diligentquill

[diligentquill]

THE OTHER WORLD

Fandom - House of the Dragon

Pairing - Ser Harwin Strong X fem!Reader

Synopsis - A foreigner catches Ser Harwin's eye, and they share a moment.

Word Count - 1.5k+

Warnings - Foul language

The shore of the King's Landing was a sight for sore eyes. After spending the last couple of weeks cooped up inside a ship, Y/N had almost forgotten what walking on the land felt like. The sound of shrieking seagulls and fishermen filled her ears as the vessel was pulled to a halt at the port.

The place was bustling with the commotion of traders and the townsfolk, and it was so loud that she was sure that her ears would be ringing for days. She groaned. Her head felt like it was being pelted with stones.

Y/N despised sea voyages. They made her throw up day and night every couple of hours till she had nothing left in her stomach to hurl. And this time was no different. Worse perhaps.

The effort it took her to emerge from her cabin was painstaking. Anyone could tell by her face that the poor girl was overcome with sickness. She hobbled towards the wooden ladder and stopped in front of it. Everything was still swaying beneath her feet. She knew that if she tried to get down, she would definitely plummet in the most ungraceful manner.

Just as she was contemplating another trip back home, a young sailor called from the dock, "Give me your hand, lass."

This had to be better than more weeks inside that damned boat. Y/N crouched and stretched her arms towards him, bracing herself for yet another wave of nausea as the man lifted her and placed her on the ground.

She held onto his biceps for a good minute until she was sure the dock was not moving anymore. "There is a healer's place down that street." He said in a thick accent. Oh good, a stroll down a stinking street among sweaty crowds is precisely what she needed right now.

"Thank you, you are most kind." All she could offer him was a weak smile for his courtesy. She removed her hands from his arms and peered in the direction he was pointing at.

"I could carry you if you want, but it will cost you another copper." He mused, grinning wide.

Y/N sighed. Men.

She barely had the strength to stand, let alone come up with witty replies to put him in his place.

"I can find my way." Without sparing him another glance, she started towards the supposed healer's place. He was indeed saying something to her, but his voice dissolved among others in the clamour.

.

Only the Gods knew how she did it, but she managed to find the wretched place after searching for half an hour. It was as filthy as the rest of the market, but the old man's herbs did make her feel significantly better.

"Take this. Three drops in the water after every meal." The healer handed her a small vial with a greyish liquid in it. Y/N nodded drowsily. The constant vomiting had kept her from the comfort of a night's sleep. As much as she wanted to doze off right there, she had to be in the Red Keep.

Holding the nearby pillar as support, she hauled herself from her seat. Although her headache was alleviated, her appetite remained missing in action. It felt like she was ravenous and nauseous at the same time, which isn't a good thing when you have to walk several miles. She wondered if she could make it in her groggy state without collapsing mid-way.

As if she hadn't suffered enough for one day, Y/N completely forgot about the two stairs at the entrance of the small cottage. Her heart almost stopped beating as her foot glided straight across the steps, sending her toppling backwards. She gasped. The Mother of Misfortunes was smiling upon her today.

Or perhaps not.

It happened within the blink of an eye. Seemingly out of nowhere, a hand grabbed her arm to prevent the fall, or it was the intention. Y/N still landed on her behind; at least she didn't hit her head.

Her other hand shot upwards and clutched the gentleman's shoulder. Much to her horror, she felt a wet patch underneath his shirt.

"You're bleeding, sir!" Y/N exclaimed, looking up at the man who had saved her from a concussion. Dark curls shielded his eyes. Trying to hide his grimace from the young lady, he dipped his head low, but his grip on her never went lax. It was evident that he was in blinding pain.

"Must have popped some stitches." He chuckled, out of breath.

"I'm so sorry, sir. I feel dreadful-"

"Okay, up you get!"

A deep, guttural sound emerged from his throat when he heaved another breath and pulled her up from the ground. Her torso collided with his rather broad form, causing blood to rush into her neck. They were closer than they probably should have been in public.

Y/N didn't even notice when her hand flew and landed on his chest, but she could swear that she felt soft thumps of his heart against her palm. She retracted it awkwardly, but her eyes refused to avert from his. His furrowed eyebrows eased as he saw a glimpse of her face. Even though she was visibly ill, something about her features was striking. The warrior who had seen and fought alongside dragons was rendered speechless by a girl probably half his size.

His gaze flickered towards her lips. When it returned to meet her eyes, she observed a ghost of a smirk on his mouth. So obscene. The woman, known to be outspoken and making men chase their tails in her pursuit, succumbed to timidity this time and lowered her own. Fortunately, the growing spot of crimson over the man's shoulder was a more pressing matter than his bold glances.

"Your stitches," For some reason, Y/N couldn't raise her voice above a whisper.

"Yes."

"They've burst open."

"I know." This man was unabashed. Or maybe he liked the sound of her voice? Small and flustered.

Y/N cleared her throat and cocked her chin up. She might be in a foreign land, but there was no way a stranger could make her feel like a shy little girl. "You should get it fixed before it festers." Scrounging the depths of her throat, she found a little more nerve to speak louder; loud enough for him to listen.

But Gods was he beautiful. His eyes were clear blue, the colour of a cold winter night, but he looked at her with such fondness, like an astray sunflower longing for the sun. A thick beard, rich in the deepest browns, covered the lower half of his face.

"I've had worse."

Y/N tugged her arm gently. His fingers came loose. They could hear the people around them muttering under their breaths and snickering. Excellent. It hadn't been a day since she set foot on the Westerosi capital, and she had already made a spectacle of herself. Her cousin would be pleased to hear this.

"Well, you better get that checked before they have to carve it out of you." She taunted. Her lips moulded into a tight smile, making him break into a laugh. Oh, she was adorable.

"Your concern is touching." His eyes drank in her figure, from the top of her head to her toes. Y/N was taken aback. Impudence seemed to come to him like second nature. She scoffed, shaking her head. She would have a hard time adjusting to the men in this kingdom. But if fortune permitted, she wouldn't have to stay that long.

.

The sound of hoofbeats interrupted their little tempest. The man tore his attention from the girl and looked behind her. His expression hardened. Y/N turned around to find the crowd scampering to make way for a white cloak. His armour shone in the sun as he walked up them, his search finally coming to an end.

Both men glared at one another as if they thought the other to be a mindless degenerate.

"Cole."

"Strong." Everybody watched in silence as they greeted each other with faux politeness.

Strong. So Y/N's knight in a dress shirt was called Strong. Well, it was a fitting name indeed. She couldn't help but allow a smile to creep up her face. Little did she know, it didn't go unnoticed by the watchful eyes of the knight.

"What brings you here, Ser Cole?" He asked, only to be ignored by the other man. He immediately turned to Y/N and sent a bow in her direction. "You must be Lady Y/N of Rivermire. Her grace, the queen, awaits you."

Suddenly the murmurs of the crowd grew louder. Her cousin might really be in despair if she had dispatched a search party for her already.

Sweet.

She nodded and walked over to the horse beside Ser Cole's. He helped her mount the stallion before hopping up his own. As the white cloak rode away, Y/N glanced at Strong, who was now clutching his bleeding shoulder.

"So the queen sent you a ride. Who are you, again?", he smirked, raising his eyebrows.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" She sassed. But his smile only grew wider.

"I will. Since you have my blood on your hands."

"Oh, aren't you a delight, Mr Strong?"

"Ser. Ser Harwin Strong."