The White Knight and the Black: A Short Story
A Short Excerpt From
The History and Life of Good King Malcom the First of Amica From Coronation To Death:
An Unbiased Telling in General Chronological Order
Volume The Fourth
Commissioned by King Kenneth of Amica
Written by Scholar Ioan Ibnap Irfan of Abercrow
Overseen By The Scholars of Sage City
Approved By The Lord Rector of Amica and His Majesty the King of Amica
Published in Llyngardd, Lochan Arda; AC-CDXLIX (449 AC)
It was in the autumn of 408 AC that the negotiations came to an end. Good King Malcom was quick to make the announcement, proclaiming to all that his daughter and heir, the Princess Aoife, was happily engaged to the brother of the King of the New Scotian Kingdom, the Prince Pierre. To celebrate the news, King Malcom hosted a great tourney in the Capital, and it was one that every bard and romantic knows well.
The first day of the tournament was as warm and sunny as summer. A good omen, to be sure. Masses turned out for the last and greatest tourney of the year, from the city to the villages and beyond. Two kings sat in the centrepiece of the viewing stand. The Amican king on the left and the Scotian king on the right, with the betrothed prince and princess between them. The rest of the viewing stands spread out across the length of the jousting field and were filled with highborn nobles from both kingdoms.
The day started strong with its first competition, the eight champions of each king jousting against one another. It was a simple contest, the eight champions of King Malcom would ride against the eight champions of King Louis, and the winners of each joust would then ride each other in a bracket tournament until one victor emerged.
In the morning, Sir Eva of Ironwood rode against Sir William of West Scotian. In each pass, Sir William gained more points than his opponent, with well-placed strikes and well broken lances. However, in the seventh of eight possible passes, Sir Eva knocked her opponent from his saddle, ending the joust with an Amican victory. Even after the points were added up, the Ironwood legend had only just outmatched the West Scotian villain thanks to that final strike.
Sir Clancy of Karcia fought Madsir Martin in the second joust. The old, seasoned soldier was recorded to have been unsettled by the sight of the Madsir, whose fever in battle was known far and wide. They rode once, both breaking their lances with well-placed hits, but neither falling from their steeds. Despite gaining equal points, Sir Clancy dismounted his steed and yielded the contest to the Madsir, fearing a second pass. With eight passes in total, the Kingdom of Amica and the New Scotian Kingdom were tied with one champion each.
The next saw Sir Malcom Wolf, known as the True Wolf, go up against Sir Louis Le Xander. In their very first pass, Sir Louis knocked Sir Malcom from his horse, but when the fallen champion demanded the contest continue on foot in a melee, the confident Sir Louis obliged, only to be quite mauled by the True Wolf, yielding his victory to his terrifying foe.
The ambassador of the Caliphate of the Rayfirlands, the queer Qadir, asked to be King Malcom's next champion so he may face an old rival of his, Sir Maurice of North Mandy. Before noon, the two charged at one another on the field, each breaking their lances in the first two passes. On the third, Sir Maurice missed his large opponent entirely, claiming to scholars a great gust of wind had attacked him, leading to Qadir the Cowboy unhorsing his foe and winning the joust.
The first morning of the tournament ended with three victories to the knights of Amica, and only one to the knights of the New Scotian Kingdom.
While the two kings had cheered and cried, debated and argued, and showed good sportsmanship through the morning of the first day, the betrothed were recorded to have spoken little. While the tourney scribe claimed this to be due to anxieties over the seventh tilt, which would see the inexperienced Prince Pierre go up against a formidable foe wherein he may be wounded, a more interesting scholar ascribed this to their less than romantic relationship so far.
The Black Princess was named so not only for her dark skin, but for her former betrothal to the daring Black Count, Arthas Blackbridge. Their long courtship and even longer betrothal has been the source of many songs, each one detailing how the sometimes cruel, often reckless, but eternally alluring Count of Blackbridge had charmed not just the princess but the king and queen as well, and how he led the once shy princess to become the bold and confident Black Princess she is now known for.
For all that the Black Count was, this White Prince was not. He was anxious and quiet, struggling to speak for himself and turning as pale as a ghost when attention fell upon him. He seldom ate, did not enjoy hunting or riding, and preferred to wear simple clothes to the more regal outfits of his kin. Records of the royal physician who treated Prince Pierre claims he had a difficult body and sensitive disposition, but an amicable mind and a good soul. He was little like the man the princess had fallen in love with years before. It was this apparent lack of connection that led the White Prince and the Black Princess to seldom speak to one another throughout the first morning of the tourney. However, as the day progressed, a different kind of love would reveal itself.
