Chapter Five: When Harry Met Sansa

Before venturing out the next morning, Ser Harold sent his men in squads of four to hurry up those Valemen that would be returning with them to Gulltown. He encouraged them to not display their Arryn sigils openly but have them on their person as they helped the loyal smallfolk carry or sell their possessions. The latest estimate was that thirty three former servants of House Arryn were planning on joining them, making it lucky that his armsmen and Captain Nerris had sold all of the goods they were intending to sell in Tyrosh. That space would be needed to house passengers and increased foodstuffs for the journey back to Gulltown.

Harry and Willum, dressed for training at the Red Keep, made their way to the Royce townhouse for another breakfast. On his early morning walk to Aegon's High Hill, Harry took the opportunity to revise his plans. He had not realized how many mercenaries and corrupt gold cloak officers, not to mention all the merchants and bureaucrats, that Paetyr had placed in their positions. The young wizard assumed many of them would be somewhat loyal to him, or at least his continued patronage, bribes, or silence about their secrets.

He therefore wanted to grab the accumulated wealth Littlefinger had hidden away at the last possible moment. The same with arresting Maester Pycelle. Doing either would likely kick up an additional hornet's nest to the one he had already knocked loose by making Paetyr disappear. So while his men were stuck dealing with the relatively safe business of relocating servants he would refrain from stirring this cesspool of violence and intrigue any further. Harry felt today should be about getting his cover story out, and genuinely entertaining the maidens at court. One of which could become his future lady wife.

Harry, wearing his plate armor today, started doing some drills with mace and shield as well as working on the pike and spear which his travels with the sellswords had shown him were key weapons for any soldier to know. Lord Royce, Robyr, and Willum all listened as he described the formations and techniques that he had observed used by and against the Windblown company. Yohn was impressed and by his passive reads felt a bit beholden to him for providing him and his men-at-arms some new skills and strategies to hone.

Feeling this the perfect time to place Willum safely with his grandfather, Harry let the Lord know that the following day he may be entering some danger, vaguely referencing dealing with businesses that Lord Jon had invested in which were no longer responding to Steward Royce's requests for dividends or reports in the wake of Lord Jon's death. Just a hint that he was also in the market for meeting the prospective future Lady Hardyng and the Bronze Yohn volunteered to spend some quality time with his grandson while encouraging Harry to join Robyr at the lists.

The late morning was a juxtaposition of humbling lessons in the joust, a form of combat that his switching of shield arms severely disadvantaged him, and enjoyable flirtations with the small crowd of female observers. The proximity of the training lists to the Godswood and the Royal Gardens saw a steady stream of young maidens and their chaperones. Ser Robyr was a good host, both in critiquing his jousting form and introducing him to available young women. Robyr the Red seemed equally interested in the chaste potential 'future wives' and the easily beddable 'jousting fans'.

Harry also got to meet a few Crownland knights like Lord Lothar Mallery. He was most impressed by Ser Beric Dondarrion of Blackhaven in the Stormlands. The tall but lithe blond, dubbed the Lightning Lord with a Dayne as his squire and betrothed to another, Harry bore the brunt of his jousting prowess while being impressed with the way he carried himself. Talking with the level headed but friendly Lord also brought Harry's attention to Ser Beric's young and not-so-secret admirer. Beside the besotted young maiden of House Cassel of the North was a redhead of exceptional beauty despite her youth. Seeing that his new knightly acquaintance was uncomfortable under this unwanted scrutiny, and eager himself to chat up her blue-eyed friend he gallantly invited the duo to a walk in the royal gardens.

He was treated to an unspoken thanks from Ser Beric while Ser Robyr was quite amused by his obvious fixation. Laughing at a joke only he was aware of, Robyr reminded Harry to be on his best behavior and wished him well. The three of them entered the gardens with the two adolescent ladies taking off at a jog so they could escape from the watchful eyes of their Septa and Stark escort who were still watching the jousting. Harry, easily able to keep up with the pace they set in their long dresses, fell back and subtly drew his wand to cast cleaning charms on himself and his armor. He was enjoying this moment of frivolity amidst his incredibly serious mission.

They spent a good hour wandering about the gardens, pausing occasionally at benches for Harry to be peppered with questions by Beth about Lord Dandarrion. Harry learned the gorgeous if precocious fire haired teen was Sansa Stark, eldest daughter of the Hand of the King. She was much more reserved than her boisterous companion but flirted quite well when Harry made the attempt to draw her out. Harry started to think that this girl might be worth pursuing by he and Kara. Unfortunately both girls seemed to suffer from ridiculous notions about knights and courtly love. But they were pretty enough that Harry didn't mind weathering their giggles and inside jokes. In a way it made him nostalgic for his foster sisters that he'd barely been able to visit with since returning to Westeros.

