Game of Thrones Iron Stark

"You are not Arthur Dayne," Barristan Selmy said, stepping forward. His voice was steady, but his eyes were sharp. "I knew him well. Tell us who you really are."

The young knight lowered his sword slightly. "I am Asor Dayne. The current Sword of the Morning. Arthur Dayne was my uncle."

Barristan stared at him for a long moment. Then his expression changed.

"Seven hells… You have her eyes. Ashara's eyes. You're her son."

Ned Stark had gone very still. The purple tint in the young man's eyes was unmistakable now that he was looking for it. Ashara Dayne. The girl he had once been meant to marry, before the Mad King burned his father and brother alive.

Asor met Ned's gaze without flinching.

"My father's name was never given to me. That is why I carry my mother's house."

Barristan's voice softened. "Why have you come here, boy?"

"To fight in the tourney," Asor answered. "And to test Lord Eddard Stark's strength. I want to know if he was truly capable of killing my uncle. Arthur Dayne was no weakling."

Jaime Lannister had drifted closer during the exchange. He studied the young knight with open interest.

"You want to challenge the Hand of the King? Here? Now?"

Asor turned the pale blade of Dawn until its point rested in Ned's direction.

"Eddard Stark. I challenge you. Do you accept?"

The hall went quiet. Robert started to rise from his seat, ready to put an end to it, but Ned spoke first.

"I accept."

He left the hall without another word. Ten minutes later he returned wearing boiled leather and mail beneath a dark surcoat. In his left hand was the round shield Tony had forged for him — dark metal inlaid with seven pale stars. In his right he carried a plain steel longsword. Ice remained in its scabbard. He would not use his family's Valyrian blade for this.

Asor waited in the cleared space between the tables. Dawn glowed faintly in his hands.

They circled each other slowly.

Ned struck first — a testing cut that Asor met with ease. Steel rang against whatever strange material made up Dawn's edge. The impact jarred Ned's arm. He stepped back, and Asor pressed forward. Another exchange, and Ned's sword snapped cleanly in half.

He dropped the broken blade without hesitation and took the Seven-Star Shield in both hands.

From the high table, Cersei leaned toward her brother. "Who wins?"

Jaime didn't take his eyes off the fight. "The Sword of the Morning. Stark is skilled, but he's not Arthur Dayne's equal. The boy wants to see if his uncle truly fell to this man… or if something else happened at the Tower of Joy."

Ned raised the shield as Asor came in hard. Dawn descended in a two-handed overhead strike meant to end the fight.

The moment the white blade met the dark shield, a deep, ringing shockwave exploded outward. Every goblet and wine bottle on the nearby tables shattered. Several ladies screamed. Asor staggered backward, both hands numb, Dawn tumbling from his grip.

Ned stepped in and pressed the edge of the shield against the young man's throat.

"That's enough," he said quietly. "I respected your uncle. That is the only reason you're still breathing."

Asor stared at him, breathing hard, then gave a single, stiff nod.

Ned lowered the shield.

For several seconds no one spoke. Then the whispers started.

"What in seven hells was that shield?"

"Someone said it's called the Seven-Star Shield. Tony Stark made it for the king's heir."

A serving girl near the wall leaned toward her friend. "I heard it's got dragonglass and some kind of black metal inside. That's why it didn't break."

Robert finally pushed his way through the crowd and clapped Ned on the shoulder hard enough to make him stumble.

"Seven hells, Ned! You've been holding out on me! Why didn't you tell me you had a shield like that?"

Before Ned could answer, Robert's hand came down again — this time directly on the shield itself. The impact knocked it clean out of Ned's grip and sent it clattering across the floor.

Robert looked down at his own hand, then at the fallen shield, and burst out laughing.

"Damn. I really am stronger than I thought."