The Crow Lord - The price of your sins. (Patreon)

Daella Targaryen, Sunspear – Dorne.

Daella walked through the halls of Sunspear with complete calm, thanks be to the Gods, dressed in the elegant and light fabrics that the Dornish favored.

Although during the nights the sea breeze made the evenings cold, Daella truly did not mind it at all, in fact, she adored the sensation of her hardened nipples rubbing against the exquisite fabric, it was an extremely pleasant experience.

But that mattered little, the princess was looking for her father, who had disappeared since the spectacle Harrys had put on.

The entire castle was talking about it, servants, merchants and Lords, all observing Harrys and the Potter pawns with complete respect, wariness and fear.

And Daella could not blame them.

Harrys had been terrifying, the execution of the idiot Tolland had been expected by everyone, much as Daella detested the idea, the insipid Ashford was Harrys' betrothed, and trying to crown her Queen of Love and Beauty before her own betrothed...

The fool's death had been guaranteed, everyone present knew it and even approved of it, a clear message from House Potter to the rest of Westeros.

But her dear Harrys had not left it at a simple execution, instead he had made certain to send a forceful message, one that the entire realm heard loud and clear.

The absolute superiority of House Potter upon the continent.

Because to be honest, how the hell do you defend yourself against a man who commands storms and makes thunder itself obey his will?

Daella did not have the answer, and she knew perfectly well that none of those who attended had it either.

Harrys was the most powerful man in Westeros, far above her grandfather and her uncle, and that had become quite clear today.

Which only caused her damned resentment toward Harrys to grow even more.

All this time, her Harrys had possessed power, true power that he could have used to fight against her grandfather's order, if Harrys had truly wished it, he could have taken her and fled with her to the North, far from King's Landing, from the influence of her grandfather and the entire damned court.

And therein lay the problem, Harrys could have done it, he had the capability, the means and the magic to defy Daeron II Targaryen...

And he chose not to do it.

Filling Princess Daella with resentment and fury, because she was perfectly aware that her life could have been very different.

Alas, apparently, that would not happen, the Gods had been cruel to Daella, Harrys would have the submissive and obedient Gwyn to warm his bed and his cock, and Daella...

Well, her future was not particularly bright, considering her... questionable actions.

Years ago, Shiera's words had made sense, Daella had been young and foolish, vulnerable after the death of her beloved mother and heartbroken by the rumors of what Harry was doing with that Stark whore, in an act of rebellion, stupidity and vengeance.

She had slept with a knight in her father's service.

Oh, it had not been anything spectacular, in fact, it had been disappointing, Miles was pathetic, with a tiny cock compared to the behemoth Daella was accustomed to, Harrys was... vigorous and passionate, always making certain that Daella was wet and burning before fucking her, the two of them having given themselves to one another when they were quite young, on the very same night that Lady Lily and Princess Dyana had formalized the engagement.

The months of glory, thought Daella.

Naturally, Daella had not even dignified insignificant Miles with another glance, who completely outraged and "heartbroken," had taken it upon himself to spread rumors about her, at least until her father cut off his head.

But the damage had been done, somehow the rumors had not remained confined to Summerhall alone, and although nobody was foolish enough to say it to her face, the princess was capable of feeling the looks, the whispers and the judgments.

And now she had to deal with the consequences.

However, Daella abandoned her depressing thoughts when she heard a familiar voice.

Harrys' voice.

And judging by his tone, he was not at all... pleased.

"The audacity of King Daeron is impressive, but I must decline the offer, I am betrothed to Lady Ashford and I do not intend to dishonor her by canceling the engagement, I am not interested in Princess Daella," said Harrys in a cold tone.

Daella felt as though her heart were being squeezed, while her eyes became moist, but she held on to her tears and hid behind the wall, far too interested in the conversation in question.

An instant later, her beloved father responded.

"We both know that is a lie, I know you Harrys, perhaps not as well as my beloved Dyana did, but I know what kind of man you are, you are loyal and you love Daella, I can see it" said Prince Maekar with determination.

Harrys remained silent for a long time, filling the princess with the damned uncertainty she so despised.

