Hey people, sorry about the delay as I was moving up to another house so no internet :D Here's the new chapter with another one, and I'll soon publish the New Chapter (no rewrite). Hope you like it, and thanks a lot to my beta: Pankaj Kumar.
I finally decided that I will not pair Harry as he is quite unique, so I will find a way so he get a heir.
276 AC (10 years after elven arrival) (22 years before Game of Thrones)
Kingdom of Avalon, Silvermoon (capital)
Harry was quietly observing the shimmering, shining water of the Sunwell. He thought back to everything that has happened since their arrival, and smiled. As they had predicted, no one had found their Kingdom, to his astonishment, and he ordered research to try to understand why.
He was surprised when a group of Magisters confirmed his doubts, and that before their arrival, these islands were hidden by powerful magic. Surely some travelers had passed here many years ago, and seeing no island, they saw no interest in returning. All the better, Harry thought. After all, he was in no hurry to mingle with humans populating this world. He thought of all the political restructuring he had to put in place to improve the Kingdom, and the difference with what they had before. He was inspired once again by Warcraft, but not in total, wishing to keep some of his former Kingdom as it was.
He began thus by creating a Royal Council, with specific posts:
- The Grand Magister: Leader of the Royal Council, he is the personal adviser of the King, and directs above all the mages, the Academies and of course, the Magisterium. This post is attributed to Lucius Sunbearer formerly Malfoy.
- The Grand General: In charge of the Military side of the Kingdom, he is in charge of the Kingdom's strategies and offensives. This position is awarded to Jason Stormwater formerly Grace .
- The Captain of the Royal Guard: Responsible for the protection of the Palace, the Royal Family, and, to a certain extent, the Capital. This post is attributed to Perseus Stormwater formerly Jackson.
- The Ranger-General: In charge of the defences of the Kingdom in general, he is also a protector of nature and an archer exceptional. This position is assigned to Magorian Stellarstar.
- The Grand Craftsman: Head of all the guilds of the Kingdom, he is responsible for the production of Avalon goods, in addition to being a renowned craftsman. This post is attributed to Ragnok Goldrunner.
- The Grand Treasurer: He is responsible for the economy of the Kingdom and the supervision of the royal treasury. This post is awarded to Nico Solange, formerly di Angelo.
- The Master of Shadows: He is responsible for spying and monitoring any threat. This post is awarded to Sanguini Bloodriver.
This council was responsible for dealing with the affairs of the Kingdom and summing everything up to Harry. In terms of powers, the Council could in no way supplant the power of the King, however, the Council largely supplanted the Magisterium.
Also he replaced the Wizengamot with the Magisterium, which was divided into two distinct parts. On the one hand there were the hereditary Magisters, and on the other the Magisters of Merit. Obviously, they did not have the same political level powers. The hereditary Magisters were in fact the old members of the Wizengamot, so the noble families. As a result, the title of Magister was transmitted from Lord to heir, even if the heir was not an extraordinary mage. On the other hand, he still had to have the formation of a Magister. The Hereditary Magisters also had more voice and greater control of the Magisterium, as they were in the majority.
On the other hand, the Magisters of Merit were in fact gifted mages who were accepted as apprentices of other Magisters and who, after a while, once their master deemed them ready, became full Magisters. They could also be appointed directly by the Grand Magister, the leader of the Magisterium, if he thought it was deserved.
The Magisterium had in itself kept the same functions as before. As a result, they were responsible for enacting laws, making proposals, and of course serving as a tribunal. Moreover, there were two courts, the Magisterial Tribunal and the Royal Tribunal. The court was chosen according to the person who committed the crime, or the will of the King. Thus, if a Lord commits a crime, he would be judged in front of the King, while a lambda citizen would be tried in front of the Magisterial Tribunal.
The Magisterium was also considered as an Elite Academy, reserved for the best mages of the whole Kingdom. It operated in tandem with the Royal Academy, which trained non-magical warfare specialists, as well as rangers and royal guard candidates. The Royal Academy was run by Neville Greenleaf, formerly Longbottom.
The titles of nobility, however, remained the same, since Harry saw no reason to change all that. However, there was a slight change for Sirius, Andromeda, Nymphadora, Remus and Teddy Blackmoon, formerly Black and Lupin. Indeed, since Harry still had no children and was not married, he named Teddy as the Crown Prince, to inherit the crown if Harry ever died without direct heirs. He thus had decreed that, if the Dynasty of the Sunstriders were to disappear, then it would be the family Blackmoon that would inherit the kingdom, taking the family name of Sunstrider of Blackmoon. And if they ever came to disappear too, then it would be the Sunbearer family who would take the reins of the Kingdom, thus becoming Sunstrider of Sunbearer. The Kingdom was therefore pleased to learn that succession was assured. Of course, he was inspired by the old French monarchy and named members of the families Blackmoon and Sunbearer as Princes of Blood, including Sirius as First Prince of Blood, followed by Remus, Draco and Lucius, expected since Nymphadora and Andromeda had declined the throne.
Another important thing was the appointment of the four islands which he divided into duchies. First, there was Quel'Thalas, meaning the High Kingdom, the main island on which was located Silvermoon, taking 1/3 of the island. This island belonged to the Sunstrider family. Its population was the largest of all the islands, with a total of 160,000 inhabitants, or half of the total population.
Then there was Quel'Anar, meaning Upper Illumination, in the Northeast, divided into three duchies:
-Velanna, the duchy of the Delacour family.
- Volterra, the duchy of the Bloodriver family.
- Suncrown, the duchy of the Sunbearer family.
This island represented above all the knowledge and faith of the Quel'doreis. One could find on this island, a central city shared between the three duchies, named Dalaran, the city of Knowledge and Illumination. This city had a huge magical Academy and a gigantic tower filled only with books and writings from the old world. What's more, there was a temple, named the Temple of Magic, where many citizens venerated none other than Halrian Sunstrider, considering him a god in his own right. The majority of the population was made up of former wizards, Veelas, vampires, and demigods.
Then there was Quel'Shola, meaning the Upper Business, in the North-West, also divided into three duchies:
-Darkmoon, the duchy of the Blackmoon family.
