V. Winterfell (Part I)

"It's bad enough that we're going to this dreadful place, now you're telling me I have to play nice with them?"

Myrcella Baratheon sighed as Joffrey let out yet another complaint in the carriage next to Tommen and hers. They had been on the road for a week now and Joffrey had found a new issue to complain about every step of the way. It had gotten so bad that Myrcella had pleaded with her father for him to order a reassignment of carriages. He had caved, because he himself wanted to escape Cersei's nagging about his next hand. The new arrangements were the following: During the day, Myrcella and Tommen would travel together in one carriage with two septas, Cersei and Joffrey would travel together in another one with a handmaiden and Jaime and the king would be in a carriage all by himself at the front. Well all by himself and the few handmaiden's who would visit him. Myrcella had no idea what to make of the situation. Her mind was too young to properly understand what was going on but at the expression of distaste on her mother's face every time they would make a stop and a different handmaiden would come out of the king's carriage and bow awkwardly to her, let her know that something was happening and her mother wasn't too happy about it.

Well, whatever. This was no concern of hers. As long as her and Tommen were safe and well away from any brewing mess, she would remain as she was. The patient little princess that found solace in books, flowers and tea parties.

"Do you believe he looks like this?" asked the voice of her brother next to her.

Myrcella pulled herself from her musings and casted a kind gaze into Tommen's innocent big green eyes. He was once again looking over the sketch of Harry that they had received a few months ago. In it, their brother was wearing his Baratheon armor, with a sword in hand and a smirk on his face. The artist was really talented, the sketch felt almost as if Harry was staring back into her eyes.

"Probably got bigger and stronger as this was done some time ago", answered Myrcella. Tommen looked back at the picture, his eyes getting wider at the idea. Myrcella understood his surprise. After all, if the drawing was accurate, then their brother was already a bit taller and sturdier than most young knights who were around 18 summers old. It seemed impossible for a boy his age but Myrcella knew it to be true. From what she remembered of her brother, he was already plenty big and strong. Made for fighting as her father liked to say. Myrcella hoped that he was still as kind as when he left. She had no quarrel with her uncle Stannis but she was a bit scared of him from what little she had seen of the man and the stories she had heard about him. She hoped that his influence hadn't gotten too much to her favorite brother.

"Do you think he will be happy to see us?" enquired Tommen again. Myrcella smiled. Tommen loved asking questions.

"Of course he will, we're family", she answered while ruffling his hair.

She let her eyes wander back to the setting sun, thinking about her brother and what he could be doing at this time.

Somewhere in the Vale

"Fucking hell"

"Cursing is not going to make this any easier my prince"

Harry and his party were currently camping in a forest, with a large board roasting quietly by the fire. A fine catch by Harry who was currently getting his hand cleaned by Hendricks. The board had left him a parting gift, in the form of a bite on his forearm. Damn animal. Hendricks had been adamant, the wound needed to be thoroughly cleaned as he had seen men lose their hands in similar circumstances. Hendricks had disappeared a bit then had come back with some plants that he mashed together. after rinsing the wound, he had applied the paste. It had left a stinging and itching sensation on Harry's hand that Hendricks was currently bandaging to keep Harry from scratching.

"This better taste good", muttered Harry while throwing a Dark look at the cleaned out boar getting cooked by the fire.

"With Elena's cooking skills? this will probably be our best meal in a while", said Hendricks as he tied the bandages together and made sure they were holding properly.

Elena had cleaned that boar as if her life depended on it. As if it was to be served at the table in the red keep. After her job was done, she had headed for the river to bathe herself and clean off the blood from her clothes.

"I should probably go fetch her", said Hendricks while getting up, "Food is almost ready and it's getting dark out".

"No allow me", muttered Harry as he got up himself. "Someone needs to keep on rotating the board and it can't be me, I'll probably end up burning it".

Hendricks chuckled but nodded. He returned his attention to the boar as harry headed for the river.

It was a short walk before he reached the spot. The sound of the rushing water made for a loud commotion to another wise quiet place. a lot of small rocks of different shape created a kind of barrier between the water and the forest. In the middle of the water, where the river was shallowest, stood a silhouette that made Harry's heart miss a bit. He was no stranger to women even though he remained a virgin, not too interested in such things at the moment. But that was the first time that the body of one had such an effect on him.

