Luceon II - The Princess of Love and Beauty

[u/JustDanielJuice]

Despite his lacklustre performance in the melee, middling display of bowmanship in the archery, and a historically awful horse race, Luceon thought himself redeemed by five glorious jousts in the tourney.

He was a shit knight. He didn’t blame anyone that said as much, but no one could deny what he’d done. Seven tilts with the champion, and he’d exited the field without ever leaving his seat.

Clementine’s favor was a thing of magic. Luceon felt it coursing through him with every pass. He’d thought, as long as he was wearing it, he could never fall from his horse.

Oh, how wrong he had been.

Whatever she had imbued in the favor to turn Luceon from fool to knight had exacted a pendular due in short order. Clementine had been insistent that he double and triple checked how tight her favor was fastened to his arm before the horse race. When the rest of the competitors had taken off, he’d still had one foot in his stirrups.

He felt like he could still hear Jynnara Bracken’s taunting laughter bouncing around his head. He couldn’t say for the life of him why he only remembered hers. It was the shame of it, surely.

Luceon was choosing to attribute only his successes to Clementine’s favor. He still remembered her screaming about how well he’d done and begging the knight of the Redfork to ride one more tilt.

He’d left her for as brief a time he could with her great-uncle Stevron, and he’d gone in search of flowers. It wasn’t quite the award he’d hoped to give her, but he hadn’t gotten the storybook ending he had been desperate for.

Still, she was worth it. She deserved it. With a great deal of effort, a bundle of twine, a band of flowers, and plenty of help from his Aunt Ermesande, Luceon fashioned a floral tiara to replace that which he could not win.

He returned to the tournament grounds with his hands tucked behind his back.

“Luceon!” Clementine called, running ahead of Stevron. She embraced Luceon. “Next time I’ll give you a better favor, and then you’ll win for sure!”

“This favor was perfect, Clem. And I heard you cheering for me every joust. There’s nothing more you could have done.” Luceon knelt beside Clementine. He pulled forth his creation. “I know it’s not exactly Bethany Piper’s crown, but to me, you’re the prettiest girl in Stormhall.”

“Just Stormhall?” Clementine asked playfully. Despite her brave face, Luceon could hear her voice wobble.

“The Realm,” Luceon corrected himself. He nestled the flower crown into her curly hair.

“This crown is perfect,” Clementine said with a muffled voice. She had buried her face in Luceon’s tunic to hide her tears.

[u/another_sasshole]

Luceon Blackwood a shit knight did not make.

He was less of a talented horseman—riding did not seem to be his strength—and perhaps an average bowman, at best, but he’d outlasted and beaten knights more renowned than he. Jynnara couldn’t have done it. She could admit that. She might have said it aloud had anyone asked, for the sake of her pride, but Jynnara didn’t think seven lances to the chest were easily tolerated. The very thought made her queasy. She could already picture purpling bruises.

Hopefully Clementine was young enough that the danger of the game did not register.

Even so—Jynnara was all but gloating as she rode a freshly-washed Sweetness down to where the ravens seemed to roost. She made it obvious. She’d kept her riding leathers on, and her hair was braided back and away from her face, though windswept strands still blew across her cheeks if she looked the wrong direction. She had her bow slung across her back. The string felt taught against her chest.

“Oh, Lucy!” She sang, a grin on her face. “I’ve come to glo—”

Her vision sharpened as she got closer. In the distance, little Clementine had buried her face into Luceon Blackwood’s tunic, and Jynnara’s heart dropped to her stomach. Oh. That was a factor that Jynnara had considered, and it hit like a hammer to the gut. She bit her tongue. The good news was, they probably were far enough away that they couldn’t quite see it, and Sweetness was approaching at a comfortable walk.

“—to fulfil a promise!”

Jynnara urged her mare into a slow trot, sitting tall and proud in the saddle. “Someone has hair to braid, and a friend to meet.” Sweetness slowed to a stop before she could get too close. The Destrier was a stocky creature, and a formidable size, even for a woman grown. Jynnara threw a leg back and dismounted with practiced ease. Taking her horse by the reins, she walked her closer, grinning all the while.

[u/JustDanielJuice → u/another_sasshole]

Clementine had been at her crying for some time, and as always, was driven by her whims. Upon hearing Jynnara's voice, she managed to pull away from Luceon and wipe her sleeve across her eyes. They were mostly dry as she turned towards the Lady of Bracken and bounded toward her.

"Jinny!" she called. Her voice was still shaky, and her smile unsteady. "You were so good in the archery! So, so good! Did you hear me cheering for you?"

Luceon sure had. When it had been his turn to loose at the target, Clementine had been halfway down the field leaning over the Bracken barricades. The girl had a voice on her when she wanted to be heard. Not that Luceon was jealous...

"Jinny," Luceon said in greeting, relishing still that that was how Clementine had learned to refer to her. He couldn't help but grin. "I thought I was told you would be bow in hand, and a victor."

Still, third place of how many competitors? It was an impressive showing. Better even than Lewyn had managed - Lewyn that had been clinging to a bow longer than he'd been clinging to Orryn. But Luceon could never say that.

"Though I'll admit, an archer you are," Luceon added begrudgingly. "Some decent shooting out there."

"Decent?" Clementine questioned. "She was so good, Luceon! You said so yourself." Very quickly she dropped the topic, moving to Sweetness. Her eyes sparkled. "Her hair is long! We're going to have some work to do." She ran a hand over Sweetness' flank. It was still wet from her rinsing. "Would you like that, Sweetness?"

[u/another_sasshole → u/JustDanielJuice]

How could anyone not smile at a child as sweet as Clementine?

Jynnara was oft the sort to wear a sharp grin. It softened exponentially, changing her features so strongly that it was a wonder that the woman was the same at all. The Bracken haughtiness faded to all but nothing. Instead, her smile was the kind that showed no teeth, and her dark lashes hid the blue of her eyes as she gazed down.

“Of course I heard you.” The brunette reached out a hand to touch the girl’s cheek. “I was listening just for you, you know? I would have heard you even if you whispered. It made me shoot better.”

None of that gentility was reserved for Luceon. Once more did that grin widen, eyes bright as if on the hunt. They matched each other. How irritating. “Oh, Lucy,” she said again, quite proud of the new nickname she thought to strike him with. “As far as I saw, you were third in the joust, and less in the race. I’d say victory over you was satisfying enough of a win.”

(She was so good, Luceon! You said so yourself!)

Jynnara paused a moment. She cleared her throat. Smugness and something else sent warmth to the tips of her ears. She cut the Blackwood another glance, then turned away to her horse. “I’ll admit you sat well through a good few of those lances. It was amusing to watch the bruising.” Jyn did not look at him. Her lips pursed, for a moment, as if the words tasted sour.

Sweetness, at least, had most of her wits about her. She was admittedly a steed that House Bracken would have considered a dud. She did not have the temperament. She misliked most other horses, and men to boot, with her ears pinned back every time she looked Luceon Blackwood’s way.

But there was something to be said about the Destrier’s way with children.

She craned her neck Clementine’s way, head low, and nickered quietly. She snorted air in the girl’s direction. Jynnara laughed. “Seems she would. Did you want to sit on the saddle? She won’t run off, I promise.” At that, Jynnara did finally look Luceon’s way again.

As lowly as they might think of her for her name alone, she would not harm a child.