Bayard Tyrell

Bayard Tyrell is the second son of Lord Eustace Tyrell and Lady Alicent Tyrell neé Costayne and since 208 AC has served as the Lord Paramount of the Mander. Famous for his skill at arms and his honourable conduct, Bayard is often called a storybook knight - every tale and legend of the Reach made manifest. Though his father was a less than competent ruler, Bayard follows in the footsteps of his grandfather Lyonel with his more authoritative, hands-on style of rule.

Appearance and Personality
Bayard Tyrell is as close to the perfect knight as it is possible to get. He is attractive, with a sharp jaw covered by a thin beard that surrounds his mouth, and constantly marked by a polite smile that makes lords feel at ease and ladies swoon - or vice versa. His eyes are a striking blue, a sharp stare always present. He stands just above six feet tall, with a well-kept lean muscular figure that is most often covered entirely by armour of silver-grey metal. Yet Bayard Tyrell is not quite perfect. He wears a cloak over his left shoulder always, hanging over his left arm to keep it out of the way due to a set of burns and scars that cover it, gained in the Dornish Conquest. Along with that, the stare in his eyes is often sad - Bayard Tyrell has won much, but lost more.

Tyrant’s Son
Bayard Tyrell was born on the sixth day of the third moon, in the one-hundred-and-seventy-ninth year after Aegon’s Conquest, during the reign of King Jaehaerys II Targaryen. He was the second son of Eustace Tyrell, heir to Highgarden and the Reach, and his wife Lady Alicent Tyrell, neé Costayne, and their fourth child. At the time of Bayard’s birth, his brother Harys was already being groomed for rule, having been sent to King’s Landing to study under his grandfather, Hand of the King and Lord Paramount of the Mander, Lyonel Tyrell. It was originally Lord Eustace’s intention to raise his younger son himself, yet after a year of dealing with the strong-willed child he had made the simple decision to send him away as soon as possible.

For the first six years of his life, however, Bayard was raised and taught at Highgarden. He would be present in his mother’s arms, and later clutching at her skirts, whilst his father held court in his father’s place. He would learn from the castle’s Maester, a man named Corwyn, and would watch the knights spar in the afternoon before going to sleep. Eustace Tyrell was not an attentive man - it had never been in his nature, with vassals nor children - and Bayard oft received the worst of it as the youngest child. Even when his younger sister Clarice and his younger brother Leo were born, Bayard still suffered the most. He was the middle child - Harys was off in King’s Landing, seeing what made the realm work at the side of the most respected politician in the Seven Kingdoms, and Sansara and Alayne were doted on simply because they would make good marriage alliances when they were of age. Clarice and Leo were young, and thus got the treatment all babies did. Bayard was neither in line to inherit, a woman, or a baby. He was a child, slowly growing, and his father refused to even appreciate him as such. If it were not for the kindness of his mother, Bayard likely would have come out of childhood a worse boy than he was.

Yet the Lady Tyrell’s influence was enough to save him from such a fate. Loving and kind, she ensured Bayard would leave for King’s Landing with the makings of an honourable man. He would be raw iron, and the Lord Hand would give him what he needed to become steel. When that time came, it was in a period of chaos. Upon the coasts Ironborn ran rampant, tearing apart the lands of House Oakheart. During this time is when the worst of Eustace Tyrell was seen, at least for the young Bayard. His father would regularly throw his goblet either at the wall or at a member of his family during dinner, and each piece of news delivered to him of the situation would drive him to drink either from relief or fury. Eustace did not refrain from violence, either. He would regularly slap his children, and the day before Bayard left he witnessed his father hit his mother with the back of his hand. When it was time to see him off, a guard escort awaiting the departure of the caravan that carried the young boy, the Lady Tyrell would be seen wearing a veil that covered her face. Yet when she leaned in to lay a farewell kiss upon her son’s forehead, he saw a mass of bruising upon her cheek.

As with the rest of his relationship with his son, Eustace’s parting words were cold and thoughtless.

“Don’t get in your grandfather’s way,” was all he said, before he ordered the cart to set off and turned his back.

Strongrose’s Ward
Bayard Tyrell’s arrival at King’s Landing was quiet, yet it was not humble. Lyonel Tyrell stood waiting at the gates as he arrived, ten of his own guards and ten Dragonkeepers in a semicircle behind him. Though he had never met his grandfather before, the young boy knew who this man was. With a sharp stare and a warm smile behind his greying-brown beard, Bayard could only be sure that Lyonel Tyrell stood before him. When Bayard stepped from the cart, a young man stepped out from behind his grandfather’s cloak. Though he did not know Lyonel’s face, he would know Harys Tyrell anywhere. After a long embrace, the two brothers were escorted back to the Tower of the Hand along with Bayard’s own honour guard.

It was not long after his arrival that the young boy’s tutelage began. Lyonel was not averse to making time in his schedule to ensure that his grandson was well-taught, knowing the importance of a good education and his admitted failures with raising his son to be a good and honourable man. Along with being a strong politician, Lyonel Tyrell was a trained warrior and a wise tactician, all skills he wished to pass on to his grandson so he could serve his brother well when the time came. Bayard had received the beginnings of a martial training from his uncle Steffon, yet he was not the warrior his father was. It would only be the man known as the Strongrose who could teach him what he needed to know.