Despite sending quite a few demure but sultry eyes and blushes Harry's way, Sansa finally revealed forty five minutes into their stroll that she was betrothed to the Crown Prince Joffrey. For Harry that was the end of his idyllic walk. Knowing what he did about Joffrey's incestuous origins and the growing conflict between the Starks and Lannisters he was taken aback by Sansa's ignorance and naivety in regards to her betrothal. In retrospect, he over reacted seeing as she couldn't possibly know Joffrey was a bastard born of incest.

"Are you sure you are still engaged?" Harry asked trying to back his way into laying some hard truths onto Sansa and Beth. He was starting to recognize that their willingness to run off with him was a sign of their ignorance of the dangers lurking in the Red Keep.

"And why wouldn't I be? He is as handsome as ever. And a perfect knight in training. When we marry we will have the most handsome princely sons and golden haired daughters. You sound jealous Ser Harold." She was starting to grow uncomfortable with the subject of conversation, while her friend Beth seemed oblivious to subtext.

"Well, for one your mother arrested his uncle Tyrion and charge him with murder. Then his other Uncle Jaime attacked your father and slaughtered a bunch of the Stark men-at-arms. I mean I haven't even seen your Lord Father leave the Tower of the Hand because he was injured by a Lannister red cloak. I highly doubt you will marry Joffrey if his house is at war with yours," he reasoned.

"Joffrey isn't a Lannister he's a Baratheon, and King Robert won't let there be any fighting. Besides, the Queen likes me very much. She said she would make sure nothing got in the way of her son having the wife that he wanted," she argued smugly.

"You are meeting with the Queen, without your Lord Father present?" he asked in shocked horror. It was as if this girl was living in a dream were nothing bad happened and her wishes always came true.

"Of course. I am to be queen one day. I must learn all I can from the current one, who is to be my mother by law once I and the golden prince Joffrey are wed." She and Beth looked at him as if he were slow for questioning something so obvious. Then she sighed dramatically, probably imaging her royal wedding day if he had to guess.

"Sansa, you must not do that any more. In fact, you shouldn't have run off with me. King's Landing is dangerous, and the most dangerous people for you are any with even tenuous connection to House Lannister. Especially the Prince and the Queen. You should always stay with House Stark men-at-arms. Since you seem to lack any interest in self-preservation you should allow more experienced supporters of your house keep you safe." Harry had barely restrained the urge to shake her and his reading of the two teenagers showed they were starting to grow upset with him in turn.

"Who are you to tell me I need protection from my future husband's family?" She struck her most haughty pose, but it came off as childish.

"I would like to know that as well," questioned a hulking plate-armored new arrival. He bore a tabard with the three headed hound of House Clegane and his stringy long brown hair couldn't hide his badly scarred face. "I think the Prince would be most interested to know who is sticking his nose into matters that don't concern him." He spat at Harry's feet, adding a direct challenge to his apparently half-hearted defense of the prince.

Not too concerned about Sandor the Hound with his wand strapped to his wrist Harry responded with a disinterest that matched the accomplished soldier. "I am Harold Hardyng, heir to House Arryn and the Vale. And before you interrupted I was admonishing miss Stark on her willful obtuseness. Like a silly little girl, she is ignoring the almost open conflict between her house and House Lannister."

"What is worse, she is delusional. She cloaks herself in courtesy and manners and think them impenetrable armor. I am a gentleman and a knight, but you two could not have known that when you wandered off with me. Were I a rapist I could have already taken both your maidenheads. If I was a red cloak that wanted to hurt the Starks even without an order, I could have slit your throats or maimed you and nothing would have prevented me from doing so. If the Queen or Tywinn Lannister or Prince Joffrey felt injured Lord Stark would be more easily controlled if his daughter was their hostage, like Tyrion is even now, would you hesitate at all to snatch them up and hold them prisoner if that was ordered?" he questioned the Hound.

Sandor Clegane paused for a minute then gave both Sansa and Beth a vicious smile made even more so by his burned face. "Not even for a second. I've told you this before little bird about soldiers and knights, but it seems you still just chirp on command. Now... Joffrey wanted me to find you so you could watch him practice arms with the Kingsguard. It is not a request." Sansa stilled and shuddered slightly while Beth scowled at the Hound speaking to them like this or perhaps for his tacit agreement with Harry.

"I'm sorry master Clegane, but I cannot in good conscience let you take them after I've just stated the possibility of them becoming hostages. I will escort them to the Tower of the Hand, and you can give the Stark men-at-arms Joffrey's order for his betrothed to watch him train. If the prince asks, please reassure him that I have no interest in his betrothed. I was unaware of their engagement when we first met. Regardless I thought I was chatting with eligible young women, but it seems I wasted my time with little girls putting on airs." Reading the two girls as he spoke, he realized his words were felt quite harshly, especially by Sansa.

"And what if I protest you escorting these girls anywhere? Your prince commands their presence and as his sworn shield I am obliged to see his commands realized." Though his words were confrontational, Sandor continued to act completely disinterested in the situation.