"What I felt for your daughter is a thing of the past, my future is with Gwyn, I will not dishonor her and I will not cancel my engagement, she will be Lady Potter, not Daella, end of discussion, do not worry, I will make certain to tell King Daeron to his face when we arrive in King's Landing, do not concern yourself," said Harrys with determination.

Immediately afterward, Daella heard Harrys begin to walk away, bringing the conversation to an end, at least until her beloved father spoke once more.

"Be reasonable son, you took my daughter's maidenhead, it is your responsibility to marry her," said her father.

"Daella was my responsibility, until the moment Daeron Targaryen canceled the engagement without any reason whatsoever, insulting both me and my mother in the process, my responsibility toward her ended the moment that, instead of standing up and taking her place at my side, she remained seated, alongside you, in that moment I understood that her decision had been made, I am merely respecting it," said Harrys with mockery in his voice, causing her father to snort.

"But my father would never have canceled the engagement if he had known that..." her father began, making Daella grimace, knowing that argument was not the correct one for this discussion.

"If he had known what? That I possess magic? I am still a foreigner, a paper noble, as the Bastard Rivers said that day, I still possess more gold than the golden kittens, hundreds of soldiers and workers under my command, my name... So are you telling me that if I did not possess my magical gift I would be of little value to a Targaryen princess?" asked Harrys rhetorically, after all, he already knew the answer.

Her father simply sighed in frustration, but Daella was not surprised by how poorly this conversation was going, her father was stubborn and obstinate, and yet, Harrys was even more so.

"Do not make this more difficult Harrys, the Crown cannot allow your magic to pass into another family of Westeros, it is something that would place House Targaryen in danger, this is politics, if you do not yield, my father will have Lord Ashford cancel the engagement until you come to your senses, be reasonable," said her beloved father in a tone close to pleading and exhaustion, it was obvious that Prince Maekar and Harrys had been having this discussion for a very long time.

Harrys did not respond for a long while, causing Daella to hold her breath for several seconds, waiting for Harrys' answer.

And when it came, the princess could not help but shiver.

"I know very well what Daeron Targaryen is capable of doing, my prince, but what should truly concern you is that neither your father nor you have the slightest idea what I am capable of, and for your own sake, I hope you never find out," threatened Harrys, while an unbearable sensation of terror began to invade Daella, for no apparent reason, her breath failed her and she felt a horrible pressure in her chest, something that apparently, her father also felt.

"What I did to Tolland will seem like mercy compared to what I will do to Daeron Targaryen if he dares touch a single hair on Gwyn or her family, and as for Daella, I am certain you will be able to find her some handsome knight out there, I have heard they are to her liking," said Harrys cruelly, before leaving the balcony and walking toward the palace.

Directly toward Daella, who was still shocked by the cruel words that, honestly, she had never imagined hearing from Harrys' lips, from her Harrys, from that polite and shy Lord who had, with great difficulty, gifted her a tulip from Potter Manor.

And the princess collided headfirst with reality, the Harrys she had known was gone, and Lord Potter had taken his place, a ruthless man and, if necessary, a cruel one, one with soldiers, gold and magic under his command.

One who would not hesitate to use force if necessary, as the fool Ser Tolland had been able to verify.

The two looked at one another in total silence, it was obvious that there was far too much to be said between them, but at the same time the pride of both made them remain silent, challenging one another with their eyes, emerald met amethyst, impassive and defiant, Harrys' gaze, which had been filled with fury only moments ago, softened suddenly, while something akin to regret and something else crossed his emerald eyes, while Daella made a titanic effort to prevent the treacherous tears from beginning to fall, the sensation in her chest was impossible to explain.

There was love, desire and lust, but she was also filled with fury, hatred and resentment.

Trembling from a mixture of fury and pain, Daella looked away and entered the balcony, embracing her father, who received her with open arms, and once within the safety of his chest.

The princess simply cried, silently of course, she did not wish to give Harrys the damned satisfaction of knowing that his words had hurt her after all.

Daella lost track of time, minutes or hours? She did not care, she merely heard Harrys' footsteps growing distant, and the moment she was alone with her father, she simply cried, clinging to Prince Maekar's tunic and releasing all the damned pressure that had tormented her for years.

And she cursed herself, again and again, for the foolish decisions of her life.

