Part Two - A Nice Day Out
Rhaenyra pulled away from Harwin’s lips reluctantly, and sat beside him. The two of them had delightfully enjoyed the early days of their formal courtship, spending time together from dragon flights at dawn (chaperoned by Elinda), working on paperwork together (assisted by Rowena Waynwood, who won’t stop sighing happily every few minutes), walking around in Moonstone’s beautiful gardens (observed by giggling servants) and picnicking at the beach (which usually invaded by village children and ends up babysitting them while they played with the dragonets.)
So yes, life is good at the moment.
Rhaenyra turned and buried her face against the crook of his neck, enjoying the sensation of his hand lazily trailing through her hair. The two of them went flying just before dawn and landed in Dragon Den, catching the sunrise in a rocky overlook, the morning chill kept away by Syrax’s warm scales as the dragon curled around them.
“This is nice.” She said sleepily as Harwin nosed against her hair. Martyn had cheerfully dispatched her from her duties for the day, telling her to enjoy it with Harwin so they were thinking of going to visit Olyvar for the day.
“It is.” Harwin smiled, holding Rhaenyra close, still can’t believe he was holding the beautiful princess in his arms.
“We should leave soon.”
“We should.”
“But I’m too comfortable to move.”
“Syrax is a good furnace.” Harwin patted the dragon playfully, who grumbled at them.
Rhaenyra giggled as she cuddled closer to her beloved.
Syrax landed gently on Olyvar’s backyard where they were greeted by Dusk, who was napping by the patio. Seated on the said patio were a group of children studying, reading some books together, little Sara listening on Kriss’s lap while his two friends explained what they were reading to a very concentrated Cregan.
“Princess!! Ser Harwin!!” The children cheered as they ran toward them and hugged them tightly. The couple immediately gave away some sweetmeats they brought from a nearby market to the children. “No school today?” Rhaenyra asked Kriss.
(Under Master Vaegon’s proposition, an educational system were established where school rooms were established in every 5 villages to educate the children (and any willing adults) the basic necessary skills like reading, writing and basic mathematics and students would be offered to advance their education under apprenticeship or one of the institutes if they excelled in their studies disregarding their class status or wealth.)
“Master Bellamy has to go attend a lecture in Pryr but he did assign us some reading assignment so we were studying.” Kriss grinned, his mouth sticky from the sweetmeat he was enjoying. Harwin grinned and gave him another one before turning to the two boys hugging his legs. “Hari, Deni? Your parents aren’t here today?”.
“Mama is at Dragonwatch for work,” Hari replied, referring to his mother, captain Thena of the Dragon Watch and former Summer Islander who moved to Stepstones with her children, May and Hari, and remarried to the Riverlander healer Robb who came to Stepstone for work. “Robb and Healer Heni are by the docks, helping out with the healing house there.”
“Mama Karin is attending the same lecture with Master Bellamy.” Deni quipped. His mother, Karin is a cartographer from Great Maroq based in Pryr and married to the summer islander Heni, adopting her son Deni.
“My Lord Stark.” Rhaenyra greeted the young lord with an exaggerated curtsy that had the children giggling again. “How are you today?”
“My Lady Princess.” He seriously bowed back, Sara wobbly tried to mimic her curtsy. “We’re both doing well, thank you for asking. Kriss and his friends are sharing some of their schoolworks and lending me their books to read. May I join them in their schoolroom please?” Cregan asked hopefully. He had enjoyed the friendship he had made with the boys and was quite envious of them telling him about their school.
“I’ll see what I can do but I think it is possible.” Rhaenyra hummed. “Now, how about all of you take a break and play with Syrax? I think,” she whispered conspiratorially, “my sweet dragon misses Grey Ghost and could use some distraction.”
The children cheered and after putting their books away, took off to play.
Rhaenyra and Harwin entered Ollie’s workshop beside the house and there they found him bending over a beautiful dragon saddle studded with pearls of different sheens, beside him, Edmondo, for once, away from his forge, helping twisting some metalwork into place.
