Harrold Hardyng

	Harrold Hardyng, by Rae Lavergne ©
Aliases	Harry the Heir; The Young Falcon; Harry the Arse;
Title	Ser
Allegiances	House Hardyng; House Waynwood; House Arryn;
Culture	Valemen
Born	281 AC or 282 AC; Vale of Arryn
Father	Ser Hardyng
Mother	Unknown Waynwood
Lovers	Cissy; Saffron;
Issue	Alys Stone; Unborn bastard;
Coat of arms	Quartered: Hardyng and Waynwood in the first and third quarters, and Arryn in the second and fourth quarters; (Quarterly clockwise 1st Lozengy gules and argent; 2nd and 4th Bleu celeste upon a plate a falcon volant of the field; 3rd Vert a wheel broken sable)
Books	A Feast for Crows (mentioned); A Dance with Dragons (appendix); The Winds of Winter (appears);

Harrold Hardyng, often called Harry the Heir and sometimes the Young Falcon, is a squire from House Hardyng and a ward of Lady Anya Waynwood.^[1] He is the cousin and heir presumptive of Robert Arryn, Lord of the Eyrie.^[1]

Appearance and Character

The handsome Harrold has sandy hair, deep blue eyes, and dimples when he smiles.^[1] According to a semi-canon source, he has an aquiline nose and good teeth, and is tall like a lance, clean-limbed, and well muscled.^[2] It is said that Harrold has the look of Jon Arryn in his youth.^[2]

Harry can be gallant and beguiling,^[1] but also cold and dismissive.^[2] Robert Arryn dislikes his cousin and is resentful of his status, believing that Harrold is just waiting for him to die so that he can take the Eyrie.^[2]

According to a semi-canon source, Harrold's personal heraldry that is displayed on his shield is quartered: the arms of House Hardyng and House Waynwood are displayed in the first and third quarters, respectively, and in the second and fourth quarters is the moon-and-falcon sigil of House Arryn. He is proud of his lineage.^[2]

History

Harrold, by Chillyravenart ©

Harrold is the son and only child of a landed knight of House Hardyng sworn to House Waynwood, and the youngest daughter of Alys Arryn and Ser Elys Waynwood. He was taken in as the ward of Lady Anya Waynwood at Ironoaks, where he was raised.^[1]

Shortly after Robert's Rebellion, the infant Harrold became the heir presumptive of his great-uncle Jon Arryn, Lord of the Eyrie. Jon had lost three heirs in succession: first, his nephew, Ser Elbert Arryn, was executed on orders of King Aerys II Targaryen in 282 AC; second, his nephew by marriage, Ser Denys Arryn, died at the Battle of the Bells the following year; and third, Denys's only son, who died shortly after his father. This left Harrold Hardyng as the last male descendant of Jon's father, Lord Jasper Arryn.^[1]

In 292 AC, Robert Arryn was born to Jon, becoming his heir. Robert became Lord of the Eyrie on Jon's death in 298 AC, and Harrold was confirmed as Robert's heir.^[1]

Despite his youth, Harrold has already fathered a bastard daughter, Alys Stone, on a lowborn servant named Cissy. He has another bastard on the way by a different woman,^[1] Saffron, a spice merchant's daughter from Gulltown.^[2] Lady Waynwood declined Lord Nestor Royce's offer to betroth Harry to Myranda Royce.^[1]

Recent Events

A Feast for Crows

During Petyr Baelish's meeting with the Lords Declarant at the Eyrie, Petyr suggests that Harrold should become his ward and a companion to young Lord Robert Arryn, but Lady Anya Waynwood rejects the offer. Lord Yohn Royce states that Robert should become his ward at Runestone, and befriend Harry there, but Petyr rejects that in turn.^[7]

Sansa Stark, who is masquerading as Petyr's bastard daughter, "Alayne Stone", learns from Myranda Royce that Harrold has fathered at least one baseborn child.^[1] Myranda informs Alayne that Harry won a small melee for squires held at Runestone, after which he was knighted by Bronze Yohn.^[1] Petyr later informs Alayne that Harrold is expected to father another child on a different woman.^[1]

Petyr, the Lord Protector of the Vale of Arryn, has arranged a betrothal between his "daughter" Alayne and Harrold. Lady Anya agreed to the betrothal in exchange for Petyr forgiving the Waynwood debt that he had acquired, but she insisted that Harry must agree to the marriage. Petyr tells Sansa his scheme: that once Harry succeeds Robert as Lord of the Eyrie, she will reveal her true identity and marry Harry, so that he and the armies of the Vale will reclaim Winterfell in her name.^[1]

The Winds of Winter

Warning
This information has thus far been released in a sample chapter for The Winds of Winter, and might therefore not be in finalized form. Keep in mind that the content as described below is still subject to change.