-Gringotts, the duchy of the Goldrunner family.
-Elysium, the duchy of the Solange family, a new ducal family.
This island represented trade and elven craftsmanship. This island was divided by a huge magical river, which connected the city to the sea. The city was called Olympus, the city of Trade and Crafts. There were great forges, trading stalls, a huge market, and the Royal Bank. This city was obviously divided between the three duchies. This city had for a majority population former goblins, Roman demigods, Veelas and Wizards.
Finally, there was Quel'Selama, meaning High Justice. This island which was in the South was also divided into duchies, but only two:
- Atlantis, the duchy of the Stormwater family, taking 2/3 of the island.
-Centaurus, the duchy of the Starstellar family.
This island was slightly different from the others, as the city on this island, Rome, was entirely controlled by the Stormwater family. Indeed, the Starstellar family had preferred to focus on nature and above all, astronomy. So they built a huge magic observatory near their Manor to observe and name the stars, and dedicated much of their land to animal farms and pastures.
As for Rome, this city was primarily military, and there was the Military Academy and other training camps for those not wishing to specialize in the art of magic or crafts. The population was mostly composed of the former demigods, werewolves, centaurs and goblins.
Thus, these four islands formed the Kingdom of Avalon, with the Capital, Silvermoon. In addition, these islands were inhabited by various magical creatures brought by wizards, such as unicorns. There was also a modification of certain breeds, being considered too dangerous. They thus transformed the dragons, to recreate the elven dragonhawks, and above all, because they are creatures very easy to tame. They also gave life to the magic brooms, so that they clean the Kingdom continuously, but also to fly more easily and move between the islands very quickly. Finally, they connected the three secondary islands to the main island by huge flying stone bridges, arched so that the boats could circulate freely.
All in all, the Kingdom of Avalon was a true magic utopia, and future generations had already been born. On the other hand, there was a problem with the elves' age, and Harry easily found the solution. He noticed that each person had received an elven physical body according to the previous physical age. Thus, Harry's body that was frozen at age 17 became a 110-year-old body when he became an elf. They then all had to adopt the age they had now. Sirius cried when he was told that he was officially 600 years old, despite his rather young appearance, with a wrinkle or two. Harry could also determine that the elves, thanks to the Sunwell, had a life span of about 2,000 to 3,000 years, but that their first signs of aging could be seen as early as 600 years old, thus obtaining an appearance of someone aged around 1,500 years old.
He also ordered the creation of a new simplified monetary system:
-The golden sun, replacing the galleon. It is equivalent to 100 Silvery Moons, with a sun on the face side and Harry's portrait on the pile side.
-The Silver Moon, replacing the silver sickle. It is worth 100 Bronze Mages, with a moon on the side facing and the Sunwell on the pile side.
-The Bronzed Mage, replacing the Knut of bronze. It is worth 100 Coppery Rangers, with a mage on the face side and a book on the pile side.
-The Copper Ranger, a new currency. It has a Ranger on its side and a soldier on the other side.
Lastly, what he considered the most important, Harry decided to build a huge palace, similar to the Sunfury Spire of Warcraft, but with the additional appearance of a castle similar to Hogwarts. This castle was built on the very site of the Sunwell, allowing it to be watched at all times, while the ray of light from the Well illuminated the summit of the immense Sunfury Spire. This obviously surprised no one when Harry named the Palace, Hogwarts, although officially, it is simply called the Sunstrider Palace or the Sunstrider Spire.
\Break/
Harry came out of his dreaming state when he heard footsteps, tapping on the stone, and getting closer to him. He turned to see none other than his Grand Magister, Lucius Sunbearer, dressed in his great silver robe and his slightly modified cane, so that the snake would become a phoenix. He smiled to Harry.
"Harry, how are you?" He asked.
"I'm fine, Lucius, what about you?" Harry answered, smiling.
"I'm doing very well, in fact, today more than ever, but you may doubt it, though, as I must admit I've been busy lately." Said Lucius rolling his eyes.
"Oh?" Harry said.
"Do not play innocent, Harry, you know very well why I was so busy." Lucius answered in a falsely angry tone.
"Oh, really?" Harry said mockingly.
They looked into each other's eyes before laughing.
"I have come to inform you that the preparations have advanced well, and that in a short time, we will begin to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Kingdom, and at the same time, your 120th." Informed Lucius.
Harry just nodded, satisfied. He knew that today was an important day for his people, signifying the ten years of their rebirth. He prepared to answer, when he was disturbed by Jason Stormwater and Percy Stormwater, his now brother. The two moved quickly to Harry, and seemed slightly worried. Harry and Lucius frowned at their alarmed faces, or excited, they could not make out the difference from that distance.
"What is going on?" Harry asked, curious about their state of mind.
Jason and Percy looked at each other, and it was Percy who spoke.
"Harry, we have a little problem ..." began the captain of the guards.
"What Percy meant was that ... a ship was sighted." Jason continued.
Lucius finely arched an eyebrow, not really impressed by their sentences.
"Indeed, we have a fleet." He said in a drawling voice.
"No, what he meant was that a HUMAN ship is coming!" Then revealed Percy.
It was silence. Harry turned around, and headed for an orb on a pedestal in front of the Sunwell, guarded by two royal guards. He put his hands on the orb and decided to check if this 'ship' was present in the Kingdom. He was surprised to see that indeed a ship had just entered the Kingdom, wearing on its sails a strange coat of arms, that of a red dragon with three heads on a black background. He then said loudly.
"Escort them immediately to the throne room, Lucius, you'll be responsible for picking them up at the port and bringing them here, answering some of their questions, because I guess they'll have some. Percy, prepare the Royal Guard and go with Lucius and several soldiers to escort them in. Jason, I'll let you take care of warning Magorian and escort their ship safely, as a precaution." He ordered.
The aforementioned three nodded quickly and left the room. Harry cut the image of the orb, and then headed for the throne room to wait for his 'guests'.
"I wonder what the muggle reaction will be, and most importantly, why are they here ..." Harry thought aloud.
The guards who followed him did not answer, but it was obvious that they were asking themselves same thing. They were stamping around with impatience, being former werewolves, they missed violence, and they would love to have the opportunity to fight again.
