章 12: Knight of the Laughing Tree
Torrhen was pretty impressed about the event from yesterday, as the people, the Lords and the Ladies talked about "The Knight of the Laughing Tree". He smirked and left the room.
As he closed the door, the door in front of him opened and Ashara Dayne and Brandon Stark came out of it. The Three were surprise, with Torrhen blinking and said, "Well, it was a wonderful night, I hope?"
The two looked ashamed, as Ashara said first, "I did not mean any of this to happen, Torrhen." She winced as she said those words.
Torrhen gave an eyebrow, lifting his hands up to make a shrugging gesture, "I am not the man who you should be explaining to, as I do not want to be one to say it to Ned."
Brandon winced at that, "I will tell it to Ned. And, ask for his forgiveness." Then, he left quickly.
Ashara stood there, waist stiff, asking Torrhen, "I swear to you Torrhen, I did not want this to happen."
"He took your maidenhood, didn't he? You should stop wiggling your uncomfortable hips if you do not want people to notice." Torrhen sighed, and continued, "As for what happen, no matter what you want or did not want, in the end you did it anyway. Drunk or not."
Ashara had an ashamed look at her face, "You are right." She looked at Torrhen, "Can you accompany me to the feasting hall?"
Torrhen sighed once again, giving his elbows for Ashara, as the latter connect hers, "Fine, but what will you do if you and Brandon sired a child? Brandon would leave you for his Tully bride or marry you, and the North will have their food double in price from the Riverlands." He took his focus forward and looked at Ashara, who was contemplating, "I know bastards are treated differently in Dorne, but your Lord brother will have a problem for your marriage."
Ashara was worried, but gave a determined look at Torrhen, "Then, I'll raise my child, bastard or not. My brother will have to stand with me."
Torrhen hummed, "If you want, you can give your child to me. Robert has a bastard to my name, what's another one?"
Ashara shook her head, "Should a child be sired in my womb, then I will use my breast to feed and my heart to care. I will not leave the child motherless."
Torrhen nodded and continued their way. Ashara gave a confident look as both of them strode forward. They came across Ned and Brandon, but it seem Brandon haven't told him yet.
Torrhen asked Ashara, "Are you going to accompany me at all time? I promise your secret will not be heard from me." He continued, giving a comforting smile, "Go back to your Princess, have practice in caring the little children should you have a child."
Ashara gave a worried look at Torrhen and nodded, leaving him. Well, that was interesting. ************************************************************************************ The joust was temporarily delayed after the yesterday's events. Now, Torrhen decided to not only compete at the battle royale melee and archery contest, he also decided to compete with the axe-throwing and horse race. The dothraki horse he bought earlier will suffice for the race. He met with Robert, who had a solemn look.
Torrhen asked his friend, "Where did the boisterous Robert ran off to?" Torrhen smirked.
Robert grumbled, "I have just heard this tourney's real purpose."
Torrhen raised an eyebrow, "For Lord Whent's fair daughter or the prince's heir have been born months ago?"
Robert sighed, "As the Lord paramount of Stormland, I was informed that this expensive tourney that cannot be the Whent's gold, was secretly hosted by the crown prince to discuss the succession of the crown." He looked at Torrhen, "This means, the prince is gathering support to fight his King father for the damned throne."
Torrhen was silent, looking around them, relieved that no small children flocking their surroundings. "It does make some sense. The greatest tourney in history cannot be only funded the Whent's gold alone, and with the rumors of the king's madness and paranoia, the Lord's and Ladies are not much supportive to the current king." He sighed, "Politics are so confusing, but it is necessary in a power-guided world.''
Torrhen reminisced about his former world, as Sean Cliffer, the Wandering Wizard. His world has corruption on the higher power; many people are suffering from poverty and starvation. As a Wizard, his power is directly proportion with responsibility. The greater the power, the greater the duties demands. Healing people is his main job, charity and spreading compassion was his minor one, but it was effective if the people are ready to fight, ready for the change they know or grew up with.
But alas, they weren't. And, being a Wizard did not help, one man cannot change everything that wanted nothing to be changed. He failed his duty, but he at the least tried. His former and current were about the same. He can only gather people to his cause or lift an individual with absolute power with compassion for the smallfolk and highborn alike.
