Disclaimer: All characters and situations are property of the respective owners of the amazing works of Harry Potter and A Song of Ice and Fire.

Aspirant

"I was hoping you could constraint yourself, at least this time." I hear, knowing who belonged that irritating voice, one I have hated for millennia.

"What are you doing here?" It certainly comes as no surprise to me, and I can say with conviction that she knows it is not.

"You had taken his parents away from him the first time, evidently you ignored the part where you stated that he will be starting a new life in a different way. You did it again."

At first, I had not given much importance to the interest that she presented for a human to whom, if you did not observe him for more than a moment, you would not find anything that could stand out from the rest. And until now, from my perspective, there is no justifiable reason for it. Although in my curiosity I have been able to identify the volume of her obsession.

Many might say it is best to avoid my attention, as "bad" things tend to happen, and in this case, it was certainly easy to see how far she was willing to go for the sake of helping him.

Humans are undoubtedly terrified of the concept of death, and as regards the one called Peter Pettigrew, it could be said that he was one of those who took the meaning of the word to another degree. I hardly even had to get involved for little Harry Potter to lose his parents.

Imagine my surprise when it is the baby who survives the long-awaited fated encounter and not the so-called Dark Lord.

"He did everything he was meant to, and you had your fun. He was dead."

That is what he and you believe.

"I don't understand what else you want from him."

Entertainment, of course. She knows this.

"And you sent him with no memories, this is nothing more than one of your redundant tests, is it?"

I would not take the trouble to do everything I did if it were not. However, this time I'm hoping that it will not be as difficult.

"Do you plan to intrude?" I ask, already knowing her answer.

I am counting on that she will.

"No, I fully trust him. You underestimate him too much," she answers with a tone that shows indignation at the question itself.

Fate has been like this since we came into being, there is no reason it should change now. The amusing part of the whole act is that everyone knows it, but that is not enough for her to stop refuting it. I could even go as far as saying that she knows that I am aware of her plans in which she intends to influence the new life of the human.

Out of all of us, she was always the one who most resembled these beings, this is undoubtedly due to the almost permanent presence she has in the life of each one of them.

Something that in some way has supported, in a boastful way, the thesis that she presented to show that she was the most important. A distasteful joke that is best forgotten.

"Then you don't have to worry," I respond, making effective my attempt to hide how hilarious the situation was to me. I look forward to delighting myself with whatever she has planned to shape your life, human.

Let us see Harry Potter, you who have been able to avoid Death, can you avoid Fate?

Malon I

It has been seven days already since we left my master's estate, and it took us two of them to reach Lys. I have tried to keep a low profile and because of that, we have visited different inns every day within the city.

I focused most of my time on gathering information in the commercial area in the mornings and with the conversations I had with the innkeeper during meals. My task would have been easier if I could have gone to a tavern, but it was an unfeasible option without someone to leave my little master with.

I do not plan to take someone as distinguished as my lord to a place like that, infested with undesirable people.

However, things seem to have calmed down a little on the island, at least regarding the interest in getting rid of the valyrian lords who were in the city.

The lyseni knew that it had to be swift, nobody in his right mind would be willing to face a dragon's wrath directly and there were three surviving dragonlords at Lys from what has come to be called "Doom of Valyria".

Two days ago, the death of the last of them was confirmed.

I think there would be no better time than now to start the foundations of my great little master's new identity. We can go along those unfamiliar names that will rise amid the ashes left from the empire.

We need slaves.

In a city like Lys, the richest families are also those who have a greater number of them, that is why it is essential to invest a part of what my master left for my little master into buying a considerable amount of them.

The problem we find ourselves in is that we do not have a place to keep them.

We also need land.

Lys is a very fertile island, and as such, it has always maintained a substantial number of traders investing and maintaining large plantations and farms.

My lord Galaenar owned one of the largest estates here and in the same fashion, many belonged to the lords of Valyria, who opportunely, for the lyseni, are unable to voice any claim against anyone declaring themselves the new owners.

In other words, there are now some in the group of traders who do not know what to do with their new acquisitions and Malon is entranced with the prospect of easing them off the new load.

It is for this reason that I have decided to head to the port to secure an escort with whom I plan to visit one of the prominent families who have shown interest in disposing of a few acres of land.

"Good day," I say approaching one of the merchants who trade with slaves. "I require a few young, obedient and strong prospects."

Undoubtedly, to make a good first impression, I require certain "quality" shared between my new acquisitions.

"Then you have come to the right place, Vaemond prides on offering the best quality at Lys. Do you want them with a characteristic specific? A skill or trade perhaps?" asks the merchant who, from what I can gather, was extremely young.

Although, there was a hint of doubt within me for it seemed that he had not been able to control the benefits of his wealth as he was among the most obese that I had seen in the city, and that did not extend any kindness to his appearance.

