Aside from the mysterious knight, "Laughing" Baelor was also very popular, receiving challenges from 13 contestants. After a round of rock-paper-scissors to eliminate five, eight remained. Through two rounds of eliminations, only two formidable knights were left to face him.
Nearly every time the "Guardian" was challenged, not only did the audience erupt into excited cheers, but the current "Queen of Love and Beauty," young Lady Laelia, would also let out terrified squeals, covering her eyes with her small hands whenever a lance shattered or a contestant was unhorsed.
Clearly, for her, matches that determined the fate of the crown were particularly thrilling.
Among the final seven contestants, aside from the mysterious knight whose identity remained unknown, the other six were all of noble birth: Baelor, the Garth brothers, a Red Apple knight (Fossoway), Ser Elor from Stormlands' Hay Hall, Ser Creigh from the Crakehall of the Westerlands, and Ser Dickon Tarly from Horn Hill.
Ah, previously, that "uncle-in-law," Ser Jon Cobber, had been replaced by Dickon of Horn Hill.
As thousands of spectators cheered, the seven knights entered the arena one by one.
Before the official draw, Laughing Baelor even asked both Daenerys and Dickon whether they were willing to protect Laelia's crown.
Daenerys shook her head in refusal. Baelor, without even asking for a reason, simply ignored her and turned his hopeful gaze to Dickon.
The dark-haired young man seemed to know Laelia. He first offered an apologetic smile to the blushing girl on the wooden platform before explaining to Baelor, "Ser, I apologize, but you might not be aware—I married Lady Ilano, the eldest daughter of Earl William Mooton, in Maidenpool a month ago."
In theory, the champion could bestow the Crown of Love and Beauty upon anyone. Even if one were a Rainbow Knight like Loras Tyrell, it would be acceptable to give the crown to a man.
However, misplacing the crown could lead to great scandal—such as presenting it to a woman who was already married or betrothed, or if the champion himself was married but did not award it to his own wife. Prince Rhaegar had committed both of these taboos.
"What? You're married?" Baelor exclaimed in shock.
Realizing he had lost composure, he forced an awkward smile and asked, "We received no word at all. Your mother and sister didn't even attend the wedding, did they?"
His ideal son-in-law had always been Dickon Tarly. In fact, upon learning that the heir of Horn Hill had just returned from King's Landing, he had deliberately nominated his daughter, Laelia, as the "Queen of Love and Beauty."
This was not just the will of House Hightower—Lady Olenna, the Queen of Thorns, had even written personally to remind him of this matter.
The goal was simple: to win over House Tarly.
In the original story, Jon's good friend Samwell Tarly seemed to come from an unremarkable background, with no particularly special lineage.
But that was far from the truth. Sam's father, Randyll Tarly—well, Barristan Selmy ranked him as the fourth greatest general in the Seven Kingdoms. However, the reality was that, in this era of declining military talent in Westeros, Randyll Tarly was the only general who had never suffered defeat.
Moreover, Horn Hill commanded the largest army in the Reach, second only to House Tyrell of Highgarden. It was one of the most powerful noble houses in the region, surpassed only by the Tyrells and the Hightowers of Oldtown.
Why, then, would Lady Olenna seek to ally with House Tarly? Were they not already sworn vassals of Highgarden?
During the War of the Five Kings, whether siding with Renly or later aligning with the Lannisters, House Tarly had always followed Highgarden's lead.
Randyll Tarly was indeed a loyal bannerman, but now...
It all started with Brightwater Keep. Randyll Tarly's wife, Melessa Florent, came from Brightwater Keep. The mysterious knight who had scarred Garlan Tyrell's cheek—Alaric Florent—was Dickon's uncle.
Melessa and Alaric were full-blooded siblings.
Alaric had sought help from his second brother-in-law (the Hightowers of Oldtown) instead of his eldest brother-in-law (House Tarly of Horn Hill) because Randyll and Dickon had been away leading troops, assisting King's Landing in clearing out bandits from the Riverlands and Crownlands.
To clarify further, though Baelor's father was Dickon's uncle-in-law (his wife, the Lady of Oldtown, was Dickon's mother's sister), Baelor, Dickon, and Alaric, despite being related, shared no direct blood ties.
Baelor's mother was the first wife of the Old Man of Oldtown. His only full sibling was the mother of Garlan Tyrell.
Ah, what a tangled web...
Such complex family ties made the political landscape of the Reach equally intricate.
If the young rose, Margaery Tyrell, had not married Tommen, resolving the tensions between Highgarden and Horn Hill would have been easy—Dickon could have simply wed Margaery.
Unfortunately, with Margaery already married, House Tyrell had no more highborn daughters to forge an alliance with Horn Hill.
However, as the heir of Oldtown, Baelor's eldest daughter was fully qualified to become the lady of House Tarly.
Sadly...
Daenerys was fortunate—when Baelor presented seven small slips of paper for the contestants to draw from, she happened to pick a blank one.
Yes, she had received a bye, automatically advancing to the next round.
Well, this kind of advancement wasn't necessarily something to celebrate. If her skills were lacking, she would only be eliminated later. Apart from the champion and runner-up, the remaining rankings made little difference—there were no cheers, no rewards.
Oh, and missing a match also meant losing a chance to shine before the crowd!
After another round of competition, only four contestants remained: the mysterious knight, Baelor and his brother Garth from House Hightower, and Dickon Tarly of Horn Hill.
