could have several guards escort you directly to the bank of King's Landing for safety measures."
The young man shook his head with a huge smile. "No, I'm not done yet! I still have to win the melee competition!"
The King's Tourney was a luxury that the Kingdom strained to provide. Ever since the end of the Targaryen Dynasty and the start of the Baratheon Era, the Kingdom had been burning through gold. The three million gold dragons inside the castle keeps were spent on the many feasts, tourneys and ill-planned campaigns the Kingdom had issued in the past twelve years. Counting Coppers, as King Robert would say, was not worth his time and there was nothing of concern, but everyone else knew better.
Jon Arryn, the Hand of the King, perhaps understood the situation better than anyone else. The middle-aged man would try to deter the King every time he suggested an expenditure that they just couldn't afford, but he knew it was all for naught. Jon Arryn had known the King since Robert was a boy, and that boy never changed. King Robert would do whatever he wanted to do, and no one's words would change his mind, not even his Hand and Mentor. The most recent tourney, the King's Tourney, was another one of Robert's ideas and Jon had tried to persuade him otherwise, but the result was identical to all the rest.
The champions' winning alone would total to ninety thousand gold dragons, and the organization cost of hosting the tourney would be another thirty thousand. It was not possible for the Kingdom alone to afford such extravagance, so, as usual; Littlefinger contacted Lord Tywin Lannister of Casterly Rock and asked for a loan. Jon Arryn had never been to any of the loan negotiations, but he would always imagine the old Lannister having a mocking grin on his twisted face as he agreed to the loan terms. The Lannisters were slowly buying the Kingdom and they knew the King wouldn't stop soon…it pained Jon to see all their lives' work become so pathetic.
As if adding insult to injury, the champions of the tourney would usually be lords or sons of lords, so the gold they borrowed would just trickle down to another rich family. To make matters even worse, Jaime Lannister, the son of Tywin Lannister, would always be one of the Knights to win, so Tywin Lannister's gold will just fall back into his pockets while the Kingdom would still be in his debt. The more Jon thought about such nonsense the more he wanted to ignore the tourney; he could always stay in his office and try to think of other ways to deter his King's future nonsense, but Robert had ordered him to come along and watch because, according to the King, he needed to relax more and he would learn how to relax by watching the tourney. Jon had sighed and shook his head at the time…
…But Robert wasn't exactly wrong.
"Well done, boy!" cried the King loudly as he downed his glass of summer wine, happy that he just won a thousand gold dragons.
Jon couldn't help but smile as he looked down at the boy who just won the Archery Competition. He looked like he just had his fourteenth nameday, but he managed to defeat hundreds of other archers in the tourney, including many children of lords and knights. A commoner winning the prize gold was one thing Jon hadn't expected, but it made him feel better. At least some of the gold wouldn't be going to the already fat pockets of lords or knights.
Littlefinger smiled back at the King and bowed slightly, "Congratulations, Your Grace; that is a most unexpected outcome and a good wager."
"Yes, indeed." Tyrion held his wine loosely to his lips as he sat back lazily on his seat. "That boy was certainly an oddity; I've never seen anyone split an arrow from so far away." Looking over to the many lords and commanders, Tyrion could already predict that many of them would try to recruit the boy before long. "He's already a much better archer than many we have in King's Landing." Tyrion looked a few rows above him and saw his lord father, Tywin Lannister looking at the boy. He didn't look very interested, but there was a sense of intrigue in his narrowed eyes, something that Tywin Lannister passed off as praise.
"Jon!" cried the King loudly. "He's almost as good as you were back in the day!"
Jon smiled and nodded. "Yes, Your Grace." The Hand bowed slightly to the King before looking back at the young champion. "It is wonderful to see such young champions come from the common people; I am growing tired of seeing the sons of lords and knights winning such tourneys."
The King laughed and raised his glass to his old friend. "Well said!"
"It is as you said, my Lord Hand, but it does raise a question." Lord Mace Tyrell pondered as he sat on the left platform from the Royal Family. "I hire the best teachers in Westeros to train my son, Loras, and even though he is doing quite well, I doubt he has the same skill with a bow and arrow as that young man over there." Jon Arryn and Robert nodded, both have heard of the young prodigy of the Tyrell Family, Loras. "I wonder how that young man managed to get so good; what sort of training did he undergo?"
