"Why didn't you tell us about the dragons?" Lord Rickard questioned, his grey eyes wide as Harry walked over to the northern tents and to the Stark ones in particular. The great white beast followed him, walking a little awkwardly on the ground. The red one was still in the air, circling the tents before flying off. The black beast had followed Prince Rhaegar, nudging the heir to the Iron Throne occasionally. "The Targaryens are not like to take this well. And they have no omega with which to bond you with."

Harry raised an eyebrow but nodded. He didn't think that Rhaegar would want his true status known right now, perhaps with time and maybe a coronation, it would come out. "The rumors that Queen Alysanne's dragon laid eggs at home were true, father. I found three and the white one hatched for me while the other two followed shortly afterward."

"You were talking with the prince," Ned said, his eyes wide and voice quiet.

"What did he want?" Lyanna questioned, stepping over to her brother's side. "Not anything bad, I hope?"

"I'm still curious about how the dragons hatched," Benjen added, stepping into their circle. "You say you found them near the hotsprings?"

"Aye, I did. Lord Howland agreed to host them in the unoccupied Moat Cailin," Harry replied, shrugging. "Howland's become a good friend to me through that."

Ned blinked and glanced towards Howland Reed's tent, looked to Lyanna. "You said a few Frey squires beat him."

Lyanna nodded and gestured towards the lone tent for Howland. "He wasn't too badly injured, Ned. Not enough to need a maester. He is one of father's bannermen."

"One of yours too," Benjen said, looking at Harry. "Or will be eventually."

Harry turned to look at their father, who had walked off to talk with Lord Hoster Tully, and then sighed. "I suppose. Ned, before you go after Howland, might we have a word later tonight?"

"What about? And… I'm not going after Howland…" Ned trailed off at Harry, Ben and Lyanna's disbelieving looks. "The man's one of our bannermen. He might need aid."

"It's about… House Stark and its heir," Harry offered, feeling Frostfyre's curiosity in his mind. The dragon had learned a year ago about the human's ways but hadn't been entirely sure what to make of the way of the world.

Dragons have it so much easier. We do not care who inherits land or titles. That is a human thing. A weird human thing.

Harry snorted, watching as Frostfyre turned to leave, hunger in his mind. The bond between them was so deep at this point that it allowed for mind speech. He figured it would take a few months for the bond between Rhaegar and Balerion to reach that point. A gust of wind signaled that Frostfyre had leapt up off the ground. He heard sharp intakes of breath all around them as everyone in the northern camp watched as the dragon flew away, entranced by the sight.

"Sure. Let me go make sure our father's bannermen is alright," Ned agreed.

"Let me know if you need me to assist," Harry murmured, low enough that he hoped that no one else would hear them.

Ned dipped his head in a nod and turned to go, dropping his hand to the blade at his waist idly. Lyanna followed, her long, dark hair spread out behind her. She was the lone omega child of Winterfell and Harry had heard Rickard speak of potential marriage alliances for her. Robert Baratheon had been in the list, last Harry had heard. He grimaced at the thought, knowing of Ned's friend.

Robert had fostered in the Vale with Ned at the same time though with one difference. Robert had become a squire to Lord Jon Arryn while Ned had not since Ned kept to the old gods. Robert was in attendance for this tourney and had arrived with Ned in tow. Harry rather thought that Robert was… one of those alphas who didn't much care for the omegas he bedded; he just wanted sex.

Robert had already fathered a bastard in the Vale, at least one that Harry knew of. Ned had already told him of Mya Stone, the babe that Robert had fathered.

Lyanna didn't want someone like that though and all four of them knew that. Their father on the other hand did not. Rickard had much too much southern ambitions to let Lyanna lose on her own.


Rhaegar still couldn't believe his eyes as the great black beast walked next to him, as they both ventured to where he and his father were being housed. Arthur and Lewyn walked next to him, Arthur's eyes still wide.

"Harlan Stark is a Stark," Arthur whispered disbelievingly, watching as the second Balerion peered down at them as they stopped at the entrance to the castle of Harrenhal. "A Stark. They have no dragonblood and it's not like they had dragonseeds in the time before the Dance."

"He said he didn't know," Rhaegar remarked, locking eyes with the black beast. Balerion the Second had red-rimmed wings, large things that could carry the dragon up into the air. "The white one, Frostfyre, hatched for him and then these two followed."