For the first week of his time in King’s Landing, the young boy was introduced to the city. He was shown the areas of the city proper he needed to know, such as the Street of Steel and the sept atop Visenya’s Hill. He was shown the Red Keep, meeting the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard at the White Sword Tower and even being introduced to the King himself - though Lyonel did not keep his grandson around Jaehaerys II for too long - along with his family. Bayard took an instant liking to the King’s two eldest grandchildren, Daeron and Rhaenyra, and spent much of his time outside of education with either the twins or his elder brother. Yet time outside of education was rare for his first couple of years in King’s Landing.

Lyonel Tyrell was a loving grandfather, but he was a hard taskmaster. Bayard received a non-stop education in all the simplest things for a noble to know, and took to them well. His writing was elegant, his skill at mathematics was adequate, and he could list a thousand sigils when he focused hard enough. He was no prodigy, not in this, yet he was still more than good enough to serve his brother - or rule in his own right as a Lord or Lord Consort if the opportunity presented itself. More advanced topics also presented themselves to him as he grew older; cartography (a talent he seemed to come into naturally), finances, and understanding of Westeros’ laws were drilled into his head as a child so that he would not forget them. He also taught him less concrete things - Maesters had already documented Lyonel’s actions early in his reign, and the Hand of the King ensured that the War for Whitegrove’s tale was known to him and the lesson taught. What can be achieved by violence is nothing compared to what can be achieved by ensuring peace.

Yet that did not mean Bayard was entirely turned away from the violent option - Lyonel himself never put it out of the question, and when there was a dispute to resolve he left the threat of it unspoken yet obvious. With the help of Allard Templeton, a Knight of the Kingsguard and a good friend to Bayard’s grandfather, the boy began his martial training. Both Lyonel and Allard were swordsmen, and so the young Tyrell was taught with that same weapon. He took to it well, a natural gift for combat assisting him in his learning especially when mixed with the training of his tutors. Bayard grew, and so too did his skills - it seemed inevitable he would surpass his grandfather, and mayhaps match Ser Allard one day too.

Queenmaker’s Witness
In Bayard’s fifth year in the city, and his eleventh year of life, an upheaval occurred in King’s Landing.

It was the dead of night, and the young boy was sitting at the table in the small dining hall of the Tower of the Hand alone, when Lyonel Tyrell strolled into the room. He laid his hands flat upon the table, and said one simple sentence before looking his squire in the eyes. “I am glad that is over.” Bayard inquired as to what his grandfather was talking about, and after a moment of hesitation he spoke once more.

“The King is dead,” was all the Hand said as he continued on to his quarters, leaving the young man and his younger brother to ruminate on what exactly had just been said. Bayard did not quite believe it, but the way his grandfather spoke was too sincere to be false.

In the morning, the situation had developed even further - the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard had been discovered dead too, and Allard Templeton had taken his place on the Hand’s instruction. Lyonel was missing when the young Tyrell awoke, having left for the Small Council chambers to assemble a meeting about the future. What occurred in the council chamber was only known to those within, but stories inevitably passed around. One thing all accounts agree on is that one member of the council suggested that the Princess of Dragonstone, Daenaerys Targaryen, should be overlooked. Others supported this course of action, though for who was never agreed on - some said her eldest son, Daeron, whilst others believed there was more merit in putting a descendant of Prince Viserys the Valiant upon the throne. No agreement could be made between these squabbling dissidents, however, at least not before their arguments were put to dirt. The rest is unclear, except to those present and the one living individual that the Hand informed - Bayard Tyrell. Lyonel Tyrell and Allard Templeton championed the Princess of Dragonstone’s cause, insisting that she was the legitimate heir under all laws and traditions now in place. Lyonel, ever the legalist, brought out the official rolls and documents that made this clear - outdoing the Master of Laws’ own feeble defense. Alongside the Lord Commander, Lyonel was able to sway the remaining councillors to his side, the most violent action committed being a glare towards the Master of Whisperers that could have killed a man in Valyrian Steel armour.

Slowly but surely the Small Council were either convinced to change sides or chose to leave - what happened exactly to each member does not matter, however, as the result was the same. Lyonel Tyrell had achieved a political victory that was unparalleled, out-debating a whole council to ensure that his choice for the throne (and the law’s choice) was placed on the throne.

Yet only a day later his victory was dampened. Harys Tyrell had returned from the Reach, and he brought bad news. House Tarly had gone to war once more with House Peake - a second War for Whitegrove. Lyonel prayed that his son had followed in his example, but the words that Harys spoke next were enough to infuriate the normally measured Hand. Eustace had charged the forces of both his vassals, killing indiscriminately - Harys’ disobedience was all that stopped the gathered forces of the Reach from joining them, and for that Lyonel was convinced that his grandson had to be his heir - not Eustace. Never Eustace. With the assistance of the two boys, Lyonel wrote a scathing letter to his son to ensure he knew exactly what the Hand of the Queen thought. Its main message was simple - if Lyonel were to die, it would be Harys who inherited ahead of Eustace, and not the other way around.

It was not long until the Queen’s coronation took place, a festivity that Bayard enjoyed wholly. It was the first time he had met with members of his family for a while, reuniting with his younger siblings. More importantly to him, it was a chance to spend time with the Princess Rhaenyra, whose friendship he had enjoyed so much it had begun to develop into a love for the girl who was but a year older than he. Prince Daeron too, was a firm friend to the Tyrell, and Bayard felt that his place would be at the royal court even when his grandfather no longer occupied the position of Hand of the Queen.

