The Crow Lord - This is Dorne. (Patreon)

Baelor Targaryen, close to Sunspear – Dorne

-You seem distracted little brother- said the Crown Prince, both standing on the deck of the ship while watching the increasingly closer Sunspear.

The Far-Eye had allowed them to spot that a Martell delegation awaited them at the docks.

Maekar grunted while focusing his gaze on the skies, closely following the Potter carriage being guided by Lord Harrys mounted atop his imposing and magnificent steed.

The black wings sailed through the air with elegance, even from such height the immense size of Arion was easily distinguishable.

-I still cannot get over the immense size of that beast…another display of Harrys Potter’s absolute dominance, claiming the skies as his own while we can do absolutely nothing about it- said his brother in a distracted tone.

Baelor said nothing, as usual preferring silence. He did not need to be a genius to understand the reason behind Maekar’s foul mood.

His brother had entrusted him with the letter received containing their father’s orders and he could completely understand the stress Maekar was experiencing.

Their father had expressed congratulations toward Baelor regarding his engagement to Lily, affirming it had been an excellent and correct decision and urging Maekar to approach Harrys in order to restore the engagement Daella and Harrys had established years ago.

An engagement their own father had arrogantly canceled, Baelor thought with a heavy sigh, perfectly aware that his father’s orders would be…complicated to say the least.

And those words had weighed heavily upon his brother during the entire voyage.

-I assume you still have not spoken with Harrys regarding the matter- Baelor deduced calmly, causing Maekar to grunt and shake his head.

-Of course not, do you think me stupid? I have absolutely no idea how to bring up my father’s orders with Harrys without causing a bloody disaster- snapped Maekar, undoubtedly more stressed than Baelor had seen him in a very long time.

The Crown Prince prepared to answer when the shout of his young nephew Aegon caught both brothers’ attention.

-AAAHHHG!- he shouted, holding a heavy wooden sword in his hands and moving through basic combat exercises beneath the attentive gaze of Ser Duncan, who watched and corrected him gently.

-Feet slightly farther apart and pointing in opposite directions. The most important thing for any warrior is the firmness of his stance. A poor leg position and you are dead, a poor arm position and you are dead, one wrong step and you are dead. A firm stance, an agile body and a sharp mind are your greatest weapons, now again- ordered the knight, causing Egg to repeat the exercises.

Baelor frowned at the wooden sword Egg was using. It was…simply magnificent and suspiciously familiar.

-At least Egg will learn discipline and a few tricks from Harrys and his men. Daemon may have been a damned traitor without scruples, but his skill as a warrior was unquestionable- said Maekar while observing his son’s exercises with satisfaction.

Baelor answered calmly.

-Talent he passed down to his only squire it seems- said Baelor while walking toward the front of the ship, which had already begun the docking process within the city.

Sunspear was…different from the rest of the Seven Kingdoms. Rhoynar influence dominated much of the city and they were proud of it.

A delegation of Martell guards awaited them at the docks, escorting a familiar woman to Baelor, one he had not seen in a very long time.

His aunt Daenerys, accompanied by her husband and a valyrian looking princess, a pair of young princes and a small dornish princess holding her hand, whom Baelor assumed were her children.

-Well, let the bloody show begin and pray to the fucking Seven that no one dies this time- snapped Maekar with a heavy sigh while beginning to descend from the ship.

Baelor sighed heavily, calmly observing as his soldiers began preparing everything for the disembarkation. Maekar had already gathered his children and descended while his son and Kiera walked toward the dock expectantly.

-It is time father- said Valarr, already dressed in fresh white linen robes appropriate for the scorching Dornish sun.

Baelor simply smiled and descended, taking his place at the front of the procession, Valarr and his wife one step behind to his right while the royal family walked toward the Martell guards.

Baelor focused his gaze upon his aunt Daenerys, beautiful and radiant, dressed in an orange gown adorned with beautiful golden jewelry, conservative for Dornish culture yet somewhat revealing for the rest of Westeros.

Her leg peeked through one side of the delicate fabric while she looked toward Baelor and his family with a radiant smile.

-Nephew, welcome to Sunspear- said his aunt while approaching them, her little ones following behind her like ducklings while curiously observing the royal family.

Baelor smiled politely, approaching his aunt and greeting her warmly.

