RHAENYRA II
112 AC
Betrayed.
That is how Princess Rhaenyra is feeling right now after her “conversation” with her father.
She is now running through the hallways of the Red Keep, trying to stop crying, and avoiding anyone that looks at her.
“Princess!
Wait!” Ser Criston Cole calls from way behind her.
She runs away from the armored man and takes a turn in a specific hallway.
While running, she remembers how her uncle demonstrated to her a passage through one of the walls of the Red Keep.
She looks around and manages to find a similar one, but not the same.
She moves the pillar to the right spot and manages to enter, closing it behind her.
She sits on the ground of the dark place and waits, covering her mouth.
She hears running steps passing the entrance of the passage.
Ser Criston lost her.
Rhaenyra holds her legs against her chest and cries freely now.
In the dark.
Why would her father not allow her to take control of her own life?
Why is she forced to marry against her own will?
Why is she surprised?
Rhaenyra wipes her face with a part of her dress and gets up.
She takes a few deep breaths to get her head more in place.
The princess decides that she could see where this tunnel would lead.
It might be useful for her one day.
As she walks down the dark tunnel, she finally finds a torch on the wall, which is common for the secret passages.
She grabs it, but can’t figure out how to actually light it up, so she decides to just leave it there.
As she blindly walks through the darkness, she uses her hands to feel the walls to guide herself.
Finally, she finds a texture that is not just a wall full of rocks and dirt.
She feels a heavy door of polished stone.
With some large effort, Rhaenyra manages to move the thing a bit.
The sunlight enters her vision, but the entrance is, for the most part, blocked by something, making it impossible to properly open the door fully.
With her skinny body, Rhaenyra manages to get out through it, but she ends up ripping her dress against the rock.
She then realizes where she is after closing a passage, so no one will see it.
On both sides, there are walls of bricks, one from the Red Keep and the other of another building that she doesn’t know.
The place between them, where she is, is very tight, and she can barely move through it.
Looking down, her black dress is ruined, full of dirt and a bit ripped from her actions.
Her body is also full of dirt, and her hair is all messed up.
Luckily for her, no one that passes through the exit of the alley notices her.
When one of the sides looks safe to leave, she goes on her way, trying to hide behind things to not be seen by the smallfolk.
But then she hears a lot of people talking together in a high tone, followed by almost complete silence.
She hides behind a barrel and tries to see what is coming.
Mounted on horses, three men of the City Guard pass by.
The golden cloaks that her uncle created lay on the back of their armors, showing their position to everyone.
But, when they pass by her, one of the men stops his horse and looks in her direction.
Rhaenyra quickly hides more behind the barrel, now incapable of seeing more.
She then hears the horses leaving, and she relaxes, getting out of her hiding place.
“Princess Rhaenyra?” She hears a voice of a man behind her.
Shivers go down her spine as she turns around to face the man of the city guard with a nervous smile.
He looks at her with curiosity.
He has a helmet hiding most of his face.
“Yes?” She says, too nervous to think of anything better.
The man laughs a bit.
“What are you doing here alone and in that poor state of yours?” The guard asks informally and is probably having some fun asking.
Rhaenyra loses her smile while she thinks.
“I…
I wanted to see more of the city on my own, Ser.
As such, I got here hiding from the guards,” the princess explains, telling half truths.
She always wanted to see more of the city, after all.
The guard does not seem very convinced.
“I understand…
well, I will be punished if someone finds out that I found you but did nothing about it, so I need to take you back to the Red Keep.” The guard proclaims in a soft and honest tone.
Rhaenyra frowns, but an idea comes to her mind.
“Can you show me around the city for a bit before it?
I bet that as a city guard you know many interesting places in King’s Landing, right?” the princess asks, expecting to not return to the keep just yet.
The knight thinks about it and opens a smile that makes Rhaenyra also smile.
“I can’t really deny a request from the daughter of the King, can I?
I will show you some places, but first, you need to change your clothes.
No one can identify you.
” the guard explains.
Rhaenyra eagerly nods.
After finding some common clothes of a cheap material and something to cover her golden-silver hair, she is now on top of the horse of the city guard, who takes her to several different locations.
She goes to see merchants selling a lot of different things and people doing tricks and presentations.