Elena's shape was one from the drunken songs about women his uncle's soldiers would sing. All the curves in the right places, with slightly bigger than average proportions. Her wet hair was sticking to her back as the water was making her milky skin look almost shiny under the dying light of the sun. Harry was hypnotized by her. He now understood why she was always wearing bigger clothing, it was to hide all of this from prying eyes. To deny her beauty to the unworthy eyes of others. Suddenly Harry felt bad. He was intruding, violating her privacy. He wanted to turn back and pretend he hadn't seen anything. He would go back and call out her name from afar, to warn her of his arrival. But his wounded hand suddenly was invaded by a vicious throb of pain and he winced. Audibly. Elena turned around, alarmed and spotted him. Harry scratched his head with his wounded hand, looking sheepish.

"Hendricks sent me to get you, food is almost ready" Harry said quickly.

"Hendricks... sent you my prince ?" asked Elena. Harry realized what he had said and adjusted quickly.

"Well no not really he wanted to come get you and I told him to let me do it", corrected Harry. He then thought about the fact that had Hendricks come, he would have been the one to stumble on such a spectacle. Or maybe not, Hendricks would have called out ahead and warned of his arrival. He was smart like that.

Elena nodded and went back to cleaning herself. Harry averted his eyes, finding the rocks on the ground a lot more interesting.

Elena appeared calm, but inside she was mortified. This was the first time ever her prince was seeing her naked. And it was while she was rinsing pig's blood off herself in a river. She started rubbing her body harder watching as the red stains were staining the water. Cursing her luck. An idea suddenly came to her mind.

"I don't believe you have taken a bath lately my prince" she said absentmindedly as she moved a bit of the water around. Harry tensed. It was true that he had little time to properly take care of himself, opting instead for small shower sessions every time he could, which was not a lot. He was in need of a proper and relaxing clean.

"Yes, but don't worry about it Elena I'll take care of it later".

"Why not now?" insisted Elena looking everywhere but at Harry. "Your hand is injured so it would make it harder for you to do it. I can help, after all that's what I'm here for".

Harry hesitated. He would always take his baths by himself but had once allowed Elena to bath him. But he had been sick like an old horse and she had been fully clothed. Now, well he was injured but his mind was clear and Elena was wearing a lot less clothes than last time. 'This would definitely be different' he thought as he started feeling some warmth in his chest and his nether regions.

"Of course if you don't want to I completely understand" said Elena in a dejected voice. "But if you allow me I think it would make things easier for you my prince".

Harry sighed. He had already caved as soon as Elena used her small voice. She really was the most important woman in his life.

'Uncle Stannis would be proud' he thought sarcastically as he made a move to remove his shirt. But he couldn't complete the motion as his left hand was still hurting.

"Allow me" said Elena as she started to make her way back to the shore. Harry watched her come to him, every step, every sway of her hips, every bounce of her breasts sending shockwaves through his body. He felt a little feverish. It was as if he was seeing her for the first time.

Elena reached him and stood in front him. Their eyes locked. her light blue gazing into his deep green. He was a bit taller than her now. She hadn't noticed. After all it's not everyday she gets to stand so close to him. All shyness was gone from her to her own surprise. She felt in total control of herself and the situation. She could see it in his eyes. He found her beautiful and that made her the happiest. She undid the laces on his shirt as she delicately started to lift it. Harry raised his arms to help her, his eyes never straying from hers.

Elena lifted the shirt, revealing the body of her prince hardened by hours of practice and hard work. He wasn't quite as muscular as the knights but that was more due to age than his physical shape. But for a boy his age, he was a phenomenon. She removed his shirt fully, exposing his scars, old and new. Her fingers lightly traced the latest one on his chest. The scars he got when fighting Khal Moro, for her. Elena shuddered, heat coursing through her body. The air was a bit chilly a sign that they were getting farther up North but she did not care and her prince looked like he didn't care either. Elena lowered her gaze and started undoing the laces on the pants. Harry had gotten rid of his shoes in a swift move and was watching the hands of Elena undo the laces of his pants. She then bent down to remove them better, helping Harry get one leg out then the other. He was left in his underwear, who were getting awfully tight. Elena grabbed a hold of those too but Harry stopped her.