-Aunt, it is good seeing you- said the Crown Prince genuinely.

The following moments both families greeted one another with calmness and joy, the closeness between them more than evident. His uncle Maron spoke with Maekar asking about the voyage and Summerhall while the youngest daughter of his aunt Daenerys spoke with Kiera about her beautiful pink hair, much to the obvious embarrassment of his good daughter.

Baelor watched the interaction so distractedly that he failed to notice the subtle arrival of his aunt Daenerys beside him.

-I have heard I owe you congratulations nephew, regarding your future wedding- said his aunt with a small smile, although her eyes carried veiled sadness.

Baelor looked toward the princess surprised by her words before nodding elegantly and calmly.

-I appreciate your words aunt- said the prince, just as a commotion erupted around them while guards, commoners and even several Dornish Lords began shouting and pointing toward the sky.

And Baelor did not need to look to know exactly what it was.

The Potter carriage was landing.

And behind it…

Lord Harrys himself riding atop Arion.

Quickly, the Potter guards formed an area for the carriage to land, giving enough space for the beautiful and imposing hippogriffs to descend with their characteristic elegance.

The Martells, their guards and the Lords who had accompanied them to receive the royal family watched the imposing and magnificent beasts with astonishment and wonder, the white plumage shining beneath the powerful sun of Dorne.

One instant later, the carriage door opened, allowing Lily, Lady Gwyn and the island servant Bella, if Baelor remembered correctly, to step out.

The three women had changed their attire, now wearing beautiful golden linen dresses with subtle black adornments.

The Potter guards rapidly formed a perimeter around Lily and Gwyn while Arion, Harrys’ mount, landed upon the docks, immediately stealing all attention from both nobles and commoners alike.

The imposing beast landed smoothly, its enormous body dominating the entire dock, the golden armor contrasting with the black plumage while its golden eyes looked dominantly toward everyone around it.

-Oh Harry- whispered his aunt with extreme softness and mixed emotions as Lord Harrys Potter himself descended from Arion’s back.

His robe was immaculate, white with black details, adapted for the heat of Dorne yet making perfectly clear the superiority of Potter garments, which made both the Martells and the Targaryens look like beggars much to Baelor’s amusement.

Harrys looked toward the entire Dornish delegation with a completely cold expression, straight back and an overwhelming presence of power and dominance.

His face remained perfectly calm but his eyes…

Gods, those eyes were filled with contempt and disdain, focused directly upon a single person.

The prince’s attention shifted toward his betrothed, who had walked toward him while Baelor had been distracted observing Harrys.

-My Lady- said Baelor with amusement upon his face, smiling as Lily rolled her eyes with tender exasperation.

-How was the voyage by ship Baelor?- asked the redhead with a gaze full of amusement at the grimace the prince had made.

-Terrible, severe seasickness throughout the entire trip. Kiera suffered especially badly, plenty of nausea. I am quite certain you enjoyed the journey much more inside that magnificent carriage of yours- said the prince with amusement, causing Lily to raise an eyebrow before answering.

-Oh no, it is not my carriage dear, it belongs to Gwyn. I am merely a passenger. An exquisite journey you know? A comfortable bed with refreshments and without the constant swaying of uncivilized wooden ships- replied Lily with cruel satisfaction while looking toward Baelor with a mocking smile.

Baelor could not stop himself from imagining how incredible such travel sounded instead of the smell of salt, tasteless food and exhaustion from the voyage.

The prince shook his head with a small smile and, taking Lily’s hand, turned around to begin the proper introductions.

Though to be fair, Lily and Daenerys knew each other very well.

That said…

Baelor had no idea how this meeting would end. The consequences of the disaster that had been the rebellion still remained fresh within the minds of everyone present.

Especially within Harrys’, who was the one truly concerning the prince. After all, Harrys’ magical skill remained a complete mystery to him.

-Lily! It is wonderful seeing you! Congratulations on your engagement!- said his aunt with a smile, evidently happy to see his betrothed.

Baelor focused his gaze upon the redhead who simply nodded elegantly though her face remained completely impassive.

-Princess Daenerys, it has been a long time. I appreciate your words- said his betrothed, her voice polite and reserved though carrying evident formality and coldness.

