Chapter 258: The Duel is About to Begin
Winterfell, Stark Lands
POV of Domeric Bolton
"Did you pass the 100 gold coins to the injured Stark men and 20 gold coins to the uninjured ones?" Domeric asked as Ygritte strapped his armor around him.
Usually, he would have done it with magic, but it was tradition that you had to come to the dueling arena in simple clothes and wear the armor in the arena. And he definitely couldn't use magic in front of all these people.
A strange custom in his mind. But among the stranger ones he had seen, this one was not really all that bothersome.
"I did," Varko replied from behind him, where Domeric was stoically gazing at the opposite side of the courtyard, where the Queen herself was strapping the armor of her brother, Jamie Lannister.
It was a strange sight to him. Both men were being helped by their lovers. But while he could make love to Ygritte in the open, the love between Jamie and Cersei would always remain forbidden—a taboo.
He supposed that such love could also have its own perks.
The sex would definitely be raunchier and more passionate whenever they got the chance to sneak away from the eyes of other people and get some time for themselves.
The consequences, on the other hand…
He looked toward Joffrey, who had been sulking on his own since the slaughter this morning.
Yes, the consequences of their forbidden love could definitely start a civil war.
"Focus," Ygritte said as she pinched his cheeks.
"Ow! Okay, okay. In the name of Merlin, girl, calm your tits." Domeric said.
"Don't lose." She said, "If you do, then you can't touch me for a week."
"Really?" he asked, amused. "You think you can stay away from me for so long?"
"Definitely." She said with a smirk.
His smirk became wider as he used wandless magic to vibrate the anal beads he had pushed inside her this morning
Ygritte bent over him and moaned in arousal, trying to hide her flushed face from the crowd while glaring at him.
"Stop it… m… stop please. Domeric…" She begged.
"Okay." He said and stopped the vibration.
Ygritte's breath was heavy as she glared at him and finished tying the last strap in his armor before kicking him in the shin and leaving.
He chuckled to himself before Varko's stern voice rang out from behind him.
"Remain focused, my lord," Varko said, and he rolled his eyes. Of course, he made sure that Varko didn't see him doing it, and then he put on his helmet.
Jamie had already put on his armor and was jumping around to ensure that it was not causing any hindrance.
Domeric's armor was magical in nature, so it fit him perfectly, but he still copied Jamie as he didn't want to look too out of place.
After a while, both of them walked to the center of the arena, which had been hastily built in the middle of the castle courtyard.
A large number of people had come to see this duel, and a wooden fence had been constructed to keep them back.
Ser Barristan Selmy himself stood in the middle of the arena with a standard steel sword for both of them.
Domeric used magic to make sure that his sword was not tampered with. He couldn't trust the Lannisters after all.
The sword was nothing special, but it wasn't tempered. It seemed like Jamie Lannister was sure about his victory today.
Lord Stark stood up from the chair he was sitting in, and the courtyard became silent at once.
"To everyone present here." Lord Stark started. "This duel is taking place due to some disagreement between Ser Jamie Lannister and Lord Domeric Bolton. The champions are Ser Jamie and Lord Domeric themselves. These champions will continue to duel until one of them either accepts defeat or cannot fight anymore."
"The bets of this duel are the two Valyrian swords, Excalibur and Lion's Claw."
The people cheered at hearing about the bet. After all, such a duel had never taken place in the History of Westeros and was unlikely ever to happen again. They were witnessing the creation of history itself.
Once the crowd quieted down, Lord Stark continued. "The winner will take both Valyrian swords."
"There are two basic rules for this duel."
"Firstly, three battles will take place. Any champion who wins twice will be declared the victor."
"Secondly, fatal blows are prohibited. Any champion who tries to kill the other will not only lose the battle but will also not gain the Valyrian sword of his opponent, even if he succeeds in killing him."
"The duel will be started by his grace King Robert Baratheon."
Saying that, Lord Stark took his seat, and King Robert, who was sitting on the largest chair, got up from his seat.
Ser Barristan Selmy left the arena, and both Domeric and Jamie took their positions.
Domeric with a shield and a sword, and Jamie with a sword and a dagger.
Domeric's usual fighting style was a two-sword style, just like Varko's. But recently, at Varko's suggestion, Domeric had begun training with a Valyrian steel shield to defend himself against the White Walkers better.
But the downside of these training sessions was that he was training with Raksa. And this Raksa was a strengthened Raksa who had undergone a body-enhancement ritual.
Therefore, Domeric was tired of being crushed by Raksa while training with his new style.
So, he wanted to use his new style on a normal person to see his true strength. It would be even more exciting if he could crush Jamie Lannister.
Domeric and Jamie Lannister exchanged glances across the arena. Unbeknownst to them, they were both grinning at each other beneath their helmets.
All eyes were now on the King. Everyone in the courtyard held their breath and waited for the King's signal. And then King Robert gave the expected sign by clapping his hands.
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Next Chapters' Name:
Ch.259: The Duel Through Sansa's Eyes
Ch.260: Sansa's Promise to Herself
Ch.261: Ritual Preparations