Harren II

"I want their hands on spikes. Heads. On spikes. Outside my walls. I want to show these god for nothing lords what happens when you go against your King." Harren was furious. He had heard of the defections that have occurred. He was unsurprised by the Emmons and Masseys defecting. They had always been fought over by Argilac and Harren and it was whispered that they were talking to Aegon. Harren had no time to deal with these lesser lords whilst the construction of Harrenhal was taking place.

However, when he heard that Rosby fell without a fight he was furious. He had thrown things, dismissed some of his servants that associated with Rosby. He sent his men over to Rosby and demanded that they return their fealty to Harren and the Iron Islands. But they never made it to Rosby. House Stokeworth had also changed their fealty after a dragon reportedly attacked their lands. The men sent to Rosby were defeated by Stokeworth and sent back in shame. Harren had executed them too. He cared not for losers. He was a King in a fractured Kingdom and needed to rule with an iron fist.

"I think we should consult the other Lords, Your Grace. Lord Edmyn -" began the maester. Edmyn had ridden here as Harren had commanded but had proven useless and idiotic. Since then Harren had him permanently dismissed from Harrenhal. He talks of surrendering to Aegon had wearied Harren to the bone, so following this defeat, had him thrown out in a fit of rage. Harren cared not what the Tully man thought. Harren still had a bad feeling about Edmyn and wanted him as far away from him as possible.

"Lord Edmyn has been sent away, His ideas are not welcome and his name is not to be mentioned unless it is that some sympathetic guard has gone to that pathetic castle he calls home and slit his throat whilst he slept."

"Your Grace, there is still worse news." Darry spoke up again.

"More. The Seven curse this Dragonlord. He has come to bring even more trouble to my door, when I need it not. What else has he done?"

"Lord Darklyn and Mooton had combined their forces. They wished to throw the dragon back into the sea, where he belongs. However, his dragon, the black beast, cut them all down before they had a chance. They are both dead. It is reported that their heirs both conceded and declared fealty to him."

"Another two lords. He has been in Westeros a mere month and has converted six houses of my lands to his cause. He constructs a palisade atop a hill that has been a ruin for centuries, and expands his borders with ease that I could only dream of. What else does this Dragonlord want?"

"My King, you received the letter." Darry began. Of course Harren had received the letter, the whole of Westeros had. It kept Harren awake at night, nothing he could do would allow him to sleep. He neglected his wife and distanced himself from the children.

"There is one good piece of news though, Your Grace." Darry said slightly more cheerily than he had been.

"Finally. We all need some now I think, maester." Harren had tried to raise the maester's spirits. Despite his anger, Harren actually respected Darry and wished for him to stay, even if he wanted him terrified some of the time.

"Well the builders have assured me that the completion of Harrenhal will be within a few weeks, Your Grace. This amazing holdfast to rule them all will be completed." Darry looked proud and was anticipating Harren's reply.

"That is good news. I'll be glad when commoners stop walking around the place as if they own it. Now maester, I will bid you a farewell, I shall meet with my wife." With a small bow from Darry, Harren wandered out of the room and down the spiral staircase from the maester's tower. At the bottom he wandered along the corridor and turned into the Grand Hall. There he saw his wife conversing with one of the smallfolk drafted in to help with the construction. No doubt she was discussing tapestries, she was obsessed with them.

He approached his wife and hugged her from behind. She turned and gave him a small peck on the cheek before turning around to face him. "You still sleep ill Harren. Have you spoken to the maester?" She asked caringly.

"I need no maester's help." Harren said with stark defiance. She however, was beaming. "What is it, my love?" Harren enquired.

"I'm pregnant Harren." She beamed, and hugged Harren tightly. Harren however, was not impressed. His wife would have to go into confinement within a few months and he would not be able to share his bed with anyone, as he would not permit common girls into his chambers. Still, he must appear excited for his wife, a King must always react in the correct manner.

