The Tourney at Ashford

As the sun climbs in the east, a column appears from the west in the distance with sun reflecting off the forward riders and a trail of dust kicking up behind them. Over the next half hour the column approaches closer until it enters the shadow of the Ashford Hold. Soon the shining riders come into sight - three riders in polished white and gold armor, their helmets down over their faces.

Behind them ride the two brother Princes - and they could not be more different. One is dark haired with tanned, almost olive skin, and dark eyes. The other is far more the Targaryen - platinum white hair close cropped to his head and piercing violet eyes, one marked by a scar. Whispers follow them as the go - Baelor the Breakspear and Maekar have arrived at Ashford. Baelor waves to the people as he passes, smiling; his brother, the white-haired Maekar,
scowls as he rides in his brother's shadow.

Behind them, surrounded by guards in Targaryen red, come two more princes riding horses. One, like his father, is dark haired and olive skinned - Valarr Targaryen, one of the Lady Ashford's champions - is passive, his face neutral as he passes by the commoners come to see the princes' procession. The other, with long platinum hair to the middle of his back and startling violet eyes, is Aerion Targaryen; he glares down at those he passes, clearly disdainful of the people around him.

As they reach the gates of the hold, the Lord Darryn Ashford appears from within the hold, a young girl at his side - this is clearly Lady Ashlyn Ashford, the girl who the whole tourney is being run for. They drop to their knee and the rest of the household follows suit, the gathered crowd doing so as well.

As Baelor dismounts from his horse, his brother following suit, the Kingsguard in shining white takes up places between the crowd and their charges, the Targaryen troops taking up a position even further outside than the Kingsguard. With the wall of steel between the crowd and the princes, it's hard to hear what words they exchange with the lord but Baelor soons breaks out laughing. Confused onlookers glance at one another, unsure of what to make of the laugh; a moment later, Baelor gestures for all to rise to their feet.

He turns the lord, wrapping an arm around the man's shoulder as they head towards the great hall. Maekar frowns and follows after. The younger princes dismount and follow, Valarr stopping long enough to bow slightly to Lady Ashlyn and take her hand to kiss; she blushes bright red, a young child in over her head. The blush causes Aerion to break out laughing and the Ashford girl turns further red. The brown haired Targaryen turns his head, glaring sharply at his cousin. As he begins to speak with the platinum-haired Targaryen, Valarr's voice is drowned out by the clanking of the Targaryen troops as the march into the castle.

The Kingsguard are the last to leave where they stand, watching the crowd for a long moment before they, too, disappear into the hold.

Whispers spread through the crowd quickly; something seems wrong - wasn't there supposed to be six princes?

Lord Ashford's household guards return to their places at the gates; the spectacle is over quickly and life returns to somewhat normal in the streets of Ashford...

Derrick was on the scene to watch the arrival of the princes. It wasn't everyday one got to see such a event after all, and he wanted to see the men responsible for the current position of his House. Or perhaps saying in part responsible would be better, they were just princes after all, not the king.

It was a interesting series of events, and ones he didn't fully understand, though it did seem things were a bit off. The fact there was only four princes for example.

The young Forrester woman watches as well, dressed in one of her nicer outfits, watching the whole situation go down curiously, recording it in the back of her mind. Where were the other two who were supposed to be there? Too curious. Possibly worth looking into. She filed it quietly away for further consideration.

She looked around once everything was said and done, listening to what others had to say quietly for now.

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Another Forrester watched the spectacle, with obvious delight etched upon his face. Even with all the time he spent at Kings Landing he hadn't seen this many of the Targaryens gathered together.

As the procession eventually made its way into the castle a grin remained. Marqus looked around the crowd, winking at his sister when he saw her, but leaving her to whatever she was up to. Instead he looked for any interesting knightly types who might want to talk about manly stuff...

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The pair of well dressed nobles received a glance, but the commoner didn't approach either of them, they likely would want to talk to each other before him. Instead he wandered through the crowd, taking in the sights as it were. He hadn't seen many other castles, having spent most of his years in Algood lands, and wanted to have a good look while he was here.

