@fallesto (child barristan)
Her oldest brother, Stevron, had recently received his knighthood, and so the whole family had travelled south to Blackhaven to watch him compete in his first tourney.
Meryll didn’t think he was very good. He’d probably lose his very first match and be disqualified. She hoped they wouldn’t have to leave after that -- she wanted to see real knights compete - good ones.
Suddenly there was a burst of laughter from the crowd. She had to stand up and jump up and down a little to see what was happening.
A boy, or what appeared to be a boy, in ill-fitting armour had entered the tourney grounds.
“Who’s that?” she asked her brother Emmon. “He’s too little to compete. And why isn’t he wearing his house colours?” She had been dressed in blue by her step-mother that morning, and had been told it was very important to represent your house when at a tourney.
“He must be a mystery knight!” Emmon said, standing on his tiptoes to see better. “Like Duncan the Tall.”
Except that he wasn’t very tall.
“Well, it’s a mystery to me how he is even going to lift a lance,” she said, rolling her eyes. “C’mon, let’s get closer so we can see what’s happening.”