"That would be quite foolish. Not only is there little guarantee you would actually best me here, but doing so would have repercussions. I highly doubt the Lannisters want to add the Arryns to the growing list of enemies they are making. The North and the Riverlands should be enough for you Westerlanders." Harry then rested his hand on the pommel of his long sword, wishing he had a shield. He did not want to fight the Hound right now, so did his best to stare the man down.

In the end the Hound just shrugged and strode off. Harry motioned to the two girls that were suddenly timid being so close to witnessing actual combat rather than the training or exhibitions they were used to. Harry did apologize for his harsh words, which he felt brought incredible relief to both girls. But when Beth asked if he made up what he said just for the Hound, Harry had to dash their hopes again. He believed everything he said, he just wouldn't have normally said such harsh words or spoke at all if the situation weren't so dire. Just before exiting the garden he told Sansa that he had a message to pass onto for her father from the Vale and that she must let her father's armsmen know he would be coming to speak with the Hand after dinner tonight.

After a bit of searching he found Ser Robyr heading out with a group of unwed knights and lords to a tavern close to the Red Keep. He spent an enjoyable afternoon with the young knights and some of their select men-at-arms. In their group the most notable were Lord Renly Baratheon and Ser Loras Tyrell, a slight young man with golden curls and fashionably expensive clothes. He received some good natured ribbing from those two for not changing out of his armor into something more comfortable and stylish, but despite his desire to have a little fun, he couldn't completely let his guard down after nearly ending up in a fight with a Lannister vassal.

He did enjoy entertaining some of the most beautiful smallfolk maidens of King's Landing. They flocked to this tavern because of how frequently it was full of young lordlings throwing about silver for free drinks and possibly more expensive gifts if they could encourage a young man to court them. While skillfully flirting with his own few admirers he couldn't help picturing this same situation in a tavern of Moon Gate town with he and Kara searching for a likely and open minded young woman to join them for some fun. When Renly led most of their group back for a feast in the Queen's Ballroom, Harry had to work hard at persuading Ser Robyr to have dinner with him in the tavern instead.

Harry did not want to face whatever tales Sansa, Beth, or Sandor might tell about his midday conversation. He couldn't afford a confrontation with any of the royal court. He would speak with Lord Stark tonight, and then question King Robert in the morning about the dagger. Both would be quick in and out trips followed by running about the city collecting servants and then Littlefinger's gold. If anyone wanted to have words with him, he wanted to stay as elusive and unpredictable as possible so he could avoid any of the dangerous intrigues now circulating through King's Landing. Except his own of course.

At times in the tavern and then clearly upon exiting to head to the Royce's town home his passive legilimency picked up the thoughts of someone watching him. Harry assumed it must be an informer for the Master of Whispers or else there on Littlefinger or the Queen's behalf. If he were in her position he would be keeping tabs on anyone from the Vale with a connection to Lord Jon. There may even be more than one spy keeping an eye on him. He didn't want to reveal that he knew he was being watched, nor clue Ser Robyr onto the surveillance. So he pushed down on the urge to cast his stealth spells, double back, and force the silent watcher(s) to reveal themselves.

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Wary of anyone tracking him on his way to the Hand of the King, Harry opted to ward his guest room at the Royces' and Apparate to the transportation key in the dragon skull store room. He applied his stealth charms, taking on the guise of a shadow with silent steps and masked scent. Harry traveled quickly through the Traitor's Walk Tower and took the opportunity to observe the nightly patrols of gold and red cloaks around the walls and bailey of the Red Keep. After noting the lack of attention paid to the Rookery he made his way to the Tower of the Hand.

He briefly considered using magic to go directly to Lord Stark as Wizard Potter, but decided his previous statements to Sansa about Ser Harry visiting the Hand precluded the Wizard of the Vale from making an appearance. He was hoping to keep any connections between the two to a bare minimum. So in the last shadow before the reinforced Ironoak door of the massive semi-keep he cancelled his spells and approached the threshold. He was challenged by Stark men-at-arms through arrow slits that bracketed the door and after relating that he bore word from Lady Stark for her husband they reluctantly allowed him entry.

Harry was relieved of his sword and dagger, and then escorted to the top floor solar where the injured Hand was just settling himself after hobbling to the office from his personal suite. While Eddard Stark was a renowned warrior from both Robert's and the Greyjoy rebellions, with a heavily bandaged thigh he seemed less formidable. The Warden of the North had black hair with streaks of grey and hard grey eyes. After a brief grimace of pain from situating his leg he affected a stoic countenance.

"My daughter told me a Ser Harold planned to see me about a matter of importance. Sansa was quite disparaging about the manner in which you spoke to her. A letter from my wife, recently arrived by raven from the Eyrie, suggests you are a very capable young knight that is unfortunately no friend to Lysa Arryn nee Tully my good sister. And that you may be a friend to the Lannisters, as well as the heir to House Arryn. She hinted to me there were matters involving her arrest of Lord Tyrion that she could not risk in a letter. What word do you bring from my wife?" questioned Lord Stark.