When the masses came together after their break for luncheon, the afternoon portion of the jousting began. The event's scribe records an unusual turn of events in this second part, as when the lists were unveiled, there was one name missing. While many tournaments of champions had all the champions named beforehand, it was not uncommon for the hosts to select their champions on the day of the jousting. Before they broke to eat, two Scotian spaces were empty and one Amican place. While King Louis of the New Scotian Kingdom did as was expected, accepting two knights to join the lists, King Malcom of Amica chose not to. This led to a scene, often humorously depicted in songs or plays or paintings, of two dozen knights dressed in full armour standing by lists in the sweltering heat for the rest of the afternoon, hoping to be seen and chosen by the king.
The second half of the first day of the tournament began with Duke Otho Becket of Castle Armstrong riding against the Dark Duke Darcy of the Shadow Chateau. The tourney's scribe recorded the events from near the west side of the field and claims to have heard Duke Otho sobbing under his helmet before the charge. As their horses bounded down either side of the tilt, Otho dropped his lance and covered his face, allowing the Dark Duke to strike his chest and throw him clean off his horse. Otho got up from the field and slowly left without a word, not seeking a melee, and although there was some debate on whether dropping one's lance should count as a disqualification or should warrant a rerun of the pass, it was eventually declared that the Dark Duke was the victor.
The next tilt saw the courageous Sir Angelica of Abercrow go up against the lesser-known Sir Parras de Frank. Abercrow's greatest warrior broke her entire lance on her opponent, unhorsing him with ease, while his lance barely chipped upon her as it bounced from her fine Abercrow-made armour. The scoundrel then demanded a melee, which the brave Sir Angelica agreed to. She towered over her foe and took every blow he landed on her, before beating him down and picking him up and holding him towards the viewing stands as he yielded the fight. Sir Angelica's most well-known victory in her illustrious career was also the last fight she ever faced.
The penultimate joust of the first day was one most had been waiting for. Prince Pierre Scotian, the Scotian king's brother and champion, faced off against Lord Donald of Brighthill, one of the greatest tourney knights in living memory.
Lord Donald rode up and down the length of the field as he played to the mostly Amican crowd. His booming voice and hearty laugh won the people over with ease, and his golden armour, despite being dark and dirty, was a sight to behold. When he approached the other side of the tilt and began to play to the viewing stand of nobility, he got a less enthusiastic response. Both kings glared at him, no doubt wanting him to go easy on the frail and inexperienced Prince Pierre. The Lord of Brighthill then pulled his horse towards the Princess Aoife, boldly asking for a token of her favour, to be the object of his affection and the patron of his heart, as if he did not know he was jousting against her betrothed. She, obviously, denied Lord Donald her favour, which he only laughed at and rode away.
The Prince himself soon appeared, slowly trotting his horse out of the pavilion. Pierre never played to the crowd, or showed off his few horseriding skills, but he regardless got a thunderous applause. This, as many suspect, was not only because of his high birth, but was also for his appearance, which gave him the nickname he is best known for; the White Prince. He allegedly wore the finest more gallant of armour in the entire Scotian country. The plates, chainmail, helmet, all of it, was white as the purest of snow. Even the feather atop his helmet and the cape he had chosen to wear were white. His stallion and its armour were similarly white as well. Many claimed he shone as he appeared on the field. These claims no doubt helped Lord Donald's own arguments moments later.
The White Prince approached the viewing stand, bowing to his brother, then to his future father-in-law, before removing his helmet and asking his betrothed for her favour. It is said that the prince was visibly shaking, though whether that was from the thought of the joust, the attention from the crowds, or simply the presence of such a woman, we cannot know. The Princess Aoife smiled and came to the barrier, asking for his helmet. He clumsily handed it over, and she planted a kiss upon the mouthguard, imprinting black lips upon the white armour.
Prince Pierre and Lord Donald then took their places, the white knight and the gold. When they charged, the prince struggled to keep a hold of his lance while the lord kept his impressively steady. However, in the final moments, Lord Donald flinched, and his lance was brought a little higher. While the White Prince's lance chipped and harmlessly bounced off his opponent's shield, the Lord of Brighthill's lance missed his opponent's shield entirely and broke upon Pierre's helmet, denting it inward and throwing the royal from his horse.
