It's Time To Go // Criston Cole // Harwin Strong

15. Should Have Been A Warning

"The king is drunk." 

"The king is drunk." Alicent agreed as Aislynn held Aegon to her. 

"It's been a long day, why dont we go home, this one is tired." AIslynn coed. 

"You are so much better at this than I am." Alicent remarked. 

"At what Ali?" 

"Everything." Alicent rasped. 

"I'm really not." Aislynn corrected. "I just have a louder voice than you." Alicent choked out a laugh. 

"Is that all I need? A louder voice to gain some of your confidence?" Alicent countered. 

"You need family. We dont leave you alone. We stay in the capital. All of us with you." Aislynn decided. 

'Princess, I must make a final plea that we return to the camp.' Criston requested

'I rather prefer it here.' Rhaenyra told him as she threw twigs into the fire.

'His Grace is certain to be worried by your absence.'

'His Grace can worry himself to death if he so likes.' Rhaenyra told him smugly. 'Tell me something, Ser Criston. Do you think the realm will ever accept me as their Queen?'

'They'll have no choice but to, Princess.' Criston reminded her as their horses neighed and whinnied behind them. Criston rose ready to defend his princess, drew his blade, the twigs cracking under his feet as all went quiet.

Criston grunted as Rhaenyra yelled a boar came charging at them, growling he leapt on top of Rhaenyra. She stabbed it and it fell. She lay for a moment remembering to breath when the boar started to squeal again Rhaenyra jumped up stabbing him over and over again, Rhaenyra grunted and whimpered as she dove her blade into the boar, killing it.

+

"Can you tend to Aegon? I need to speak to the king." ALicent remarked. 

"I got him." Aislynn agreed as Aegon breathed heavily, falling asleep against her chest. "Much too late for you to be up." she whispered kissing his head. 

"You are going to be a great mother." Alicent remarked. 

"One day." Aislynn offered hopefully. 

'Is everything all right, Your Grace?' Alicent questioned coming up to a large and crackling fire where Viserys stood, needing solace.

'You know, I... I named her... to protect the realm from Daemon. She was my only child. "The Realm's Delight." I named her out of love because I no longer believed...'

'Believed what, my love?' Alicent questioned, love she thought bitterly, she cared for Viserys but the love she held for him was not love, not true love, not a spark she saw when she saw Aislynn talking to knights, would she ever get that look of wow this girl is the best thing in the world, she sighed to herself as she moved closer to the fire. 

'Many in my line have been dragon riders. Very few among us have been dreamers. What is the power of a dragon... next to the power of prophecy.' Viserys told her

'The hour is too late, husband.'

'When Rhaenyra was a child... I saw it in a dream... as vivid as these flames, I saw it. A male babe born to me... wearing the Conqueror's crown.' Viserys told her confidently. 'And I so wanted it to be true, to be a dreamer myself. I sought that vision again, night after night... but it never came again. I poured all my thought and will into it. And my obsession killed Rhaenyra's mother.'

'Viserys.' Alicent tried to calm him

'I thought Rhaenyra was the way out of my abyss of grief and regret. And naming her heir would begin to set things right.'

'Oh, it did.' Alicent assured

'I never imagined I would remarry... that I would have a son.' Viserys told her his confidence wavering. 'What if I was wrong?' he heard a horn blowing in the distance the beast had been found. He put a hand on her stomach running his hands along her dress. Hoping for another boy, he couldn't handle another girl.

+

"Falling asleep already?" Otto questioned coming up to Aislynn. 

"Well this fucking hunt is lasting forever." AIslynn agreed. 

"The baby Aislynn." Otto tsked. 

"He's going to be fucking his way through westeros before we know it." AIslynn countered as she ran a hand down Aegon's back. 

"I suppose you are right." Otto agreed as he sat beside her. She leaned into him. 

"I wish you would have let Ali wait, shes not ready for all this." Aislynn whispered. 

"I didnt make her, the king choose her." Otto corrected kissing her temple. 

"I know but you didnt stop him either." Aislynn corrected. Otto sighed wrapping an arm around her shoulders. 

"What do you think of Ser Harwin?"  Aislynn turned to him. "Just a question."

"He's handsome." Aislynn offered. 

"He made you smile." Otto added gently. 

"He has possibilities." Aislynn agreed. "Why? What did you do?" 

+

'He may not be white, Your Grace. But he's a big lad.' Harwin remarked as they got closer to the Hart.

'Your Grace... for the kill'. Jason offered his spear and Viserys took it. The hart bellowed and thrashed in their restraints.

'Right here, Your Grace.' A huntsman remarked showing him where to strike. The hart wailed but didn't fall 'One more time, Your Grace. A little bit to your left.' The huntsman told him so again Viserys struck. The hart shrieked before collapsing to the ground. The hunter applauded their king.

Arthur snorted a laugh when the king missed. 

"No we applaud the king, Art. For his lack of skills." John sniggered. 

"Our brother in law." Arthur declared with a cackle.

"Aislynn is a better shot than him." Tommy murmured. "Hell, Finn is and he hates bloodshed."

+

"Good hunt?" Aislynn questioned. 

"We caught the hart." Harwin agreed. "Well the king did." 

"On the second try too with the creature being held down." Aislynn added. "My brothers told me what a pathetic show it was." Aislynn remarked. 

"Best not let the king hear you talking about him like that." Harwin mused. 

"Then give me something else to do with my mouth." Aislynn agreed. 

Her lips were as soft as he imagined them to be, her kisses as playful and teasing as her verbal flirting, which only made him want her more. Harwin's hands combed through her hair to the back, before tangling his fingers up in her locks to hold her in place. Aislynn hummed happily into him. 

As he kissed her, Aislynn couldnt keep her hands to herself as she didn't know whether to hold him by the shirt or wrap her arms around his neck wanting more of him. When he pulled back she felt like the only woman in the world. But it was short lived. 

They were getting on so great to but then Harwin's gaze shifted and Aislynn turned to see what catch his attention. Sure the princess coming back after her dramatic run away was something that should have been addressed but it wasn't just that.

It was how he looked at Rhaenyra when she came back covered in blood that look of pride and damn that's sexy that should have been Aislynns first warning. The way his gaze stuck to Rhaenyra and that smirk Rhaenyra gave him back knowing she had his attention.