She laughed at a lot of things that happened around the city, and so did the knight that was with her.
As the horse moves through a more calm street, she holds the city guard with her arms and laughs around after she sees a man failing at drinking a whole bottle of wine.
The guard smiles at her when he looks back.
“You had fun, princess?” he asks, curious.
Rhaenyra smiles and eagerly nods.
“It was the most fun day I had in ages!
I can’t be more grateful to you.
You literally saved my day.” The princess says, honestly.
The guard laughs.
“Good to know.
I am happy that you are happy.
But the night is coming soon; I must take you back to the keep.
The nights in the city can get out of hand really fast,” the guard says in a more serious tone.
Rhaenyra bites her inferior lip when she has an idea.
“I will guide you to a place where you can leave me and I can get in on my own.
” the Princess says.
The guard nods.
Soon, they return to be near the local they met, close to the wall of the Red Keep.
The guard looks at the princess with confusion.
“Why here, Princess?” He asks.
Rhaenyra laughs.
“If I show you, you swear to keep this a secret?” The princess asks playfully.
The guard laughs from the corner of his mouth.
“I promise,” he says with honesty.
The two of them dismount, and Rhaenyra guides him back to the alley that she emerged from.
Even if confused, the guard struggles to enter the alley with her.
And then, Rhaenyra points to the entrance of the secret passage.
“Move that for me,” she commands.
The City Guard looks at the place with confusion, seeing nothing special, but he does as he is told to.
To his surprise, a passage is opened after he does some effort.
Rhaenyra gives him a tricky smile.
“That secret passage leads back to the Red Keep.
Not far from my bedroom.” She tells him.
The guard nods, interested.
“I get it.
Well, I think you must go now, princess.” The city guard points after pointing to the sky, which is already turning orange.
Rhaenyra denies with her head.
“No.
“Not until I can see the whole face of the man that gave me such a fan today,” the princess proclaims. Enjoying the story? Read on at g.com.
The guard laughs and relaxes a bit.
“Fine.
As you please, my princess.” The guard says before moving his hands to his head and taking his helmet out.
Rhaenyra smiles more when she sees curly brown hair that goes down near his shoulders, a well-kept beard, and brown eyes that, while pretty common, she can barely move from the gaze.
The princess hesitantly moves her hands to his face, something that the knight is very skeptical to accept, but he does.
She smiles again.
“You are very handsome, Ser.”
“I appreciate that, princess, but now you must go before someone sees us there.” The city guard points out once again, getting more nervous with the whole situation.
Rhaenyra laughs, looking him in the eyes and moving her hands to the back of his neck.
“Before that, I think you need a reward for saving my day.” The princess proclaims before getting on her toes to kiss the guard on the lips.
The guard hesitates, but when the princess tries to continue the kiss, he gives up and puts his own will on the kiss.
Rhaenyra never felt like that before.
She is feeling like she is on fire.
She wants to feel more of that.
More.
The kiss between them gets more and more intense, with the guard, without noticing, pressing her against the wall while they share their passionate kiss.
But, when she lets out a moan when he accidentally touches the side of her body, the guard suddenly gets out of the kiss and turns around, understanding what happened while she recovers her breath.
“You should go now, princess.” The guard says with a firm tone, not moving around.
Rhaenyra laughs and once again bites her lip.
“Can you at least tell me your name, Ser?” She asks with a sweet tone.
The City Guard sighs.
“Harwin.
Ser Harwin Strong.” The man finally reveals himself.
Rhaenyra smiles.
“I will remember you, Ser Harwin.
Until next time.” She says while getting inside the passage.
As soon as she is inside, the guard quickly closes the passage.
Rhaenyra smiles to herself in the dark while enjoying how warm her body feels.
After calming down, she starts going back through the passage.
She manages to get back to her bedroom without being seen with a lot of luck.
From her closed door, she demands a maid make a bath for her and bring her dinner.
Hopefully, her father will not think it is strange because of their discussion early on.
After getting some good food and a relaxing bath, the princess lies on her bed with a large smile on her face as she stares at the ceiling.
As she is there in her white nightgown, she can only think of how she felt during the kiss with Ser Harwin Strong.
She felt something new to her.
Something that she liked very much.
