From the newest book, A Mate for Darkness-Ignis I. An apology for my lateness, enjoy.
From outside he could hear the commotions of the party goers. Trumpets were blaring announcing the arrival of someone, Ignis stared outside as Lord Adam Page rode through the city with several partisans. He went around waving and shaking the hands of the peasants while his men threw items in the air towards them. A giver to the poor.
Ignis had come out to the city to have a look at the knights who were arriving for the tourney. All knights had arrived from all over the kingdoms barring the North, Ignis knew his two knights Gerris and Williams would be participating in the tourney too.
Once Ignis had grown tired of spotting the participants he had decided to return back to the Red Keep so he rode back in the tide of knights, gleaming in the armour like little beams of sunlight, though the sun these days did not shine so intensely as it had once done. He had seen the figures of Ser Christopher Haverts, Lord Arkman and the bright Deen Djareen whose home had once been the Green Isles. The cloak Deen had sported consisted of red, orange and green feathers that contrasted against his ebony skin.
Finally he had come to tower of the Hand and entered, hoping to proceed up the steps and into his desk area but he was stopped by his wife.
“What are you in a rush for?” Jade Arryn or rather Jade Swyft asked, Ignis went to her and kissed her, warming to her touch. “Are you entering the tourney?”
“Me?” He scoffed “of course not. Ser Williams and Ser Gerris will represent my company for me.”
“Why don’t you try?”
“I’m not a knight, nor am I a good tourney jouster” Ignis admitted,
“You’re good enough for me.” Ignis smiled back at Jade, her face turned serious “I have something to tell you”
“Go on”
“I want to go back to the Bronze Isles for a while, the two of us. I want us to both go.” She wasn’t so affirmative in her tone knowing what the answer would be,
“The Bronze Isles?” He replied in surprise “wh-why would you want to go there?” He chuckled to himself,
“Ignis. My dad is there”
“No. That’s the final answer, I won’t let you go to those islands of beasts and monsters”
“Those are my people!”
“You are my wife! I am your people now”
“I don’t care that I’m your wife, I can go wherever I want.”
“You are the only good one out of those people, they’re evil people, if you so badly want to go go. I won’t come.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about Ignis Swyft”
“They tried to kill me, they tried to kill your father, all they’ve ever done is kill people in the past and the present. I love you Jade, I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“Are you forgetting that your people have killed my people?”
“You’re not going, end of.”
“Eh, bad time?” Someone spoke, it wasn’t the voice of Jade or Ignis. Within an instant they both turned, regretting their words.
Brother?
Standing across the two was Ignis’s family, all the way from Starfall. Arthur Swyft, Ashara Swyft, Vorian Swyft, Eric Swyft and even Tyene Swyft.
“Brother” Ignis faintly said, “We weren’t expecting you.”
“No, you weren’t. The tourney allowed us to come.” Arthur answered. “So this is Jade” he examined her “most wonderful.”
“Is the king anywhere near?” Ashara asked,
“The King’s marriage is also a topic for why we are here” Arthur admitted, Ignis nodded his head knowing his relationship with the king had become strained.
Together they entered the tourney grounds and took their seats at the jousting field, with the other highborn. The horns blew for the first joust. Out came Ser Marcel Rainwood with a red cape overdrawn his armour, his helm was flamboyant and boisterous while a bundle of knights by his side cheered him on. Out from the opposite side came another knight.
And this knight merited high acclaim and thunderous applause when they saw his armour. The knight wore milk white armour and his horse was dropped in a blanket of ring mail. For The Panther the common folk and the nobility cheered loudly.
“A hundred dragons on Ser Marcel” someone announced loudly
“Done.” Someone shouted back “you’re a fool to bet against a Kingsguard.”
Both knights rode to the end of their rows and readied their lances.