Yet that time did not seem to be soon. Queen Daenaerys changed the composition of the Small Council heavily, removing many of those who dared to call her a usurper or a false heir and bringing in individuals who she knew could be loyal. Lyonel Tyrell, however - along with his friend and ally the Lord Commander - remained at the head of the table, both men now known as the Queenmaker. Bayard was proud of his grandfather, and knew him as a hero - as did many.

Plague’s Victim
With the death of the previous king and the ascension of the Queen, Lyonel Tyrell’s job became both easier and harder. No longer did he have to scramble to fix the holes cut by the Lord of the Seven Kingdoms, yet Daenaerys’ first act was to go on a royal progress and leave the Hand of the Queen in charge of the administration of the realm. Lyonel continued to split his duties - he would rule for much of the day, sit the Iron Throne and take open court, before closing the grand hall and spending the rest of the day with his grandson. At the age of 12, Bayard defeated his grandfather in combat for the first time and went on to match his brother too. It was a moment of pride for the squire, and a sign of the future. Bayard Tyrell would be a warrior.

For two years after, Bayard and his uncle would train often, Harys assisting them. He would learn more advanced sword techniques, and find his aptitude with a lance too. It seemed like soon enough he would surpass his brother in martial pursuits even though there was a substantial gap in age between them. Harys had never been the greatest fighter, having a relatively weak constitution, and found himself more comfortable negotiating. Still, though, Bayard looked up to his brother - how could he not look up to a man confident enough to oppose his own father and risk his death?

Yet in the one-hundred-and-ninety-third year after the Conquest, the two men who Bayard respected most were lost. Trade from across the Narrow Sea was always a risk, yet it was one the Small Council had been willing to take - any piracy or banditry could be stopped by enough of a threat, and the Queen and the Hand were good enough negotiators to seal deals that were worth taking. No-one could have suspected what the greatest threat would be, however. The Shivers, an Essosi plague, spread through the city like wildfire. Peasants and merchants alike were taken ill and worse by the disease, and the Red Keep was locked down.

It was not enough. Aemma Targaryen was found dead in the Kitchen Keep, and panic spread wildly. Lyonel Tyrell’s job, however, would not stop. He continued to arrange the defense against the plague, and worked tireless nights. Yet it would not be enough. One night, Lyonel arrived with a light cough at the Tower of the Hand, and by the morning he was dead. Harys Tyrell was Lord of Highgarden now, in accordance with his grandfather’s wishes, and he made preparations to return to the Reach when the Shivers had passed. Yet the next day, Harys was taken to the Grand Maester after a coughing fit. Later that same day, a messenger came to the Tower of the Hand with a sombre expression. Harys too had fallen victim to the Shivers, and his tenure as Lord of Highgarden was over. With no contingency plan for what would happen if Harys passed before his father, Eustace Tyrell would be Lord Paramount of the Mander when the news reached him. Yet that thought did not even pass Bayard’s mind. He had lost his grandfather, his mentor. He had lost his brother, the man he looked up to. Only a few days later he lost his close friend too. Daeron Targaryen, along with his father Rhaegar, Prince-Consort of the Seven Kingdoms, fell to the Shivers. Bayard attempted to speak with the girl he wished to love, Princess Rhaenyra, yet was turned away with little chance for negotiation. Over a few nights, the boy who was now heir to Highgarden and the Reach changed. Once he was open, friendly, easy-going. He was not as cold as Rhaenyra had become, but he was now simply polite. Friendships he had made did not end, but they were not as they once were.

Bayard Tyrell had become reserved, focused, calm. When King’s Landing opened up, a messenger arrived from his father. “Don’t bother coming back,” it said, and it did not even infuriate him. He simply left it on a table in the Tower of the Hand for his grandfather’s successor to discover. Said successor was Lord Arthur Crane, a constant companion of the Queen and a fellow Reachman - and, most crucially, a more than competent knight. For a while the heir to Highgarden was left uncared for. He would still reside in the Tower of the Hand, and still train with the Lord Commander of the Queensguard, but he had no knightly master. When the Crane moved in, it became evident what was to happen. Bayard became squire to the Hand of the Queen, and continued to keep his quarters in the tower.

Hand’s Squire
When the time came for the great Royal Progress, Bayard accompanied the Queen’s party south along with the Hand of the Queen. He was still a squire, and thus did not compete in any of the tournaments, though he applauded his knightly master for his performance whenever he took part. From the Riverlands, to the West, and then to his homeland of the Reach, Bayard was in his element. He did not make a show of himself, but his conduct was polite and exemplary for a noble - if a little stilted. Yet upon his arrival at Highgarden he felt himself grow angry for the first time in his life. Eustace Tyrell welcomed the royal party with a broad smile upon his face, yet he did not even spare a word for his son and heir. His siblings were glad to see him, and so too were his uncle Steffon and his cousins Vortimer and Bethany. But until the feast, he heard not a word from his father about him, and even then it was simply when listing the children he had. It was not like Bayard had not expected such a reaction, yet it still pained him. One night, as he returned to his childhood chambers, he caught his father and a serving woman standing on a balcony - altogether too close for a married man - and the temptation to dash forward and push the High Marshal of the Reach from his perch and to the ground below seemed almost too strong. It was only the thought of his brother’s honour, his grandfather’s achievements, that stopped him from tarnishing his own legacy and encouraged him to simply walk on and pretend he had seen nothing.

