Post by The Stranger on Nov 19, 2009 23:12:11 GMT -5
The night before the Trial by Seven melee, Prince Maekar Targaryen sat in the office of his manse in King’s Landing, trying to read. He realised he’d be absentmindedly going over the same page for the last hour, while his thoughts drifted back to the events of the day. Daeron had handily defeated him and his men in the Grand Melee, an embarrassment considering how undisciplined his brother was.
He gritted his teeth.
And then Lord Thatcher had chosen him for his team in the Trial of Seven melee, the reason for which Maekar still could not fathom. He had barely ever spoken with the Lord Hand, hardly knowing him at all. The fact that Daemon had selected Thatcher’s son next suggested that it had been something of a competition between the two.
Maekar suddenly realised he had begun pacing the room like an angry cat. He stopped and looked out the window.
Thatcher had given him an opportunity to get some of his honour back, and all he was doing was sitting here reading old law tomes. He set aside the book and strode to the door. Walking across the hall to Ser Robert Redfort’s room, he woke the knight up from his sleep.
Robert’s eyes opened in a flash and his was immediately awake. He blinked up at Maekar.
“Yes, my lord?” he asked huskily but alertly.
“Come downstairs, we’re going to train,” he ordered, turning from the room and walking down to dining hall of the manse.
Robert sighed, spars with Maekar were never a short affair, and there was no kindness in them. Both men fought until one surrendered, and it usually wasn’t Maekar who gave in.
When Robert had dressed and descended with his blunted spear in hand, he found Maekar had pushed the table onto its side and up against the wall, along with all the chairs. Maekar was practicing with some shadow movements, slicing into the air and spinning away from imaginary opponents.
Robert felt a tinge of guilt seeing him, Maekar wanted to practice for the melee the next day, the one Robert had tried so hard and failed to enter. The tourney had been embarrassing for Robert as well, the archery, the joust and the melee had all gone very poorly, and two attempts to prove himself to Ser Tomas Thatcher had been extremely unsuccessful. At least he had placed second in the horse race, but few people cared about that.
“Ready?” he asked Maekar as he turned to face him.
Maekar nodded, and in an instant Robert was charging at him. He went low, extending the spear and trying to trip Maekar up. Maekar jumped over the attempt but landing badly, it gave Robert enough time to correct, and Maekar got a blow from the butt of Robert’s spear for his mistake, and he stumbled backwards. Robert shot the butt out again, hoping to knock the man over, but Maekar had been ready for it, his imbalance only a feint. He dodged the blow, then wrapped his free arm around the spear, and pulled, trying to rip it free from Robert’s grasp. The two men struggled over the spear for a few moments, but Robert’s strength prevailed, as he wrenched the spear back under his own control. He swung the weapon around, in a wide arc, forcing Maekar to jump back, and brought the blunted pointed of the spear to face the Blue Dragon. Redfort once again let the spear shoot forward, like a snake’s attack. Maekar again had to jump backwards, knowing that trying to parry such a blow would only bring his sword out of position and allow Robert an easy hit. Robert laughed.
When Robert thrust out once more, Maekar’s free hand moved out and caught the spear again, but he didn’t bother trying to fight over it, instead he used it to propel himself forward with surprising grace, his sword pointed out ahead of him. The tip of the blunted sword pushed hard into Robert’s gut, and the knight dropped the spear and fell forward.
Maekar approached to make a finishing blow, but Robert got up from his knees and charged Maekar, grabbing hold of his mid-section. Robert slammed the prince into a wall of the dining room, knocking the wind out of him and Maekar too lost a hold of his weapon. Redfort kept his bear hold on Maekar, lifting him up and throwing him across the room.
Maekar smacked the ground hard with an audible thump, his head knocking the ground. He didn’t have time to clear the stars from his eyes before Robert was on him again, down on the ground with him wrapping his arms around the prince, trying to force a submission.
Maekar struggled in Robert’s grip, trying to find a way to break the hold, while his arm was being contorted in an extremely painful manner. His legs moved out free from the body pin, and managed to knee Robert hard enough to cause his grip to loosen for a second, enough for Maekar to break it and roll away from him.
Maekar jumped up from the ground and looked for his sword. Robert stood between him and it, but at his feet lay Robert’s spear. He kicked it into the air, caught it and charged Robert, who seemed to be nearly spent. Robert didn’t manage to duck in time, taking a full wack from the head of the spear into his shoulder. He cried out loudly from the pain, only to receive another blow to the stomach.
“Gods damn it, Maekar! I surrender!” he coughed, slumping down to the ground trying desperately to suck in air.
Maekar panted heavily, feeling the rage in him subsiding. He stumbled over to Robert and fell down beside him. Robert knew this act was the most he would get from the prince as means of a congratulations on a fight well fought.
