The sun was absolutely brutal; the Eastern Palace never got heat like this. It seemed as if every ray of sunlight was beating down on Wulf, who was wearing a suit of armor, albiet light. Her metal chestplate, shoulder guards, gauntlets, protected her upper half, while leather plates guarded her thighs, groin, and shins. Her wolf helm sat on her head, opened for now, so the whooping crowds around her could see her face. Rook, her sturdy courser, knew what was going on. The stallion was playing up the crowd, throwing his head back, stomping his hooves, trotting about in a circle. Wulf simply allowed this to happen, with her red and black lance in hand. Personally, Wulf prefers the melee over the joust. Swordfighting was,
is, a big part of her life, running at people with ten foot long poles was not.
Wulf was busy gazing elsewhere, searching the royal crowd for both her king and his soon to be wife. Once she caught sight of those light blonde curls, she seemed to relax a bit more, and she wasn't sure why. Wulf was to joust against Ris' older brother, the captain of Seabel's guard. And she wasn't sure which situation was worse; her losing the joust and embarrassing herself, or winning the joust and having Ris be angry with her for injuring her brother.
Stop that. One person being mad at you will not amount to your whole kingdom being mad at you. She told herself, over and over, but Ris wasn't just one person.
A quiet horn was sounded, warning the jousters that they must get into positions. It was then that Wulf's expression changed. They wanted a show? They were going to get a show. She pulled back on Rook's reigns, and the horse reared, whinnying loudly, while Wulf thrusted her lance into the air. The crowd went crazy, hollering and chanting the two captain's names'. When Rook's front hooves hit the ground, Wulf jerked her head downwards, closing her helm so that only her sharp grey eyes were visible. She steered her steed to their position, shifting her grip on her shield.
Ris truly wished that she could get closer to what was happening, despising her place so far away from the railing. As future queen of Falor, she was seated up and away from the field. It was probably meant to give her a better view and a better chance at keeping her
dress clean from dust--but truly, she couldn't care less. The material was dark, and it was her brother down there, his hair tied back and his helmet tucked under his arm, and Ris' hand was white-knuckled where she held to the armrest of her seat. The rest of her body language was calm, if tense.

She met her brother's gaze for a moment, offering up an encouraging smile, and he grinned in return. He was doing better after last night, and silly as it was, she'd made him take a kerchief of her own. It was hanging off the end of his lance, tied carefully, and silently, she wished him luck. He'd be okay, she told herself. She was simply a worrier.
Of course, that only got worse the second that she glanced to her brother's opponent. She knew those eyes--they had been full of laughter the night before, lifting her off her feet and spinning her around. Her brother was going up against
Wulf? She'd thought he was going later, she may have hoped that he was going later--and yet, there he was, his horse's hooves kicking up plumes of dust. She wasn't surprised, she had to say. Two Captains from either side of a civil war... If it was a show that the masses wanted, she thought, not realizing that she was echoing Wulf's own thoughts, it would certainly be found here. On instinct, she reached out a little, finding Lucas' hand even as she mouthed
good luck to Wulf.
Loras had recognized his opponent as well, shooting him a vaguely amused look as he ran a gloved hand over his horse's mane, soothing it as he murmured to it. Perhaps he'd be able to use this Captain's flair for the dramatic against him--but in all reality, he knew not to underestimate anyone at that point. Certainly, he'd learned that at age thirteen, when he first met his little sister. The horn sounded--he looked to his sister once more for support, and chuckled at the sudden screams that came from the stands. He mirrored Wulf's stance, his lance reaching for the clouds as if intent on conquering them next, bellowing a warlike cry that was immediately returned by his men, who were doubtless going to tease him silly whether he won or lost. Then, he moved into his position across from the other Captain as Ris barely dared to breathe, her blue eyes fixed upon the scene before them and her hand holding tightly to her fiance's, seeking comfort from him in some way.
"Best of luck to you," Loras called to Wulf, as his horse pawed at the ground.
Rook flared his nostrils and snorted, shaking his head and long mane, with his dark eyes gleaming in the sunlight. The mount was as enthralled as she was.
