The Flea Bottom slums were infamous far and wide.
In the past, riots frequently broke out there, plunging King's Landing into chaos.
Most of the City Watch's strength was dedicated to keeping order in Flea Bottom.
Leonor, experienced as he was, immediately realized the issue at hand. "Just focus on maintaining order. Daemon has taken over Tyroshi—he's relocating his followers."
"Prince Daemon?"
Harwin frowned, feeling uneasy.
Leonor spoke calmly, "You may be the commander of the City Watch, but the gold cloaks owe their honor to Daemon."
Harwin fell silent and took a deep drink.
Back when Daemon was still in King's Landing, people called him the 'Prince of the City' and the 'Master of Flea Bottom.'
During his tenure, he pushed for an increase in both equipment and pay for the two thousand gold cloaks.
Even after all these years, it was only natural that some of his old subordinates remained loyal to him.
Leonor patted his son on the shoulder and said encouragingly, "Look on the bright side—getting rid of those disloyal men will reduce hidden threats."
"I'll find a chance to report this to His Majesty," Harwin muttered.
"Suit yourself. Just take care of your injuries," Leonor said, eyeing Harwin's bandaged back and lame leg with concern.
The tournament at Harrenhal's Gods Eye Lake wasn't far off, and though Harwin's axe wound had begun to heal, he had only just managed to walk again.
No matter how much he worried about the City Watch, rushing back to duty wasn't wise.
After saying his piece, Leonor was called away by Linman to drink with some old friends.
Before leaving, he gave his son a pointed look and whispered, "With so many noble ladies here, don't tell me you can't find one you like!"
With that, he straightened his posture and strode away.
Harwin sat frozen in place, his expression utterly awkward.
Almost instinctively, his eyes drifted toward the liveliest part of the hall. Through layers of sheer curtains, he could barely make out the silhouettes of young noblewomen gathered together.
Cautiously, he stole a glance—but saw nothing.
Harwin sighed deeply, drumming his fingers on his splinted leg in disappointment.
Suddenly, a figure caught his eye.
The man's tunic bore a sigil—three black castles on an orange field.
At a table laden with fruits and wine, Ulwyn Peake sat shoulder to shoulder with a young servant, holding a silver pitcher chilled with ice.
With a sly grin, Ulwyn shoved the pitcher into the servant's hands and whispered, "The Queen's orders—take this over."
The servant, still quite young, trembled as he took the pitcher, his legs shaking.
Seeing his hesitation, Ulwyn's smile vanished. He reached into his cloak and pulled out a golden dragon coin.
"Yes, my lord," the servant straightened up immediately, his fear vanishing as he set off confidently.
Not far away, Harwin watched discreetly before rising from his seat to follow.
As commander of the City Watch, he had an eye for spotting criminals.
The banquet was in full swing. Musicians played lively tunes, drummers marched through the hall, beating a rapid rhythm.
Maids entered, carrying platters of rich delicacies.
Aegon's stomach rumbled. Pushing past his attendants, he set off in search of food.
Rhaenyra and Laenor exchanged glances before rising together—they, too, needed a break.
"Bring me a cherry pie and some golden grape wine!"
Aegon stepped away from the perfumed gathering and grabbed a passing maid, making his demand.
The maid shivered in fear, mistaking the notoriously lustful prince's intentions.
Just then, a servant approached carrying a tray of frost-covered goblets filled with chilled wine.
Parched, Aegon grabbed a cup without hesitation.
"Wait!"
Harwin suddenly appeared, stopping him.
Before Aegon could react, Harwin seized the servant by the shoulder and demanded in a low voice, "What's in the wine?"
"Nothing, my lord," the servant answered cautiously, bowing his head.
Aegon hesitated, his goblet hovering midair.
Something felt off—very off.
Harwin took a cup from the tray and shoved it into the servant's hands. "Drink it," he ordered.
The three of them stood at a table, speaking in hushed tones so as not to attract attention.
Aegon's eyes darted between the wine and the servant.
Were they trying to poison him?
Gulp—
Trembling, the servant lifted the cup and drank it all in one go. He then looked up nervously and said, "It's just wine, my lord."
Since it was on the Queen's orders, there shouldn't be poison in it.
Still, Harwin remained unconvinced. He held the servant in place for a long while, watching closely. The man seemed perfectly fine.
Before Harwin could say anything, Aegon lost his patience.
Lifting his goblet, he took a long swig and scoffed, "You're overreacting. The wine isn't even cold anymore."
"Prince—"
Harwin flinched, but it was too late to stop him.
Aegon rolled his eyes, his usual careless demeanor intact.
"Aegon! Mind your manners!"
Otto Hightower approached, his face stern with disapproval.
Harwin's eyes flickered as he picked up a goblet and discreetly stepped back.
Otto nodded curtly before picking up the last goblet and taking a sip himself.
Drinks Went Down, But He Didn't Forget to Lecture
"Drink less, and don't appear drunk in front of ladies."
"Yes," Aegon drawled.
Otto shot him a glare before walking away with his wine cup.
Harwin watched in confusion before hesitantly taking a sip of his own drink.
"Commander of the Gold Cloaks, why aren't you out patrolling?"
Aegon gave him a once-over, his tone laced with mockery.
He still remembered how the man had nearly been hacked to pieces by Rhaegar's axe.
Harwin's expression darkened. "The Gold Cloaks patrol at all times. Prince Rhaegar gave specific orders."
"How boring."
Aegon grabbed a passing maid, snatched a lamprey pie from her tray, and sliced off a generous piece for himself.
In a show of generosity, he even handed a piece to Harwin.
Faced with such a delicacy, Harwin hesitated briefly before accepting and eating it.
Lamprey pie was expensive, and aside from coastal cities, opportunities to taste it were rare.
