Part Two - Ser Harwin Strong
Harwin watched as the ship cut through the sea waves.
He was at a loss after the Lord Hand had dismissed him from his post over some trumped up charges. He had wanted to fight but his father and Larys had suggested that he should leave for Harrenhal, take a breather while they figured out how to get his position back.
He was there for a week, spending time with his older sister Alys (no matter what the rest of Westeros said, Alys is their oldest sister no matter which side of the blanket she was born on) when a letter from Layla arrived. In it, she complained about how they still haven’t had a proper weirwood to worship and the fact Princess Rhaenyra still hasn't got a sworn shield at the moment.
Alys, listening to Harwin reading out loud while she crocheted a handkerchief for their father under their weirwood tree, suddenly spoke. “I can talk to the Green Men for Stepstones if they want. I think I can get them a sapling and a Green Man to tend it.”
Harwin doesn’t understand Alys’s obsession with the place but figured that would make her happy so he let her do it.
Next thing he knew, he was on a ship to Stepstones, escorting his sister, the weirwood tree and a Green Man.
It sounds like the beginning of a terrible joke, he thought wryly.
Meeting Princess Rhaenyra was a delightful surprise.
He knew she was rumored to be beautiful (She is a Targaryen after all and her lauded nickname was the Realm Delight) but to see a divine being in front of him was awe-inspiring especially as she conducted the Claiming ritual with such dignity and elegance, showcasing her belief for religious tolerance in her little kingdom.
Watching closely as Morna introduced Alys to Rhaenyra, he was glad she didn’t reacted untowardly toward his half-sister due to her status, instead offering her a place in her retinue as a lady in waiting, a position reserved only for of those of noble blood or a place to study in the Institute of Religious Studies and Mystic Arts here in Felstrong as her sisters had told the princess about her interests in such subject.
(The Institute of Religious Studies and Mystic Arts in Felstrong is the third of such institutes established by Vaegon Targaryen, offering intensive studies on the subjects with guest lecturers from the conclave of Priests residing in the island and the few Essosi alchemists and northern wood-witches. The other two institutes, the Academy of Healing Arts and Institute of Industrial Studies were set up in Veiled Isles and Pryr respectively).
Yes, maybe he might actually enjoy his visit to Stepstones.
Rhaenyra couldn’t help but steal discreet glances at Ser Harwin during the dinner. Attended only by her ladies, Joffrey Arryn and the Strong siblings, she admires his strong looks from afar.
Though judging from Joffy’s grin and Valaena smothered smiles, she had failed abysmally.
Oh dear, they are going to tease her so badly later tonight.
“So tell us, Ser Harwin, I heard they in King’s Landing call you Breakbones.” Rowena asked with wide eyes. “Surely there is a story behind that.”
Harwin blinked, unsure how to tell them the story, but unfortunately Alys, proud of her brother’s achievement and buoyed by the offer to study the mystic arts, began to brag. “He was known as Breakbones as he managed to defeats everyone during the jousting and the melee tournaments to celebrate the Queen’s coronation anniversary, including the Queen’s brother, Ser Gwayne and the Queen’s champion, Ser Criston Cole, the latter even had his collar broken by Harwin when thrown off his horse during their jousting! She was furious at him, especially when he crowned little Princess Helaena instead of her.”
“You crowned my baby sister?” Rhaenyra vaguely remembered a letter from Lord Beesbury of the Queen giving birth to a daughter a few months after she left for Stepstones. She idly wondered if the babe had Targaryen or Hightower’s look.
“Seeing she was the only highborn lady who wasn’t part of the Queen’s retinue…” Harwin said dryly as everyone giggled.
“Brother was also Lord Commander of the City Watch for two years.” Morna continued as she passed the dessert platter to Rhaenyra. “Father wrote that under Harwin’s command, crime rates were so low the justiciar offered to help father with his paperwork!” Everyone laughed again.
They immediately cajoled the knight for more stories and spent the rest of the dinner with laughter and camaraderie with their latest additions to the family.
Leaving her bedchambers for her solar the very next day, Rhaenyra was surprised to see Ser Harwin was waiting for her outside her doors.
