Sorry for the long wait. I have School exams to study for. Updates will go back to normal soon.
Lyonel POV
Lyonel sighed as he sank deeper into the warm bathwater.
Gods, he had missed this.
For what felt like months, he had slept beneath trees, ridden through storms, fought bandits, fled monsters, and nearly died more times than he cared to count. Somewhere along the way, simple comforts had become luxuries.
Now he sat in a copper tub large enough for two men, steam rising around him.
The heat soaked into his aching muscles.
His eyes closed.
For the first time in many weeks, he felt like he was back home.
No bandits.
No monsters.
No witches.
No robber knights.
Just silence.
He leaned his head back and let himself relax.
The bruises across his body hurt. The cut on his shoulder throbbed faintly. His back ached from sleeping in the wilderness and from the jump from the inn.
Yet none of it seemed so terrible while submerged in hot water.
He hummed softly to himself.
The sound echoed slightly through the room.
A strange smile found its way onto his face.
He could not remember the last time he had smiled without forcing it.
Eventually, the water began to cool.
Reluctantly, Lyonel opened his eyes.
He fulfilled his duty as a knight.
The princess had her daughter back.
Perhaps tomorrow he would begin the long ride to King's Landing.
Hopefully, the King would not be too disappointed with him.
Slowly, he rose from the bath.
Water streamed from his body and splashed against the stone floor.
He grabbed a towel and dried himself thoroughly.
Only then did he notice the clothing waiting for him upon the bed.
His eyebrows rose.
Fine clothing.
Very fine clothing.
Certainly finer than anything he owned since Blackhaven.
A black doublet rested neatly folded beside matching trousers.
Silver thread decorated the sleeves and collar.
In the center was embroidered a silver tower.
Lyonel traced the design with a finger.
House Towers.
The rulers of Harrenhal.
The clothing had been provided for him, and it would be rude not to wear it.
He dressed.
The clothes fit well enough, though they were slightly tight around his shoulders and chest.
Whoever owned them had clearly been smaller than him.
Lyonel adjusted the sleeves and rolled his neck.
Crack.
Much better.
After fastening his belt, he left the room.
The halls of Harrenhal were quiet despite the late hour.
Torches flickered along the walls.
The shadows they cast seemed almost alive.
Everything in Harrenhal felt oversized.
The halls.
The doors.
The towers.
Even after spending time here, the castle still amazed him.
As he walked, he eventually found a guard standing watch.
Before Lyonel could speak, the guard straightened.
"Ser Lyonel. You're here."
Lyonel blinked.
The man knew his name.
"I am."
"Please follow me."
Lyonel frowned.
"Follow you?"
"Orders from Princess Rhaena."
That surprised him.
Orders from the princess?
What could she possibly want now?
Perhaps a reward.
Perhaps more questions.
Perhaps she wished to send a message to the King.
Whatever it was, refusing was not an option.
Lyonel nodded.
"Lead the way."
The guard obeyed.
They crossed multiple corridors and climbed several staircases.
The deeper they went into Harrenhal, the more luxurious the surroundings became.
Eventually, they stopped before a large wooden door.
The guard turned toward him.
"This is Princess Rhaena's private chamber."
His expression became serious.
"Be respectful."
Lyonel resisted the urge to laugh.
Had he ever been disrespectful?
The princess certainly seemed to think so.
Still, he nodded.
"I understand."
The guard pushed open the door.
Lyonel stepped inside.
The chamber was magnificent.
Rich tapestries hung from the walls.
Dragon banners decorated the room.
Silver candleholders cast warm light across expensive furnishings.
Yet Lyonel barely noticed any of it.
His attention immediately went to the large bed.
Princess Rhaena stood beside it.
So did the Maester of Harrenhal.
And lying beneath the blankets—
Rhaella.
The septa.
The woman he had risked his life to save.
She looked pale.
Far too pale.
The maester examined her while Rhaena watched anxiously.
Lyonel remained silent.
He felt oddly out of place.
Like he was witnessing something private.
A mother worrying for her daughter.
Eventually, Rhaena noticed him.
Her expression softened slightly.
"Ah. Ser Lyonel."
She walked toward him.
The princess stopped only a few feet away.
For a moment, she simply studied him.
Then she spoke.
"I must thank you."
Lyonel blinked.
She continued.
"You saved my daughter."
There was genuine gratitude in her voice.
"I also hope you can forgive how I treated you."
Lyonel immediately shook his head.
"You have no need to apologize, Princess."
He smiled faintly.
"It is in the past."
Rhaena nodded.
For several moments, neither spoke.
Then she asked a question he never expected.
"What do you want?"
Lyonel frowned.
"Princess?"
"You saved my daughter."
Her purple eyes met his.
