A NEW ERA

PRINCE AERYS

269 a.c. Dragonstone:

A Tourney.

How lovely.

A tourney for a prince's ego.

A tourney.

For no good reason.

Why does a prince need a tourney.

A good question, isn't it?

Well, you can never truly know the answer to this question.

But, then again there is an answer.

The same answer for lords showing of their wealth.

Power, power is always the answer.

"For my grandfather the king" Aerys had said, I don't believe that, no one does, not even he himself does I suppose.

"This will be the Tourney remembered for centuries" he had said.

We will see that.

Every great lord from the seven kingdoms was invited to this event counting my family but only me and my grandfather were traveling with the royal party, father stayed back in Kings landing to take care of the king's duties in his stead and to be with mother as her belly was now bulging with my newest sibling, perhaps a sister now. Daeron is still too little to travel without mother and grandmother stayed back to take care of him, so it was only me and my grandfather.

-Princess Helena?

and my septa.

-Yes, septa Marge.

- Perhaps you should recite all the lords attending the tourney for your memory.

- of course, septa - I already know them like the back of my hand and you know it, but that went unsaid.

-then dear, start from the Westerlands.

Septa Marge was from the west herself and praised the Lannisters of Castley rock to no end.

-Lord of the Castley rock Tywin Lannister will be coming with his wife and children as well as his brothers who will be competing in the Tourney.

- who are the lord's children?

- the young twins Lady Cersie and the heir lord Jamie

- Very well princess, what of Dorne?

- My aunt, the princess Dorea will be attending with my cousins Doren and Oberyn,with them there will also come some of their bannerman.

- The Reach?

- Lord Tyrell will come with his wife and heir as well as his mother.

- Well done, your highness, now how abo...

A knock stopped the septa from continuing her questions - come in - I called out.

A maid came in through the cabin door curtsying - It is already time for supper your highness, would you like to dine in your rooms tonight as well?

The septa started to answer for me - No, I will dine with the others.

-your highness, this is...

-outrageous, it will be quiet alright septa Marge, I didn't know that dining with others on board the ship was a sin, perhaps you would enlighten me?

The septa's face reddened with anger or embarrassment I do not know, but I know that she will complain to my grandfather later about my unruly behavior and as always she will not be heard.

- I will be there in a moments time, you can go now. - the maid bowed and left as fast as she had come and soon after me and my septa were going to the cabin where we would dine. The ship kept swinging side to side as always, twice I could have fallen on my face while walking on the ship but I steadied myself as soon as that opportunity came. I was already sick of being on board I could have been on Dragonstone ages ago if they had let me fly star chaser, I will die of boredom soon, there is nothing to do here and my septa was having a tighter grip on my activities, I am sure she is having a joyful time. My only hope is to get on land soon, Dragonstone sounds like a majestic place from the stories I have heard from my grandfather and Rhaegar told me it has many books in old Valeryan which you can hardly find at Summerhall or kings landing.