Viserys's heart burned like a dragon's flame as he trudged through the wind and snow, leaving the lands beyond The Wall. He had finally obtained both of the legendary swords of the Conquest. Dark Sister's slender blade was tailor-made for him, and the ruby on Blackfire's hilt was a perfect match for his brother's black helm with the three-headed dragon. He felt a surge of confidence: with the swords in their possession, his brother would surely claim the power of the Seven Kingdoms.
He wrapped the two swords in linen, along with a weirwood bow, and slung them over his back. Leading his chestnut horse, with whom he had grown up, he disguised it with gray paint. He easily slipped through The Wall, following a patrol of Night's Watch riders. As he happily journeyed south, like a homeward-bound bird, he heard news of the tournament at Harrenhal!
Excellent! He threw his head back and laughed, feeling like Zhang Wuji about to make his mark at Brightness Peak. He rubbed his hands together, planning to enter the sword fighting competition as a knight! Of course, to give his brother a huge surprise, he wouldn't participate under his true identity—thanks to the House of Black and White, he had learned their magical art of disguise.
So, the little prince, without a second thought, killed some bandits who dared to rob him in the forest, skillfully peeling off a few faces. Maybe I'll exchange notes with Ramsay Bolton in the future, he mused to himself.
Examining the faces, he first disguised himself as a man in his twenties. He took the bandits' sword, sold their horses, and swaggered his way to Winterfell.
Lord Rickard Stark was recruiting strong men from the North, including the family's second sons, to serve as attendants and travel to Harrenhal. After all, the Lannisters would be leading a force of five hundred, including knights, grooms, and servants. Dorne was also expected to send over three hundred people. As a lord of one of the Seven Kingdoms, Stark felt he should uphold his own and his daughter's honor.
Viserys claimed to be a sellsword whose servant had died. He easily passed the selection and officially became a Stark retainer. Riding his rare horse from the Dothraki Sea, he blended in with a group of Northern attendants riding plow horses and cargo horses. He deliberately avoided the lord's family. On horseback, Lyanna, wearing riding leathers, didn't recognize the horse—her horse was sandwiched between the mounts of her two brothers, preventing her from running off.
"Hmph, my riding skills are better than yours," Lyanna grumbled. But the girl's mood was still incredibly cheerful because of the rare opportunity to travel. She spurred her horse, seizing every chance to gallop like a man, laughing heartily and looking radiant—her cheeks flushed, her gray eyes sparkling. She was a blooming rose on the vast land of the North, still bearing the traces of ice and snow.
Viserys watched her from afar, feeling that his brother needed a wife who was unpretentious, straightforward, and healthy. Excellent! Now the tourney at Harrenhal was unfolding, just as in history! Since his brother was currently unmarried, things would go much smoother for him and Lyanna! Would the event that first attracted him to Lyanna, the famous Knight of the Laughing Tree incident, still happen?
While the party was camping, Viserys, who was secretly observing, saw Benjen and Lyanna playing a knightly game. When Lyanna casually painted a heart tree on Benjen's wooden shield as her House sigil, he knew that she was definitely the Knight of the Laughing Tree.
Well, his highly skilled brother would be ordered to hunt her down, and after intercepting her and a fight, his brother would definitely win! He'd remove the captive knight's mask and discover a girl, and then fall in love at first sight!!
Viserys chewed on some jerky, thinking with a bit of sourness, this is a wonderful story that could be called a legend! - if it hadn't led to such a terrible ending - well, anyway, it definitely won't be like that now. His brother would be happy for the rest of his life! He would become a legendary great king!
Viserys planned to be a quiet historical witness to his brother's romance.
The Northerners continued south, and when they passed Greywater Watch, Howland Reed, the leader of the crannogmen, joined the retinue. He was small in stature, wearing a cloak of leaves and clothes made of tree bark, with a frog spear as his weapon. Neither he nor the Stark family intended to change their attire to suit the customs of the realm - if Howland wasn't discriminated against in Harrenhal, it would be strange.
