-Chapter 45-
-POV Leowyn Corbray-
Facing the last knight in the melee, wearing a Baratheon surcoat, I struggled to defeat him.
The bastard was good, but I had more endurance than him, so I managed to hold my ground.
However, I eventually decided to ask for help from Marq and Alester, because unlike the easily breakable swords, this one used a hammer.
The three of us ganged up on him, and without much difficulty, we sent him to join the other knights eliminated from the competition.
"Thank you," I said, looking at Marq Waxley, cousin of the current knight of Wickenden, and Alester Stone, bastard son of the Lord of House Coldwater.
The two of them sheathed their swords and stepped aside to join the other eliminated knights.
No one applauded me, not even the king, because even though there were very few rules in a melee, I had clearly lacked honor and cheated to win.
'But that no longer matters now because I have what I came for,' I thought as I knelt before the king.
He stood up and addressed me, saying:
"Ser Leowyn Corbray, one can easily say that today you have distinguished yourself not by your martial prowess but by your... strategic talents."
The king's courtiers laughed at his joke, finding it particularly amusing, but not me.
Seeing that I didn't respond and simply remained silent, the king raised his hand for the crowd to stop laughing.
He regained a serious expression and asked me, "Given your determination, I assume you have a request to submit?"
I nodded and said, raising my head:
"My friend was murdered while under Your Majesty's hospitality. I ask that his killer and the one who ordered this abomination be punished."
"I imagine you're referring to what happened to the young heir of House Redfort?" the king said.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"As you know, the commander of the City Watch has already judged this matter and reported to me that your friend died by his own fault."
"I wouldn't dare question Ser Harwin's word, much less Your Majesty's judgment, but I was there and saw everything. Gunthor Royce, that vile bastard, does not deserve the title of knight, and the son of a whore who ordered him to kill my friend should be tried for treason, for not only did he break the king's peace, but he also violated the guest right," I said quickly and loudly so that everyone could hear me.
'If the king sweeps this matter under the rug, he'll create a dangerous precedent where anyone can kill in his court without being held accountable,' I thought, recalling my liege lady's words.
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-POV Aemon Targaryen-
I smiled softly at the insults from that fool Leowyn Corbray and turned my head toward my mother.
I saw her shake her head, silently forbidding me from responding to the provocations of the heir of House Corbray.
Then I turned my head toward my father, who looked at me without saying anything, but I could see a glimmer of expectation in his eyes.
Finally, I locked eyes with Laena, who was just as worried as my mother.
Countless thoughts swirled in my mind, but then I simply stopped thinking and silenced all the voices stirring inside me.
I stood up abruptly, grabbed Lamentation that I had placed next to my seat, and left the royal box to head into the arena.
I could easily hear the murmurs erupting behind me, but I paid no attention to them.
All I had in mind was Leowyn Corbray.
I didn't bother equipping myself, as it wasn't necessary.
I didn't need to, especially not against someone like him.
As I passed by the eliminated knights who were all glaring at me, I crossed paths with some of my own knights, who struck their fists against their chests.
I continued my strides until I entered the arena, where Leowyn Corbray stood tall, Lady Forlorn in hand, equipped with a steel shield.
That was new, as he hadn't been carrying one when I had come down into the arena.
"You're going to pay for my friend's death, you son of a bitch," he said upon seeing me. He lowered the visor of his helmet and charged at me.
I calmly drew my sword from its scabbard and waited.
I didn't run, didn't dodge, none of that.
I simply waited for the strike. As soon as he entered my range, I raised my sword and brought it down with all my strength onto his steel shield.
The force I put into the blow, combined with the sharpness of my Valyrian steel sword, caused a deep gash in the shield, so much so that I thought I might slice through it in one go.
'Good idea, the steel shield,' I thought as I shifted my body to the right to avoid the blow from the heir of Heart's Home.
I positioned my sword defensively because he continued to frantically try to land a strike on my chest or face.
As I kept dodging or parrying his attacks, I gradually gained the psychological upper hand over him.
The astonishment and shock threw him off balance, and that's when I decided to strike back.
I seized an opportunity during a moment of inattention, dodging a sword thrust and charging at him to throw him off balance.
Since I had been on the defensive for most of our duel, the change in pace was unwelcome.
His surprise and shock quickly turned into panic, and he lost his composure, stumbling while preventing me from landing the fatal blow.
Each time he tried to get back up, I kicked him or aimed for his head, sending him back to taste the arena's dirt.
I didn't enjoy the situation, for I was boiling with anger.
I had always taken insults to my mother very poorly, whether in this world or the previous one, and he hadn't just done it once, no...
'The bastard had the audacity to do it twice.'