Through Morning's Eye

Four: The Best Teacher

One week after that, Rhaenyra noticed a light bruise on her arm. "Dear heavens, what is that?"

Kris looked up from her book with a wide smile. "Papa is training me!"

Rhaenyra looked at Harwin with a scowl. "Harwin, you are bruising the girl."

"And yet I have never seen her more eager than when she waits to train," Harwin chuckled from the chaise, helping Luke with his reading.

"Girls cannot fight!" Jace frowned.

"Yes we can!" Kris shouted, tackling him to the ground.

"Such strong arms already, we must call you Junior Breakbones," Rhaenyra smiled. "Jacaerys, apologize so that you may stop rolling around like animals."

"Sorry ..." Jace said and they both sat up. "NOT!" He stuck his tongue out. They both got up and she chased him around the room.

"I am raising animals," Rhaenyra shook her head and looked at Harwin. "The day I agreed to help raise your daughter, I agreed to add to my pack of heathens."

"What a handsome bunch of heathens," Harwin grinned, tickling Lucerys' side.

Kris chased Jace until they rounded the footable and she tried lunging across to catch him. In hindsight, trying to jump over a glass table was not a good idea. And Kris learned that, when she fell right through the glass.

"So, what lesson did we learn today?" Harwin asked with a sigh while Maester Gerardys got a few stitches in.

"It is not as if it hurts," she winced as the maester sewed into her skin.

"You do not have to be so tough, Kristyne, it is okay to feel pain and fear."

"You are tough, Father, and I want to be just like you."

Harwin tried to hide the way his heart swelled at her words, but it was impossible and he settled for a smile. "I do not know what to do with you at time," He leaned over and kissed her forehead. "For being so tough. Would you like me to have some lemoncake waiting for you?"

"No, I despise that stuff," She shook her head. "Pudding?"

"What kind?"

"Plum, the best kind."

"Then plum you shall have, Lady Strong," Harwin ruffled up her hair.

"Lady Morning!" She laughed at him.

The glass was deep on her upper arm and shoulder, and the stitches left for a gnarly scar. Thankfully, her dress sleeves were long enough to hide it. But it motivated Kristyne.

Pain is the best teacher.

She was dedicated, training with Harwin every evening, learning everything he had to offer. But his physical training also came with deeper lessons.

"Always be the smartest in the room, but never let them know just how smart you are. Let them underestimate you until you have a chance to gain the upper hand. If you present your knowledge too soon, you shall be seen as a threat. You are a woman, Kristyne, you can not keep pretending you have the same rights as a man, you will get into trouble."

"But it is not fair!" She groaned, pushing herself up from the ground.

"I know, Kris, I am not saying I agree. But I do not want you to be under anyone's suspicion. You have to be able to conceal your strengths and know when to use them instead of tackling someone into a glass table just because they insulted you."

"That was months ago, Father."

"And yet you always chase Jace when he insults you. Never show your weaknesses. People will notice and they will use them against you, they will use them to manipulate you."