"Your story is interesting. It has the potential to be something great. The Songs of Ice and Fire verse of fanfiction can be difficult to write and I hope that it does not hold you back with what you have in mind for your fic. If you write true to your heart then you can create something amazing. Good luck and I hope you update soon!" - Lovely Arya

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

Summary: Harry Potter has thrived in Westeros for almost a millennium and rarely intervenes in the events that shaped the world, but with an invite to King's Landing for the wedding of King Joffrey and Lady Margaery, he might not be able to help it. The Only King of Braavos, has returned and he will change the rules of the game of thrones.

Chapter 3:And a Stranger by His Side

Within his mind, he whispered gently, "Hello Stranger."

Looking into her eyes was like looking into a mirror. They were the same shape and shade as his own though with her dark skin they were almost more striking. She glided toward him and the darkness of his mind brightened, allowing him to truly gaze upon the women that claimed him her master.

Death was dressed in a sheer slip that pooled at her feet. Her hair was pulled into a thick braid with black flowers woven into different strands. She was beautiful.

She smiled, her teeth a bright white, and said, "Master, you can not interfere with this boy's death. He will die tonight and if you delay it then I will come back again and again till I get what is mine."

Harry shrugged, though he was curious as to why she wanted Joffrey so bad. "I am sure he has sent you many people. He is a monster with a short temper and he must have ordered people to die for many a petty crime."

"Yes, he did bring many; however, the boy king will die. I want him."

"Why?"

She reached for his cheek and Harry leaned into the touch. He had always heard that the touch of death was cold, but her fingers were warm against his skin. He could hear the distant screaming of Cersei Lannister and the gasping breaths of the King, but in the darkness of his mind it was easier to tune out.

The Stranger pulled her hand away and answered his question with a smirk. "There is a war coming and with him still in power the realm will fall. In order for the prophecy to be fulfilled, the ruler of the Seven Kingdoms must be willing to fight, else all is lost. And this boy would rather see his world freeze then aid those he once called enemy."

Harry stared into her eyes, confused. "The prophecy of the prince that was promised?"

"Yes. Though another prophecy is being woven as we speak, and you will have to complete it."

He grimaced and said, "What is the prophecy? Why must I be the one to fulfill it?"

"Because I brought you here."

That only made him angry. "Yes, but why? I do not want to be the prince that was promised."

She laughed and he felt the gooseflesh spread across his skin. It was an icy laugh that would make anyone freeze in terror. Perhaps it was the laugh of death and not her touch that made people believe she was like ice.

But Harry had long since gotten use to his stranger.

"You are not the prince that was promised, my master. But your fate is intertwined with those that prophecy has touched. You are not the only child born for the fates to play with." She looked hauntingly at him, but in her eyes there was pity and hope.

"Then what is my prophecy?" he asked.

The Stranger grinned. "It has yet to be written. With each new chapter of your life the words begin to form and when it ends the prophecy will be complete."

"Then how is it a prophecy if it has not been told?"

"It is a thousand prophecies and one as well. You create it. The writer of your fate guides you and at each beginning you cement it with your actions in its end. You tie the fates of many together and it is only you that can save this world. And once you have you will be free, free as I am, to be what you were born to be."

Harry tried to turn away from her, frustrated and confused, though he knew that she would not let him leave till she was done. It was a curse, his mastery over death. Her hand once more reached for him and held him within his own mind.

"This world is full of prophecies, and they grow with each passing day, like a balloon with air. They will burst and from them this world will either fall or rise. You must be the guiding hand that binds those that are born of prophecy. Nearly a thousand years in this world, you have spent, and you will save it like you have your own."

Harry gripped her shoulders and watched as his eyes on her face widened. "Yes, I have spent a thousand years here. Wandering around with a stranger by my side, wondering why I can not move on. Wondering why I live and breath and never die in a world that is so different from my own. And now you tell me that I will be free. Why must I have waited a thousand years? Why tell me now?!" he nearly shouted.