The mere memory makes her body almost as warm as she was back then.
But her thoughts are interrupted by a knock on the door.
“Princess?
They told me you have returned.
You want to talk?” The sweet voice of a man that she knows very well is coming from the other side of the door, as usual.
For several years Ser Criston Cole has been her champion.
Her sworn sword.
Her favorite.
A handsome man that is also one of the most skilled in the realm.
In her eyes, Ser Criston and her uncle were the two examples of what she appreciates in a man.
But now, there might be a third example.
Getting her back on track, Rhaenyra sits on her bed.
“Enter, Ser Criston,” the princess says.
The white knight enters the room with some hesitation.
With that short and straight black hair and beautiful green eyes, Ser Criston is one of the most attractive men in the realm.
So, the way he always looks at her with admiration always makes her feel like one of the most beautiful women in the realm.
“Princess, can I know where you have been?” the knight asks.
The princess laughs while walking towards him.
“Nothing important, Ser.
Only walking around the city, disguised.
I returned before the night came.
Unharmed.
Nothing more to see.” She says as she gets closer to him.
Ser Criston sighs.
“Good.
At least you are not…” He stops talking when he sees Rhaenyra grabbing his arm.
The two look at the eyes of each other.
“What are you…?” The white knight asks.
Rhaenyra smiles and ignores him before removing that part of his armor.
She stares at his eyes before moving her face closer to his.
As she did to Harwin, Rhaenyra kisses Criston’s lips by surprise.
However, he hesitates more.
But, after a second and a third kiss, he finally surrenders to her whims and kisses her back.
She doesn’t know who is a better kisser, Harwin or Criston.
She only knows that she wants more of it.
As their kiss gets more intense, both she and Criston start removing his armor.
And from an intense kiss standing, it goes to an intense kiss in the bed, then hands start to move into places…
…and the rest is history.
Rhaenyra wakes up alone on her bed, and she has some time to understand what happened on the previous night.
In a way, she felt happy and satisfied with how things turned out, but from another perspective, she is questioning her decisions.
Did she take the wrong path the previous night?
Was it a mistake?
Ignoring that question with a sigh, Rhaenyra gets up from her bed and gets dressed.
As soon as she is almost ready to get out, she hears a knock on the door.
“Princess?” She hears the voice of Ser Criston but lacks his habitual confidence.
She smiles.
“Enter,” she answers.
The door opens slowly, and Ser Criston enters, using his armor and keeping a thoughtful expression on his face.
On his hands, there is a plate with a cup.
He closes the door before turning to her.
“Princess.
I brought something for you.
It will be better if you drink it.” The Knight proclaims, offering her the cup.
Rhaenyra takes it before looking at the liquid with a curious gaze.
“What is that?” She asks.
Ser Criston is uncomfortable.
“It is a tea made to…
solve any concerns from last night.
I had a lot of trouble doing that without anyone learning about it,” the knight proclaims.
Rhaenyra is still a bit confused until she finally understands.
“Oh…
I get it.” She says before drinking from the cup.
While she drinks it, Ser Criston gets less nervous.
She finishes the cup with a frown because of the taste.
She then looks at Criston with a smile.
“I hope you don’t have any regrets from last night, Ser.
Because I don’t.” She says, leaving the cup on a desk before walking towards him, but before she could hug him or something, Ser Criston takes a step back.
“I have.
To some extent,” the knight says.
Rhaenyra frowns.
“What regrets, my knight?
You don’t like me?”
“No.
It’s quite the opposite.
The problem is that I broke a sacred vow last night, and I could be executed for that. This story is hosted at g.com.
The Knight proclaims, “bitter.” Rhaenyra laughs a bit, making him look at her confused.
“Then, it will be our secret.
If I can manage to take that tea of yours, everything will turn out well and we will be able to have our adventures together.” She proclaims with a smile.
Ser Criston frowns.
“So you are asking for me to keep breaking vows and risking our lives for that passion?” The knight asks, worried.
The princess nods with a smile.
“Why not?
As long as nobody finds out, we are free,” Rhaenyra says with honesty.
Ser Criston thinks a bit before looking at her.
“Princess, I have a proposal for you.”
“Hm?
What proposal?” She asks, curious.
