Part Two - Honest Communication are much needed here (1)
In days to come, Rhaenyra would tell everyone she barely remembered what happened after they received the shocking letter from King’s Landing.
She lied.
She was watching Harwin’s face when he realized what had happened, the flurry of emotions dancing through his expressions before he turned blank.
He didn’t want to marry her.
The princess had spent the last two days avoiding everyone, even resorting to long solo flights with Syrax, speeding past Terrax and Dusk every time they tried to fly with her.
Resting in one of her hiding holes in rocky hills of Dustspears, Rhaenyra wept and raged to the Gods on how her father still insisted on ruining her life after abandoning her, destroying her chance of happiness with selfishness.
Harwin was devastated.
He knew he had nothing important he could offer to Rhaenyra and wanted to build something before he asked for her hand in marriage, wanting to make sure their life together would always be full of laughter and love. But now with the king interfering, the princess might actually break off their courtship to spare him from being stuck in the middle of the political dispute between her and the King.
And judging how she was avoiding everyone and had gone into hiding, he might actually be right.
Harwin covers his face with his hands as he kneels in front of the weirwood sapling, hiding his tears from the world.
“Still no signs of her?” Martyn was pacing in his solar, his sweet daughter Rhaelle was peacefully napping in his arms.
“None.” Olyvar shook his head. “Elinda and I think she’s somewhere in the rocky hills of Dustspear and we’re trying to get confirmation from the miners there.”
“My brother still hasn't left his vigil at the weirwood grove.” Morna fretted loudly. “He won’t even eat or drink at all.”
“And we still haven’t got news from Westeros?” Rhaella rubbed her face tiredly, Rowena kindly passed her a warm cup of restorative tea to the princess. What an awful time for Vaegon and Daemon to be away right now, she thought uncharitably.
“No, Princess Rhaella.” Mysaria and her ladies had scoured information and contacted their allies in King’s Landing for news. “All my people can say there is a big argument going in the small council room but as long as Layla or Joffrey haven’t sent us any news, nothing is confirmed yet.”
Rhaella felt like hitting her head against the nearest wall but alas, it was not ladylike. Oh, for a dragon in disposal and burning my thrice damned nephew for his audacity, she mentally sighed. Oh sister, no wonder you ran from King’s Landing. Mother should have put one of us on the throne instead of letting kepus Jaehaerys become king and letting his stupid bloodline rule the kingdoms.
Maybe I should bribe Grey Ghost and decimate the entire Hightower bloodline. She mused. Or let Daemon commit a massacre, he had been hankering to start an extermination over the Hightowers for years now.
For some precious minutes Rhaella daydreamed about burning down the Iron Throne that ruined her family again and again with a mighty dragon steed.
"-Lady? Lady Rhaella?" She snapped from her fantasy to see Prunella Velaryon staring at her in concern.
"Ah, yes. What were we talking about again?"
Everyone exchanged looks of concern but Prunella replied, " we are trying to figure out a way to talk to Princess Rhaenyra and Ser Harwin and see if we can figure out a way to stop the King from interfering more."
"Well, it's gonna need to be a foolproof plan since Rhaenyra is definitely going to break her courtship to spare Harwin from Lord Hand's machinations while Harwin would die before let himself be used to hurt Rhaenyra." Martyn slapped his face in frustration, "those two self sacrificing idiots."
"How about we force them into a room and lock the door till they talk it out?" Vaelaena suggested.
"We can catch Harwin easily but we have to go against Syrax to kidnap Rhaenyra."
As one, everyone groaned, no one was crazy enough to go against the Golden Queen.
"I can help!" Everyone blinked and turned to see Kriss and the Stark siblings listening in from behind the balcony doors. "Syrax likes us and she'll listen to us if we ask her to help."
"How did you..." Morna asked in bewilderment; the room was on top of the tower, there was no way the children could climb the walls and sneak into the balcony without dangerous injuries!
"Dragons helped!" Sara quipped and she was right as everyone can see an entire wing of dragonets flying just outside the windows, chirping as they helped Heri and Deni into the balcony as well.
Olyvar facepalmed. He knew letting the children and the dragonets play together would bite him in the ass one day. "That was dangerous!" He scolded them but then gave them a plate of sweetmeats to enjoy as he shooed the dragonets away. He blamed their sire, Grey Ghost, all the dragons sired from his line acting like they're playful house cats instead of majestic legendary beasts.
"I guess we have a plan?" Martyn shrugged.
Harwin was on day three of his vigil, hoping the Old Gods would show him a way to help them out of their problem. He realized that he wasn't alone the moment something swooped down from the skies and grabbed him by the back of his cape.
He yelled and looked up to see Dusk frantically beating her wings, Olyvar looking down from his saddle. "Sorry for this but brace yourself!"
"Wha-" Harwin yelled as Dusk dropped him, just to land on Terrax, Elinda nimbly wrapped around his waist to grab the reins. "Hello, Ser Harwin!" The 14 years old handmaiden said cheerfully as she steered the dragon toward Moonstone.
"What in the seven hells are you thinking?!" He bellowed but the girl only laughed back at him. "We're kidnapping you!"
"What?!"
Rhaenyra and Syrax landed on the beach behind Olyvar's home, the princess rubbing her stomach which was cramping from hunger. To her surprise her uncle wasn't at home but the children distract her by sharing her their food and chattering brightly to her, the princess not noticing Kriss approaching a curious Syrax with a hock of ham.
After thanking the children and mounting her dragon again, the princess idly thinking about visiting Serpentholm (hoping the dangerous terrain would help distract her from her heartache) when she realized Syrax was flying toward Moonstone instead of Serpentholm.
"Syrax, what are you doing?" She asked and then yelped as the golden dragon made a hard bank to the right, dropping her onto their balcony. Thankfully Rhaenyra managed to roll into the fall, barely injuring herself in the process. "What in the seven hells?!" Rhaenyra stared in confusion as Syrax flew away.
"Rhaenyra?" A soft voice broke through her confusion and she closed her eyes in pain. She was trying to avoid this but it finally happened.
Taking a deep breath, she turned around and looked at Harwin, who looked as if he too had not slept for the past few days. "Harwin." She walked past him to walk out of her bedroom but his next words stopped her in her tracks. "There's no point trying the doors, they locked it."
"They? Harwin, how did you get here?" Last she knew he was in Felstrong, praying in the Weirwood grove (hence she had not paid her respects to the Fourteen Flame to give him space with his Gods.)
"Olyvar and Elinda kidnapped me and dropped me here." He replied dryly. Everyone is currently outside this room, they said they won't let us out till we talk."
Rhaenyra was furious. She walked toward the door and banged it loudly. "Whomever is outside this door better open it now before I exile all of you out of Stepstones."
You won't!" She can hear Vaelaena said cheerfully. "It's time both of you talked and don't even think about calling Syrax, we bribed her to stay away so good luck with your talk!" She can hear footsteps moving away from the door.
Rhaenyra shook the door knob furiously, cursing vehemently in high Valyrian before slumping against the door.
She thought she had more time.
She stepped away and lay onto her bed groaning as she sank into the soft bedding.
Harwin awkwardly sat on one of the chairs, pointedly avoiding looking at the bed. "We should talk."
Rhaenyra sighed and sat up. "Yes, we should.”