"I would assume hunting." Prince Oberyn suddenly said as he walked up to the other lords. "I've met many people during my travels that are very good archers and most of them because they hunt for their food." The prince sipped on his wine as he looked at the King. "Moving rabbits and wolves are much harder to hit compared to stationary targets."
Robert chuckled and placed his cup down. "I believe there to be good merit in that theory, but I've been hunting for a good part of my life and I can't split an arrow like that!" The King laughed as his squire more him more wine. "That little shit is already better than me at shooting."
"Maybe some of us should take that boy in," suggested Renly Baratheon as he stood next to his brother, waiting for the joust to start. "Such talent should not be wasted."
"Yes, I would very gladly take him under my house," Mace Tyrell spoke as he nodded at the King's brother.
"I'm afraid I must fight you for him, Lord Tyrell," replied Prince Oberyn with a smile on his face. "Such young talent is hard to find these days." At the same time many people around the prince wondered if the price wanted the young man as a soldier or a lover…Oberyn had a rather promiscuous reputation, even with boys. "And Dorne can always use someone like him."
"My Lords, please refrain from discussing such matter so soon; we still don't know if the young man would survive the day." Littlefinger spoke with his usual smile and sly voice. "From my understanding, the boy also intends to participate in the melee competition."
"He still wants to fight in the melee?" asked Mace Tyrell, the King and the others listened on with interest.
"Yes, my Lord." Petyr replied as he nodded. "Some might have quit after winning twenty thousand gold dragons, but apparently the boy still wants to fight." Littlefinger chuckled and shook his head. "I'm afraid a young man is still a young man, and a boy's mind will always be greedy and overly courageous."
"You only think that because you have a merchant's mind, Lord Baelish," said Prince Oberyn as he looked over at the melee arena. "Some young men think like warriors and the thrill of a good fight may worth more than twenty thousand gold dragons." Littlefinger's smile shrunk a little at the subtle insult, but remained silent. "Who knows, maybe he is as good with a sword as he is with a bow."
The King chuckled and sat back on his seat. "Littlefinger, I would like to stack my winnings!" cried Robert as he pointed at the Master of Coin. "That's two thousand gold dragons on the boy!"
Arianne wanted to see Naruto one last time before he left, and she found him near the place she first met him. There were hundreds of people congratulating him – mainly other common people and civilians – and some of the other archers were patting him on the shoulder, though many others shot dirty glances at him. Arianne saw several large chests placed up on the archery stage and heard someone whispering about it being full of gold, so she assumed it was Naruto's prize money. But she was curious as to why Naruto was walking away from his gold and towards the other arena.
Only then did she figure out that he was still going to fight in the melee.
"Why would you still want to fight in the melee?!" cried Arianne loudly as she once again spoke with Naruto over a wooden fence. "You already won the archery competition and got twenty thousand gold dragons! You can buy a nice house and live a life of peace, why are you still risking your life in the melee?"
Naruto looked genuinely shocked when the girl started the yell at him the moment she walked up to him. Her pretty face contorted in anger as she pointed her finger at his face and stomped her bejeweled lace shoes on the ground; her silky black hair was flung from one side to the other as she continued to verbally educate Naruto, not stopping for an entire minute.
"You are just crazy!" Arianne finally stopped and breathed in heavily. "Just take the gold and go!"
"Please, my Lady, just relax." Naruto smiled and placed his hands on his hips. "I'm not going to die so easily. I may be young, but I'm a lot stronger than I look."
Arianne's face turned red as she breathed in and tried to speak. "Y-Y-You are such an idiot!"
The blond chuckled and crossed his arms. "I must say I am flattered, though; I never thought the most beautiful girl in Dorne would be worried about little old me." Arianne grew redder, but for a different reason and still couldn't speak properly. "Some girls back in Lys have said that I was handsome, but you are far more beautiful and elegant than them, so I am really surprised."
"I-Am-Not-Worried-About-You!"