"I will give you anything."
Anything.
Lyonel looked downward.
His eyes settled on Adder's Fang hanging at his waist.
The King's mission.
The reason he had come here.
He still had not completed it.
Slowly, he unclipped the sword.
The black scabbard seemed heavier than usual.
He raised it between them.
"Accept the King's gift."
Rhaena looked at the sword.
Then at him.
Then back to the sword.
For several moments, she said nothing.
"You are certain?"
Lyonel nodded and responded.
"It is my duty."
A small smile appeared on her face.
"A true knight."
She accepted the sword.
"I accept my brother's gift."
Relief washed through Lyonel.
Finally.
The mission was complete.
No matter what happened now, he had fulfilled his promise to the king.
But then Rhaena smiled again.
And Lyonel immediately became suspicious.
"Now," she said, "I have a gift for you."
"A gift?"
Had she not already offered him a favour?
Without answering, Rhaena crossed the room.
She sat at a desk.
Took up a quill.
And began writing.
Lyonel watched curiously.
Minutes passed.
Finally, she stamped the document with her personal seal.
Then returned.
"Read it."
Lyonel accepted the parchment.
His eyes scanned the words.
Then widened.
By the Seven.
His heart nearly stopped.
The document officially granted ownership of Adder's Fang—
To him.
The Valyrian steel sword.
One of the greatest treasures in Westeros, if not the entire world.
His mouth opened.
No words came out.
Surely there had been some mistake.
"Princess—"
Rhaena raised a hand.
"You will not deny a princess."
Lyonel immediately closed his mouth.
She handed the sword back to him.
"Show that letter to my brother."
She pointed toward the seal.
"He will know it is genuine."
Lyonel stared down at the sword.
His sword.
Gods.
His sword.
He now possessed a Valyrian steel blade.
His Brother would never believe it.
A Valyrian steel sword for House Dondarrian.
A sudden voice interrupted his thoughts.
"Princess!"
The maester sounded alarmed.
Rhaena turned instantly.
"What is it?"
"Lady Rhaella is burning up."
The princess's expression changed immediately.
All thoughts of Lyonel vanished.
She rushed toward the bed.
Lyonel understood.
The conversation was over.
Rhaena looked back briefly.
"You are dismissed."
Lyonel bowed.
"Princess."
Then he turned and left.
As he reached the doorway, he glanced back one final time.
Rhaella lay motionless beneath the blankets.
Rhaena sat beside her, holding her hand.
A worried mother.
Nothing more.
Lyonel quietly left the room.
The door closed behind him.
His hand settled upon Adder's Fang.
His sword.
The thought still felt strange.
Yet another thought lingered even longer.
If the Seven truly watched over mankind, then Lady Rhaella would recover.
But after everything he had seen—
The witches.
The Black Devil.
The Storm Lord.
The magic.
The lightning.
Lyonel no longer knew what to believe.
And that frightened him far more than any monster ever had.
The guard who had led him to Princess Rhaena's chambers was still waiting outside when Lyonel emerged.
The man straightened immediately.
"What happened?" he asked. "What did the princess want from you?"
Lyonel looked at him for a moment.
He had just been gifted a Valyrian steel sword.
A Valyrian steel sword.
Gods, even now it felt unreal.
Yet he wasn't about to tell the entire castle.
"You don't need to know," Lyonel replied.
The guard groaned.
"Come on."
Lyonel ignored him.
"Where are my horse and bird?"
The guard folded his arms.
"Damn, you don't have to be that rude."
Lyonel immediately regretted his tone.
The man had done nothing wrong.
He closed his eyes briefly.
"You're right," he said.
The guard looked surprised.
Lyonel rubbed the back of his neck.
"I'm just... excited right now."
The guard raised an eyebrow.
"Excited?"
"Very."
The guard nodded slowly.
"Fair enough."
Then a smile appeared on the man's face.
"Now will you tell me?"
Lyonel laughed.
"No."
The guard let out a long sigh.
"Seven save me."
Lyonel chuckled.
The guard pointed down the corridor.
"Come on then. I'll take you to your horse and that monstrous bird of yours."
Lyonel followed.
The two walked through Harrenhal's endless halls.
Even after spending time in the castle, Lyonel still found it difficult to understand its size.
The place was enormous.
Entire noble castles could fit inside some of Harrenhal's halls.
The torchlight danced across blackened stone walls.
Every now and then they passed servants carrying food, water, or bundles of firewood.
Many recognized Lyonel.
Many whispered to one another.
One servant even pointed.
Lyonel frowned.
"Why are people staring?"
The guard laughed.
"Because you're famous."
"Famous?"
"You saved Princess Rhaena's daughter."
Lyonel groaned.
"Oh."
The guard grinned.