Cries broke out as the prince crumbled on the floor. Both kings had leapt to their feet and stood by the barrier, while the princess had already slid underneath it and dropped six feet to the ground, running as fast as she could in her dress to the man she had given her favour. Physicians, friends, and other attendees followed behind, but she reached him first. It is said that when she pulled off his helmet, all people from the crowds could see was a bloody face, which soon poured over his white armour.
The most famous account of the event claims the princess began to faint at the sight of so much blood, but as she was falling, she was caught by the White Prince, who was not as wounded as he seemed. It goes on to claim that he was quick to get to his feet, holding her up as he did so, and that he then carried here away from the muddy field and to a patch of grass and flowers nearby where he could safely lay her down. This was the tale that led to the famous painting, The White Prince and the Black Princess. Another popular account claims that she did not faint or show any fear, only concern, and that he came to and saw she was getting mud upon her favourite black dress, and so he got up and carried here away from the mud and the crowd in the haze of a concussion. Other accounts, including the event's scribe, claim none of this happened, that there was no patch of flowers nearby and there was no evidence that the prince carried the princess, though these accounts also admit they could not see what was happening as the crowd quickly grew thick around the couple and it did not dissipate until after the White Knight and the Black Princess had returned to his pavilion.
The Lord of Brighthill claims to not have realised what he had done, only glancing back at his fallen opponent to be sure he had won, before laughing and turning to run the length of the field in victory. It was when he turned again to go down his opponent's side of the tilt, did he realise the prince was wounded. He would later claim that the white armour had caught the glare of the sun and blinded him in the final moments of the joust, causing him to look away and lose his focus.
Despite a great amount of blood being spilled, so much so one physician mistakenly cried out to the kings that the lance had destroyed the prince's entire face and killed him, the damage done was only a broken nose. The Scotian king would later joke that his brother was always a 'big bleeder'. The kings argued over whether the Lord of Brighthill ought to be disqualified for his action. King Louis tried to compromise, and suggested Lord Donald take up the place of King Malcom's eighth and final champion, filling the still empty space, but King Malcom rejected this idea, and with Prince Pierre's interjection, King Louis allowed Lord Donald to be declared the champion.
With the final Amican champion still not named, and the prince wounded and needing some time to recover, the tourney broke for an early supper, to be reconvened afterwards for the final joust.
It was near evening when the final tilt of the first day began. King Malcom sat grinning in the viewing stand, with King Louis confused and concerned, as the Amican champion had been chosen, but not announced. As the Scotian champion, the fat Baron Charlie de Rocher, mounted his horse and seemed to struggle with keeping a hold of it, Prince Pierre joined the viewing stand to another thunderous applause. He wore his simple clothes this time, looking almost like a brightly clothed peasant, so the applause was no doubt for his bravery. He had partially bloody handkerchief up his nose as he took his place alone between the two kings.
It was then that the final champion appeared, trotting out from the White Prince's own pavilion, but instead of wearing white, this mystery knight rode a black stallion and wore a fine black armour. The scribe's original notes claim it was the Black Count come again, and later reports confirm the rider was wearing Count Arthas Blackbridge's old armour, though it had been adjusted and improved for the tourney. A deep silence befell the crowd as this unknown black knight slowly rode up and down the field, looking from one face to another. The knight then rode up to the viewing stands and bowed to the two kings, and then approached the prince. The black knight and the white Prince exchanged some words, and then the black knight removed her helm.
Princess Aoife smiled up at her betrothed, her long black hair flowing from her helm. The crowd turned from silence to cheers as King Malcom turned to the bewildered King Louis, before both men began to laugh. The prince ran to the barrier and leaned over, just as shocked as his brother, and began to speak with his betrothed.
What was said exactly is not known, but firsthand accounts claim that the prince had not known she could joust, and she had claimed it was never discussed much in public, but that she had been trained as a knight, and even knighted some years earlier, as is expected of the heir to a kingdom. The New Scotian Kingdoms had not yet adapted to the new way of things that had become popular since the Kingdom of Amica had set the precedent a century before, so the tourney had been a series of surprises for the Scotian dynasty, from women knights to queer cowboys, and now princess herself being her father's champion.
The Black Princess then asked for the White Prince's favour. Pierre had not expected this, so he had nothing spare to give, except one thing. In a panic, he grabbed the bloody handkerchief from his nose and awkwardly stared at it, as if he were debating in his head whether he should or not. Princess Aoife, who favoured the colour red as much as the colour black, is said to have laughed and beckoned for him to hand it to her. She then fashioned it into a hair tie and put on her helm.