"Really?" asked Naruto with a sly smile. "Your one minute angry speech suggested differently." Arianne tried to retort but couldn't think of anything clever to say. "But seriously…" Naruto muttered with joking aside. "You don't have to worry about me; I have been using a sword since I was old enough to walk, and I know I will be able to survive this."
Arianne sighed before crossing her arms and stepped back. "Whatever, I've said what I needed to say."
"I'll see you again, my Lady, after I win this as well."
The princess turned around after seeing Naruto's confident smile. "I hope so."
Naruto watched as the princess walk back to the pavilion. He was honestly grateful that she would actually come see him and try to dissuade him from fighting in the melee, but he was as confident as he sounded. He had learnt to wield a sword the same time he learnt how to run. A blade is like an extension of his arm and he could claim that no one in Lys could defeat him. For some reason he was blessed with extraordinary physical capabilities. He could outrun horses, have keener eyes than a falcon, he could lift a bull off its feet, and could run miles before feeling tired. No one could defeat him in Lys, and he wondered if anyone could defeat him in King's Landing.
'I wonder…'
The waiting line for the melee was much like the one with archery, but there was even more people signed up for the melee. There were almost three hundred people, and all of them had brought their own weapons. From where he was Naruto could see Warhammers, long swords, broadswords, maces, battle axes, or even daggers. All sorts of people had gathered for the event. The majority of the crowd was most likely sell swords hoping to become famous and earn their fortune, but there were also young Knights and squires. Many people had even brought armor and shields, which placed Naruto in a distinct disadvantage since he only had his sword.
There was a large waiting area for the fighters, and a series of large benches for them to prepare for battle. Many had already sat down and were staring at Naruto as he walked in, wondering why the archery wonder-boy was doing in the melee tent. The blond ignored them and just sat down on one of the empty benches.
Naruto unstrapped the blade from his back and held it in his hands. It was a simple broadsword, made or fine quality steel, an expensive weapon for a common young man. Naruto had acquired the sword after the local blacksmith of Lys' shop burned down. He had walked by when part of the building was still ablaze and saw a nice sword just lying on the floor, no doubt one of the blacksmith's better works. Seeing how the man was trapped inside the inferno anyway, Naruto took the sword for himself and had been training with it ever since.
'Time for our second victory, old friend,' Naruto thought as he smiled and wiped his blade with a cloth.
"Twenty thousand not enough for you, boy?" asked a man in his thirties with oily dark brown hair. He had simple light armor on and held his sword by his hip. He looked like a common sell sword if there ever was one, so much so that he still reeked of wine and whores. Having grown up in Lys, Naruto knew those smells well.
Naruto gave a smile and shrugged. "Who said I was in it for the gold, maybe I want fame as well; and one archery champion title is not enough for that."
"It is when you're a boy, boy." The man chuckled and sat down next to Naruto and started to prepare his sword with a whetstone. "This is a man's game, and it's not a joke; not to mention that the people here would want to kill you even more since you showed some of them off during the archery thing."
"Thanks for the warning, but I think I'll be fine."
The man chuckled and nodded. "So what's your name, boy?"
"Naruto of Lys, what about you, stranger?" replied the blond as he looked at the man with his sword in hand.
"The name's Bronn, just a sell sword looking forward to twenty thousand gold dragons." Bronn sheathed his sword and placed a small knife on under the strap of his shoulder. "So you're from Lys; I heard the women there are the most beautiful in the world."
"The whores are, but the women are as normal as they could get." Naruto chuckled as he strapped his sword back on his back. "All the pretty ones get picked up very early and get trained by the whorehouses."
"I have to get a trip there soon, the woman in Westeros are getting ugly."
"Well, with twenty thousand gold dragons you can buy quite a few whores in Lys, maybe even some of the really pretty ones," said Naruto as he stood up. "But I wouldn't get my hopes up; I don't plan on losing the melee."
Bronn chuckled and continue to grind his sword. "You are one weird boy."