"Word spreads fast."
"Apparently."
They continued walking.
After a while, the guard glanced sideways at him.
"What is that bird of yours anyway?"
Lyonel looked at him.
"What do you mean?"
The guard snorted.
"The giant white bird."
He spread his arms.
"It's the size of a bloody dog."
Lyonel nearly laughed.
Cloud would probably take offense to being compared to a dog.
"How is it so big?" the guard continued.
"Never seen anything like it."
Lyonel's smile faded slightly.
He immediately knew he could not tell the truth.
The truth involved witches.
Ancient magic.
Thunderbirds.
Creatures the Faith had once hunted to extinction, at least that is what the witch told him.
No.
That truth needed to remain buried.
At least for now.
So Lyonel lied.
"I bought him from a merchant in Braavos."
The guard blinked.
"Braavos?"
Lyonel nodded confidently.
"You know how Essos is."
The guard scratched his beard.
"I actually don't."
That nearly made Lyonel laugh.
He had never been to Essos either.
Not once.
Still, he continued.
"There are many strange creatures there."
The guard nodded.
"I suppose."
Then he looked interested.
"What was it like?"
Lyonel silently cursed.
Now he had to continue the lie.
He thought for a moment.
"It was hot."
The guard nodded.
"Hot?"
"Very hot."
Lyonel continued.
"The cities were large."
"Colourful."
"Lots of people."
The guard seemed impressed.
"Sounds nice."
Lyonel shrugged.
"I was very young."
"Don't remember much."
The guard accepted that answer.
Thankfully.
Eventually they emerged into the courtyard.
Fresh air greeted them.
The moon still hung high above Harrenhal.
The night was cold.
Much colder than the bath he had just left.
Lyonel inhaled deeply.
For the first time in days, he felt almost normal.
Almost.
The Kingswood still haunted him.
The Black Devil.
The witches.
The bandits.
The screams.
The blood.
Some memories refused to leave.
The guard continued leading him across the courtyard.
Eventually they reached the stables.
Lyonel immediately spotted Thunder.
The black stallion stood proudly in his stall.
Cloud rested atop his back with his head tucked beneath a wing.
The sight brought a genuine smile to Lyonel's face.
There they are.
His companions.
The only constants throughout this entire journey.
He let out a sharp whistle.
Cloud's head immediately snapped upward.
The bird looked around.
Then spotted him.
CAWWWW!
Cloud launched himself from Thunder's back.
Several stable boys yelped in surprise as the great bird flew over their heads.
A moment later Cloud landed directly on Lyonel's shoulder.
The impact nearly knocked him sideways.
"Seven Hells," Lyonel laughed.
"You're getting heavier."
Cloud chirped proudly.
Thunder also recognized him.
The stallion snorted loudly and pushed his way toward the stable door.
Lyonel stepped forward and wrapped an arm around the horse's neck.
"Missed me, boy?"
Thunder huffed.
Lyonel smiled.
"I missed you too."
For a few moments he simply stood there.
One arm around Thunder.
Cloud perched on his shoulder.
It felt strangely peaceful.
Then a voice interrupted him.
"Nice bird."
Lyonel turned.
An old man approached.
Bald.
Broad.
With a beard so large it looked capable of housing a family of mice.
His arms were thick despite his age.
"Thanks," Lyonel replied.
The old man stopped a few feet away.
His eyes studied Lyonel carefully.
"So you're the knight who saved the princess's daughter."
Lyonel nodded.
The old man scratched his beard.
"You don't seem very impressive."
The stable boys immediately looked horrified.
Lyonel simply smiled.
"Appearance isn't all that matters."
The old man barked out a laugh.
A loud one.
"Hah!"
"I like that answer."
He stepped forward and offered a hand.
"I'm Gerald."
"The castle armorer."
Lyonel shook it.
The man's grip felt like iron.
"Ser Lyonel."
Gerald nodded.
"I know."
"Everyone knows."
Lyonel sighed.
Of course they did.
Gerald chuckled.
"Your armor is in my smithy."
Lyonel frowned.
"My armor?"
The old smith nodded.
"Princess Rhaena ordered me to repair it."
That surprised him.
Gerald continued.
"Truth be told, there wasn't much left of that armour of yours."
Lyonel grimaced.
That sounded about right.
He had not been kind to it.
"Fortunately," Gerald continued, "I had some old pieces lying around."
The old smith grinned.
"I picked out a few replacements."
Lyonel immediately felt relieved.
He desperately needed armor.
Especially after everything he had endured.
The Black Devil.
The bandits.
The inn.
Without proper plate, he could easily have died half a dozen times.
He remembered the crushed breastplate.
The shattered metal.
The monster in black armor.
The glowing red eyes.
The sound of thunder.