"I'll get these myself" he said in a breathless voice. Elena hesitated then nodded. She gathered the discarded clothes and started folding them.

Harry let out a breath. As soon as Elena had touched his underwear he had felt a jolt of electricity go through him. He needed to calm down. He couldn't very well show his full erected member to Elena. What would she think of him?

He exhaled deeply, before removing his final piece of clothing and finally stood, naked as the day he was born. Elena caught a glimpse of his half erected member and her breath hitched. She had no experience with men but she wasn't sure it should be this big at this age.

'How big will it be when he fully becomes a man?" she thought, her mind racing at the possibilities. She snapped out of it and grabbed a hold of Harry's hand.

"This way my prince" she muttered while leading him toward the water. They walked in silence until they reached the water, entering it slowly, enjoying the slight chill of the water. Elena led Harry to spot where the water reached his midriff and motioned for him to sit down. Harry complied. His eyes went wide as Elena kneeled in front of him, her breasts in his face. She was using her hands as a cup to pour water on him. It was oddly effective as Harry found himself wet after a few minutes. He realized just how sticky his body felt as Elena rubbed her hands all over his torso, arms and neck. Her face was set in a delicate but focus look. Dedicating all of herself to her current task, cleaning the body of her prince.

Harry himself was in trouble. Elena's breast in front of him had brought back his erection with a violence. The blood pumping was making him feel like it was about to explose, it was only a matter of time until.

"Oh"

"I'm sorry"

While moving around to get to his back, Elena had accidently rubbed her leg against his member. He had instantly apologized, his red face luckily hidden by the growing lack of light.

"It's okay my prince, it's a natural reaction"

"I've seen my share of women in a state of undress and it's never quite been like that", muttered Harry while looking to the side.

"I see" said Elena in a small voice.

"Not that anything ever happened", quickly added Harry. He didn't know why but he felt the need to say that.

"Is that so", came the voice of Elena from behind him. She had stopped rubbing his back and had pressed herself against him. Her naked breast and his naked back molding together. Harry shuddered. Elena's hands came from behind and rubbed his stomach.

"Elena I..."

"I am feeling just as you are right now my prince" she said after gathering her courage. Harry was stunned. Elena was a beautiful woman with no shortage of suitors. He might be a prince, but he was still very young and had no idea how to handle a woman. How could she feel this way about him?

"I have been feeling this way for a long time now", added Elena as if sensing the question. "In my heart, body and soul, every time I think about you my prince I just...".

She shuddered then removed herself, as if she had been burned.

"Forgive me my prince, I forgot my place" she said in a panic. How could she? Her a lowly servant, confessing to him. How could she? What if he was angry, what if he rejected her, what if he removed her from his presence? She had risked everything because the moment felt nice?

She was about to cry when she felt hands cup her cheeks. She lifted her eyes toward him. He was looking at her, his green eyes giving away so much of the internal turmoil he was feeling. Then he bent toward her and captured her lips.

To say Elena was stunned would be an understatement. Her prince was kissing her. Her. She wrapped her arms around him and deepened the kiss. Her first kiss and it was with her prince, the little girl she had been would have been very proud of her.

Their bodies meshed together, skin against skin as they kissed in the water without a care in the world. To them, nothing else existed. Not Hendricks who was probably wondering where they were, not the Royal family they were traveling north to meet, not even the birds in the trees that were chirping as if sealing their love for one another.

As they separated. Everything had become much clearer to Harry. The reason why he was so attached to her, the reason why he kept her so close, why he was furious every time something happened to her, why he risked his life to save her. He thought it was just his honor, or his vow to always protect women and children. But no. It was more than that. It was more than friendship. It was love. He loved Elena, the most important woman in his life. He had no idea how he knew it was romantic love as it was new to him. But he was certain this is what it felt like. The undying need to protect and care for someone, not because you have to but because you want to.