Naruto walked away and joined the gathered crowd. Three hundred people all looked up at three judges, just like the archery event, and they collected names from everyone, but they skipped over Naruto seeing how they know his name already. Instructions were explained to everyone and the melee was broken down into parts. There will be an elimination round in the start. The arena was designed for a large and crowded battle, so all three hundred will be inside the arena, fighting until only eight people were still standing. Then those eight will draw for the fighting orders, and from there it would one on one matches between them until there was only one man left. That one man will be the winner and will receive twenty thousand gold dragons.
Naruto liked it. It was a nice and simple way to eliminate the weaker men. Having such a large group in a mass battle royale could create a very bloody scene, but could also force some of them to work in groups. It was a nice way to select certain individuals from out of the crowd; they might not be the strongest, but they certainly would be the survivors.
The crowd of three hundred was separated into four groups and place behind four gates that led into the battle arena. The arena itself was several times as large as the archery field, and even with five hundred men there would be free space for a number of battles. The ground of the arena was plain dirt mixed with sand, and there was a ten foot tall wall surrounding the whole area. The people in the common viewing area would have a hard time watching the fights, but the high-borns on the pavilion will be able to watch perfectly. The fighter can also look up at them perfectly – Naruto could see the royals on their seats, and the fat man in the middle who appeared to be King.
"Can you even swing that sword, boy?" asked a gruff voice belonging to a large man with a battle-axe in his hand. His beard was down to his chest and his face looked red from wine; clearly one of the slower of combatants. "I can't believe you actually thought you should join this battle!" the man laughed along with a few others. "You are so green I can still smell your mother's milk on you."
Naruto chuckled and shook his head, having expected someone like him to be a part of his group coming through the gates. "What? Are you jealous? With a face like yours I assume you never got to taste your mother's milk, she must have abandoned you the moment she saw your ugly face."
The man stopped laughing and looked down at Naruto. "You better mind your words boy, or we will kill you in a worse manner than we were planning."
"I am afraid, I mean, just look at the size of that axe." Naruto crossed his arms and chuckled. "It can be used to behead horses, it so large…" The blond looked at the axe again before looking back up at the man. "Are you over compensating for something you lack down below?"
"You're a dead boy…" growled out the man as some other turned to laugh at him.
Naruto ignored the man and waited for the gates to open, which didn't take too long. After another minute or two, the gate shuddered and the slightest bit of light shined through the crack it made. Soon the gate was being pulled high into the air and the men flooded through the door. The arena was almost immediately packed with battles and some people on the pavilion were on their feet trying to get a better look at the battle.
Already Naruto could hear cries of pain and anguish and the sound of blood splashing against the walls. Killings were usually frowned upon, but certainly common in the melee, and Naruto was sure that many wanted to kill him, especially the big man with the axe that he humiliated.
But he won't die today!
"You're dead boy!" cried the same man wielding his axe, lifting it over his head as he charged over at Naruto, planning to split him in half from the head down.
Naruto sighed and ran towards him, very quickly. With a burst of speed Naruto was already at the man's feet with his own broadsword in his hand. The sound of blade piercing flesh reached Naruto's ears as his blade skewered the man through the stomach. Not wanting to feel the man's blood flow down his arm, Naruto quickly pulled his blade out and let the man fall to the ground, dead. Naruto did not remain still; instead, he reached for the giant battle-axe of the man and threw it at a man running towards him with his left hand, opening the man as blood splattered around him.
'This is going to get a little messy.'
The blond sped ahead, his legs carrying him like the wind. He jumped into the air, his sword raised, and he slashed into the tallest man he could see. His steel clashed against the man's helm and immediately rendered the man unconscious. Naruto suddenly felt something nick against his back, so he quickly turned around and brought his left fist down on whoever was there, thus shattering the jaw and cheekbone of another man who fell to the ground bloodied. Grabbing the long sword the man had, Naruto ran off again, slashing his blades left and right at men's legs, the fastest way to render them unable to continue.
It amazed Naruto that some people would cry out before they actually attack, giving away their positions to the people they want to kill; merely stupidity at work. Naruto hacked away the screamers and kicked away the criers. His placed his full strength behind the kicks, and it caved in their breastplates and broke their ribcages. His slashed sliced through their armor like paper, but Naruto would avoid lethal places if he could help him. And soon over half the men were on the ground. Many battles were still ongoing, but there was no one around Naruto at the moment…no one who still moved anyway.