Ignis knew that Edmund would win so he wasn’t as invested as Vorian and Edric were, he saw the glimmer in their eyes as they saw the two horses begin to erupt into a gallop and then a full blown sprint, they saw the specks of dirt that were kicked up from the hooves of the horses. Ignis looked to Ashara to see her eyes were not even to the two jousters, he followed her eye of sight which led him to King Aeyron. He were more presentable than he had been a few weeks ago, his long hair and his messy beard but now he had cut his hair to the shortest Ignis had seen in years. Two inches short it must’ve been, kept parted down the middle like he always did but regarding his beard he had decided not to razor it all like he used to instead he allowed it to remain there although not allowing it to grow big. The seat next to Aeyron remained a spot for a ghost, empty. If only Ashara knew what Aeyron had become.
Ignis hadn’t seen the result of the joust but had heard the crash of wood, the neigh of the horse and the cheer of the crowd. He saw the delight in Vorian and Edric as Ser Edmund Moore brought his horse around for a lap of victory.
Ser Marcel Rainwood humbly accepted his defeat, immediately leaving alongside his band of knights. Soon, Edmund followed allowing the next competitors to take their stage.
“The King” Ashara spoke to Ignis, “he’s-”
“Lonely?”
“Yes, perhaps I should see him now?”
“He’ll be more interested in the joust then he will with you, and you can see how disinterested he is in the tourney”
“Oh. He won’t like me?” His sister asked deflated,
“He doesn’t seem to like anyone these days”
“What happened to him? I heard he was always a warm man?”
“Aye he was warm, then the war came and purged that out of him.” Ignis reflected more to himself than Ashara.
“Well his grieving has still left him beautiful”
“Beautiful from the outside sister, inside…not so much anymore.”
“Why haven’t you done anything to stop this?” She accused “How could you let this happen?”
“If only it were that simple. I tried.” He declared exasperatedly, “in the end I did. I tried my all.” He repeated,
“All he needs is some love Ignis.” She replied stubbornly.
Arthur abruptly got up, Jade stopped him asking him where he was going “You don’t suppose I’ve come all the way to not take part in the jousts?”Arthur replied back, they all looked back at him with shock as Arthur began his way to the track picking his horse and suiting up with his armour. When he were announced the crowd applauded him-The Lord of Starfall.
His opponent came glamoured in all gold armour and his horse in a blanket of red and gold, the famed knight came out to a salmagundi of bravo and jeers. That was the reception that Ser Jamie Casterly merited.
Ignis recognised the hint of confusion from Vorian and Edric-of what to think about Jamie Casterly. He looked a perfect knight, tall and handsome but everyone knew of his defining deed. Ignis’s opinion? It hadn’t changed from the first time he had met The Kingslayer.
Leave him on his arse Arthur, knock him off his pedestal and show that he isn’t the knight that he thinks he is.
Arthur and Jamie readied their destriers and the horn blew rumbling in his ears, the two foes marched on, Ser Jamie fixed his lance and Arthur bore his towards Jamie. His brother struck first against the Golden Lion unbalancing him as he fought to stay on his saddle. Ignis shouted Arthur on.
Ser Jamie pulled his horse back and brought it to a gallop riding back to Arthur who had gained a second lance to replace his splintered one.
Jamie came at him striking square at Lord Arthur-“oh” said Edric as Arthur fell into the ground defeated by Jamie Casterly.
“All too easy” Jamie announced to the crowds he paraded around in victory, infuriating Ignis.
“At least he got a hit in” Ashara mused.
Later in the day Jamie had continued his run; unhorsing Ser George Strong and Ser Edmund Moore while Ser Lewyn preceded to face him in the final. There had been eight broken lances given by Lewyn but Ser Jamie had imposed him onto the floor and defeated him.
There he stood as the champion of the joust. Twenty thousand gold dragons went into his purse though frankly he did not need it, he were a Casterly after all.
And to congratulate his victory was his father Lord Tywon Casterly, but their celebration was cut short as they all could hear the clambering of feet and armour. All their heads turned as a blonde haired, youthful man emerged with guards around him, making his way to Lord Tywon and Ser Jamie.
“Who’s that” Vorian asked
“That’s Tywon’s younger son, Loreon Casterly.”