Red Helix

Defining Chivalry (ariplotter and Red Helix)

Aidan raised his brow as he noticed Sir Lyn stammer, her cheeks turning a brief tint of red. "Very well, Lyn." He wondered what had caused the oddity in the knight's behavior. Perhaps she was feeling flattered by the Prince, or there was something sensitive about the name she almost spoke. He swapped between looking at his book and looking at Sir Lyn for the next few minutes until she spoke again, asking about Lyonsvarg.

"No, I've never strayed outside of my father's Kingdom before." he replied. "I've heard that it has miserable weather much of the year - rainy and cold. Not exactly qualities I enjoy. It's a rich enough in resources though to have homed countless fiefdoms, tribes and principalities over the years, of course. The current kingdom established by King Tamwyn is said to be fairly stable, though not nearly as centralized as Leincrad. Or as safe, from what I hear. There's not many roads besides the one we're on that lead to Lyonsvarg's heart, much of the land being wracked with wilderness. Banditry is more common than in Leincrad too, as they don't have a Knight's Academy to help curb such an issue. I do hear that the regular folk are good company though - eager to drink and make festivities. The nobles are said to be a bit more tricksy and bloodthirsty, always at one another's throats over something unless there's a strong king to keep them in line."

He looked over to her. "What of you, Lyn? Have you been there yet?"

Defining Chivalry (ariplotter and Red Helix)

Aidan nodded his head before turning his attention back to his book. He was currently reading a section on how courtesy, greetings and other formal functions differed in the Kingdom of Lyonsvarg. While similar to Leincrad in many regards, Lyonsvarg's culture was more traditionalist. The factions of nobility referred to themselves under the term "Clan" rather than "House", hearkening back to older times. Many disputes were also still resolved through duels or combats between the members of feuding families. Dialects and customs varied heavily between different regions of the Kingdom, which itself was held together from fracturing by the strong leadership of its king. Prince Aidan knew that the current King Tamwyn had been a Duke before, having risen to the throne through competence in battle and earning the respect of his peers rather than due to blood inheritance.

He wondered how most people in Lyonsvarg would react to Sir Lyn. Seeing a female knight was no longer like sighting a unicorn in Leincrad at least, but in Lyonsvarg it could be quite the sight. As the Prince wondered that though, said companion returned to the wagon and alerted him that they would need to star moving again. Aidan nodded his head as Lyn started the wagon off once more.

As they traveled, Aidan paid more attentions to his surroundings than his book. He also gave more glances over to Sir Lyn. Eventually he spoke up. "And what of you, Lyn? Would you prefer the title Sir, or my Lady?" The Prince was unsure what to call a lady knight, having never encountered one before truly.

Defining Chivalry (ariplotter and Red Helix)

Prince Aidan slunk against a cushion in the back of the wagon. He sighed once more before reaching towards the satchel containing his belongings and withdrawing a large book entitled Lyonsvarg: From Copper Tribes to the New Century. He kept his nose in the encyclopedia for the next few hours, trying to do his best to forget his current predicament. Occasionally he looked out to the back of the wagon, watching the Royal Palace shrink away into the horizon. It was rare for him to venture so far outside of the capital, let alone Leincrad, and was looking forward to seeing new scenery at least.

He also occasionally stared the other way briefly - taking looks at his new companion. Aidan was surprised that he hadn't realized Sir Lyn was female. She had a face too soft for most male warriors to possess, and quite lovely red hair too...the Prince shook away that train of thought, turning back to his book swiftly.

As she spoke for the first time in hours however, the Prince turned back to his companion. "I would prefer to remain inside. And for titles - my Lord, my Prince, and your Highness would all be acceptable. Don't refer to me by any of those titles or my names when others are around though. My name then will be Erik Gwent, a courtier from the Western Isles."

