Look At Me, Princess (Harwin x Reader)
This was a really nice spin off since I wanted to write about Rhaenyras aunt and someone that Rhaenyra could have a close bond with also having Harwin as your love interest is always a plus
There’s one person princess (y/n) Targaryen loved more than her family and children and that was her dearest niece, Rhaenyra Targaryen who looked up to her aunt ever since she was a toddler, Rhaenyra had formed a bond with the youngest sister of Viserys like no other, mayhaps because (y/n) was only 10 when the princess was born so (y/n) plus understand the struggles she was going through better than anyone since they were still fresh in her mind.
No matter the reason Rhaenyra felt most comfortable in the presence of “the people's princess”, (y/n) was an interesting character, it seemed like she had the best features of both of her brothers, she was fair and optimistic like Viserys but also adventurous and outspoken like Daemon, both of her brothers spoiled her rotten, no harm would come to her if they had something to do with it, it only took for a simple mist of tears to well up in her eyes for Viserys to fill her hands with gifts and Daemon to roll heads.
“You look beautiful Rhaenyra”
“Thank you, I was going to say the same for you, I see you have not held back on the jewelry”
“It is my name-day, the tourney is held in my job honor, and as my dear brother says “it is an opportunity to gather an established suitor” so, in my opinion, it is just enough, besides, I was never known for my subtle taste”
Rhaenyra giggled at the answer of her aunt, (y/n) was one of the most luxurious women Rhaenyra has ever laid eyes upon, ever since she could remember her aunt was dressed in the finest of dresses with the most intricate patterns, and her neck was decorated by rubies and pearls as were her earlobes, she would bathe in goat milk and rub rose oil on her to keep her skin looking youthful.
Her dress was in Targaryen red with golden details sewn all over it, Rhaenyra wondered how long did it take to create this dress to be worn by the most beautiful woman in the seven kingdoms who remained unmarried, Viserys had begged her to marry but she refused any man that asked for her hand, all of them wanted to lay with a Targaryen, the sense of power excited them none would even spare her a look of it wasn’t for her name.
“I must thank the knights that decided to partake in this tourney held by my beloved brother and your king for my name day, I am honored to feel such warmth from you on this special day, I shall keep this brief since I believe no one came to listen to me but to watch the men in action, let the games begin”
Everyone clapped as (y/n) sat back down and winked at her niece who was smiling brightly, poor little thing had yet to adapt after the second wedding of her father, and to her best friend at that, Rhaenyra leaned on (y/n) more than ever and (y/n) was right there to offer a shoulder and an ear, she knew the pain of living without a mother very well.
“I ask the favor from the woman of the hour, princess (y/n) Targaryen, the heart of the realm”
(Y/n) had done her best to keep the peace within the small folk, but the starving masses had torn her heart open, she talked her brother's ear off to offering food and water in the flea bottom and paid for the orphanage to be fixed and in proper condition, that is where “the heart of the realm” name came from.
(Y/n) rose from her seat with a flower crown in hand and stopped in front of the stand, she leaned enough for the flower crown to slide down the spear of the strongest man the Seven Kingdoms could offer, Ser Harwin “Breakbones” Strong who waited patiently for the princess that was smiling as bright as the sun.
“I wish you good fortune and thank you for the kind words Ser Harwin”
“You honor me, princess”
He replied before he commanded his horse to the other side, (y/n) was supposed to walk away as well and sit back in her seat, surprisingly she remained still, her eyes following the Commander of the city watch until he charged at his opponent who to no one’s surprise loss against the knight dressed in blue armor.
(Y/n) smiled and clapped for him only for Ser Harwin to bow his head in gratitude, after that, she went back to sit next to Rhaenyra, the young niece had a playful smirk on her lips.
“Ser Harwin is a very handsome young man”
“Indeed he is”
“And Strong, who else would be better suited for a dragon?”
“You are rushing my dear, where is the fun in marrying Ser Harwin just because he asked for my favor? Things like this shine better with time”
-
“Princess (y/n) Targaryen with her brother Prince Daemon Targaryen”
(Y/n) and Daemon walked into the room side by side, no one knew where to focus, to the luxurious princess or the rogue prince who made his first appearance after his wedding was recently dissolved.
(Y/n) was the one to inform her brother about the feast, she was aware of the feelings Rhaenyra had developed for her older brother so she thought it would be a good gift to her niece.
“Congratulations my sweet Nyra, may the mother bless this wedlock with a plethora of children”
(Y/n) spoke before she got up the steps and hugged her niece, the kiss she placed on Rhaenyra's forehead reminded Daemon and Viserys of their mother Alyssa, even though (y/n) had never met her she would still mirror their late mother in so many aspects of her life.
“Thank you, aunt, mayhaps you are next”
“That is a possibility your father would adore”
“I wish for you to have a husband by your side is that so bad?”
