the blind knight - rhaenyra targaryen

ii

Jessica was allowed to stay in King's Landing for some nights and was even provided a room by the King himself.

She had no idea why the King seemed to take such a liking to her. He spoke fondly of her uncle and was fascinated by her storytelling. Maybe it was that.

It didn't matter now. She could report to her father that she was finally able to work for the King. The reason she gave was true, but she also wanted money if that was guaranteed somehow.

Prince Daemon was in King's Landing, so this fight the King spoke about would thankfully happen sooner than later. And so until Daemon agreed, she never slept. She practiced in the training grounds all day. Some people looked at her strangely as she did so quietly in her corner.

Despite her ranting to the King, she never really talked to anyone unless it was required of her. "Why are you out here so late?" A voice asks, cutting through the quiet night air. Jessica jumps, turning around to meet the Princess's smiling face. She was frozen in fear, silently muttering, "Princess."

Rhaenyra chuckles, walking forward. "How old are you? Most become knighted after their eighteenth name day."

"Um...I have had eighteen, so I am eighteen." A giggle escapes the Princess's lips. Jessica becomes visibly anxious, her eyes observing her beautiful purple eyes, and how the moon illuminated her pale skin. Her jaw was slack, but she lifted it as she swallowed.

"I-I-I can leave. If-If you want to do...whatever you wish to do." The girl chuckles.

"I only wish to see you train. I was curious as to why father took such a liking to you. Some believe you to be some sort of recluse, a silent warrior who has come to take down the kingdom." Jessica's eyes widen as she places a hand on her chest.

"I would never."

"I'm sure, Ser Jessica. I was only teasing."

"Okay," She silently nods to herself as she lifts the bow that was still in her hand. "Are you just passing through? Or did you need my help with something?" Rhaenyra shakes her head.

"I wanted to watch you train." She repeats. Jessica nods with a small smile, not taking her eyes off of Rhaenyra as she swiftly takes an arrow from her hip, and shoots directly into the middle of the target.

The Princess spares a glance at the target, scoffing at Jessica's cockiness with a smile. "You were stumbling over your words only a second ago, and now you intend to show off?" Jessica smiles with her cheeks, before turning back to the target.

She begins shooting off arrows with accuracy and efficiency, leaving Rhaenyra beyond impressed. "I was meant to practice more with my sword, but I left my armor in my chambers."

"Why would you practice with armor? It's just practice."

"Balancing weight is more important than being comfortable during an exercise." Jessie sets down her bows and stretches her shoulders.

"Most don't realize that until they're tripping over themselves on the battlefield. It seems like an unorthodox practice, but it helps."

Rhaenyra fully looked at her as she hadn't when she found her training by herself. She would a shirt with cut-off sleeves that showed her toned arms. Below the belt was a simple pair of pants and boots. And she looked gorgeous from every angle.

Some people in court would make fun of the large scar on her face, and how she looked like one of those monsters from fiction tales, but Rhaenyra liked it. There was also another scar she'd told her and her father about in the throne room. One under her lip from when she jumped off of a table as a toddler, and her teeth went through her lip. She thought the story to be both sad and adorable. 

"Princess?"

She fell out of her daze and looked back at Jessie. "I'm sorry. I-I asked if you wanted me to accompany you back to your chambers." Rhaenyra shakes her head no. "No, but thank you. Goodnight, Ser Jessica."

"Princess." Jessica bows, taking her leave as Rhaenyra watches her go.

Daemon was rather delighted to put another knight to the test.

He was aware that Ser Jessica was his opponent. He liked it. Fighting a girl.

He watched her as she trained, and she was swift and elegant with her moves. Even while spending very few days in King's Landing, she strategically took down five knights during training. Two at the same time.

He was impressed.

He also saw her stature, and my was it impressive. He'd never seen a woman with as much muscle. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched as his brother, sister-in-law, and niece as well as their court watched on.

Jessica wore an uncommon helm accompanying her armor. While his helmet looked like the dragon of his house, she had one with large wings on each side with an insignia in the middle and blue lining.

"The fight ends when either Ser Jessica or Prince Daemon are pinned onto the ground!"

Jessica bows before the Prince who gives her no such sentiment. A smile only widens on his face as he unsheathes his sword. Jessica doesn't do the same, and Daemon frown as he holds it out to her.

"I heard you were quite the swordfighter." Jessica silently stands as the King voices for the fight to begin.

Daemon charges with a swing that Jessica ducks. She quickly unsheathes her sword as she sidesteps him, and taps his backside with the sword. He smirks, moving forward with a chuckle. Nodding to himself with an impressed grin that Jessica doesn't see.

He swiftly comes back with more swings that are blocked, and the girl uses the momentum to swing their swords to the side and kicks Daemon's legs from under him. He doesn't anticipate it but is still able to tuck and roll onto his knees. He holds his sword up defensively and she calmly backs up, waiting for him to rise.

Sighing, he realizes that she is good.

Better than he thought a woman to be, or any man for that matter. The only person that could beat him like this was almost no one he could immediately think of, not even Viserys if he tried.

He definitely underestimated her.

"She's good." He hears his brother say.

"Strike first." He encourages, making Jessie frown. Instead of rushing him as he did her, she simply holds out the sword, and he strikes it with his own, and they began to dance once more. Finally, he seems to find an opening.  He finds that his blade is barely blocked by hers at her throat. They hear a small shout from the audience at the motion.

She pushes it away and turns quickly before holding her sword to his throat. Some of the crowd jeers at her, but she ignores the cries of angry men as she backs away from the Prince. Some, mostly women, cheer. The Princess and Lady Alicent simply watch her in awe.

The two strike at each other once more, and Daemon swings down, his sword clanging on the shoulder of the armor. She ducks right so that the sword moves to her other shoulder. She pushes the sword away, swiftly moving behind him, and kicking his legs from under him again.

This time he falls and he leans back with a smirk as the tip of her sword grazes his neck. "My goodness." The King mutters.

Jessica sheathes her sword and holds a hand out for him as watchers cheer her on.  He accepts, letting her pull him to his feet. He chuckles, patting her on the back. "If you ever want a better offer than the one from the King, I'm around." Jessica silently nods, and something Viserys didn't expect was for his brother to allow her to be cheered by the public.

"That was most impressive, Ser Jessica!" The king exclaims, happily patting her on the back.

They now rejoined each other back in the throne room, and Daemon had left before his brother could tell him to come. Though he did lend his well wishes to Jessica and gave good sportsmanship. It was rare for the prince, but it wasn't as though she'd noticed.

"Thank you, Your Grace."

The king sits on his throne with a smile. "You are young, spry, an excellent fighter. Maybe one day in the near future, you will be on my heir's Kingsguard." Jessica smiles, nodding as her eye catches Rhaenyra staring.

"I can only hope, Your Grace."