Ser Criston falls to one knee in front of her.
“I have been protecting you for years, but recently I have felt that you have changed.
I can’t see the sweet little girl that I wanted to protect anymore.
I can only see a beautiful young woman who stole my heart with her smile.
I propose to you that we should let the past be in the past.
Forget my cloak.
Forget your crown.
Let’s leave King’s Landing together and go to Essos.
Build a new life based on our love,” the knight proclaims passionately.
Rhaenyra opens her mouth in shock as she moves her hands to her chest, trying to find something to say.
Is that what she wants?
She really likes Criston, and the idea of living freely with him and traveling the world is wonderful.
The freedom she always asked for.
But then, she remembers what she would have to give up.
Her family.
Her position as heir.
All the power that her father promised to her would get away from her hands, and she would become another stain on her family.
Another Saera Targaryen.
She looks at Ser Criston with bitterness, taking a hard decision.
“I…
I can’t do it.
I am the Princess of Dragonstone.
The heir to the throne.
I can’t just leave and forfeit what I have.
I am sorry, Criston.” She says, conflicted.
Ser Criston gets up.
His face is a confusion of emotions.
“You can’t?
I can forfeit everything I have for your love.
Of my vows.
Of my honor.
Of all that I managed to build being such a minor house.
You said to your father that you wanted freedom, and I offered it to you.
But now, you choose power over freedom and love.
How are you different from any of the snakes of the realm?” The knight asks, bitter and angry.
Rhaenyra is taken aback, a bit worried.
But she grabs his hands, managing to calm him down a bit.
“Ser Criston, relax.
I want you still by my side.
Forget your vows.
They mean nothing to me.
Laenor prefers the company of other men.
I need a man to be by my side in bed as well.
You can be that man, Criston.” She says with a soft tone.
The knight looks into her eyes.
As he continues to think more and more about the situation, he gets more and more angry.
He pulls his hand from hers.
“What is wrong with you?
You not only want me to keep spitting on my vows and use this white cloak without any honor, but you also want me to sleep with you while your husband fucks other men?
You know what you are asking for?
Treason!
One of the worst treasons I have ever heard of!” The knight proclaims, frustrated.
Rhaenyra looks at him, concerned.
“Calm down, Ser.
I know my father.
He would never allow something bad to happen to me, which includes sparing you from punishment.
We will be safe,” the princess proclaims, confident.
Ser Criston frowns and remains in silence for a moment.
“That is the problem, princess.
You are abusing the love of your father.
You are abusing my love.
You abuse everyone around you if you gain something from it.
Tell me, am I just a tool for you?
Like one of the whores of your precious uncle?” The Knight asks, angry.
Rhaenyra frowns and walks to him.
She slaps him in the face, holding her tears.
Ser Criston doesn’t look bothered by it.
He looks at her with more anger.
“You really are a spoiled child.
Forget everything that happened between us.
I will tell the King that I want to not guard you anymore because of my failure to find you yesterday, and you can find another fool to get your bed warm.
I don’t care.
“Goodbye, princess.” The white knight says before leaving the room and slamming the door.
Rhaenyra sits on a chair and holds her legs, crying.
Everyone really thinks that she is a spoiled child?
She will not be capable of ruling the realm one day?
Is she abusing what she has?
Rhaenyra looks around while trying to hold her tears.
She locks her eyes on the mirror of her room.
Weakened, she walks to it and looks at her own reflection.
She sees herself with her face covered in tears.
The expression of a weak girl struggling against the world.
The princess frowns, takes a deep breath, wipes her tears, and fixes her posture.
She will not let people control her life anymore.
She will not bend with ease.
The blood of old Valyria runs through her veins.
As her uncle would say, a dragon doesn’t care about the opinion of sheep.
She can feel the odd feeling on her chest when she remembers her uncle.
Rhaenyra sighs.
The tales she heard as a girl are mere delusions for the heart of a girl.
She thought that Criston would be the one to be her mighty warrior once he defeated him in the tourney almost a decade ago, but now…
she can see that there is only one in her heart.
And of course, her father took him from her as well, just as her brother took her mother from her.
Rhaenyra frowns.
Yes…
people keep making a fool of her and her desires.
She had enough.
She will play their game, but by her own rules.