Breakbones and the Dragonrider

Chapter 3

Under the shade of the Godswood tree, Rhaenyra sat tucked into a large root of its tree, the giant tome she brought with her opened to an arbitrary page. Ser Harwin Strong stood not a few steps away. Rhaenyra thought he would have cast a large shadow himself if not for the Godswood tree.

She read the same page once, twice, three times. She scratched at the healing cut safely covered by her sleeve. When she decided a fourth time was too much to read the same page, she flipped to the next page, and started the whole process over again. Once. Twice. Three times she read the page.

Rhaenyra risked a short glance upward to confirm that Ser Harwin was indeed looking at her. She felt her ears flush a moment.

"Must you stare at me like that?" She asked, face trained on the book.

"I'm sorry your highness, I wasn't aware that I was staring," Harwin said, amusedly. He turned slightly to his right, and looked off in the distance.

"Well, you are," Rhaenyra said, again scratching the persistent itch of her cut. "What if an assailant were to charge at me right this moment?"

"He wouldn't get far, Princess," Harwin said simply, still looking off at the stone wall around the Godswood.

Rhaenyra tried to hide the discomfort she felt. Why did Laenor have to say anything about how Harwin looked at her? And now he would be by her side every day. She continued to stare at him as he stood with one hand rested on the pommel of his sword, the other draped coolly over his wrist.

"I suppose after being in the city watch, this post must seem an awful bore," Rhaenyra said ruefully.

Harwin smiled to himself. "We that took this position did so freely, Princess."

Rhaenyra looked back at her book to hide the creeping flush that threatened to spread to her cheeks.

"Out of the goodness of your hearts, no doubt..." Rhaenyra said, under her breath, tucking her arm into her body to keep from scratching it.

Harwin gave a small sigh. "Some of us are more devoted to the purpose of protecting the heir to the Seven Kingdoms than others."

"Others," Rhaenyra muttered. Ser Criston's face flashed in her mind. She hadn't seen him since her wedding night. Since he had...

"What a kind soul my stepmother is," Rhaenyra said sarcastically. "To forgive so easily."

"Indeed..." Harwin started, weighing his words carefully. "Ser Criston must have had something the Queen found... worthy of redeeming."

Rhaenyra looked up at Harwin to meet his gaze. "I'm not sure what her majesty could have seen in a man like that that was worth saving."

Harwin paused. "You said to me yesterday that King's Landing has many eyes," he said.

"And what of it?" Rhaenyra asked, her heart beating faster.

Harwin shrugged, and looked off at the stone wall again, and then back at Rhaenyra. "I wonder what could buy the loyalty of a man of the Kingsguard so easily."

Rhaenyra could feel him on the cusp of the issue. Coming from anyone else, she might have feigned offense to defend her honor. Ser Harwin had seen her by the brothels, so why did the idea of him knowing about Criston bother her so much?

"I am sure I don't know what you mean," Rhaenyra said, snapping the large book shut and leaving it at the root of the tree. She stood to walk past Ser Harwin, and was stopped by his strong hand gripping her arm.

"What are you—" she started.

"Your arm has been bothering you, Princess," Harwin interrupted, keeping his voice low.