She cursed herself for being a coward, and for not standing beside Harrys when her grandfather canceled the engagement, she cursed herself for allowing jealousy and vengeance to consume her and for becoming involved with the fool Miles, she cursed herself for following the advice of Shiera Seastar after the death of her beloved mother.

And most importantly, she cursed herself for being foolish enough to lose the best man on the entire damned continent.

"Easy now daughter, everything will be alright, we will fix this, do not worry, you will marry Harrys, it is a royal decree after all," said her father, while embracing her gently.

But Daella was not so certain she wanted to do that, not after what she had heard.

Fate was... uncertain and cruel.

And the coin was in the air.

Targaryen or Potter? Only time would tell.

Harrys Potter, Sunspear – Dorne.

Damn it all, thought Harrys with complicated feelings as he wandered aimlessly through the winding halls of Sunspear.

Soldiers, servants and Lords moved out of his way, afraid to even look him in the eye, the memory of what he had done to the fool Tolland still fresh enough to keep everyone alert where he was concerned.

And although he knew it had been reckless, Harrys needed to vent the fury he felt in this damned place.

After wandering without direction, Harrys arrived at the central courtyard of the palace, where to his amusement and nostalgia, he found Princess Delia, accompanied by a small army of servants, all of them carrying food of every kind.

Although the amusing part was watching the terrified servants forming a line toward Arion, who lay there watching as Delia made the servants pass one by one, offering all manner of food to the hippogriff, while Duncan and Egg oiled the feathers of their beloved mount.

"What about vegetables? Mother always says I should eat my vegetables," said Delia, while pointing toward a young servant girl, making her carry forward a tray full of Brussels sprouts.

Harrys watched with a soft laugh as the young girl trembled in terror when Arion brought his enormous beak toward the tray, sniffing the offering for a moment before retching and looking at Delia with complete indignation before beginning to squawk.

Delia simply rolled her eyes and with a gesture ordered the servant girl to step away, before positioning herself in front of Arion with her hands on her hips and looking at him with determination.

"Oh come on... I know I can bribe you into taking me flying again! Do you want meat or fish? I do not have that luxurious food Lord Harry gives you, but Dornish food is exquisite! Jessa! Where are the figs?" asked the princess, drawing a smile onto Harrys' face.

She was so... innocent and happy, literally a sun, illuminating everyone around her, Harrys could see it with ease.

The servants looked at her with smiles, happy to serve her, even the ill-tempered Arion had grown fond of the girl.

So... so much like her older sister.

"Oh Lyssa, you would have loved your little sister," whispered Harrys, lost within the painful past, promises left unfulfilled.

When life had been much simpler, thought Harrys.

Harrys was so distracted that he did not realize he was no longer alone watching the comical scene of the princess.

"May I join you, my Lord?" asked a man's voice, pulling Harrys from his depressive thoughts and focusing his attention upon the source of the voice.

Finding himself face to face with Prince Maron Martell in person.

For his part, Harrys simply nodded and answered calmly and politely.

"It is your castle Prince Maron, you do not need to ask permission to be in it," he said sincerely, laughing softly as he watched Delia perform a dance of happiness upon seeing that Arion had accepted her offering of figs and chicken.

Prince Maron positioned himself beside him, observing the young princess with a radiant smile.

"She is the sun of the castle, you know? She has the servants and guards wrapped around her little finger, they were always spoiling her even behind our backs, cheerful since childhood and skilled with a dagger," said the prince proudly.

Harrys did not respond, but his expression softened, laughing softly as he watched Delia climb onto Arion with a gesture of complete triumph.

"She is bright and kind-hearted, Arion is an excellent judge of character, a truly good soul," said Harrys calmly.

Prince Maron simply nodded with a peaceful smile, before looking toward Harrys and saying.

"The beauty of her mother, with the intelligence, cunning and leadership of her father, much could be said about Ser Daemon, but his intelligence and his skill were never questionable," said the prince, causing Harrys to raise his eyebrows in surprise and focus all his attention upon Prince Maron.

"Then... you know?" asked Lord Potter curiously, causing the prince to nod with complete calm.

"I do. An act that was painful at first, but I never had the heart to reproach my beloved Dany for it, she was very young when I married her, you know? Barely a woman, and when I held Delia in my arms... I did not see Daemon Blackfyre's daughter, but the daughter of my beloved Daenerys, her nose, her hair... it was better that way, especially after what recently happened with young Alysanne..." sighed Maron, genuine sorrow in his voice.

