The seventh day.
The final day of the Tourney at Harrenhal.
Daeron attended as scheduled to watch the tourney.
Two things had happened over the past few days.
Rhaegar met Lyanna as expected and helped her hide her identity, returning only with a weirwood shield to complete the task.
He even took the weirwood shield for himself, making it seem like a token of affection.
Unexpectedly, Tywin did not expose Lyanna, likely because he didn't want to offend the alliance of the four regions, and chose to remain high in the stands.
Cersei, on the other hand, was becoming increasingly aggressive in her pursuit of him, refusing to give up until she won him over.
"Prince, Ser Dayne's idea is excellent."
Barristan held the neptune greatsword, studying the newly discovered circulation path.
Daeron listened intently.
He had flirted with Ashara to win over Ser Arthur.
Both siblings were very good people.
In another row, Cersei stared at the focused Daeron, a stubborn glint rising in her eyes.
She had informed her father about Lyanna disguising herself as the Knight of the Laughing Tree.
Her father made no move, cautioning her not to speak of it.
This little secret would make for excellent leverage in the future.
"Hmph, I'll have you sooner or later."
Cersei refused to admit defeat.
After learning that it was Daeron who had revealed the news, her father boldly encouraged her to pursue Daeron.
She was still his good daughter, after all.
Except for one thing.
Tywin said sternly, "Never, ever try to drag your brother down with you. Jaime is the heir to Casterly Rock, not a plaything for you to summon and dismiss at will."
Every time she recalled it, Cersei felt a shiver down her spine.
She had thought about keeping Jaime in King's Landing, but now she was forced to restrain those thoughts.
She didn't want to have her legs broken and be forced to become the second wife of some powerful old man.
Boom—
Suddenly, a dull thud echoed from the tourney grounds.
Daeron looked up.
He saw Rhaegar, clad in black steel armor with a red cloak, galloping at high speed on a Unicorn, his lance unhorsing an opponent.
Clang, clang, clang!
The herald struck the gong and cheered, "Congratulations to Prince Rhaegar of House Targaryen, Prince of Dragonstone, for winning the championship of this tourney!"
On the final day, the champion had emerged.
Daeron's brow furrowed as he watched Rhaegar's next move.
"What is it, Prince?"
Barristan asked, puzzled.
From the fourth day onwards, Prince Daeron had stopped participating in the tourney to study the path of Life Force, leaving Prince Rhaegar to dominate the field.
It was no surprise that Prince Rhaegar had won.
Daeron remained silent, watching to see what would happen.
With the champion decided, it was time for the presentation of the "crown of love and beauty."
"Prince Rhaegar! Prince Rhaegar!"
S
"
Under the gaze of the multitude, the cheers were deafening, a testament to the recognition of the heir to the Iron Throne.
Rhaegar rode a snow-white Unicorn, his lance lifting a wreath of blue flowers.
The wreath was the crown.
Every contestant who reached the finals would prepare a handmade crown in anticipation of winning and presenting it.
Rhaegar's crown was woven from the winter roses of the North.
Clearly, he had come prepared.
Daeron was bewildered. "Rhaegar, are you truly mad or just pretending!?"
He didn't understand.
Meanwhile, the noble ladies in the stands cheered and jumped for joy, many crowding toward the front row to wait.
"Ashara, look!"
Elia tugged at her companion's hand, a happy smile on her face. "Rhaegar has won."
Ashara was happy for the princess, but her eyes couldn't help but stray toward Daeron.
She also wished for someone to win and place the crown of love and beauty upon her head.
However, Daeron's expression was grim.
"Yah! Yah!"
On the tourney grounds, Rhaegar rode his snow-white Unicorn in a lap around the field, raising his lance as he approached the edge of the stands.
"The gallant prince is going to give the wreath to his beloved princess,"
Robert laughed heartily, his shoulder bandaged, as he cheered for the handsome, tall, and skilled Crown Prince.
No one in the Seven Kingdoms disliked Rhaegar.
Everyone watched intently, assuming Rhaegar would present the crown to his wife, Elia.
Then, the unexpected happened.
Rhaegar paused for a second in front of Elia's seat but quickly rode past on his Unicorn, stopping instead where Lyanna was located.
He presented the crown woven of winter roses to Lyanna.
What was even more shocking...
...was that Lyanna did not seem surprised. She accepted the crown graciously and placed it atop her long black hair.
A moment for history to remember.
Robert's smile vanished instantly, replaced by fury, and he surged to his feet.
Someone was even faster.
Brandon slammed his hand against the railing and demanded loudly, "Rhaegar, what is the meaning of this!?"
His sister was betrothed.
Rhaegar ignored him completely, his eyes fixed affectionately on Lyanna, admiring her spirited grace.
Lyanna smiled, exchanging meaningful glances with her lover.
Robert's eyes were bloodshot, on the verge of an outburst.
"Robert, calm down!"
Eddard and Albert worked together to hold him back to prevent any incidents.
Brandon was also held back by "Blackfish" Brynden, who blocked that sweet-talking little mouth of his.
"You and this crown suit each other well,"
Rhaegar praised softly before slowly riding away on his Unicorn.
Silence!
The atmosphere was eerily quiet.
The crowd ceased their cheering and applause, staring blankly at the scene, completely unable to comprehend it.
Daeron said, "Let's go, Ser."
His opponent had acted foolishly, throwing away his own right of succession.
It proved that Rhaegar was simply not fit to sit on the Iron Throne.
Daeron had to plan for himself.
Taking advantage of the cracks appearing in the relationships between the Four Great Houses, it was the perfect time to break apart what needed breaking and win over those who could be won.
