The day unfolded as any other during the prolonged journey from the Reach to King's Landing. She had traveled at her father's command, aspiring to establish an alliance through a matrimonial union with the Tyrell family. It was unfortunate, she mused, that her intended fiancé displayed a preference for men. Nevertheless, she surmised that this inclination would likely not impede the forthcoming marriage. Thus, she now found herself on the return to King's Landing, where the nuptials were scheduled to occur in one year's time. She was accompanied by several members of the Kingsguard as well as a contingent of Targaryen men-at-arms, traversing the final stretch through Kingswood—an area immortalized by Ser Arthur Dayne's remarkable deeds. From within the carriage, she called out, "Ser Arthur, might you recount the tale of your valiant conquest over the Kingswood Bandits?" Ser Arthur responded, "I regret to inform you, Your Highness, that it is not a narrative suited for ladies. Moreover, it lacks intrigue; the endeavor to apprehend the bandits was hindered by the involvement of the common folk. In truth, only the Smiling Knight demonstrated any notable prowess with a blade; ultimately, he met his demise as well."With that, the journey continued until suddenly, arrows flew, hitting several of the Targaryen men-at-arms. Arthur shouted, "Ambush! Protect the princess!" The Targaryen men-at-arms formed a shield wall in a ring around the carriage.
Men charged out of the forest—at least Forty, maybe fifty, she thought—engaging the Targaryen men. Shields smashed, men screamed, the smell of iron was thick in the air. She screamed as a Targaryen man broke through the carriage door, bleeding from a wound across his throat. She realized that there were too many bandits for her men to win against.
Ser Arthur yelled at her, "We need to get out of here!" Using his skills, he managed to make a hole in the bandits' lines, the greatsword Dawn's superior blade claiming many more Kingswood bandit lives.
They ran, with many bandits following them. In their flight, Rhaenys thought they had been running for miles. Eventually, she tripped and fell. Arthur prepared to make his last stand.
Suddenly, a figure appeared, cloaked and wearing heavy-looking black and red leather armor. He was huge, standing near seven feet tall and very muscular. That did not affect his speed, however; his sword flashed faster than the eye could see. In moments, ten bandits lay dead at his feet.
Yet, what happened next was the most surprising thing she felt she had ever seen. As he twitched his off-hand in a peculiar gesture, fire flashed, claiming several more bandits' lives. She gasped, "Magic!" The remaining bandits screamed even more about "demon" and "the seven hells" being here.
The figure continued to reap lives until, finally, the last ran. The figure whipped a crossbow from his back, and with two shots, the last bandits died.
The figure began to search the bodies. Arthur, in shock, finally regained his bearings and yelled, "Who are you?" The figure ignored them and continued to search the bodies. They saw he was taking coins from them. Eventually, he took something else: a necklace, not of great value but clearly important.
Rhaenys finally asked, "What are you doing here?"
The figure told her, "Killing monsters."