King Robert's promise spread swiftly through the Red Keep like a royal decree.
A man of the Night's Watch from the Wall had not only received the king's special permission to compete in the upcoming Hand's tourney.
He had even been allowed free access to the Red Keep's armory and stables to choose the finest equipment.
When the news broke, the knights and squires in the Red Keep, so full of their own importance, all scoffed.
A crow thought he could lay claim to a knight's glory?
What an utter joke.
Lynn paid no heed to their gossip.
The Red Keep's armory lay beneath Maegor's Holdfast.
The air smelled of whetstones and maintenance oil.
It housed the finest arms and armor the kingdom had amassed since the Targaryen Dynasty.
Its keeper was a master smith named Donal.
His face was deeply lined, and his arms were as thick as an ordinary man's thighs. People said he had forged armor for Prince Rhaegar in his youth.
"The king's orders."
Lynn handed over the letter of authorization bearing Ned Stark's own signature.
Donal did not even bother to look at it. He merely snorted, sizing Lynn up with his clouded eyes.
"You're that crow?"
He spat on the floor.
"The king's tastes grow stranger by the day."
Lynn did not get angry. He simply spoke calmly:
"I need a full suit of Plate Armor for jousting, and a set of light armor for close combat."
"The Plate Armor must be sturdy, with flexible joints. Especially at the wrists and waist."
"I don't want a heap of iron shells restricting me when I charge."
"The light armor should be as light as possible. A breastplate, pauldrons, arm and leg guards, with mail underneath. Nothing more."
"I want protection, not a burden."
Some of