Flea Bottom was known far and wide as a slum.
It was a frequent site of riots, especially during the daylight hours, that rocked King's Landing.
Most of the City Watch's resources were devoted to policing Flea Bottom.
Lyonel, experienced and perceptive, immediately thought of the problem: "Just keep order. Daemon has overrun Tyrosh and he's moving his minions."
"Prince Daemon?" Harwin frowned, something in his heart resisting.
Lyonel said lightly, "Although you are the commander of the City Watch, most gold cloaks are loyal to Daemon."
Harwin was speechless and drank mulled wine.
Daemon was known as the "Prince of the Capital" and "Lord of Flea Bottom" during the king's reign. During his tenure, he recommended raising the equipment and funding for two thousand gold cloaks. Even after many years, it's normal for him to still have old subordinates he can't forget.
Lyonel patted his eldest son's shoulder and said in an enlightened manner, "Think positively. The departure of these double-minded individuals will reduce many hidden dangers."
"I will find a chance to report this to His Grace," Harwin muffled his voice.
"As you wish, but take care of your injuries," Lyonel admonished with concern.
Not far from the God's Eye Lake Competition, Harwin's injuries from being cut by a battle axe had just begun to heal, allowing him to walk again. However, even if he could no longer oversee the City Watch with the same assurance, he shouldn't rush to resume his duties.
After a few words of persuasion, Lyonel was called away by Lyman to find some old friends to drink with.
Before leaving, Lyonel warned in a low voice, "There are so many noble girls present; don't say you can't find one that catches your eye!"
After saying that, he walked away with his chest held high.
Harwin froze in his seat, his face deeply embarrassed.
Subconsciously, he looked back towards the most lively direction. Through the layers of curtains, he could only see the silhouettes of the young girls gathered around.
Cautiously glancing at it, he saw nothing clearly.
Harwin sighed deeply and disappointedly knocked on his injured leg tied with a wooden board.
Suddenly, a figure burst into view.
The House crest on his chest was three black castles on an orange background.
Behind a table laden with fruit and wine, Unwin Peake hooked up with a manservant. Unwin Peake and the manservant were carrying jugs of chilled silver wine.
With a cunning smile, Unwin shoved the jug into the manservant's hand and whispered, "The Queen's order, deliver it."
The manservant, still young and holding the wine pot with difficulty, had legs trembling slightly.
Seeing his hesitation, Unwin lost his smile and pulled out a handful of golden dragons from his pocket.
"Yes, my lord."
The manservant's spirit lifted and he set off majestically.
Not far away, Harwin watched cryptically and left his seat to follow.
As the commander of the City Watch, he had developed an eye for spotting criminals.
The feast reached its climax, with musicians playing cheerful tunes. Drummers paraded through the hall as if on parade, their drumming dense and urgent.
Maids poured into the hall, bringing all manner of rich delicacies.
Aegon's stomach growled with hunger and he pushed aside the attendants, intent on finding something to eat.
Rhaenyra and Laena looked at each other and rose without a second thought. It was noon, and they were going to take a break.
"Give me some cherry pie, and some gin!" Aegon broke away from the perfumed nest and grabbed a maid to make his request.
The maid cowered in fear, thinking that the ever-lustful prince was wolfish.
At that moment, the manservant approached with a tray in hand, holding several glasses of frosty wine.
Aegon's mouth was dry and he picked up a glass without thinking.
"Wait!"
Harwin came out of nowhere, stopping him in his tracks.
Without waiting for Aegon to respond, he grabbed the manservant by the shoulders and said in a deep voice, "What's in the wine?"
"Nothing."
The manservant arched his back and answered carefully.
Aegon froze, holding up the wine for a moment, not knowing whether to drink or not.
Something was wrong!
Harwin took a glass of wine and shoved it at the manservant, saying warily, "You drink!"
The three gathered around a table, purposely keeping their voices down and thus drawing no attention from onlookers.
Aegon's eyes widened as he looked back and forth between the wine and the manservant.
To poison him?
Gulp~~
The manservant, trembling with fear and trembling, picked up the wine and drank it in one gulp, saying with a goaded and soft voice, "It really is wine, my lord."
Since it was the Queen's intention, surely it wouldn't be poisoned.
Still unconvinced, Harwin controlled the manservant and waited for a while, and the other man remained alive and well.
Before the two could speak, Aegon could not help himself. Holding up the wine goblet and pouring a large mouthful, "Che" said: " Nonsense, the wine's not even cold."
"Prince..."
Harwin jumped in shock and tried to stop him, but it was too late.
Aegon rolled his eyes and stood back.
"Aegon, watch your image!"
Otto came from the sidelines, urging with a disconcerted look on his face.
Harwin's eyes flashed as he picked up a glass of wine and stepped back.
Otto nodded at the punch and picked up the last glass of wine and took a sip. As the wine went into his stomach, he didn't forget to open his mouth to lecture, "Drink less wine and don't face the lady drunk."
"Aye." Aegon's voice lengthened.
Otto glared at him and left with his glass of wine.
Harwin looked confused and hesitantly took a sip of wine as well.
"Commander Goldcloak, why aren't you on patrol?" Aegon looked him up and down, his tone slightly sarcastic.
He remembered the other man being nearly crippled by a few of Rhaegar's axe blows.
Harwin's face darkened, "The Golden Cloak patrols at all times, and Prince Rhaegar specifically instructed me to do so."
"There is no point in that."
Aegon yanked over a passing maid, snatched the tray of seven-gill eel pie, and sliced off a slice to feast on. To show his generosity, he also shared a piece with Harwin.
