Breakbones and the Dragonrider

Chapter 7

As soon as the boy had taken the first step into the royal quarters, he wanted nothing more than to run back to the safety darkness of the dragonpit. For a boy who had been raised with dragons, delivering messages to princesses shouldn't have frightened Yurekh so, but his father the Dragonmaster insisted. Yurekh stood in a courtyard, looking from face to face, looking for someone of authority who might take the message from him and save him from having to hand the message directly to Princess Rhaenyra.

A man in silver armor passed, and Yurekh jogged to get ahead of the man.

"Excuse me... Ser?" Yurekh asked in the common tongue, in a heavy Valyrian accent.

The dark haired man looked down at the boy. He surveyed the boy's attire, so out of place among those at court.

"What are you doing here, boy?" the man in armor asked.

"I'm—I'm here to deliver a message to the princess," he said timidly.

The knight breathed in a moment, and let it out slowly. "Well then, take it to her."

"I don't know where, Ser," Yurekh said, fidgeting with the rolled up parchment, curling one end back.

"Come on, boy," the knight said, clearly agitated. He put his gloved hand on the boy's shoulder, and guided him forward.

"Can't you just deliver—"

"I'm not a messenger, boy," the knight muttered, letting go of his shoulder. "You'll deliver it yourself."

The knight led the boy down corridors and up stairs until he reached Rhaenyra's corridor. He slowed when he saw Harwin Strong standing outside Rhaenyra's door. Harwin turned. He set his jaw when it registered that Criston Cole was approaching the princess's chambers.

Harwin unconsciously rested both his hands, one on top of the other, on the pommel of his sword.

"Ser Criston, you must be lost," Harwin said, looking down on Criston coolly.

"The boy has a message for the princess," Criston said with an edge that belied his desire to leave as soon as possible. Criston pressed the boy forward by the hand he placed on his shoulder again.

Harwin's eyes narrowed critically, and they flitted from Criston to the boy. He was silent a moment.

Harwin leaned down to meet the boy's gaze. "I'll make sure she gets it," said gently, hoping to reassure the boy. "Who is this from?"

"The dragonmaster, ser..."

"Right then," Harwin said, taking the scroll. "You remember your way out?"

Yurekh nodded eagerly. Harwin nodded his head to the opposite end of the corridor, and the boy took off, leaving Criston and Harwin.

When the boy rounded the corner, Ser Criston turned to leave without another word. When he had gone, Harwin knocked gently on the oak door.

"Princess?" he called, listening for her response.

"Come in," he heard very faintly. When he opened the door, Rhaenyra turned from where she sat on a stone window ledge that overlooked the Red Keep. She had drawn her knees up to her chest, curling in on herself to watch the cold spring rain, so light that it only left a mist over her window. Her expression softened at the sight of him.

Harwin walked a few steps inside. "You've a missive," he said, and held the scroll up.

Rhaenyra straightened her legs, and slowly slid down from the ledge. When she reached Ser Harwin, he lowered his voice.

"What were you doing?" he asked with a smile in his eyes, nodding to the window.

"Thinking," Rhaenyra said coyly. Rhaenyra took the scroll, her fingers dancing over those of Harwin's gloved hand. She opened the small scroll, and reluctantly looked down to read the words.