At Highgarden, the announcement was made that the Queen’s son Jaehaerys would be warded there under House Tyrell’s watch. Vortimer Tyrell would be the man responsible for his education, though before the announcement Bayard was taken aside by his cousin and informed this was a temporary arrangement - as soon as the heir to the Reach was back in Highgarden as a knight, it would be his duty to ensure the prince got the education he needed. Wary of the duty, yet willing to serve the crown, Bayard accepted and the announcement went ahead.

Soon enough, they left his home behind and continued the progress. At the Rainport, he watched on in awe as Durran Dondarrion requested the Queen’s favour - love for a Targaryen could be a dangerous thing, and Bayard wondered if he would ever have the courage to do such a thing. When the Stormlander knight crowned her as Queen of Love and Beauty, the heir to the Reach let out an uncharacteristic cheer of support along with the rest of the crowd. Durran Dondarrion was an inspiration to the young knight, and that would only continue to be true when he protected the Queen from an assassination attempt. After visiting Gulltown for another tournament, one that Bayard truly wished to be a part of, the progress returned to King’s Landing. It was there, amid preparations for a royal wedding soon to come, that Lord Arthur Crane knighted the heir to the Reach.

Realm’s Knight
Ser Bayard Tyrell was not much different from the squire he had been. He was still reserved, still quiet, still desperately in love with a princess who did not seem to return those affections like he wished. Yet when the grand tournament to celebrate the Queen’s wedding was announced, Bayard remembered one key difference - he could now fight. Entering all the competitions, the new knight was determined to do his best in all of them and gain some fame in the process. In the archery, he proved less than skilled - he had not been taught to use a bow, and that showed as he missed most of the targets set before him. In the melee, he proved more competent - nowhere near winning, with Ser Jacklyn Caron proving to be a grand fighter yet still performing admirably for a new knight. It seemed like he would go home with no prize, and that did not unsettle Bayard. What more could a young man expect? Yet when it came time for the joust, the heir to the Mander proved to be fearsome.

Many of the realm’s greatest knights gathered to win the joust of the Queen’s wedding to Ser Durran Dondarrion. Many of them fell at the tip of Bayard Tyrell’s lance. When the day was done, he had proven victorious, a fact that stunned him as he removed his helm and slowly rode forward to receive the flower crown of the Queen of Love and Beauty. No hesitation overcame the knight as he rode towards the woman he wished to give the crown. Rhaenyra Targaryen would receive the title, for the first time. As the crown slipped from his lance and into her hands, he knew it would not be the last. For a moment, the slight smile she gave him foolishly made him wonder whether his love was not one-sided.

One year later, that wonder was put to death. Oldtown was the destination of a grand royal party, Bayard included, for Princess Rhaenyra’s wedding - to his cousin, Owen Costayne. Besides his father, the heir to the Mander had never hated anyone. Yet the resentment he felt at his cousin’s marriage was unparalleled. Owen himself had never done anything, but the thought of his beloved being another man’s wife? It was enough to bring the knight to violence.

At the tournament of Oldtown, that violence proved useful. He did not win the archery - he did not enter, in fact. Yet in the melee, he proved that his lessons with the two Hands and the Lord Commander did not go to waste. Some of Westeros’ greatest warriors were knocked into the dirt by his hand, and Bayard did not quite realise he was the last man standing until the horns were blown and the cheers erupted. His victory in the melee brought the young knight pride, but it was not the competition he wished to win. In fact, it seemed like his victory there would be a nail in the coffin for any further wins. Yet as his lance cracked on the breastplates of half a dozen knights in the joust, and once more the flower crown was placed upon its tip. Once again he did not hesitate. Not even giving a look to Owen Costayne, he gave the crown to the Princess of Dragonstone once more. She did not give the smile from before, though she accepted it kindly.

For the first time in many years, Bayard Tyrell did not return to King’s Landing. Instead, he rode directly north. Straight home. His arrival was not heralded, though upon his return he was embraced by many of his kin. His mother too held him for near an hour, finally able to see the man he had become. Eustace Tyrell, however, did not even come out to see him. It did not surprise him, nor did it give him pause. Instead of even attempting to meet his father, he went straight to Vortimer. The two cousins embraced as always, before the elder of the two brought forth Prince Jaehaerys - the boy who was to be Bayard’s ward. It was an odd fact that the heir to Highgarden would raise the brother of the woman he loved, but it was a fact all the same. Wherever Bayard went, so too did Jaehaerys - a room in Bayard’s expansive quarters was assigned to be the Prince’s own bedroom, the seat beside Bayard’s at the table in the great hall was the Prince’s own seat (much to the chagrin of Bayard’s sister Clarice who had always occupied that seat since they were young), and when they travelled the young Targaryen rode with Bayard upon his saddle.