The memory sent a chill down his spine.
No.
He did not want to think about the Kingswood.
Not tonight.
Tonight, he had a warm bed.
Luthor POV
Luthor stood at the window of one of Harrenhal's highest towers.
The cold night wind blew against his face and tugged at his dark cloak.
Far below, the castle courtyard was illuminated by dozens of torches. Men moved between buildings, servants carried supplies, and guards walked their patrols along the walls.
His eyes followed a single figure.
Ser Lyonel Dondarrion.
The young knight had just entered one of the buildings near the stables alongside the castle armourer.
Luthor remained silent as he watched him disappear from sight.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
When the knight had first arrived, Luthor had paid little attention to him. He had merely been another messenger from King Jaehaerys.
Nothing more.
Nothing less.
Then everything had changed.
The knight had left Harrenhal.
Rescued Lady Rhaella.
Earned the gratitude of Princess Rhaena.
Being gifted a Valyrian steel sword.
Luthor frowned.
That alone was worth informing the King about.
He stepped away from the window.
A small desk sat in the corner of the tower chamber.
Upon it rested parchment, ink, and a quill.
Luthor sat down.
He carefully dipped the quill into the ink.
Then began to write.
To His Grace, Jaehaerys of House Targaryen, First of His Name, King of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm,
I pray this letter finds Your Grace in good health and spirits.
I write to inform Your Grace of recent events occurring at Harrenhal concerning Ser Lyonel Dondarrion, the knight entrusted with delivering the Valyrian steel blade known as Adder's Fang to Princess Rhaena Targaryen.
Upon his arrival, Princess Rhaena refused Your Grace's gift and ordered Ser Lyonel to return the blade. The knight departed shortly thereafter.
What followed was most unexpected.
While travelling through the Riverlands, Ser Lyonel encountered a band of outlaws led by the robber knight known as Ser Rian. These men had attacked and captured Lady Rhaella Targaryen, daughter of Princess Rhaena.
I have gathered reports from guards and servants.
The knight tracked the outlaws into the wilderness and infiltrated their camp despite being greatly outnumbered.
He successfully rescued Lady Rhaella from captivity and attempted to bring her safely to Harrenhal.
The outlaws pursued them relentlessly.
Ser Lyonel was forced to defend Lady Rhaella on multiple occasions. Reports suggest he fought numerous armed men, suffered many wounds, and placed himself in considerable danger to ensure the young lady's survival.
The pair eventually reached Harrenhal, where Lady Rhaella was delivered safely into the care of Princess Rhaena and Maester Will.
Princess Rhaena appeared deeply affected by her daughter's rescue.
Witnesses report that she personally thanked Ser Lyonel and expressed regret for her previous treatment of him.
Most significantly, Your Grace should be aware that Princess Rhaena has accepted the Valyrian steel blade Adder's Fang as Your Grace originally intended.
However, immediately after accepting the sword, she gifted it to Ser Lyonel Dondarrion as a reward for saving Lady Rhaella's life.
The princess also provided a written declaration bearing her personal seal confirming the transfer.
As matters presently stand, Adder's Fang remains in Ser Lyonel's possession and appears to belong to him lawfully under Princess Rhaena's authority.
I judged it necessary to inform Your Grace of this development personally due to the considerable value and importance of the blade.
Additionally, it is my opinion that Ser Lyonel has displayed remarkable courage, loyalty, and devotion to duty throughout these events.
He completed the mission entrusted to him despite significant hardship and risk to his own life.
Whether this action warrants further reward or recognition is, of course, for Your Grace alone to determine.
I shall continue observing developments within Harrenhal and will provide further reports should circumstances require it.
May the Seven guide and protect Your Grace.
Written at Harrenhal,
Luthor
Your Loyal Servant
Luthor read through the letter carefully.
Every word.
Every sentence.
A report sent to the King needed to be accurate.
Especially when it concerned a Valyrian steel sword and a member of the House Targaryen.
Satisfied, he nodded.
The ink dried quickly in the cold air.
He rolled the parchment tightly.
Then tied it with a thin piece of cord.
Luthor rose from his chair and walked back toward the window.
The moon shone brightly above Harrenhal.
He placed two fingers between his lips and gave a sharp whistle.
A few moments later, wings beat against the night air.
A black raven descended from above and landed upon the stone ledge.
The bird tilted its head curiously.
Luthor smiled faintly.
"There you are."
He carefully attached the letter.
The raven remained still throughout the process.
When he finished, he gently stroked the bird's neck.
"Fly well."
The raven let out a soft croak.
Then launched itself into the darkness.
Luthor watched until it disappeared beyond the walls of Harrenhal.
Flying east.
Toward King's Landing.
Toward King Jaehaerys.