"We should probably finish and head back to Hendricks" Said Harry with a smile. Elena nodded before resuming her previous activity. She started rubbing his body again from top to bottom but this time she was doing it with a plant that smelled light and good. The finished off quickly and went back to shore to dry themselves. They kept sneaking glances at one another while waiting to be dry enough to put their clothes back on. Every time one would catch the other looking, they would giggle and look away. They finally put their clothes back on and headed back to the camp, where Hendricks was waiting for them.

"I was about to go look for you my prince", said Hendricks as he saw them coming. The boar had long since stopped cooking and had been cut and disposed on leaves. The smelled of the cooked meat awoke Harry's stomach as he sat down next to his friend, with Elena sitting on his left.

"I decided to take a bath too" said Harry while helping himself to a piece of the meal.

"May the seven bless this food and the hands that made them", quickly said Elena before Harry put the meat in his mouth. He would often forget to pray before eating so she had gotten used to doing it for him. They enjoyed their meal, while planning the rest of their journey and speculating on how the royal family would react to seeing them.

2 weeks later

Harry had never was amazed. It has been his state ever since they had crossed into the winter lands. The scenery who according to Elena was depressing was beautiful to him. He felt like he could run here for hours, hunting, fighting, enjoying himself in an environment where he would truly feel at ease. Hendricks on the other hand was on high alert. They had been going as fast as they could, trying to avoid running into the abnormally large bears and wolves in the North.

"They usually reside farther north, close to the wall but sometimes, they wonder down in search of lighter climate and easier preys", he said while leading. "Winterfell is not too far, the quicker we're inside, the better".

He was right, on the fifth day after crossing into the winter lands they had finally reached Winterfell. They had taken a much needed break at Castle Cerwyn, where the lord had been kind and especially friendly. He kept talking about how much Harry reminded him of young Robert and how he proud he was to house one of Robert's sons in his home. After that, they had headed together to Winterfell, which was a half a day's ride from the castle. And now as the gates were opening and the could see a glimpse of the stronghold, Harry got more and more nervous. Lord Cerwyn had sent word of their arrival the evening before, so it was no surprise to Harry that most of Winterfell was gathered. probably to catch a glimpse of the unknown second son of Robert Baratheon. Lord Cerwyn was ahead, with his wife, his son and his daughter behind them. Harry was in the middle, with Elena next to him and Hendricks at the back with six bannermen of house Cerwyn. They made their way through the village in such a formation until they reached the castle. Harry swallowed. There in front of him, stood a big group of people and his family was among them. At the forefront, his father, whose eyes lit up as he recognized him. Robert took a small step forward, his face almost rejuvenated at the thought of seeing his favorite son. To the side, his mother looked at him with intent, she looked happy but at the same time it was as if she was bothered by something. As Harry got off his horse, his eyes trailed and he caught the faces of his brothers and sister.

Myrcella had tears in her eyes as she drank in the appearance of her brother. He was every bit as impressive as she had thought. He smiled at her, his kind smile that he would always give her and she resisted the urge to run into his arms. Tommen was mesmerized. He could not take his eyes of the person in front of him. That was his brother. He looked so different from them. His jet black hair, his facial traits, his attire and the way he carried himself. But Tommen wasn't angry. He was happy. He was finally reunited with the brother Myrcella told him so much about. The brother he barely remembered.

In all of this, Jaime looked indifferent and Joffrey was fuming. A quick look around could tell him that his brother had captivated the attention of everyone around. Even Sansa was looking at Harry intently, a small blush on her face. Joffrey clenched his fist. His cursed perfect brother. Who could do no wrong in his father's eyes and of who people always spoke of as if he was some kind of blessing.

There was suddenly a loud booming laugh as Harry and Robert hugged. both wrestling a bit and Robert quickly overpowering Harry and lifting him up under the amused gazes of the gathered audience.

"Look at that, he got even stronger, a true Baratheon", said Robert while putting his son down.

"It's been a while father", said Harry with an infectious smile. Robert slapped Harry's back and gestured toward the others with a smile.

"Welcome to Winterfell my son, and welcome back to your family".

Harry has finally met back with his family and this is where the story actually begins. I updated a lot sooner than expected but i'm currently on a break so I've had time to write. I hope everyone is doing well, thank you all for following this story. I hope I can give you more timely updates. Until then, stay safe, live life.

Lunkman, out.