In the face of the food, Harwin hesitated for a moment or two and took it and ate it. Seven-gill eel pie was expensive, and there weren't many opportunities to savor it except in coastal cities.
Aegon frantically ate, drinking up the slightly cooled wine and continuing to scavenge for other delicacies.
Harwin, confused, spared the restrained manservant and headed toward the other end. Secretly, it was a wasted effort.
...
The Queen's Bedchamber.
Alicent waits anxiously until the door to the room is pushed open from the outside. Helaena walks in silently, her brow unable to hide the color of exhaustion.
"Did you choose?" Alicent asks directly.
Helaena takes off her heavy headdress without raising her head. "You instructed me to choose my fiancé, not to buy food at the market."
"Don't treat that group of adults as green horns; you need to take it seriously," Alicent counsels patiently.
Helena kicks off her shoes and collapses limply on the felt, saying helplessly, "What's the difference? Freshness, high price, and lack of variety, both in the same condition."
Standing motionless in the Throne Hall all morning was physically and mentally exhausting. Whenever she felt like going crazy, she couldn't help but think of Rhaenyra.
It was hard to imagine how Rhaenyra had survived the half year parade of "blind dates". All she could say was that Rhaenyra was indeed a woman who could control her brother!
Listening to her daughter associate marriage with grocery shopping, Alicent almost choked with frustration. On second thought, there is some truth to that.
Alicent purses her lips, unable to help thinking of her husband as king. Back in the day, fresh was not so fresh, but it was better because of the high price and scarcity of variety. Although she didn't think it was her kind of dish, under her father's orders, she had to change her tastes.
Unable to help it, Alicent's mood calms considerably, and she looks at her daughter, whose eyes are devoid of light, with pity. She walks to the side and sits down, taking Helaena's hand, and whispers, "I do not want to force you, but you always have to marry."
"But I don't like those men. They're like worms in a jar to me," Helaena covers her eyes with one hand, sounding very disheartened.
"Who do you like?!" Alicent glances warily at the door and lowers her voice to chide, "Don't think I don't know what's on your mind, and unless I die someday, don't you dare!"
Helaena rolls over, seeming a little pleased, "I thought you never cared what I thought."
"Don't be ridiculous. You're my only daughter," Alicent gives her an exasperated swat and says seriously, "Listen to me, that's not a good choice. Rhaenyra will sell you to the lowest brothel!"
Helaena slumps to the floor, both her little legs crossed, "If I can be successful, then I won't fall to this point."
Seeing her daughter's insistence, Alicent is furious, "You should find a husband who is true to you."
"But you still chose my father," Helaena's eyes twinkle.
"It was the only choice."
"Many say that, but they continue to benefit anyway."
Alicent is at a loss for words. Gritting her back teeth, she gets up and leaves, saying, "Come back in the afternoon, don't waste the holiday."
Bang - she pushes the door open and slams it shut.
Inside the bedchamber, Helaena, who had won the argument, is left alone. The little girl is quiet for a moment, removes her messy ornaments, and rolls over again, lying on her back.
Holding both small hands high in the air, she twirls the silver and gray bracelet. Eyes drifting out of focus, she mutters, "Men without dragons are like flies in summer, plentiful and annoying."
Targaryens had their own way of dealing with the world!
...
The sun was scorching in the late afternoon.
Banquet halls were still bustling with noble men and women who had yet to find a match. In the Godswood, servants built shade cloths and set up another banquet space.
Rhaenyra, too pregnant to attend in the sunlight, rested in her bedroom with Laena accompanying her. Alicent, however, took it upon herself to press the reluctant Aegon into a chair, and together they faced the noble maidens who had come for courtship.
The girls, slightly formal at the sight of the Queen, mingled briefly before excusing themselves. Alicent was not satisfied and called upon her niece, Selene Hightower, to act as a temporary lady-in-waiting, essentially reminding Aegon to make a choice soon.
Aegon, having skipped his nap and now drinking cold wine, leaned back in his chair listlessly. At this moment, it was as if he was a king was admiring a wonderful young girl, picking and smacking his lips, very much in the manner of a dim king.
Beneath the Godswood, swirling red leaves blocked the sunlight and shrouded a large patch of shade. Rhaegar leaned against the flowery white trunk and watched with interest.
Ormund Hightower staggered over to him, a wine glass in one hand. "It's a scorching hot day, wouldn't you like a cup of the Arbor's fine wine?" he said, kindly handing him a wine cup.
Rhaegar squinted and refused, "True dragons aren't afraid of heat."
Ormund froze for a moment and smacked his lips, "I forgot about that, the Targaryens are truly the bloodline of the God's Favorites."
After a moment of thought, Ormund looked over to Aegon's place and smiled, "What a fine, youthful boy." He had looked up to Aegon since he was a child and loved him more than Otto, his own grandfather.
Rhaegar frowned slightly, feeling offended, "Lord Ormund, I am the same age as him."
"Uh..." Ormund almost didn't react and smiled resentfully, "Blame your brilliance, forgive me for not being able to compare you to Aegon side by side."
The conversation turned, "You are concerned about your brother's marriage, what a good brother."
Rhaegar didn't take it that way and said breathlessly, "You're overthinking it. I'm simply curious if Aegon will embarrass himself."
If he made a fool of himself, he would have to clean up the mess.
Not wanting to bother with the chattering Ormund, Rhaegar got up and headed out, "I'm going to check on Helaena. You guys keep an eye on Aegon for me."
Compared to Aegon's nature, he was more worried about Helaena's emotional stability. He didn't want her to actually release Dreamfyre!
(Word count: 2,130)