S01E05

## The Tourney at Aldford,Part 1

### Summary:

House Glenbain hosts a tournament for the people of Westeros, but there are complications.

### Characters:

Alon, Zandren, Septa Fransheshina, Marcus, Rook

## The Tourney at Aldford, Part 1

The tourney grounds bustled with people from all over. Lord Zandren and his retinue stood in the market square of Aldford, ready to march into the tourney and begin the games. He gave a quick signal and the parade began to walk. Pipers piped, drummers drummed and the villagers smiled as they saw their lord pass.
Rook shouted to the crowd, "Ten silver stags says I can walk the rest of the way on my hands!"
A minor knight shouted back, "I'll take that bet, you fool!"
In an acrobatic motion, Rook leaped on to his hands, his belled feet jangling in the air. He moved deftly for almost a hundred paces before his tired arms gave out. The crowd laughed and Rook several exaggerated tumbles to continue the show.
Lord Zandren caught something out of the corner of his eye. He called over a servant.
"Make the band leader carry his horn in his hand," Zandren said curtly.
"My Lord?" asked the servant.
"When his horn sits on his golden tunic, it looks like the sigil of House Baratheon. The king could be offended!"

- The group marched into the tourney grounds and gave a passable speech to begin the games. The first event was the joust. There was much betting, especially from Marcus Oban. He didn't have much luck. Lartel Dyre effortlessly knocked Branton Hill of House Krey from his horse. Maxir Glenbain won a surprising victory over Jorah Mormont of Bear Island. Brenwyn Glenbain lost to Jaime Lannister and a mysterious Black Knight won a match with kingsguard Boros Blount.
Caryss Cherrane approached Marcus Oban with a concern. She didn't feel comfortable with her younger sister Olenna, a naiive sixteen year old girl, spending the night in the tourney grounds. She asked that Marcus allow her and her sister to stay in the two luxury suites open in House Glenbain's castle.  Marcus said he'd see what he could do.
At almost the same time, Varys, King Robert's Master of Whisperers, approached Alon Redwyne with a similar request. King Robert is a married man, but given the opportunity he will spend his night's carousing and creating royal bastards. If Alon could arrange for King Robert and his Hand, Jon Arryn, to stay in House Glenbain's two luxury suites he'd be appreciative.
After much discussion and argument, the group decided to use religious guilt to ensure Jon Arryn makes Robert stay in the luxury suites and then to host Olenna Cherrane in Katryna Glenbain's luxurious room. Marcus offered Lady Caryss Cherrane a place in his bed and she told him she'd think on it - and for him to leave his door unlocked.
The final joust of the day was between Oberyn Martell of the desert country of Dorne against Willas Tyrell of the elegant country of The Reach. Oberyn cleanly knocked Willas from his horse, but Willas fell poorly. He was trampled by his own horse  Pages and healers rushed to help while most watched in horror, including the group.

- The next event was single combat with sword. The crowd was ushered to the dueling ground to watch. There was more betting. Jon Hallan of House Dyre humiliated Branton Hill. Maxir earned a second victory over Jorah Mormont. And Brenwyn managed to beat Barriston Selmy, captain of the kingsguard.