\Break/
Everything was calm on the Targaryen ship. Steffon Baratheon, Lord of Storm's End and Lord Paramount of the Stormlands, was looking at his maps in his quarters. He had received a special mission from his King and cousin, Aerys Targaryen II, King of the Andals, Rhoynar and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Kingdom.
The mission was very simple: Find a wife for his son, Rhaegar Targaryen, crown prince of Westeros. However, Aerys had refused to break his family's incestuous tradition, and wishes to keep his family's blood as pure as possible, he ordered his cousin, Steffon, to travel the world to find an acceptable Valyrian. Steffon had first gone to the free cities, visiting Pentos, Myr, Tyrosh, Lys, and Braavos, but he could not find what he was looking for. So he decided to expand his search, and sailed to Meereen, even to Qarth, but alas, he did not find what he was desperately looking for.
It was at Qarth, however, that he heard rumours, whispers of an unknown kingdom, whose inhabitants were incredibly beautiful, similar to the ancient Valyrians, and evidently this rumour had greatly interested Steffon. He then decided to go there, and to do this, he had to go around the cursed land of Sothoryos and the unknown land, which certainly cursed as it was related to Sothoryos, Ulthos. Finally he had bypassed these land masses and he could move on to these still unknown islands, and be the first to form links, and perhaps find a suitable wife for Rhaegar Targaryen.
He was brought out of his thoughts by one of the guards.
"My Lord, the captain sent me to notify you that islands are in sight." Said the guard of the Baratheon House.
Steffon nodded before putting his maps away went to the deck to see the crew moving at full speed. He was joined by Byran Estermont, a minor member of the vassal family Estermont, and Captain of the ship.
"My lord, it seems that the rumours have been true, the islands in front of us have never been mapped, and I suppose the rumours that a Kingdom exists are potentially true too." Said Byran.
"I hope so, this is our last chance to find a wife for the prince." Replied Steffon, thoughtfully.
"But if we do not succeed, who will be married to the Prince?" Byran asked, puzzled.
"Well, it will be either Cersei Lannister, Lyanna Stark or Elia Martell." Steffon replied laconically.
It was then that he heard a cry coming from the nest of magpies.
"Ships in sight! They are heading straight for us!" Shouted the sentinel, alarmed.
Without losing a moment, the sailors armed the two scorpions of the ship, while others armed themselves with crossbows. Steffon, meanwhile, widened his eyes, gaping. The foreign ships were identical and immense, with three rows of 20 holes in their hulls on each side. He watched carefully one of the ships.
The ship had to be at least nine meters high by sixty meters long and twenty meters wide. Its hull was painted in a mixture of blue and beige, while the deck had two masts whose sails seemed to be able to close horizontally like fans. The ships being bigger than his, he did not manage to see their passengers, but he could easily see the huge coat of arms on the sails. It was a very strange coat of arms, a kind of blue shield with a golden bird, with another shield in the back, showing four animals, including a lion, a snake, an eagle and a badger. Finally, there was a third coat of arms, at the back, showing a huge triangle and the part of a circle, surrounding the first two faces. The first coat of arms was at the centre of the second coat of arms, which was at the centre of the third coat of arms, and Steffon had to admit that it was a very beautiful coat of arms, although quite unusual. Lastly, the background was completely blue.
He leaned down, squinting, and then he saw a frightening thing, an immense blade in front of every ship, surely able to pierce their boat, and he realized he had no chance of winning. He wondered what the holes in the ships were for, and he got his answer when he saw some kind of tubes made of an unknown metal, white and blue. He instantly understood that it must have been weapons, and he preferred not to risk his ship and his crew. But before he could do anything, he heard the sounds of a thunderclap.
He turned, and his mouth opened wide, flabbergasted. Before him stood a man? In any case, he had the appearance of a man, with short blond hair, probably measuring over 180 cm, and with blue eyes. The only problem is that it also had long pointy ears, long eyebrows and his eyes were bright. Steffon thought he saw a Valyrian in all its splendour. He was dressed in an armour that seemed to be a mixture of leather and plate, with a long cloak and a sword at his waist.
The ship's guards reacted immediately and fired at him. The mysterious being frowned, and drew his sword, succeeded by some miracle in deflecting each crossbow bolt.
"Drop your weapons, and follow our ship, or die," ordered the mysterious being, looking at them sternly.
Steffon had understood nothing, and he tried to make it known.
"We do not understand you." He said, hoping that by seeing the difference in languages, the mysterious being would understand.
The non-human frowned, and he murmured something.
"And now, do you understand me?" Asked the mysterious being.
Steffon nodded uncertainly.
"Drop your weapons and follow our ship, you will be escorted to Silvermoon to see our King, and if you refuse, you will be annihilated. What is your answer?" Said the unknown being in a dangerous tone.
Steffon and the crew members blanched.
"We accept, but can I first know your name and who you are?" Said Steffon.
The strange being nodded abruptly.
"I'm Jason Stormwater, Grand General of Avalon and 2nd Duke of Atlantis, I'm a Quel'dorei, or High Elf in your language, now guide your ship to follow mine." Said Jason abruptly before disappearing with a resounding CRACK.
Steffon and the rest of the crew blinked a few times, trying to understand what had happened in front of them. The High Elf had disappeared as if by magic. Steffon lost no time, and ordered Captain Estermont to immediately follow the two ships. The crew moved at full speed, following the two elven ships.
They followed the two ships which led them to an island divided by an immense river, on which they sailed. Steffon heard the team's gasps of surprise and wonder, and when he turned , he saw a splendid city made of white marble and gold, with huge towers, and hundreds of elves, busy doing something they did not understand. He also saw different ships, but all Elvish, some of which were smaller, while some were longer. They seemed to fish with huge nets, collecting very large quantities of fish. Still, they did not stop here, and Steffon was surprised.
