Breakbones and the Dragonrider

Chapter 29

Harwin put another log on the fire, and prodded those below it with the iron, allowing the fire to breathe. In time, the fire sprang up again, and Harwin hung the iron back up and walked to Rhaenyra in bed. The sight of him walking towards her like that always made her stomach tie in knots, and she looked down at the mattress to temper the feeling.

Harwin had slipped into her room late that evening, unable to pull himself away from the garrison any earlier. Rhaenyra had already fallen asleep, and he had woken her up. They'd said little to each other before Harwin came to her in bed.

Harwin now sat on the edge of the bed, looking at Rhaenyra on her side.

"Are you alright?" he asked, looking down at her.

"What do you mean?" Rhaenyra asked, but she knew what he meant. Daemon.

"I saw you talking to him in the gardens," he said, looking at his boot, which he began to pull off. Rhaenyra couldn't decide which of his dueling emotions was getting the better of him—jealousy or the need to protect her.

Rhaenyra watched as Harwin looked anywhere but at her. She sat up, and put her hand on his cheek, turning his head to her. His face was stoic, but Rhaenyra could sense the emotion he tried to hide from her.

"Do you know what I feel when I look at Daemon?" Rhaenyra asked. Harwin said nothing, but searched her eyes for an answer.

"Nothing," she said, and she felt Harwin relax under her touch. "Maybe anger... annoyance... but there's nothing left of me for him. He can't have what isn't mine to give anymore." Rhaenyra reached out and took Harwin's hand, placing it on her chest, just above her heart. Harwin felt it beat a moment, and looked from where his hand rested over her shift to her face.

"He upset you," Harwin said, running his thumb over Rhaenyra's collarbone.

Rhaenyra gave a half smile, and put her hands on Harwin's wrist, holding him to her. "Daemon does have a way of doing that to people, but... I can handle him. He's always been like that."

Harwin breathed in slowly and shook his head. "I don't want to talk about Daemon anymore," he said, moving his hand from Rhaenyra's chest to her neck, wrapping his hand around as much of it as he could. He ran his thumb along Rhaenyra's skin, and devoured her with a look.

Rhaenyra's breath escaped her chest, and she closed her eyes contentedly.

"Harwin," Rhaenyra whispered.

Harwin pulled Rhaenyra to him in a deep kiss, unlike any he had given her since Jace was born. Rhaenyra moaned softly as Harwin kissed her, running his tongue along hers slowly. She held onto his tunic as he moved his hand to the back of her neck, placing the other on her ribcage, just below her breast. His thumb brushed along the bottom of it, and Rhaenyra whimpered at the contact. He wasn't making the wait any easier on her.

Harwin broke their kiss, leaving Rhaenyra breathless, her head swimming. They both sat there like that for a moment, breathing heavily and feeling their proximity to each other.

"How are you feeling?" Harwin asked, pulling away just enough to look into Rhaenyra's eyes.

Rhaenyra's mouth gaped a moment. She had spared Harwin most of the details of her recovery, but the midwives assured her she had been healing well. She no longer felt pain as before, but still they told her to wait.

"I'm... better," she said, unsure if she was ready for him. "The midwives said it might hurt so soon after."

Harwin nodded. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt Rhaenyra. He thought a moment, but neither of them pulled away. Rhaenyra's hands moved from the front of Harwin's tunic to his neck. Her fingers laced into his hair, and Harwin resumed running his thumb along the bottom of Rhaenyra's breast. The desire had always been there... calm on the surface, but a tempest beneath.