Emotions that were not his own filled his mind, amongst them joy and then… hunger. It was rather a large hunger, hunger for deer, elk and other huge mammals. Rhaegar stared into Balerion's eyes and held out a hand, his heart skipping a beat as the dragon lowered its head down to sit against his hand. Heat radiated from the beast and he wondered when Balerion would let him ride on his back.

"Mayhaps the Starks have their own power," Lewyn commented, his dark eyes narrowed in thought. "The Rhoynar did before the Valyrians conquered them."

"Water magic. I know of it," Rhaegar said, glancing up to the castle window where his father was staying. "The tourney is starting in an hour. I should go fetch my father."

"Are you going to tell him you found an alpha?" Arthur questioned, lowering his voice as Lord Yohn Royce walked by. The trumpets blew past the castle's walls, signaling to all that the tourney was about to start.

Rhaegar sighed and shook his head. "My father the king wants me for himself."

"No Targaryen has ever wed father to son."

"He says his queen hasn't given him enough children," Rhaegar muttered quietly. "Mayhaps the presence of the dragons will change his mind."

Arthur's eyes narrowed. Dawn was strapped to his back, the long greatsword sparkling in the mid morning sun. "Harlan Stark agreed to be your alpha. When are you two meeting again?"

"At the fields in an hour. Ser Jaime is getting raised to the kingsguard in an hour, isn't he?"

"Yes. Lord Tywin did not like that decision however," Lewyn spoke, rolling his eyes. "It makes Cersei heir to Casterly Rock, being the next alpha child."

Rhaegar thought of the first time he had met Cersei, daughter of Joanna and Tywin Lannister. He had not liked her at all, her overbearing, possessive attitude turning him off. The seven forbid that match happening. Rhaegar had profusely thanked the gods for his father telling Tywin no to the match, regardless of Rhaegar being an omega. He shuddered at the thought of having Cersei as an alpha wife. He much preferred the thought of the quiet northerner who had brought dragons back into the world.

Balerion rumbled deep in his throat, apparently feeling his emotions and agreeing with them. His wings shook against his flank and Rhaegar watched as his wing-claws dug into the dirt.

"You are competing in the tourney, right?" Lewyn asked, as crowds began to come out from tents and the castle itself. Rhaegar nodded to Lord Whent and his family as they passed, everyone's eyes widening at the dragon beside him. "You had best get ready."

He could see the great white beast far to the north of the castle, towards where the northerners were camped. Frostfyre took off into the sky and flew off, joined by the third dragon, the red one called Freya.

"Lewyn, are any of your family here?" Rhaegar asked idly, turning to look to the south, where many of the southern lords were camped. He could see Vale banners, riverland banners, stormlands banners but no westerland banners. Lord Mace Tyrell was already here, with a few lords from the Reach.

"My great-nephew had a horse accident last week," Lewyn remarked, worry in his voice. "And with his illness… He is only 36 but he is fragile."

"Do you need to go to Sunspear?" Rhaegar stroked Balerion's thick hide, feeling the muscles flex underneath his hand. "Doran is his name, isn't it?."

"I do not believe I am needed. Elia is there as well as a cousin or two," Lewyn offered. "I will go if the worst happens. Princess Elia is a very intelligent young woman. Kind and gentle."

"She was the one who you were surprised to hear about, when she presented," Rhaegar said, remembering the raven that bore that letter a few years ago. Every lord and lady was required to send word to the king of their children's presentation. It was a rather old custom but it let the king and queen better know about potential betrothals.

"Yes, my great-niece is an alpha. She was very fragile and weak when she was born but now… She's bloomed," Lewyn said, his eyes lit with fond memories.


Oberyn stopped and stared out over the tourney fields from his spot in the corner, sitting near the king and prince. As soon as the prince had walked in to the tourney grounds, everyone had gone silent. The big beast that had walked in with Rhaegar was one from legend, from before the Dance. A dragon. A great, big, black dragon. It was followed by an icy white dragon, the second beast trotting past the black dragon and heading towards where the Starks were sitting.

Oberyn watched, his eyes wide, as the heir to Winterfell stood up and met the icy white dragon head on, a soft grin on his lips.

