The Crow Lord - Of Falcons and Thunder. (Patreon)

Ser Duncan the Tall, Royal Harbor – King's Landing.

"KING'S LANDING IN SIGHT! KING'S LANDING IN SIGHT!" the lookout shouted from the top of the ship.

"That man has quite a pair of lungs. I can barely make out the crow's nest atop that enormous mast, and yet we could hear his shouting perfectly," Egg remarked in amazement, raising his gaze toward the sky.

Ser Duncan shrugged absentmindedly, his eyes fixed entirely upon the city, which grew larger and larger with every passing second. Old memories suddenly flooded his mind. The last time he had been here…

The knight simply shook his head. It would do neither him nor anyone else any good to dwell upon the painful past, although perhaps he would take a stroll through Flea Bottom in the coming days, for old times' sake.

It wasn't as though anyone was waiting for him there, but… apparently, what the old folk said was true. You could take a man out of Flea Bottom, but you could never take Flea Bottom out of the man.

Duncan was so distracted that Egg had to shout several times to get his attention.

"Ser Duncan! Ser Duncan!" the little prince shouted, pulling Duncan from his thoughts and causing the knight to look at Egg in surprise.

"Did you say something, Egg?" he asked absentmindedly, causing the prince's eyebrow to twitch in a rather hilarious fashion. Duncan had to suppress a laugh as he watched the little bald prince take a deep breath to calm himself.

A little dragon, at the end of the day, he thought with amusement.

"I said… are we going to continue our exercises regularly at the Red Keep, Ser?" the little prince replied, annoyance evident in his voice, although to Duncan he sounded about as threatening as a clucking chicken.

The enormous knight nodded firmly.

"Aye, same routine. We'll get up in the morning and do the exercises the Lord taught us to build muscle. You need them far more than I do," Duncan replied with amusement, laughing at the prince's indignant expression.

The enormous, noble knight chuckled softly at Egg's glare, but their conversation was interrupted by the sudden appearance of Prince Baelor and Duncan's Lady, the mother of Lord Harrys.

Lady Lily.

They were accompanied by King Daeron, who walked with difficulty and relied upon a cane, as well as Queen Myriah, who refused to leave the King's side for even a moment.

Even after spending a couple of weeks in their company, Duncan still couldn't believe how… close he had become to the royal family. Before the tournament at Ashford, the knight had never seen a Targaryen in his entire life.

And now they seemed to be everywhere, the imposing man thought incredulously, while he and Egg fell silent, more than interested in the royal family's conversation.

"Come on, Ser, let's listen," said the little devil he called his squire, and before Duncan could say anything about it, the little bald boy marched toward the section of the deck where the royal family stood.

Duncan's eyes widened at the little devil's words, and he responded quickly.

"Hey, you little demon! Come back here! We mustn't eavesdrop on the King's conversations!" Duncan exclaimed in horror, but Egg paid him no attention. He simply walked briskly toward the upper deck of the Potter ship. The bay breeze brushed against everyone's faces, the day was beautiful, and the royal family appeared to be in good spirits. Their expressions were relaxed as the vessel slowly approached the docks of King's Landing.

Duncan followed the little devil and, in the process, managed to overhear part of the royal family's conversation. Apparently, they were discussing King Daeron's health.

"I'm feeling much better. There's absolutely no need to suspend Court," the King declared. His expression was calm, but it was evident that they had already had this conversation many times.

Prince Baelor replied patiently, although his tone made it abundantly clear that they had indeed discussed this matter on numerous occasions.

"Court will not be suspended, Father. I shall preside over it in your name until you have fully recovered."

The prince's words were gentle and affectionate, although there was also a trace of exasperation. In response, King Daeron merely grumbled in displeasure and shook his head.

"But I already feel better! I no longer have that… damned thing inside my head," the King protested, just as Egg made his appearance.

"What thing inside your head, Grandfather?" the little prince asked curiously, inserting himself into the conversation with all the subtlety of a dragon, his enormous eyes fixed upon King Daeron.

Ser Duncan hurried to intervene, thoroughly embarrassed.

"My apologies, Your Graces, for the interruption, but my squire is terribly stubborn… I mean, forgive me, Prince Aegon is… he wanted to… Umm…" Duncan stammered, swallowing with considerable difficulty, his face completely red with embarrassment.

Fortunately, thank the Gods, Lady Lily intervened, as usual, with a gentle voice and a smile.