Defining Chivalry (ariplotter and Red Helix)

Aidan paused a moment again as Sir Lyn confirmed the reality of the situation. He looked at her face again, knowing it was the same that he'd seen the night before. He pursed his lips briefly, wondering if he should go through with it. Not doing so would be foolish however. Sir Lyn had proven herself decisively to be the strongest out of the young knights, the rest of whom were likely already scattered to the winds. And it was too late to make a change of plans and go with a knight of the Royal Guard instead, not to mention risky for obvious reasons. Heading to Lyonsvarg as soon as possible was the priority.

The Prince resigned to a sigh. "Very well, Sir Lyn. If you are ready to serve your Prince then, you may climb aboard the wagon and take the reins. Leave whatever items you desire in the back." With that, Aidan turned away and climbed into the back of the roofed wagon, grumbling slightly. Being unable to fight for himself was bad enough, but if anyone ever learned that he had a girl be his bodyguard, the Prince could very well become a laughing stock among the merciless, back-talking nobility.

Defining Chivalry (ariplotter and Red Helix)

Aidan was busy cross-checking the wagon's inventory when a mysterious voice stole his attention. Immediately his ears picked up something off with the speaker's words and the higher-pitched tone of their voice. The Prince snapped his head around to face Sir Lyn, who was wearing an outfit that revealed the true figure of her body. Her feminine face was also more clearly visible to Aidan, no longer muddled by the influence of dim lighting and wine.

He was frozen, staring at her in visible shock. After a moment, the Prince spoke. "Is this a joke?" he said, looking her up and down once more to make certain he was seeing things right. He had heard that the Knight's Academy was training a small handful of girls, but didn't think at all that Sir Lyn might be one one. He never would have thought one would be strong enough to win a tourney, certainly.

He looked around to make sure that the girl wasn't a squire or page, introducing the Prince to the actual Sir Lyn. Nobody else was visible, and she was carrying a knight's shield. "Oh my, this if for real, isn't it?"

Defining Chivalry (ariplotter and Red Helix)

Javert nodded. "Very well. I will inform His Highness of the good news. I would also advise an early rest for an early rise, as I fully expect His Highness wishes to set off in the morning." With that, the steward left Lyn's tent and headed back to the field, where a series of long tables covered with food and drink now rested where an arena had been set-up less than an hour ago.

Prince Aidan rested at the head of the largest table, helping himself to a rather simple meal of kale and salmon, with a cup of red wine on the side. The royal physician had approved said meal among others as being healthy for the Prince's weak heart. Aidan always had to be careful that whatever he ate and drank didn't risk worsening his condition. Red meats, pork, buttered bread and other typical indulgences for nobility were all off the table for him.

As Javert whispered him the news, Aidan was glad to hear that the Sir Lyn accepted his offer, but disappointed that he wasn't going to join the feast. A tourney feast without the tourney's victor attending was a queer thing, and Aidan had been looking forward to conversing with the young knight. Still, a minor inconvenience. They would have plenty of time to get acquainted along the road to Lyonsvarg.

Soon the feast ended, the sun vanished, the assembled peoples dispersed, and the Prince was taken back home to his palace in a carriage. He rested well and woke up in the morning with a spring to his step. Today would be the day that he would begin his first true duty for the Kingdom of Leincrad, to prove himself worthy of his future crown in the eyes of his father and the people. He was nervous for certain, but also certain that he could rise to the occasion. Perhaps the victory of Sir Lyn the day before had filled him with a renewed confidence.

The Prince got his personal items together, most importantly his heart medicine. The small white crystalline capsules contained a powder that would help stabilize him if his heart began pounding like a drum. Aidan took pride in being able to craft them himself, having learned some magical alchemy during his years studying in the castle. He picked up a small brewing kit, magic charms and spell materials along with several books. One was a favourite novel of his, a few others arcane tomes, and a pair of heavy encyclopedias on Lyonsvarg and Renado respectively. He would be studying those intimately during the travel.

