Chapter 406: Bitterbridge
Time passed minute by minute, and dusk settled in.
The sultry weather passed, replaced by a fishy, salty sea breeze carrying fine raindrops.
Red Keep, the Princess' Bedroom
The sky darkened, and the rain, accompanied by a cool wind, slapped against the glazed windows, creating a dense, crackling sound.
Helaena was awakened by the sound of rain and opened her eyes, dazed. The wind and rain intensified, causing the godswood to sway brazenly.
As she moved, the binding sensation of the package disappeared. Helaena looked around in bewilderment, curled up alone on the recliner, with a red blanket covering her body.
"Where's brother?" Disentangling herself from the embrace, Helaena sat up quickly and peered toward the door.
The door was closed, and the bedroom was empty.
Feeling sleepy but instantly energized, Helaena murmured in a low voice, "Outside?"
"Ah!!!"
Suddenly, a sharp, piercing female scream echoed through half of the Red Keep, almost breaking the sound barrier with its thick panic.
Helaena's fine eyebrows furrowed slightly, sensing something was wrong.
"Better go out and see."
Murmuring to herself, she got up, threw off the red blanket and pushed open the door.
She had slept through the day and into the night; something important must have happened in the meantime.
...
Roseroad
The sky was cloudy, and a storm blew in dark clouds that blocked the setting sun.
" Hyah!"
A group of cavalrymen galloped furiously west along the flat Roseroad, their horses' hooves kicking up dust.
The group was small in number, about a dozen heavily armed knights. On their armor and shields, the House emblems of the three castles were branded.
"Run faster, we're almost at the Bitterbridge!" Unwin Peake shouted sternly, his expression unusually tense.
He had confronted the princess in private, and his crude language had revealed his intentions. Given Helaena's temper at the time, there was absolutely no good outcome for him.
Coming from the harsh environment of the Dornish Borderlands, awareness of danger was a quality every member of House Peake possessed. Taking advantage of the fact that the princess hadn't yet snapped and the king didn't know about it, he immediately led his knights to run.
Avoiding blame at the first opportunity, with the king's weak character, he would not pursue a lord too much.
The sky grew darker and darker, and the heavy rain came as expected.
"Hightower's bitch, no credibility at all!" said Unwin, panting with exhaustion and cursing under his breath.
He had tried to beg the Queen's forgiveness. The queen had only sent a maid to dismiss him, as if she cared nothing for him.
"Your weak women! No wonder your four children can't defeat the Heir Prince!"
Unwin harbored resentment and couldn't help but curse. If he had stood in the position of the Queen, he would have poisoned the Heir Prince and elected his own children to the throne.
The Green Faction, backed by the Hightower House, is also just a joke.
Rumble--
Heavy rain poured down, accompanied by lightning and thunder. In the blink of an eye, it became too dark to see the road, and the rain mixed with the gusty wind stung their skin.
The road surface became muddy, and the war horses struggled to take a step.
"Damn it, what a rotten luck," Unwin cursed as he struck the flanks of the horse with a fierce blow.
Desperation set in as the situation worsened.
"My lord, there's a fire ahead!" Mervyn Flowers, running at the front, shouted in surprise.
Unwin rubbed his face, peering through the rain to see the faint light of a fire a few miles away.
The fire was elevated, covered by something, resembling a pointing top tower in a storm.
Unwin's eyes widened in relief. "Speed up, that's the Bitterbridge ahead!"
The Bitterbridge spanned a tributary of the Mander River, with House Caswell's long bridge providing the fastest route from King's Landing back to the Reach.
Instantly relieved, Unwin spurred his horse forward.
As a lord of the Riverlands, he had many dealings with Lord Caswell and saw this as an opportunity to ask for a night's rest.
Before long, a lofty castle appeared, blocking the bridge across the river. The firelight seen from afar was the bonfire on the castle wall.
Unwin led the team to the front of the castle. Before his men could shout, the castle's drawbridge slowly lowered.
Bang--
As soon as the drawbridge landed, a group of soldiers ran out in two rows, escorting a tall, thin man dressed in black finery with a bald head.
Unwin eyed the man warily. The bald man was none other than the Bitterbridge Lord, Allun Caswell.
Lord Caswell greeted him warmly, a smile on his face. "The guards said a group of cavalry had arrived. I was wondering who it was. Welcome, Lord Unwin."
Unwin, drenched and in a state of distress, replied, "Lord Caswell, my family has sent an urgent message. We need to hurry back. Could you kindly provide us shelter for the night?"
He fabricated a plausible reason to cover up his escape from King's Landing.
Lord Caswell's smile didn't waver. He generously offered, "The storm is too strong. Quickly, come inside to take shelter from the rain. I will prepare hot water and food for you."
"Thank you for your generosity," Unwin said, though he felt a vague unease at Lord Caswell's persistent smile. With the wind and rain blocking his way, he had no choice but to dismount and walk inside.
Caswell, enthusiastic and seemingly oblivious to the wet and cold, pulled Unwin along, engaging in small talk as they entered the castle.
As they passed through the castle gate, Unwin's face changed slightly as he remembered an important custom. He tugged on Lord Caswell's arm and cautiously asked, "Where is the salt and bread?"
According to the guest law of Westeros, the host was supposed to provide salt and bread as a sign of protection before the guest entered the castle.