His aunt’s smile appeared to lose some brightness while a displeased expression invaded her features, therefore Baelor intervened quickly, diverting attention away from the tense conversation.

-Uncle Maron, allow me to introduce Lady Lily Potter, my betrothed- said Baelor calmly while redirecting attention away from his visibly affected aunt, who looked toward Lily and Harrys with complicated emotions.

The Prince of Sunspear nodded with a soft smile before looking toward Lily and speaking.

-It is a pleasure meeting you my Lady. Rumors regarding your skill and your actions at Ashford have reached our city- said his uncle Maron politely, curiosity regarding the magical skill of his betrothed more than evident.

-I am certain they are exaggerations, Prince Maron- said Lily elegantly though her expression remained impassive, not necessarily hostile but there existed a very clear difference compared to her behavior around the Daynes and the Hightowers.

And to increase the tension even further, Harrys had left Arion with his soldiers and begun walking toward where everyone was gathered.

By the Seven, if Baelor believed Lily was upset, Harrys was a bloody volcano.

The intensity of Lord Harrys’ emotions was more than evident, his mere presence caused a crushing aura to descend upon everyone present.

It was painfully clear Harrys Potter did not wish to be here and had absolutely no intention of hiding it. Baelor observed his uncle Maron swallow heavily while the soldiers’ hands began trembling with every step Harrys took.

His aunt Daenerys, on the other hand, looked toward Harrys with a complicated smile, evidently happy to see him though carrying more emotions than Baelor could possibly count.

Harrys looked toward Lily and spoke, as usual and much to Baelor’s annoyance, in an unknown language.

Latin, Lily had told him it was called.

-Res paratae sunt- said Harrys while blatantly ignoring everyone around him.

An obvious breach of protocol though Harrys apparently could not care less.

Baelor did not know the meaning of those words but Lily simply nodded without answering.

The Crown Prince prepared to change the subject quickly after noticing the increasingly tense situation when his little cousin, Princess Delia and eldest daughter of Daenerys, stepped forward while looking directly toward Harrys, who froze completely upon seeing her.

-Is that a dragon?- asked the little girl while pointing toward Arion, who was currently being brushed by Ser Duncan while apparently engaged in a deeply immersive conversation with the beast.

Everyone around held their breath upon seeing Harrys Potter focus his gaze upon the young and dazzled princess, who observed Arion with absolute fascination.

For one instant Baelor believed Harrys would answer rudely. His contempt toward the Martell family was more than evident and he made no effort whatsoever to hide it, however, Lord Harrys’ implacable eyes softened upon seeing the young princess’ expression of complete wonder.

And then…

He answered gently.

-No, it is not a dragon. Dragons are ugly, smelly and loud. They lack the elegance and sophistication of Arion, who is a Royal Hippogriff- said Harrys with obvious amusement while many members of the royal family frowned or made displeased expressions.

However, the young princess simply released a small laugh before answering.

-He is beautiful, may I pet him?- she asked while lifting her face directly toward Harrys with naked hope and pleading within those purple eyes.

Harrys looked toward the child silently for a moment, his face conflicted while considering an answer. Harrys’ eyes were filled with regret and such deep pain that even Baelor could not stop himself from shivering.

Harrys swallowed heavily before answering with an extremely soft voice.

-You will need to ask Arion’s permission first- said Lord Potter while lifting his hand and snapping his fingers once, causing Arion to begin walking toward where the interesting conversation was taking place.

The imposing beast walked slowly toward where his Master and the princess stood while the child looked utterly fascinated by the magical creature.

-I shall never grow accustomed to the size of that thing- whispered Maekar behind him while observing with caution and fascination as Arion positioned himself beside Harrys while looking directly toward the fascinated princess.

Harrys gently stroked the plumage, a faint smile upon his face while looking toward young Delia and speaking.

-Bow- he ordered calmly while looking directly toward the princess.

At those words, the Lords of Dorne, Prince Maron and every Dornish guard made expressions of disapproval which Princess Delia completely ignored, stepping forward and without hesitation bowing before the imposing beast.

For several seconds everyone held their breath, reluctant to react while focusing all attention upon the magical creature.

Until…

The unthinkable happened.

Arion, the hippogriff, lowered one knee and before the incredulous gaze of Lords and princes alike, bowed before the young princess at exactly the same height Delia herself had done, a sign of mutual respect rather than submission.