"I need them as escorts, for protection," I reply as I continue to peruse his tent, with my little master resting peacefully in my arms.

During the days I was gathering information I sold small parts of a chest, to make the payments more effective using local currency.

"Certainly," I hear him say cheerfully. "We have some from Astapor and Tyrosh that will certainly meet your expectations," he ends by adding at the same that he nods in the direction of a beautiful woman who was standing next to a door.

Following that action, she walks towards me while he strolls in direction of the door.

"My lord, would you like to see what else can Great Master Vaemond offer?" Asks the blonde-haired girl, with a musical voice that showed a strong lyseni accent.

I could not help but feel nervous now that her blue eyes were guided towards me.

For some reason, Malon does not know if he wants to answer that question.

So, I did what my good sense told me to do.

I stood there saying nothing, waiting for time to pass quickly as the merchant returns.

"My lord?"

I wonder if I will be able to recover the estate of my great master, although knowing what happened there, perhaps I shouldn't.

My little master also needs a wet nurse, but this is a challenge in itself as Lys does not have an exceptionally good reputation when it comes to babies or children, especially if they are as graceful as my little master.

Whoever I deem trustful enough to be responsible for that position must be someone whose sole focus should be him, as if their lives are dependent on it.

I must be careful.

Everything will become manageable after securing the land. The slaves that we will need must be farmers ready to work the fields and maintain the livestock, if we are lucky and find land close to the sea, fishermen too.

Considering that I am not the only one who is in this predisposition, it is important to end these matters as soon as possible.

"My lord?"

My master's family advocated the great idea of raising slaves, not for trading with them, but to make them more effective at their tasks.

From an early age, those who showed skill with the spear were trained to offer security to their lands. The rest learned a trade depending on what was needed or if someone's ability was remarkable, they were encouraged to develop it.

Lys had a great inclination for the same, but her interests lay more in the pursuit of beauty, breeding the most attractive slaves to rise the best courtesans and pleasure servants possible.

"As you can see here, these are the best slaves that I have that meet the distinctions you require, ¿lord...?" I finally hear the merchant say, ending the silence that persisted in the store in his absence.

"Malon," I answer.

I had already decided to keep our names, no one would know who we are anyway, and with this, there would be no slips out of lack of practice.

"Very good lord Malon, take the time you need to assert them." He nods.

"But you will not find better spears than these among the slaves in Lys." He says puffing his chest with a confident smile.

Following what the merchant said, I begin to thoroughly examine each of the servants presented to me.

Ten young men were in a good condition and assuming from their most distinctive characteristics I could discern that there are six of Astapor and four from Tyrosh.

These were slaves brought from places with distinct cultural dispositions, the former known for their obedience, and the latter for their ferocity, which in turn made them less disciplined.

I know I had considered only bringing four as a guard, but I think two more will not make much of a difference.

"I am taking the six astaporians," I say after a little period.

In the circumstances in which we found ourselves, we must prioritize loyalty and discipline above all.

Changing direction towards the merchant, I push forward a bag containing thirty lyseni coins, which in Malon's opinion is a generous amount for buying six slaves.

Squandering a bit right now is an investment if it can avoid unwanted questions and attention.

The merchant approaches the bag and reviews its contents, after a few moments, he provides us with a big smile, as if we were great friends meeting again after many years.

Finishing that gesture, he directs a glance at the slaves that had just been sold, they, understanding what was implicit said, headed towards me, stopping only a few steps away.

Awaiting new orders.

"I plan to make a substantial purchase on my next visit, in two days. I would appreciate it if you could prepare my order so that my time can be focused on something more productive than waiting," I say, not being able to ignore the new sparkle that emanated from the young merchant's eyes.

"I require these to be fit in plantation work and livestock care. Also, some specialized in domestic matters."

"I will take care of it, lord Malon." The merchant says, trying to contain his enthusiasm.

"For the inconvenience." I ended up saying, at the same moment in which I placed two more coins on the hand that the merchant had instinctively raised.

Inclining my head with far enough dip to show my gratitude I leave the establishment with my escorts mimicking my movements.

It is time to go buy land for my little master.

But first, my new escorts beg for some opulence. Their image must be impeccable.

They are my little master's servants after all.

Lotho I

Essos will change.

I cannot be sure how long we have until the conflicts begin.

Valyria was all that kept us in peace, and I would be surprised not to see that some parts of Essos do not adhere only to their newfound independence.

Lys is an extraordinarily rich city and that is precisely its attraction now. One only needs to look at the nearest cities to know that they represent a danger to the island. We have resources in abundance, but we are not prepared to face a war, our interests were always directed towards other aspects of life.

