Chapter Text
Daemon Targaryen is thirteen name days old. He is tall for his age, lean with muscle, and has an arrogance that oozes from his pores. He holds Dark Sister in his hands ready for the duel melee to begin. His silver hair is pulled back and his sports armour covered in red dragons. He the second son of the Spring Prince, heir to the throne. Hailed as a prodigy the courts say he is destined for great things.
Amongst the other participants is Lord Yorbert Toyce. A man near forty name days. Broad shoulders, steady hands, and with amber eyes. Weidling the sword of his House Lamentation. Broader than other such as Dark Sister but not as big as Ice of House Stark. With his inked hands and leather armour marked with Runes Yorbert stands out. He entered after losing a bet with his younger brother Yoren and to partially impress his daughter and heir Rhea. Yorbert is a man who knows that it is to kill. He has been fighting the mountain clans since he was a child. He took his first life in defence of his mother when he was a mere eight name days. He finds tournaments like this demeaning and stupid but a bet is a bet.
The fight commences. Daemon moved through playing with his prey and moving like a glorious whirlwind. Yorbert moves slow and steady; taking out his opponents with precision.Eventually it comes down to this unlikely pairing. Yorbert, knows it will be expected of him to let the boy take the victory. He is not winded and could keep going for hours. The endurance he has built up living and fighting at higher altitudes has given him this advantage. And when one fights the mountain clans it is often a game of hide and seek with unexpected attacks, withdrawals, and then all out brawls in quick succession. And he also lets the boy take the victory. Until the pup opens his big mouth, smirks, and says, “I gues it’s down to me and the sheepfucker than!”.
Yorbert feels fury down to his core and decides there will be no mercy. Those amongst the crowd who know the Lord of Runestone grimace and brace themselves. This is not going to be pretty. And so the boy laughs and prepared for his victory over this barbarian. But much to his shock the Lord of Runestone bares his teeth, lets out a cry of something in the Old Tongue, and comes down upon the Targaryen Prince. The boy can barely keep up with the blows. Daemon is fast but Yorbert has the strength and the fury behind his sword. And as the fight goes on the boy begins to tire while the lord keeps fighting. And Daemon realizes that Lord Royce is drawing out this fight. And short of surrendering the only thing Daemon can do is keep fighting.
The find ends when Yorbert Royce knocks Dark Sister out of the hands of Daemon Targaryen’s hands leaving a blood trail down his arm. It should end here but overcome with rage and a broken pride Daemon jumps at the Lord. And he does not get a single chance as Lord Royce punches the boy straight in the gut with a well timed blow and another to the face. A crunch is heard as pain fills his face. As he falls to the ground Yorbert punches his again in the stomach twice more for good measure before he pushes the boy down into the mud.
Cries from the Royal booth and from the soldiers fill the silence that has descended. Daemon is trying not to choke on blood as he stares up into the amber eyes of Lord Royce who hold him down in the muck by his throat. The man’s eyes burn a cold fury Daemon has never seen before. He has lost and been humiliated at the hands of a descendent of First Men. The so called prodigy broken and bloody at the hands of tattooed barbarian. As the Spring Prince rushes foreword to separate them Lord Royce raises his voice for all to hear, “And so the little lizard falls at the hand of a mountain lord. Be careful boy. Next time I won’t be so nice.” With one final squeeze around his throat Yorbert Royce rises triumphant. Those in the crowd of First Men descent begin to chant Victory in the Old Tongue and stomp their feet adding to the effect. He grabs his sword Lamentation and begins to exit the yard. Looking at the Spring Prince he simply sniffs and dismisses Baelon Targaryen and continues on his way.