Holding his sword over his shoulder, Naruto scanned his surroundings and saw one man winning his battle. He was a tall man, but oddly skinny. He had a long spear in one hand and short sword in the other. He would spin his body around as people swarmed him so his spear to cut people away from him and his short sword with pierce whoever made it pass his spear. It was a bad plan, in Naruto's opinion, but he was still standing. Naruto decided to cut down the competition. He broke into a sprint again; the more room between him and the tall man was large, so it allowed him to run faster than before. So like the wind, Naruto was before the man before he noticed, and he jumped. It was a very good jump, almost three meters into the air. The man eventually saw Naruto, but it was far too late.
Naruto's fist collided with the man's face and several teeth flew out of his mouth. His eyes closed and his mind shut down before his long body crashed into the ground in a heap.
"Let's finish this!" cried Naruto as he readied his swords and slashed at his sides.
"My gods, that boy is good with a sword!" Mace Tyrell exclaimed as he sat forward to get a better view. "And that punch was very well struck."
The people watching on the pavilion had been paying attention to the young man since the gates opened and the men stormed. It was very shocking to some people watching that the boy had been so brutal. He stabbed a man through his stomach and opened another with a battle-axe. The relentless battled seemed easy for the boy as he sped around the arena, hacking away at people's legs and avoiding every strike that came at him. Many saw how powerful he actually was; it was very clear that his kicks were able to crush some fighters' breastplates. And the fact that he jumped three meters into the air to knock out the tall man was enough for the people to see how special he truly was.
The King laughed as he clapped at each good strike. "This is looking good!"
Prince Oberyn nodded as he found as seat next to Littlefinger and Tyrion. "That boy is quite good; I don't think I've seen someone move so quickly for many years." The group observed the tattered armor of some men lying on the ground after being attack by the boy. "And he certainly doesn't lack power; his kicks caved in that man's armor." Oberyn looked back at Lord Tyrell with a point. "I am definitely fighting you for his sword."
Mace Tyrell smiled and raised his glass at Oberyn. "We shall see, Prince Oberyn."
Tyrion was also quite intrigued by the boy, as was his father who was looking at the fight with interest. They have never seen a boy so talented and powerful since Jaime was young and even Jaime Lannister didn't have strength enough to kick a man, with full armor, meters away. Tyrion could already see his father trying to recruit the boy back to Casterly Rock. The great Tywin Lannister had a good eye for talent, as his father would like people to say, but Tyrion mused that one need not a very good eye to spot talent on this young man.
A few rows below the Lords, Jaime Lannister himself and Ser Barristan watched the fight with great interest. The Commander of the Kingsguard possessed the eternal task of recruiting talented young men, and Jaime could see the thoughts circling Barristan's mind already. The Kingslayer couldn't blame the older man; that young boy was clearly one of talent. Even Jaime himself at that age did not possess such speed and strength, nor did he at the present. In a few years, that could very well become one of the strongest in the Realm.
"How in the world does he jump so high?" Jaime pondered with amusement as he rested his back against a wooden post of the pavilion. "That was almost three meters in the air."
Ser Barristan looked rather emotionless as he crossed his arms. "Yes, most intriguing."
The King's laughter could be heard by the whole pavilion. "That's a good lad! He's nearly earned my four thousand gold dragons!" Robert looked down at his children: Prince Joffery, the heir apparent and boy of ten namedays, Princess Myrcella, a young girl of seven namedays, and young Prince Tommen, a boy of five namedays. "That, my dear children, is how I expect you to be when you're of age; a true young warrior!" Myrcella nodded with a cute smile as did Tommen, but Joffery just shrugged. "Soon I'll teach you how to wield a Warhammer!"
Cersei Lannister, the Queen of Westeros, sighed and looked away, finding her husband's drunken words annoying and embarrassing, but she did find the fight interesting. The boy reminded her a little of Jaime when they were young with his golden blond hair and fierceness with the sword.