-Shit- whispered Prince Maron while Maekar stared completely dumbfounded by the action, however the most unexpected reactions were those of Lily and Daenerys, who looked toward Delia with extremely obvious mixed emotions.

Harrys smiled radiantly while looking toward the young girl with affection before answering.

-Now you may pet him- he said and Delia did not hesitate for even a single instant, stroking Arion’s soft feathers with evident wonder upon her face.

-He is…magnificent, the most beautiful creature I have ever seen!- she said with a radiant and happy smile.

Arion spread his wings proudly at those words, earning another smile from the princess.

Around them, the reactions of his family were…curious to say the least.

Valarr and Kiera watched the young princess with indulgent smiles, Daeron showed only indifference, but Daella and Egg…

His nephew and niece looked toward Delia’s actions completely stunned and with more than evident envy upon their faces, although Baelor assumed it was due to entirely different reasons.

Egg because of Arion’s immediate closeness toward the princess and Daella…well, the less he thought about that can of worms the better for the moment.

They still had to confront Harrys regarding the King’s orders, another bloody headache in Baelor’s opinion.

The prince’s intrusive thoughts were interrupted by a commotion, bringing him back to the present and toward the surprising scene unfolding before his eyes.

Arion had taken Delia gently with his beak and, surprisingly, placed her upon his back while spreading his wings and…

Shit.

-DELIA!!- shouted Prince Maron, utterly horrified as Arion began running completely indifferent toward the Dornish screams and threats before spreading his wings and taking flight.

Causing Delia’s screams of surprise to transform into cries of joy and happiness while beast and princess became increasingly smaller in the distance.

-OH FOR THE SEVEN FUCKING HELLS! IT IS NOT FAIR!- snapped his nephew while watching in disbelief as his dream was being fulfilled…by someone who was not him.

Maekar intervened immediately, shouting and correcting the young prince.

-AEGON! YOU ARE A PRINCE, DO NOT USE THOSE FILTHY WORDS!- ordered Maekar though Egg was not listening, his entire focus fixed upon watching Arion repeatedly fly through the skies with the radiant young princess upon his back.

The Dornishmen and Prince Maron watched in complete terror as Arion performed countless aerial tricks while it appeared the prince might faint from fear at any moment.

Lily, noticing the tense situation, sighed before speaking.

-It is…better that we begin walking toward the castle. Those two will not come down for at least a couple of hours- said his betrothed with a heavy sigh while beginning to order the soldiers to prepare everything for the march.

One instant later, Lily looked toward Harrys and spoke.

-Dear, could you go up there and watch over the princess? You know Arion can become very enthusiastic whenever he wishes- said the redhead, causing Lord Harrys to sigh before nodding.

Baelor assumed Harrys would take one of the other hippogriffs though he became surprised upon seeing Lord Potter simply place his hand inside the pocket of his robe and pull out, to the Crown Prince’s extreme disbelief…

A broom…

It was the most sophisticated and expensive broom he had ever seen, of that he possessed absolutely no doubt, but…

It still remained a simple broom.

At least…

Until Lord Harrys mounted it as though it were a horse and—

-SHIT!- snapped Maekar in extreme surprise as Harrys began levitating atop the broom.

A bloody flying broom, undoubtedly a magical artifact, thought the prince while watching Lord Harrys shoot into the sky, closely following the laughing princess through the air.

Baelor, completely stunned, looked toward the sky and then toward Lily while opening and closing his mouth without managing to speak a single word, utterly incapable of organizing his thoughts.

-Shall we go? I am rather tired Baelor- said his betrothed and without waiting for an answer, walked together with Lady Gwyn toward the Potter carriage.

Baelor simply shook his head. Every time he believed he possessed certainty regarding Harrys or the scope of his magic…

He always revealed some new trick or arcane miracle that returned him completely to the starting point.

The prince sighed heavily.

He needed a drink to deal with Harrys Potter.

Or perhaps two.

Daenerys Martell, Sunspear – Dorne

-I had never heard the young princess laugh for so long, it is as though…she had been born to belong in the skies- said one of the guards.

-It is the princess’ Targaryen blood without a doubt- said another, pride evident in his voice.

