"How soon can we meet the baby?" Luke asked his mother.
"Soon," Rhaenyra hummed as she braided Kristyne's hair. "You have been training with your father so often, now you look like a warrior. Queen Visenya donned war braids during her height of power."
"I do not want to look like Visenya, I want to be like Nymeria."
"I can not wait to meet the baby!" Luke interrupted.
"You have to wait, Luke, like I had to," Jace spoke up.
"Do you even remember when he was born?" Kris raised a brow, wincing while Rhaenyra pulled a tight braid.
"Maybe," Jace mumbled.
"It shan't be long after my cousin Laena shall have her child. Maybe we could make a small family trip and visit them in Pentos. We can visit Daemon and the twins."
"Not us," Kris responded. "Papa and I are due for a trip to Starfall. Do you think a woman could be Sword of the Morning?"
"I think a woman could be a strong enough warrior to fight for the right. Are you sure you want to be a warrior? It's a frightening life to live."
"I do not know what I want to do. I suppose my purpose will be marriage and children. Father says I can marry whomever, but how will I carry the Strong name? I can't be Lady of Harrenhal if I am married to another Lord."
"Well, I suppose your uncle would take the title. But you are not yet even 11, you do not need to think of marriage yet. Your father still has many years to him, you shall not worry about the succession of your house for many years. And worst case, the king likes you, you could plead your case and he would allow whatever you want."
That had been true. Being the granddaughter of the Kings Hand meant she saw the king often, and the fact that spent a lot of time with Jace and Luke, meant the King had grown a soft spot for her.
The last month of Rhaenyra's pregnancy passed by quickly and the whole of the courtyard heard when she began her labors. The air was tense and thick, Aegon and Aemond keeping an unusual amount of space from Rhaenyra's boys.
Aemond's visits in the tunnel grew shorter, and he read most of the time.
"Why do you seem to be cross with me?"
Aemond rose a brow at her. "My distaste lies with your friends, not with you. Would you like to know what those little beasts did to me?"
Kristyne had been so preoccupied with getting as far away from Rhaenyra's screams that she had not been around the boys. "No, I am trying not to be within earshot of Rhaenyra."
"Well, your little friends humiliated me! They know I so desperately want a dragon, and they raised my hopes. They gave me a pig!"
Kris frowned at his words and hesitantly placed a hand on his shoulder. "I am so sorry, Aemond. You do not deserve that one bit."
"I don't understand," He sniffled. "Aegon does not care for our heritage, and yet he is so close with Sunfyre. I care about our blood and preserving it, what have I done to be denied a dragon?"
"Nothing," Kristyne shook her head. "Your time is coming, Aemond—a late bloomer, mayhaps. Sure, Aegon got there first, but maybe that means when you get there, it will be a million times better than how it was for him. Just like how he has always been taller, you have started to grow."
Aemond stared at the ground and stayed silent for several moments. "So why are you avoiding my sister? I thought she was a second mother to you."
"Sometimes, I have nightmares about my mother. About her screaming as she dies birthing me. When I hear Rhaenyra's screams, it scares me. As if my whole body freezes and does not know how to move."
Aemond briefly looked at her and back at the ground. "Things are changing, Kristyne. My mother says if this babe arrives with dark hair, it will be too far. Helaena's riddles have gotten worse. You must know this is because of -"
"Stop! How is it that you keep trying to speak of something I told you not to speak of? That is not how friendship works, Aemond."
"You are the one that insists this is a friendship, I didn't ask for this!"
"Ugh!" She shouted and stood. It was almost as if he was a good bad friend. Good at being a bad friend, bad at being a good one. Just when she thought she was breaking through, he shut her off. "I'll never get you to admit we're friends, will I?"
"No, because we are not. My mother says I shouldn't spend any more time with you."
Kris stepped back as if she'd been hit. So was this Alicent's doing all along? Was she the reason Aemond had become a prick? Was this all because her father loved Rhaenyra? She had done nothing wrong!
All she did was be born.
"Fine," Kris spoke. "You have said it yourself, I am the only one that is decent to you. So the next time that your brother bullies you and you escape to this tunnel, I will not be here. Your pride is to blame. I have been nothing but nice to you while all you do is mock my family and treat me like a dirty object to be thrown away. Goodbye, Aemond."
Kris held her tears as she walked through the halls to her room, running to her bed once she entered. She thought Aemond was her friend, she thought he just had a hard time showing his emotions. But he was being poisoned by a woman who hated her without even knowing her.