“Oh, Ollie, that’s beautiful.” The dragonkeeper and the smith jumped when Rhaenyra clapped her hands in delight, admiring the saddle.
“What the heck Nyra, my heart almost leapt out of my chest!” Ollie grinned. “Prue commissioned it as a wedding gift for Laenor. We were making some final touches before delivering it to Moonstone.”
Harwin, meanwhile, noticed a sword lying on top of a side table, approached it, admiring the sharpness of the blade. “A commission from Prunella as well?”
“For Ser Joffrey Lonmouth. I believe she is courting his friendship now she married his lover.” Edmondo passed a matching pearly scabbard to Harwin, who sheathed the blade and examined the beautiful marking on the hilt and scabbard.
“Impressive work, especially on the detailing.” Harwin grinned at the smith. “Any chance I can commission a sword and a matching dagger from you?”
“It’ll cost you some silver, but doable.” Eds shrugged as he accepted the sword back. “I’m guessing you want dragon motifs on them?” He smirked, glad this man was taken off the market and with him, his eternal rival for Olyvar’s affection.
Harwin blushed as Rhaenyra giggled and the two other men crackled. “A-Anyways, you did get work with the saddle too.” The knight tried to change the subject before they teased him more.
“My late wife, Shan, taught me a bit about leatherwork, while her stepfather was a talented blacksmith in Stormsland.” Eddie said as he set the sword aside.
(Behind them, Ollie and Nyra were shaking each other in excitement; it was quite rare for Eds to talk about his dead wife, a mystery everyone has been wanting to unravel in years since he and Kriss set foot in the Isles.)
“That’s how we met actually. My horse threw a shoe near their shop. I was so interested in their work that I stayed for three whole years being their apprentice.” Edmondo said absently. “My father then finally found me to drag me home but by then we were already married and we just had Kriss.”
“My father was so furious he dragged us back to Dorne and it took 2 years and Shan’s murder for us to be able to flee to Stepstones.” Eds sighed before realizing what he just said and fled the workshop.
The three of them looked at each other in shock and ran after him but even after cajoling and begging him, Edmondo refused to tell another word about his past, ending up spending the rest of the day, picnicking at the beach with the children.
Rhaenyra, Princess Rhaella, and her companions along with Olyvar and his housemates gathered for a luncheon together in Moonstone the very next day when a panicked messenger ran into the airy solarium, clutching a message in his fist.
“Urgent message ‘huff’ from Master ‘huff’ Vaegon for Princess ‘Huff’ Rhaenyra!”
Rowena, closest to the messenger, took the small scroll and unfurled it, reading it before swooning, causing others to jerk forward to read it for themselves.
Rhaenyra,
I have already told your fool of a father that the Hightower courting suit is being rejected with extreme prejudice and only you have the right to pick your spouse. I have met your siblings, the sons are mediocre but the daughter have potential. Make plans to send some of our people to King’s Landing to nurture this potential. I have tricked your father to legitimize the twins and Olyvar but it makes me worried for the kingdom’s future over your father’s sheer gullibleness. We will return to Stepstones in two days for I must make a short visit to Dragonstone before we return home. Tell my apprentices to prepare space in my library for the Arryn boy has figured out how to smuggle precious Valyrian books with us.
Prince Vaegon Targaryen of Stepstones.
Ignoring Olyvar’s splutter of shock in the background, Rhaenyra looked to Rowena in confusion. “I don’t see there’s a reason why you need to swoon in this letter.”
“Post script.” The Vale maiden choked out.
As one, everyone turned back to the letter and oh, there it was indeed, a hastily scribbled note at the very bottom.
Hightower bastard tried to discredit your name and reputation and force your father to marry you to his son. Your handmaiden snitched and now King Viserys in discussion with Lord Lyonel Strong over the betrothal of Princess Paramount Rhaenyra of House Targaryen and Ser Harwin Strong.
Will return with more news soon.
Oh.
OH!!