The final two champions then brought their horses to the tilt, and when the signal was given, they both charged. Baron Charlie de Rocher dropped his lance in the final moment and let the princess strike him. He fell from his horse and the joust was won by the Princess Aoife. The baron later remarked that he had seen what had almost happened to the prince and he believed women were far more fragile, he did not want to kill a royal princess on his first outing to Amica. Ironically, however, the next time the baron found himself in Amica was a decade and a half later when the two kingdoms were at war, and he would be felled in a battle against Aoife's sister, the Princess Maud, wherein he attempted to kill her.
With the first day of jousting complete, six victors were Amican, and only two were Scotian.
The following morning was warmer than the last. Sixteen tilts had happened on the first day, only seven remained on the second day.
The first joust saw the first two victors of the previous morning face off. Sir Eva of Ironwood and Madsir Martin. The former had spent the previous afternoon resting and recovering from her seven passes, while the latter had spent the previous afternoon drinking and brawling and getting into trouble with the local guards. They only had one charge before the joust was over. While Sir Eva kept her lance up, the Madsir lowered his and pierced the heart of his opponent's horse, throwing her from her horse headfirst. Whether the mad knight had lowered his lance out of drunkenness, tiredness, or due to crueller intentions, it cannot be known, as Martin refused to elaborate afterwards. However, it was confirmed by experts that his lance was not sharpened or strengthened, and was an ordinary lance, and that it was merely a well-placed strike that cost the horse its life. Regardless of intention, the strike was an illegal move and Madsir Martin was disqualified, and the joust was given to Sir Eva, who was wounded but still able to joust again. It was a poor start to the second day of the tournament, and to many it was seen as a bad omen.
The second joust was equally as short, with two of King Malcom's champions, Sir Malcom Wolf and Qadir the Cowboy, unhorsing one another in the first tilt. Both agreed they were too wounded to engage in a melee and so it had to come to the judges. The True Wolf had broken his whole lance on his opponent, while Qadir had only broken the tip of his, which meant Sir Malcom Wolf won the joust by only a few points.
The next joust was the third in a row to involve only one pass. This one ended in more tragedy than the first, as it ended the great career of a wonderful woman. Sir Angelica, the diamond of Abercrow, charged against the villainous Dark Duke Darcy. While the Madsir had held his lance too low, the Dark Duke held his too high, and much like how Prince Pierre was felled in his joust, so too was Sir Angelica struck in the head and unhorsed. Physicians came to her and carried her from the field, as she was in no state to demand a melee. Prince Pierre and Princess Aoife were quick to come to her tent to see if she was well. Despite attempting to slay his opponent, the Dark Duke was allowed his victory, given that an Amican had been allowed his victory until somewhat similar circumstances the day before. The bright knight of Abercrow survived the incident but was paralysed from the neck down for the rest of her life. Indomitable as she is, Angelica now serves as the wheelchair-bound Master-at-Arms for the Earl of Abercrow and serves as a fellow scholar as well.
The fourth joust was another one many had been eagerly waiting for. Princess Aoife Moran tilted against the man who had defeated her betrothed and broken his nose, Lord Donald of Brighthill. While the princess was quiet and focused on this day, her opponent was as boastful as ever, playing to the crowd even as most had turned against him, and ignoring the highborn seats as they glared at him once more. His armour had been polished through the night and was now shining gold, reflecting the white sky above, perhaps with the hope it may blind his opponent as he was allegedly blinded before. Lord Donald came up to the princess, and although what she said is unknown, his booming voice carried his boasts across the field. He treated her with the respect of her position, but also reminded her of the hundreds of men greater than her whom he had beaten and how he had never jousted against an Amican royal before, and that he will greatly enjoy defeating her. Though he ended this conversation by loudly saying that he hopes to fight by her side one day, and that this will be the beginning of a long and loyal friendship.
The two took their places at either end of the tilt. The Princess Aoife had chosen a lance longer than her opponent, planning on striking him first and avoiding Pierre's fate, but the weight of it was clear, as it swayed like a drunkard on a ship. The scribe wrote down his fears that she might accidentally do unto Donald what he had done to Pierre, before questioning whether it would be an accident. The two charged. Lord Donald laughed like a madman as he kept his lance straight and steady while Princess Aoife's lance swung about aimlessly, even tapping her own horse upon its head. When they met, her lance barely scratched the side of his armour, not even breaking the tip, while his landed directly onto her shield, shattering into pieces. The Black Princess fell back and almost fell from her horse, but in an impressive feat of strength she pulled herself back up and kept riding.