"No words other than wishes for you and your daughters safety. I told that to your guards as a pretense, for the eyes and ears that keep watch on your tower. I left the Vale to apprehend Lord Jon's true murderer. If Lady Stark did not make it clear in her letter, let me inform you now that Tyrion Lannister did not try to kill your son Bran nor succeed in poisoning the former Hand of the King," he corrected.

As Harry gathered himself to provide the warnings he had come to the Hand to relate, Eddard spoke first, "Who did kill my foster father? And what of Bran's assassin?" Harry frowned, he did not trust the honorable Lord of Winterfell to deal appropriately with the information he had gained from Baelish. Not yet anyway, especially after meeting his seemingly air headed daughter.

"I do not know yet who wishes your son an early death. I am still investigating those crimes. The culprits in the former Hand's murder have been discovered. Justice will be carried out in the Vale, not King's Landing so I will not discuss the perpetrators with you. In fact I came this night to warn you to stop looking into it. To urge you to publicly distance yourself from any investigations and profess your apologies for your wife's false accusations. I would not see another Hand, a longtime ally of the Vale, murdered in the capital. This place is ill-suited to Starks and even if it is in bad taste I ask you to guard against the fate of your father and brother." Harry grimaced bringing up such a troubling subject, but he hoped it would convey his worries.

"Do not speak of things that happened while you were still nursing!" He spit out, angry but cold and focused in his intensity rather than bursting with emotion. "If you know who killed Jon I would know it from you now, consider this an order from the Hand of the King."

Harry sighed. In thinking through what to share with Eddard he always knew such a command was possible. It was unfortunate it occurred so early in their conversation. He was prepared though to match words with the straight forward Lord.

"Who rules the Seven Kingdoms, Lord Stark?" he asked, ignoring the Hand's command.

"I will not allow you to dodge my questions, Ser Hardyng. Must you be imprisoned to see reason," Eddard countered.

Harry laughed. "Reason is exactly why I asked that question. Please Lord Stark just bare with me for a moment and answer my question. It is important that we are both on the same page before discussing what you want to know."

"If mincing words will speed your tongue then I will do it. King Robert Baratheon rules the Seven Kingdoms as even children taking their first lessons know."

"After living my life in the Vale, traveling the major city states across the Narrow Sea, and briefly observing King's Landing I must disagree. I agree as far as the trappings and ceremony involved with ruling, King Robert sits the Iron Throne. But he does not personally wield the three tools of power: gold, information, and soldiers. Please let me make my point, it is important for you to hear this, I believe." Harry waited for the agitated Northman to wave for him to continue.

"The Lord Paramounts rule six of the seven kingdoms, with widely varying levels of success and support from their sworn houses. So technically King Robert only rules the Crownlands, although his brother Stannis actually commands the loyalty of half of the region's sworn houses. The rest of this kingdom's military might is outfitted, selected, and paid through the Master of Coin and his consortium of merchant families which truly control the revenue of the Crownlands."

"Of the troops garrisoned in or near King's Landing, a third owe their position and allegiance to Lord Littlefinger regardless of their vows. Those third also happen to be the highest ranking officers in the city watch mind you. A quarter of the gold cloaks are firmly in the pocket of the Lannisters through either Queen Cersei or her father. The Lannisters also have the largest force of trained armsmen in the Crownlands and have seen to the majority of training for the rest of the soldiers in the region since Robert's Rebellion. I suspect there a probably quite a few gold cloaks enriching themselves from both Baelish and the Lannisters as long as the two don't send any conflicting orders." This was all information he had taken from Paetyr's mind but he couldn't argue with the man's understanding of the situation.

"But everyone you've stated has sworn fealty to Robert, he commands them and they in turn see his orders carried out. I fail to see how any of this has anything to do with telling me who killed Jon." Ned interjected.

Ignoring the interruption, Harry continued, "That is not even counting all of the sellswords and hedge knights that can be called upon by those with large amounts of gold such as Lord Baelish, House Tyrell, or House Lannister. Were war to break out tomorrow between House Stark and House Lannister, King Robert has almost no troops at his immediate disposal to come to your aid, if he were willing to side with you against his wife. Even were he to support you he would be reliant on his brothers and Master of Coin to raise their men-at-arms and knights on his behalf. And let's be honest, that house war could be inevitable even now thanks to the rash actions of your wife and the Kingslayer. If Jaime is raiding the Riverlands or in the North, you will not let it go as you have his murdering of your armsmen, nor will Lord Tywin back down from protecting his two sons."

"All of which can be smoothed over by King Robert. You are painting the King as powerless when his commands are anything but. He also has the Kingsguard, the foremost knights in the realm, to lead his armies and protect him."

"As the Kingslayer is? And if Robert weren't around to give the order? Perhaps events might be timed so the king is out hunting, or if he suddenly takes ill as Lord Jon did. He is not a healthy man nor is he cautious enough about his safety. It is a slender thread to weigh you and your daughters safety on," Harry countered.

"Is that a threat?" he questioned with implied menace.