"That is wonderful news. Have you told the children yet?" Harren asked. He hoped that she would be able to tell them and allow him some time to himself.

"Only Garth she replied. I hoped that we would be able to tell them together." Wilhelmina seemed hopeful.

"I'm afraid not, my love. You should tell them. I must prepare Garth for his accession to the throne and it is time I show him how to ensure the Kingdom isn't bankrupt." Seeing the disappointment on her face though, he quickly followed up with another idea. "I shall write to my brother, Maron. He can come from the Wall and visit for a few days. It has been a while since we have seen him and I'm sure that he will appreciate some time away from that wretched Wall," Harren said. Wilhelmina was still unimpressed but warmed to this idea. She left the room, checking to see if he would make true his promise to visit Garth. It felt as though she was hiding something, but he discounted this quickly, his son was his priority.

Harren then went looking for his son Garth. He was a hard boy, not unlike Harren, but was still open to other people's ideas. Harren needed to fill these up before he becomes too old and hard-headed to listen to anyone else but himself. He found Garth at his desk writing a note to someone. He looked agitated and positively alarmed when Harren walked in.

"Who's that too?" Harren asked politely. When he got no response from Garth he walked up into his face and asked him again, calmly.

Garth looked down at his hands, "I was leaving myself a note, father. For tomorrow. Mother has asked me to do certain jobs and I wish not to forget what they are," he spoke quickly.

Harren was unimpressed by his son's answer so when Garth moved his hands, he snatched the letter from under him. Garth made some noise to try to stop his father, but when he read the letter he was shocked. "Who is Mi?" Harren asked angrily. He cared not for his son sleeping around. As a 16 year old man, it was not uncommon in Westeros, especially when you are the heir apparent. But this was a declaration, albeit private, of love.

"It's Minisa. Minisa Tully." Garth admitted, almost ashamed. He shied away from his father, scared at the response that he would get.

"Tully. You mean you are sending love-letters to a Tully? Do you understand what this means? Do you? We are the ruling family here, the Tullys are a nuisance to us. They threaten our very position and you wish to marry one. Without my permission. And what of your mother?" Harren exploded at the boy.

"She was fine with it actually. She was happy for me. It's just that you are not content with anyone, not a single person, being happy if it messes with your ideology." Garth stood up. Although he was not the tallest person, he had already grown taller than his father and overshadowed him. Harren, however, was not a man to be crossed.

"If you wish to continue this so-called relationship with the Tully girl, I will disinherit you. You will be sent to the Wall and live the rest of your days, alone, frozen at the end of the World." Harren had declared.

"I am your son and heir. I am already more popular than you father, and I have a chance to mend the rift between the houses of the Iron Islands and the Riverlands. Whilst you are an arrogant old fool that does not want to move on from the so-called glory days of your grandfather. Wake up father, those days are over." Garth had never spoken up to Harren like that before. It was clear that Garth had grown up and was his own man now.

"Son or not, should you ever speak to me like that again, an eternal trip to the Wall will be glorious compared to what I would do to you." Harren threatened. Before he could turn and walk out however, his wife had opened the door. The sight of her husband grabbing the throat of her eldest son was more than she could cope with and quickly shut the door.

"What the Seven do you think you are doing Harren?" Wilhelmina asked horrified.

"He has been send love letters to the Tully girl. He wishes for the day I die so that he can marry her. Have you read this?" Harren thrust the letter into her face, but she still looked unimpressed.

"I didn't need to. I've already spoken to Garth about it. I was the one who told him that he should write to her. They got along so well when Edmyn came to visit. I thought that they would make a good match and I knew that you would disapprove."

"My own wife would dare undermine me. My own wife conspiring with my heir and the family that I hate. My own wife trying to change the dynasty my grandfather set up for us all." Harren looked despairing and manic. He threw open the door, "you will all regret this, I am warning you," and slammed the door behind him.