Game of Thrones: Knight’s Honor

Godsgrace Castle is situated at the confluence of the Greenblood, Scourge, and Vaith Rivers. Surrounded by abundant water and lush vegetation, the castle is nestled within a vast forest, making it resemble a town in The Reach rather than a typical city of Dorne.

The entire castle is massive, at least three times larger than Sunspear. Unlike other cities, it lacks tall buildings, with only low houses dominating the landscape. The tallest structure is the main keep, home to House Allyrion. Unlike most castles, where the inner citadel is entirely separated from the outer town by city walls, the main castle of Godsgrace is partially integrated with the surrounding town.

The absence of city walls does not compromise Godsgrace's defenses. The outer town itself acts as a defensive barrier. Its low-rise houses, coupled with the dense forest and narrow streets, turn the area into a labyrinth. An invading army would be forced to split into smaller groups to navigate the tight passages, leaving them vulnerable to ambush by the hidden Godsgrace garrison. However, the castle's defenses are ineffective against monsters such as dragons.

During Rhaenys Targaryen's campaign in Dorne with her dragon Meraxes, the Lord of Godsgrace, recognizing the castle's inability to withstand dragonfire, made a bold decision. He evacuated the castle, leading his people to the nearby Godsgrace Mountains and leaving the fortress empty. This decision saved the castle from destruction, making it one of the few in Dorne to survive Aegon's conquest relatively intact.

Despite its advantageous location at the meeting point of three rivers and its fertile lands, House Allyrion has struggled to thrive. A seemingly cursed fate has plagued the family, as prosperity often coincides with a dwindling number of heirs. On multiple occasions, the family has teetered on the brink of extinction. For instance, Lady Delonne Allyrion, the current ruler of Godsgrace Castle, assumed leadership after all male heirs of the house perished.

In Dorne, it is not uncommon for women to inherit titles, as both genders have rights of succession.

However, for a woman in power, particularly one with limited support from collateral branches of the family and abundant resources at her disposal, the risks are significantly amplified. When Lady Delonne assumed control, the house faced a dire crisis, surrounded by rival lords such as those of Tor and Vaith, eager to claim Godsgrace for themselves.

To secure her position, Lady Delonne formed an alliance with House Martell of Sunspear, marrying a member of House Martell.

This strategic marriage stabilized the region and strengthened House Allyrion. In time, Ryon Allyrion was born, providing the family with an heir and ensuring its continuation. However, when Ryon was just seven years old, Delonne's husband succumbed to illness. Rumors circulated that Delonne had poisoned him, but these accusations remained unproven. Following her husband's death, Delonne vowed chastity and has never remarried.

Under her leadership, House Allyrion managed to maintain its standing, earning Delonne the respect of neighboring lords. The current tournament, held in her name, reflects the esteem she commands.

When Lynd and his companions arrived at Godsgrace, the tournament was two days away from commencing. Compared to the other Dorne nobles, their arrival was considered slightly late. The woods surrounding the castle were packed with at least three to four hundred tents. Flags atop these tents indicated the participation of most of Dorne's noble houses, either in person or by delegation.

Thanks to advance notice sent by raven, Lady Delonne reserved two prime plots of land for House Martell and House Tyrell, located on the banks of the Greenblood River. These plots were flat, well-maintained meadows, ideal for setting up camp.

While the camp was being established, Willas, accompanied by knights and men-at-arms, including Lynd and Garth, proceeded to the main keep of Godsgrace Castle to meet Lady Delonne. The influx of knights and warriors from across Dorne had caused the population within the castle to swell several times over, rendering the already narrow streets even more congested. Oxcarts laden with goods frequently passed through, worsening the situation.

Despite the efforts of Garth and the others to protect Willas and clear a path, the press of the crowd proved overwhelming. Several knights and men-at-arms were pushed aside, creating a gap in the protective formation.

At that moment, a bull cart that was slowly advancing along the road suddenly broke free of its reins, as if provoked by something, and began to charge wildly. It knocked down a dozen people in its path and stormed toward Lynd and the others.

To avoid the charging bull, the people ahead scattered in panic, recklessly fleeing in all directions. Amid the chaos, many knights and men-at-arms guarding Willas were shoved aside. Seeing the imminent danger, Lynd shouted instructions to Garth and the other knights-at-arms before pulling Willas into a relatively dark alley to escape the rampaging animal.

Just as they entered the alley, a group of armed fighters suddenly burst out from the houses flanking the alley and charged toward them. Reacting swiftly, Lynd positioned himself in front of Willas, shielding him, and drew the two swords from his back. Without hesitation, he advanced on the attackers.

In the narrow confines of the alley, Lynd moved with remarkable agility, easily evading attacks from all sides. With calculated precision, his swords cut down the attackers one by one. In less than a minute, more than ten assassins lay lifeless on the ground, their throats slit.

Meanwhile, behind Lynd, the knights and men-at-arms, including Garth, had already surrounded Willas, weapons drawn in a defensive stance.

"It seems the people of Dorne aren't very fond of your peace treaty," Lynd remarked, glancing at Willas.

"Were you able to find out where they're from?" Willas asked, unfazed by the ambush. He gestured for Garth to step aside and walked over to inspect the bodies. "Do you know who sent them?" he inquired.

Lynd spoke in a low voice. "I think you should consider returning to camp immediately, instead of worrying about who sent these assassins. The incident with the bull wasn't random. There could be more attackers waiting for an opportunity."

Willas pondered for a moment before replying, "I still want to proceed to meet Lady Delonne."