Viserys deliberately approached this participant in several major events, casually chatting with this man who, in the story, ambushed the legendary swordsman Arthur Dayne at the Tower of Joy, and he also gave him a bottle of a "miracle medicine that was sure to cure illnesses and reduce fever."
He received his reward that night at Moat Cailin - Howland had caught a bunch of plump, tender frogs and shared them with him.
Fantastic! Viserys had been enduring the salted beef and black bread provided by the Starks for far too long. Now, he expertly skinned and gutted a frog, using his sword as a spit to roast the frog legs over the fire – cooking them thoroughly would kill any parasites.
While staring at the fragrant, tender frog legs and swallowing his saliva, Viserys suddenly noticed movement coming from the Children of the Forest's tower. He curiously ate the frog meat seasoned with burnt pepper and salt, looking towards the place where he had once camped. He saw two Stark retainers escorting a… woman who seemed familiar towards the gate tower where the Duke's family was.
No way. Not after all these years?
Viserys's face turned grim. He thought, Is the witch Maggy lying in wait here? What prophecy does she want to make now? It seems the last one left a lasting impression on her…
The witch, who claimed to know and be grateful to Ned Stark, was brought before the Duke and the others.
"Haha, brother, is this an old acquaintance of yours?" Benjen asked Ned, pointing at the ugly, short woman. Then, he was slapped by Lyanna, who was defending her second brother.
Ned explained to his family that he had watched her tell Viserys's fortune when he and Robert had passed through here before. She was the same then, catching toads in the marsh and living in the abandoned tower. Since they'd met her again, they might as well give her some food and money.
The witch thanked them, her yellow eyes like a cat's as she gazed at the Starks, finally landing on Lyanna. Suddenly, she offered to tell the girl's fortune as a gesture of thanks. "She, is not ordinary, not ordinary at all. She will be the most noble person."
Ned frowned, wanting to stop it, but Lord Rickard was surprisingly interested. He told Lyanna to let the witch do her thing. The girl raised an eyebrow and, unconcerned, pricked her finger, giving the witch a drop of blood.
The witch tasted it, then trembled, bowing to her. "You are, the future queen! Your Grace, you will bear three children, just as the dragon has three heads!"
Lyanna looked disgusted, thinking, Another one trying to swindle money.
But Lord Rickard laughed heartily! He was very pleased with the result and gave the witch a bag of silver stags and a gold dragon!
The witch bit the gold coin and shrunk to the side, shrewdly not intending to say the rest. She muttered softly, only hearing herself, "The future princess, the queen, including you, those who were supposed to die will not die as they were. You will wear a crown, but all of this comes at a cost. The love that should have been born will never come to you again."
She looked at the beautiful girl with brown hair and gray eyes, murmuring, "The winter rose will no longer bloom in the heart, replaced by the blazing dragon flame... this is the fairness of the gods."
Viserys, who was on night watch outside the abandoned tower, soon learned that Lord Rickard had generously rewarded a dirty, ugly woman... He immediately guessed that the witch must have made a prophecy that suited him. Probably about Lyanna's future?
"Really! The witch's move is to specifically target the rich!"
The five hundred men from the North continued their journey. Upon reaching Riverrun, Brandon and Catelyn's marriage was arranged by their fathers for the following spring. Lord Hoster Tully also brought his retinue of five hundred, including his eldest son and daughter, and his unmarried second daughter, Lysa, to Harrenhal in the Riverlands with his in-laws, Lord Stark. During their conversations, he also revealed his plans to find good matches for Lysa and Edmure. For Lysa's husband, he had his sights set on the eldest son of the Lannisters. As for Edmure, his only son and heir, he considered it a good idea to marry him into the family.
However, Lord Rickard showed that he didn't want Lyanna to be betrothed to Riverrun immediately. Of course, he couldn't say that he was aiming for Prince Rhaegar, so he vaguely used Robert Baratheon as a shield—"That boy Robert has always been persistent, wanting to marry Lyanna. Although he has many bastards, he promised to change after marriage, so I haven't made a final decision."
"Robert Baratheon," Lord Hoster Tully commented. "That boy's parents went to Essos. With no one to restrain him, he's said to have spent a lot of money on alcohol, digging a big pool and inviting the nobles of his land to drink and be merry. I think the Stormlands' treasury will probably be strained."