They ended up leaving the river to return to the sea, and it was then that he understood that the city they had just passed was not that 'Silvermoon' that Jason Stormwater was talking about. For he saw, in the distance, an immense city, on another island, with a giant port, hundreds of ships, and, above all, buildings some of which rose in the sky. He narrowed his eyes, and saw that some things seemed to fly in the sky, and they were not birds. 'I wonder what it is ...' he thought, before hearing an animal cry and turning around. He saw a strange golden creature, with a long body, large wings, and a reptilian head with a beak. The creature had the appearance of a dragon mixed with a hawk or an eagle. The creature looked at him, before screaming and flying away. The crew seemed almost terrified, probably due to the fact that the creature was three meters long.
"What the fuck was that?" Said one of the sailors, shocked.
They did not have time to look into the matter because they finally reached Silvermoon, and moored at the port. They had a reception committee waiting for them, a hundred guards, headed by two elves. One was 185 cm tall, with long blond hair, blue eyes with a gray ring, a large silver dress and a cane with a pommel. The other was 170 cm, with short black hair, blue eyes with a blue-green ring, armour similar to Jason Stormwater, though more ornate and made of gold, with a blade at the waist, a kind of a skirt with boots, and he sported a big smile. As for the soldiers, they wore blue and gold armours, with a leather dress, as well as huge Tower-Shields and sorts of two-blade swords which they held by the centre.
Steffon got off the ship, followed closely by a dozen guards, while Byran remained on the ship. Jason appeared and said something in his language to the elves before leaving, who nodded before whispering something. Finally, the big blond approached.
"In the name of His Majesty, I welcome you to Silvermoon, the capital of the Elven Kingdom of Avalon, my name is Lucius Sunbearer, Grand Magister of Avalon, Councillor of the King and Duke of Suncrown." Lucius introduced himself.
"And I am Perseus Stormwater, 1st Duke of Atlantis and captain of the Royal Guard, I am also the brother of Jason Stormwater, whom you met earlier." Percy introduced himself cheerfully.
"I am Steffon Baratheon, Lord of Storm's End and Lord Paramount of the Stormlands, as well as the representative of His Majesty Aerys Targaryen II, King of the Andals, Rhoynar and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros." Steffon introduced himself.
Lucius nodded.
"Please, follow us, the trip can be quite long, we will be transported by carriages to the Palace and you will have to leave your guard here." Said Lucius.
"At the Palace?" Steffon asked.
"Indeed, his majesty wishes to see you immediately, therefore, I will take you to the Palace, I can promise you that you do not need to fear anything." Lucius answered in a drawling voice.
Steffon simply nodded, motioning his guards back into the ship, and then followed Lucius to a carriage in which he and Percy went with him. Without any wait, the coach began to advance in the streets, leaving the port to go toward the Palace.
Steffon watched the view through the windows of the carriage, and was astonished to see the beauty, but above all, the cleanliness of the city. Everything was immaculate, a perfect blend of gold, blue and white, with silvery touches. He noticed that there was also a lot of greenery and plants, plants he did not know in the least. Even the trees were unknown, looking twisted and yet beautiful, with golden red leaves. It was then that he realized something. It was autumn here, while everywhere else was winter.
"How is that possible ..." he thought aloud.
Lucius was slightly amused.
"What, Lord Baratheon?" He asked.
"How come autumn is here, when it is winter in the rest of the world?" Asked Steffon, curious.
"Ah ... I sometimes forget that muggles do not know anything about magic, as for this, Lord Baratheon, our Kingdom is bathed in magic, immersed in an eternal autumn." Just answered Lucius.
Steffon's eyes widened, and Percy chuckled as he saw his eyes flutter as Lucius rolled his eyes.
"So all this is magic, but I thought magic had disappeared centuries ago?" Steffon asked.
Lucius and Percy frowned when he mentioned an extinct magic. Could it be that magic existed in this world? That would explain why it's so wild, if no one has used it before they arrived, thought Lucius.
"Let's just say that the magic we practice is inherent in our species, in simpler terms we are composed of magic, so we are constantly practicing magic, and it cannot be extinguished among us. I can assure you that we are the only species to control magic with such skill and dexterity. "Lucius replied with a smirk.
Steffon nodded, before returning to his contemplation of the surroundings. He noticed several places of greenery with benches, trees and fountains. He saw entire families having fun, chatting and enjoying the good weather, as if everything was perfect. It was an idyllic vision he had to admit. He then uttered a cry of surprise when he saw a statue move.
The statue measured three meters high and was made of a metal alloy, with a large flying crystal in the centre. In fact, the arms, legs and head were floating, connecting to the statue by some kind of blue rays. It seemed to patrol, and the inhabitants royally ignored the statue.
Percy, alarmed by the scream, looked at the reason for this surprise, and he burst out laughing, much to Lucius's dismay as he rolled his eyes at Percy's boyish demeanour. If he did not know the truth, he might have thought Percy was Sirius' son or Harry's brother.
"What's that?" Steffon said, alarmed as he pointed to the moving statue.
"This ... it's just an arcane golem." Percy answered, continuing to snort.
"An arcane golem?" Steffon asked.
"Arcane golems are magical metal beings, used to protect cities from inner threats, they are our guard of the city, if you prefer, and they roam our cities to monitor the population and avoid brawls." Lucius said, slightly amused.
"And can they kill?" Steffon asked, worried.
"Of course, if not, what would be their use? And I can assure you that they are not easy to bring down!" Then exclaimed Percy with a jeering smile.
Steffon just nodded, before asking another question.
"I noticed that the locals seem very happy, is it always that way or just today?" He asked.
"Well, they are naturally satisfied, but today being a special day, they are in a better mood than usual. You see, it is currently the birthday of the Kingdom, and most importantly, the birthday of the King. "Said Lucius.
"Oh, how old is he?" Steffon asked.
"Good question, I wonder if he is 120 years old or 140. It's still a little confusing about him." said Percy, thoughtful.
"His majesty is officially 120 years old, because he has only aged ten years since his 110 years, although he was frozen at 110 for 20 years." Lucius replied, while Percy nodded, finally understanding.
"And you, Lucius, how old are you?" I'm the same age as Harry, since I was also frozen at 17. A bit like Jason by the way." Percy asked, puzzled.
"I'm officially only 721, Percy." Lucius answered in a drawling voice.
Steffon choked on his saliva. 'How can they be so old? I'll give them only 17 and 50!' He thought. Lucius and Percy ignored him, immersed in their conversation.