Death stepped back from him and Harry released her. She ran her hand, burning as it was, down his face and grasped his chin before answering him, "Do you love this world?"

"What?"

She rolled her eyes. "Do you love this world? You have walked its earth for hundreds of years, you have had lovers and friends, you are a king and a commoner, you do as you please with all those who meet you respecting the magic you have. Do you love this world?"

"Yes, but -"

Shaking her head at him, the Stranger interrupted him, "Then that is your answer. Why save a world that you do not love? Why not protect it if there is no one here you to care for? Before you can sacrifice what needs to be sacrificed you must know love."

He glared at her and responded, "I fell in love with my home here long ago. I fell in love with it and you came and took it. Valyria was cursed the second I stepped into this world. I spent decades thriving and then you took it from me."

"Yes, but you were meant for more than Valyria. You know why it had to fall. You know that was the only way you could rise."

Harry threw back his head in anger, but knew that this argument was pointless. He regretted nothing more than what had happened in Valyria more than four hundred years ago. It was after he left Braavos, after he had declared it free, after he had guided and saved so many. He went to Valyria looking to live out the rest of his days with the magic and beauty that was now in ruins, darkness and hell.

He wanted to be normal. The wish that was never able to become a reality. When he had gave up his throne and embraced life as commoner a country burned.

Blinking back tears, Harry refused to think more of that part of his life. That chapter had ended. He would not think on it unless he had to.

Returning to the main reason he was here, voice thick with the injustice that has plagued him his whole life, Harry asked, "And yet you deny a mother's wish to save her son? This boy king is terrible, I will give you that, but he is a child."

She shrugged. "And a monster, as you said, with an awful temper. I grant you immortality and I grant you love and you never ask me to gift any of those that steal your heart with your gift, but instead you ask me to spare this child?"

"I never asked for the child to be spared! I just wanted to know why! And my 'gift' is a curse! I would never make someone I love suffer as I have!"

"But you will, my master, you will." And with that, she leaned forward and placed her lips against his own in a sweet kiss of farewell before Harry was ripped from his mind and her.

When he opened his eyes, Harry only saw darkness before blinding light overcame him. Blinking the brightness away, he stared into the eyes of Oberyn who had jumped back in shock. Harry already knew that when he opened his eyes that they had been like a black pit, an abyss, into a world that only he could reach.

"My King?" the dornish Prince asked, with a tremor of fear barely heard in his deep voice.

Waving him off, Harry strode to the boy laying on the ground and the woman holding him in his arms. Looking into the eyes of Lord Tywin, he spoke, "The Stranger claims him. There is nothing I can do."

The former Queen let out a wail and drew her son to her chest, but the boy reached out for a figure in the distance. Harry watched as Death reached for him and as their fingers met, King Joffrey Baratheon, first of his name, the former Lord of the Seven Kingdoms died.

Cersei screamed and shouted, "You did this! You murdered my son! Take him! Take him!"

Tyrion Lannister had stood behind the Stranger, inspecting the King's wine glass when the boy had reached for her. His mother, no doubt believed that the child had pointed to his killer.

"Where is his wife? Where is Sansa Stark?" she continued with fury.

Harry looked around and saw no trace of the red haired woman. Lord Tywin ordered the city gates closed and Tyrion to be imprisoned.

Jaime leaned over his sister, trying to pull her away from her son. "Cersei let him go. He is gone. Just let him go." She let out a screeching wail before finally releasing her son. Her twin guided her to her feet and made to escort her away, but not before she turned to Harry.

He could see why people considered Cersei Lannister to be one of the most beautiful women in the Seven Kingdoms because even as anger and grief marred her face, she was stunning.

Leaning toward the wizard, she whispered vehemently, "You could have saved him. You are no king, no wizard. I will see your head on a spike for this treason." And with a turn of her head and a shove to her brother, the former Queen walked with as much grace and dignity that she felt she possessed and disappeared into the crowds.