Baelor turned to Daenerys and Dickon, saying, "Garth and I are Laelia's guardian knights. Before the finals, we have the right to forgo fighting each other. The two of you may choose your own opponents."
Without hesitation, Dany was the first to point at Baelor. The reason was simple: Laughter Baelor was nearly forty, while Gars was not yet thirty.
"Alright, let's give it a try." Baelor smiled meaningfully, seemingly understanding her thoughts.
As it turned out, age had its advantages—experience!
Amidst the gasps of thousands of spectators, the two fought through five rounds without knocking each other off their horses.
Every one of Dany's attacks was blocked by Baelor. To avoid the risk of a shattered shield, the seasoned Baelor even changed shields after each round.
However, when the five rounds ended, before the noble judges on the high platform could finish discussing the points, Baelor took off his iron gauntlet and threw it in front of Dany's mount. Looking around, he spoke loudly, "I was always on the defensive and lacked the impact of the Mystery Knight. Several times, his lance grazed my waist and abdomen, while I never even touched him once. So I lost, and he won."
Seeing Baelor voluntarily admit defeat, the judges—who had secretly been considering whether to help the knight cheat—breathed a sigh of relief and immediately announced, "The Mystery Knight advances to the finals!"
The audience erupted into applause for both knights, cheering for Baelor's generosity and honesty, while also marveling at the Mystery Knight's unexpected rise.
"My lord, you are incredible," the White Knight was also very excited. "Your talent is astonishing—stronger than Prince Rhaegar. Compared to when you first arrived in Oldtown, your skills have at least tripled."
At that moment, they had not yet left the field. They stood nearby, waiting for Gars and Dickon to finish their match so that Dany could compete in the finals.
Dany shook her head and said, "Jousting is too repetitive. I can see every minute movement of my opponent. As long as I make full use of my strengths, it's almost impossible to lose."
She wasn't boasting. Compared to the unpredictable battlefield, jousting was too simple and effortless. There was ample time to observe the opponent and adjust one's movements.
She wasn't sure about others, but Dany dared to swear that even if it were the Mountain or the Sword of the Morning, they might defeat her, but they wouldn't be able to knock her off her horse.
"My lord, you mustn't become arrogant and underestimate your opponents. No undefeated knight has ever existed in this world."
Clearly, the old knight mistook Dany's blunt honesty as a habitual boast.
In reality, neither of them noticed one crucial fact—Dany's dynamic vision was gradually aligning with that of a dragon. The world she saw was subtly different from what others perceived.
"Boom!" A wooden lance shattered, sending white splinters flying.
Gars and Dickon clashed like meteors colliding with the earth. In just three rounds, both had broken their lances, their intense battle captivating the audience.
In the end, the match was decided by points after five rounds. Dickon removed his helmet, raised his arms in triumph, and rode in circles to accept the crowd's cheers.
Little Lady Leylia burst into tears.
All five of her guardian knights had been defeated. After Dickon's advancement was announced, Baelor, looking apologetic, removed the golden rose wreath from his daughter's head.
"Back in the Mormont tournament, who was crowned Queen of Love and Beauty at the start?" Dany asked, looking at the sobbing girl on the stage.
"Of course, it was Queen Cersei. The tournament was held in Lannisport, and Duke Tywin had only one daughter."
"And who did Mormont face in the final match?"
"The Kingslayer. He was one of Queen Cersei's sworn knights. I was also one of her sworn protectors that day. There were four Kingsguard in total, along with Tywin's younger brother, Kevan, all swearing to guard the queen's crown.
Unfortunately for us, Mormont fought as if he were divinely blessed, advancing round after round until even the Kingslayer lost to him on points."
"Woo woo…"
After more than half an hour, the horns blew again, and the announcer called out, "The final match—The Mystery Knight versus the Bat Knight!"
"Be careful, stay calm, and don't act rashly. Dickon is stronger than you, so aim to win on points," the old knight solemnly reminded Dany before she rode off.
"He's too tall; he's bound to lose," Dany muttered under her breath. Then, she took the wicker basket from the old knight's hands.
Her horse trotted obediently around the field as she gracefully tossed flower petals to the audience. She sat upright in the saddle, not even swaying slightly.
"This one has excellent horsemanship," Baelor mused, stroking his chin. "I fear the champion of this tournament may just be him."
"That's not certain," Gars shook his head dismissively. "Anyone who makes it to the finals must have exceptional riding skills.
Dickon is top-tier in both speed and strength. More importantly, he just came off the battlefield, carrying an aura of bloodlust that's hard to define.
Clearly, after a year at war with Earl Tarly, he has truly matured."
"Exactly," Galen Tyrell nodded in agreement. "The Mystery Knight's strength and speed are respectable, but his real advantage lies in his technique and clever strategy. But against a seasoned warrior, those things don't matter as much.
If I hadn't underestimated him and overlooked the scratches on my shield, I never would have lost. My plan was to wear him down in the first four rounds and then strike him down forcefully in the fifth. But who would've thought—"
"It's starting," Maester Perestan reminded them.
After a pause, he added, "The bookmakers and common folk favor Ser Dickon. I even wagered five gold dragons on Di—"
"BOOM—"
A deafening crash erupted below, leaving the old maester utterly dumbfounded.
(End of Chapter)
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