The servants got the rest of his mundane needs packed and ready. They were loaded into a rather simple roofed wagon in the palace yard, rather than the usual royal carriage. Aidan had suggested using the wagon as it would attract far less attention from potential agents of Renado. The Prince stood next to it, waiting patiently for his companion Sir Lyn to arrive.

Defining Chivalry (ariplotter and Red Helix)

As the afternoon turned to evening, the tourney continued and so did the decisive victories of Sir Lyn. Aidan was quite impressed both his performance and that of Sir Orenel, who each ended up displaying a great deal of skill and talent despite being younger knights. The tourney was shaping up to be a much more successful endeavor than he originally believed. Sir Lyn and Sir Orenel were to face off against each other for the finale, with Aidan now fully intending to hire the victor.

The noise of the crowd, opening instruments and eventual steel-against-steel drowned out all other sounds. As the duel began, Aidan could swear he noticed an intensity to the movements of both knights that was absent during their previous matches. Perhaps they knew one another were rivals, or perhaps the two finalists simply knew to take each other more seriously than the amateurs they'd beaten earlier. Regardless it had Aidan hook on the match. He ignored everything else, leaning so far forward that he was literally on the edge of his throne.

The duel lasted longer than those prior, with several minutes of equally matched parries for every swing. The two knights broke off briefly, seemingly staring one another down before Sir Orenel lashed out and was met with a strong counter. Both knights took off their helms a moment later. The distance was too far for Aidan to distinguish much, especially with the frantic back-and-forth movement along with the darkening light of the evening looming over the tourney field now.

Aidan winced a little as Sir Orenel smashed his knee into the other knight's gut. A dirty trick, but a practical one. As Orenel brought his sword up high, ready to finish off his opponent, Lyn knocked over the other knight. He then picked up Orenel's disarmed sword along with his own, standing over his foe victorious.

The Prince smiled and lifted himself from his throne. He began clapping his hands, followed shortly by his attendant royal court and the rest of the crowd. Trumpets and cornetts joined the applause to flood the tourney field with the sounds of victory. As the musicians stopped and the crowd began to simmer, Aidan spoke.

"Congratulations, Sir Lyn of the Western Isles! You've undeniably proven yourself on this day to be the most valiant and skilled of any young man in all of Leincrad. Truly, a stellar example of what any boy wishing to be a knight should aspire to be like." he said, then lifted his wine glass up as though to toast. "And of course, such skill at arms will not go unrewarded! Once you've rested and tended to your wounds, my servant shall approach you with a hefty purse as a prize for your victory today. Oh and of course, there's to be a food banquet now that the tourney is over. All are invited, even the unvictorious!"

That earned a large pop from the crowd. Everyone could appreciate getting free food, especially when it also meant dining alongside the crown Prince. As the crowd made a ruckus and the tourney field was dissembled, Aidan lifted himself from his small throne and gestured over his manservant, walking with him aside.

"Javert, I wish for you to approach Sir Lyn with a bag of 5,000 florins...and tell him that he may earn 10,000 more if he is willing to serve as Prince Aidan Leinster's personal knight for a mission that bears great importance in ensuring the safety of Leincrad and its people. Tell him that he will have to escort me to Lyonsvarg, protecting me for what could be quite a long time."

Javert nodded and Aidan patted him on the back, smiling. The manservant produced a purse of many florins before heading off to find the young Sir Lyn, and give him the Prince's message.

Defining Chivalry (ariplotter and Red Helix)

The next duel was between Sir Lyn and Sir Vancel. The latter knight was remarkably large and had done decently well with his own fighting. Up against the skill of Sir Lyn, perhaps Aidan was due to watch the first proper duel of the tournament. He sipped his wine once more, grinning as the two knights came to face each other.

Sir Vancel was the first to strike, with Sir Lyn dodging easily as he had before. Sir Lyn misjudged the distance of his counter attack and earned a bash to the dirt for his trouble. Aidan watched as Sir Lyn cleverly staggered the larger foe, before attempting a barrage of swings and locking blades.

