Rhaenyra was still unhappy, but at least they had a plan.
She took Laenor’s suggestion to heart and the goal was now to find a woman of relatively lower birth who would be content with Ser Harwin being away from Harrenhal for much of the time.
They had to find the right person, one who would be grateful for her station being lifted, with the implicit threat that said marriage could be annulled if waves were created about Harwin’s regular absence.
Laenor believed they had found a good match in Lyra Waters.
She was pretty, had yet to receive her 20th name day and was an acknowledged bastard of House Bar Emmon.
Brought up in Sharp Point, House Bar Emmon’s seat of power, she knew her courtesies.
A match between her and Harwin Strong would be beyond her wildest dreams, and while it was marrying beneath his station, it wasn’t as bad as a merchant’s daughter.
Rhaenyra was again impressed with her husband.
He and Joffrey had befriended a few knights who held similar… interests as he did, and those unorthodox connections had been useful.
She knew Ser Harwin would need his father’s permission, but the man seemed quite eager for Harwin to wed and a promise of an early wedding could clinch the deal.
A generous dowry would be provided as well, something that Laenor and Rhaenyra each provided through their incomes in Driftmark and Dragonstone.
Once the marriage occurred Harwin would lay with the bastard girl and hopefully get her with child quickly.
He could then return to her side, where he was meant to be.
Before he left, she intended to spend as much time as possible with him.
Perhaps he would even put another baby within her before he went off.
“Have you seen her?
Do you think she is prettier than me?”
“I recall her face in King’s Landing, but none could be as beautiful as you,” he replied and kissed her deeply while the two were alone in their bedchamber.
“Oh, is that so?
My little sister thinks I should avoid eating as much, lest I begin having ailments like father.
She was not unkind, but all the same, it did make me wonder.
I have not the figure I had before Jace.”
“You are a paragon of beauty – truth be told, I feared I would break you like a twig when we first lay together.
I much prefer this you.”
“A twig!” She lightly struck him on his broad shoulder.
“First my sister comments on my weight, and now the man I cherish said I was a twig!”
His rumbling laughter and second set of kisses made her quickly forgive him.
She never could stay mad at him.
How she wished that when she had gone on her marriage tour, she had known what a man he was.
She had not wanted to get married at all; fear of the birthing bed and ending up like her mother had held her back from ever seriously considered any of her suitors, not that most had much to offer.
It turned out that she was heartier than her mother had been.
The worst part of bearing children was not the birthing bed itself, but the long months of being so careful with her unborn child.
Childbirth was not pleasant, but it was hardly the painful horror that other women proclaimed it to be. New chapters come out on novelping.com first.
“As long as you don’t become enamored with your new bride…”
“I won’t my princess, she is just a means we use to protect ourselves.
The one we chose will not have my heart and only rarely my cock.
But I suspect she will be pleased, regardless.
Were it not for this marriage her hopes of marrying any nobility were low, despite being court-raised.
This truly is the best solution and we will be together nearly as often as we are now.”
Rhaenyra was glad for the reassurances.
She was still infuriated by what Alicent had done.
The bitch of Hightower had her worried still.
What would she do next?
She despised her onetime friend with a fury that shocked even herself.
Rhaenyra would never wish ill for her father, but once he did pass, Gods willing that be many years from now, Alicent would be banished back to Oldtown and barred from King’s Landing.
…
Viserys ate the food the servant a had brought between meals, but felt guilty for it.
Elaena in consultation with Grand Maester Mellos had suggested that certain foods may be triggering his achy joints.
Mellos said that there had been some writings of how a change in diet lead to a decrease in joint pain, but warned that it rarely was eliminated altogether.
The list of foods he was to limit, or even eliminate, were ridiculous.
Venison, pork, sweetbreads, turkey, and goose, and even most fish!
A man could not subsist on greenery, beans, cherries, and chicken!
Yet, he did not want to disappoint his daughter.
So, he agreed to limit those foods.
Secretly he had the Red Keep cooks prepare some choice meats to be delivered whenever he knew she wasn’t around.
The King did regularly drink the meadowsweet tea that Elaena said could help.
Despite her admonishment on not eating those types of food, his joint pains quickly faded, and he was able to go on his walks without any issue.
He was tempted to tell her about how he had been eating all those foods that risked inflaming his condition so that she would know she was on the wrong track, but he didn’t want to disappoint her.
He would just continue to eat in between formal meals this way and not worry about it.
As the King he had many difficulties in his life.
The stress of managing the whole of the Seven Kingdoms entitled him to some of the simple pleasures of life.
Such as peppered boar and honey-glazed lamb.
The Stepstones conflict was going poorly for House Velaryon.
They had started hiring mercenaries from Essos to stem the tide.
Corlys would soon arrive in King’s Landing to speak with him directly on the manner, no doubt demanding assistance.
His brother had been sighted in Driftmark, Dragonstone, and now Essos.
He would ask what Daemon had been doing there when the Sea Snake eventually arrived. Follow the newest chapters on g.com.
As Viserys mulled on those matters, Alicent entered the room and spied the remains of the rack of lamb he had devoured.
“Husband, I thought you had agreed to limit those types of foods.”
He waved her off.
“Our Elaena is smart, but even Mellos didn’t know which foods were to be avoided or not.
I have been feeling much better.
Indeed, the toe looks as right as all the others now, and I’m back to walking with Elaena each morning.
She can be wrong from time to time, hard as it is to believe,” he smiled.
“If you are sure,” she said and eyed the leftovers on the serving tray.
She licked her lips and then put her hands in her lap.
“I can have them bring up another for you,” he offered.
“No, I should not eat so heavy in my condition.”
Again, Viserys made a dismissive gesture.
“You should eat what you desire, because it is not just your desires!
I’d wager you have another boy inside of you and he wants meat like all men do!”
“No, it is fine.
The Maester says I am doing well with the pregnancy.
He stresses that I should avoid any excitement in the last two moons to avoid what happened with Daeron.”
Viserys still held a bit of guilt over that, but in the end both wife and son had been fine.
He vowed he would keep a better check on his temper.
“Viserys, Aegon has been asking again about claiming a dragon.
He had become well-behaved and is doing well with his Maester-led lessons.
Those dragons are fearful creatures to me, yet this is something he desperately wants.
How dangerous is it really to try to claim a dragon?”
He leaned back and looked at his wife.
Alicent had worried greatly over Elaena flying, and all had turned out well.
It must be hard for Aegon to see his sister fly, his little nephews already having dragons, and yet himself unable to even try.
…
Who knew?
So …
just keep tossing them 😉
…