His Warrior Princess

Part Six

Warning:

******

You entered into the royal pavilion, head held high in a stoic manner, the entire room then goes quiet once everyone had noticed your presence.

"Do my eyes deceive me or is that my beautiful daughter I see before my eyes?!" your father's voice rang out through the quiet room.

"Your eyes deceive you Dear Father, for I am not near as beautiful as my sister..." you chuckle out as he embraced you within his arms.

"Nonsense..." your father scoffs at your remark as he frowned down at you. "You are both equally beautiful."

"If you must insist..." you smirk with a little eyeroll, causing him to wrinkle his nose in amusement at you.

"I am so glad that you could make it, although your arrival could have been a bit subtler..."

"You know me and my favour for the dramatics..." you flash him a toothy grin.

"You little minx you..." he chuckles, grabbing you into another tight hug, and you hugged him just as tightly in return.

Although you had returned to lend support to your sister, the honest truth was, that you also had missed your father dearly. A few letters had been exchanged amongst the two of you, in which each had stated their regrets and heartache of that dreadful day. And as time had passed, you had made amends. The only thing that you were still slightly bitter over, was that he had married, Alicent Hightower so soon after your mother's passing.

But you knew your ill feelings toward it should not be directed at your father, but instead, Otto 'The Leech' Hightower. The man had some gall, whoring his own daughter off the way that he had. And all this for power, you knew that was his main objective in all of this.

"Where is Rhaenyra?" you enquire after the two of you had separated. "I did not see her upon my arrival" you scan around the room in search of your twin.

"She stormed out in a fit of rage after we had an argument over her having to marry..." your father lets out a heavy sigh.

"I am sure that was quite an entertaining scene..." you softly giggle in response.

"It is not amusing at all Visenya..." your father scolds at you. "You know how she can be."

"Aye" you nod. "We both know what her thoughts about marrying are, Father. She has been voicing them for many years, it should not come as a surprise to you now."

"She is the heir to the throne... marriage is required of her" your father insists with a heavy sigh.

"You and I both know that, aye. But she is stubborn when it comes to that, and always have been."

"I assume that you have the same thought of mind as she does on the subject?" your father remarks with a deep scowl.

"I know my duty, Father. I only hope that I might be given the freedom to marry a man of my own choosing..." you stared at your father with big pleading eyes.

Your father's scowl deepens as he stared down at you. "Very well..." he finally gives in. "But only because you have at least agreed to marriage. I shall give you six months..." he wags a finger at you in warning. "Six months, to find a husband, if not, then I shall choose one for you."

"Fair enough" you nod in agreement, raising your pinkie finger toward him.

"Truly, Visenya?" your father raises a brow at the appendage, "you are of marrying age now, not a girl of six..."

You scoff at him, pretending to take offence. "But this has always been our manner of making an oath, Father..."

"I have truly missed your clowning about..." your father chuckles, hooking his pinkie with your own.

"As I have you, Father..." you respond, tears threatening to spill from your eyes, but you held them back.

You would not allow your guard to be down among these people, your weaknesses must never be made public. They were the ultimate weapon to ever be used against you by those that might seek your downfall.

"Enough of this talk..." your father changes the subject to a much lighter one. "There has been a White Hart spotted nearby, and we are about to track it... do you care to join us?"

"Certainly... I do enjoy a good hunt, and as I am already dressed in armour... why not?"

Your father shakes his head with a deep belly chuckle, indicating with a tilt of his head for you to follow him outside.

*****

Harwin knew that his focus should be upon the hunt, yet he could not help but let it wonder toward the Princess, who sat regally upon her horse, silently observing as the King spoke with the Master of the Hunt.

The Princess Visenya was a rare combination of both lethal beauty and grace, a true enigma at best, and Harwin would give anything in order to decipher the mystery that was her. Only problem was that he was not the only one with those thoughts.

Harwin's blood was seething at boiling point with the manner in which Jason Lannister was leering at the Princess.

The man had no shame whatsoever, he was practically undressing her with his eyes, and it made Harwin want to cave Jason Lannister's face in with his fists.

Harwin was suddenly brought back from his thoughts when the King mounted his horse to return back to camp.

Harwin silently rode as he admired the Princess from his placement within the royal hunt group, a smile crossing his lips each time the Princess would chuckle at something amusing that was said during her conversation with the King as they rode beside one another.

Too soon though they reached the encampment and Harwin couldn't help but feel a bit of disappointment when the Princess dismounted and headed for the sleeping tent of her sister instead of going back to the royal pavilion.

He had hoped to perhaps get the opportunity to make the Princess's acquaintance in order to get to know her better. He desperately wanted to know her, what her likes and dislikes were, what made her laugh, what made her smile, and what made her sad. But what he wanted to know more than anything, was how to win her heart.