After many apologies from the Hand of the King and the Lord Commander of the King's Guard, Harry retired to his room, where he thought to himself. The Stranger had plans for him and if what she said was true then he would have to be ready to move on, to be free like she promised.

A voice rang out from his doorway. Ellaria walked into his room, still in the gown she had worn to the wedding, her eyes sparkling with pity and understanding. "You must not feel bad for letting the King die. You are not the Stranger himself. You cannot control life and death."

He let her words wash over, but knew that it was not true. He was more than the Stranger. He was her master, but he refused to use that power. Harry would not become a monster like so many before him did when faced with power.

Ellaria sat at the edge of his bed and reached for his hand. "The Queen will no doubt send for you soon, if only to apologise for her words. She is a mother grieving and what she said to you is not something that you should take to heart."

Harry sat up and ran his hands through his thick ebony hair. "What is to become of Lord Tyrion?" he asked.

She shrugged gracefully. "He will likely be put to death, after a trial, of course. It seems like the Queen will guarantee his death, whether he did it or not."

"Mayhaps I will speak to him and discover the truth. I may be able to spare him if that is the case."

Ellaria placed her hand on his shoulder and squeezed it comfortingly. She knew that death upset him and even more so a death of a child.

Prince Oberyn walked into the room and his paramour ran to him, jumping into his arms. The death of King Joffrey was not what caused her to seek his comfort, but instead the suffering that the man resting on the bed felt was what brought her close to tears.

She remembered the first time she had met him. He had been exactly as he was now, though only clad in thin leather shorts. Ellaria had been at the edge of the Greenblood River with one of her daughters. She had watched her child play on the sandy banks of the river when a raft full of the Orphans of the Greenblood came to shore.

At first they had intended to take her and her daughter as one would take a whore, but then a man had jumped to from the raft and with no sword or weapon, he was able to convince them that they would be dead if they so much as tried to take them by force.

The men had immediately apologized and gifted her and her daughter with medicine and spices. At the time she did not understand why the men feared the dark haired youth (or so she had thought) that had defended her, but she was thankful.

When she had rushed back to her love, Ellaria learned that the man that had saved her and her daughter was the One and True King of Braavos. He was a man of many legends and myths, and she was surprised that he was not fighting fierce beasts or saving maidens like the stories told.

The next day, Ellaria had brought Oberyn to the place that she had been the day before. Surprisingly, the man that saved her was waiting for them. He stood with his back to them and a when he turned the sun formed a halo of light around his head, making him look a god with a crown made of sunlight.

Oberyn thanked him and she learned that Harry was unlike any other person she had ever met. He was royalty, but as they spent the remaining afternoon on the river, she watched as he was deep in the mud looking for a special breed of frog that is used in a poison. He was rich, but had no money. And he was young, but had walked their earth for nearly a hundred years.

The friendship her lover and she had with Harry changed their lives, and more than likely changed their destinies, and now that they were here she was excited, not to mention a little scared, of what he would change in the fates and lives of the people in King's Landing.

Harry had been invited to dine with the royal family. It had been eight days since the death of the King and Prince Tommen was to be coronated the next day. No doubt, Lord Tywin wanted his daughter to apologize to the visiting King.

He was escorted to a room not far from the throne. It was lavished with flowers and smelt of incense and perfumes. Sitting at a long table, on one end was the Hand of King at one end and the soon to be King at the other. The widow of King Joffrey sat beside Tommen, no doubt planning on marrying the child in order to become crowned Queen once more.

Beside her was her father, who did not spare him a glance. And next to him was the famous Queen of Thrones, Lady Olenna.

She looked like an intimidating women, with her silver hair and dark blue eyes. He had heard that she was near deaf, but the more he stared at her the more he thought it was a ruse to make her appear weaker than she really was. In her eyes, he could see her wit and he cunning.

Inclining his head, Harry leaned across the table to press a kiss to her old frail hand. She smiled and curtsey before saying, "We are honored to dine with you, your grace. Your display of power was quite stunning at the wedding."