Barristan was also stunned.
He couldn't say a word as he followed the prince out.
——
The matter had blown up.
Prince Rhaegar had won the Tourney at Harrenhal, but instead of giving the crown of love and beauty to his wife Elia, he gave it to Lyanna Stark, the fiancée of Duke Robert Baratheon.
But the matter seemed to have been suppressed.
Rhaegar abandoned his original plan to summon the lords of the Seven Kingdoms for a Great Council and quickly departed with his original entourage.
Lyanna, who had accepted the crown, was unharmed and was preparing to return to the North with her brothers.
Even the most agitated, Duke Robert and "Wild Wolf" Brandon, managed to suppress their tempers and chose not to explode.
Everything seemed calm.
Bang!
A wine goblet was smashed, the liquid soaking the room's carpet.
Aerys's face was contorted as he roared, "Someone, arrest that traitorous son of mine! I want to strip him of his status as heir!"
"White Bull" Ser Gerold remained silent.
Prince Rhaegar had abandoned his plan and left Harrenhal safely.
But the King had heard rumors from somewhere and insisted that Prince Rhaegar was plotting a coup and must be brought to justice.
Staunton said indignantly, "Your Majesty, Prince Rhaegar publicly humiliated Duke Robert. I believe he intends to provoke a war between the Iron Throne and House Baratheon."
"Arrest him! Arrest him for me!"
The more Aerys thought about it, the angrier he became, smashing everything within his reach.
The ministers Qarlton, Lucerys, and Varys were silent, playing dead in the room.
Who could believe that Rhaegar would actually profess his love for Lyanna in public, offending both the Duke of Stormlands and the heir to the North at the same time?
Neither of these two regions was to be trifled with.
House Baratheon's loyalty was real, but they had always been arrogant. There was the precedent of the Laughing Storm raising the banner of rebellion, and more recently, Duke Steffon and his wife dying in Shipbreaker Bay while seeking a bride for Prince Rhaegar.
They were not only capable of fighting but also had right on their side.
Not to mention the North; with the natural defense of Neck blocked, no one could march north.
House Stark, however, could easily cross Neck, head south to contact their Tully relatives in Riverrun, and launch an attack on the Iron Throne.
They had the advantage in both offense and defense.
If these two great houses joined forces, it would mean the alliance of the Four Great Houses.
That was half of the Seven Kingdoms!
Aerys shouted, "Are you deaf? Go arrest Rhaegar already!"
"Your Majesty, Prince Rhaegar is already on his way back to Dragonstone."
Tywin stepped forward.
Aerys was displeased. "And so what?"
Tywin cut straight to the heart of the matter. "If you send men to hunt down Rhaegar, who will protect Your Majesty's safety?"
The two armed forces, the Gold Cloaks and the Dragon Guards, were in the hands of his star pupil, Daeron.
The current military strength at Harrenhal consisted only of the Royal Guards and Lannister soldiers.
Whom would he send?
Aerys was taken aback and immediately lost his momentum.
"Your Majesty, rather than ordering the arrest of Prince Rhaegar, it would be better to consider how to appease Duke Robert's wrath."
Tywin was quick to seize the opportunity, stating righteously, "Prince Rhaegar's actions were utterly absurd and did not befit a ruler. Letting him succeed to the Iron Throne is truly worrying."
To be honest, even he didn't understand Rhaegar's motives.
After much thought, he concluded that after Rhaegar tracked down Lyanna, the two had developed a romantic entanglement.
This was the perfect chance for him to strike.
"Does not befit a ruler—?"
Aerys muttered to himself, but instead, he stopped clamoring to strip his eldest son of his inheritance.
He had his own set of logical rules.
If Tywin said it was right, he would say it was wrong.
If Tywin said east, he would say west.
His Second Son had a dragon and had already gained power.
If he supported his Second Son's rise to power, he would surely be unable to control him; it would backfire, and he would be ousted by his own son.
The eldest son was just right.
His reputation was ruined across the Seven Kingdoms, and the Small Council disliked him.
Keeping him in the position of heir could both block the Second Son's path to advancement and allow him to be discarded whenever he wished.
"Your Majesty, please make a decision soon."
Tywin urged, not understanding his old friend's thoughts.
"No!!"
Aerys roared, "Let Rhaegar stay in that position. Only when I decide to discard him can he get out of Dragonstone."
???
Tywin's brow furrowed, deeply confused.
Aerys didn't care about any of that and shouted, "Call Daeron here. Tell him to send men to protect me on my return to King's Landing."
The place was crawling with traitors; he couldn't stay in such a dangerous spot.
His sense of self-preservation was extremely strong.
"Your Majesty?" Tywin began tentatively.
Aerys snapped back immediately, "Shut up! I am the King!"
Tywin took a deep breath, gave the other a cold sideways glance, and strode out, slamming the door behind him.
The remaining ministers immediately scattered like startled birds.
=
On the other side.
Daeron first sought out "Blackfish" Brynden, considering him the optimal target to win over.
Unexpectedly, upon arriving at the door, he only saw a solitary Jaime.
Daeron had a bad feeling and asked, "Where is Lord Brynden?"
"He's gone."
Jaime said with some disappointment, "I wanted to ask him for some pointers on swordsmanship, but I couldn't find him."
"Prince, there's a note."
Davos circled the room and found something.
Daeron opened it to take a look.
As it turned out, as soon as the tourney ended, "Blackfish" Brynden had packed his bags and quietly returned to Riverrun.
He certainly made a quick getaway!
Daeron was amused. "Truly a slippery blackfish.""}],
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