"You should calm down before anyone else gets suspicious." Ser Colin said quietly to the princess.

Edith played with her gloves instead of putting them on. Nervously, she looked around outside, then pulled her blue cloak tighter around her body. It had gotten terribly cold, at least that's how she felt, because everyone else didn't seem to be freezing.

"You're right, but I feel so sick." Answered the young woman honestly, finally putting on her gloves over her cold fingers.

Concerned, Colin looked at his friend. "That doesn't sound good at all, you should rest. I can handle this on my own." Said the knight with conviction. It wasn't worth risking her health.

"I do care about this though, Colin. I owe it to him." Edith spoke her closing words, leaving Colin no room to say anything back.

Colin pushed open the heavy hidden door in the Crypt and made room for Edith to climb into the tunnel before following the princess.

It had been exactly one day since Edith and Aemond convinced the eldest Targaryen prince to flee. At this very moment, Aemond was getting a rowboat, while Maester Arwin was packing some important things and potions and food for the journey of Aegon.

Edith had been with Maester Arwin last night and had been examined. Unusually, Aemond had also been present, which seemed strange to Arwin when the two entered his treatment room. But after the two had told him their plan, everything suddenly made sense.

Of course he was skeptical if everything could work at all, but he had faith in his friend the princess and he had sworn his loyalty to her, so now he took care of everything important.

Now Edith and Colin were on their way to meet their most important ally in this matter and convincing him would not be easy.

Colin lit a torch outside the cell with his own, which he held in his hand. Then he put his torch in a holder on the wall.

"Hello, Ser Harwin." Edith greeted her old friend in the cell.

The older man began to laugh at the sight of his friends. "I thought we were past formalities." He smirked. "Hello there, you two. How's life up there?"

Edith sat down on a chair in front of the cell, which Colin had brought at some point so he or she wouldn't have to sit on the cold floor when they visited.

"Certainly not as quiet as life down here." Joked Colin as he stuck his hand through the bars and handed Harwin a bag of food.

"I bet." Laughed the older one. Hungry, Harwin then opened the bag and took out a can in which was warm soup from today's noon and began to spoon it while holding a piece of bread in his free hand.

The once feared knight looked better than he did a few moons ago. He had regained his strength and had color back in his face, no longer appearing so powerless and tired. Still, he was not at his full strength, but he would never get that back down here.

"How are you, Harwin?" asked Edith after a while, during which she let him eat in peace.

"Better thanks to you, Princess." Answered Harwin honestly, scraping the last bit of soup from the can.

"Good, don't forget it." Sighed the young woman softly, but was heard by the two knights. Colin beside her stepped impatiently from one leg to the other.

"What is the meaning of this? There's something you two aren't telling me." As soon as Harwin had eaten the last of his rolls, he turned his attention to his friends. He knew them well enough to know that something was wrong.

Colin looked nervously at Edith and then lowered his eyes, because he didn't want to say it. It wasn't his place to, either, which was why he had always kept quiet about it when he visited Harwin every day and provided him with food.

"A few days ago I learned something that threw everything into a mess..." began Edith, almost breathlessly.

She sat uneasily on the chair made of uncomfortable old metal, suddenly unable to continue speaking. Harwin had been the lover of Rhaenyra and was the father of her three children. Edith did not know how he would react and whether he would even believe her words.

"There was another assassination attempt on Edith a few days ago." Colin finally explained Edith's words when she didn't speak further. "We had already told you about the crazy old maester. He was behind this and all the other assassinations against the princess."

"To be honest, Ludwig had only acted on someone else's orders." Edith added to Colin's words and sighed impatiently.

Curious, Harwin looked back and forth between his friends. "On whose orders did he act?" the Strong asked suspiciously.

"Princess Rhaenyra's." Said Edith and Colin simultaneously, causing a loud silence.

Harwin did not know what to say either, for he could not imagine that any of this could be true. He had known Rhaenyra for many years and had loved her very much. At the same time, he told himself that Rhaenyra could never be so cruel, but he did not know how Rhaenyra had spent the last years and how she had changed.

"Are you sure about that? Rhaenyra would never -"

"I thought so, too." Edith interrupted the knight with tears in her eyes. Her heart contracted painfully at the memories of her loving aunt, who had become her enemy. "But I was wrong and now everyone I love is in danger..."

Harwin still looked incredulously at the young princess. He didn't seem convinced yet, but Edith and Colin had counted on that.

