Cassie ladled thick vegetable stew into wooden bowls while Mira set out loaves of bread on the long table. Alys moved between them, wiping small hands and straightening tunics as the children scrambled into their seats.
"Meggie, sit proper or you'll spill it all," Alys said, guiding the little girl down.
"But I'm too excited to sit!" Meggie bounced anyway. "Arthur said we can all go to the tourney today! All of us!"
Ben thumped the table with his spoon. "I'm gonna see knights get knocked off horses! It'll be like bang! Right into the dirt!"
Thom leaned over him. "And the melee! I heard there's going to be a thousand people all fighting at once! Arthur's gonna win the whole thing!"
Lena clutched her bowl with both hands. "Do you think he'll wave at us from the field?"
Jory tried to look calm, but his voice cracked with excitement. "He said if he wins, he'll buy honey cakes for everyone."
The chatter rose higher, overlapping voices filling the hall as all of them talked about how exciting the day was going to be and how Arthur was going to win the entire melee. Cassie glanced at Mira as she passed another bowl. "How are we going to keep this lot together in that crowd? One blink and half of them will vanish."
Mira wiped her forehead with the back of her wrist, sighing. "I know. We'll need eyes in the back of our heads. Maybe tie them in pairs like ducklings," she replied, though after she spoke she breathed a little heavily and seemed to stumble a bit.
Cassie gave a concerned look to her sister-wife. "You all right Mira? You look pale. You were sick again this morning, weren't you?" She asked, though she needn't as she already knew the answer.
Mira waved it off. "I'm fine. Just the heat from the stove. Nothing to worry about," she replied as she got back to work.
Cassie opened her mouth to answer, but before any words could come out her face went green. She clapped a hand over her lips and darted to the open window, leaning out just in time to retch into the yard below.
Mira was at her side in a heartbeat, rubbing her back. "Easy, breathe slowly," she said as she comforted Cassie. "And here you were worrying about me," she added with a little giggle.
Alys hurried over, brow creased. "What's this now? Are both of you alright?" She asked.
Cassie straightened, wiping her mouth with a sleeve. "I'm all right. I don't know what happened it just came on suddenly." She bent again and heaved once more.
Alys folded her arms. "Mira, get her sitting down. I'll fetch the remedy I keep for upset stomachs. Works wonders." She put down the cloth she had in her hand and started making her way over.
Mira guided Cassie toward a bench. "I could use some too, if there's enough. I've been feeling off myself," she said as she looked towards Alys.
Alys paused for a moment while looking between them. "When did it start for you?" She asked with a hint of suspicion in her voice.
"A few days," Mira said.
"Yesterday for me," Cassie added.
Alys's mouth twitched into a small knowing smile, but she only nodded. "Right. I'll get those remedies." She turned toward the backroom without another word.
Mira helped Cassie lower herself onto the bench. In the motion Cassie leaned forward a little too far and her face sank straight into the soft warmth of Mira's chest. For a second she was surrounded by her sister-wife's fleshy pillows while the fabric of Mira's dress muffled everything. Cassie pulled back, sputtering a laugh despite feeling awful. Gods, they were huge. How did Mira even walk straight some days? She settled properly on the bench, fanning her face. "Sorry. My heads spinning a little."
Mira knelt beside her, brushing hair from Cassie's forehead. "Better now?"
"A bit." Cassie managed a weak smile. "Do you know when Arthur's coming back? He said he'd take us all to the tourney grounds early."
Mira shook her head, worry flickering in her eyes. "He went out last night. Said he might not be home till morning. Something about errands before the big day."
Cassie frowned. "On tourney day? Why would he do that?"
"I'm sure he's fine," Mira soothed, stroking Cassie's shoulder. "Just worry about yourself now. Let me get you some bread, might settle your stomach."
Cassie nodded. "Thanks." She watched Mira stand and head back to the table, then leaned against the wall, closing her eyes. Where was he? She hoped he hadn't run into trouble. Not today of all days.
...
Arthur stood in a narrow alley behind a crumbling warehouse, approaching it as blood dripped from Sunset's edge. Four bodies already cooled on the wet stones. Two lay crumpled near the wall, throats opened wide. One sprawled face-down, spine severed. The fourth tried to crawl away, dragging a ruined leg, leaving a dark trail.
Two more men faced him, each one had their swords shaking in their grips.
"You fucking bastard," the scarred one spat, circling left. "Rudge'll have your guts for this." Though despite his words he looked scared enough to shit his pants, if he hadn't already.