Jon Arryn smiled at his King and chuckled at the young prince and princess. "This is good; I haven't seen such fierceness since the war. Wouldn't you say so, Your Grace?"
Robert laughed and raised his glass again. "Yes, Ned would like him!"
Jon chuckled and nodded. "Yes, he would."
All the way on the other side of the pavilion, Arianne held her hands together as she watched Naruto take down one man after another. It scared her a little – the way he killed the first two men – and he looked rather casual about it. But after a few mere seconds, she thought he looked quite handsome like that. Despite his bare torso and hair covered in dirt, mud and blood, he was graceful and confident. He was very sure of himself. With every kick, slash, hack, or jab, a man would fall and would not get up soon. Arianne found herself trembling, but she did not know from what. Fear? Excitement? She did not know, but she knew that Naruto was entirely at fault.
"Oh my gods…Naruto is brutal." Tyene muttered as she leaned over the railing to have a better look. "I think that man is dead!"
"Of course he is dead!" cried Sarella as she covered her eyes from the scene. "He shoved his sword through his belly!"
Arianne ignored her sister/cousin/best friends' voices; all she paid attention to was the fight and how Naruto moved. She observed how his muscles would flex and move as he twisted and turn and slashed and hacked. His hair would wave in the air as he moved; it made him look regal and majestic – it made Arianne want him so badly.
'Please survive this Naruto; I want to meet you again.'
The preliminary round was almost over, only ten fighters remained standing. Two hundred and ninety people were down on the ground, some groveling in pain and agony and some were dead, though the former did vastly outnumber the latter. Many weapons were lying abandoned on the ground – warhammers, swords, mace, and spears – their wielders could no longer wield them. The entire field was treacherous; the maces acted like spiked traps on the ground and the heavy hammers could very well trip whoever's feet skimmed over them. Then there was the blood – almost the entire field had blood on it. There were puddles of blood where the few dead men lie, and splatter of blood on the walls from severed limbs and deep gashes.
It was a very ugly sight.
Naruto stood alone, and much like seven of the other fighters, he was away from any other person. They were all watching two men clash their steel. It was a battle of warhammer and long sword, of grace and brute strength, of speed and strength. The two had been clashing for a few minutes already, and the tall red haired man wielding the warhammer was starting to slow down. The brown haired man, who wielded the long sword, was much quicker on his feet and had better footwork. From what Naruto had heard, the man's name was Daemon Sand, a bastard from Drone. Naruto watched as he calmed his own breathing, taking the time to restore his partially spent energy, but he knew he would only have another few seconds left.
The young man knew the other seven were waiting for the fight to finish before ganging up on him, seeing how he was the one who looked the most unharmed. Naruto could already see several men on his right aiming their footing to his direction, waiting for the right moment to strike. One of them was Bronn, who, apparently, was a decent fighter and made it quite far. But either way, Naruto was ready.
A piercing cry sounded out from the arena as the red haired man dropped his hammer and a blade pierced his right shoulder. Blood spewed from his body as the blade was pulled out. He fell to the ground in a heap and the competition was left with nine people. One more must fall before the end of the round.
"Well," started Naruto with a smirk on his face. "Before we get started, would anyone like to surrender?" The other eight men turned to him, including the one who had just finished his fight. "If one of you is willing to surrender, then no one will need to get hurt before going to the next round."
A large man with yellow teeth grinned as he whirled his battle-axe in his hand. "The only one who's going to be hurting will be you."
"Let's get him!" cried another man before all eight of them charged.
Through the corner of his eyes, Naruto saw Arianne standing up from where she was sitting on the pavilion, along with many others watching. Letting the small happy feeling of Arianne being worried for him fade away, Naruto turned to the men coming to him. As if out of reflex, Naruto shifted his body to the side, bent his knee and held his sword at his hip. "You people shouldn't charge so angrily," muttered the young man as he sped forth with his strongest kick off the ground. His body was swift and light without armor and he was much faster than what his opponent had expected. "You are all full of openings."