"What? Lord Stark, I am trying to illustrate the trap you have wandered into, not create conflict. My point is that you are vulnerable here, surrounded by potential enemies. If you were needed to protect your House, the North, or your alliance with the Tullys, being here in the Tower of the Hand with a shrinking contingent of men-at-arms is the worst place for you to conduct your affairs. Especially with the King having conflicting loyalties between your friendship and the... mother of his children. So I am warning you to do whatever you can to stay safe and be prepared to escape the capital if events turn against you." Harry had to suppress a shudder when mentioning Cersei. He hoped his reasonable tone was helping his cause and that his stumbling over the lie hadn't made things worse.

"Part of staying safe is not discovering any secrets and plots that the ruthless and dishonorable schemers of King's Landing would kill for. Lord Jon's killers cannot be dealt with here because they are too strong in the capital. Only when removed from their power base, in the Vale, can justice be carried out. And secrets revealed. If exposed to a wide enough audience, they cannot be denied or swept aside with gold, valyrian daggers, or threats. I am taking care of that. I came to you to tell you this so you could stop antagonizing your enemies and make preparations for your defense and a tactical retreat if necessary." Harry had stood and begun to pace and gesticulate as he pleaded.

"You speak as if war is inevitable. That Robert will die any day. I am no coward to shy away from harsh truths, speak plainly and let me make my own decisions." He stared intensely at Harry, almost willing him to spill his secrets. If Eddard were a wizard Harry would be scrambling to make sure his occlumency shields hadn't been breached.

"And you speak as if you are in a position to do anything about it. You tried resigning and were denied. You don't directly control the crown's gold, nor any soldiers that you didn't bring with you. To me, giving you this information is like signing your death warrant and likely the King's as well. Not knowing keeps you safe. If you will not listen to my warnings at least be prudent and shore up your defenses. Send your daughters away before they become hostages," he pleaded.

"I cannot send Sansa away, she is betrothed to Joffrey as you well know." His face betrayed no emotion. But Harry's passive reading suggested some regret from Lord Stark about the betrothal.

"Yes Sansa...Are you aware the Queen is steadily working on your daughter to turn her against her family. If she were forced to choose between loyalty to you and her golden prince I think she might choose the Lannisters. At the least, everything that is done or spoken of in your household is being diligently related to the Queen by Sansa. She is so naive to the maneuverings of the cunning liars in the Red Keep that she is a danger to not only herself but your entire household. Say the word and I will take both she and Arya with me to their mother in the Eyrie. I swear to see all three safely to your port in White Harbor."

"I would sooner crush her dreams as trust you with her safety. Speak no more ill words about my daughter after only one encounter." Lord Stark began to rise, perhaps to more effectively threaten Ser Hardyng but a twinge from his injury made him think better of it and readjust in his seat.

"So it isn't only her that is painfully naive. Just see that in pursuing her fantasies with complete disregard for reality that she does not become the next Lyanna Stark, the cause of bloodshed and war. Did she tell you that after running off with a complete stranger that the person she next encountered was the Hound. This is the sense your maiden daughter shows, to end up nearly alone in the company of a Clegane. Tell me again that she is just fine as she is. I am forced to avoid the royal court for the rest of my stay since I am sure she will have told the Queen that I said she wasn't safe around Lannisters."

"You have said your warnings and though a childless boy critiqued my parenting. Now do as commanded and tell me Lord Jon's murderer."

"What if I were to say that it was the Queen? Or Stannis Baratheon? Or Olanna Tyrell? Oberyn Martell? Perhaps the Citadel in Oldtown or the Iron Bank? Would you finally listen to me that it isn't safe to know. There are more spies in this city than the rest of the Seven Kingdoms combined. If you know, you will react, and when you do the powerful adversaries that are spying on you even now, including your unwitting daughter, will know soon after. I will not do it." Harry dropped to his seat and crossed his arms in front of him.

"Then you leave me little choice. I must hold you until you relent." They stared at each other for close to a minute without budging. "Just tell me. I can help see justice done. I do have power as does my good friend the King." As Eddard tried to coax Harry into giving in the young wizard just sighed and shook his head.

"I think this might be a good time to mention the recent arrival of an ally to House Arryn, of which I am the heir. He revealed himself to me on my first day in King's Landing. Due to some debt he feels he owes my house, he has committed to ensuring my success. He calls himself Wizard Potter, and from the little I have seen he is a practitioner of the sorceror's arts of the highest order." Almost immediately Harry regretted speaking, cursing his ill thought out attempt to avoid being arrested. Not seeing anyway to back track he soldiered on, hoping to at least start the separation of him and Potter in the publics' mind.

"He told me of a potion of his design that could heal your wound over night, and I'd imagine he would be willing to provide it to you for my release. If you were to hold me here tonight, I am quite sure he will waltz through your defenses and remove me from your prison so I can continue on my mission. Know that holding me will only help Lord Jon's killers escape justice. And with the wizard's aid, I am confident you will not be able to keep me prisoner regardless. So I have spoken all that I will. Let me go this night or be amazed as I miraculously disappear come morning," he said flippantly with a hint of annoyance.