Kristyne could not even count on two hands how many times she had ever interacted with the Queen. She and her father were not invited to the formal dinners or events, and Harwin was not even allowed to stand guard for Rhaenyra when she was in council meetings because he was not a Kingsguard. So how could Alicent hate her?
Her life in the castle had not been easy, as privileged as it was to live there. While she was a trueborn daughter, she was looked at strangely for running around with Jacaerys and Lucerys, as if the people knew. And they knew because Alicent made sure of it, she spoke words that would make her life difficult.
She did not know how long she spent on her bed crying before she calmed down. She stared at the ceiling, holding her pillow to her chest. If she sat in silence long enough, she could hear the hum of her mother's voice and a hand on hers. Not like a physical hand, but almost like a whisper to be spoken, a ghost of a hand. Another moment she knew her mother was with her.
Maybe if she had not killed her mother, none of this would be happening.
A knock interrupted her thoughts and Rhaenyra poked her head in. "Oh, I was hoping your father would be with you. I wanted you both to meet the babe now that I have shown him off to half the court," She said with a small chuckle.
She peeked from her bed to see the babe in her arms and smiled at him. A new brother, even though she could never acknowledge it.
Rhaenyra made her way over to sit next to her and Kris fully sat up so she could see the baby. "He is so little! Look at his nose."
Rhaenyra chuckled and nodded. "I suppose you are not old enough to remember Lucerys, but he was even smaller." Rhaenyra shifted to cradle the babe with one arm and wrapped the other around Kris' shoulders. "Why have you been crying?"
"I lost my only friend," She shrugged.
"Your father has mentioned you like to spend time with Aemond. He is a quiet kid, it is his elder brother I dislike."
"Aemond started to speak poorly of me, that his mother did not wish him to be around me. He was my only friend! She has made it to where no one else lets their children be around me."
Rhaenyra gently rubbed her shoulder and gave the top of her head a small kiss. "I am so sorry, darling."
"It's not fair, just because she doesn't like my father."
"No, it is not fair that you children have to get mixed up in our adult politics. But I promise you, Kristyne, I will ensure that is no more. I have even considered moving to Dragonstone but your father's job is here."
"If you make decisions based on my father, it will only make things worse. He keeps speaking of how he has put us in danger and it scares me! He is trying to prepare me for his death and I can not think of that, I can not even fathom it!" Kris panicked. "The thought of having to live with my uncle -"
"Shh, you do not have to. I would never let that leech take you. You are a part of our family, Kristyne. I love you like you were one of my own."
Kristyne looked down at the baby, his dark hair the first thing she noticed. If an eleven-year-old noticed, everyone would. And if Rhaenyra just presented the baby, whispers would have already been started. Things were about to get worse.
"Can we go wait until my father comes home?" She asked.
"Of course."
Rhaenyra and Kristyne walked down the halls with her guards trailing them, and that was the first time she felt like she had power. Sure, she didn't have many friends, but she was under the protection of the princess and heir to the Iron Throne. She had people that loved her.
So she continued to walk past prying eyes, her chin held high above them all.
A fortnight passed following the birth of Prince Joffrey.
And things were not good.
The word 'awful' could even be used.
Tensions were high between both sides of court, and there was not an obvious divide between Rhaenyra's children and Alicent. Before, Aegon teamed up with Jace and Luke to belittle Aemond, but there was none of that now. It was Hightowers versus Strongs now.
And the tension reached its head during training when Harwin beat the shit out of Cole.
Kris did not know why, she was with Rhaenyra learning how to braid her hair. But once it happened, it was all anyone could speak of.
Kristyne was running down the halls to find her father when she stopped short of her grandsires quarters and heard yelling.
"It fills me with shame."
"So this is about your shame?"
"Our shame, Harwin! Shame on the whole of House Strong, on your daughter! Did you even think about what this could mean for you both, for us all?"
"Because I laid my hands on that insufferable Cole, the son of a steward?" She heard her father scoff.
"He is a Knight of the Kingsguard now, a defender of the craw we both serve."
"Yes, and he assailed Jacaerys, the future heir to that crown."
"You have laid us open to accusations of an uglier treachery, Harwin. You speak so highly of your daughter and yet you leave her open to an attack. What you have done ... there is no going back."
"What treachery is that, Father?"
"Do not play fool with me, boy!" Her grandsire hissed. "Your intimacy with the Princess Rhaenyra is an offense that would mean exile and death ... for you, for her, her children, and possibly your own child."