Results
Prince Maekar Targaryen improves to Expert Long Blades
Prince Maekar Targaryen improves to Apprentice Spears/Lances
Ser Robert Redfort improves to Expert+ Spears/Lances
Ser Robert Redfort gains Beginner Hand-to-Hand
He gritted his teeth.
And then Lord Thatcher had chosen him for his team in the Trial of Seven melee, the reason for which Maekar still could not fathom. He had barely ever spoken with the Lord Hand, hardly knowing him at all. The fact that Daemon had selected Thatcher’s son next suggested that it had been something of a competition between the two.
Maekar suddenly realised he had begun pacing the room like an angry cat. He stopped and looked out the window.
Thatcher had given him an opportunity to get some of his honour back, and all he was doing was sitting here reading old law tomes. He set aside the book and strode to the door. Walking across the hall to Ser Robert Redfort’s room, he woke the knight up from his sleep.
Robert’s eyes opened in a flash and his was immediately awake. He blinked up at Maekar.
“Yes, my lord?” he asked huskily but alertly.
“Come downstairs, we’re going to train,” he ordered, turning from the room and walking down to dining hall of the manse.
Robert sighed, spars with Maekar were never a short affair, and there was no kindness in them. Both men fought until one surrendered, and it usually wasn’t Maekar who gave in.
When Robert had dressed and descended with his blunted spear in hand, he found Maekar had pushed the table onto its side and up against the wall, along with all the chairs. Maekar was practicing with some shadow movements, slicing into the air and spinning away from imaginary opponents.
Robert felt a tinge of guilt seeing him, Maekar wanted to practice for the melee the next day, the one Robert had tried so hard and failed to enter. The tourney had been embarrassing for Robert as well, the archery, the joust and the melee had all gone very poorly, and two attempts to prove himself to Ser Tomas Thatcher had been extremely unsuccessful. At least he had placed second in the horse race, but few people cared about that.
“Ready?” he asked Maekar as he turned to face him.
Maekar nodded, and in an instant Robert was charging at him. He went low, extending the spear and trying to trip Maekar up. Maekar jumped over the attempt but landing badly, it gave Robert enough time to correct, and Maekar got a blow from the butt of Robert’s spear for his mistake, and he stumbled backwards. Robert shot the butt out again, hoping to knock the man over, but Maekar had been ready for it, his imbalance only a feint. He dodged the blow, then wrapped his free arm around the spear, and pulled, trying to rip it free from Robert’s grasp. The two men struggled over the spear for a few moments, but Robert’s strength prevailed, as he wrenched the spear back under his own control. He swung the weapon around, in a wide arc, forcing Maekar to jump back, and brought the blunted pointed of the spear to face the Blue Dragon. Redfort once again let the spear shoot forward, like a snake’s attack. Maekar again had to jump backwards, knowing that trying to parry such a blow would only bring his sword out of position and allow Robert an easy hit. Robert laughed.
When Robert thrust out once more, Maekar’s free hand moved out and caught the spear again, but he didn’t bother trying to fight over it, instead he used it to propel himself forward with surprising grace, his sword pointed out ahead of him. The tip of the blunted sword pushed hard into Robert’s gut, and the knight dropped the spear and fell forward.
Maekar approached to make a finishing blow, but Robert got up from his knees and charged Maekar, grabbing hold of his mid-section. Robert slammed the prince into a wall of the dining room, knocking the wind out of him and Maekar too lost a hold of his weapon. Redfort kept his bear hold on Maekar, lifting him up and throwing him across the room.
Maekar smacked the ground hard with an audible thump, his head knocking the ground. He didn’t have time to clear the stars from his eyes before Robert was on him again, down on the ground with him wrapping his arms around the prince, trying to force a submission.
Maekar struggled in Robert’s grip, trying to find a way to break the hold, while his arm was being contorted in an extremely painful manner. His legs moved out free from the body pin, and managed to knee Robert hard enough to cause his grip to loosen for a second, enough for Maekar to break it and roll away from him.
Maekar jumped up from the ground and looked for his sword. Robert stood between him and it, but at his feet lay Robert’s spear. He kicked it into the air, caught it and charged Robert, who seemed to be nearly spent. Robert didn’t manage to duck in time, taking a full wack from the head of the spear into his shoulder. He cried out loudly from the pain, only to receive another blow to the stomach.
“Gods damn it, Maekar! I surrender!” he coughed, slumping down to the ground trying desperately to suck in air.
Maekar panted heavily, feeling the rage in him subsiding. He stumbled over to Robert and fell down beside him. Robert knew this act was the most he would get from the prince as means of a congratulations on a fight well fought.
Results
Prince Maekar Targaryen improves to Expert Long Blades
Prince Maekar Targaryen improves to Apprentice Spears/Lances
Ser Robert Redfort improves to Expert+ Spears/Lances
Ser Robert Redfort gains Beginner Hand-to-Hand
Hope you all are well and happy.