"There's no need to worry, Ser Duncan. The conversation wasn't particularly delicate," she reassured him in that maternal voice of hers, while Prince Baelor nodded gently beside her.

"Be at ease, Ser Duncan. We all know just how mischievous and… impertinent my nephew can be," the prince remarked softly, while Egg continued speaking with his grandfather.

"So… you had a magical demon inside your head, Grandfather?" the little bald prince asked, his eyes wide with absolute astonishment, much to Duncan's disbelief.

The Queen sighed and massaged her face, while the old King chuckled to himself and leaned upon his cane, regarding his grandson with amusement upon his aged features.

"Aye, it was terrifying and a royal pain in the arse. Some kind of poisonous, writhing black mist. Lord Harrys tore it out by the roots, but it hurt like ten hells," the King replied with an uncomfortable grimace, while Egg's eyes widened considerably.

"Incredible!" he whispered, only to receive a sharp smack upon his bald head from the Queen. The sound was crisp and echoed across the ship's deck.

"Aegon, behave yourself. You are a prince," Queen Myriah declared in a voice that was warm yet terrifying, so full of warning that she accomplished something Duncan had believed impossible.

She silenced the bald little brat.

"Yes, Grandmother," Egg replied with an uncomfortable grimace, gently rubbing his bald head.

Queen Myriah regarded her grandson for several seconds before nodding in satisfaction and turning toward Duncan with a calm, commanding gaze.

"You have my respect, Ser Duncan. Of all my beloved grandsons and granddaughters, Egg is undoubtedly the most mischievous, troublesome, and reckless. And I'm certain his mouth has already gotten you into trouble on more than one occasion," the Queen remarked, causing Prince Baelor to snort with amusement while the little prince regarded everyone with an indignant expression.

Ser Duncan merely swallowed and answered honestly.

"He's a little mischievous, but he's a good lad… Your Grace. He'll grow into a good man and a great knight," Duncan declared sincerely.

The Queen smiled in response, not with one of those empty expressions he had seen upon the faces of other nobles while traveling with Ser Arlan, nobles who smiled falsely, sometimes even with contempt. Quite the opposite. It was a genuine smile, one Duncan appreciated more than he cared to admit.

But before he could say anything further, the entire vessel shuddered, signaling to everyone that the ship had finally docked at the city's harbor.

"Welcome to King's Landing," King Daeron declared with a sigh as he began walking toward the gangplank to disembark, little Egg at his side, talking incessantly as usual.

"Grandfather, this place smells worse every time I visit. What are you going to do about it?" the little prince demanded as he and the King walked away, leaving Duncan alone with the Prince, the Queen, and Lady Lily.

"Is the King… all right?" Duncan asked softly, knowing his question was somewhat inappropriate but unable to restrain himself.

The three nobles beside him nodded gently. The Queen and the Prince did so with obvious relief, while Lady Lily's expression… well, it wasn't indifference, but it was evident that she didn't share the same closeness with the King as his own wife and son.

"He is, Ser. We don't truly know what happened inside… his mind. That remains a secret between my father and Lord Harrys, but I've seen him much calmer than before. He even makes jokes, something he never used to do," Prince Baelor explained, causing Duncan to nod slightly before asking hesitantly.

"I… find Lord Harrys' closeness with the King rather strange," he admitted, causing the other members of the royal family to snort with amusement, while Lady Lily frowned.

"Oh, I understand you perfectly, Duncan," the redhead replied in a… complicated voice, carrying emotions the knight couldn't quite identify.

The Prince stepped forward and answered.

"My father and Harrys have, surprisingly enough, developed a kind of intellectual rivalry with one another. They get along… suspiciously well, which only increases our desire to know what happened between them. Above all, we want to know how Harrys broke my father's curse. Unfortunately, both of them are as silent as the grave," Prince Baelor explained, causing Lady Lily to frown even more fiercely, to the point that Duncan became concerned.

"My Lady! Are you feeling well?" the knight asked cautiously, only for the Prince to answer once again.

"Lily is simply upset because Harrys refuses to tell her what happened inside the King's head. He says it's far too private and personal," the Prince explained, causing Lily to glare at him furiously.

"I could help, you know? I have experience with healing magic," the Lady declared indignantly, although, to be perfectly honest, Duncan understood Lord Harrys' position rather well.

