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When Viserys arrived at Harrenhal with the royal procession, the entire castle was already bustling with activity.
The banners of the great houses fluttered atop the castle walls: the three-headed dragon of the Targaryen Family, the direwolf of House Stark of The North, the roaring lion of House Lannister of The Westerlands, the trout of House Tully of Riverlands, the Falcon and Moon of House Arryn of The Vale, the golden rose of House Tyrell of The Reach, the crowned stag of the Baratheon family of the Stormlands, and the golden spear piercing the red sun of House Martell of Dorne.
There were many other banners as well; almost all the nobles of the Seven Kingdoms had gathered here. After several days of rest, the tourney finally began.
Viserys was seated in the best spot on the main viewing platform, beside the gloomy "The Mad King" Aerys and several great lords, such as dukes.
The Mad King's fingers incessantly tapped the armrest, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, as if every smile concealed a plot of rebellion. This was the first time The Mad King had stepped out of The Red Keep since the Duskendale Rebellion.
Actually, The Mad King was relatively normal before the Crows Landing incident; he had even participated in the War of the Ninepenny Kings. His only previous flaw was a slight inclination toward Cao Cao's hobby. However, it was because of this hobby that he became infatuated with the local lord's wife in Crows Landing, leading the lord to capture, imprison, and torture him for half a year. He was finally rescued by Barristan, who acted alone. But after that, his temperament changed drastically, leading to his descent into The Mad King.
Viserys knew the reason for his attendance: Varys had informed him that Rhaegar intended to meet with various lords at this tournament to secretly discuss his removal from the throne. Viserys had been keeping Varys under constant surveillance.
Just as the tournament opened, "The Mad King" Aerys suddenly announced publicly that he would induct Lord Tywin's eldest son, Jaime Lannister, into the Kingsguard. Joining the Kingsguard means relinquishing all rights to inheritance and marriage.
One must know how highly Tywin valued his eldest son; having him don the white cloak effectively meant cutting off Tywin's direct line. After all, Tywin would pass the title to his brother Kevan Lannister before ever giving it to his dwarf son, Tyrion. Thus, the two men, who were already on bad terms, completely broke ties. Tywin immediately left on the spot and returned to The Westerlands.
Although there was such an interlude, the tourney continued.
Once the tournament started, everyone's interest in the competition was piqued, including Viserys. After all, there weren't many forms of entertainment in this world, and the few things he was interested in, he couldn't do right now. He usually had to pass the time with training and magic, but that grew boring after a while. So, this tourney was a good opportunity to watch, and although a war would break out later, it didn't stop him from enjoying the competition now.
Viserys's gaze swept over the noisy tourney grounds and was suddenly drawn to a knight who had just entered.
The figure looked quite comical: a small frame encased in armor that was clearly ill-fitting, looking exactly like a child who had secretly put on an adult's clothes. The armor itself was a patchwork mess—rusty chainmail combined with mismatched plates—and even the old horse beneath him looked listless.
But what truly made Viserys's heart skip a beat was the shield in the rider's hand. Against a white background, the outline of a weirwood tree was simple yet striking, and the wide, red smiling face carved into the trunk conveyed an indescribable strangeness. He was all too familiar with this sigil; it was none other than the "Knight of the Laughing Tree" who mysteriously appeared in the original work.
Viserys unconsciously sat up straight. Regarding the identity of this mysterious knight, he had read too many speculations on forums in his previous life.
The most prevalent theory suggested "he" was Lyanna Stark. The reasoning was that, after witnessing Howland Reed being bullied by several noble squires, she disguised herself as a knight to stand up for the small Crannogman. This certainly fit her temperament, possessing the "blood of the first men."
Others swore that "Knight of the Laughing Tree" was Howland Reed himself. In this version, Howland Reed received help from the Children of the Forest on the Isle of Faces, suddenly becoming incredibly powerful overnight, and returned to exact his revenge personally.
Some even guessed it was the fourteen-year-old Benjen Stark, whose motives were identical to Lyanna's.
Now, this living mystery stood right before him, but behind the faceplate, no one could see whose face lay hidden.
Just like in the original story, "Knight of the Laughing Tree," using superb horsemanship and excellent lancing skills, defeated three knights in a row. These were the nobles whose squires had previously bullied the Crannogman: the Knight of the Boar, the Knight of the Pitchfork, and the Knight of the Two Towers. They belonged to House Blount, House Haigh, and House Frey, respectively.