"Octavian will kill me, I completely forgot to forward his request to Harry." Said Percy.
"Oh, what was the Augur's request?" Lucius asked, curious.
"Augur?" Steffon said, intrigued by this term.
"He is the leader of the Magic Temple and a seer, well, when it suits him." Percy replied to Steffon before focusing on Lucius, "He wanted me to ask Harry if he would agree to allocate more funds for the temple expansion, building additional sanctuaries, and most importantly, to be able to train more people to become priests."
"I see, I'll take care of it then, needless to disturb his majesty with such trivialities, and anyways, he would have accepted it anyway, after all, it's him who is revered, why would he refuse?" Lucius said, while Percy nodded.
Steffon's eyes widened.
"You do not worship the Seven?" He asked.
"The Seven What?" Percy asked.
"The Seven Aspects of Faith, the one true god, the Father, the Mother, the Maiden, the Crone, the Warrior, the Smith and the Stranger. It is the main religion of Westeros, and there is also the Drowned God of those fucking Ironborns, the old gods of the inhabitants of northern Westeros, a god named R'hllor by the inhabitants of Asshaï, and the Multiface god of Braavos." explained Steffon quickly.
He then explained to them in more detail the Faith, as well as its importance to Westeros. Lucius snorted slightly.
"You see, here we do not have a religion strictly speaking, but we worship the Sun and the Magic. The only 'God' existing, or rather, the only revered being is none other than our King, because it is thanks to him that we exist. "Said Lucius.
Steffon began to think. This magical Kingdom seemed to be ruled by a King who, as soon as he heard it, was all powerful, and above all, is considered a god by some. 'If the Great Septon heard that, he would cry sacrilege.' He thought.
He did not have time to worry more about what was happening because the coach stopped.
"We have arrived at the entrance of the Palace, follow me." Exclaimed Lucius.
He got off the coach, followed closely by Percy and Steffon. The latter then had his mouth hung wide open, soundless at the view before him.
In front of him stood a huge castle, almost the size of Harrenhal , with a gigantic tower at its centre, standing proudly with huge wings at its summit, through which passed a sort of ray of light. When he looked up, he saw flying platforms, like gardens, but also crystals circling slowly revolving around the huge tower. But another thing that astonished him was the path to this Giant Tower, a very wide bridge, flanked by guards, and surrounded by a precipice in which he could not see the bottom. It was a marvel of architecture, and neither Highgarden, nor Dragonstone, nor the Red Keep or even the citadel could compete with the beauty and grandeur of this place.
He was then escorted into this huge castle, heading straight for the Giant Tower. Percy whispered to him that the castle was called Hogwarts and that this tower was the Sunwell, but he did not explain exactly what it was. Finally, he arrived in a large room, with rows of couches, and at the back, a huge throne made of gold and covered with cushions. The throne was magnificent, taking the form of an immense triangle with an inner circle and a line crossing it, while a golden bird overhung the throne. There were distinctly four statues at the foot of the throne, a badger, a lion, an eagle and a snake.
But the most important thing was obviously the person sitting on it, and Steffon gasped, feeling as if he saw Rhaegar Targaryen, with eyes and hair of a different colour. The High Elf was very handsome, with an androgynous physique, like all the elves he had seen. He had jet-black hair, and his sclera-like eyes were blue like the other elves, but the iris was gilded with a green ring. He was the first elf he saw with eyes whose iris is not blue.
As for his clothes, they were obviously made of a very soft and delicate material, probably silk. He was adorned with little jewellery, a necklace set with sapphires, and several rings. The most important ornament was obviously his crown, which was elegantly made of gold and another metal, with a bird in the centre having in its beak a large fancy-white diamond, surrounded by six branches, each inlaid of little blue, red and yellow diamonds, in the form of a sun surrounding the bird. Lastly, there was a sword in a very beautiful sheath on the side of the throne with a sceptre on the side, which had the top in the form of two wings stretched upwards.
Lucius cleared his throat, bowed briefly, as he should, and introduced Harry.
"I present you his majesty, Halrian Sunstrider, 1st of his name, King of all Quel'doreis and the Magical Kingdom of Avalon, Keeper of the Sunwell, Supreme Lord of Quel'Thalas, Grand Archmage of Avalon and Guardian of Magic." Announced Lucius aloud.
Steffon bowed to the monarch, astonished by so many titles. 'He has more titles than King Aerys.' He thought.
"Your majesty, allow me to introduce myself, I am Steffon Baratheon, Lord of Storm's End and Lord Paramount of the Stormlands, I am the cousin and representative of His Majesty, Aerys Targaryen II, King of the Andals, Rhoynar and the First men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros and protector of the Kingdom." Steffon introduced himself.
Harry nodded, piercing him with his golden eyes.
"Tell me, Lord Steffon, what is the reason of your delightful presence in my Kingdom?" Harry asked.
"I came here, your majesty, following rumours in the free cities of Essos, west of here, about a hidden Kingdom, whose beings would be very similar to the Valyrians of Old Valyria, and that corresponded to my mission." Replied the Lord of Storm's End.
"Old Valyria? I do not know this place, let alone these Valyrians. Please, may you tell me more?" Harry asked.
"Ancient Valyria was a huge kingdom of Essos, inhabited by dragon riders named the Dragonlords, who were known for their immense beauty, androgyny, but also for their conquest of Essos and the destruction of the Ghiscari Empire. The Kingdom of Ancient Valyria was destroyed in a great cataclysm called the Doom of Valyria, and as much as I heard, it was destroyed by rivers of fire and clouds of ashes, from the Fourteen Flames, the mountain range of Old Valyria." Explained Steffon.
Harry seemed pensive. 'It sounds like a volcanic chain eruption, and I'm not surprised they did not survive such disasters. Even when we were wizards, it was not easy to survive such things.' Harry thought.
"And why does that matter to your mission?" Harry asked, curious.
"His majesty, Aerys Targaryen II, is the descendant of the great Aegon the Conqueror, of the Targaryan Dynasty, a family of ancient Valyria who, following the Doom, conquered the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros with the help of his dragons to establish his reign and that of his family." Steffon said as he looked around to see the many guards, as well as Lucius and Percy.