Until now it has been difficult to believe what happened in Valyria, an empire that had no rival fell in less than a day and still no one knows what took place to make it happen.

There is fear on the streets because there is always the probability that whatever ended the empire might shroud the rest of Essos in the same way. However, the fall of the empire brings new opportunities, something that House Rogare intends to take advantage of.

The beginnings of our family can find their roots in the empire, but it was in Lys that we found prosperity and now our name instils some level of respect. The prestige we have acquired in recent years must continue in that trend, and I, Lotho Rogare, plan to be the one who will take it to heights never seen before.

"Master, someone who wishes to speak with you has come." I hear saying one of my beautiful servants, one with the common lyseni pale blond hair that appears silver from distance and is dressed in high-quality blue silk brought from Myr. If the beauty of her dress were not enough to attract anyone's attention, her figure would have the last word.

In Lys, beauty was power; therefore, it is no surprise that those who wish to obtain it are encouraged to show it in all aspects of their lives, however mundane they may seem.

I would dare to say that the more insignificant it may seem to the rest, the more impact it will have on them if given more attention. My slaves represented me and anyone who sees them must think or at least ponder the idea that my family is so rich that we can afford to display them in such a way.

That, in my opinion, is a step in the right direction of the game.

"Was he specific about what he wanted to discuss with me?"

In recent days, because of the events, I have received visits of all kinds, some seeking my favour, others my gold and some others my new lands.

I am certainly not in any rush to start a business with anyone; yes, it is time to make risky decisions, but that does not imply that I will go after any bum who comes.

"No, my master, he only mentioned that it was on matters of business."

Another one then, let us see if he offers something interesting.

"I understand, escort him here."

My servants have explicit orders to not inform me of cases that do not present themselves as serious prospects, they know how to differentiate them from a hopeless case.

Wealth is not what I am looking for, we are in times in which foundations will be built for the new Lys, and for that, inexperienced players with new names will be required. Influencing them will be essential for the Rogare family and its pretensions for the future.

It is an investment.

Many have obtained wealth as spoils of war, but very few have secured a legacy because of it. I could do what others are doing and keep my new "acquisitions" but if I learned something from Valyria, it is that it is better to have allies than subjects waiting for a moment of weakness to stab you in the back.

We are in Lys, the only way to fight here is with poison and plots. Let to be reminded that so far no one has allowed a single tear for their former masters.

"You are in the presence of Master Lotho, lord of the house Rogare of Lys," I listen to the announcement of one of my servants, after which a tall man with black hair and grey eyes dressed in a dark blue colour that found finely defined golden edges makes an appearance.

I could say without a doubt that he is a handsome young man, even if I were to ignore the look that his escort, my servant, cannot avoid giving him.

As I was thinking that, said the young man is about to take a few steps forward, and reverently says: "It is a pleasure to have the opportunity to appear before you, Lord Rogare. And it would be an honour if you were to refer to me as Malon, who comes to you as regent of the house Naeliar."

Behind him, I see six differently clothed escorts, four are wearing light silver armour that covered their faces in a material that suggests being steel, and the remaining two were wearing what I am used to seeing in the city, informal clothes, but of high quality, nevertheless.

All of them unarmed, as it should be, for there is no doubt their weapons were given to my servants before entering. All showed the discipline necessary to reveal that they were effective enough in their work.

The first four of them carried two chests of considerable size. And the last two holding a beautiful carriage with a red and gold finish that if I did not know better would suggest the presence of a member of royalty; however, its size invited us to think that it was too small to hold a person, even a child, a baby no doubt.

The young man, Malon, turns and with a gesture to his escorts gives them an order to act and the steeled armed men make way for the approaching carriage. "It is my pride to introduce you to my lord Gaelon, heir to House Naeliar."

I see, an aspirant, I wonder if the effort put into the presentation is also distributed within the proposal that called Malon here on this day.

Although, for some reason, I feel a sense of familiarity when I see him, like if I have met him before. However, no matter how hard I try, I cannot set the place and date.

I have never heard of the Naeliar house before, but that does not surprise anyone these days.

The very possibility of meeting him in the past gives a bit of credibility to whatever he might propose; but the baby may offer proof enough to legitimize what was implied in what he just said, a noble orphan with a new name, running away from something.

It is not exceedingly difficult to conclude what it is they escape from, in these times there are few reasons and all of them quickly come to my mind, one stands out among all.

The wealth that he is striving to show off suggests that what happened in Valyria might be among their justifications for seeking a clean slate.

The heir to a noble house of the empire can be a good prospect for me, but the son of a dragonlord is a bet that could put an end to my family or cement it to its highest, recording our name in history forever.

"The honour is mine, Malon. House Rogare has always prided itself on being an ally for the most distinguished families of Valyria. We welcome to the Naeliar house," I answer, looking for some reaction to my words.