Lord Stark looked intently at him, from a passive read the Northern lord was trying to figure out if that last speech had been a jest. When it became clear that Ser Hardyng was not joking, the disbelieving Hand had his men escort Harry to an austere room with a heavy bar on the outside. Harry didn't protest Lord Stark's decision, but instead cautioned the Lord to keep his place in the Tower secret. That way when he escaped and his predictions came true, the Starks might still find an ally in the Vale. He even offered himself as a replacement for Joffrey to betroth Sansa if war broke out. And if his daughter ever grew out of her childish fancies.

Given a jug of water, stew, and bread before being locked into the barred room, Harry wasn't concerned. His wand holster had a Muggle Repelling runic array that he charged each morning and evening since his first trip beyond Ironoaks. He checked his dinner for poisons, not really expecting to find any, and then placed it under a stasis charm so he could break his fast in the early morning hours. He then called for the Grimoire to portkey to his cell. Entering the interactive study Harry discussed his upcoming tasks with the knowledgeable book who as usual wore the guise of Archmage Potter.

They first studied runic patterns that were designed to hold magic users. This was not the first time they had studied the subject, but this time was more detailed oriented than their past theoretical discussions. Harry only carried enough sleeping draught for three days. It would not be enough to hold Pycelle if he had any powerful abilities at his disposal. Without the advanced knowledge of arithmancy, rituals, and charms that would be needed to enchant magic suppressing cuffs, they decided on acquiring and shaping iron manacles etched with a simple runic array.

The Grimoire showed him an array that served no useful function but would constantly absorb and disperse mana as well as other magical or spiritual energies that humans could utilize for spells or rituals. The cuffs wouldn't have a noticeable effect at first but three days of funneling Pycelle's powers into ambient mana would surely leave the man incapable of doing anything useful. If he even had abilities he could summon while bound and gagged.

After studying the runic array as well as methods to set runes into metals from the Grimoire's reference materials, Harry applied his Potter disguise and used transfiguration to open a hole in the door so he could lift the bar. The two Stark men-at-arms guarding his cell investigated the noise and were hit with Stupefy hexes and Obliviation curses. Using stealth charms he searched the tower for his weapons, items made from iron to rework into the siphoning cuffs, and finally a sturdy wood block to etch a transportation key into. Once he had collected everything he resealed his cell. He continued reading and working out steps to take until the stunning spell wore off, and the guards frantically opened his door. It was difficult to stifle his laughs at their sighs of relief that he was still there after apparently falling asleep on the job.

It took him roughly an hour to transfigure molds for the cuffs and use the Incendio charm to melt down the iron tools. Reshaping them into manacles and etching the runic array while they cooled was a challenge primarily to avoid splattering red hot metal droplets around the room or on himself. He finished his latest transportation key, which he would be leaving with Willum in the morning when he returned to his room. He then transfigured his cot into a much more comfortable bed which would revert in a few hours and serve as wake up call.

As he worked and plotted his next moves Harry wondered if he should have bothered trying to help the Hand. With his imprisonment it seemed unlikely the Lord would heed his warnings. He was also concerned about not informing the experienced Lord Paramount that he would soon be taking a sizeable chunk from his small council. The unruly-black haired wizard was convinced that alerting Eddard to the adultery and incest of the Queen would surely have been deadly for both the Hand and the King. They might also take many of the Lannisters with them as well depending on the loyalty of the remaining Kingsguard and how quickly Renly or Stannis could get involved.

Harold still had hopes of releasing Tyrion, blaming everything on Lysa, Baelish, and Pycelle and then hoping the Seven Kingdoms could enjoy a few more years of peace while he consolidated his position in the Vale. It was also his hope that despite his initial impression of Joffrey the boy could be, at the least, a halfway decent king. But who could know the future, other than true seers of course. Eager for sleep, which would be difficult to arrange until his galley set sail for Gulltown, Harry drifted off in the late evening.

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While breaking his fast on the meager fare provided him the previous night, Harry wondered why he had offered a betrothal with Sansa to the Stark head of house the previous night. True, they did have some physical chemistry while flirting, and as the daughter of a Lord Paramount her hand in marriage would earn the Vale a powerful ally. Yet he thought the girl a fool however beautiful she was, and his plans to try and avert war between kingdoms would require her to marry the snooty looking bastard Joffrey. Harry was also worried it would cause him greater problems with the Queen, perhaps moving her from suspicion of him to outright enmity. Since he couldn't change the past, yet, he would just have to deal with whatever consequences resulted.

Finishing up his breakfast, he felt it high time to get along with his day. Setting his bowl down he filled it with conjured water before transfiguring the water into a sack. Shrinking and lightening his Grimoire, the siphoning manacles, and the carved wooden apparition key he secured them in the transfigured pouch tied to his belt and glanced around the room one last time to ensure he wasn't leaving anything behind. Touching hands to his sheathed sword and the valyrian steel dagger, he made the brief wand movement to focus his magic and Disapparated to the now often used key in the depths of the Red Keep. He smiled imagining the shocked Starks responding to his departing crack and finding his cell empty.