"You did not answer the question." Lucius frowned.
"Excuse me, what I wanted to tell you is that King Aerys is looking for someone to marry his son , the Crown Prince, Rhaegar Targaryen, and he wants to keep the Targaryen lineage as pure as possible, or else, marry his son to a member of another royal family. He sent me on a mission to find this person." Then Steffon explained, slightly anxious.
'And I, who thought that this nonsense of purity of blood had disappeared in our world of origin, now here too, they have fanatics of incest. Oh joy!' Harry thought, while Lucius chuckled, knowing what Harry was thinking.
"I do not see why I will accept that a citizen of my people goes to marry an unknown prince in unknown lands, and on top of that, humans." Harry said, exasperated.
"Would it not be possible to discuss it, your majesty? Maybe a trip for the person to allow her to get acquainted?" Steffon offered.
Harry began to think. On one hand, it would allow him to inquire about the rest of the world, but on the other hand, it would put his people in danger because he would have to send a fleet with the person.
"Lucius, who do we have available in the main Houses that are not yet promised?" Harry asked his advisor, letting Steffon sigh with content.
Lucius looked at Harry, surprised by the request, but he answered anyway.
"Well, your majesty, we have several potential candidates, Perseus here, my son, Draconius Sunbearer, Neville Greenleaf, Fleur Delacour and Gabrielle Delacour." Lucius answered in a trailing voice.
Harry nodded, that made several candidates.
"Ah, and of course, you, your majesty." Added Lucius with a sadistic smile.
Harry glared at him while Percy and the Royal Guards quietly chuckled. None saw Steffon's pallor at the mention of "male" names.
"Your majesty, I think I misunderstood, but would your Councillor have actually pronounced male names?" Steffon asked, white as a towel.
"Indeed, Lord Steffon, Lucius has pronounced male names as potential candidates, so what's the problem?" Harry asked.
Harry's innocent question seemed to confuse the Lord of Storm's End, who became slightly angry.
"Let's see here, your majesty, these kinds of unions are unnatural, the Faith teaches us that two men cannot be together because they cannot produce children! It's an unforgivable sin!" Steffon said with conviction.
The last thing he expected was Harry's laugh, followed by Lucius, Percy and several guards and other spectators who had arrived. He probably did not expect to hear an angry scream from an elf behind him, with long black hair, blue eyes with a black circle, and a frightening look.
"How dare you say that it is not natural, you absolute moron, you piece of trash and degenerated human!" The young elf shrieked, who was being held back as much as possible by another elf.
The other elf was blond with short, curly hair, completely blue eyes and slightly tanned skin. He seemed accustomed to the crazy reactions of the mad elf, Steffon remarked.
"Nico, calm down, please ..." the tanned elf tried to say.
"Shut up, William, did you hear what he said about us?" Nico shouted, glaring at Will.
Percy reacted immediately, and with the help of several amused guards, managed to take Nico away with a sheepish Will.
"I was not really expecting that, he's worse than Narcissa when she was pregnant. And the baby is in a cauldron, not even in his belly…" Lucius commented, eyes wide.
"Well, Nico is quite impatient to hold his first child, you know. So when this man said that it was unnatural, well…" Said Harry, amused.
Steffon tried to understand what was happening. He understood that the two elves were in a relationship, but he did not understand this story of baby in a cauldron. Seeing his lost gaze, Lucius rolled his eyes and spoke.
"Lord Steffon, know that the Quel'doreis are not human, and therefore, do not have the same customs, religions and physical characteristics as humans like you. What you just saw was a waiting gay father and disgruntled high-elf, and it was Lord Nico Solange, Duke of Elysium, as well as his husband, the Lord William Solange, Elysium's Duke-consort and healer of the royal court. Just know that we, the high-elves, have another way to have children between same sex couples through the use of magic, blood and alchemy." Lucius explained.
Steffon's eyes widened, surprised. The High Elves could have children, no matter what? He had heard rumours about the Valyrians, specifically the Targaryens, but it had been more than a century since this kind of thing had not happened, and it wasn't the same as for high-elves. Nevertheless, it was not, according to him, natural for same sex persons to form couples. 'He is talking about blood magic! I knew it, they are dangerous!' He thought.
"Never mind, never would the King agree to marry his son to another male, and the Faith would not accept the marriage, is there no one else?" He asked.
Lucius and Harry frowned and narrowed their eyes at the derogatory comment, like the majority of the population present.
"Well, there are always the daughters of Duchess Delacour, Fleur and Gabrielle." Then revealed Lucius.
Steffon found the names very strange, but he did not comment. Harry motioned for a guard to approach, and whispered in his ear to go and fetch the Duchess Delacour and her two daughters. Harry then took the opportunity to look Steffon in the eyes, and using Legilimency, he read the mind of Steffon Baratheon to learn more about this Aerys Targaryen and his son.
He plunged into the memory of Steffon Baratheon, whose mind had no defences, and observed all he could. He then discovered that Steffon was an important Lord, directing one part of the Seven Kingdoms called the Stormlands, and that Storm's End was the seat of the Baratheon family. He also discovered that Steffon had two sons, Robert and Stannis Baratheon, and that his wife, Cassana Estermont, was currently pregnant with his third child, that he wished to name Renly if it was a boy.
Finally, Harry came to the memories of Aerys Targaryen, and what he saw did not please him at all. It seems that this King was in fact mad, or at least, sinking into total madness, with a penchant for the living incineration of his enemies, whether they are true or false enemies. He also realized very quickly that the one in charge of everything was Tywin Lannister, the Lord of Casterly Rock, Lord Paramount of the Westerlands and Warden of the West, and the King's Hand, a position equivalent to that of Grand Magister. Lastly, he looked at the memories of Rhaegar Targaryen, and Harry frowned because he looked a lot like Victoria Diggory.
He stepped out of Steffon's mind, unknown to Steffon, and was satisfied with what he had discovered. He waited for the arrival of Apolline Delacour and her two daughters, something that didn't take long.
Apolline arrived then, dressed in a long blue dress, with her long blond hair and her eyes entirely blue. She was accompanied by her two daughters who looked like her, but younger. Steffon was sublimated by the beauty of the three women, and he could only nod at seeing them.
