Bonebreaker Harwin Strong

Chapter 14: Bonebreaker - Harwin Strong

"A wild boar attacked me, and I killed it."

Rhaenyra ruffled Rhaegar's hair, a hint of pride in her tone.

"Wow, a brave boar-hunting Lady,"

Rhaegar blurted out the words as if possessed.

Rhaenyra's face immediately darkened.

Just as Rhaegar was about to face his sister's dragon-like fury, a voice interrupted the siblings' intimate moment.

"Princess, I heard you single-handedly dealt with a wild boar?"

The voice came from beside the barbecue grill.

The siblings looked over simultaneously and saw a burly man with curly brown hair and a thick beard.

Rhaegar felt a sense of familiarity from the man's features.

Yet, they had never met before.

Rhaenyra, however, recognized him and smiled politely, "It was just luck, Sir Harwin Strong."

Upon hearing the surname Strong, Rhaegar suddenly understood.

He realized where the familiarity came from.

It was Larys Strong, the one who made him feel uncomfortable.

Rhaenyra noticed his expression and whispered, "He's Hand Lyonel's eldest son, a very famous Knight, known as Bonebreaker."

"Bonebreaker? Does he smash people's bones?"

Rhaegar asked jokingly.

Harwin, while skinning a pigeon, chuckled and replied, "That's right. In one battle, I smashed a unlucky fellow's skull with my warhammer, and the survivors gave me the nickname Bonebreaker."

"Impressive. It seems you are truly a powerful warrior."

Rhaegar responded calmly, Rhaegar could detect the pride in the man's tone.

A Knight with such an intimidating title indeed had reason to be proud.

Swiftly cleaning the pigeon, Harwin grabbed a rag to wipe his hands and stepped forward, saying with a smile:

"My barbecue skills are excellent. I saw the Prince eating quite a bit just now. Would the Princess care to try some?"

As he spoke, the tall, burly man's words were witty and his demeanor was easygoing.

It was hard to imagine he would be the one smashing heads on the battlefield.

Facing the invitation from the rather handsome Knight, Rhaenyra smiled apologetically and declined, "No, thank you. My father is waiting for me. No one can say no to the King."

"It's alright. I will be serving in King's Landing for a long time to come. If the Princess wishes to taste my cooking, you are always welcome to visit."

Harwin was tactful, showing friendliness without being overly solicitous.

Rhaegar saw something in him.

Respect!

The elder Rhaenyra could also see it.

Slightly unaccustomed, she put her hands behind her back and her smile became much more genuine, "I will, Sir."

Harwin smiled and bowed, not disturbing them further.

This gesture further increased Rhaenyra's favorability.

Watching his sister's slightly elated expression, Rhaegar felt baffled and pouted.

"I'm leaving to see Father. You can wander around."

Rhaenyra still had to see Viserys and didn't have time for further conversation, so she hurried away.

At this moment, many lords and ladies were gathered in the camp. They noticed the blood-stained Princess.

The noisy scene suddenly quieted down, and they all fell silent in unison.

Rhaenyra was greatly displeased by their scrutinizing gazes.

She walked past with a cold expression, occasionally meeting the eyes of certain individuals.

Most of the time, the Princess's aura would overwhelm the others.

Forcing the guilty to lower their heads, daring not to meet her gaze.

Rhaenyra's lips curled slightly in disdain for those who were timid.

Watching her prominent back, Rhaegar pursed his lips, seeming to understand her loneliness.

The hunt in the King'swood ended.

Viserys immediately boarded his carriage and returned to King's Landing with his family.

Due to the siblings' misconduct of leaving the encampment without permission, their father imposed separate punishments.

The Princess had reached marriageable age but disliked the candidates chosen by the King.

Viserys went to great lengths, specially organizing a tour of the continent for Rhaenyra.

On the surface, it was to allow Rhaenyra, as heir, to visit the lords and ladies of each region, strengthening their ties to her.

It was also to display the majesty of the Targaryen royal family.

In reality, it was indeed so.

Ever since becoming heir, Rhaenyra had merely sat in on political affairs.

She held no real power.

Furthermore, she was not familiar with the lords who had sworn fealty to her.

Viserys's aim this time was to increase Rhaenyra's presence and ensure the vassals would better accept their heir.

While achieving this goal.

There would also be tournaments and feasts held in each region.

These would serve as opportunities to help Rhaenyra find a suitable match.

In Viserys's view, if Rhaenyra disliked the candidates he chose, then she could choose for herself.

The finest young men from across the realm were hers to choose from.

He didn't believe she wouldn't find one she fancied.

This showed how much the father valued his daughter's marriage.

With the eldest daughter's issue resolved, the elder son, Rhaegar, was easier to handle.

Viserys used recovering from illness as an excuse, ordering Rhaegar to remain confined within the Red Keep and forbidding him from leaving its gates.

To this end, several Maesters were dispatched to examine him regularly.

To confirm whether his frail health had fully recovered.

Naturally, Rhaegar was unhappy about his freedom being restricted.

After much argument, Viserys deemed his eldest son old enough for his education to begin.

He then assigned two elder Maesters to teach him reading and writing.

He was numb.

When the ordeal of being forcibly woken at six o'clock every day, attending eight hours of cultural lessons, and having his homework checked the next day began.

Rhaegar was utterly numb.

Viserys did not treat him like a child who had just recovered from a serious illness.

He adopted an attitude of, "If it doesn't kill him, then push him to his limits."

Under this cramming-style education, Rhaegar's originally pale complexion showed some improvement.

However, his dark circles grew heavier day by day, worse than before.

"Damn Maesters, damn Citadel, one day I will reclaim what I have lost!"

Facing the strict tutelage of the two old Maesters, Rhaegar secretly vowed while practicing his calligraphy.

Rhaegar asked Viserys when his freedom would be restored.

The answer he received was: "When your sister returns to King's Landing, you may leave the Red Keep."

Thus, Rhaegar's longing for his sister became incredibly deep.

He missed his sister so much!

Please come back soon!

Time flew by, and half a year passed.

King's Landing welcomed the deep autumn, when the leaves turned yellow.

As a coastal city, King's Landing's climate did not change drastically, only the farmers in the fields became busier.

Rhaegar, within the Red Keep, received good news.

His sister, whom he had longed for day and night, was returning.

Rhaenyra had ended her tour early and was sailing from the Stormlands, expected to reach King's Landing in a few days.

Regardless of what others thought, Rhaegar was overjoyed.

Every day after his lessons concluded, he would sit by the stained-glass window in the Red Keep's attic and gaze out at the sea.

Hoping to catch sight of Rhaenyra's returning ship.

"Wonderful, my sister is finally coming back. My bitter days are finally over."

Rhaegar felt a pang of sadness reflecting on his experiences over the past half-year.

He liked to read.

But that was only when he was sick and had nothing else to do, a way to pass the time out of necessity.

It wasn't like being imprisoned and studying diligently.

"Prince, you'd best not speak carelessly. The King is quite angry to hear the Princess has returned without authorization."

Another voice came from the attic.

Rhaegar knew who it was without looking.

Illyric, clad in silver armor and a white cloak, stood before another window, his posture as straight as a spear.

"Sir, you know my daily routine. Don't you pity me?"

Rhaegar said, feeling stifled.

Illyric couldn't help but laugh. "The King does indeed hope you will acquire knowledge, but eight hours of class plus homework is indeed a bit inhumane."