Before getting in place for their second tilt, the Princess Aoife tossed away her own lance and asked for a shorter one. In the time it took them to get it for her, Lord Donald had gone to the viewing stand with a tankard of ale and toasted to the kings, prematurely celebrating his victory over both their heirs. He drank the whole tankard in one and then returned to his position.
They charged for a second time, marked both by the signal and a great booming burp from Lord Donald, who then began to laugh ferociously as he rode. The Black Princess held her lance far better this time, almost as steady as her opponent. They clashed. Lord Donald's lance bounced off his opponent's shield and only half shattered but did enough to knock the princess to the side. Princess Aoife's lance stayed steady and shattered completely upon her opponent's shield, shoving the lord back on his horse. Neither fell at first, with the princess clinging on for a time but eventually sliding off at the end of the field, and the lord twisting and turning on his horse, before vomiting within his helmet and sliding from his horse. He would later claim that it was the drink that cost him that charge.
They both had fallen off on either end of the jousting field, and so while normative jousts would have both competitors announce their intentions to melee, the princess and the lord made it clear simply by unsheathing their swords as they slowly made their way to one another. They met in the middle and began to fight. The lord was large and strong, but the princess was fast and agile. Lord Donald would also later claim that the vomit had thrown him off kilter, and that he retched a few more times in that battle which is what made him so slow. The Princess Aoife kept striking at the back of his knees, knocking him down twice in combat, but each time the large man refused to field and got back up again. It was the third time she got him to his knees that she moved behind him, grabbed him by the helmet, and held the sword to his throat, telling him that the combat can end by yielding, incapacitation, or death, and if he refuses to yield, and he cannot be incapacitated, then the next time she knocks him down, she will kill him. The usually loud knight said nothing to this. So, the Black Princess shouted again, telling him that if he dies then they will never get a chance to fight side by side in war, and that he will make her kingdom all the weaker by forcing her to slay a great warrior. It was then that he shouted, with his booming voice, that he yielded.
The Princess Aoife let go of her sword and then helped the large lord up. Lord Donald was quick to throw his vomit-stained steel off and wipe his face. He then took the princess's hand and held it up, declaring before the herald that she was the victor. Lord Donald then hugged the princess, lifting her off her feet for a moment, and then let go, turning to ask for more ale. The White Prince came running to hug his wife-to-be as well. He then kissed the mouthguard of her helmet, as she had done to him the day before, in a clever way of getting around the etiquette that two must not kiss before they are wed.
The attendees broke for luncheon. It is said that the Lord of Brighthill came to the royal tent during this time and gave a formal apology to Prince Pierre for breaking his nose the day before. The White Prince quietly forgave him and let him sit with them to eat. What had begun as a rivalry would soon flourish into a long and strange friendship between the lord and the prince and princess. Lord Donald would eventually fight by their side in the War for Norfirland, being present for that dark day on the Darkfields.
The first half of the second day had ended, three Amicans and one Scotian stood victorious.
The crowds gathered again in the afternoon for the final three jousts of the day.
Sir Malcom Wolf and Sir Eva of Ironwood partook in the first of the semi-finals. The former champion named after Good King Malcom, and the latter named after his mother, Great King Eva, who was also the namesake of her granddaughter, Princess Aoife. Sir Eva had tilted only hours before, and that had ended with her falling headfirst from her dying horse. As she trotted out from her pavilion, it was clear she was still hurting as she did not do the tricks that most knights did as they prepared for the joust. The True Wolf had recovered well from his fall and took the opportunity to rile the crowd up, leading a chorus of howls and barks as he rode up and down the field. When it came to getting into position, both challengers seemed to struggle to keep control of their horses. Sir Malcom was known to not be a great horserider, while Sir Eva had a new horse to contend with.