The Prince leaned forward in his throne, as did many others in the crowd, and began watching more intently than before. Then Sir Lyn broke the bladelock and used Sir Vancel's own weight to bring him down, kicking him as he stumbled and bringing his sword to the fallen giant's throat.

As the trumpets accompanied Sir Lyn's victory, Aidan couldn't help but chuckle. He was actually impressed now.

Defining Chivalry (ariplotter and Red Helix)

Prince Aidan slunk into his throne and ordered one of his servants to fetch some wine, knowing that he was in for a long afternoon. He had attended tournaments before, enjoying some of the combat displays quite a bit. When he was younger, he used to wish that he could be like the mighty jousters or melee champions, powerful enough to topple a man off his horse or off his feet with a single blow.

But he felt no sense of nostalgia during this tourney. As he had worried, many of the knights were green. Some were good, but not as good as what the Prince was used to. The very first duel started off with one of the knights tripping and falling ontop of the other. A bad omen already. The ones that followed were better at least, but still nothing to admire.

"I can't trust my life with a knight who's only decent." Aidan thought as he watched over the tourney. Perhaps he would just have to convince his father that going with one of the royal guard would be a safer plan.

The crier announced the next duel as being between Sir Lyn of the Western Isles and Sir Tyrragon of Clarendell. The Prince recognized neither names, which he deemed unsurprising considering the state of the young rabble. What was surprising, however, was the performance of Sir Lyn.

The Western Isle Knight defeated his opponent in short order using a swift shoulder-strike following an equally quick dodge. It was enough to make Aidan pull himself up from his throne, his interest peaked by the Sir Lyn's thorough display of skill. As the Western Isle Knight secured their victory, the Prince offered a small smile. As Sir Lyn lifted his visor, Aidan noted that he looked perhaps younger than most of the other knights. Very interesting.

As the tourney progressed, Aidan paid little attention until it was Sir Lyn's turn again to duel. He adjusted his posture up while seated on his throne, taking a sip of wine as the trumpets bellowed once more.

Defining Chivalry (ariplotter and Red Helix)

The Prince of Leincrad paced about in his tent, the wooden platform that made up the floor below creaking a bit under every step. He made a mental note to order one of the servants to fetch a carpet for it later. For now though, Aidan had more important matters to concern himself with. He stopped pacing for a moment to slightly lift the edge of the tent flap aside, peeking outside. Encircling fences, lists and targets had all been properly set up for the coming tourney. Soon the knights would be arriving, with one of them due to be Aidan's protector for a long time to come.

"Such rubbish." he thought to himself. "If father is so concerned, he should let me travel with one of our finest royal guards. Sir Reynard or Balor Stonearm. Not some...pup of a knight picked out from the best of a litter."

Aidan sighed. He wondered if having a bodyguard would even be necessary if he was half as strong as his father was at this age. He shook away the thought. There was no point in moping over what could be now, only looking to make the best out of what he had.

"I just hope that what I have isn't a rabble of green men who were only recently elevated from squirehood."

The sound of hooves was soon picked up by the Prince's ears. It seemed the knights had arrived. He took a moment to adjust himself in the mirror, making sure he looked as refined and handsome as the heir to Leincrad ought to be. The hooves became thunderous as he exited his tent. He stepped towards the edge of the platform that overlooked the tourney field, with a small yet suitably regal-looking throne at the end. He sat down, looking over the assembled knights with his best forced smile as members of the royal court gathered around him.

"Greetings, knights of the realm! I, Prince Aidan Leinster, welcome you to the principal tourney. You have come this day to show your crown prince the valour, strength and honor that the finest young sirs of Leincard possess. I hope to not be disappointed!"

Aidan turned to one of the nearby magisters and nodded. The magister in turn raised his hand, ready to signal the musicians to blow their cornetts.

"Without further ado, let the tournament commence! May the best man win!"

And with that, the cornetts roared across the field, signaling the official start of the knightly tournament.