“Do we have an appointment today?” Rhaenyra asked in confusion but didn’t stop, already thinking about the pile of mining reports on her desk. Harwin quickly followed her.
“Oh, no. I figured since I’m supposed to be your protector, I should be waiting for you to walk you to your office.”
Rhaenyra froze before turning to him incredulously. Even Aemon and Mylessa, her Scarlet Shadows, had never done that before (She asked only for the barest of protection, for some freedom of movement so they usually just lurked at the corner of her eyes).
“Um, you don’t have to do that.” She said flustered. “I’m spending the morning in my office working through the paperworks. You should spend some time with your sisters and explore the islands.”
“All due respect Princess,” Rhaenyra almost swooned at his smile, “There’s no way I would rather be than to be by your side right now.”
Oh dear!! Rhaenyra can feel her cheeks turn red in embarrassment but let him follow her.
It was a surprisingly pleasant morning. She had finished the packet of mining Master Sebell (one of Vaegon’s former maester turned administrator for Dustspear’s Mining Community) had sent her and deliberated over some issues brought up by her people. Harwin, who at first stood silently by the door, finally spoke when she coaxed some conversation from him, offering some surprisingly good insights to some of her problems.
Then again he was trained by the Master of Law himself as the next Lord of Harrenhal so maybe he has some brain under all that handsome brawn.
And apparently some of her ladies had been talking as he even made sure she didn't forget to eat even while working, making sure she ate every single sweets on the plate and drinking the entire pot of tea.
Harwin watched as Rhaenyra led the discussion during the audience session, listening to her people’s woes and offering advice to those who asked. He couldn’t help but marvel as he had never seen such a thing before (in King’s Landing it was becoming rare to see King Viserys holding audiences with the nobles, and barely interacting with the small folks, and the Lord Hand usually gives edicts that are heavily biased toward the Reach and Hightowers).
Even though he watched as a smallfolk couple stepped forward and asked for her blessing for their marriage (apparently the lass was a maid from her personal household),not only the Princess offered to pay a dowry for her maid, she also offered to throw a small wedding celebration for them that weekend.
He quickly walked behind her as she left the hall, tugging her hands into a pair of riding gloves. “That was nice of you, what you did for them back there.”
“Hmm? Oh, that? Beth had been working in my household ever since I came to Stepstones. It is the least I could do for her for her services and I know she and her man were waiting to get married after he earned his own boat. Plus I don’t mind hosting a party for them, it would be fun for all of us.” She grinned.
“Do you know all your servants, Princess?” Harwin asked as they stopped in the middle of the courtyard.
Rhaenyra pulled a face at him. “Of course? I will try my best to get to know them if I can. They are my people and it is my duty and pleasure, I guess? To be friendly with them. Anyways, I’m heading off to fly to Scarwood so you can have the rest of the afternoon, Ser Harwin.”
“I’ll join you on your trip then, Your Highness. Shall we move to the docks to board the boat?” Harwin mentally tried to calculate the distance from Moonstone to Scarwood, remembering Layla once wrote about the dinghies used to ferry people from island to island.
“Boat? Ser Harwin,” the princess’s smile was brilliant, “I’m a dragon rider, I have no need for boats when I have a dragon.”
A loud draconic scream suddenly rang through the air as the princess’s beloved dragon, Syrax, flew downward toward them.
Harwin couldn’t help but gaped as the golden dragon gently landed in front of them, nuzzling at her laughing rider. Once again he was in awe (something he is beginning to think to be quite common when it comes to Rhaenyra Targaryen) at the beauty in front of him.
And no, he wasn’t talking about the dragon.
Well, he was thinking a bit about the dragon. It was rare to see a dragon in King’s Landing nowadays as the King’s heirs and his siblings were unable to form a bond with a dragon or hatch them from the numerous dragon eggs they bought from Dragonstone. Even Dreamfyre, the only dragon left in King’s Landing, had never left her lairs in years, barely producing any eggs after her last clutch turned to stone (according to Larys.)
Rhaenyra turned to Harwin, smiling brightly. “Come! Let me introduce you to my Golden Lady.”
Harwin gulped.
That’s a lot of sharp teeth grinning at him.
And yes, this time he was definitely talking about the dragon.