All eight men saw the same thing: flashes of light reflected off his sword and maybe a hint of his blue eyes, but that was it. All was silent as Naruto stood behind the eight men. The eight men froze the moment Naruto had passed them. There were in shock…at that moment, with his sword to his side and eyes wide open, Naruto seemed unstoppable. It was far too fast. It was impossible for any of the eight men to block or parry. In less than a second, Naruto had pierced the armor of all eight men with one swift motion: a 360 degree swing that was too fast for the eye to see.
Soon, blood started to flow from the men's side. The armor was sliced open and after a few more seconds, they felt the stinging pain of being cut and the wetness of their blood trailing down their bodies. Bronn was shocked and his eyes were wide open as he tried to look back at Naruto, but he found himself falling to the ground, just like the other seven men.
"When you are tired you shouldn't charge blindly," Naruto said as he held his sword over his shoulder and turned to face the fallen men. "Even though you outnumbered me eight to one, you gave me enough space between all of you to land a mass attack, and because you are all so tired and weak, none of you could have blocked it." Some of the fallen tried to speak or push themselves up, but just couldn't. "Don't worry, those cuts won't kill you, but your abdomen muscles will be hurting for a month or two."
The entire arena was silent along with the pavilion and the civilian viewing area. Everyone taking some time to figure out what happened and was the end of the match really so anticlimactic. But soon the judges broke out of the stupor and walked up to Naruto.
"Umm, since you are the only one still standing, there can't be a second round." The man looked troubled as Naruto had the decency to look a little embarrassed – once again he might have overdone it. "So umm; oh I don't know how to rule this!" He looked back at his two counterparts and they were also at a loss…something so extreme had never happened before. "What should we do?"
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU SHITS WAITING FOR?!" cried the loud and excited voice of the King. "THE BOY IS THE WINNER, ANNOUNCE IT ALREADY!"
The main judge stammered a little at the King's voice before walking up to Naruto. "This man is the winner!" announced the judge as loudly as he could as he raised Naruto arm into the air. "NARUTO OF LYS IS THE WINNER!"
Just like before, the entire audience exploded in applause. Civilians were jumping up and down, crying out their cheers of happiness, excitement and awe. Never before had common men manage to win both the archery and melee competitions; it was truly inspiring for the civilians to see such an outcome – such a staggering and amazing outcome. Fathers were lifting their children over their shoulder so they could catch a glimpse of the people's hero and the entire city was shaking in cheer and applause.
Almost everyone on the pavilion was clapping and more than a few of them were on their feet, the King being one of them. Robert was laughing and threw his cup of wine to the side in order to have both hands to clap. He stood from his elevated platform and looked down at the young man, who was still just smiling and nodded like a boy. That made the King laugh even more and he started to gesture to Jon Arryn to come take a look at him. Prince Oberyn was also on his feet, clapping calming with a smile on his face. Mace Tyrell and Twin Lannister were not standing, but they were clapping, which must have been really spectacular since even the great Tywin Lannister was clapping. Tyrion and Littlefinger were also clapping, but the latter was rather forced since he had lost another two thousand gold dragons to the King.
"This boy is certainly a talented warrior!" cried the King as he pointed down at Littlefinger. "He's already won me three thousand gold dragons and won himself forty thousand!" Robert laughed as he clapped Jon on the shoulder. "What's a young lad like that going to do with so much gold?!"
The Hand of the King chuckled and clapped along the others, "Whatever he wants to, Your Grace." Jon turned to his King after another few seconds of clapping. "Such young talent is rarely seen, Your Grace; perhaps you should take him under your own house and have him swear his sword to you?"
Robert laughed and poured wine into a new cup. "That is certainly a good idea!" The King pointed at Mace Tyrell and Prince Oberyn. "Back off, Mace and Oberyn, that man will become a fine swordsman right here in King's Landing!"
Ser Barristan and Ser Jaime Lannister were also clapping for the boy, though they were much more composed than the King. Barristan Semly was already smiling when he heard the King announce that he planned to keep the boy in King's Landing; he would be a fine addition to the city's guards and Barristan looked forward to meeting the boy himself.
"It looks like we will see more of that boy now." Jaime said with a amused smile on his face. "The King seems to have taking a liking to the boy."