There is not.

Meaning that the young man in front of me could be exceptionally good at hiding his surprise, which would speak highly of his upbringing and strengthen his case for my help; or he was just hoping I would deduce it, which in his circumstances could be highly effective but risky, bordering stupid.

There is a possibility that he would trust me not to do anything against his master, which would imply that his family was on good terms with mine. If this is the case, I must put more emphasis on remembering where I saw the man who claims to be called Malon.

"Once again, I thank you for welcoming me on behalf of my lord," Malon says inclining his head a little while taking a few steps to get closer to where I was.

I, with a gesture, indicate that he can make himself comfortable, at the same time as I say. "Apologies if this might be inferred as rudeness, but I have many businesses to attend to today, would you like to ignore the pleasantries and get to the matter of importance?"

"I agree with your assessment, lord Rogare." He responds offering me a genuine smile. "I do not want to take more time than necessary, for like you, there are important matters of my lord that require my attention."

"Excellent! Let us continue then, how can the Rogare house help lord Naeliar this time?"

"In retort to the events that led in recent days, my lord has decided to settle in Lys," said the regent, while deciding to stand up to my eyes, hiding nothing, showing strength and intelligence.

He looks like the kind of person I would not mind doing business with.

"For this reason, it is appropriate that his first interest is to find fertile and extensive lands. Worthy of someone of his stature. "

"I understand, and has your lord pointed out anything concrete regarding how extensive they need to be?" I ask, recalling the two large chests he brought with him.

I imagine it is not a small farm.

Malon raises his hand and the four bodyguards in charge of the chests approach, setting them between us.

"My lord estimates that he would need at the very least two hundred acres." He continues while opening and displaying the negotiation piece.

After seeing the fortune, I cannot help but stress the fact that these slaves are stronger than they appear.

Malon is certainly being exceedingly kind with his offer. I do not doubt that his proposal responds to the need of carrying out all mishaps most efficiently and discreetly possible.

With a smile forming on my face, I reply. "Your lord is extremely fortunate, Malon. I recently acquired a property that guarantees your requirements."

It did cost me a decent amount of resources to secure the referred property, but if the deal goes through, my investment will pay for itself, leaving a lot as profit.

"It is located south of Lys, has access to the sea and is made up of a plain, whose fertility makes the goddess lyseni herself proud thanks to the river that flows into its beaches."

Mimicking the same smile, I wear now; Malon seems to find my proposal just.

"My lord could not settle for anything less than what you mention, if what you said turns out to be truthful..." pauses, changing his posture and the warm smile he had a few moments ago is replaced by a cold one "... I can assume that he would like to acquire it."

An implicit message that I receive clearly, and certainly if there is something I abhor when dealing with business with someone, is the need one has to increase the attractiveness of what they sell by using empty words.

"Don't worry, Malon. The Rogare house can show pride in what we trade, but it would never be at the cost of its true worth."

I'm no mere trader.

"So, we have an agreement then, lord Rogare?" he asks, easing a little bit his posture.

"Undoubtedly, under normal circumstances, you could assume that what we discussed meets what is necessary for it."

These are not normal times, I am afraid.

"I imagine you understand why one requires caution these days, don't you, Malon?"

"What do you require of me, lord Rogare?" He responds with the same coldness that he showed moments ago.

"You don't need to worry, honest answers to a few questions should be more than enough."

Malon responds just by nodding his head. From the air of calmness that he seems to radiate, I can confirm that he expected this. This would imply that he has practised answers, or he may plan to be honest with me, to some degree.

"Since I saw you today, I have tried to answer, unsuccessfully, when and where I have seen you before." I declare, awaiting any reaction, which is once again denied to me.

"I apologize if my faulty memory offends you, but have we been presented to each other before, Malon?"

"We had not been introduced to each other before, lord Rogare." The regent says, if it were a lie I would not know, from the beginning I couldn't deduce what he had in mind.

"But we have seen each other in the past, while I was serving another lord."

Finally, a reaction in his eyes, is it embarrassment? It appears that the lord he served is involved in a delicate matter for Malon.

I wonder if…

"In no mood to overdo, could you tell me who the man you served was?" I ask, trying to sound as considerate as possible.

With a warm smile and a touch of melancholy, Malon proudly declares. "Galaenar, lord of house Maltanis of Valyria."

I was numb, and for a few moments, played as a simple spectator to the reaction of my servants that quickly approached me thinking that I had some disease because of how quickly my face changed colour.

Finally coming across my initial surprise, I raise my hand, ordering them to stop, so I can start processing what I heard.

Maltanis?

The baby…

"Sweet teats of Lys..." I exclaimed, standing up, witnessing the most radiant smile I have seen in my life adorning Malon's face.

A dragonlord!