The knight edged forward, trying to portray confidence as he got close to the fire-breathing lizard.
Yup, not scary at all.
“Syrax, raqiros.” Rhaenyra said as she grabbed Harwin’s and pulled him forward, guiding him to place his hand on the dragon’s snout, letting Syrax take in his scent. “Raqiros.”
Harwin marveled at the sensation of living fire under his hand, can’t believe he was actually touching a living dragon.
The dragon blew out a warm breath as she pulled away, blasting Harwin right in the face and giving him a rather windswept look. Rhaenyra laughed brightly as the knight tried to fix his clothes.
“Come on then!” She quickly climbed over the dragon and settled on the magnificent looking leather and iron saddle before reaching out for him.
Harwin gamely climbed on and settled behind her, making sure there was enough space between him and his charge.
“Have you ever been on a dragon before?” Rhaenyra sounds amused as how he tried to maintain some polite space between the both of them.
“This would be the first, Princess.” Harwin gingerly tried to wrap his hands on the straps on the saddle, believing correctly there were handholds for the passengers.
“Hmm. Well,” She smiled slyly, “you might have to hang on really tight then! Syrax, Soves!” Harwin bit back a scream, grabbing the princess as Syrax launched herself into the air, Rhaenyra laughing in delight.
I think I might be in love, Harwin thought in a daze as they zipped through the air.
Olyvar smiled and Kriss waved as Syrax touched down in front of the village. Beside him, Edmondo scowled, especially as Rhaenyra gave him a jaunty wave. He had chased away Ollie’s more ardent, persistent suitors throughout the years and the only reason he hadn't done the same to her was A. She was the ruler of the island he was living in and B. Kriss will never forgive him for chasing the very beautiful dragon and her princess rider away.
Rhaenyra quickly dismounted, staying long enough to help Ser Harwin down before running toward them.
“It held up?” Olyvar asked eagerly, bouncing up and down in excitement.
“It did! It made my turns even more sharper and less fighting against the wind. I do have issues with the leg straps though, it's too thick and I can’t communicate with Syrax that way.” Rhaenyra grinned back, couldn’t help the jolt of delight as Olyvar absent-mindedly tugged at her messy braid.
Olyvar nodded. “I can plait the straps tighter, making it more narrow and yet strong enough to withstand the wind force. Yes, it shouldn’t take long for me to fix that, especially if Eds help me with the straps.” He took off to grab the saddle from Syrax. Harwin, unused to Olyvar and his friendship with his charge’s dragon, stepped in front of him. “May I know what you are doing?”
“Oh, I'm just going to get the sa-” Olyvar froze, taking in the tall, thick man in front of him, his soulful brown eyes and Dear Gods, is that a cleft on his chin?!, swallowing loudly as he sputtered into silence.
Oh, dear.
Behind them, Rhaenyra and Edmondo exchanged looks of outrage, wordlessly exclaiming at each other.
(Edmondo gestured at the frozen tableau in front of them. What is this?!! Why is he blushing?!!
Rhaenyra screeched wordlessly.Why is he looking at him like that?! He never looked at anyone like that!!
Oh my Gods, why is he smiling at him like that?!! Is he actually flirting with him?!! )
Kriss tried and failed to muffle his giggles as their outraged reactions got even more dramatic at Olyvar’s and Harwin’s interaction.
Olyvar gestured wordlessly at the saddle, trying to side-stepped this tall, tall man to get to Syrax. To the dragon keeper's surprise, the knight followed, keeping an eye on him as he began to take off the saddle.
“Let me help you with that.” Harwin helpfully hefted the saddle from Syrax’s back after Olyvar unclasped all the straps. The young man couldn’t help but gulp as he stared at Harwin’s flexed muscles, not believing anyone can carry the saddle without hurting themselves. (He doesn’t count, he was used to carrying heavy objects and Kriss around as part of his dragon keeper duties.) “A pretty little thing like you shouldn’t be carrying a heavy thing like this.” He smiled charmingly at him.
He thinks I’m pretty?!! Olyvar mentally screeched, not realizing Rhaenyra and Edmondo were screaming silently behind them.
(It was then and there that the both of them decided Ser Harwin Strong was their mutual enemy for Olyvar’s affections.)