"Your Majesty." Then bowed the three women.
"Thank you for coming with your daughters, Duchess Delacour, but first of all, let me introduce you. Lord Steffon, I present you the Duchess Apolline Delacour, Duchess of Velanna, as well as her two daughters, the heiress Fleur Delacour, and her younger sister, Gabrielle Delacour." Harry then said.
"Heiress?" Steffon asked, puzzled.
"Indeed, Lord Steffon, among the Quel'doreis, the succession is done through birthright, regardless of the genre, unless the head of the family decides to choose his heir before his death." Then revealed Harry.
Steffon nodded, understanding this tradition, although it was not really present in Westeros. He knew that some families in the North, as well as the Targaryens, did so.
"Your majesty, may I know the reason for my coming?" Asked Apolline, suspicious of Steffon.
"It seems that Lord Steffon has come from Westeros, a great human kingdom to find a wife to the crown prince, Rhaegar Targaryen, who, if I understand correctly, is quite like a Veela." Harry explained.
Apolline's eyes widened before nodding.
"I understand, so that's why you wanted to bring my daughters, right?" She asked, while Harry nodded, "However, it will not be possible for Fleur, because she just got engaged with William Redrunner, formerly Weasley, and being the heir to the Redrunner family, I decided to name Gabrielle as a heir, and in doing so, I cannot marry her to a heir-prince, for that would be the extinction of my lineage, as the death of my husband let me widow." Exclaimed Apolline Delacour.
Harry was relieved, because it allowed him to refuse the request of Steffon Baratheon without passing for a bastard. The last thing he wanted was for humans to thing high-elves are unsocial persons and too dangerous to let them live. They weren't ready for another war, not now at least. He nodded.
"Thank you all the same, Duchess Delacour, you can go back with your daughters." Harry said then.
The three women nodded before leaving, while Steffon was disappointed.
"Well, Lord Steffon, it seems that your request can not succeed here. You can always inform your Sovereign as to our existence, and if he wishes, I authorize him to send a delegation if he wishes to start trading or even, diplomatic relations." Harry then said.
Steffon nodded,
"I thank you for this generous proposal, your majesty, I will pass on your request to my King, and if you allow me, I have a long way to return home." Steffon replied.
Harry began to smile enigmatically, and when Steffon began to be escorted outside the palace, he heard Harry.
"Go east, Lord Steffon, and you will join your wife much faster than you think."
Steffon's eyes widened, stupefied. 'How does he know all this?' He thought. But he did not have time to think about it, as he was escorted straight out of Hogwarts to the port, back to the boat. He received just before leaving a fabric. This stuff was made of Acromantula silk, and when he asked what it was, he was surprised to learn that it was giant spiders capable of producing the purest, softest and most durable silk threads that exist.
"A present to bring to your King, the bird is our emblem, the phoenix." Lucius had told him.
And when he unrolled the stuff, Steffon was pleasantly surprised to notice that it was not a simple piece of cloth, but a robe of great beauty. He thanked Lucius warmly, and then left Silvermoon, heading east as Harry had recommended.
He was shocked to see the lands of Westeros after three days, more precisely, the Dornian lands. He understood then that he had indeed gone around the world, and that the Kingdom of Avalon was not far away. He then left towards King's Landing, and went quickly to the Red Keep to see his King and cousin.
"Steffon, you're back, so did you find a wife for my son?" Aerys asked, without waiting.
At these words, Rhaegar looked up, curious and anxious, while Rhaella, the queen, seemed just as interested. As for Tywin Lannister, he seemed curious, and full of hope. Surely he hoped he had failed, so he can marry his daughter to the prince.
"Unfortunately, your majesty, I could not find a suitable wife for your son, but I can assure you that I have travelled the world to find her, but alas." Replied Steffon Baratheon, anxious.
Aerys's gaze was discontented, and the glimmer of madness could be discerned.
"Your trip was therefore useless?" The King asked in a dangerous tone.
Steffon whitens like a dead man, before beckoning his escort to bring the robe.
"Not really, your majesty, I discovered a new Kingdom, three days west of here, but it's the most amazing place." Said Steffon, "This Kingdom is huge, as big as the Old Valyria, and it is inhabited by fantastic beings, which are very much like the ancient Valyrians."
The occupants of the Throne Room widened their eyes, while an unnatural smile took shape on Aerys' face.
"Speak then, go, and tell me more!" Ordered the King, excited by this news.
For his part, Rhaegar seemed very interested in the mention of Old Valyria, just like his mother.
"When we arrived near their Kingdom, we were stopped by two huge ships with holes and blades, capable of destroying us with ease. These boats easily rivalled the Royal Fleet, and they could easily win a fight, even but the most shocking was when we heard a sound like thunder, and a being of pure beauty appeared on the deck of the ship." Steffon began to say.
He saw the King bend over, very interested, his eyes excited as ever.
"He was tall, about 190 cm tall, with short blond hair, physically similar to the Valyrians, but he also had long, pointed ears, and completely blue and bright eyes. There were no white eyes just blue, his armour resembled some Old Valyria armour, and he had a sword in an unknown metal, maybe Valyrian steel, but I could not see anything. But my guards were afraid and shot him, but I do not know how, he deflected all the bolts with his blade, and some stopped in the air." Steffon continued, having caught the attention of the entire audience, amazed.
"Then he ordered us to follow him with our ship, and we followed him through a large river separating an island in two. This river crossed a great city, magnificent, made of white stones and gold, with an architecture I had never seen before, and gigantic towers, but it was not our destination, as we continued straight ahead, leaving the island and heading for another island that was at the centre of three islands. The three islands were linked by huge flying stone bridges to the central island, and I understood very quickly why. " Then exclaimed Steffon.
The whole assembly drank his words, wanting to know more, intrigued, amazed by this fantastic tale worthy of myths.