He didn't fully understand the extent of what magic could accomplish, but he knew it was extraordinarily powerful, powerful enough to enter the mind of the King himself. That sounded… terrifying, in his opinion.

But it wasn't Duncan's place to offer opinions about people who were hundreds of thousands of times more important, powerful, and dangerous than he was. He would simply follow Lord Harrys' orders and honor his vows as a knight, protecting Lady Lily and doing good throughout the Seven Kingdoms.

Although, of course, as usual, Duncan was fate's bitch, and the next words proved it.

"What do you think, Ser Duncan? You're on my side, aren't you?" Lady Lily asked. Beside her, Prince Baelor sighed heavily, while the redheaded woman regarded Duncan with an expectant frown.

The knight's eyes widened in shock, which quickly gave way to unease, gradually transforming into discomfort as Lady Lily's powerful, expectant eyes stared directly at him without blinking.

"Umm… Ah…" he attempted to buy himself some time. Prince Baelor watched him with a mixture of pity and amusement, perfectly aware of the difficult situation Duncan had found himself in, but entirely unwilling to intervene.

Fortunately, someone unexpected came to Duncan's rescue. A missile of red hair and black robes rushed aboard from the docks at tremendous speed, immediately commanding the royal family's attention and allowing Duncan to sigh in relief.

"FATHER!" a redheaded young man shouted before throwing his arms around Prince Baelor with all his strength, an embrace the Prince returned immediately and without hesitation.

"Matarys, it's good to see you, my son," the Prince replied, just as the redheaded youth began speaking at tremendous speed about everything Duncan had experienced over the past few months.

Duncan, noticing that everyone's attention was no longer focused upon him, decided to make a tactical retreat and search for his elusive squire before beginning the journey toward the Red Keep.

That was another matter he could scarcely believe. From this day forward, Duncan would live in the Red Keep, the fortress of House Targaryen, protecting Lady Lily, who would sooner or later become Queen.

Duncan could hardly believe how… surreal his life had become, to be honest.

Duncan descended from the ship at a brisk pace, trying not to get in the way of Harrys' servants as they unloaded Lady Lily's belongings, along with several enormous crates containing goods intended for sale at the city's Snitch shop. A massive crowd surrounded the docks, which were protected by an entire regiment of Targaryen soldiers.

Duncan found his squire beside the King, who was leaning upon his new cane while speaking with two men who regarded him with relief and concern. Both were tall, wearing elegant, tailored robes embroidered with dragons, making it obvious that they belonged to the royal family.

Both men radiated elegance, and although Duncan had never seen them before, he knew perfectly well who they were.

Princes Aerys and Rhaegel Targaryen, Prince Baelor's younger brothers.

"When we received word of your… indisposition, we feared the worst. I even considered marching to Potter Manor with a regiment of soldiers," Prince Rhaegel declared calmly, causing the King to snort before answering.

"I appreciate your concern, my son, but there was no need for anything of the sort," the King replied, just as the other Prince, the elder of the two, with silver hair and a long beard, intervened.

"That's precisely what I told Rhaegel. Is everything all right, Father? Your messenger was… rather cryptic about what you wished to discuss with us," the Prince remarked. The King was preparing to answer when a feminine voice, clinical and perceptive, suddenly made itself heard.

"Are you eavesdropping on the King and the Princes without their permission?" the feminine voice asked in a tone filled with danger and reproach, pulling Duncan from his thoughts and causing him to jump slightly before turning toward its source.

"AHHG! My apologies, my… Lady," he replied incredulously, having expected a proper grown lady and instead finding himself confronted by… a little girl, even younger than Egg.

She was small, positively tiny compared to Duncan's imposing height. Her silver hair and enormous, protruding amethyst eyes revealed that she was a princess of the realm.

Her face still retained some of the roundness so characteristic of children, and her arms were crossed as she regarded Duncan with determination.

"Well? Who are you?" the little girl demanded, causing Duncan to shake his head slightly before answering.

"I… I'm Ser Duncan. I serve Lord Harrys and Lady Lily, Princess," he replied gently, not expecting his name to mean anything to her. Therefore, when the little girl's eyes widened in surprise before she broke into a radiant smile, the knight was utterly dumbfounded.

"Oh! So you're the one who kicked my brother's arse?" the little girl exclaimed, surprise and excitement evident in her eyes, before beginning to bombard Duncan with question after question about his fight with prince Aerion, overwhelming the poor knight.

At least until another feminine voice, this one older, delicate, and filled with amusement, intervened.