"Yeah but not if I don't do it first!!!!" The other one shouted, he was younger and much more stupid. He lunged at Arthur in a desperate overhead chop meant to split Arthur's skull. Arthur stepped inside the swing, Sunset rising in a wuick arc. Steel met steel with a ringing clash. He twisted his wrist, binding the blade, then ripped downward. The man's guard opened wide. Arthur drove Sunset forward in a short, brutal thrust under the ribs. The sword slid in to the hilt. Hot blood gushed over his hands as he twisted and yanked free. The man gasped, his eyes bulging, then folded to his knees and toppled.
"You'll pay for that!!!" Scarred-face roared and charged at him, swinging wild horizontal cuts. Arthur gave ground, parrying each one easily while letting the man tire himself. The attacker overextended on a backhand strike. Arthur slipped outside, left hand snapping up. The hidden blade shot from his vambrace. He drove it upward under the man's chin, through mouth and palate into brain. The body jerked, then sagged. Arthur held him a moment by the blade, feeling the weight, then let him drop. The hidden blade retracted with a soft click.
The crawler had reached the alley mouth, fingers scrabbling on stone.
Arthur walked over calmly over the bodies while his boots splashed through the blood. He placed Sunset's point at the base of the man's skull.
"Please," the crawler whimpered. "I got kids—"
Arthur pressed down and the man was silenced.
He stood there a moment, his chest rising and falling slowly. Blood dripped from his hands onto the alley stones. He looked at the bodies around him, each one lay in twisted poses from the fight he had just ended. Arthur knelt next to the closest man, who had the severed neck, and grabbed a clean part of the man's tunic. He wiped Sunset's blade on it, the cloth soaked up the red stains until the steel shone clean again. Then he sheathed the sword at his hip with a click.
After a moment he knelt down and started searching their bodies for coin, he patted down pockets and belts on each corpse. The first man had a small pouch with a few coppers, which he tucked into his own belt. The second yielded a silver stag. He moved to the third, who had nothing but a rusted knife. The fourth gave up another stag and some stars, and the last one, the crawler, had the rest of the coppers. In total, he gathered two stags and fifteen copper stars, which he counted twice to make sure. He was glad that this was dealt with, now he could relax a bit and focus on the tournament.
It had been two weeks since he visited Garrick on the Street of Steel, when he first realised he was being followed. Since then the people following him only got bolder and more numerous, they started showing up in groups of three or four instead of one or two. They lurked outside the orphanage gates at night, or trailed him through markets during the day. To the point where he knew he had to deal with them before things got worse.
The children from the orphanage were going to the tourney to watch him today, so he could not take the chance that any of Rudge's men would try and kidnap one of them for leverage or revenge. While it would have been better to deal with Rudge himself and end the whole gang, he could not do that yet without risking an injury that might keep him out of the melee.
After the tournament though, Rudge would be dead.
Arthur would make sure of it.
He glanced up at the sky through the alley's narrow opening, where the sun sat higher than he expected. "Shit," he cursed, realizing the time. Morning had slipped away from him it seemed, though he did spend most of the night tracking and killing as many of Rudges men as he could, but now he needed to get back as he needed to get to the grounds earlier than usual so he could let the officials know he was there and still competing. He stuffed the last coins into his pouch, which clinked as he stood up. Then he headed home in a panic, jogging through back streets that twisted away from the main roads. People stared as he ran, but he ignored them, his mind raced ahead to the orphanage and his family that was waiting.
When he reached the gate, he pushed it open with a creak that alerted everyone inside. The yard was empty, but voices spilled out from the open door of the main hall. He stepped in, breathing hard, and found them all gathered around the table. The children sat with half-eaten bowls of porridge in front of them, spoons paused mid-air as they turned to look at him. Mira and Cassie stood near the hearth, where they helped Alys clear plates that were empty. Lunk sat at the end, his massive frame hunched over a bowl that looked tiny in his hands.
"Arthur!" Meggie jumped up first, her chair scraping back. "You're back! We thought you'd miss the tournament!"
He smiled, catching his breath as he closed the door behind him. "Wouldn't miss it for anything. Sorry I'm late. Had to handle something in the city."
Mira crossed the room quickly, her eyes searching his face for any sign of trouble. She wiped her hands on her apron and pulled him into a hug, which he returned tightly. "We were worried. You said morning, but it's almost noon now."
Cassie joined them, slipping an arm around his waist from the other side. "Yeah, what kept you? The kids have been asking every five minutes."
He kissed Mira's forehead first, then Cassie's cheek. "Just some errands that ran longer than I expected. Nothing big. But we need to head out soon if we're making the opening."
Alys set down a stack of bowls with a clatter and nodded at him. "Food's still warm. Grab a bite before we go. The little ones are bursting with excitement."
Jory stood up, his practice sword leaning against the table. "Arthur, will you win the melee? I bet you will. Are you gonna do that special n move you showed me!"
Ben chimed in, waving his spoon. "Yeah! Knock 'em all down!"