"I do not object to such a suggestion, that boy is rare talent, and we need such talent here at all times."
The cheering continued, but no one in the arena clapped as loud as one girl.
"YOU ACTUALLY DID IT, YOU DUMB BLOND!" cried Arianne as she stood on her feet, jumping up and down with a huge smile on her face. Tyene and Sarella giggled as they watched the princess forget her lessons in public behavior while ignoring the burning glare they were all getting from Prince Doran at the moment.
After another few minutes of endless applause, the crowd was silenced by the King, who stepped to the edge of his platform and raised his hands into the air. In seconds everyone was silent, and Naruto looked up at the King from within the battle arena. The judges read the silent order of the King and quickly led Naruto out of the battle ground and showed him to the front of the pavilion, looking directly up at the King and many other lords of the nation. Naruto looked a little shocked at the sight and appeared to not know how to react under such a situation.
"Don't need to look nervous, boy; I just want to talk to you." Robert said with his demanding voice laced with amusement.
"Of course, Your Grace." Naruto said as he went down on one knee. "Though I must say that I'm sorry to be such a mess…" muttered the young man as he noticed the mud, blood and grime on his body, hair and clothes.
Robert gave a low chuckle as he held his wine cup to his lips. "Don't fret, boy; your King has been through battles as well and have been in even worse filth." The King stepped down from his elevated platform and walked down to ground level. "So…you've become the champion of both the Archery Competition and the Melee; what are you going to do with your winnings?"
Naruto gave a chuckle and a sheepish smile. "I don't know, Your Grace; maybe a nice supper and a warm bath."
The King laughed as some others chuckled. "You can do a lot more than that with forty thousand gold dragons!" Robert stood directly in front Naruto and smiled down at him. "Look up, boy." Naruto waited a second before looking up. "What do you plan to do now, after the tourney is done?"
"I also don't know, Your Grace; maybe return to Lys for a while and buy a house."
"You can buy a house and several whorehouses if you want!" joked Robert as he clapped Naruto on his shoulders, surprising the young man with his friendliness. "But I have a better suggestion!" Robert turned to his squire and gesture to his sword, to which the squire handed him and he placed on Naruto's shoulder. "I, Robert of the House Baratheon, the First of His Name, King of the Andals and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm, do so hereby grant you, Naruto of Lys, Knighthood!"
Once again, the crowd sprang up in applause as Naruto looked up in shock. He wasn't the only one, some of the lords behind the King looked surprised at the sudden decision, but some were smiling and nodding. Jon Arryn looked please along with Prince Oberyn and Mace Tyrell, all agreeing on the King's decision. Arianne and her best friends were shocked but quickly started to cheer for Naruto again, happy and shocked at his quick and rapid accomplishments.
"Don't look so shocked, boy; men have been knighted for less, and what you did today was truly worthy of knighthood." The King patted Naruto's shoulder and gestured him to stand up. Naruto stood and looked the King in the eyes. "From today on, you will be addressed as Ser Naruto!"
Naruto smiled and bowed to the King. "Thank you for this honor, Your Grace."
"Well, if you want to repay me for this honor, how about you stay in King's Landing and become one of my Knights?" The King smiled as Naruto was once again taken aback. He had always wondered where he could use his skills as a swordsman, and King's Landing sounds almost too good to be true. "We always need strong and talented young men like yourself in King's Landing, so stay here and swear your sword to me!"
Naruto though it over for a whole second, and in that second he figured out how easy it was to answer such a question.
"It would be my honor, Your Grace." Naruto said sincerely as he knelt to one knee. "I would gladly swear my sword to you." The blond held his sword out and placed it near the King's feet. "My sword is yours."
"Good!" said Robert with a laugh as he patted for Naruto to stand up. "Now that you're a knight, do you know what you can do now?"
Naruto looked a little confused as he shook his head. "No, Your Grace."
Robert chuckled as he gestured down to the third and final part of the tourney area. "Now you can join in on the joust!" The King's laughter rang out throughout the area as Naruto caught the implications. "So how about it; do you want to try to win all three event of the tourney?"
Naruto smiled and bowed gratefully. "I would certainly like to try, Your Grace."