Jaehaerys was like a son to the young knight. Even though the age difference between them was only ten years, it felt like he was born to be responsible for him. He did not imagine he could focus his time on anyone else, and did not have to - for the first time in many years, Bayard Tyrell felt something beyond desperate love. When his father announced upon his eighteenth nameday that he would be married in but a week’s time, the heir to Highgarden could not restrain himself from asking why this arrangement had been made without his consent. Eustace didn’t answer, though he did give a firm sneer. It was as he had said, though. On the thirteenth day of the sixth moon, in the one-hundred-and-ninety-seventh year after Aegon’s Conquest, Ser Bayard Tyrell was married to Hostella Peake, a woman he had never met before they were wedded. He felt angry at his father as her Peake cloak was taken from her and he draped his own about her back, not just for what he had done to him but for what he had done to her. Hostella was a comely woman, and if they had been given the chance to meet beforehand it likely never would have been a problem to him. Yet it was, and it would not be the last thing he could not forgive his father for.

Hostella would be known to be with child within three moons of their wedding - it seemed that though the wedding was reluctant, they had gone through with it in full - and slowly but surely the two felt themselves falling in love. Hostella played as much a part in the raising of Bayard’s young ward as he did, ensuring a motherly touch was given - all things that the heir to Highgarden took notice of for the future. By the final moons of her pregnancy, Bayard and Hostella were inseparable. Some who had known him before - chiefly his cousin Vortimer - were glad to see his love for Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen was in the past.

Just over nine moons after their wedding, Hostella gave birth to their first son. Their only son. Neither Hostella nor the boy, who Bayard named Daeron in honour of his fallen friend, made it out of the birthing bed. He had loved and lost again, and this was the one that broke him. For a full two days, the heir to Highgarden kneeled in vigil for his wife and child at the castle sept, taking neither food nor water as he did. When he finally emerged from the seven-sided building, having ordered his cousin to stop anyone else from entering, he had a furious expression upon his face. Vortimer attempted to ask him what was wrong, but he was turned away as the knight made his way through the castle to his father’s quarters. Eustace Tyrell was surprised to see him, and Bayard ensured he would be surprised to see him ever again. Ever spiteful, the Lord of Highgarden made a passing comment about his son remarrying, and for his troubles he received a slap with enough power to throw him from his chair. Fury was not something seen on the face of the heir to the Reach often, but as Vortimer Tyrell watched on it could not be anything else. Bayard demanded two things from his father - one, that he would never say Hostella’s name again, and two, that he would never speak to him again unless spoken to.

Eustace was not in much of a position to refuse.

Despair’s Bearer
Though despair had overtaken him, Bayard Tyrell was not one to shirk his duties. In fact, he dedicated himself to them with even more fervour. He did not have a son, but he did have a ward. Jaehaerys Targaryen would likely have felt Hostella’s loss keenly too, and the heir to Highgarden knew he could not let that stop him from receiving the education and training he needed. In the one-hundred-and-ninety-ninth year after the Conquest, another boy would become Bayard’s responsibility. Sent to Highgarden to squire for the winner of two of the realm’s greatest tournaments in recent years, Aubrey Banefort would learn from Bayard alongside the prince - they would travel as a group of three.

When time came for another tournament, Bayard knew he could not resist. With his squires, he rode for Duskendale to enter the lists as normal. Yet he did not enter as simply “Ser Bayard Tyrell”. No, with a new sigil painted upon his shield - the golden rose of House Tyrell surrounded by a ring of thorns  - he named himself “The Knight of Thorns”. He performed well in the melee, as expected, but he could not claim victory like he had four years prior. Ser Tristan Tully gained that honour, as a fearsome combatant who had defeated Bayard himself upon the field. It would soon enough be time for the joust, a competition he knew he could win. Unhorsing the melee’s winner in the second round, Bayard knew he could do it. In the final round, he realised just who he was up against. Ser Owen Costayne wore his wife’s favour upon his lance, and Bayard knew what winning this would mean. The two men tilted for a while - both broke three lances upon each other’s shield - and it seemed that it would have to be decided in the seventh, the holiest tilt. Both men charged, both aimed their lances. Owen Costayne laid a glancing blow upon his opponent’s spaulder. The Knight of Thorns’ lance shattered upon the breastplate of his opponent, and the force knocked the Costayne from his saddle. Bayard Tyrell was the victor, and though he offered a hand to his opponent to help him from the floor, he removed his helmet and gave Rhaenyra’s husband a polite smile as he rode towards her with the crown of the Queen of Love and Beauty and placed it in her hands. Her smile was not so polite - if anything, there was too much of it. Vortimer Tyrell’s hopes were dashed - Bayard had no less love for the Princess of Dragonstone than he had before.

When it was time for the Queen’s nameday tournament a few moons later, Bayard declined to compete. It did not feel right to risk his victory so soon after it had occurred, not after what had happened. Instead, he returned to Highgarden to ensure his squires were well-trained. It was a hard task, raising two boys only ten years younger than him, but Bayard knew he had to do it. Jaehaerys and Aubrey would be subject to a regimen similar to the one his grandfather gave to him, though with the influence of Hostella in everything he did.

In the two-hundred-and-third year after Aegon’s Conquest, another boy entered Bayard’s guardianship - Selwyn Swann, the heir to Stonehelm, would learn alongside the Prince and the Banefort in the training yard of Highgarden. That same year would mark his youngest brother’s marriage, to a woman of House Strong named Elyana. Bayard was proud of Leo, one of his closest companions, and prayed to the Seven every knight that their marriage would last longer than his. With the birth of their daughter Rowan later that year, and Elyana’s survival, he knew his prayers had worked.