Thom nodded eagerly. "And bring back the prize gold! We can buy more swords!"
Arthur laughed as he sat at the table, pulling a bowl toward him. He spooned in some porridge, which steamed with honey stirred in. "One step at a time. But yeah, I'll give it everything I've got and do my best to win. You all just stick close in the crowd and cheer me on."
Lena tugged at his sleeve from her seat next to him. "Will there be dragons? Real ones?"
He ruffled her hair gently. "No dragons, but banners with them. And knights that fight like them."
Meggie leaned across the table. "And ladies in dresses? Mira said there'd be princesses!"
Mira smiled from where she stood behind Cassie. "Princess Rhaella might be there. She's the one who visits sometimes."
Cassie added, "And she'll wave at us if she sees us."
Lunk looked up from his bowl. "Big crowd. Stay with Lunk."
Arthur nodded at him. "Thanks, Lunk. You'll keep them safe won't you big guy."
Alys brought over a fresh loaf of bread, tearing off a piece for him. "Eat up. You've got a long day. And don't forget your armor, it's in the back room, I polished it last night for you."
He took the bread, dipping it in his porridge. "Thank you Alys I won't. Garrick did too good a work on it for it to be forgotten."
The children kept talking among themselves, their voices overlapping in excitement. Jory said to Ben, "I bet Arthur beats ten knights at once."
Ben replied, "Twenty! With one hand tied!"
Thom laughed. "And blindfolded!"
Lena whispered to her doll, "We'll get to see it all won't we?!."
Meanwhile Mira sat next to Arthur, her hand on his knee under the table. "You sure everything's okay? You look tense."
He squeezed her hand. "Yeah. Just the fight jitters. It's my first big tournament... I just hope it'll go well and I'll get noticed, otherwise I feel like it'll all be for naught."
Cassie leaned in from his other side. "Stop worrying so much Arthur you'll do great. We both believe in you."
Arthur smiled at them both and squeezed their hands. "Thank you... it means a lot to me to know you're both going to be watching.
The rest of the breakfast went quickly as they really did have little time before they needed to be out and heading towards the tourney grounds. Alys clapped her hands. "All right, finish those bowls. We leave in ten minutes."
The children hurried to eat, spoons clinking fast. Arthur finished his quickly, then stood up. "I'll grab my gear, make sure to get all the kids ready." They nodded back at him and gotnto work while he headed to the back room, where his armor waited on a stand. The breastplate gleamed from Alys' polish and looked every bit the knights armour that Garrick promised it would. He pulled on the gambeson first, which padded his tunic, then strapped on the plates; greaves over his shins, cuisses on his thighs, pauldrons for his shoulders. The vambrace with the hidden blade went on last. Sunset already at his hip. Then finally the helmet which he kept under his arm.
All in all it took him a while to put it on and he honestly doubted he would've managed it if it were not for his hyper flexibility, there were many straps and buckles that were just impossible to reach for someone normal. With everything on he tested his arms and his legs to make sure he had a little bit of manoeuvrability before leaving the room. When he came back out, everyone was ready. The children stood in a line, cloaks on and faces scrubbed. Mira and Cassie had their shawls, Alys carried a basket with food for the day. Lunk loomed behind them, a gentle giant with a club tucked in his belt.
"Look at you," Mira said, adjusting his collar. "Handsome and strong just like a real knight."
Cassie smiled. "Our knight."
Arthur grinned. "Not quite yet, but after today who knows," he replied.
They headed out the gate as a group, locking it behind them. The streets of Flea Bottom were busy, people heading the same way with excited chatter. Arthur led, with Mira and Cassie on each arm, the children in the middle, Alys and Lunk at the rear. "Stay close," he called back. "Hold hands if you need."
Meggie grabbed Lena's hand. "This is fun!"
Jory walked tall and refused to hold anyone's hand. "Like a real march to battle."
Ben and Thom raced ahead a bit, but Alys called them back. "No running off!"
As they climbed the Hill of Visenya toward the tourney grounds beyond the walls, the road narrowed and the pace slowed. The rise forced everyone into the same sloow trudge, every few steps somebody had to shoulder through. The roads behind them kept spitting people out in waves. Smallfolk came up from Flea Bottom in worn cloaks and patched hose, some carrying stools or rolled blankets like they meant to claim a spot early. Merchants pushed handcarts piled with ribbons, cheap tin cups, little carved knights, and skins of sour wine. A pair of butchers hauled a sack that left a thin line of blood where it dragged, aiming for the cookfires already smoking up ahead.
Gold cloaks stood at bends in the road where the crowd tried to spill off the path. One leaned on his spear and barked orders, sending carts to one side and walkers to the other, while another checked a passing cart with a quick glance and a palm held out for it to slow. Boys ran between legs selling meat pies and onions, and the smell from the vendor lines grew stronger the higher they went, fat popping over coals, bread warming on iron plates.