So neither she nor Colin had any other choice and told him about all the assassinations and about every single clue which Rhaenyra had hidden until she had revealed herself.

Finally Edith held her arm out to him through the bars and showed him the blue bracelet Rhaenyra had made for her.

Harwin took Edith's arm and gently stroked the blue pearls and threads, then remembered seeing a similar bracelet before. "This particular weave of the threads and the beads...Rhaenyra had many such bands on her dresses when she was your age...did she teach it to you?" he asked quietly.

Edith nodded and brushed the tears from her cheeks with her free hand. "She did when I moved to Dragonstone with my mother. I made her a bracelet in red afterwards to thank her...she then made me the same in blue." She told him.

"It all makes sense the longer you think about it, doesn't it?" said Colin with a sarcastic tone, for he was quite nervous. He was really hoping for his friend's help.

Slowly Harwin began to nod and understand, although he didn't want to believe it all. It all sounded so logical, but it hurt to hear what his former beloved was capable of.

"What about my sons? Are they in on her plan too?" wanted Harwin to know.

The young woman shrugged her shoulders. "I can't imagine that... Jace, Luke and Joffrey are good young men. I'm sure they don't know anything, just like my parents and my siblings."

"How sure are you about that?" it slipped out of Colin before he could even think. "Sorry."

"My parents would never live under the same roof with that woman if they knew of her intentions." Edith said with conviction. She had thought about it for a long time, but her parents couldn't know about it - they would never betray their daughter.

"Are you as sure about my sons?" Harwin kept his gaze lowered, for he was ashamed of Rhaenyra.

She considered for a moment before nodding. "They are loyal to their mother, but Jace certainly would have warned me if he had known about it." She explained.

"Why would he do that?" now Colin asked curiously.

"We had a thing for each other when we were kids... and he's tried to court me more than once... He wouldn't betray me, and neither would Luke..." the woman with brownish hair reasoned aloud.

Harwin nodded in agreement, knowing from Edith's earlier tales how similar his firstborn son was to him.

Colin, on the other hand, seemed to remain skeptical, but he said nothing further on the subject.

"We can't force you to do this, but we can only ask you to help us, Harwin." Edith asked her older friend. Her one arm Harwin still held tightly, stroking the pearls until Edith now placed both her hands in his large ones. "Please, Harwin. We can't do this without you."

Harwin put his hands around Edith's and stroked the back of her hand almost gently. "What can I help you with yet?" the older man asked. "I'm not as strong as I once was, and as long as I'm down here, I can't get to my full strength and help you."

"We know that, but we trust you. We are also not asking you to fight for us, but to leave the city. Aemond is getting a small rowboat now, and Arwin is packing supplies and -"

Harwin interrupted them with a clearing of his throat, shaking his head slightly so that his long brown locks fell over his shoulder. "What do I bring you when I leave town?" he wanted her to ask, uncomprehending.

Colin looked to Edith, watching as she herself also sat there, nervous and tense, while he played with the empty bag in his hand.

"We want to fake Aegon's death and get him out of the city... we need someone who can get him out of here safely, and at the same time, this way I can give you your freedom, which I promised you." The princess told honestly.

"Why do you think I of all people can help you?"

"Because you are my friend, Harwin. You are an honorable man of whom stories are still told today. And I trust you...we trust you." She replied to Harwin's question.

Harwin thought for a moment before speaking. "You say you will help me to live in freedom again...what about my sons? What will you do with Rhaenyra?"

An aching knot formed in Edith's stomach and she felt nauseous. All she wanted was revenge, and she had openly communicated that to her allies, not knowing yet what that revenge would be.

Would she really kill Rhaenyra?

"Your sons have nothing to fear from us, because they will be under my protection, I promise. And when the time comes then I will reunite you." She said nothing about Rhaenyra, not until she herself had decided what she would do with the older princess when the time came.

"I promised Aegon that too, and if the situation allows, then we will bring you back to us, or together we will find a place where you can all be free together." She added.

"You're talking about we. Who is we?" wanted to know Harwin, because this question was on his lips all the time.

"The blue ones."

For a long time Edith and Colin remained down in the prison with Harwin, and the princess told them of the rest of the plan. Even though Colin had already been initiated in the morning, he listened attentively and added his own ideas and comments.

When the two finally left Edith knew that Harwin was struggling.

Harwin knew that without the help of the two he would surely have starved to death. Because the food rations he got were getting less every year and often he only got something every few days and many times he had had nothing to drink.

Without them he would have died.

