Willing Heart / Ser Duncan the Tall / Vaera Targaryen

13. My Man

"How many do you count Egg?" Vaera questioned. 

"You like him." Vaera jumped at the sound of Aemon's voice. 

"I thought you left." Vaera remarked hugging him. "I was looking for you."

"Not very hard clearly." Aemon countered. "You like this knight, this ser Duncan."

"Aegon really likes him." Vaera corrected. 

"You have that look on your face Vee." Aemon countered. 

"What look?" Vaera mused. 

"Hearts in your eyes-"

"You are studying to be a maester, if I had hearts in my eyes something must clearly be very wrong with me." Vaera corrected. 

"Sers, I am in your debt."  Dunk remarked. 

"The debt is Aerion's," Ser Humfrey Hardyng replied, "and we mean to collect it."

 "I had heard your leg was broken." Dunk remarked hesitantly. 

"You heard the truth," Hardyng agreed. "I cannot walk. But so long as I can sit a horse, I can fight." Raymun took Dunk aside. 

"I hoped Hardyng would want another chance at Aerion, and he did. As it happens, the other Humfrey is his brother by marriage. Egg is responsible for Ser Robyn, whom he knew from other tourneys. So you are five."

"Does your man have enough?" Aemon questioned. 

"He's not my man." vaera countered. 

"Yeah, yeah," Aemon agreed wrapping an arm around her.  Dunk caught her eye and Vaera gave him a small wave keeping her hand close to her chest. Dunk beamed back at her, a large wave high above his already tall head. Vaera found herself smiling and laughing as he waved wildly back at her.

"Not your man aye?" Aemon mused nudging his sister. 

"Not yet." Vaera corrected. "He has to survive this." She reminded him. "He has to survive this." She repeated more for herself. 

Ser Lyonel wore a cloth-of-gold surcoat bearing the crowned stag of House Baratheon, and carried his antlered helm under his arm. Dunk looked at the men, the knights, they all looked so formal, so elegant, he hoped when they got on the field they were as heroic and brave as a knights duty demanded of them.  Dunk reached for Lyonels hand. 

"Ser Lyonel, I cannot thank you enough for coming, nor Ser Steffon for bringing you." Dunk remarked. 

"Ser Steffon?" Ser Lyonel gave him a puzzled look. "It was your squire who came to me. The boy, Aegon. My own lad tried to chase him off, but he slipped between his legs and turned a flagon of wine over my head." He laughed. Dunk looked around for Aegon, of course he did. "There has not been a trial of seven for more than a hundred years, do you know that? I was not about to miss a chance to fight the Kingsguard knights and tweak Prince Maekar's nose in the bargain." 

"Thats my father." Vaera warned. They bowed before her. "But belittle Aerion all you want."

"Sorry princess." Lyonel offered. 

"My father is being a cunt." Vaera assured and Lyonel snorted a laugh. 

"Nasty words, pretty mouth." Dunk whispered. Vaera leaned back into him grabbing his hand behind her back. 

"You have enough for the trial? Aegon can only piss off so many people before he really gets in trouble." Vaera remarked. 

"Six," Dunk said hopefully looking to Raymun Fossoway as Ser Lyonel joined the others. "Your cousin will bring the last, surely." Vaera looked to Raymun, he needed seven, he needed seven or it would be seen as a loss before it ever started. A roar went up from the crowd turning their heads.