"I was then taken to an immense city, larger than King's Landing, or Braavos, and above all, much less populated. There were few inhabitants, in any case, compared to our city. the most beautiful I've ever seen, with huge white and gilded towers with blue variances all over the place, big gardens, unique trees, and even creatures I've never seen before. When I arrived, I was welcomed by the Grand Magister Lucius Sunbearer, the equivalent of the King's Hand and Duke of Suncrown, and Perseus Stormwater, the captain of the Royal Guard and 1st Duke of Atlantis, who was the brother of Jason Stormwater, 2nd Duke of Atlantis, the man who had accosted us. "Then said Steffon.
"What does this word mean, Duke?" Tywin asked, not knowing this title.
"From the little that I could understand, it's a very important nobility title, I think they are the equivalents of one of the Westeros Grand Houses." Steffon replied confidently.
Tywin nodded, and Aerys, very excited, asked him to continue his story.
"They took me through their city in a carriage, and the roads were perfect, the journey was smooth and the carriage was very big, they explained to me that they had never had visitors, and that they were all magical beings, like the Valyrians of old, then they explained to me during the trip that they did not really have a religion, but that they worshiped Magic and the Sun, and that their god was none other than their King." Then Steffon rekindled.
He saw Aerys' admiring gaze, already seeing himself as a god, while Tywin found this to be very intelligent move by the King. "Who would dare to disrespect a King who is considered a god?" Thought Tywin Lannister.
"I saw happy citizens, but also strange things: floating gardens in the air, giant crystals that floated and whirled, and giant statues that moved, serving as city guards, like the Golden Coats of King's Landing, but much more dangerous and above all, faithful. And finally, I arrived in front of the royal palace, which they call Hogwarts. It was a huge castle, much larger than the Red Keep, with in its centre, a giant tower reaching the sky, crossed by a huge pillar of light. They call this place the Sunwell, but I do not know what it is. And when I arrived, I was taken to the throne room." Then continued Steffon.
Tywin and Rhaegar stiffened, waiting to know more about the leader of such a mysterious and rich people.
"His name is Halrian Sunstrider, 1st of his name, King of all Quel'doreis and the Magical Kingdom of Avalon, Keeper of the Sunwell, Supreme Lord of Quel'Thalas, Grand Archmage of Avalon and Guardian of Magic. Quel'doreis being the name of their race, which means High Elves, and Quel'Thalas being the name of their island, although I do not know what that means. He was of medium height, about 180 cm, with long jet black hair, and a slight beard. But his eyes were different from all the other elves, because his were not entirely blue with a ring of colour, no, his iris was golden, with a green ring. But what surprised me most was his face. He looked a lot like your majesty when you were younger," Steffon said.
"Really, that's fine then, he must be Valyrian, well, and they must all be!" Aerys shouted, ecstatic.
"Indeed, your majesty, I explained to him my mission, but this king had only male lords to propose to me, and I discovered then that they used blood rituals and old magic to have children for same sex couples." Revealed Steffon, quite disgusted.
He then heard gasps of stupor, and even some of the most believing murmur sacrilege.
"So they must be Targaryens, that's obvious!" Shouted Aerys again, happy.
"However, your majesty, although he could not find anyone because of the Faith, he told me that we could return, to begin diplomatic and commercial relations. Their civilization being extremely rich and prosperous, I think it would be a great idea, that's why they gave me a gift to give you, your majesty." Steffon finished, motioning the guard to give the robe to one of the King's guards.
It was Tywin who decided to take the robe, to inspect it, and his eyes betrayed his wonder at the robe's beauty. It was very tall, cut for a man and not a woman, and made of a soft, comfortable and resistant silk. The dress was entirely blue and black, with gilding forming arabesques all over the dress, and a huge golden phoenix enveloping the back of the dress whose wings were deposited on the sleeves. The robe was just beautiful.
"What is this strange bird?" Tywin asked, amazed at the beauty of the article of clothing in front of him.
"It's a phoenix, the emblem of their kingdom, although I do not know what a phoenix exactly is." Explained Steffon.
The dress was passed to Rhaegar, who wanted to keep it, but had to give it to his father. Aerys Targaryen surprised everyone when he took off his clothes to wear the dress immediately, and his satisfied smile reassured everyone.
"This dress is worthy of me! Tywin, send a delegation to these High Elves to make connections, and I want trade and an alliance! Rhaegar too will go there, he will represent me." Aerys ordered in a moment of lucidity.
"And about my marriage, father?" Rhaegar asked, wanting to know more.
"My daughter is still ..." Tywin started with a smile.
"Bah, my son will not marry a servant! He will marry the daughter of the Martell, a real princess!" Aerys ordered with a wild look.
Tywin gritted his teeth at the insult, sending a black glare at Aerys, who smiled.
"Your majesty, I forgot to mention something important about these elves." Interrupted Steffon, remembering an important point.
"What is it?" Asked Aerys.
"I think they are immortal, your majesty." Steffon replied.
All the members of the throne room looked at him, shocked.
"How can you be sure, Lord Steffon?" Asked Rhaella Targaryen.
"Well, in the coach, they mentioned their age. Three days ago, it was the birthday of their King, celebrating his 120th birthday, while Duke Lucius mentioned that he was 721 years old and that the Duke Perseus announced that he was the same age as their King. "Revealed Steffon, shocking everyone in the Throne Room.
That's when Rhaegar says something amazing.
"Could it be that they are the creators of the Valyrian Empire?" Asked Rhaegar.
Nobody answered, but several asked the same question. After all, if they had lived so long, and looked so much like the Valyrians, would it not be logical for them to be the first Valyrians?
Steffon was then sent back to Storm's End, and in 277 AC, his son, Renly Baratheon was born at the Baratheon's siege. Unfortunately, he died the following year with his wife, after a trip to the free cities, before reaching Storm's End.
For his part, Rhaegar Targaryen was sent to the Kingdom of Avalon with a guard, as well as Tywin Lannister, to create links between the Quel'doreis and the Seven Kingdoms. They were able to establish an economic treaty between their two nations, and an embassy was created for the Targaryen House at Silvermoon. Tywin Lannister, after seeing the wealth, and most importantly, the power of this Kingdom, then tried to marry his daughter to one of these many heirs, especially Harry, but he refused, and Tywin then began talks with the families Greenleaf, Blackmoon and Stormwater to marry his daughter, Cersei Lannister.