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Arwyn Forrester wrote:The young Forrester woman watches as well, dressed in one of her nicer outfits, watching the whole situation go down curiously, recording it in the back of her mind. Where were the other two who were supposed to be there? Too curious. Possibly worth looking into. She filed it quietly away for further consideration.

She looked around once everything was said and done, listening to what others had to say quietly for now.

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An Andal knight of the Mountains approaches the young lady, dressed in decent clothing, though not what is considered the height of fashion. "Enjoying the procession melady?" He asked in a friendly voice.

Arwyn notices and turns, curtseying politely with a demure smile. Her clothing wasn't the very finest, but it was clear a lot of effort had been put in to make it her own, stylized silver branches embroidered into the fabric and carefully fitted. "It was quite the presentation. I hope everything is well there."

A dip of her head, and her clear blue eyes looked up to meet his. "I am Arwyn Forrester. It's a pleasure to meet you." Her tone is always polite without being stiff and warm.

She gave a deep nod to her. "Warryn Wydman, heir to Old Peake. Well met Lady Forrester." He frowned. "You're family came down from the North?"

"Yes... not my entire family, but quite a few of us came out for the tourney," she acknowledges, curious about the frown, a gentle but unspoken questioning tone to her voice. "Though my brother has been in the southern kingdoms for some while now."

Warryn nodded, than smiled at the lady. "Well then, it must be quite the change for you melady? How do you like the Southron kingdoms so far?"

She moved a bit aside, and slightly closer... there was quite the commotion after all!

The blonde girl had pressed herself at the front of the crowd to watch the procession. The princes were a bit like mythological figures, but their horses were even more impressive than she had expected, and she elicited small sounds of "ooh" and "aah" in amazement at the sight of it all.

When the riders stopped to talk to the host and the nameday-girl, she tried to get closer to hear what was going on.

The sand bastard was present as well, part of the crowd. He was dressed well and looking handsome in Kellington blue, but focused mostly on the arriving princes. Wasn't everyday you got to see such important folks. His mind ran with thoughts of the romantic life of being a kingsguard.

Kaliya was there to see the dragons, garbed in red and gold. She is astute to the moods of the crowd, the elation and excitement to see the princes, and the gossipy concern that ripples outwards, but she pays little mind. She is casting her assessing eye over the younger princes and the Targaryen retinue with a thoughtful half-smile.


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Kevan, dressed in a salmon-coloured shirt, black jacket and breeches and high riding boots, was not well-versed in politics and had been a bit awed by displays of Targaryen preponderance but even he registered that something was off during the arrival. Trying to figure it out by himself before asking Maester Oswell, he lingered somewhere in the second row, rocking slightly on his heels, with his hand entwined at his back. A wandering smile and a slightly wrinkled nose accompanied the thinking process.

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The bastard wasn't the stealthiest of people... normally, sneaking around wasn't very nice, but she tried to kind of just move through the crowd and not be noticed.


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D1 Morning. Stealthy-stealthy: 2d6 4
(if the Difficulty was Routine, I wish to use Blood of the Andals for a +2 on my roll )

Derrick wrote:The pair of well dressed nobles received a glance, but the commoner didn't approach either of them, they likely would want to talk to each other before him. Instead he wandered through the crowd, taking in the sights as it were. He hadn't seen many other castles, having spent most of his years in Algood lands, and wanted to have a good look while he was here.

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Lady Cassana watched the arrival in her finest dress which colored her well in regards to her House. Once the affair was over, she approached the man-at-arms with a bright smile. "It is a fine day for training, is it not?" She gazed upon the others present and then back to Derrick. "It may be time for celebration but it would do you no good to become complacent."

Gwenyth Snow wrote:The bastard wasn't the stealthiest of people... normally, sneaking around wasn't very nice, but she tried to kind of just move through the crowd and not be noticed.


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D1 Morning. Stealthy-stealthy: 2d6 4
(if the Difficulty was Routine, I wish to use Blood of the Andals for a +2 on my roll )

The Targaryen troops move forward a bit to block the young girl, not even letting her get as far in the inner circle of Kingsguard.

