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

76. I Am The Heir

Counting Crimes/ House of the Dragon out now!

''You don't... think to consult me before you name my child?'' Rhaenyra hissed as they left.

''He's our child, is he not?'' Laenor offered

''Only one of us is bleeding.'' Rhaenyra reminded him, a trail of blood bleed from her legs as she walked the afterbirth still releasing.

''I deserve some say in the affairs of my own family.'' Laenor reminded her.

''You haven't seemed so interested in our affairs of late.'' Rhaenyra shouted back but she didn't like him here, she preferred him far away. Away from her business.

Aislynn looked at Criston and then Alicent before glancing back at a content imbecile of a king.

"I think I need to see if my husband is fondling the princess and her new babe... so I can take his balls. Maybe sew her cunt shut." Aislynn remarked honestly as she headed out. A smile quirked on Cristons lips and Viserys cocked his head. "Oh, so he can hear... that's new." Aislynn hissed. "Is he just blind then?" Alicent smiled sweetly at Viserys but clamped her lips shut trying not to burst out laughing.

+

''And he sees a big, scary dragon! Mother... look. We chose an egg for the baby.''

''Ahh. That looks like the perfect one.'' Rhaenyra agreed looking down at her two boys.

''I let Luke choose.'' Jacaerys remarked.

''Thank you, Jace.'' Lucerys answered

''Not every day an egg leaves the Dragon pit, Princess. I thought it best to escort the lads.'' Harwin remarked and he knew Aislynn was already mad at him, so why not spend some more time with his boys. His boys. The boys that loved him. Unlike Jaeton and Clayton and little Emmett had already decided he didn't like Harwin either. Aislynn talked a big game but Harwin suspected Clayton and maybe Emmett too were not his. But how could he know for sure? They had dark hair, but more auburn like Aislynn. But Criston doted over the boys too. Harwin knew it was judgmental. Knew he had no right to judge Aislynn for finding love somewhere else but he did. He was mad at her. He was mad at her for straying away yet he had no right because he did the same thing.

But what Harwin did was for rank and position. Commander of the guard. Fucking Rhaenyra gave him power. Did he love Rhaenyra? No. Not really. But when the princess asks and offers raises position upgrades, Harwin would have been a fool to turn that down. But then he started to like the scandal of it all. Liked that his sons got to be princes. Liked that Luke and Jace liked him. Unlike his claimed children.

''Laenor and I thank you, Commander.' Rhaenyra said softly.

''Another boy, I heard. What a fine knight you are going to make, eh? Might I?'' Harwin questioned looking to the babe.

''Ser Harwin wishes to be introduced to Joffrey.'' Rhaenyra told Laenor, Laenor looked to Harwin's deep black hair, much like his childrens hair, he hesitated before passing him off.

''Of course.'' Laenor agreed. He understood Aislynn's resentment but this was Rhaenyra and his agreement. Laenor knew for a fact that it was not the arrangement Harwin and Aislynn had.

''Joffrey, is it?'' Harwin questioned.

''Mm-hm. Mm.'' Rhaenyra agreed bitterly.

''Father, please may I hold Joffrey?'' Luke questioned.

''No, no. No. Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah. Back to the Dragon pit for you two.'' Laenor remarked.

'Come on!' Luke begged

''Before they send out a search party.'' Laenor told them leading them out, the door closed

''You're asleep in front of the Commander of the City Watch." Harwin teased down to Joffrey ''Terrible lack of respect.''

''A certain insolence runs in the family, I'm afraid.'' Rhaenyra added as the door swung back open.

"Of course you two are here... together." Aislynn declared as the door thwacked back against the wall. "Get the fuck out Harwin." Aislynn demanded and her tone left no room for arguing. Harwin swallowed the lump in his throat as he passed Joffrey off. "I know you can move faster then that." Aislynn seethed and Harwin moved quicker closing the door behind him.

"Aislynn, what do I owe-"

"What are you playing at, little girl?" Aislynn demanded.

"I'm the princess, I'm the heir. I don't answer to you." Rhaenyra reminded her.

"Yeah, you got away with a lot of shit over the years really ever since you became the heir." Aislynn agreed "And to think that at one point, I was rooting for you, thought you would be a good queen but you are nothing."

"I am the heir! I will have your pompous tongue removed!" Rhaenyra demanded.

"Rheanyra," Aislynn tsked. "really holding that heir title over everyone's heads when really if you think about it you were not even your fathers first choice... bitch you werent even a back up plan, you were just... there."

"How dare you!"

"Its like viserys had to choose and he was like you are targaryen I suppose you will do. I will be dead and wont be able to see you run the kingdoms into the ground."