Unintended

Chapter Five

Harwin had always thought himself a man of a reasonable level of intelligence unless it came to his ability to understand women, one in particular. He had thought after their venture into the woods that the princess had simply been annoyed with him, that it would pass in a few days' time and they would return to their usual polite but distant relationship.

They had returned to King's Landing three days ago and he had not spent more than a few minutes in the princess's presence. She avoided him at every turn, a frown on her face each time she saw him. She was more silent than usual at supper each night and had not asked him to accompany her to the Dragonpit since they returned. Harwin had not anticipated her irritation lasting so long and found himself missing the time he used to spend in her company, even if the conversation was always somewhat stilted.

Harwin could not help but think that she did not wish to see him because she did not want the reminder that they were to be wed in less than two days. She looked so miserable each time he saw her that he was beginning to wonder if he should offer to withdraw from the betrothal.

Selfishly, he still hoped that he could win her approval and she would come to love him, but that hope was hanging on by a mere thread, and if it would make the princess happy to be rid of him, he would not deny her. What Harwin truly wanted more than anything was to be able to confess his feelings and hope that her response was anything other than glaring disappointment.

He had not yet found the opportune time to give the princess the necklace, as she had holed up in her tent after her name day feast and refused all visitors and was now quite obviously avoiding him in the Keep. Harwin was sure his line of thinking was correct in that it would have embarrassed the princess greatly for him to gift her anything sentimental in front of a crowd on her name day, especially after their argument that morning.

The nobles in attendance had already been whispering about them, it would have done no good to give them more to gossip about. But the necklace was burning a hole in his pocket and the piles of gifts he had refrained from giving on her name day were taunting him every time he entered his chambers.

And so he sat in the kitchens the morning their wedding celebrations were meant to begin, his mind made up that he had no choice but to man up and stop waiting for the perfect opportunity to bare his heart to the princess to present itself. Harwin was tapping his foot anxiously as the maids moved about the kitchens preparing for the wedding welcome feast that evening. They were kind as always, passing off small portions to Harwin or allowing him to taste the dishes for the feast while he waited.

"Ser Harwin?" A soft voice caught his attention.

"Marla! Good, you're here", he said with a sigh of relief. She was the wife of one of Dana's sons, a captain in the Gold Cloaks, and an always friendly face in the kitchens.

"You seem rather happy to see me", she said with a laugh. Harwin cleared his throat, his cheeks warming as he began to speak.

"I was hoping you might be able to help me with something. I have a few things for the princess. I had intended to give them to her on her name day but-" he paused, his heart sinking as he recalled the look on her face when she had opened the gift he did give her. "I did not have the opportunity to give them to the princess as I wished. I was hoping it might be arranged with her chambermaids to have them delivered to her this morning."

"Of course, Ser Harwin, I would be happy to help."

"I wondered, if it's not too much trouble, if I could ask your opinion on something as well", he said, his heart pounding as he pulled the leather pouch from his pocket. He tugged at the strings before emptying the contents into his palm and passing the necklace to her.