Aegon devoured the food ravenously, washing it down with the now slightly cool wine before continuing his search for more delicacies.
Harwin, still bewildered, spared a passing servant from further scrutiny and turned to walk in the opposite direction.
A wasted effort.
---
### The Queen's Chambers
Alicent waited anxiously until the door swung open from the outside.
Helena entered in silence, her tired expression impossible to hide.
"How did it go?" Alicent asked directly.
Helena removed her heavy headpiece without looking up. "You asked me to pick a fiancé, Mother. This isn't like picking vegetables at the market."
"Don't treat those noblemen like cabbages. You need to take this seriously," Alicent advised patiently.
Helena kicked off her shoes and collapsed onto the soft rug, sighing in frustration. "What's the difference? Fresh, expensive, rare—both men and vegetables meet the same criteria."
Standing in the throne hall all morning had drained her both physically and mentally.
Every time she felt like losing her mind, she couldn't help but think of Rhaenyra.
She could hardly imagine how the woman had endured a six-month-long tour of courtship.
No wonder she could control her brother so easily!
Hearing her daughter compare marriage to buying groceries nearly made Alicent choke.
Then again… she did have a point.
Alicent pressed her lips together, her thoughts drifting to her own husband, the King.
Thinking back, he wasn't exactly fresh, but he had been expensive and rare.
She hadn't considered him to be her "type," but under her father's orders, she had learned to adjust her tastes.
With this in mind, Alicent's frustration eased somewhat. Seeing the dullness in Helena's eyes, she felt a pang of pity.
She sat beside her daughter, taking one of her hands and speaking softly. "I don't want to force you, but you must marry eventually."
"But I don't like those men. To me, they're like insects trapped in jars," Helena murmured, covering her eyes with one hand.
"Who do you like, then?!"
Alicent cast a wary glance at the door before lowering her voice in a sharp reprimand. "Don't think I don't know what you're thinking. Unless the day comes when I'm dead, don't even dream about it!"
Helena rolled onto her back, sounding slightly pleased. "I thought you never cared about what I wanted."
"Don't talk nonsense. You're my only daughter."
Alicent gave her a sharp smack on the rear and said sternly, "Listen to me—he is not a good choice. Rhaenyra would sell you to the lowest brothel without a second thought!"
Helena lay on her stomach, swinging her legs in the air. "If I succeed, I won't end up in that situation."
Seeing her daughter's stubbornness, Alicent grew even angrier. "You should find a husband who truly cares for you."
"And yet you still chose Father."
Helena's eyes gleamed.
"That was a choice I had no control over."
"A lot of people say that, yet they seem to enjoy it just fine."
Alicent fell silent.
Realizing further argument was futile, she clenched her teeth in frustration and stood up. "You will attend the afternoon gathering. Don't waste the festivities."
Bang!
She stormed out, slamming the door shut.
Inside the chamber, Helena lay victorious.
The young girl remained quiet for a moment, then removed her tangled jewelry and rolled over onto her back, sprawled out without care.
Raising her hands, she toyed with the silver-gray bracelet on her wrist.
Her eyes gradually lost focus as she muttered to herself, "Men without dragons are like summer flies—so many of them, and all equally annoying."
The Targaryens have their own way of seeing the world.
The sun blazed overhead.
The banquet hall remained lively, filled with noble men and women who had failed to find a match.
In the godswood, servants had set up shade cloths, preparing a separate space for festivities.
Rhaenyra, heavily pregnant, was unsuited to the sun's heat and rested in her chambers with Laenor keeping her company.
Alicent, taking matters into her own hands, forced Aegon into a chair, ensuring he stayed put to meet the noble maidens.
Seeing the Queen, the girls appeared slightly uneasy. Most simply greeted them and quickly excused themselves.
Alicent was not satisfied with this outcome. She summoned her niece, Selina Hightower, to act as a temporary attendant.
In truth, Selina's presence was a reminder to Aegon—hurry up and make a choice.
Lack of sleep and cold wine left Aegon slouching in his seat, uninterested.
For a moment, he looked like a king himself, leisurely surveying the young noblewomen with an air of critique, even clicking his tongue in disapproval.
One had to admit—he had the demeanor of a true wastrel king.
Beneath the weirwood tree, the games of courtship continued.
The rustling red leaves blocked the sunlight, casting a large patch of shade.
Rhaegar leaned against the mottled tree trunk, watching with interest.
Mund Hightower staggered over, holding a goblet in one hand. "The weather is scorching. How about a cup of Arbor wine?"
As he spoke, he kindly offered a goblet.
Rhaegar glanced at it sideways and refused, "A true dragon does not fear fire."
Mund paused for a moment, clicking his tongue. "I forgot about that. The Targaryen bloodline is truly blessed by the gods."
After a moment of thought, Mund looked toward Aegon and smiled. "What a fine boy, so full of youth."
He had always thought highly of Aegon—more so than even Otto, Aegon's own grandfather.
Rhaegar frowned slightly, feeling offended. "Lord Mund, I am the same age as him."
"Uh…"
Mund was momentarily stunned before offering an awkward smile. "Apologies. Your wisdom and might make it hard for me to compare you to Aegon."
Then, shifting the topic, he said, "You're quite invested in your brother's marriage. A truly good older brother."
Rhaegar wasn't buying it. He replied flatly, "You're overthinking it. I'm just curious to see if Aegon will embarrass himself."
If he did, Rhaegar would have to clean up the mess.
Not wanting to deal with Mund's endless chatter, Rhaegar stood up and walked away. "I'm going to check on Helaena. You two keep an eye on Aegon for me."
Compared to Aegon's temperament, he was more concerned about Helaena's emotional stability.
Hopefully, she wouldn't actually let Dreamfyre loose!
(End of Chapter)