ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴀʀᴋ ꜱɪꜱᴛᴇʀ - House of the Dragon

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

The King did not like the idea of me participating in the tourney.

His Hand and wife probably whispered poisinous words on his ear in every occasion they had during those two days, but it did not matter at all. It only took me a reminder that his daughter was to be Queen, and that if the people of the Realm were pleased to see a woman sitting the Iron Throne, they would be delighted at the idea of watching a woman winning a tourney.

Winning, because that was why I had signed up for. Losing was not an option if I wanted to show the citiziens the power you could have even being a woman. And I was dying to see the men's faces (specially Otto's) when they realized I had in fact won.

So there I was, standing next to a very shaky Lucerys in front of a large mirror.

Our mother had left minutes ago, smiling and shaking her head. She still thought it was a bad idea, but I had had bad ideas since the moment I could think, and it did not help to be surrounded by people who were always delighted to do as I wished. My uncles and brothers were the ones to blame for my recklessness, not myself.

I took a deep breath, and, eyeing the armour and cleching my fists, I nodded at Lucerys through the mirror. He quickly yet gently helped me get in, pursing his lips as if he too disagreed with it, even though he had been by my side during the feast.

The armour was beautiful, full black detailed with what seemed red and golden dragon scales in my shoulders and my entire chest. It had the Targaryen symbol in one arm, and I had smiled and hugged Daemon when I got sight of the Velaryon's in a beautiful golden in the other. The helmet was made to resemble the wings of a dragon, and my stepfather eyed it with a glimpse of nostalgia glowing in his violet eyes. It probably reminded him of the same helmet he wore during the Heir's Tourney the day my mother's mother died.

Every smith in the capital had worked in it ever since I announced I was taking part in the event, he had said after clearing his throat, and they did not disappoint.

It was beautiful, yet it was heavy as well. And it did not help that my moon bleed came that same morn, because my breasts were swollen and them along my stomach and back hurt as if someone was constantly stabbing me. But there was no turning back.

Lucerys guilty smiled when I hissed in pain, his hands tightening the ropes at each side of my body and his eyes scanning my face with pursed lips and frowned brows. I nodded at his silent question, chewing on my lip and clenching and unclenching my fists until I felt some relief in my shoulders.

"Are you alright?"

"I should be the one asking that." He said, only smiling when my quiet chuckle reached his ears. I grinned as his blue irises found my lilac one, giving a squeeze to his waist as he walked to my other side. "Are you sure about this?"

"I am, Luke. Worry not."

I was in fact not sure. Hearing everything about tourneys was one thing, participating in one was another. And I had never witnessed one, so there was little I could imagine other than what my own imagination could make up in my head. Daemon had told me detailed stories about his youth, his battles and tourneys. And if I could survive his punishments, a tournament was nothing, right?

"What about your moon bleed?"

"I bleed every moon, Lucerys. I have done so for the past six years. I am used to it, unfortunately."

"But if you get wounded, it would hurt you more, would it no? You are more sensitive now. That is what you explained to me. Your breasts and your stomach and your muscles an-."

"Lucerys." I said grabbing his shoulders with a deep breath. "I will be alright."

He chewed on his lip, nodding with a sigh and leaning his forehead against the cold steel of my chest. He too took a deep breath, and then another, and I allowed my fingers to play with his dark curls as he calmed himself.