"And too you as well, Captain." She shouted, her own voice echoing within her helmet. The moments before the horn sounded seemed to last for ever with time slowing down. Wulf was hyper aware of her senses; the smell of dirt and sweat, the sight of every chink in Loras' armor, the feeling of Rook's beastly muscles flexing and shifted anxiously, and the noise of the crowds shouting and hollering. But the loudest sound to Wulf was her own breathing, one in, one out. Her heartbeat thundered in her chest, but at a slow rate. This was a battle, and Wulf knew how to battle.
Wulf's whole body grew tense at the bellowing of the starting horn, but she quickly relaxed, along with a wide grin spreading across her face. She raised her lance and tilted her head back, shouting at the top of her lungs,
"For Falor, yah!" Rook screamed along with her as soon as he started to break into a full-tilt gallop, and the crowd exploded, pounding on the ground and rafters, shouting the Captains' names with rhythm once more.
Now the that joust had started, time seemed to slow down. Wulf placed her lance accordingly, aiming it at Loras' shield. But just before the two of them collided, she shifted it upwards, aiming it at the chink in the armor between Loras' chest and shoulder pieces. Meanwhile, the second that her opponent's lance would have collided with her shield, Wulf shifted both the shield and in her saddle, so that the lance would just scrape by. It seemed as if Wulf was being knocked off her saddle, but she knew exactly what she was doing; her powerful thighs still had a firm hold on her horse.
Loras moved his faceplate down, sea-blue eyes cloudy and unreadable behind the metal. He took a deep breath, letting himself calm, taking in his opponent. He was aware of only a few sets of eyes on him, but those were the most important. Whether he won or lost, he'd make them proud, he hoped. He had little to nothing to lose in either case--he wasn't a betting man, and this wouldn't be deciding the fate of two kingdoms or anything. If so, Seabel and Ostwall would already be in huge trouble.
For a moment, just this moment, everything was an extension of him. The lance a finger, the horse his legs. He wasn't just in the fight, he
was the fight. The sun shone off his armor, the dust clung to the soles of his shoes--and what a sight the two of them were, preparing to run at each other for a crowd's entertainment. He echoed Wulf's yell, supporting his kingdom of Seabel, his own deep voice rising to the crowd and sparking screams in return. Regardless of all else, this was still his kingdom right then.
His horse started off--his gaze was fixed on Wulf, the lance aimed for the shield. His fatal flaw was that he wasn't planning on dismounting him on the first round. One hit for entertainment, and then they would go true. Moments before they hit, though, Wulf's lance moved--and while Loras' hit the shield, likely throwing her grip off somewhat, the other Captain's lance hit where it aimed. A sharp stab of pain hit him, and the resounding clang was barely heard by him. Ris was halfway to her feet by the time he reached the other side, his horse turning around without his instruction.
Rook followed Wulf's silent orders, turning at the other end of the field. Wulf shifted her grip on her lance, flexing her fingers to make sure hold was just as strong. Whilst letting out a deep breath, she rolled her shoulders and stretched her neck. She felt confident, knowing that she had hit exactly where she wanted to. The blow to the shoulder would weaken Loras' grip on his lance, meaning it wouldn't be as hard for Wulf to deflect his strikes.
The crowd's whooping and hollering sent a surge of strength through Wulf. Despite the fact that she was deep into Seabel, the citizens around her were still shouting her name, desiring her victory just as much as her.
When the horn sounded once more, Wulf let out another rallying cry, thrusting her lance into the air before Rook surged forward. She aimed her lance at Loras' shield once again, but, similar to the last time, Wulf shifted her lance. The tip of it was aimed at Loras' thigh this time, right at the chink between the bottom of his chestplate and the top of his thigh guard.
Loras was well aware that he likely wouldn't make it much into the second round by the time they got turned around. He grinned at the sounds of the crowd, in any case, letting the competition melt away in favor of having a little fun. He winked up at his sister, offering her silent reassurance that allowed her to settle back into her chair at last. He rolled his shoulder back, twirling his lance in the air, leading his horse in a playful little trot that gained laughter from the multitudes. Then, he faced front once more, leveling his lance forward.
"If you'd avoid lopping my limbs off, I'd be mighty grateful," He quipped, amusement clear in his gaze.