He owed them everything he could and if he could help them that way, then of course he would follow Edith's wish. Harwin had always been faithful and loyal, that had not changed in his imprisonment.

And knowing that he would soon be able to breathe fresh air again and see his sons again, that was all worth fighting for. No matter what would become of him and Rhaenyra.

Edith and Colin then went to the treatment rooms to Maester Arwin, who had already agreed to the plan last night. Now it was time to act and there was a pleasant excitement in Edith.

Moreover, she felt more courageous and powerful than ever before.

"Thank you, for your help." Edith said as she sat on the lounger, dangling her legs in the air. Next to her sat Colin, whose legs reached the floor, but he bobbed them nervously.

"We are friends, allies, you don't have to thank me, Princess." Smiled Arwin shyly, pushing his glasses back on his nose since they had slipped down.

Arwin proudly pointed to the two dark brown bags and then explained the contents to Edith. They were filled with everything Aegon and Harwin needed to survive. In them were food and bottles of water, as well as medicines and creams, which they might need, in case of an emergency.

"That's really impressive how quickly you got that organized." Edith got up from the lounger and knelt in front of the bags to check everything to make sure everything was really in there.

"It sounded very urgent last night, so I hurried." Answered Arwin a little embarrassed.

Colin and Edith had come here right after their visit to Harwin and had told Arwin the further plan Edith had made with Aemond. They also let the young maester in on their secret and told him about Harwin.

Arwin also looked through the bags again before locking them securely. "When exactly will you pull it off?" he asked.

"Tomorrow." Said Edith nervously.

The more time passed, the more nervous she became, because the time had finally come and she would have to prove herself. She would also have to say goodbye to Aegon, and maybe forever. She didn't really know how to feel about that.

"Oh so soon?" Arwin's eyes widened a bit in amazement.

"Yes, Here we go." Colin answered for the young woman, nodding in confirmation.

"So... Ser Harwin, huh? He's really still alive?"

Colin nodded and had to smile sadly. In Harwin, he had indeed found a true friend to whom he went. Knowing that he would soon be gone was hard for him.

Pityingly, Edith looked at her personal guard and then lowered her gaze. She knew she was responsible for his grief. It was hard for her, too, to have to let Harwin go, but it was the right thing to do.

She could think of no one better to accompany and protect Aegon.

Arwin let go of the bags and stood back up, only to walk over to the table and then hand Edith a can. "You will need the can tomorrow, when Aegon is dead." He explained, emphasizing the word death especially every time he spoke. "And you will need this for him to be dead." He added and gave the young woman a vial.

Cautiously, Edith took the two items in her hand and looked at them curiously.

"But he's not really going to... die, is he?" she asked, almost fearfully.

"No!" Quickly, Arwin shook his head. "It will make him sleep and give others the appearance that he would not be alive."

"Will he be in pain?" Edith's voice trembled and her heart beat faster. She had been asking herself that question all along. She still had feelings deep inside for the older prince and didn't want him to be in pain or otherwise suffer.

"He will feel like he is falling asleep. He will feel nothing and dream nothing. Prince Aegon will be totally at peace." Replied Maester Arwin, trying to reassure her with a slight smile.

"At least then he will be at peace." Joked Colin, trying to lighten the mood.

The princess and the maester had to grin at Colin's comment, because Colin was right. Aegon was anything but quiet and peaceful.

Edith then gave Arwin back the vial and the can and he packed them for her so that nothing would get broken and no one would see what Edith took out of here with her. Finally, he gave them back to her in a colorful cloth.

"Is there anything else I can do for you, Princess?" asked Arwin helpfully, playing with his glasses.

"You've already been a great help to us. Thank you, Arwin." Smiled the woman with the brownish hair honestly, making the maester's cheeks blush. Then she turned to the door with Colin, but remained standing in front of it. "I'll see you tomorrow when it's done?"

Arwin nodded. "I will be there to confirm the prince's death." Promised the young man.

"Good night, Arwin." Wished Colin to the young maester and smiled encouragingly at him before leaving the room with Edith.

It was strange to talk about Aegon's death when he would not die at all. Aegon would live, long and happily. With the gold and stuff in his pockets, Aegon and Harwin would be able to make a good life for themselves somewhere else - a better life.

And even if he didn't really die, it would certainly be as if he were no longer alive.

***

Chapter 42!
Wow, I never thought that the story will be so long...
and it will be even longer! ;)

I hope you enjoyed the chapter!

see you in the next chapter!!♡♡