After winning, "he" did not take their equipment, only telling them to manage their squires better in the future. At the same time, the outstanding performance of "Knight of the Laughing Tree" drew the attention of "The Mad King." Already paranoid, the fact that this knight's identity remained unknown infuriated him.
When the day's competition concluded, Aerys ordered "Knight of the Laughing Tree" to be summoned and commanded "him" to remove his helmet so his identity could be known. However, the knight refused to compromise just because Aerys was the King, stating that "he" would only reveal his true face after being defeated. Two knights immediately stepped forward to challenge "him." One was from the Baratheon family, and the other was a knight of House Lonmouth, whose family sigils were the crowned stag and a skull with kissing lips, respectively.
When the tournament began on the second day, both knights were ready and waiting for "Knight of the Laughing Tree" to enter. However, soon after, a squire reported that "Knight of the Laughing Tree" had disappeared. Aerys was furious and commanded Rhaegar to bring "him" back.
Rhaegar followed the hoof prints into the woods beside the Gods Eye, and within half a day, he discovered his target in a hidden creek cove. However, the sight before him instantly froze him.
In the creek, a maiden was bathing. Water droplets slid from her dark brown hair, outlining a young and vigorous figure. On the grass bank, the set of rusty armor and the shield with the smiling face were laid out.
Hearing the sound of hooves, the maiden spun around. As their eyes met, Rhaegar immediately recognized the stunningly beautiful face he had seen before: "Knight of the Laughing Tree" was actually Lyanna Stark.
"Turn around," the maiden cried out, slightly ashamed and angry.
Rhaegar silently turned his horse around, listening to the rustling sound of clothes behind him. "All right," she said. When he turned back, Lyanna was dressed, her damp, long hair clinging to her cheeks. Shame and annoyance were intertwined in her gray eyes.
The two sat opposite each other on a bluestone by the creek, the atmosphere awkward. Lyanna lowered her head, hands crossed, her earlobes flushed red. "The Flower of the North," renowned for her "blood of the first men," finally showed a shyness appropriate for her age.
"I never imagined that knight was you," Rhaegar admitted, a rare look of helplessness on his face.
Lyanna looked up. "Now you know. Are you going to take me back to beg the King's forgiveness?"
Silence stretched between them, but the awkwardness was soon replaced by a different emotion. Lyanna secretly studied Rhaegar, remembering the scene on the night they arrived at Harrenhal—it was this man who played the harp at the feast, his song so poignant and moving that it made her, a girl from The North who rarely cried, tear up.
"The song you sang that night," she began softly, with a hint of shyness, "it was beautiful, and very touching."
The two gradually opened up. Lyanna spoke of her fiancé, Robert, a man who had enjoyed women since childhood and already had several bastards. He even tried to lead her upright and conservative brother, Ned, astray.
"Father says it's a political marriage," she said dismissively. "But I have the 'blood of the first men' running through me; I won't live my life like that."
Rhaegar gazed at the candid girl before him, recalling the courage she displayed by disguising herself to compete, all to protect a Crannogman.
"If you are willing, I want to be your mistress." Lyanna stared at Rhaegar with passionate eyes.
Rhaegar was slightly taken aback. This "The Flower of the North" truly lived up to her reputation for being unrestrained. But he had to admit, he was deeply attracted to this unique girl as well.
After a long silence, Rhaegar replied softly, "If we are lovers, our children will forever bear the stigma of being bastards."
Finally, he turned and looked seriously at Lyanna: "If you agree, I will annul my marriage with Elia and formally marry you."
Lyanna's eyes widened in surprise. Rhaegar continued to explain, his tone carrying a certain obsession: "After bearing Aegon, Elia's body cannot sustain another pregnancy. But the prophecy clearly states that 'the dragon must have three heads,' so I must have three children."
He reached out and gently touched Lyanna's cheek: "I cannot allow our children to be bastards. Even if it means violating the law and incurring the wrath of Dorne and the entire realm, I will give you a proper status."
These shocking words made Lyanna hold her breath. She understood what this meant: bigamy was a serious crime in the Seven Kingdoms and would not be recognized by the Faith, but private divorce was also forbidden.
She could only try to persuade Rhaegar that a secret marriage would suffice; she didn't care about the rest, even if she were merely a mistress.
However, Rhaegar promised her that he would definitely convince Elia.
He then took the shield bearing the smiling weirwood back to the camp and told Aerys that the knight had disappeared, and only the shield had been found.
But Rhaegar certainly couldn't have guessed that everything he had done was being watched by a pair of eyes from above.
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