When Fire Meets Ice(slow updates)

Chapter 11: The Hand's Tournament

 EXT.Tourney Grounds-King's Landing

POV-3rd Person

Sansa and Arya's journey to the tournament with Septa Mordane and Jeney Poole was marked by a noticeable change in Sansa's demeanor. It seemed that Sansa had undergone a significant transformation in the past several days, much to the relief of Septa Mordane. Her newfound attitude was a source of joy for those around her. Sansa's happiness was palpable; she now wore a smile more frequently and had even extended apologies to Septa Mordane for her previous behavior. This transformation did not go unnoticed by her father, Ned Stark, who couldn't have been prouder of his daughter's newfound maturity and kindness. The fact that Sansa and Draven had reconciled added to his satisfaction. Arya, on the other hand, viewed Sansa's change with a mixture of confusion and suspicion. She was not entirely convinced by her older sister's sudden shift in mood, which made her all the more vigilant. Yet, Arya had her reasons to be excited. In the past week, her father had allowed her to begin sword lessons with her mentor, Syrio Forel, the First Sword of Braavos, highly recommended by Lyanna. This news was a testament to her father's confidence in her abilities and the importance of this occasion was not lost on Arya.

Upon their arrival at the tournament, the scene that greeted them was nothing short of spectacular. A multitude of pavilions had been erected just outside the city walls, and a vast crowd had gathered to witness the grand event. Knights in gleaming armor, noble House banners, and the royal family graced the occasion. 

During the preceding days, Sansa had spent quality time with her older brother and his friends, including Princess Lyanna and Ser Charles Baelish, both of whom hailed from King's Landing. They had taken it upon themselves to introduce the Starks to the city, leading them on a captivating tour. Occasionally, Charles's squire, Gage, would accompany them, and Sansa found herself striking up a fast friendship with the young boy. Through their conversations, Sansa learned that Gage aspired to become a knight, thanks to the generosity and support of Princess Lyanna and Ser Charles. This revelation filled Sansa with warmth and admiration, knowing that the Princess was not only kind-hearted but also willing to go to great lengths to ensure that a non-highborn boy could achieve his dreams of knighthood. The tour covered various landmarks, including the awe-inspiring Great Sept of Baelor, the bustling markets of Fishmonger's Square, the historic Dragonpit atop the Hill of Rhaeneys, and even the challenging conditions of Flea Bottom, the city's slum district. Despite the foul stench that pervaded Flea Bottom, they endured it without complaint, heeding Lyanna's advice to accept it as an integral part of the kingdom. Lyanna and Charles revealed their plans to help improve the living conditions in Flea Bottom by providing donations of food and clothing and working on initiatives to clean up the area, leveraging Charles's engineering skills. Sansa was deeply touched by their commitment to making a positive difference in the lives of the less fortunate. While Sansa cherished the time spent with her brother and friends, she couldn't help but desire more one-on-one moments with Lyanna.

Out of the knights that assembled Sansa was able to recognize, others she could not. When she heard Draven and Lyanna had entered the list, Sansa scouted the area trying to find them. "Where could they be?" She asked herself quietly. After a minute or two of searching, Sansa manages to identify her brother in the field.  Wearing his striking black armor; the armor's surface bore intricate engravings, reminiscent of feathers, almost as if it were designed to mimic the raven, along with the black cloak he had which bore a silver direwolf the Stark house sigil. However, it was not a traditional cloak; it was cut at the ends and sides, resembling the feathers of a raven in flight. And in his hands sat the helmet that Ned had gifted to him just for this occasion. Standing next to him was Charles who was helping ensure that the buckles remained intact making sure the armor was he moved on to the knight next to him who was none other than Lyanna. She was adorned in gold armor, and the black lion's head with stag antlers sigil sat proudly on her breastplate. Her helmet a replica of the sigil rested in her hand and against her right hip, unlike Draven, she bore no cloak, in truth, Lyanna saw no point in a cloak like many others who wore them. She believed it would only distract her and possibly slow her down. Lyanna's elegantly braided dark hair cascaded gracefully over her shoulder, and Gage stood next to her, ensuring her armor was fastened just as Charles did with Draven before.