121 A.L. King's Landing
Lady Rhaenrya Strong.
It seemed the gods were not looking down favourably on her, her marriage to the man whom she had once thought the love of her life, Ser Harwin Strong, the heir to Harrenhal had come crashing down around her. Harwin had been a charming and gallant man when they were younger, Rhaenrya had fallen in love with that man, now though she was older and wiser, and she often wondered if that had just been an act. Harwin was no longer charming or kind to her, in fact she had learnt firsthand why many called him Break bones, the strongest man in Westeros he was, and he used that strength to pummel her and their children often, Rhaenrya could no longer count how many times she had felt his fists reign down on her, either for something she had said or their children had done or when Harwin had been in his cups. Of course she was blood of the dragon and not some helpless maiden and so she had given as good as she got, until Harwin had threatened her babes, and then she had stopped and accepted her beatings. Harwin did not attack Joffrey thank the gods, but he did not seem to care much for Jacaerys or Lucerys, in fact when Jacaerys had died and Rhaenrya had seen countless bruises along his body she was convinced that he had been beaten to death by Harwin. But of course her goodfather Lord Lyonel turned a blind eye to his son's faults and continued to plot a conquest of the riverlands. Rhaenrya knew that had she not been a dragon rider and a princess of the blood, she would have been discarded long ago.
Eventually she had had enough and in the dead of night, she had taken Lucerys and Joffrey with her and mounted Syrax and flown to King's Landing, where her father, and the King and Queen had greeted her and promised her protection. Lucerys and Joffrey had quickly adapted to life in the capital, and her father had begun playing the role of the doting grandfather, whilst the king and queen's son Prince Aemon soon made Joffrey his favourite playmate. Rhaenrya was happy for that though with Harwin now in King's Landing she was scared that the peace she and her babes had found was about to be ended. Harwin had stormed into the Red Keep demanding she be returned to him, and the King had had the man arrested, and now he was brought before the court, the king and Queen atop their thrones, her father and herself sat on chairs just below the steps of the throne. The King and Queen's dragons were in the hall as well, their heads bowed and their wings folded. The king spoke then. "Ser Harwin, you have been brought here before the court today, to be charged with not only striking one of the royal blood, but also of the accursed act of kinslaying. How do you respond to these charges?"
Harwin stood there in chains, looking at her with a strong set of rage. His tone was thunderous when he said. "I deny these charges. Your Graces, my lady wife is a mad woman who is prone to fits of rage that often leave her confused and the children scared. I have never hit my wife, nor am I such a man to do such a thing. Nor am I kinslayer, I did not kill my son, I loved Jace with all of my heart, and would never dream of ever hurting one of my children."
It was clear to Rhaenrya that Harwin's father must have told him what to say. Something her father picked up on for he asked sharply. "So you deny the charges of hitting one of the royal blood, the crime of which is to lose the offending limb, as well as the charges of kinslaying the punishment of which is death? Explain to the court then Ser Harwin, why many of those who serve yourself and my daughter at Harrenhal have testified before the court and the throne that they have seen you on many occasions hitting my daughter and beating her to within an inch of her life? And explain to me why my grandson bore the marks of a man on his back before his death?"
Harwin was silent for a moment, and in that moment the King spoke his voice like iron. "Your silence condemns you before the court and the throne Ser Harwin. We have seen you in anger and we have seen the damage you can do to people when the anger is before you. Why should we take your word then when we have proof of prior actions that you have taken when angry? Lady Rhaenrya is not a lady to exaggerate what was done to herself or to her children."
Ser Harwin spoke then his voice harsh. "Your Graces, I do not believe that this is a fair trial. My wife is your niece, and as such I do believe that you are naturally inclined to look favourably on her and whatever rubbish she brings before you. I do therefore ask that the court and council here my request not yourselves, as you do seem to have an agenda. After all was it not yourselves who had my brother Ser Larys executed on some weak charges?"
There was some murmuring then and Rhaenrya feared that what her husband had said might sway the matter, the Queen spoke then her tone cold. "Well I do believe I know what you are Ser Harwin, but since you have asked why not see whether the court believe your lies? Grand Maester Mellos you shall act as the voice of the court and council, we shall meet again in three hours time."
As the court adjourned, Rhaenrya and her father remained in the throne room with the King and Queen. Her father looked very angry. "Rhaenys, what on earth are you doing? There many within the court who would like nothing more than to see Ser Harwin safe and sound, those who believe the Strongs should be lord paramounts. I fear you have just put my daughter and grandchildren's lives in danger by waiting for a man like Mellos to get the court to reach the decision we all want."
The Queen was silent for a moment and then she said. "Viserys, I understand that you are worried, but I fear you are letting your worry and anger towards this man cloud your eyes. Myself and Aemon would not have asked for Meleys and Vermithor to be in the throne room today had we not already decided what was to happen to Ser Harwin."
Her father looked stunned for a moment and then he said. "So this whole thing is a farce? Ser Harwin will die and Lord Lyonel will be left without any sons? How has the Faith agreed to this?"
The King spoke then. "They had no choice, either accept this or they lose whatever support they want from us in their conflict with the Citadel. Now worry not Viserys, justice shall be done."
Three hours later the court filled back in and Grand Maester Mellos an aging man tottered to just before the foot of the throne and unfurled a piece of parchment. In a loud voice he said. "Your Graces, you asked for the court and council to decide the case on Ser Harwin Strong. After three hours of intense debate on the matter, we have reached a decision." There was a silence as they all waited to hear what the man would say. "In the matter of the beating of Princess Rhaenrya, after much consultation with the maester at Harrenhal and my own good knowledge, we find Ser Harwin Guilty. On the matter of kinslaying, this was a much harder matter to debate and prove, but we do find that Ser Harwin is a dangerous man who cannot be trusted around his children, and so we do hereby find him guilty."
Rhaenrya breathed a sigh of relief, as her husband began straining against his chains screaming bloody murder. The King stood then and said. "Very well, the court and council has spoken. Ser Harwin I do hereby sentence you to death. You shall meet the same fate as your brother, death by dragon...fire. Vermithor Dracarys."
Rhaenrya shielded her eyes as The King's dragon unleashed a jet of bronze fire that engulfed her husband forcing him to scream in pain. Her pain and torment was over for now, now she only had to remove Lord Lyonel.