Then, the horn sounded once more and off they went, hooves thundering and dust rising and crowds screaming--
Loras' gaze flicked up to the king of Ostwall, this time, catching the tiniest bit of movement out of the corner of his eye. No one would be able to tell the source of this, the smallest of distractions, and his gaze was back on his opponent in seconds. He laughed, the sound rising above it all, a sound both familiar and unfamiliar. Then, Wulf's lance hit its mark--and as he lost his grip in a dramatic manner, he swatted at him with the lance, using it as an extension of his arm. It made little difference, of course, but it made the other Captain's armor clang like a gong, as if signifying the end of the match
Loras hit the ground, the breath knocked out of him a little, the lance ending up near his hand as the dust dimmed the shimmer of his armor.
Wulf couldn't help but smirk when Captain Loras hit the ground, even if it had been in quite the exacerbated manner. This was a victory for not only Wulf, but for Falor, regardless of how ridiculous or silly he made the event out to be. Rook could sense the shift in expression from his master as she sat back. The black stallion began trotting in an ambling gait, his tail swishing behind him playfully. Wulf could only chuckle. The courser did look gorgeous; she would have to tip Seabel's stable boy later.
She did, however, steer the horse to the end of the field before turning and making his way back towards the other Captain. When the two were near, Wulf hopped out of the saddle and landed in the dirt with a steady stance. Walking towards Loras, Wulf pulled her helm off, shaking her sweaty locks around for a moment before standing over the brunet Captain. She held out her free gloved hand, the smile on her face filled with exuberance and sincerity opposed to maliciousness.
"My apologies, friend. The removal of your limbs will be saved for the melee. It's much harder to tear off an arm with a stick than a sword, no?" Wulf let out a deep, hearty laugh, hoping the brunet will tolerate her joke and take her hand to both help him up and shake it.
Loras was already sitting up, brushing himself up a little. His focus was only halfway on the way his men were laughing, ready to tease him the second he returned, and the other Captain walking towards him. He was silently assuring his little sister in that moment, promising that he was okay. She was returning the reassurance, ensuring that he knew that all was alright.
He soon looked to Wulf, though, chuckling and taking the offered hand, standing up and taking off his helmet.
"You've got good aim." He told him with a crooked grin, pushing his fingers through his hair, getting loose strands out of his eyes. He laughed wholeheartedly at his words, raising an eyebrow at him.
"It only takes dedication." He admonished
Wulf let out another deep laugh with a youthful twinkle in her eye as she shook the other man's hand.
"Thank you friend, although I can't say I've had much practice charging at people with a ten foot long pole in my hand." Once she released Loras' hand, Wulf grabbed at Rook's reigns, pulling the stallion closer.
"I hope I didn't hurt your shoulder too much, perhaps your sister should take a look at it once we join her and the other royals?" Wulf offered, starting to walk towards the stables and silently hoping Loras would get the message and walk with her. Before exiting the field, she waved to the crowd and held her helmet in the air, enjoying the excited cry of the citizens.
"As much as I love Ris, she's not the most perfect of nurses." Loras chuckled, reaching out to find his own horse's reins, reaching up to pat its cheek gently.
"She'll be more likely to worry all over me than I am, though." She often worried about his wellbeing far more than he did. Pain was a strange thing to him, to be entirely honest, and perhaps it was something of a good thing, for when a person such as them went down in a real fight, it would cause loss of morale and faith and a thousand other things.
He glanced to Wulf for a moment, tucking his own helmet under his free arm. He seemed to consider saying something, but then a familiar woman with white-blonde hair was waving to them. He grinned up at his sister, raising his helmet into the air for her as he walked alongside Wulf, catching the hint. He rolled his shoulder back absentmindedly, running his fingers along his horse’s mane. He had a way with these animals, it seemed, it calmed at his touch almost automatically.
Wulf couldn’t help but glance up at the royals as well, letting her gaze linger on Ris, perhaps a bit more than she should have. She couldn’t help but clench her jaw slightly; the blonde was too busy fawning over her brother.
Stop it, Chryseis. That’s her brother that she barely gets to see. Of course she loves him. When the two of them had left the field, she relaxed a bit more now that they weren’t under the watchful eye of the public.