...Lord Rickard's impression of Robert was even worse. He didn't seem like a good lord. Yes, he couldn't imagine that such a young man would become a usurper and ascend the throne in another history... King Robert had a large number of bastards, and all his legitimate children were cuckolds. He hated Rhaegar, who had taken Lyanna, and described Rhaegar as a violent robber—in fact, only he in the entire kingdom viewed the deceased Rhaegar that way.
This history had been completely torn apart by a young dragon. But the overwhelming love his daughter Lyanna had received had also turned to dust.
The huge outline of Harrenhal finally stood in sight. The steep city walls looked like cliffs, and most of the towers were in a state of decay—this once belonged to the wealthiest and most ruthless King Harren of Westeros. The castle took forty years and killed thousands of prisoners of the Seven Kingdoms to build. King Harren thought it was impregnable until dragonflame descended from the sky, cracking the stone.
The current Earl of Harrenhal only occupied a portion of the castle, and it hadn't been fully repaired. It was still incredibly large, with enough rooms to accommodate the thousands of nobles and knights participating in the tournament. However, it was said to be gloomy and ominous, so many chose to camp outside on the vast, green fields – their family banners fluttering in the wind.
Viserys took note. The Lannisters' vibrant gold and crimson lion, the sun pierced by a spear of Dorne, the Highgarden rose, the white moon and blue falcon of the Vale families, and, oh, the stag of House Baratheon, they were all here. As for the Iron Islands, the current lord was Balon Greyjoy, and Viserys heard that he had also sent his eldest son to participate.
Someone also saw the direwolf and the trout banners, and they couldn't wait to greet them.
Viserys rolled his eyes at the man from afar – Robert Baratheon. He had put on some weight in the years since they last met. But he was undoubtedly still a strong and powerful man. He felt a sense of wariness towards him, and started thinking again. It was actually quite normal for someone to die at a tournament...
Robert's blue eyes were full of joy! He had finally seen his beloved Lyanna again! Oh! She had grown up! How beautiful! Robert stared at the girl in hunting attire beneath the direwolf banner. She had developed! Slender waist, long legs – Robert fantasized about those legs on his shoulders, enjoying the wonderful scene of marital bliss! No woman could compare to her noble and wild nature! No one could replace her! He loved her! He had to marry her!
Lyanna frowned and glared at Robert, showing no courtesy.
Robert gave her a warm smile in return.
The disguised Viserys was furious when he saw this and was thinking about killing Robert. At the very least, he could shoot out one of his eyes with an arrow. How dare he stare at his sister Lyanna!
Lord Stark, Lord Tully, and the heir to the Stormlands were in conversation. Robert enthusiastically offered that there was plenty of open space near his camp, close to the water source, where the two of them could set up.
Before Rickard had decided whether or not to move into the castle, a flash of silver metal shimmered in the distance on the Kingsroad. It was a column of armored cavalry! And, the red and black banner of the Targaryen three-headed dragon was held high.
The royal entourage from King's Landing had finally arrived. All the nobles present should go and greet them, for this was the royal presence.
The young prince immediately forgot about Robert. He spurred his horse to follow the procession, craning his neck to look – his beloved brother, Rhaegar! He was going to see him again!!
Thanks to the little angels who threw mines or irrigated nutrient solution for me during the period of 2020-07-21 17:42:42 ~ 2020-07-23 11:55:56 ~
Thanks to the little angel who threw a mine: Preserved Egg and Lean Meat Porridge 1;
Thanks to the little angels who irrigated the nutrient solution: Sa Ye, marry me -- Hurry up and come to this guy, Cat does not eat meat 10 bottles;
Thank you all for your support! I'll keep working hard!
...
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Here are a few fan-fic titles that I've recently uploaded on my Patreon:
"Game of Thrones: Dragon Prince"
"Game of Thrones: Political Life"
"Game of Thrones: Lannister Kingdom"
"Gods' Apocalypse: What Should I Do When the Loli is a Bit Fierce?"
"My Sister And I are in The Apocalypse"
(End Chapter)