Caswell's demeanor remained unchanged. He continued pulling Unwin towards the castle forecourt, smiling as he said, "Don't be anxious. First, I will take you to meet a guest."
House Caswell held a lord title but their castle wasn't large. One could almost see from one end to the other.
But the sky was dark, and the rain curtain obstructed visibility.
Unwin strained his eyes, barely able to make out the castle's outline.
Crack!
A thunderbolt illuminated the scene for a brief moment.
"Roar..."
Outside the towering castle, a massive dragon lay prostrate, its thick neck extending over the dozens-of-feet-high walls, its pair of green vertical pupils gazing icily at the vestibule.
Unwin's eyes widened in horror, his body stiffening as cold air crawled down his spine.
Caswell courteously raised his hand and pointed, "My lord, your guest is waiting for you."
Trembling, Unwin cast his gaze towards the castle gate.
It stood open, flanked by orange torches that cast a warm glow.
A silver-haired figure in black stood straight, like a pine tree in a rainy night.
With his hands behind his back, he turned, a kind smile on his face.
A bright laugh reached Unwin's ears. "Lord Peake, I've been waiting for you."
...
King's Landing, Red Keep.
Helaena, cloaked, trotted down the stairs, her silver hair untied and shaking in fluffy disarray.
A squire had brought urgent news: Aegon, drunk, had committed a grave mistake.
"Damn it! Look what you've done!" Lyonel's angry roar echoed through the door as Helaena reached the entrance to the Fireplace Hall. She froze, expecting to hear her father's or mother's reprimand first.
"Princess!" Steffon and Lorent, two of the Kingsguard, guarded the door and greeted her respectfully.
Helaena nodded, signaling for the Kingsguard to open the door.
Inside the Fireplace Hall, the guests had been cleared out. The only people present were members of the royal family and royal advisers.
As soon as Helaena entered, she saw the Commander of the City Watch, Harwin Strong, kneeling on the ground, while Hand of the King Lyonel pointed at him, scolding furiously. Harwin's eyes were dull, his handsome face bruised and purple.
Not far away, a maid knelt, weeping and covering her face in fear.
The scene was enough to suggest the worst.
Helaena's eyes widened in confusion.
Turning her head, she saw her father, his face blue with rage, shaking with anger. Her mother's face was hard, standing protectively in front of a shivering Aegon.
"Helaena, my daughter!" Alicent whimpered, leaving Aegon behind and taking Helaena in her arms, her steps small and hurried. The events of the night were hard to digest, and she clung to her innocent daughter for comfort.
Helaena felt confused and overwhelmed.
Little Daeron pounded his short legs and ran to her, his brow furrowed with a touch of sadness. Hugging his sister, he whispered, "Aegon is in trouble."
For a long moment, Helaena sorted through the chaos. She had missed much by refusing to attend the afternoon feast.
As the sun set, the sky grew cloudy, casting a somber tone over the castle grounds.
The servants busily gathered up the leftovers and carried the tables, chairs, and benches back to the castle amidst a flurry of activity and commotion.
Aegon slipped out of the Godswood and returned to the attic alone. On his way, he encountered Selene Hightower, who had lost her companion. He pulled her along and tried to make out with her.
Just as he was about to lay his hands on her, another scream echoed through the air.
Harwin Strong, who had drunk too much at the banquet, had retired alone to the Hand of the King's Tower to rest. A maid cleaning the room was attacked by him, pinned to the bed against her will.
By the time the guards arrived at the sound of her screams, Harwin had already pulled up his pants and fallen into a deep sleep.
Helaena stood nearby, stunned and shaken by the story she was hearing.
Aegon molested Selene and Harwin raped a maid...
"Bastard, I told you to find a woman to marry. Instead you go and defile the honor of a maid!"
Lyonel roared, his voice echoing through the hall.
Harwin lowered his head, mumbling an apology.
Seeing this, Lyonel's anger flared even more. He stormed over and delivered a fierce kick. "Waste! You don't deserve to be my son."
The kick landed squarely on Harwin's chest, sending him sprawling to the ground.
Rhaenyra, standing hand in hand with Laena, watched the scene in disbelief.
The twins, terrified, closed their eyes and clung to their foster mother's legs.
No one would have believed that the once upright Harwin could commit such a disgraceful act.
Lyonel approached the king, bowing his head in shame. "Your Grace, it's my fault for not raising my son properly. I take full responsibility for this scandal."
Raping a maid in the Red Keep was an affront to the royal family.
Viserys glared at Aegon and spoke in a deep voice, "It's not your fault, Lyonel. Every family has its black sheep."
Despite the severity of the situation, Viserys found a small measure of relief in Harwin's actions.
Were it not for Harwin's rape of a maid and the commotion that alarmed half of the Red Keep, not only would Aegon have been a molester of a nobleman's daughter, he would have been a second rapist.
Alicent wrapped her arms around her daughter and whispered, "Viserys, this is not the time to talk about this, we have to deal with it."
"Deal with it? How? I can't wait to castrate him immediately!" Viserys was furious, pointing indignantly at Aegon.
To blatantly harass a noble lady of your own mother's house, how dare you!
Aegon shivered in fear and turned pale: "It wasn't my fault, it all happened so fast, I didn't even know what I was doing."
He wasn't lying.
At that time, he was drunk and dizzy, and all he felt was hot and wanted to go home and vent alone.
He happened to bump into Selene Hightower and lost control for a moment.
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