Game of Thrones: I Created the Magic Web

Chapter 4: Tourney

January 12th, 298 AC, Monday Morning.

King's Landing Tourney Grounds.

The “Prince Joffrey's Twelfth Name Day Tourney” grandly opens.

As a characteristic activity of Westerosi knightly culture, tourneys are deeply loved and sought after by the people of the Seven Kingdoms.

Common spectators enjoy entertainment, knights compete for fame, organizers show off their strength, and lords and vassals take the opportunity to make connections, alliances, and marriages.

Today's tourney is even more magnificent and prosperous. More than a hundred tents were set up early around the outside of the tourney grounds, and many merchants and bards were scattered everywhere, bringing beer, corn, honey, and music.

Thousands of King's Landing residents rushed to grab seats early in the morning, and twice as many spectators could only stand on the edges and corners with poor visibility, and more latecomers were on their way.

Beside the tourney grounds, the participating knights lined up at the starting point of the track, each riding a tall horse, their armor bright and their fighting spirit high.

In front of them was the main track, two to three hundred meters long and forty to fifty meters wide, enough to accommodate four jousting matches at the same time.

A circle of high platforms was built around the track.

A group of courtiers, dignitaries, princes, and nobles were here to watch the competition, entertain, and feast. The surrounding crowd could also cool off under the high platform and watch nearby.

Dozens of flags were hung in front of the high platform in turn.

These flags were brightly colored, several people tall and several people wide, painted with unique and exquisite emblems, each demonstrating the ancient and prominent family behind the knights.

“Clang ~”

A crisp gong sounded.

The knights immediately spurred their reins, preparing to pass through the entire tourney grounds and salute the countless spectators.

The horses' hooves rose and fell, and the neat line of knights moved forward slowly.

Wherever they passed, the audience responded with unparalleled enthusiasm.

However, the knights always stared at the flags embroidered with their family crests.

Stag, lion, rose, twin towers, purple grapes, seahorse, hunter, wheat stalk, red apple…

Every knight, when passing by his own flag, would deliberately raise his head and stick out his chest, trying to show his pride.

Isn't the reason for participating in the tourney to seek glory for the family?

After the entrance ceremony, the official competition began quickly.

“Jousting, first round, first match, Ser Dicken Tarly versus Ser Hobert Redwyne!”

Cheers immediately resounded through the sky, and the atmosphere in the arena was boiling to the extreme.

“Tarly will win! ‘First in Battle!’ This is the motto of the hunter and the warrior.”

“No one can compare to the wine from the Arbor, long live Redwyne!”

“Don't forget Redwyne's fleet!”

Everyone's eyes were focused on the arena.

Even Prince Joffrey, the nominal protagonist of this tourney, could not steal any of the limelight from the knights.

But this was exactly what he wanted. Be low-key in doing things.

Joffrey looked around.

King Robert was in the center of the high platform, and all the important people were nearby.

Between tables of sumptuous feasts, he saw Queen Cersei, Duke Tywin, the “Kingslayer”, Prime Minister Arryn, Duke Renly, Duke Stannis…

Only Tyrion was missing.

The servants said that the “Imp” was severely drunk last night and might be drunk for the whole day.

That's fine. Joffrey thought to himself, if the plot doesn't change much, although the effect is slow, it is stable. Today's plan does not need to be changed.

He got up and walked towards the Minister of Finance.

“Lord Petyr, how are my dragon eggs doing? You have to do things carefully!”

Joffrey sat down opposite “Littlefinger” casually, and the others at the long table immediately disappeared consciously.

“Your Highness,” Petyr maintained a decent smile.

“How dare I neglect it?”

“But the Narrow Sea will not disappear out of thin air. The envoys and sea ships to Pentos will not be able to set off until the day after tomorrow at the earliest. Please be patient for a few more days.”

Joffrey remained noncommittal, staring straight at the court earl who was hiding his ambitions.

Minister of Finance “Littlefinger” Petyr Baelish.

The top conspirator in the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros, ranked at the top of his must-kill list, tied with Eunuch Varys for first place.

Littlefinger, who craves power, is not absolutely loyal, while Varys, who plots restoration, is absolutely disloyal.

Both are goods that can only be used but not relied upon.

A servant brought a plate of hot steak, and the rich aroma of grease diffused with the steam.

Joffrey was not polite and took a piece first.

“This is my name day gift! I don't care so much. It must be done before the end of the month, or you'll be sorry!”

This request is not easy to handle.

Based on the sea conditions across the Narrow Sea, the distance and speed of the voyage from King's Landing to Pentos, the outbound journey would take about eight days, and the return journey would take seven days.

You also have to avoid the storms that sometimes break out in the Narrow Sea.

Under normal circumstances, the sea ship must return to King's Landing before the end of the month at the latest, buying back the dragon eggs and returning on the day after arriving in Pentos.

Lord Petyr just saluted.

“Your subordinate will do his best. I will definitely not disappoint Your Highness.”

Joffrey nodded in satisfaction.

Another burst of noisy cheers and whistles came.

After six rounds of fierce fighting and breaking twelve wooden lances, the first match finally ended.

Ser Dicken Tarly of Horn Hill wins!

Seeing this situation, Joffrey seemed to have a temporary idea and casually asked Petyr.

“What is the relationship between this guy and Earl Tarly?”

“Your Highness, this is Lord Randyll's second son. He is indeed brave and extraordinary. Lord Randyll must be very satisfied.”

Joffrey took a bite of the crispy bacon, “That's it. When I reach the age to compete, I will defeat all these people!”

“You are right.”

“Hey, what about Earl Tarly's eldest son? I don't seem to have seen him.” Sansa's favorite lemon cake, tastes good.

Petyr never easily offends people.

“I heard that Lord Randyll's eldest son is intelligent, well-read, and does not like fighting. I think he stayed at home in Horn Hill.”

“Ha, cough cough ~” Joffrey laughed, but forgot that he was still chewing food.

He quickly drank a large mouthful of milk and kept patting his chest.

Ah ~ ~, I'm alive.

He acted very realistically. The guests sitting around turned their attention to him.

Joffrey then mocked loudly, “The son of a hunter family actually likes to read. He is simply not a man and should become a scholar!”

Petyr smiled perfunctorily.

He has not yet realized the seriousness of the problem.

From the moment he took over the topic, he was destined to be dragged into the water.

“That's right!” Joffrey suddenly slapped the table.

“Be a scholar, um, good idea. Find an apprentice from the hunter family for that old man Archmaester Pycelle. It's fun to think about!”

Petyr felt ominous.

If you become a scholar, you cannot inherit the territory and title, which means depriving you of the right of inheritance.

“Your Highness, this matter should be discussed in the long term. The Tarly family may…”

Joffrey was gone.

Needless to say, the willful Crown Prince must have gone to Earl Tarly.

Asking someone's heir to be a scholar can simply be regarded as a public humiliation.

Even if the Tarly family does not yield, they will never pretend that nothing happened. Who will bear their anger?

Who bewitched the Crown Prince?

Without looking at the reaction of the surrounding guests, Petyr understood—he was about to reap the hatred of the Tarly family.

But he didn't care much.

His Royal Highness the Crown Prince? Littlefinger smiled secretly, the joint accusation of the Prime Minister and the Duke of Dragonstone is enough to attract attention.

When the King hears his adoptive father's dying words and knows that the three princes and princesses are all the illegitimate children of the Lannister siblings, and then watches his adoptive father die in pain with his own eyes…

Petyr twirled the pointed beard on his chin.

Lysa, for your love for me, be the last link in the plan.

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