"Rhae, let the poor man breathe."

At those words, Duncan and little Princess Rhae turned toward the source of the voice, causing the knight to find himself face-to-face with a vision that took his breath away.

She was… one of the most beautiful maidens Duncan had ever seen in his life. Her skin was as white as the porcelain Lady Lily used, her hair long and silky, displaying a strange yet pleasing mixture of silver and gold, and her amethyst eyes regarded Duncan with a mixture of amusement and apology, while the little princess continued bouncing excitedly around him.

The little princess looked toward the beautiful young woman and answered.

"Aelora! This is Ser Duncan! The one who beat Aerion!" the little girl exclaimed with a mischievous smile and giggle, causing the newly identified Princess Aelora to respond.

"So I see, Rhae," she replied softly before turning her attention toward Duncan.

"Well met, Ser. Welcome to King's Landing," the young woman said, gently extending her hand…

Duncan stared at her for several seconds before his eyes widened in realization. He gently took the Princess's hand and placed a chaste kiss upon her knuckles, earning another giggle from little Rhae, who immediately raised her own hand and demanded.

"Now me! Now me!" she exclaimed eagerly, causing Duncan to smile softly and kneel, taking the little Princess's hand and kissing her tiny knuckles in acknowledgment of her station, drawing another burst of laughter from the young girl, at least until she spotted Prince Maekar disembarking.

Rhae immediately forgot all about Duncan and shouted.

"KEPA!" she cried, shooting away like an arrow toward her waiting father, who didn't hesitate to kneel and receive the little girl with a smile, something Duncan had never imagined he would witness upon Egg's father's face.

"My apologies for Rhae's eccentricities, Ser. She's still very young," Princess Aelora said in a gentle voice, her expression warm as she smiled softly at the knight.

"There's nothing to apologize for, Princess," the knight replied, causing Aelora to nod gently. Everything about her was the very picture of courtesy, but Duncan noticed that she seemed… distracted, glancing intermittently between the King and the ship, as though she were…

"Are you waiting for someone, Princess?" Duncan asked, as usual speaking before thinking, causing the knight to curse himself for meddling in matters that were none of his concern.

One of these days, he would encounter someone who genuinely took offense at his… insolence.

Fortunately, the Princess took no offense whatsoever. Instead, she smiled sweetly at the knight, causing Duncan, much against his will, to blush furiously.

"As a matter of fact, I am, Ser. I'm… interested in speaking with Lord Harrys. Do you happen to know whether he's aboard this ship?" she asked softly.

Ser Duncan raised both eyebrows in surprise before gently shaking his head.

Did his Lord possess some kind of spell that attracted Targaryen women? he wondered incredulously, because apparently every maiden in the royal family was connected to him in one way or another.

However, noticing that the Princess was watching him expectantly, Duncan swallowed and answered.

"No, Princess. Umm… Lord Harrys didn't travel with us. He…"

But Duncan's words were interrupted by a thunderous noise, one that Duncan and the Targaryens who had visited Potter Manor had already grown accustomed to.

Yet one that was entirely unfamiliar to the other Targaryen princes and princesses present.

The roar of Fulgarion.

"KRAAAAAAW!"

And a second later, the skies above King's Landing responded to the presence of the Lord of Lightning. Black storm clouds appeared, while golden bolts of lightning illuminated the heavens, and then, from within the clouds, emerged the serpentine figure of Duncan's Lord's familiar.

Enormous, elegant, and overflowing with monstrous magical power.

"By… by the Gods!" Aelora cried, her eyes widening and her mouth opening and closing without managing to utter a single word. Around them, the Targaryen soldiers watched the imposing figure cautiously, all trembling with fear. The inhabitants of King's Landing screamed in terror, pointing toward the sky, while several septons began proclaiming the end of days.

Duncan merely snorted. This wasn't the end of days. It was simply Fulgarion, his Lord's enormous and proud familiar, who absolutely adored being the center of attention.

Fulgarion gracefully twisted his body, presenting his back to everyone gathered at the docks and revealing the figure of Lord Harrys seated upon an enormous saddle, his golden cloak billowing proudly behind him, drawing cries, admiration, and sighs from the people of King's Landing.

"Is that Harrys?" the Princess asked, her voice timid and cautious as she watched with mixed emotions while Harrys flew beyond the docks, heading directly toward…

"Is he flying toward the ruins of the Dragonpit?" the Princess asked aloud, and the beautiful Targaryen maiden could only widen her eyes in astonishment as she witnessed what happened next.

