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	In 281 AC or 282 AC, Vale of Arryn
Father	Ser Hardyng
Mother	Unknown Waynwood
Lovers	Cissy; Saffron;
Issue	Alys Stone; Unborn bastard;
Personal arms	Quartered: Hardyng and Waynwood in the first and third quarters, and Arryn in the second and fourth quarters; (Quarterly 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 gallant, handsome squire, and a ward of Lady Anya Waynwood.^[1] He is the cousin and heir presumptive of Lord Robert Arryn, and would ascend to rule of the Vale as "Harrold Arryn" should Lord Robert die without issue.^[1]

Appearance and Character

Harry is very handsome. He has sandy hair, deep blue eyes, and dimples when he smiles.^[1] According to a semi-canon source, he has an aquiline nose, and looks every inch a young lord-in-waiting: straight as a lance, clean-limbed, and hard with muscle.^[2] It is said that Harrold has the look of Jon Arryn in his youth.^[2] Petyr Baelish says that a wife of Harry would be the envy of every highborn maiden in the Vale, as well as a few from the riverlands and the Reach.^[1]

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 Lady Anya Waynwood's ward at Ironoaks, and was raised there.^[1]

Shortly after Robert's Rebellion, the infant Harrold became the heir presumptive of his great-uncle Lord Jon Arryn of the Eyrie. Lord 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 was born to Lord Jon Arryn, becoming his heir. Robert became Lord of the Eyrie on Jon Arryn's death in 298 AC, and Harrold was confirmed as Robert's heir.^[1] Robert dislikes his cousin Harrold and is resentful of his status, and believes Harrold is just waiting for him to die so that he can take the Eyrie.^[2]

Harrold is still young, but despite his youth, he 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, Saffron, a spice merchant's daughter.^[1]^[2]

Recent Events

A Feast for Crows

During Petyr Baelish's meeting with the Lords Declarant, Petyr suggests that Harrold should become his ward and a companion to young Lord Robert Arryn, but Lady Anya Waynwood rejects the offer, saying, "You are as bold a thief as I'd ever care to meet." Lord Yohn Royce states that Robert should become his ward at Runestone, and befriend Harry there, but Baelish rejects that offer.^[5]

Sansa Stark, who is masquerading as Petyr's bastard daughter, "Alayne Stone", hears gossip that despite his youth, Hardyng has already fathered at least one baseborn child, with another on the way. She also hears that Harry won a a small melee for squires held at Runestone, and was knighted by Lord Yohn.^[1]

Petyr, the Lord Protector of the Vale of Arryn, arranges a betrothal between his "daughter" Alayne and Harrold. Lady Anya agrees to the betrothal in exchange for Petyr forgiving the Waynwood debt that he had acquired, but she insists 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, for 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. Alayne runs off, desperately embarrassed, and encounters Ser Lothor Brune, who gives Harrold the moniker of "Harry the Arse".^[2]

Later, during the feast, after Alayne has danced with several eligible knights, Harry comes and asks her forgiveness for his rudeness, and asks her to dance. Alayne agrees, and while they dance, she inquires about Harrold's bastards, to which he answers in all honesty. He tells her of his daughter Alys, fathered on a woman named Cissy. According to Harrold, childbirth left Cissy "fat as a cow", so Lady Waynwood arranged for her to be married off to one of her men-at-arms. Sometime afterwards, Harrold impregnated Saffron, the beautiful daughter of one of the richest spice merchants in Gulltown. Harrold seems to warm up to Alayne, and even bursts into a laugh upon hearing some of her clever japes. Harry asks for Alayne's favor, to wear in the upcoming tourney. She refuses, claiming that she has already given it to another.^[2]

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]