Lynd frowned. "Aren't you concerned these assassins were sent by Lady Delonne herself?"

Willas shook his head. "It's unlikely these killers were sent by her."

Lynd's voice sharpened. "What makes you say that? Do you have evidence, or is this just a hunch?"

Willas fell silent, unable to counter Lynd's logic.

By now, the sight of so many knights in the alley, standing on high alert, had drawn the attention of passersby. Curious onlookers peered into the alley, only to see the bodies scattered across the ground. Screams erupted, and someone shouted, "Murder! Call the garrison!"

The panic quickly spread to the mouth of the alley, reigniting chaos among the crowd, already unsettled by the bull's rampage. People ran and hid in fear of being caught in further violence.

Amid the commotion, a little girl fleeing with the crowd was accidentally knocked into the alley entrance where Lynd and the others stood. She struck her head against a corner, and blood began trickling from her forehead. The girl lay motionless, appearing to have fainted.

Seeing this, Willas moved toward the girl to check her injuries, but Lynd grabbed his arm, stopping him. Without a word, Lynd signaled to the nearest knight. The knight hesitated but, understanding the gesture, raised his weapon and swung it toward the girl.

In a sudden burst of movement, the girl, who had seemed unconscious, opened her eyes and rolled away from the attack. She sprang to her feet and darted toward the crowd, her movements agile and swift as she attempted to blend into the chaos.

Her speed, however, was no match for Lynd's skill. He hurled one of his swords with precision, striking the girl in the back and pinning her to the wall.

Willas stood frozen at the sight, his expression darkening with anger. His fury, however, was not directed at Lynd—he had already realized the girl was an assassin. Instead, he was consumed with frustration at himself for being naive enough to nearly fall for such a ploy.

Lynd ignored Willas, who seemed lost in thought. He instructed Garth and the others to protect Willas before walking over to the body of the killer nailed to the wall. Retrieving his sword, he wiped it clean and sheathed it, then crouched to examine the figure on the ground.

The so-called "little girl" was, in fact, a midget disguised as a child. Apart from the disguise, the assassin carried nothing suspicious except for a small, intricately crafted box. Lynd picked up the box and examined it closely but paused just before opening it, as if reconsidering.

At that moment, Lynd's superhuman hearing caught the faint sound of a sigh from the crowd outside the alley, as if someone had expressed regret. He turned toward the source of the sound and spotted an ordinary-looking peddler whose expression subtly betrayed panic when Lynd's gaze fell on him.

Without hesitation, Lynd approached the peddler. The man's eyes widened in fear, but before he could react, Lynd delivered a precise blow to his head, knocking him unconscious. The surrounding crowd scattered in terror, mistaking Lynd's action for uncontrolled violence and fearing they might be next.

Unfazed by the chaos, Lynd hoisted the unconscious peddler and carried him back to Garth and the others. Handing the man over to one of the knights, he ordered, "Find some rope and tie him up."

Willas, watching the scene unfold, asked, "Is this man also an assassin?"

Lynd nodded. "He appears to be in the same group as the midget."

"Midget?" Willas was momentarily taken aback, glancing at the corpse nearby as realization dawned.

Lynd didn't elaborate. "We're returning to camp," he said firmly, his tone leaving no room for discussion.

Willas did not protest. The repeated assassination attempts made it clear that his current situation was precarious. Despite his trust in Lynd's abilities, he understood that retreating to the camp was the safest option for now.

Surrounded by a contingent of knights, Willas and the group retraced their steps toward the camp. On the way, they encountered the garrison of Godsgrace City, who had rushed to the scene of the commotion. However, the imposing demeanor of the knights discouraged any interference, and the garrison allowed them to pass. A messenger was dispatched to inform Lady Delonne, the castle's lord, and Ser Ryon Allyrion of the events.

Once back at the camp, Lynd immediately heightened security to war readiness. No one was permitted to contact outsiders, and all supplies from Godsgrace underwent strict inspection before being allowed into the camp. Food was meticulously checked for any signs of poisoning.

The sudden shift in the camp's security did not go unnoticed by neighboring forces from Sunspear. Prince Oberyn Martell, the Red Viper, observed the heightened vigilance and sensed that something significant had occurred. Shortly afterward, news of the assassination attempt on Willas Tyrell, heir to The Reach, reached his ears. His expression darkened with rage, and he immediately rode to The Reach's camp.

At the camp entrance, Oberyn was stopped by Garth and his knights, who were accompanied by the captured accomplice. Garth delivered a message from Lynd: "Ser Lynd asked me to inquire of Prince Oberyn—does House Martell's word carry no more weight than a whore's purity?"

The deliberately provocative phrasing caused Oberyn's face to flush with anger. His burning gaze seemed capable of reducing Garth and the knights to ash. Yet he restrained himself, took a deep breath, and replied through gritted teeth, "This is my mistake. I underestimated the madness of those involved. I will ensure you receive an explanation."

Garth signaled for the knight to hand the captured accomplice over to Oberyn's men. "This is the accomplice of the midget assassin. We leave him to you, Prince Oberyn. Whether you choose to provide a genuine explanation or scapegoats is your decision."

After delivering the prisoner, Garth turned to his guards and, in a loud voice intended for Oberyn's ears, ordered that no one with unclear intentions be allowed into the camp. Then, without sparing Oberyn another glance, he left.

Oberyn stood in silence, fury boiling within him. He wasn't enraged by Garth's veiled accusations but by the humiliation inflicted upon him by the masterminds behind the assassination. Their actions had sullied his honor. At that moment, his thoughts were consumed with vengeance—an unrelenting desire to kill.