Harrys remained silent, truly observing the prince, and looking at him with respect.

"Not many men would raise another man's daughter, even less considering all the history behind Daemon's rebellion," Harrys admitted cautiously, causing the prince to laugh softly.

"Oh, I understand, pride can be terrible for many nobles, something that truly can destroy even the purest love, but I love your aunt, with both her virtues and her flaws, and I have dedicated my life to making her happy, she gave me four beautiful children to raise, and her mere presence fills the cold halls of Sunspear with life, that is what love is about, accepting that, no matter how much we may think otherwise, we are not perfect, that we possess both virtues and flaws, and that despite them, we choose to love," said Prince Maron, sighing as he watched Delia and Arion rise into the air, the princess' laughter echoing throughout the castle.

Harrys did not answer, much as he wanted to hate him, Prince Maron was not a bad man, much less a bad father or a bad husband.

Indeed, Harrys would dare say he was a far better father to Delia than Ser Daemon could ever have been, his devotion to his people and his family more than evident.

A true leader, similar to Daeron Targaryen in many respects, but at the same time, far more human than the Dragon King of King's Landing.

"I wish... to ask you a small favor, man to man," said the prince, offering Harrys a cup of Arbor Gold.

Lord Potter accepted it calmly, listening politely to the prince's words.

"I would like... for you to try to get closer to Daenerys. My wife tried far too hard and was very excited about your visit. She spoke for weeks about her little Harrys, about the things she wanted to do when you were here. I would like you to give her the opportunity to do so," said the prince.

At those words, Harrys' first instinct was to refuse outright and respond in a rather impolite manner, but Prince Maron had been an exemplary host, and Harrys would not insult his hospitality.

So he simply drank from his cup calmly, tempering his mood and responding honestly.

"What you ask... is difficult, very difficult for me. I look at her and a part of me longs once again for that closeness, when everything was simpler, when we would sneak away from Potter Manor to go buy strawberry buns, and then I think... about what happened, about the betrayal against Daemon... it is difficult. I see my Aunt Dany, but at the same time, I see Daeron Targaryen's sister," said Harrys with a heavy sigh, his gaze distant and his mind troubled.

"Betrayal? What betrayal are you speaking of, my Lord?" asked the prince with evident curiosity, not a trace of judgment in his voice, to Harrys' surprise and respect.

"Before the rebellion, Daenerys visited Potter Manor. Ser Daemon was visiting with the twins, and she wept, heartbroken over the arranged marriage to you, requesting his support. When the princess left, Ser Daemon gathered his forces and sent a letter to King Daeron, informing him that he had raised a garrison of soldiers in defense of the princess' rights to chose, and that he hoped they could resolve the situation as the brothers they were," said Harrys, causing Prince Maron to frown and respond.

"I'm afraid... that is a lie, my Lord. I know the letter you are speaking of. I was there when my good-brother opened it, and it stated that Daemon Blackfyre was declaring himself the legitimate King of the Seven Kingdoms, citing the legitimacy of the late Aegon IV. Even so, King Daeron extended a hand to the Black Dragon, inviting him to the Red Keep for dialogue. What he received in return was war," said Prince Maron firmly, causing Harrys to frown in the process.

"I speak no lie, and King Daeron's response was not an invitation to talk, my prince, but a royal decree labeling him and all his children as dangers to the realm. All the males, along with Ser Daemon, were to be sent to the Wall to safeguard the legitimacy of the Royal Family, and it was at that moment that he rose in arms against Daeron," said Harrys with firmness and certainty. After all, his mother had been there when it happened, and Harrys had seen the memory a thousand times over.

Prince Maron fell silent, suddenly not nearly as certain of his words.

Both men arriving at the same conclusion.

And as if that were not enough.

"My prince, a ship from King's Landing has arrived at the castle, carrying an emissary of the Crown," said a guard, drawing Prince Maron's attention.

"Did you get a name Marlon?" asked the Prince, and the answer placed a frown upon both men's faces, though for very different reasons.

"Shiera Seastar, representing King Daeron."

Maron and Harrys looked at one another and could only think of one thing.

This conversation was not over.