“Well, sorry about hurting you regardless. These events have a rather… barbaric nature to them, don’t they? Injuring each other for just entertainment. Ah whatever, I suppose that now isn’t the best time to discuss morals.” She shifted her grip on the reigns and Rook snorted, nudging his big head against Wulf’s. She chuckled and patted his nose, and he seemed satisfied.
By the time they reached the stables, the two had engaged in quiet, meaningless conversation. Wulf went about taking the saddle off of Rook, who stretched himself out and shook his head.
“I’ve always found these creatures interesting. Most men ride their horses into battle, and if the beast dies, they continue fighting on. The poor horse wouldn’t even know about the situation he’s entering.” Wulf patted Rook’s muscular neck before reaching into a bucket and pulling out a couple of carrots.
“Rook has fought many battles with me and sired many a young, strong stallion and mare; I’d be heartbroken if he died.” She couldn’t help but smile.
Loras did catch the slight twitch in the other Captain’s expression as he looked back to him, raising one eyebrow ever so slightly. His gaze flicked back up to the royals, finding nothing there to irritate her, save for his purple-clad sister settling back into her seat. The blonde’s gaze went to Wulf as soon as the other man looked away. Just as Wulf’s gaze had lingered, so did Ris’. She bit her bottom lip, wishing not for the first time that she wasn’t confined to the top tier, that she could move about as she wished. She exhaled slowly, leaning back in her seat, her arms resting upon the chair. What was she doing? In all honesty.
Loras met her gaze once more, and she sent silent assurance that allowed him to walk onward. He glanced back to Wulf as they stepped from the arena.
“Much of what we do has a barbaric nature.” He hummed. It wasn’t something new--often, life seemed to be gritty and short. For a man to live into his fifties was something incredible, and his thoughts went to Ulfric, a slight stab of fear momentarily entering his chest that he soon put away to the side. That was a thought for another time. He chuckled at his next words.
“There’s something to be said about the crowd fervor, though.” He mused. There was a rush that every combatant got, a thundering of veins and a desire to run straight into things. He glanced to the horse, patting his own as they walked. He passed the reins off to a stableboy soon enough, thanking him and then focusing on the other Captain.
“I find that you can gauge a person by how they treat their servants and their animals.” He mused, crossing his arms before him. Not parents, though, really, he hadn’t spoken to his father of his own accord in years. He smiled at his words, remaining where he was, reaching up to push a strand of dark hair away from his eyes.
“You seem to take very good care of him.” He spoke.
“It’s rare to see a horse this shiny.” He teased a little. There was a brief pause, and then;
“You know, I never pegged you for a dancer.” He hummed, amusement clear in his gaze.
Wulf took pride in the compliment to Rook, in fact, the stallion even seemed to stand up a bit straighter.
“Only the best for my boys. You should see my hounds. They stayed back at the Eastern Palace, but they’re pampered like kings.” She laughed quietly before shutting the horse’s stall door with her hip. When Loras brought up the dance, Wulf tensed slightly, expecting some sort of snide and or protective comment about his sister. The statement was a little cheeky, but Wulf still smiled.
“Well, neither did my dance teacher. Trust me, I had two left feet in the beginning, despite my deftness on the battlefield.” She waved to the stable boy before exiting the building with Loras.
She then made a wide gesture towards the royals’ rafters.
“Shall we join Lady Ris and the others?”“You should bring them next time. Perhaps it would get Capheus off of my back for a little while. He’s determined that his poor dog is terribly lonely.” Loras’ amusement soon translated into his voice. He had an affection for the man, but really, he was the most exciting of the Auclair siblings. He still suspected him of having been the one to borrow his favorite sword out of the armory right when he wanted it--but of course, it having been returned in shining perfection, he had little proof. He noted how Wulf tensed a little, and he was prepared to drop the subject entirely, until the other Captain was suddenly speaking.

He chuckled softly, nodding in response.
“Then you’ve improved much. Ris looked very happy.” He spoke, nodding to the stable boy before they turned, returning to the sunlight.
“Probably a good idea.” He agreed, tilting his chin up the tiniest bit so that he could see the seats where the general royalty currently resided. He knew that he had another round later, but for that moment, he had little to do. Perhaps he could seek Ulfric out, he thought, befriend him a little more thoroughly... In any case, he glanced back to Wulf, extending a gloved hand.
