With the tournament fast approaching, King's Landing had grown visibly more crowded.
Knights, sellswords, merchants, and common folk eager for a spectacle poured into the already overcrowded city from across the Seven Kingdoms.
The stench of saltwater, excrement, and cheap perfume fermented beneath the southern sun, growing richer and more suffocating.
Lynn led the black Shire horse named Storm through the reeking streets.
Over the past few days, he had spent his time either training his body or getting accustomed to his armor and horse.
This was his first chance to wander around the city like this.
Two figures followed a short distance behind him.
One was Arya, her face alight with excitement, fascinated by everything around her.
The other was Sansa Stark, dressed in a tasteful blue gown, her little face full of restraint and unease.
Ever since Ned had learned that his daughter was secretly studying killing techniques under a Water Dancer, he had ordered Sansa to accompany Arya.
He called it "keeping each other company as sisters."
In truth, he hoped Sansa's ladylike manners would rein in his wild, unruly daughter.
Arya scoffed at the arrangement, while Sansa could hardly stop complaining.
She would rather have stayed in the Red Keep doing needlework with her companions than walk these filthy streets and endure the lewd looks of the commoners around her.
Fortunately, the two of them had invited Lynn along.
With Lynn there, they could avoid nine out of ten unnecessary troubles.
Just then, an ornate carriage stopped at the street corner.
Its door opened, and a blond boy in splendid clothes hopped out.
It was Prince Joffrey.
When he heard that Sansa had gone out, he had worried she might encounter danger and seized the chance to show off.
Behind him followed the hulking, fearsome Sandor