Two years later, and word of a tournament at the Gates of the Moon reached Bayard’s ears. It had been a long while since his last competition, and he felt it was past time for another. Aubrey Banefort and Selwyn Swann were both of an age to compete, and Jaehaerys Targaryen was fast approaching it. Before they left for the Vale, Bayard summoned his two eldest squires to the sept and had them kneel. Oils were poured over their heads, and the heir to Highgarden’s sword was tapped against their shoulders. Ser Aubrey Banefort and Ser Selwyn Swann would accompany him, along with the young prince too. Bayard’s performance at the tournament was not on par with his previous appearances - he fell at the lance of Daeron Targaryen in the joust and at the sword of Morgan Manderly in the melee (both men who would go on to win those respective competitions).

After returning from the Gates, he would receive his latest squire into his care, a bastard of House Fossoway named Derrick Flowers and the first of his countrymen to be trained under his watchful eye. Jaehaerys Targaryen would be knighted later that year, though Bayard insisted he remain as his ward for now - he did not want to see the back of the boy just yet.

Lordsport would be the location of his next tournament, in the two-hundred-and-eighth year after Aegon’s Conquest. He had never visited the Iron Islands before, and he had heard the tales of barbaric reavers that every man of Westeros had, but a tournament was a hard opportunity to pass up and so he sailed to the island of Pyke. He would fall short in the melee, being defeated by a man of House Greyjoy, but his meeting with the Lord Paramount of the Iron Islands, Dagon Greyjoy, was worth it. When word of war in the south came, Bayard was forced to leave, but he left with a promise from Dagon that there would be Ironborn support if it was needed.

Fire’s Fool
Bayard arrived at Highgarden in a time of upheaval. Queen Daenaerys I Targaryen had invaded the Principality of Dorne, and Lord Tarly had led a complement of Reachmen to defeat a raider known as the Vulture King in his lands. Bayard cursed his father for his inaction, and gathered his own greater army to reinforce the Lord of Horn Hill if he required it. Accompanied by men of every house in the Reach, the heir to Highgarden rode south - though not before sending a letter to Pyke requesting exactly what had been promised (but a moon after the Queen had sent her own).

He met with Lord Tarly just north of the Red Mountains, and discovered that he had already put down the Vulture King - three times, in fact, and it had turned out that none of them were truly the bandit king he was hunting. Bayard did not care - a threat had been dispatched. Leading the army alongside the Lord of Horn Hill, the heir to the Reach entered the Red Mountains and marched towards Skyreach. Passing through the valleys into Dorne did not seem like much to Bayard as it happened, but it would be the last time he saw the Reach as a whole man.

Arriving at the seat of House Fowler, a siege camp began to grow around the walls. It would not last long, however, as word came from Wyl that an army of the Stormlands had seized the castle, resulting in the surrender of both House Wyl and House Yronwood. Skyreach surrendered, and it became the centre of command for the Reachman army, from where they would coordinate their own marches and battles. It was within the walls of that castle that Bayard Tyrell formulated a dangerous plan. House Martell and its vassals did not seem to wish to fight honourably - neither, then, would the Reach. Gathering a party of knights he knew would fight to the last, the heir to Highgarden prepared to ride south into the deserts of Dorne around Sandstone and Hellholt.

Villages and small encampments would become victim to the Reachmen Raids. Homes burnt, bodies were stacked, and banners of House Tyrell rose in the place of Martell, Uller, and Qorgyle. It was a bloody set of attacks - men of both sides fell in battle for a cause they had not started. When Braxton Rowan, a distant cousin of his fell, Bayard began to wonder whether he had done the right thing. Word came from elsewhere in the desert, from a fleeing man-at-arms wearing the colours of House Caron of Nightsong, that Lord Mertyns had defeated a force of House Uller and had brought the house to its knees. Bayard threw the man a waterskin and thanked him for his service, allowing him to pass by unharmed - a deserter or not.

Sunspear would be next, and Bayard was determined to make it there before the seat of House Martell was taken. He could never have expected to reach the capital of Dorne unmolested, and so when a party of House Uller approached with their swords drawn, Bayard was ready. His band of knights charged, lances and swords drawn, and the heir to Highgarden himself rode at their head - intending to meet the leader of the party in personal combat. He leapt from his horse to land before the Uller, and saw flames leap up the man’s sword as he introduced himself as Ryon Uller. What the man’s name was did not matter to Bayard - all that mattered was ensuring his victory here, and the survival of his men. Uller and Tyrell clashed blades as the greatest knights of the Reach battled with the soldiers and mercenaries of Dorne, and the two seemed evenly matched. Bayard caught the other man’s burning sword with his shield until the wooden kite was unusable, thrown to the ground to reveal the bare skin of Bayard’s arm - the sleeves of his tunic rolled up to ensure he did not sweat to death in the heat.

For a while longer they fought, the heir to Highgarden slowly gaining the upper hand. And then, in an instant, the Uller stepped back and slammed his sword down towards Bayard’s head. Only one thing could save him, and so he raised his arm to catch it, the blade falling lengthways upon his arm. It cut deep, a long wound running from just above his wrist to his elbow, and the fire slowly began to burn and warp the skin around it. Fighting through the pain, Bayard lunged forwards and stabbed his longsword through the other man’s stomach - releasing his grip on the sword, which slowly drifted down Bayard’s arm and burnt more flesh.