"Smell that?" Cassie said, sniffing. "Chestnuts and ale. I love tourney food, maybe because we don't have it often but there is always something so satsifyyng about it."
Mira tilted her head slightly. "I've never tried it before, I'm excited to see if it's as good as you say."
Cassie gave her a wide grin. "Oh trust me... you'll love it."
The grounds stretched far beyond what the children had imagined, there were tents in every colour flapping in the breeze. It looked less like a gathering and more like a city that had sprung up overnight. House sigils fluttered from tall poles: the golden lion of Lannister; the crowned stag of Baratheon; and above all, the red three-headed dragon of Targaryen flew high over a white pavilion near the center.
Knights clashed in small practice yards, their wooden blades slamming hard against shields with heavy thuds. Squires darted between tents their arms full of greaves, lances, and polishing cloths, shouting apologies as they weaved around onlookers. Every few steps someone was singing, shouting, laughing, or trying to push through a tight knot of gawking smallfolk. Somewhere near the east side, a minstrel strummed out a lively tune while a tumbling juggler threw three bright daggers in tight circles, drawing gasps and cheers each time the blades spun overhead.
"Flags for sale!" called a vendor near the main path. "Flags for House Targaryen! Lannister! Baratheon! Cheer your champion, don't be shy!"
"Meat pies, fresh meat pies! Still warm!" bellowed another. "Boar, pigeon, even onion if you're poor!"
Arthur guided the group through the crush, his hand tight around Mira's wrist so she wouldn't be pulled off by the tide of bodies. "Stay close," he said. "Don't stop for anything. The stands should be up near the north end. That way."
Cassie moved in on the other side of the group, steering the smaller children gently. "Don't wander, alright? Nobody's going anywhere alone."
Jory's eyes lit up as he pointed off to their left. "Look! Is that the joust lane? Gods, it's huge! That's where they'll charge, right?"
"Yeah," Arthur nodded, "they'll ride full tilt from either end. That's where the real matches happen."
Ben broke into a sprint to the edge of the path and shouted, "Horses! Big ones!"
"Ben, get back here!" Cassie barked, grabbing the back of his tunic and hauling him back with one arm. "You don't just run off, you little rat."
"They were so big!" Ben said, still grinning.
"Yeah, and they'll trample you flatter than a board if you run in front of them," she said, cuffing him lightly.
"I can't see!" Meggie complained as she tried to get up on her tip toes.
Lunk crouched, then hoisted Meggie up and onto his shoulders with a smile. "There. See better, little one."
Meggie giggled, gripping the top of his head for balance. "You're so tall! I can see the whole field!"
They made their way to the common stands that were filled with benches already filling with families, older men in patched cloaks, women with sunhats and baskets of food, and clusters of children arguing over which knight would win. Alys found a narrow space near the middle and quickly unfurled a worn wool blanket over the splintered boards.
"Here," she said, lowering herself carefully. "This'll do."
The children piled onto the blanket each one trying to get the best view. Mira dropped down beside them, adjusting her skirts and wiping her brow with the back of her hand. The field below was a wide oval, already raked smooth with sand. Men in leather jerkins dragged long-toothed rakes behind them, making sure the ground was even. A few lords and their retainers walked along the edges, inspecting the rails and seating arrangements. Overhead, the royal stands loomed like a throne of canvas and carved wood.
Arthur stayed standing for a moment, glancing toward the east field. He exhaled slowly, then turned to the group. "Alright. I have to go and let them know I'm here for the melee. The next time you see me will be when I'm on the field."
Mira stood and pulled him in by the collar, brushing her lips against his. "Be careful, alright? You don't need to prove anything to us. Just come back in one piece."
"I'll be fine," he said. "It's what I trained all this time for."
Cassie got up next and kissed him too, her hand lingering against his cheek. "Don't get cocky," she whispered. "Just... win for us, yeah?"
He smiled at both of them, eyes a little warmer than usual. "I will."
Then he turned to the rest.
"Wish me luck?"
Jory stood and gave him a firm punch to the arm. "You've don't need luck!"
"Luck!" Meggie called out from Lunk's shoulders, waving both hands like a windmill.
"Win!" shouted Ben, and Thom echoed it with a half-full mouth. "Win!"
Even Lena, who'd barely spoken since the morning, gave a small smile and a quiet, "Good luck, Arthur."
He gave her a wink. "Thanks everyone." And with that, he turned and made his way down the wooden steps, toward the rows of tents and the line of fighters waiting to sign their names into the day's first melee.
(AN: I may be speeding the plot along a little but meh, a lot of the stuff inbetween things isn't too important and I feel like characters have been developed enough. Now we do the fighting and plot.)
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