Every lord and lady, every person in the tourney grounds were silent with awe, struck by the image. Even the two jousters on the field were silent, the son of Lord Whent and a knight of House Frey. The two horses whinnied in fright, trembling with it.

The scent of fire filled the air as yet another dragon flew above the tourney field, this one a dark blood red one. Oberyn grinned in excitement as he and everyone else watched as it let lose a cloud of red flame, the fire lighting up the field even more. The dragons were back. And everyone began to talk at once, filling the field with chatter. Some of it was excited while others were wary. Oberyn heard at least a few people next to him who were wary that the king had become a dragon rider.

King Aerys and his kingsguard walked onto the field, where they were met by Ser Jaime Lannister. A beta, if Oberyn wasn't mistaken, and beautiful, with golden hair and bright green eyes. He was to be joining the kingsguard this morning. All seven members of the current kingsguard walked over to stand in a semicircle, surrounding Jaime as the young lion knelt before the king.

"I saw it this morning," a lord of the reach said, not raising his voice over the chatter but not being quiet either. "None of three dragons let King Aerys near him."

Oberyn raised an eyebrow and turned to the reachman. "How had Dorne not known about this?"

"No one knew," Lord Mace Tyrell offered, glancing at him. "This is new."

"Prince Rhaegar has become a dragonrider and the Stark heir is one," Lady Ashara Dayne spoke, as she came to sit next to him. "The Starks have no dragonblood in them though."

"They do not, as far as I know," Oberyn answered, shrugging. "It's a shame that the young lion is joining the kingsguard. I would have liked a romp in bed with that one. He looks spectacular kneeling like that."

Ashara snorted and they watched as the seven white knights all drew their swords. The scream of a dragon drew everyone's attention to the red dragon in the air as it swooped down, making a graceful landing right before the kingsguard. The black dragon…

"That's Balerion, I heard. And Freya, the red one," Ashara murmured at Oberyn's questioning look. "Frostfyre is the white one. That's Harlan's dragon."

Oberyn watched as Freya walked over to where Ser Jaime was kneeling, her large, red wing-claws digging into the well groomed dirt of the field. Jaime stiffened and Oberyn could see the man's shoulders curl inward as the dragon, for all appearances, seemed to sniff him.

"What is the meaning of this?!" King Aerys yelled, his face turning red with anger. He threw his arms out towards the dragon. "You are mine!"

Oberyn and Ashara and everyone else watched as Harlan Stark, the heir to Winterfell, ran down the stands and ran right over to the red dragon's side. Frostfyre, aptly named for the icy white color of his hide, followed, smoke filling out from the dragon's mouth.

Freya lowered her massive head and pushed Ser Jaime down to the ground. Jaime let out a quiet yelp as he landed on the ground, his back finding dirt.

Harlan Stark ran over to stand between Jaime and Freya, holding out a hand towards the dragon. "Freya, what's the problem?"

Oberyn could see Aerys' eyes widen in anger and stood up himself, walking down to the field and joining the knights. His uncle, Lewyn, dipped his head in a nod at his approach and he nodded back.

Harlan had locked eyes with the dragon, apparently able to understand something of the dragon's body language.

"She says…" Harlan trailed off, with a pointed glance at Ser Jaime. Oberyn walked over to stand next to his uncle, eying Jaime as his heart skipped a beat. Jaime had sweat rolling down his forehead, his golden hair wild from being pushed about by a dragon. "Ser Jaime, you are hiding something."

"He's not Freya's rider!" King Aerys shouted, pushing his way through the knights. Ser Jonothor Darry pulled the king to a stop at the last minute, whispering something into his ear.

"No, Ser Jaime is not her rider," Harlan agreed, shaking his head at a thought. "Freya, go join Frostfyre."

Balerion behind them let out a loud bellow and Freya trotted off, her tail trailing on the ground like she was a young child who had just gotten scolded. Oberyn's lips twitched up into a small grin and strode over to Jaime, holding out a hand to him. Jaime raised an eyebrow from where he was, on the ground, and reached up to take Oberyn's hand. Jaime's hand was warm though not overly so. Oberyn's heart began to race at the smell that came from the younger man, enticing and intoxicating.

Jaime stared at him as Oberyn helped him up, his green eyes narrowed.

"He's an omega," Harlan spoke, glancing over to Ser Gerold and Barristan.