He had won. That was an objective truth. Yet he had lost, in his mind. Good men had died, and he had only been saved by an action that would likely haunt him for the rest of his life. Bayard fell to his knees before the body of Ryon Uller as his brother rushed over, tearing off his own tunic and wrapping it around the deep wound and the burns around it. Leo considered Bayard lucky - the wound had been cauterised by the fire around the blade, though it would still pain him for many years. He had done his best, but a maester would have to ensure that Bayard survived. Yet he had, for now, and so he ordered they continue on to Sunspear. Upon arriving at the walls of the Shadow City, the heir to Highgarden was rushed to a Maester in the service of one of the many houses gathered there. Bayard’s wound was bad - terrible, even - but it was not going to kill him. If it was patched up properly, even, he would be able to fight in the battle - though it would hurt badly if touched in any manner. Bayard was glad to hear that - he wished to fight - yet he was not so glad to hear the next thing the Maester had to say.

Bayard Tyrell was now Lord of Highgarden. Only a moon after his departure, Eustace Tyrell had passed of an unknown ailment and Steffon Tyrell had assumed control of Highgarden until his nephew’s return. Burnt, bloody, and bruised, he did not look much like a Lord Paramount - yet the man who stood from the bed in the Maester’s tent and walked to where the commanders had gathered was the Lord Paramount of the Mander for sure. Lord Tarly and Lord Baratheon, along with the other generals of the Crown forces, had already formulated a plan, and after the failure of his last Bayard was not eager to disagree - he simply nodded and went to don his armour.

He did not exactly distinguish himself in the battle, but for a man with a wound as bad as his was, Bayard Tyrell did admirably. Many Dornishmen fell at his hand, and many streets were cleared by him and his party. Tales of women and children being slaughtered alongside the men in Sunspear were common, and often true - yet Bayard Tyrell did not partake in the wanton violence like many other knights. He was the Knight of Thorns, the honourable tourney knight, not some murderer. Yet he did not condemn those who did - in fact, he found himself respecting some of them despite it. Jacklyn Caron, the man who had won the melee at the same time he won his first joust, became friendly with Bayard - though the Defender of the Marches did not oft make true friends.

It was in the wake of the battle that Bayard noticed an absence. Ser Owen Costayne had been a part of the royal army as it marched south, yet he was nowhere to be seen in the aftermath - nor in the command tent before the battle either. Lord Tarly was the one who told him what had happened - a young Dornish boy had stabbed him to death, upon being offered a piece of bread by the man. Bayard Tyrell had resented Owen Costayne. He had hated him, even, as they tilted at Duskendale. Yet this was not a fate for a man such as he. No matter Bayard’s thoughts on Rhaenyra’s marriage to the man, Owen Costayne was an honourable sort. He was a good man. When his body was returned to King’s Landing, Bayard was determined to deliver a short speech as the ship left harbour. Normally, the Lord Paramount of the Mander spoke at barely above a whisper - yet here he was near enough shouting, honouring a man he did not know he respected until it was too late.

He could not mourn for long. Soon enough the royal armies were to return home, marching back through the Red Mountains to deliver their victory to the Queen. Yet the war was not over yet. House Jordayne, House Qorgyle, and House Dayne had not surrendered, and as the royal host passed through the Torrentine they were waylaid. Durran Dondarrion, King Consort of the Seven Kingdoms, fell, a man that Bayard had respected beyond all rationality - so too did his wife’s son, Viserys of the Queensguard, and many other respected warriors beside them. Bayard himself was cut off with the rest of his men from parts of the army, and the Reach fought as hard as they were famed for to survive. Vortimer Tyrell took a fierce wound to the shoulder, and Bayard was forced to risk his own life to save his young squire, Jason Tyrell. But in the end, they were victorious - the Dornish were pushed back, and the bodies of the fallen were recovered.

Lord’s Lance
Bayard did not accompany the host to King’s Landing. He could not, not when he had so much responsibility in his hands. Instead, the Reach host parted ways with the royal army - Bayard said his farewells to those he had met upon the march, such as Ser Jacklyn Caron, and the sons of Prince Baelor Targaryen.

His return to Highgarden was filled with joy, at least from the castle’s occupants. His sister Clarice near-lifted him from the ground, and his uncle Steffon was glad to see both him and his son Vortimer returned. Bayard did not share that happiness. He was happy to be home, but so much had been lost to him. In the dead of night on his first day back home, he summoned Steffon and Vortimer Tyrell to his solar - the room that had once been his father’s. Bayard expressed his intention to return to the tournament circuit as he had before - he could not risk ruling when he did not think himself ready. Steffon saw that this was the best course of action, and Vortimer was convinced in time too. Yet the old Lord Seneschal would not resume his duties under Bayard’s reign. Instead, it would be Vortimer’s duty to administer Highgarden in his cousin’s absence, a duty he took up readily. Eustace Tyrell had been too eager to rule, too eager to see slights where there were none. Bayard would not risk becoming his father. He needed time to consider, to think.

News came to Highgarden of two things, both of which put a thin smile on Bayard’s face. Ser Jacklyn Caron had been named Lord Paramount of Dorne, ruling from Kingsgrave - a wise choice, and a good man. Yet most importantly to Bayard, a tournament was being held at Riverrun. His performance there was competent, yet nothing to be particularly proud of - in the joust he was able to unhorse the Lord of Oldtown, yet fell to the lance of Cregan Truemark, a young and promising archer whose aim seemed true whatever weapon he bore.