The signal was given, and both riders charged. Both lances were broken, but only Sir Malcom was thrown off his horse, while Sir Eva let out a cry of pain. She slumped forward in her horse, seemingly passing out from the pain of the force for a brief moment, but she did not fall from her horse. She came to after her horse was grabbed by her squire and calmed down. The True Wolf was already on his feet and calling for a melee, as combat was where he thrived best. Sir Eva removed her helmet and was clearly in pain from both jousts of the day. She rode up to Sir Malcom and the viewing stand and rejected a melee. She rode off as the herald declared her the winner, and the True Wolf began snarling and barking at her. When he had snarled and barked earlier, the crowds found it a fearsome sight, but now, on the ground and having lost the tilt, this short angry barking man was met with laughter and jeers.
The penultimate joust of the king's championship began two hours later, giving both champions enough time to rest. Princess Aoife had endured a long melee just that morning and was clearly fatigued when it was time to joust again. Her squire recalls it taking some time for her to even get on her horse in the pavilion. When she rode out, she did so slowly, waving to the crowd but not playing to them, much like Sir Eva before her.
The Dark Duke rode out to a disdainful crowd. Sir Angelica of Abercrow was still considered to be in critical condition, and so many in the crowd called him a murderer. It is rumoured that King Malcom had argued for Princess Aoife to yield before the first tilt and take third place, fearing what may happen to her if he struck her as he did Sir Angelica. If true, then the Black Princess refused his suggestion, perhaps due to pride, or confidence, or maybe because she felt she had something to prove in her very first tourney, we can never know.
The two came to their places. Both wore dark armour, to embody their nicknames. Dark Duke Darcy of Shadow Chateau was the last Scotian in the king's championship, and Princess Aoife Moran was the heir to the throne of the Kingdom of Amica. Both had something to prove.
They charged. Princess Aoife kept her head as far from her opponent as she could, so if he struck her head, it would be known as deliberate. In doing so, however, she tilted too far from her opponent and missed him entirely, while he only chipped his lance on the edge of her shield. One bard wrote of the first tilt that the Black Princess's armour was so solidly black that no lance could break through her, while the Dark Duke's armour was as reflective as a black pool, and that lances could only pass through him, never breaking upon him. Another bard claims to have seen a third knight in the mix, the Black Princess reflected upon the Dark Duke's armour, and that this third figure in black was called the Grim Knight, the spectre of death itself, eager to snatch either of them up. They brought their horses around, the Dark Duke got a new lance, and they charged again. This time, Princess Aoife leaned into the tilt. Her lance shattered on his shield while his only half shattered. Both fell back onto their horses but neither fell off. They both got new lances, got back into position, and charged for a third time. Princess Aoife leaned in again, but the Dark Duke adapted. Both lances were shattered, but only one was thrown from their horse. The Black Princess landed in the mud on her back as the Dark Duke slowed his horse to a trot.
Princess Aoife was quick to indicate that she was alright, but slow to get back up. Prince Pierre was by her side by the time she removed her helmet. The Dark Duke watched from afar, only trotting off back to his pavilion when the Black Princess made it clear she did not seek a melee. Although she had won more points than him in the passes, the unhorsing cost her the joust. She accepted joint third place with Sir Malcom and then slowly walked back to Pierre's pavilion.
The final joust began late in the afternoon, just before supper. The late autumn sky had turned pink, and a great bonfire had been lit beyond the jousting field. Two champions remained, an Amican and a Scotian, and the people were ready to celebrate a victory.
Sir Eva of Ironwood rode out, her silver armour glistening pink under the darkening sky. She barely moved as her horse trotted up to the viewing stand. Her body had taken a beating over the past two days, and it showed. Most tourneys spread their events out over the course of a week, but the Scotian king had to depart halfway through the week, so King Malcom had given the first two days entirely to the king's championship, and he was seeing now why that was not the way of things.
Before her first tilt, Sir Eva of Ironwood had asked the favour of a kindly old carpenter from the crowd of peasants, whom she had recognised from the day before when her carriage had broken down on the way to the tourney and he had offered to help, asking nothing in return. For the final tilt, it was expected to ask for the favour of a second person, to increase one's luck, regardless of if that person had already given their favour to another before them. Many seek the favour of the most powerful person around or the host, such as King Malcom, or for their favourite champion elsewhere in the tourney, or for another person they adore, though many simply ask for the favour of their first person again, to show their great affection. Sir Eva of Ironwood was expected to ask for the favour of King Malcom, as it was the king's championship, but instead she sought the favour of Princess Aoife. The Black Princess agreed and asked her to wait a moment. Sometime later she returned with a cloth. Princess Aoife remarked loudly that the last tilt had broken her lip, and this cloth bares her blood, and then she kissed it, imprinting her black lips upon it. Combining the favours she had given to and received from the White Prince, she handed this new token to Sir Eva of Ironwood, who then tucked it down her chestplate to hold near her heart.