- Everyone retired to the dining tents, the smallfolk to their long tables and the nobles to their elegant pavilion. King Robert gave a toast and the nobles applauded. Alon Redwyne, already in his cups, made a clumsy toast for House Glenbain that charmed the crowd. They drank fine wine and ate the best pheasant and beef. The group sat at a table with King Robert and his Hand Jon Arryn, as well as Lord Tywin Lannister, Tywin's brother Kevan and his two sons Jaime and Tyrion. Queen Cersei, wife of the king and daughter of Tywin, chose to stay at home with her three year old son.
Tywin remarked that the honour of the event still clearly belonged to the Lannisters. The privilege of hosting a tournament backed by the crown was his, marked by his annual Tourney at Lannisport. This Tourney at Aldford was really a Tourney at Lannisport that he had allowed one of his bannermen to host. The Glenbains snapped to alertness. In a deft collaboration, they convinced the king of their merits while taunting Tywin into awkwardness, preoccupying Jaime and charming Kevan. The fatal blow to Twyin's plan came when Rook invited Tyrion to drink with him, prompting the dwarf to advocate for the Glenbain's glory over the Lannisters.
Proud of his recent manipulation, Alon looked across the tent and saw Lady Maedalyn Dyre eating with her family and a few minor nobles.  She wore a beautiful lace veil that shrouded fresh scars under her right eye.  Alon, a striking young man of eighteen years walked over and used his powers of seduction to encourage her to remove her veil.
"Do you somehow not know that I could destroy you?" Lady Maedalyn responded in an icy tone.
Alon stammered, genuinely intimidated, but was cut off by the trumpets sounding the next event.

- With the sun beginning to set and the air cooling, it was time for the first round of boxing matches. Maxir managed to edge out Victarion Greyjoy of the Iron Islands on points. Brenwyn Glenbain was beaten quite badly by his teacher, Jon Hallan. More betting.

- After boxing came the Grand Ball. A farmer's field adjacent to the tourney grounds was set aside for it. Two thousand people danced to music generated by a loud band on a dais. The Septa's underworld contact approached her with information. Lady Maedalyn intends to seduce Tywin Lannister tomorrow night at the Masquerade Ball with the intention of marrying him. She has brought with her Gravven Martyns, a renowned schemer and manipulator, to assist her.
The group were enjoying themselves when they notice that they saw no Lannisters in the crowd. And no Dyres. Septa Fransheshina smelled something. She leaned down and picked out a small clot of earth. It smelled of pitch! Lord Zandren looked across the field and saw one torch stand that was different than the others. The three dozen or so others were all made of brass, this one was a simple wooden stick.
Zandren pointed the torch out to Rook and he went dashing through the crowd. The septa called to her crusaders, directing half of them to usher dancers off of the field and the other half to calmly make their way to the beach with buckets to douse the field in wet sand. Alon slipped away to speak with Varys, who was standing by the musicians, watching the crowd. The group looked around the tourney grounds, finding the Lannisters and Dyres as well as few other nobles standing at the athlete's tent, socializing with the men.
Lord Zandren raced back to the field, shouting, "King Baratheon! Why don't you come fight my son Maxir Glenbain? And Jaime Lannister!"
King Robert looked back at him, "What's this?" And he made his way over. Many in the crowd followed him.
Rook darted through the crowd acrobatically. Getting closer, he could see that the torch stand was rigged to crack and fall. He glanced around for something to put out a fire, but saw nothing. Just ten yards away, the stand began to split. Rook took a brave leap and caught the burning torch out of the air. He looked up and saw a peasant drinking wine out of a bucket. Rook took the wine and put out the torch.

King Robert pronounced, "Beat up my brother-in-law AND teach your little whelp a lesson? That sounds right by me!" The crowd laughed.
Just then, one of the other torches threw a spark into the field. The field caught slowly. The people around it, already being led away by crusaders and the activity with the king, made it away safely.

King Robert looked at Zandren quizzically. Marcus said, "Your Grace, how do you like our fire display?"

The king looked to the flames, "It's pretty, I suppose. Bloody odd that you'd burn up your own dance floor."

Marcus replied, "Surprising, Your Grace. The key to entertainment is surprise."

Alon took the confusion as an opportunity to approach the infamous Gravven "Gravy" Martyns. He was about to begin with his cleverest line, but Gravy beat him to the punch. To Alon's surprise, he could feel himself being seduced. The conversation resulted in Gravy offering Alon an information for sex arrangement.

## Experience

- Alon, Zandren, Septa Fransheshina, Marcus and Rook received 10 XP and 2 Glory

- Torrhen, Maxir, Maurice, Clyde and Minnie received 10 XP