The Black Swan, a mystery knight, would be the victor of that tournament’s joust, and as the crown of flowers was passed to Bayard’s own sister Clarice he knew exactly who was beneath that armour - Selwyn Swann, his old squire.

Bayard did not often travel alone, but at Riverrun his party shrank slightly. Lia Tyrell, his cousin Vortimer’s daughter, had followed them in hopes of finding something to do. When she announced to Bayard that she would be travelling with Ser Thaddeus Manderly, heir to White Harbour, he was taken off guard - yet she was a woman grown, and it was her choice to do so. No objection was made as she joined the travelling party of the Northman knight - though if Bayard had known quite what she would get up to with the man, he may have had a different opinion.

From Riverrun, he travelled north to Winterfell, where a tournament to honour the nameday of the Lord of the North’s eldest daughter Teora was held. Once again, he held his own, yet gained no glory - though his respect for Cregan Truemark continued to grow. From there he ventured south to Storm’s End, though he returned to Highgarden first -  it was there he learnt of the split in House Peake, an issue he did not yet feel confident enough to rectify.

He returned from Storm’s End for but a moment, before returning to King’s Landing for the first time in twelve years for the celebration of the nameday of Rhaenyra’s eldest two children. His performance in the joust was once again admirable - coming fourth, and losing to Ser Thaddeus Manderly in a match for third place (causing much conflict in Lia Tyrell’s mind) but it was not good enough.

It was during his time in the city that Bayard realised he could not be ignorant of King’s Landing politics like his father. Requesting use of the royal rookery, Bayard sent a letter home requesting the presence of Vortimer’s eldest son and his youngest daughter in King’s Landing. Jason would act as a courtier, and Willow would enter the service of Princess Visenya Targaryen, Rhaenyra’s daughter, as a lady-in-waiting. Upon their arrival, they would make their way to Driftmark for the tournament there, and would be introduced to the royal court upon the island. Bayard, as expected, took part in the tournament and came an admirable second, losing to the Queen’s bastard son, Daemon Waters, a man who Bayard counted as a friend - or as close as he could get - after the bout.

Bayard would leave the royal court soon after the end of the tourney, though not before knighting Jason as they said their farewells.

Queen’s Servant
Upon his return to Highgarden, Bayard knew he could not leave everything to Vortimer forever. Slowly, they began to share duties - each would look over everything the other did, and they would both ensure nothing was left untouched. No matter his confidence in his abilities, Bayard Tyrell was the Lord Paramount of the Mander, and it was his duty to ensure the Queen’s law was kept. Disputes that had been buried since the time of his father’s ascension were reviewed, and whilst they could not all be acted on instantly, plans were made. Yet, though Bayard Tyrell had begun to assume his duties, he could not escape the allure of a tournament. Prince Valarr Targaryen, youngest son of the Crown Princess, was to undergo his own progress around the Reach. It was thus that invitations were dispatched across the Seven Kingdoms - a grand tournament at Highgarden, in a prince’s honour. A joust, a melee, an archery contest.

Preparations were made in a show of grandeur his father never could have achieved - for it was honest, built on traditions of honour and nobility that Eustace Tyrell never understood. Bayard felt pride, if only slightly, that he would be remembered more fondly than his father - a legacy tarnished was not a legacy lost.

When the time for the tournament came, Bayard could barely stay in his seat. First, the archery contest - Cregan Truemark claimed victory again, a fact that inspired Bayard to invite him for a drink after, making him one of the few who could claim to be friends with the Lord of Highgarden in any capacity. Aethan Celtigar, a fierce combatant, would win the melee, with Bayard himself falling in the first round to a knight of the Rainport. In the joust, the Lord Paramount would prove more of a threat, yet he still fell at the lance of Lord Lyonel Strong, the father of his brother’s wife Elyana. Yet it would be his former, the mysterious Black Swan who would win the joust in the end, an act that brought great pride to Bayard.

Though he had not thought his performance admirable, it had been enough to draw the attention of others. Alyce Arryn, sister of the Lord of the Vale, and a woman much younger than Bayard, approached him on the night of the second day, after the joust. It had been a while since a woman had been after him, his quiet, reserved attitude often making him seem entirely unavailable. For the first time in seventeen years, Bayard Tyrell shared his quarters with a woman. On the next day, the day of the feast, they met once again in his chambers. Yet in the morning, he awoke before she did and left, and when she approached him for the possibility of another night together he simply moved past the topic. He did not dislike Alyce Arryn - no, he had enjoyed her company - but he did not love her.

Since the Prince’s progress left Highgarden, Bayard’s focus was on ensuring the Reach was well-kept. So much of what his father had done was hard to fix, if not impossible, yet with Vortimer at his side he began to plan the future. He would try and solve his peoples’ issues, and he prayed the rest of the Reach would assist him. News also reached him from the capital - Vortimer’s son Jason had been granted a position on the Queensguard, serving as the Yellow Knight, a great point of pride for House Tyrell and the Reach, along with Jaehaerys Targaryen’s ascension to the position of Master of Parley.

Yet Bayard Tyrell is still the Knight of Thorns, and when the announcement of a feast and tournament at Harrenhal reached him, he prepared his retinue to attend - it would not be said he missed such an opportunity.