The Dark Duke had never asked for a token of one's favour before his first tilt, but he took this second opportunity. He rode up to the viewing stand and without removing his helmet, as he had not done the entire tournament, he called up to King Louis in the Scotian language. What is said was known for sure, but it can be assumed he asked for the king's favour as King Louis came to the barrier and tossed him a golden handkerchief. Duke Darcy then tucked it into his gauntlet and rode away.
Both knights got into position. The Dark Duke wore reflective black armour, Sir Eva of Ironwood wore reflective white. The White Knight and the Black Knight stared each other down. They charged. The tips of their lances broke into each other first, shattering the ends of the lances. When the lances hit each other, the pass is disregarded and must be run again, and so they returned to their positions to do their first charge a second time.
Their lances shattered, and shattered, and shattered again. Eight passes were allowed, and they used all of them up and then some. Records imply they almost ran out of available lances. When they got into position for their eighth charge, both riders looked as if they were ready to fall from their horses from pain alone. They waited a moment, as they had done the past two times, for the judges to calculate the points and see if there was a clear winner. There still was not, it was anyone's game. The Dark Duke shouted a Scotian curse while Sir Eva remained silent and prepared herself. They charged, both riders screamed as they raced towards each other. Their lances hit but neither shattered, instead bouncing off and nearly throwing both riders off. Sir Eva later recalls hearing her horse's hoof strike her helmet as she swung by the side of her horse but was somehow able to pull herself up. Likewise, the Dark Duke hung half a foot from the ground but struck his surviving lance into the ground for a brief moment as the horse kept galloping, both breaking the lance and pushing him up. Both riders held onto their horses as they slowly got into place again. There was some debate between the judges over the use of a lance to push oneself up and whether the breaking of the lance in such a way should count as a disqualification, but they ruled that since the lances hit, the pass did not count, and they must rerun regardless.
The two prepared for their tenth charge of the night, or, more accurately, their eighth charge and second rerun. The sky above had darkened from pink to bloody red. The bards sing of Bloody Ironwood and her Ten Rides against the Dark Duke, portraying her sunset armour as if her body had been struck ten thousand times and turned her into a bloody pulp. While the singers claim she never tired, the true accounts claim she almost fell off her horse before the tenth ride, slowly sliding from it until her new horse moved to almost counteract it, alerting her to consciousness once more. It was then that King Malcom offered a tie to King Louis, for the sake of the riders, but this was rejected by the Scotian king.
The two riders got into position for the last time. Their lances held high, the most impressive feat of the whole tournament. The signal was given, and the champions charged. Everyone, even the riders, were dead silent. Their horses were slower by now, so the eternity it took from charging to clashing was longer than it had ever been, but they did eventually clash. Both lances shattered. Sir Eva of Ironwood fell back onto her horse, her arms lying by her side, unconscious and slowly falling. The Dark Duke leaned back but did not fall, taking the impact and staying seating. The two horses kept moving. The duke slumped forward while the knight of Ironwood slid sideways off her horse. Someone in the crowd cried out 'Eva!' and the knight awoke, her arm reaching out to grab her horse. The thud could be heard across the whole field.
The Dark Duke had swayed back and forth, and finally, right off his horse. He fell. Sir Eva did not. She pulled and pushed herself back upright upon her horse, grunting and crying as she did. When she looked back to see her opponent lying upon the floor, being surrounded by his attendees, she let out a guttural cry of victory.
Duke Darcy was helped to his feet and brought to the middle of the jousting field, as Sir Eva trotted her horse there as well. King Louis commanded the duke to demand a melee. The duke shouted something back in the Scotian tongue, and a short argument ensued. Afterwards, King Louis glared at the duke and then sat down. The Dark Duke then pushed away his attendees and walked towards Sir Eva. He removed his gauntlet; the crowd held their breath. If he were to throw it on the ground, that was the universal language for a duel, for combat, for a melee. But instead, he held it out to his opponent. There was a moment of hesitation, and then Sir Eva took his hand and shook it. The herald announced Sir Eva as the champion of champions.
The Dark Duke returned to his pavilion and was never seen or heard from again. The victorious knight was helped from her horse and removed her armour there and then, letting all see the bruises and scars incurred in the dayโs affairs, before accepting the trophy to thunderous applause.
The End