[[More notes to come in your PF.]]

Cassana Algood wrote:Lady Cassana watched the arrival in her finest dress which colored her well in regards to her House. Once the affair was over, she approached the man-at-arms with a bright smile. "It is a fine day for training, is it not?" She gazed upon the others present and then back to Derrick. "It may be time for celebration but it would do you no good to become complacent."

"It's always a fine day for training Milady." Derrick offered with a bow as the sister of his Lord arrived. "You are right though, just because it is a tournament does not mean I can avoid practice. I'll have to see if I can find a opponent this afternoon."

Gwen pressed her lips into a sheepish smile to the guards blocking her way, looking very much like she had been stopped from doing something she wasn't supposed to do. She cast a concerned look in the direction of where the princes and the hosts had disappeared before she backed away, not really watching where she was going now...

Warryn Wydman wrote:Warryn nodded, than smiled at the lady. "Well then, it must be quite the change for you melady? How do you like the Southron kingdoms so far?"

She moved a bit aside, and slightly closer... there was quite the commotion after all!

She returned the smile with warmth, not minding the change in position in response to the press of people. "It is... It's much warmer than I'm used to, but spring travels slowly up from the Neck..." Her eyes spot a little blonde head and... "If you'll excuse me just one moment, my lord..."

She steps away from him, moving through the crowd quickly to catch up with Gwen, catching her by the collar with many apologies to the guards and escorting her over to where Arwyn was holding her previous conversation. "What were you thinking?!" She whispers quietly and urgently, not really a question. When she returns to Warryn's location, she gives him a winning smile. "My apologies, one should always keeps one's family close. How was your journey?"

"But..." the girl protested meekly, realising Arwyn was upset, "... someone's missing..."

Derrick wrote:"It's always a fine day for training Milady." Derrick offered with a bow as the sister of his Lord arrived. "You are right though, just because it is a tournament does not mean I can avoid practice. I'll have to see if I can find a opponent this afternoon."

"Will you be competing? I am unsure if it requires one to be of a House." The blonde woman eyed the child by the Kingsguard and then turned to Derrick. "The afternoon is a good time for training? Is it the sun's placement?"

Arwyn Forrester wrote:She returned the smile with warmth, not minding the change in position in response to the press of people. "It is... It's much warmer than I'm used to, but spring travels slowly up from the Neck..." Her eyes spot a little blonde head and... "If you'll excuse me just one moment, my lord..."

She steps away from him, moving through the crowd quickly to catch up with Gwen, catching her by the collar with many apologies to the guards and escorting her over to where Arwyn was holding her previous conversation. "What were you thinking?!" She whispers quietly and urgently, not really a question. When she returns to Warryn's location, she gives him a winning smile. "My apologies, one should always keeps one's family close. How are you finding

Warryn nodded and smiled, and frowned when Arwyn stepped away. He took one step after her, but stopped there. "Everything is alright Lady Forrester and... Lady Forrester?" She glanced at the young lass.

"The journey was fine, and shorter than yours I assume. Though trekking through the mountains of the Moon is always an experience."

"This is Gwenyth Snow, a cousin. Gwenyth, this is Lord Warryn Wydman of Old Peake," she introduced with a smile. She ignored Gwen's protest for now... they'd talk about it later. "Quite all right. I can only imagine. There are more than a few dangers on that route, but you know better than I."

Cassana Algood wrote:"Will you be competing? I am unsure if it requires one to be of a House." The blonde woman eyed the child by the Kingsguard and then turned to Derrick. "The afternoon is a good time for training? Is it the sun's placement?"

"Perhaps in the grand melee Milady." He offered after a moment. "I'm no knight though, so the jousting isn't something I'll do." He likely wouldn't do well anyways, and he shouldn't risk embarrassing an actual knight. He didn't much attention to the young girl trying to slip past the guards. She wasn't his charge to watch after all. "A bit, it means no one will be trying to fight with the sun in their eyes. Which makes things a bit more even. Also even the most late risers are usually up by then, so it gives you more options of who to challenge?"