“No brother I was just jesting, let us enjoy this night”
(Y/n) took her appointed seat next to her brother Daemon who sulked in his chair and stared daggers into anyone he laid eyes upon, (y/n) wondered what life would be like if she was Daemon or Viserys, she loved them both and would give her life for them but she had to recognize the privilege of being born a male, a prince at that, one had a target on his back for killing his wife and the other sacrificed his love for a babe that did not survive and is now married to a much younger lady.
Would she suffer the fate of Aemma as well? Or mayhaps marry someone she is not interested in out of duty like her niece? Her thoughts were interrupted by a young man dressed with the sigil of a lion bowed before her.
“Princess, my name is Gregory Lannister, brother of Jason Lannister”
“Pleasure to meet you, my lord, to what do I owe this introduction?”
“I was hoping you would accompany me for a dance”
“The princess will-“
“Be delighted, thank you, my lord”
She interrupted her brother who was ready to attack the young man. It was time for (y/n) to face the music, she is not getting any younger and as a princess, there was not much that she could do but marry, she had managed to slip through the cracks for so long though she could not always run away from it.
The Lannister lord seemed delighted and offered his hand for her to take, his touch was soft and gentle, he guided her to the middle of the crowd, and with a curtsy, they followed the music for the custom dance.
“How does it feel to see your niece be wed?”
“It is a wonderful day for my lovely Rhaenyra, lord Laenor will be a great king Consort for her”
“He is an honorable choice that is true, is that what marriage is for you as well”
“Wedlock is an oath given to the gods, to trust and to hold, it is a sacred act that I hope I will experience myself”
“I am certain you had your chance with multiple suitors would I be overstepping if I asked why have you chosen to stay a maiden?”
“As mentioned I believe marriage is sacred, call me insane for wanting to find a man that I enjoy being around and not just a man that appears to be a match for the realm”
As the two of them grew into a discussion (y/n) did not have the mind to notice a man that gawked at her like a hawk, Ser Harwin Strong had followed her with his gaze and had yet to pull away from her, his hands turned into fists as he saw the man’s eyes shifted down from her face and to her cleavage.
Gregory cared nothing for (y/n) nor her personality, it was all a mediocre act to get his hands at the pot of gold which was befitting behavior of a Lannister Lord.
“You are letting your true self show son”
“I am just guarding the princess”
“You can fool anyone but not me”
Harwin did not respond to his father, he had nothing to say that could prove to his father that he did not have a soft spot for the lady that was spinning around and her dress taking most of the space on the floor, she was perfect to him, a woman that anyone would be lucky to have so he couldn’t help but wonder why was she dancing with a man that was beneath her? He wasn’t clever nor strong nor did he have anything that could help his courting with her besides the Lannister sigil.
No one could have guessed what was coming next, a blood-curling scream went through everyone’s eardrums as the crowd became one mesh, in a blink of an eye Harwin lost sight of the princess, baffled he started shoving people out of the way in hopes to see her, knights were throwing commands as the people screamed and ran for their lives.
(Y/n) attempted to move out of the circle only to be met with someone’s back which caused her to fall back and hit her head on a piece of wooden furniture, the impact on her head was enough to bring her into a sense of lightheadedness, Gregory lifted her by her waist and pretty much carried her outside until they were secluded to a more private and dim lighted area, (y/n) blinked profusely to clear her foggy eyesight but to no avail, her legs felt weak as she had to support herself from Gregory.
“I can’t breathe”
She felt Gregory’s hands go up to the strings of her corset, she was about to thank him for loosening the tight piece of clothing until the corset started to become loose as to expose herself, thankfully she was quick enough to bring her hands up to her chest and keep it there, her mind tried to find an excuse as to Gregory being in shock and not knowing exactly what he was doing.
“My dress”
“It is alright (y/n) we are alone”
“No, my dress is untied”
“I’ll be quick”
(Y/n) finally met his eyes, the eyes that she could not recognize, dark and almost demonic, her hands were occupied with keeping her corset in place to shove him away as she was starting to get squeamish, her stomach turning as she fussed to get away from her.
All she felt was his weight leaving her but she did not count that he was keeping her up, (y/n) slid down and curled into a ball from fear of what was to come, it was at this point that she saw a man towering over Gregory and punching him repeatedly, a part of her felt relieved for the immediate justice of Gregory’s attempt to harm her, her other part trembled about whom it was and who could have seen them.
“Princess”
A voice as soft as silk reached her ears, Harwin strong had knelt to take a good look at her, make sure she was unharmed, he had run out to look for her only to find her in distress whilst the Lannister bastard wanted to defile her, (y/n) flinched when Harwin reached for her and although it hurt him he understood that she probably does not wish to be touched.
“Listen to me princess, in any minute people will start to pass by and if they find you like this they will not ask questions, they will just start whispering, we must take you away to your chambers, can you walk”
“I don’t think so”
“Can I lift you?”
