The Dragon Of Harrenhal - H.S.

Promise

Of course he would be the only one to find her there. After all, he was the only one she had ever allowed to follow her to this part of the gardens with her and he knew she only came here when she was upset and wanted to get away from the people of the Keep. Him and Rhaenyra, that is, but her older sister was, most likely, having her alone time atop Syrax as she flew over King's Landing with her dragon.

Daella did not have that option. She wished, at the moment, with everything she had that she did have that option but she did not. So, instead, she chose to seclude herself on the far away side of the gardens. She wanted to be left alone, she wanted to dwell in her misery by herself after all, she supposed, the death of her mother and brother was reason enough for her to want a few moments of peace.

"Princess." He called, and Daella did not even bother drying her tears before looking up at him. "I am so sorry, Daella."

She whimpered softly at the way ser Harwin used her first name. He never did, always an image of formality and propriety. But, this time, as he stood before her with his expression softer than Daella had ever seen from him, he could not stop himself. Today, she looked like a child, younger than her years but with far too much baggage for someone her age.

"I begged them to let me see my mother before the Silent Sisters wrapped her up." She admitted quietly, wiping her tears away even if more fell down from her eyes before she even managed to clean her face. "They told me not to. Told me to leave it, that I shouldn't insist. I did. Gods, I wish I hadn't."

Daella let out a pitiful sob, her knees being pulled up closer as she hugged her legs to her chest and cried onto her dress, sitting over the wet grass underneath her. Ser Harwin stood there, his heart squeezing in his chest as he debated on what to do. If he listened to his heart, he'd be on his knees by Daella's side, hugging her to his chest and letting her sob on his clothes. But he knew he couldn't. Not there.

"Princess..."

"The maesters told me what really happened." Daella whimpered, her voice muffled, considering she had yet to pull her face away from her dress. "The babe was breached. There was nothing else they could do. They called for father. They told him he could let nature take its course or he could save the babe over my mother. Father was so sure this babe was a boy that he let them cut her open like a cow and pull the babe out."

Daella sobbed violently, lifting her head from her skirts only to use the sleeves of her dress to wipe over her face aggressively.

"They did while my mother was alive." She cried out. "She died in so much pain, Harwin... She bled to death on that fucking bed for a babe that lived but for a few hours."

"I'm sorry, princess." Ser Harwin said again, sure it did nothing to ease the pain the girl was feeling, but unable to think of anything else to say.

"I hate him." She choked over her own words in a way that made Harwin's knees buckle. There was so much pain in her voice. So much anger. He wished he could just hug it away. "I hate my father for what he did to my mother. I hate him."

"Princess..." Ser Harwin sighed. "I am sure you don't mean it."

Sniffling loudly, Daella lifted her eyes toward Harwin, her brows pinched together and her nose scrunched up in an expression the man knew all too well. Daella was angry. And she had every right to be.

"I realize it is not easy for you to hear me say bad things about the king, but if you came her to defend him to me you might as-"

"I do not care for the king." Harwin said, the words falling from his lips easier than he thought they would, considering they could be seen as treason. Daella must have realized it as well, because her violet eyes widened as she looked around to make sure they were in fact alone. Harwin did not mind, however. Not when he had said nothing if not the truth. "I care for you."

"Do not repeat that ever again." Daella said, her heart almost falling out of her mouth at the mere thought of losing Harwin as well, so shortly after losing her mother. "Your duty is to the king."

"My duty is to you, princess." Harwin shook his head, kneeling before Daella on the grass as he placed a hand over her knees. "My job is to make sure that you are happy and secure at all times and right now, you are neither."

"I feel alone." Daella admitted, her eyes searching Harwin's in their desperation only to find an eerie calm reflected on them.

"You are not." He said, his hand lifting from her knee to hover over her cheek. "You have your sister. Liking it or not, you have your father. You have-"

He did not finish the sentence. He did not have to, however. Not with the way he finally reached over to place his warm palm against Daella's damp cheek. His touch was warm and gentle and familiar. It made Daella feel as if she could implode. She did not, however. Instead, she just leaned further onto him.

"I feel afraid." She whispered.

"Of what?" He asked.

"What if the whispers are true?" She sobbed. "What if I am cursed? What if I am sentenced to the same fate as my mother? My namesake?"

At her words, Harwin sighed, moving to sit on the ground beside Daella while using his hand on her face to gently pull her into him. It was wrong, what they were doing and if anyone were to find them in such a compromising position, there would be consequences for them. Harwin did not care, however. If he were to be hanged so young, then at the very least, he would be hanged for comforting his princess - his love, his heart.

"I wish you were afraid of things I could protect you from." He sighed, to which Daella let out a choked laugh. "But you should not worry about this now, princess. You are not to be married and, so, not to have children just yet."

"But when I am?" She asked, allowing Harwin to tug her even closer to him when his hold on her tightened.

"Then we deal with it as it comes." Harwin promised. "But you should know one thing, princess. No one will ever do to you what your father did to your mother. No one will put the life of a babe before yours. I'll make sure of it."

And even though Daella knew that was an empty promise - the kind of promise he would never be able to keep - it still made her feel better. And so, she allowed herself to believe it, sinking further into his arms as her painful sobs turned into quiet sniffles and timid whimpers.

"Do you promise?" She found herself asking before she could even stop herself.

"I promise."