Harrold rides with the Waynwoods to the Gates of the Moon to attend the tourney for the Brotherhood of Winged Knights. There, he is met by Myranda Royce and Alayne Stone, his betrothed. When Alayne informs Harrold that he is to stay at Falcon Tower, he responds rudely, and insults her status as a bastard. An embarrassed Alayne runs off and encounters Ser Lothor Brune, who gives Harrold the moniker of "Harry the Arse". Petyr advises Alayne to give Harry a second chance at the feast, but to deny him her favor for the jousting.^[2]

Later, during the feast, after Alayne has danced with several eligible knights, Harry asks her forgiveness for his rudeness and asks her to dance. Alayne agrees, and while they dance, she inquires about Harrold's bastards. Harry responds honestly, explaining his relationships with Cissy and Saffron. Harrold seems to warm up to Alayne, bursting into a laugh upon hearing some of her clever japes. Alayne refuses Harry's request to wear her favor in the upcoming tourney, falsely claiming that she has already promised it to another.^[2]

Quotes by Harrold

Alayne: If it please you, I will show you to your chambers myself.

Harrold: Why should it please me to be escorted anywhere by Littlefinger's bastard?

Anya: You are a guest here, Harry. See that you remember that.^[2]
—Alayne Stone, Harrold, and Anya Waynwood

Harrold: No one told me you were clever.

Alayne: Should we ever wed, you'll have to send Saffron back to her father. I'll be all the spice you'll want.
Harold: I will hold you to that promise, my lady. Until that day, may I wear your favor in the tourney?

Alayne: You may not. It is promised to ... another.^[2]
—Harrold and Alayne Stone

Quotes about Harrold

Alayne: I pray he proves a worthy knight.
Myranda: I pray he gets the pox. He has a bastard daughter by some common girl, you know. My lord father had hoped to marry me to Harry, but Lady Waynwood would not hear of it. I do not know whether it was me she found unsuitable, or just my dowry.^[1]
—Alayne Stone and Anya Waynwood

Petyr: You are promised to Harrold Hardyng, sweetling, provided you can win his boyish heart ... which should not be hard, for you.

Alayne: Harry the Heir? He was just knighted. And he has a bastard daughter by some common girl.

Petyr: And another on the way by a different wench. Harry can be a beguiling one, no doubt. Soft sandy hair, deep blue eyes, and dimples when he smiles. And very gallant, I am told. Bastard-born or no, sweetling, when this match is announced you will be the envy of every highborn maiden in the Vale, and a few from the riverlands and the Reach as well.^[1]
—Petyr Baelish and Alayne Stone

When Robert dies, Harry the Heir becomes Lord Harrold, Defender of the Vale and Lord of the Eyrie. Jon Arryn's bannermen will never love me, nor our silly, shaking Robert, but they will love their Young Falcon ... and when they come together for his wedding, and you come out with your long auburn hair, clad in a maiden's cloak of white and grey with a direwolf emblazoned on the back ... why, every knight in the Vale will pledge his sword to win you back your birthright.^[1]
—Petyr Baelish to Alayne Stone

Ser Harrold Hardyng looked every inch a lord-in-waiting; clean-limbed and handsome, straight as a lance, hard with muscle. Men old enough to have known Jon Arryn in his youth said Ser Harrold had his look, she knew. He had a mop of sandy blond hair, pale blue eyes, an aquiline nose. Joffrey was comely too, though, she reminded herself.^[2]
—thoughts of Alayne Stone

Harry the Heir? Harry the Arse, I say. He’s just some upjumped squire.^[2]
—Lothor Brune to Alayne Stone

Family

Harrold is the great-nephew of Lord Jon Arryn. Jon had a younger sister, Alys, who married the uncle of Lady Anya Waynwood, Ser Elys Waynwood. (Thus making Harrold and Anya first cousins once removed.) Alys and Elys had nine children together, a son named Jasper and eight daughters. The youngest of their daughters married a landed knight of House Hardyng sworn to the Waynwoods, and together they had Harrold.^[1]