Torrhen sighed and said to Robert, "Then, I wish you good fortune, my friend. Now, you must wish mine, as I have gold dragons to win for my castle." They shared a small laugh, Torrhen walked at the archery platform.
Robert said in the background, "Then, I wish you do your best. Ned and I will see the joust on the other area, apparently, the king ordered it." He then left.
Torrhen was being heralded, a few crowds were watching. Of course, the people want to see the prince topple above the renowned knights and Kingsguard. "Torrhen Karstark, the final challenger!"
He looks up and stood up for the crowds to see, took the bow and arrow. He stood at the designated area and looked the painted target. He smirked and gestured the small squires to move the target much farther.
The people around looked intrigue by the actions. The squire did as he told and moved the target, that surpass until the entrance of the courtyard. Torrhen nodded and nocked his bow, bring three arrows between his fingers.
He shot rapidly, the arrow swaying at the sky wind, the crowds' eyes followed the arrow. It hit by the bull's eye, continued by the second arrow penetrating the middle of the first one, then the third arrow penetrating the second arrow.
The people around was quiet, then moments later, the exclaimed out loud that the entire jousting area and melee area heard the shout. Torrhen smiled victoriously, walking up to the waiting area for the people to see. After sitting, people from another area gathered at the stadium.
Torrhen gave a glint eye at the last two contestants, Anguy was his name and a Greyjoy, but unnamed, clearly wanted to hide his identity.
The Greyjoy one said at his side, "You won't do it the next time, I can it was just pure luck."
The Anguy man said at his other side, "Aye, arrows don't go that far with that kind of bow."
Torrhen smirked, not lifting his attention at the speaker, who was heralding the last three competitors. "I guess it was pure luck, let's find out if I can do it for a second time." He looks at the Greyjoy, then Anguy, Torrhen continued, "But this time, I'll be looking at your face as my arrow hits the bull's eye, then see your disgusting faces as I win."
The Greyjoy frowned, while Anguy exclaimed, "Then, I'll take your armguard as a reward if you didn't."
"Deal. Then when I hit the target, I want those boots. Pretty expensive, I hope?" Torrhen looked at Anguy's boots.
Anguy laughed, "I got it from a lavish guy, pretty expensive, I think."
The Greyjoy said at the side, "I'll give you this golden ring if you do hit the target, then I want that castle-forge longsword and grieves if you did not."
Torrhen looked at the Greyjoy with raised eyebrows, "Another one, eh? Then, I accept it."
The people already have bustling at the audience area; many have entered to see what is going on. The speaker heralded, "Torrhen Karstark will be the first to nock."
Torrhen stood up and took his bow and arrow. He walked up to the designated area again and faced his two competitors, nocking while his focus at the latter two. In his hand, three arrows are brandished between his fingers.
Torrhen smirked at the Greyjoy and Anguy, loosing his arrows quickly. He walked in the waiting area, his arrows swaying at the sky.
He sat beside the two, who was focus of the arrows, he said, "Your faces will have disbelief expression in three... two... one..." At the end of his counting, his arrows compiled one another in the middle of the bull's eye. All the people in the stadium was quiet, only thing, was missing, was his best friends and the Royal family, along with Lyanna and Ashara.
Moments later, the whole crowd stood up and cheered, while the two beside Torrhen have given up and left the boots and golden ring.
Torrhen smirked as he saw the people waving the target where his arrows imbedded, as he walks to the stand and claimed his reward gold dragons. He felt eyes on him, as he smiled to the smallfolk, grabbing a handful at the gold coins and threw it at them.
He waved goodbye to go on the battle royale of the melee.
A/N: Oomph, that was a long chapter. To be honest, I got excited and forgot the word count, but hey, I think this chapter is considered my way of saying sorry for the wait, my dear readers. I think I want to change this chapter's title from "The Knight of the Laughing Tree" into "Bull's eye is Torrhen's b*tch", but I decided against it as I already informed from the last... last chapter. Anyways, thank you for reading! And stay safe from the bad virus.
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