Applying his most frequently used charms, a disillusioned knight made his way quickly to the Red Keep's bailey. From there he crept through the outer defenses and guards of Maegor's Holdfast, seeking the King's suite. Moving through closed doors did little to slow him as he quickly cast memory charms that saw guards ignore the brief moments of a barrier opening and closing seemingly on their own. Only twice did he need to manipulate locks with his magic to progress further. Finding a door several levels up guarded by two Kingsguard including Lord Commander Selmy, Harry knew he had reached his destination. He didn't want any to know of his questioning of the King after his disastrous run in with Sandor Clegane so this was to be a conversation that would be removed with a memory curse.

Tracking back to an empty guestroom on the same level he closed himself in. Throwing the windows open just as dawn began to shine over the castle's walls, Harry triggered his animagus transformation. Now a Vale Falcon, the young wizard flew out and around Maegor's Holdfast to the balcony of the King's suite. He took his time turning back, making sure all his possessions returned with him. Transforming to an animal only required his focus on his inner animal, automatically taking anything in contact with his skin into the new form. Reverting back required a bit more thought and he had lost a couple pairs of breaches to the void learning the skill, much to Kara's amusement. Placing an ear to the door he heard thunderous snores counter pointed by much smaller breath sounds. Wand at the ready he transfigured the lock into an open position then cracked open the door.

Inside he saw the massive King bracketed by two nude maidens, one of which he recognized from the tavern he had visited with the many lords and knights yesterday afternoon. He first cast an area effect Silencing hex that blanketed the room in an invisible field which barred sound waves to pass through it. This spell had a key difference from the Silencing charm, which merely created a barrier to sounds around a person or object, rather than a null field, as the Grimoire called it. He then quickly hit both women with the red mana bolts of Cavum Dormitatus, the sleeping hex. Less effective than stunning someone since they could be woken by pain as well as more taxing to cast, the spell was useful when one didn't want evidence that a spell had been cast at all.

He next hit the sleeping Baratheon with a Immobilus hex which woke up the large King put prevented him from reacting. Harry stepped into the room and silently cast the Morbilicorpus charm and hovered the frozen man out onto the balcony. As a teen wizard he could not yet produce most curses or area effect spells without vocalizing the incantations, and this certainly included the Legilimens curse. Out on the balcony with none alerted to his spell casting due to his silencing the royal suite, Harry dove into the king's mind. He brandished the dragon bone handled dagger and questioned the king on his knowledge of the expensive weapon.

Filtering through the temporary memories provided by the spell he received corroboration for Tyrion's story that the King won the blade from Lord Baelish during the crown prince's nameday tourney. The King remembered packing the knife and wearing it during the hunts that occurred during the trip to Winterfell. But while there it was lost to him. His memories were feeble things, lacking in detail, as in almost every one Harry reviewed the King was inebriated if not outright drunk. The king had no idea or clue as to when the blade actually disappeared. The green-eyed wizard cursed in frustration that he may never know who sent the assassin after Bran Stark.

Harry then couldn't resist the temptation to search out if the king was aware of his foster father's murder or his own cuckolding by the Queen. The great lout was oblivious to both, and so with a sigh Harry pulled his magical probe from the King's mind, resisting the urge to make some alterations that may turn the man into a worthy king. It could also make him psychotic or a vegetable, and with his relatively amateur status as a healer and practitioner of the mind arts, Harry left well enough alone.

He quickly levitated the paralyzed King back into the large indentation still present in his bed and cast an Oblivation curse to erase this assault from the King's mind. As the royal Baratheon's mind was reeling from the spell Harry hit him with a Cavum Dormitatus hex and then stepped back onto the balcony where he cast the counter spell to his Area Silencing hex. He briefly consider doing something similar with the Queen, but noises disturbed his planning. As he shut the balcony door he heard someone, likely the Kingsguard, enter the suite. Harry desperately went through his animagus transformation as he heard plate armored boots approaching the balcony as others moved about the King's bedroom.

He had just completed his change and with a jump and rapid flapping managed to stand on the balconies stone railing. Simultaneously Ser Mandon Moore stepped on the balcony to check for intruders after finding the door unlocked. Harry suspected the lack of the King's snores must have alerted them to check on Robert. The heavily tanned, clean shaven Ser Moore, last scion of the soon to be defunct House Moore was initially concerned that the door was not locked, before he noticed the falcon perched on the balcony sill.

"What in the seven hells are you doing here and not in the falconry. Get over here," the surprised white cloaked knight called out. He attempted to grab onto Harry, but the wizard turned falcon leapt into the air, beating his wings hard to gain altitude. After clearing bow range of even the gold cloaks patrolling the Red Keep's walls, Harry exalted in his flight over King's Landing as the dawning sun painted it in yellows and oranges. Up there, far from the smells and crowds the wizard found the scene to be majestic.