Before Harry could speak, Mace Tyrell, who still refused to meet his eyes, said, "It was a show of magic, mother. If he had real power then he would still be ruling, not playing magician for true rulers."

Lady Olenna turned to her son with a grey sheen to her face and wide eyes full of rage and worry. She turned to apologize when Harry spoke, his voice icy and his eyes hard, "Do you think you have any power here, Lord Tyrell? Do you think that anyone looks at you with something besides ridicule?"

The man did not speak, but was obviously angered by the wizard's words.

Harry continued, "I may not rule anymore, but I have more power than you could ever dream of. Do you really believe land gives you power? People give you power."

"There is no more people that you rule over!"

The room got icy as Harry straightened and let his magic spread throughout the room. The flames of the candles flickered and went out. Mace Tyrell seemed to shrink and Harry seemed to grow.

Leaning forward, Harry spoke, "Get out."

Mace Tyrell did not move for several long moments when Lady Olenna stood from her seat. "Mace, you shame our family. Apologize and leave."

Gaping at his mother, Mace turned to Tywin who glared at him and nodded for him to obey.

Turning back to the wizard, Lord Mace bowed his head and said, "I apologize, your grace. Please excuse me." Standing, Mace moved to leave when Harry called him to stop.

He did and looked at the man before him.

"Apologize to the future king and the other guests that have you have insulted with your stupidity," Harry stated.

Mace Tyrell took a deep breath and responded to the table of guests, "I apologize, my lords and ladies, my Queen and Prince."

"For what, Mace?" Harry asked him informally.

The man gaped at him, but at last apologized again, "I am sorry that I insulted you daughter, mother, Lord Tywin, my lords and my Queen. I apologize my Prince. I apologize for my - stupidity."

Harry nodded for the man to go and Head of House Tyrell turned to leave. Before he left, Harry called back to him

"Yes, your grace," Mace spoke through gritted teeth.

Harry gave him a malicious grin and his eyes twinkled. "That is true power. Every person here understands that I am not someone to trifle with, that I am someone to obey - even you obey me. That is true power. Can you say that I do not have it now?"

The man gave him one last fleeting look of rage and embarrassment before fleeing.

Harry calmed down instantly after the man left the room. He did not understand why he hated the man, but it made him feel like the Harry Potter of his youth, a man full of righteous anger and an unwavering sense of justice.

The Queen of the Thrones, as well as Lord Tywin apologized to him, but Harry brushed them off. He sat in his seat beside the future King and the woman that gave birth to him.

At last, Harry turned to the only other woman dining with them. Queen Regent Cersei Lannister looked Regal, sitting on the other side of her father. She wore a deep black gown and a veil over her hair. Behind her was the Kingslayer, dressed in his white cape and gold armor. Besides a quick wink, he ignored Harry in favor of watching his nephew, or son, depending on who you were asking.

After the initial awkwardness best known as Mace Tyrell, they dined on boar and potatoes. The conversations were light, never straying into the uncomfortable and for that, Harry was grateful.

However, it was a somber affair, but eventually the Queen Regent apologized for her words at the wedding feast and asked if he wanted to be escorted around the gardens after they had their last course.

Harry could tell that the famed Tyrell matriarch wanted to speak with him as well, and while he pondered as to what she wanted, especially after his treatment of her son, he followed Cersei out to the gardens in silence.

After several minutes of aimlessly wandering, the Queen Regent spoke, "Do you like King's Landing, your grace?"

"It is indeed beautiful. The Sept and the castle are most amazing," he responded.

She stopped and while she did not fiddle like any other woman, for she was too well bred for that, Harry could see her struggle within herself.

"My father said that you were someone to fear. That you had power that no one on earth could match. He seemed to believe that with a few words, you could sway the war," she said, after a moment.

Harry inclined his head, but did not elaborate. There was no need. He did have the power, though he rarely used it. She had witnessed the fear he could inspire in wake of his power.