"It is rumor only, spun by the spiteful Queen. I would not let a single poisonous hand touch my daughter."
"Do you think people are blind, boy? People have eyes, and yet the king will not accept what his eyes see. A willful blindness of a father towards his child."
She heard her father let out a chuckle. "I wish mine own father affected a similar blindness."
"Have I not these many years, Harwin? And yet you publically assaulted a Kingsguard in a manner you would defend your trueborn daughter. Your time here is over, Harwin. I have tried to stand down to protect us all, to urge the king to let me take you and Kris to Harrenhall and remain there for all our days, but he refused."
"I am not taking Kris to that haunted castle! Her home is here. My job is here!"
"No!" Lyonel snapped. "You are my eldest son and my heir, you are Lord of Harrenhal because the king refused to let me leave. My task is now to escort you to Harrenhal where you will take your rightful place."
Kristyne covered her mouth to hide her gasp.
"How could you do this to us, Father?"
"I am doing this for you, Harwin. You and that little girl. I happen to love you both, whether you wish to believe it or not. I will not watch my granddaughter suffer for your actions. Do you even realize that Alicent's hatred for you has seeped into her? I have to listen to my queen call my granddaughter a nasty vermin and I cannot say anything!"
There were moments of silence and Kris had to let her tears fall without being able to cry. She did not want to leave. She would have no one at Harrenhall besides her father. No Jace, no Luke, and no Rhaenyra.
"Make me do whatever you please, but spare her. Let her stay with Rhaenyra where she is cared for and has friends. Come up with some fake betrothal between her and Luke or something."
"I can only give you temporarily, Harwin. She may stay with Rhaenyra while you and I travel and you settle, but think of how it would look if she stayed with Rhaenyra permanently."
"And think of the protection she would have."
"Temporary, Harwin."
Kristyne had turned to run to her room, but her tears clouded her vision and she tripped. She fell, scraping her elbows and letting out a cry. Harwin and Lyonel were out the door within a moment to check the noise. Harwin knelt next to her and pulled her into his arms.
"Sweet girl, how long were you listening?"
"For all of it!" She cried.
Harwin carried her back into Lyonel's chambers for privacy. "This could be a good thing, Kris. A new home, a new start."
"But I do not want to leave Rhaenyra!"
Harwin looked at his father with pleading eyes. "You must do this for her," Lyonel whispered.
"Sweet one, it is our duty to occupy Harrenhal. Your grandsire and I shall take a trip to move all of our belongings and get settled, and then I will come back for you. In the meantime, you will stay with Rhaenyra wherever she goes. I will get our new home set up and then I will return for you."
-
When Harwin bid everyone farewell, Kris was running out of tears. His response to the boys was short and sweet, she received all his attention. To Kris, it was temporary. He would be back soon. But Harwin seemed ... pained. Like he had a bad feeling about this.
Kris was still depressed with his absence. The first week away from him, she barely left her room. Rhaenyra had to coax her to come out where she would read with Jace and work on their studies.
But that was short-lived. News reached them that Rhaenyra's cousin, Lady Laena, was killed in childbirth.
Despite the tragedy surrounding the occasion, Kris was excited to see Driftmark. She had only ever been to King's Landing and Starfall, this would be new.
Until she realized how many dragons were there.
As the ship docked, Kris counted numerous dragons already at High Tide, and she was not a fan. She did not like the beasts, not one bit.
"Look, it's Vhagar!" Jace pointed with a smile. "The largest living dragon and last remaining from the Conqueror's time."
"No, thanks." She grimaced and walked behind Rhaenyra as they made their way to their temporary quarters. The funeral would be in two days time, giving them time to settle in and rest. Giving the Targaryen family time to converse as some of them have not seen each other in years.
Kristyne had laid down for the night in her shared room with Rhaenyra, the boys getting a room to themselves. As she closed her eyes, a strange sense of panic washed over her but she couldn't open her eyes. She was stuck.
That's when Rhaenyra noticed.
On the outside, Kris was having a seizure. Her eyes were rolled back, her whole body shaking. Rhaenyra called for a maester and a crowd appeared behind the door, including Alicent and Aemond. His eyes widened as he saw the froth oozing from her mouth.
On the outside, it looked grim.
But on the inside ...
"Harwin!"
"Father!"
On the inside, Kristyne Strong was watching her father die in flames as tall as castle walls.