From this bird's eye view he noticed how truly massive the capitol city was. While the ground level showed it to be a cesspool, from the air he could see why the Targaryen's had chosen to build their seat of power on three hills near the mouth of Blackwater Bay. The land gradually rose, adding height to the already impressive walls, and their stronghold the Red Keep was truly awesome considered its size in comparison to the Eyrie, a fort constructed from an actual mountain peak, if only a small one. His eyes were also drawn to the large derelict facility known as the dragon pits. With the discovery that dragon bones were still magic rich, Harry would need to investigate any dragon related parts he could get his hands on. He also noticed the adjacent Alchemist Guildhall, home to the famous pyromancers among perhaps many other groups of chemists, scientists, and charlatans. Their Tower of Alchemy was another structure he would like to explore when he had less occupying his time.

Once he'd had his fun and thoroughly stretched his wings he focused his greatly augmented eye sight again on the buildings below. Spotting the Royce's town home he dived low at incredible speed, scaring nearby pigeons nearly to death. With some powerful back wings and a well planned trajectory he swooped to the window of his guest room and entered. Safe in his room Harry reverted to his natural state and dispelled the Muggle Repelling ward he'd cast last evening. It continued to be his most effective defense against discovery as it forced others to think of some reason or task to go elsewhere whenever it was encountered. After this trip he may need to learn something more substantial to protect his person and secrets.

Undressing to his small clothes he called his squire to aid him in preparing for the day. After the two of them took a quick meal of porridge they coaxed some of the Royce men-at-arms to escort him to the Falcon's Rest. Before leaving the Royce town home he gave the transportation key to Willum and ordered him to keep it uncovered and safe in the squire's guestroom until he told him otherwise. Willum was also to check it periodically in case the mysterious Wizard Potter used it to send messages. Then, knowing that he would eventually be raiding Baelish's secret stashes as well as potentially facing off against the Grand Maester, he had Willum put on his plate armor. He sent his squire back to spend the day with his grandfather as well as see that his belongings were packed and ready for transport to the galley on the morrow.

Harry wore no sigil, but attached gauntlets and helmet to his sword belt to join his dagger and long sword. He even secured his heater shield with his personal sigil flush to his back with a leather strap belted diagonally across his torso. The young knight had not liked how vulnerable he felt without it during the verbal confrontation with the Hound. The shield, in addition to being an integral part of much of his training was also what partially hid his wand from sight if he needed to cast in plain sight. Before leaving, Willum affixed a hood-less light blue cloak to his steel pauldrons with dual clasps designed for that purpose. The cloak was less for warmth than to obscure his shield and items affixed to his belt such as his potions and gold pouches. He bid his squire good day and assembled the Arryn men-at-arms after checking out from the inn.

Gardan had rented a larger wagon from a harbor merchant the previous day and the sixteen soldiers had already loaded their gear in it after receiving word from Ser Harry that they would be spending the night on the galley waiting to leave with the morning tide. The squad spent the rest of the morning ferrying the rest of the Vale folk from their homes to the ship. After eating a quick lunch in a tavern off the Fishmonger's square, Harry broke out the directions Captain Nerris had copied from 'Wizard Potter's' interrogation of Littlefinger.

It was a nerve wracking afternoon. The cunning Master of Coin had caches of gold and high value trade items stashed throughout the city. A few were in brothels as Harry guessed they would be. But just as many were buried beneath floor boards in homes or secret alcoves in businesses. As they progressed, and more and more wealth accumulated in their wagon. Harry also took note of the increasing number of watchers and thugs observing their actions. Yet at each stop, their numbers and high quality arms and armor served to cow any guards who wished to protest their collecting of Lord Baelish's 'stores' for transport.

They did run a foul of a group of gold cloaks that required a bribe and some aggressive threats before they were able to proceed. In reading the city watch sergeant with passive legilimency Harry determined this man was beholden to Baelish and was quite worried he would be punished for not stopping them from taking the cache he was guarding. Fortunately the man knew his squad would be massacred by the veteran men-at-arms, so with a clever lie tying this maneuver with Lord Baelish's disappearance, and backed up with threats and some gold to grease his palms, the sergeant caved. Harry strongly doubted their luck would last. He attributed the lack of confrontation to Baelish's penchant for secrecy, his highly compartmentalized organization, and the speed with which they were moving in their task.

By sunset they had completed the list and close to two hundred thousand gold dragons and an equal value of goods and jewels were stowed in the opposite end of the bilge from Paetyr's makeshift cell. Harry ate a simple meal of fish and grain with the first mate and squad sergeant Gardan while Ser Nerris organized the available soldiers into watches and refreshed them on their duties for defending the ship. Harry grabbed some of Baelish's ledgers and closeted himself alone in the captain's cabin. It was nearly time to orchestrate Wizard Potter's next adventure.