Rhaegar rode with Oswell Whent and Arthur Dayne. Jon Connington tagged along as well as they trotted behind King Aerys II's large carriage. "Why did he insist on coming last minute?" Rhaegar groaned to his friends.
"I'm not sure. It was sometime after that last small council meeting. Him and Varys had stayed behind, and after that he announced that he'd be accompanying you to the tourney." Arthur was close to his sworn brother and Lord Commander, Ser Gerold Hightower, and sometimes took his position at the small council meetings.
"Do you think the spider discovered your plot?" Oswell never was too careful.
"What plot are you guys talking about?" Jon Connington pulled his mount up between Rhaegar and Arthur, trying to squeeze close to the prince.
"Keep your voice down, Jon. I will explain everything at the tourney." Rhaegar urged Balerion forward, leaving Connington to chase after his dust.
Rhaegar rode Balerion hard, leading him off into the woods that surrounded the God's Eye. He heard three set's of hoof beats behind him. He came to the edge of the God's Eye, dismounting and leading his destrier to drink. "Don't you think you should check on your wife, Rhaegar?" Arthur was the first to reign up beside him.
Jon followed shortly. "He doesn't need to hold her hand every second of the day. He is enjoying time with his friends now." Dayne shot the heir of Griffin's Roost a disapproving look.
"He's right, Arthur. She'll be fine. She's with her handmaidens." He stopped himself before mentioning how much he didn't care to see her anyway. The woman who had come north from Dorne was no longer the girl his father had forced him to marry. Two births had left her weak and sickly, though the last one gave him his son. Aegon, the Prince That Was Promised, or so he had thought. Rhaegar now knew that the Prince would need be of the Song. Why did the Spider see fit to help him with some certain ambitions, yet hinder him on others.
Oswell Whent reached into his saddle bag and pulled out a large skin of Dornish red wine. The group of friends sat in the grass, drinking and talking about their favorite moments from past tourneys. Oswell recalled the time Oberyn Martell, the Red Viper, crippled Willas Tyrell during a joust. "The poor bastard's leg looked like a broken rose stem!" Whent bellowed, spitting wine everywhere as he laughed.
Rhaegar found himself growing disheartened at the sudden change of mood Whent brought out as he laughed at another man's misery and decided to pull his small golden harp from his saddle bag. It was much smaller than his prized silver harp that he carried everywhere, but that made it small enough to carry on horseback. The noise quieted down as Rhaegar perched himself up on a fallen trunk and crossed his legs beneath him.
He began strumming the chords as the two Kingsguard and Jon Connington gazed out across the river, listening to Rhaegar's music. He, himself let his eyelids fall shut. In his mind he let his thoughts carry him on to wonder about this Stark girl. Rickard had told Ser Oswell that he would be bringing his entire family along, including his daughter, Lyanna. Rhaegar knew his destiny the moment he read that scroll. As he plucked at the harp his mind kept racing around one thought: I hope this Stark girl is strong.