A golden radiance erupted from Fulgarion's back, so brilliant that it illuminated the entire city like a shining star, and then…

Magic happened.

A gentle tremor shook the docks, originating from the ruins atop Rhaenys's Hill, where Duncan watched in utter astonishment and disbelief as the ruins of the Dragonpit, that ancient monument to Targaryen glory, rose once more.

But now… destined to serve House Peverell, the surname Lord Harrys had begun using from that moment onward.

"By… by the Gods!" King Daeron himself exclaimed, his eyes bulging as a new tower, constructed instantly from the remains of the Dragonpit, rose in its place, proudly displaying the symbol of House Peverell.

Enormous stones rose like serpents, forming gigantic columns of rock. The ancient vaults that had once housed the beasts of old fragmented, transforming into an immense platform, sturdy enough to support Fulgarion's weight, along with the two dozen hippogriff riders who followed him.

"That boy is going to give me gray hairs," Lily muttered wearily, massaging her face, resignation and tension evident upon her features.

"What… what is that?" Princess Aelora asked, swallowing nervously, her mouth opening and closing in disbelief.

Duncan sighed and answered.

"That was Fulgarion, Lord Harrys' Thunderbird," the knight explained.

Everyone in the city had witnessed what happened. Lord Harrys hadn't bothered to arrive discreetly. Duncan's Lord had made a spectacular entrance into the capital of House Targaryen, raising a damned castle right in the heart of the Dragon's seat of power.

And Duncan sighed, perfectly understanding Lady Lily's reaction.

Lord Harrys would indeed give her gray hairs sooner or later.

He had absolutely no doubt about that.

Harrys Potter, Peverell Landing Zone – Rhaenys's Hill.

Fulgarion's feet landed gracefully upon the enormous platform, causing it to tremble gently.

The platform was immense, offering a three-hundred-and-sixty-degree view of King's Landing. Enormous pillars supported an elegant pointed roof, reminiscent of the images of Hogwarts his mother had shown him.

Little by little, the hippogriffs began landing, and Harrys couldn't help smiling when he heard Delia's laughter. She was riding Arion with a smile, as though she had been born to fly.

Lord Peverell smiled softly as he simply levitated down to the ground, stroking Fulgarion in the process and smiling when he heard his temperamental familiar purring contentedly.

"Easy there, boy," Harrys replied, smiling as he felt the hair on his head stand on end from the electricity Fulgarion's body naturally radiated.

"The journey was perfect, my Lord. What are your orders?" Howard asked, dismounting from his own hippogriff, while the soldiers around them began leading the hippogriffs toward the enormous stables Harrys had raised with his magic.

"You already have your orders, Howard. Begin recruitment, restock the Snitch shops, and spread the word that Harrys Potter will require capable hands for a special project," Harrys replied naturally, frowning as he sensed a… presence approaching his new tower.

A familiar presence, one he hadn't expected to encounter again, to be perfectly honest.

Without so much as blinking, Harrys simply vanished on the spot, reappearing at the entrance to the tower, directly in the path of a group of riders approaching the place at tremendous speed.

Harrys merely frowned, gripping his wand firmly and beginning to make precise, deliberate movements.

Harrys' magic gave the command, and the universe obeyed.

The ground surrounding the tower began to fracture, forming a protective moat around it and bringing the riders to an abrupt halt. They struggled to calm their frightened horses.

Harrys snorted with amusement as he identified the banners in question, recognizing both the dragon of House Targaryen and the falcon of House Arryn.

The black-haired wizard immediately recognized who had come, and sure enough, that arrogant, idiotic voice he so thoroughly despised made itself heard, its owner calmly and confidently making his way through the other riders.

"I didn't think you'd have the nerve to set foot in this city again. But once again, Ser Brynden was right," Aelor declared in that cold, contemptuous voice of his, the Prince sitting astride his horse as he regarded Harrys with thinly veiled disdain.

Lord Peverell snorted, chuckling softly, something he knew perfectly well would irritate the Prince.

"I'd say it's a pleasure to see you again, Aelor, but we both know that would be a fucking lie," he replied, his eyes cold and his wand in hand, the two young men regarding one another with unmistakable contempt.

Home, sweet home, Harrys thought as he prepared himself to deal with the endless drama of this fucking city.