“Good game.” He murmured with a little smile, in way of congratulating him.
Wulf met his gloved hand with her own, shaking it firmly, a proud grin on her lips.
“Good game to you too, Captain. Hopefully we’ll have a rematch at some point.” After their handshake and friendly words, the two made their way up to where the royals were sat. But once Ris was in eyesight, it seemed as if Wulf completely forgot about the other captain. Her grin turned pleasant, amiable, as she took the empty seat besides Ris. After a few seconds of silence, Wulf realized that she had no idea what to say. Here she was, a noble, formidable leader of war, and she was stunned, practically brought to her knees by this young, attractive, blonde,
married woman. Her body language grew rigid, a light redness dusting about her cheeks.
“I, uh… Hey. How are you doing? What did you think?” She spoke quickly, hoping to wave away the short moment of embarrassment she just had when she stumbled over her words.
Loras had no seat there, and was poignantly reminded of the split between their kingdoms. He ruffled his sister’s hair, making her chuckle and bat his hand away. She squeezed his wrist gently, and he took up residence behind her for then, watching the show. Ris kept ahold of his wrist, her arm bent as she pressed his hand to her shoulder. When would be the next time they saw each other, after this? Sooner rather than later, she hoped. She offered Wulf a little smile as the Captain sat down, amusement flickering in her gaze at the silence.
“Wulf.” She greeted him by name, filling it at least a little.
“Better, now that I know you both can still walk.” She hummed in response.
“Thank you for not wounding my brother too much. Between us, he’s terribly ticklish.” She lowered her voice teasingly, making him scoff behind her. She chuckled, brushing her thumb over his pulse.
“If you find yourself in need of an edge.” She added, entirely innocently.
Her gaze went to her fiance for a moment, and she squeezed his hand gently, both of her hands occupied for then. Then, she looked back to Wulf. The three people she was finding she cared for most were all there right now, and... For a moment, amid the dust and the sun and the screams of the crowd, the woman who had never been satisfied knew what contentment was. Perhaps it was silly, perhaps she was being selfish, but she could almost think of them all as hers for a moment. Then, she reminded herself that they were all present right then, and she should probably go on.
“I think the crowds screamed loudest for you two.” She hummed.
“You both were wonderful.” Wulf’s gaze, although softened at the moment, was still keen, ambling over those around her. It mostly lingered on Loras, Lucas and Ris; oh how she was jealous of the men around her. Both were able to touch and hold Ris without the judgement of others. Wulf paused in her observation, realizing that she was, once again, staring silently. She cleared her throat before continuing to talk.
“Well, I had hoped that we would both get out of there unharmed, and it seems as if the gods have graced us today for the most part.” Wulf shot a passing glance at Loras with a smile on her face, as if they were sharing an inside joke.
Despite her inability to feel Ris’ warm, soft skin against her own, Wulf was filled with a pleasant sense of ease. All was well, the three kingdoms were sitting together, participating in friendly sport, and even though hearts were racing and crowds were cheering, everything was, in it’s own sense, calm. Wulf let out a deep, relaxing breath, and allowed herself to sink into her chair, enjoying the tranquility. And when Ris complimented her, the pride in her chest swelled, and she sat up again straighter.
“Thank you. Your brother and I were just discussing the barbarity of these events, despite their entertainment factor. If only we could amuse a crowd in a more civil manner… Alas, changing tradition is a difficult task, so it seems as if we’re stuck thrusting poles and swords at each other in jest until the end of the day.”Ris waited patiently for him to speak, using the time to pay attention to the hands that she held. Both were bigger than hers, rougher than hers, but if Loras was anything to go by, hers were the more soothing. Said Captain offered Wulf a crooked smile at her words, and Ris smiled at her reaction. She chuckled softly, wryly, at her words.
“Our society is a strange place.” She murmured. One with strange traditions and ideas.
“But not nonsensical. People are entertained by things that make them feel alive.” She glanced across the field for a moment, across the gathering of nobles and kings and normal people.
“And there is something about being near danger that makes one feel alive.” Her voice was quiet, and Loras squeezed her hand gently.
For one always seeking and never finding, perhaps this was the most alive she had felt in a long time.