“Please”
-
“Alyssa be careful”
Harwin heard (y/n) call for their eldest daughter as he entered the hall with a letter in his hand, the scene was heavenly in front of him, his beloved princess sitting on the couch with a fan in her hand to cool herself, her swollen belly was protruding from her dress, it was almost time for her to start her labor for their fourth child, their two older children, Alyssa and Alamea running around in mischievous nature chasing one another around and the third Arran was only two years old was sitting down next to his mother playing with his toys.
All of them had inherited their father's hair, dark brown curls, only little details telling of their Targaryen ancestors, Alyssa had her grandmother's eyes, Alamea had a few strings of blonde hair and little Arran had lavender hues, (y/n) never complained, she enjoyed the fact that she could see her lovely knight in their children.
“How are you feeling my dear?”
“I’m burning up but that’s nothing new”
Harwin sat next to her, contemplating how to go about this, his hand found her belly to caress it lovingly, the last thing he needed was to cause any complications with the news that he must share with her, he had done his best to shield his family from the outside world, brought them to harrenhal to maintain a peaceful life away from the menaces that lurked at court, his offspring should never be taint by the monstrosities that found a home in the red keep.
“A raven came from Dragonstone”
He simply informed as he passed the piece of paper to her, (y/n) who was clueless as to what it said grabbed it with excitement, wanting to read news of her family.
“My beloved aunt,
I write to you with great grief to announce to you that my father, your brother, Viserys has passed.
Unfortunately, this letter is not just to inform you over the kings passing, it is to ask for you and your family to come to my aid as I go against my brother Aegon who has usurped me and was crowned in front of the masses, claiming that he is the rightful heir due to his gender.
Please, I beg you for your love and guidance, in return I offer you the position of being the hand of the queen and your husband to be the commander of the queens guard, I need you by my side as you have always been the light of hope at my darkest of moments.
Love,
Rhae Rhae”
Tears welled up in her eyes as her hands trembled over what she was reading, her eldest brother was gone and before his body grew cold the Hightowers declared war on her Rhaenyra, Harwin took the princess in his arms as the tears escaped and sobs took over her body, he hated seeing her like this, he had done his best to keep her happy and now the pain of losing one of the few members of her immediate family engulfed her to such a degree that he saw just her younger self clinging on to her brother for dear life.
Even though (y/n) had created a family of her own, Viserys was someone she adored, her kindhearted brother, (y/n) dug her nails on top of Harwin back out of desperation as he was the one that she could always snatch upon and feel some level of safety, the man that always stood in front of her and took all the pain just so she can be out of harm's way, now that meant that he endured her nails piercing through his skin in an attempt to bring her some type of comfort.
“I must go to her”
“You cannot travel my love, what of our children?”
“You are right I suppose, I am sorry”
“Magdalena take the children elsewhere”
“I want to stay with momma”
Alyssa complained, (y/n) was in shambles and she had every right to be but Harwin wanted to spare them from witnessing such a tragic scene of their mother being miserable.
Once the children were out of sight (y/n) wiped away her tears and her eyes bounced from one thing to another since they refused to focus because her mind was scattered with thoughts that came all at once, a headache was surely soon to follow.
“Look at me, princess”
Harwin's voice was low and endearing, he pulled her out of her delirium the minute her eyes found his deep blue hues, oh those bewitching eyes that held a tremendous amount of admiration for his lady wife, his princess, Harwin took one deep breath through his nose and then out the mouth, (y/n) followed as Harwin wanted to slow down her heart and breathing, soothe her enough so they can plan together.
“Harrenhall shall declare for Rhaenyra, once I give birth we will ride for dragonstone”
“Alyssa is young she cannot go through a war”
“We can take them to Lys, we have friends there”
“If you become the queens' hand and I go as a commander it means we risk our lives”
“I cannot leave her”
“Harrenhall will declare for Rhaenyra, we will send an army to her and bend the knee to her, I give you my word for that, bullet us enjoy a few days of peace until we decide.”
“Fine but I will send a raven to her”
“I love you, princess”
“I love you more, Ser Harwin break bones”
Harwin leaned to place a gentle kiss on his wife's lips, he feared for what would come next, if she dies there was no reason for him to keep on living, but if he refused her she would end up despising him or try to run away, he had no choice but to bargain with her.
The next morrow Rhaenyra received a raven from Harrenhall, she put everything to a halt in order to read what her aunt was writing, she knew she was asking for too much and the princess that was days away from starting her labours had every right to refuse her or remain cordial.
“My Rhae Rhae,
I grieve for my brother, I will forever hold the moments I had with him near my heart, and with utmost love, I also know he is probably cursing at his son from the other side over this treacherous crime.
I also of you to understand that I wish to stay at Harrenhall until I give birth, in a few morrows time my children will go to Lys for sanctuary, I want them away from any type of war.
My husband and I will be by your side, as we only recognize the firstborn daughter Rhaenyra Targaryen as the true heir to the iron throne.
My flesh and blood, my strong niece, you will have your throne and crown.
I love you
(Y/n)”
Requests are open!