She seemed to understand that, because she next asked, "Why do you not? Sway the war? Or even claim the Iron Throne as your own? He would not tell me that."

Looking past her, remembering moments of his past that he would rather lay to rest, Harry finally spoke, "Your son died less than a fortnight ago." Cersei flinched at that, but did not look away. "There will always be people out there that will seek to claim your power as their own. Surely it is not unreasonable to not want to suffer in order to rule?"

"There is also much to enjoy when you are part of the ruling class. Why do you want to be a commoner? You make people call you by your birth name, rather than your title. You let my son boss you around like a common street performer. You do not strike out in anger, even as I screamed at you that I would seek out revenge for your part in not helping save my son. Why?"

Thinking on her words, Harry replied, "There are many reasons, and not enough hours in the day. Perhaps some day I will speak to you about my reasons, but there are others before you that have asked. They need to hear why I am the way that I am, before I speak of it to you."

A look of fury passed over her face, but was gone a second later. They continued their walk around the garden in silence, before Harry decided to speak again. "I saw your daughter the last time I was in Sunspear."

It seemed like he had said the right thing, because the Queen turned to him so quickly, hope and gratitude in her eyes. "My Myrcella?" she asked.

"Of course, she was celebrating her tenth name day."

The Queen gripped his arm, but waited with bated breath for him to continue.

For the remainder of the evening, they spoke of her daughter. He told her about the time that he caught her trying to sneak out with some of Prince Oberyn's children to go swim in the sea on a full moon. He told her about how Myrcella had begged to go with him to the wedding. How she wanted to see her brothers and mother.

In the end, Cersei Lannister finally bowed her head. She let silence wash over them as they continued to the castle.

Finally, the Queen Regent asked Harry what she wanted to ask in the beginning of their walk through the gardens, "Will you consider being witness to the Crown against Lord Tyrion? Will you testify that the King pointed to his accuser? Will you testify against the demon that was my father?"

Harry turned to the Queen, and said, "I did not see that."

Cersei Lannister leaned forward, "Testify this and I will grant you any favor. I will give you a common life, away from the world that has heard of your power. I will give you a lady of no noble birth or one of such birth, if you prefer. You could make her a common woman, or keep her as a lady."

She took a step back, and a cold glint appeared in her eyes. Cersei leaned forward, showing off her round teets and gave him a seductive look. "I will give you anything you want, my grace."

Harry moved forward, catching her sea foam green eyes with his emerald one. Staring into her eyes, he could she the truth in her eyes. He could see the hatred she had for her brother, he could see the fear she had toward him, he could see the lies she told to get her way, the bargains and the threats.

Stepping back, he saw the prophecy linger in her mind. Her desire to kill the little brother that she believed was going to be the brother to kill her. Bowing his head to her, he let her know his answer.

"I must decline your offer, Queen Regent, for I am already testifying for your brother, Lord Tyrion."

And as he turned from the shocked woman, Harry could not help but think that he would have to see the dwarf and seek out the truth of his crimes from him. Hopefully he had chosen to defend the innocent and not the damned.

AN: Well there you have it! Next chapter will be the meeting with Tyrion and a meeting with the Queen of Thorns. I will say that the next few chapters will be similar to this one: there will not be a lot of action till later in the story.

Also, I would like to say that I have decided that this story will not be slash. Sounds repetitive? Well a surprisingly amount of reviewers and readers that have messaged me seem to have not read that decision in the last chapter. So please, stop letting me know that this story will be awful because I made it slash. I almost changed my mind and turned it into that, just to show those readers that a story can be good regardless of the sexual preferences of the characters that I write, but I have outlined this story and know what I will be doing with these characters.

Yes, you read that correctly! I know what I will be doing with this story and want you all to know that there is no more voting because I know who Harry's love interest will be! Though don't expect to find out for many more chapters! They will meet soon, that is all I can say :)

Thank you again!