Daenerys simply listened to their voices though all her attention remained upon the descending figures of Harrys, her daughter and the imposing beast.

Her husband, children and nephews had grown tired of waiting for Delia to descend and had retired to their chambers to prepare themselves. Her Lord Husband had spared no expense for the celebration feast and the beginning of the tourney.

Daenerys observed with mixed emotions as Arion landed, her smiling daughter exhausted yet overwhelmingly happy, trembling with excitement.

-That was incredible!- she shouted, trembling with emotion while climbing down from the hippogriff with shaking legs though still completely delighted, at the same time Harrys descended elegantly and smoothly from his magical broom.

-Enough flying, the feast is tonight and you must prepare yourself- said her dear Harry with that tone Daenerys had only heard him use with Alyssane so many years ago, his expression soft and relaxed, highlighting his handsome face.

Much better than his cold and terrifying presence in Daenerys’ opinion.

Her little girl bounced around the young Lord excitedly, asking when she would be allowed to fly again, at least until Daenerys stepped forward and spoke.

-Delia darling, the feast will begin soon. Go wash yourself and prepare, you are the heir princess remember? You must live up to it- said Daenerys firmly though with infinite love evident upon her face.

The young princess nodded rapidly before running to hug Arion, then Harrys and afterward running toward the interior of the castle, followed closely by a pair of guards and leaving Daenerys and Harrys alone.

The youngest daughter of the late King Aegon smiled softly toward Harrys, genuinely happy to see him again.

However, every trace of warmth vanished from Harrys’ face the instant they were left alone.

-You have grown so much, I remember the last time I saw you, a small knight barely reaching my waist. Now I must raise my head to look at you- said the princess, desperately trying to break the ice.

Evidently without success.

-I appreciate your hospitality Princess Martell. My mother and I shall not impose our presence longer than necessary, we will depart once the tourney ends- said Harrys with his Lord voice, polite yet cold and disinterested.

A tone of voice he had never used with her before.

Shaking her head, Daenerys answered.

-You do not have to leave Harrys, you may remain in Sunspear for as long as you desire, I shall personally make certain tha...— however Harrys simply interrupted her.

-Let us stop pretending Princess Martell. I may be many things, but hypocrite is not one of them. I shall remain courteous and polite while we stay beneath your hospitality, but expect nothing more from me- said Harrys with a freezing tone that made her shiver internally.

Immediately afterward, the Lord Sorcerer began walking toward the interior of the palace, giving the princess his back with total indifference.

Daenerys, unable to bear it, spoke.

-I am sorry things ended the way they did- she said cautiously though loud enough for Harrys to hear and stop.

-Your apologies are worthless. My master is dead, murdered through betrayal for a just cause and because of a woman who was not worth it. I only have one thing to say Daenerys Martell, thank your Gods day and night that when the rebellion happened I was too young…because had I possessed the age I have now…the head decorating the walls of the Red Keep for seven days would have belonged to someone else entirely.- said Harrys with absolute coldness.

The Princess of Dorne looked toward Harrys, unable to find the sweet child who always brought her flower crowns. Instead she found bitterness, resentment and hatred, a titanic fury waiting for the proper moment to emerge.

The child, her sweet child was dead, and this...man, this bitter Lord has taken his place.

-And congratulations…I must say, Delia is a lively and joyful princess…a worthy daughter of her father, I can see it perfectly- said Harrys casually, causing Daenerys to freeze completely for one instant, her body trembling softly on instinct.

-Harrys, I…- Daenerys tried defending herself though words simply failed her. Truthfully, she was not surprised Harrys recognized Delia’s true father.

-I would take very good care of her if I were you…the “good” King Daeron possesses the habit of executing Blackfyre maidens after all- the hatred toward her brother more than evident upon his features.

With those words, Harrys continued his path without dignifying the deeply affected Daenerys with another word.

She…had truly been excited for this visit. She wished to see her little Harrys again, mend old wounds. She had many plans truthfully, to show him Dorne, the Shadow City and even the Blood Dunes and Planky Town.

And once more reality struck her with a cold slap across the face. Her little boy was gone, leaving this…merciless and cruel Lord in his place.

Something told Daenerys that the royal family’s visit would become…far more complicated than she expected.

And she was not wrong.