Disclaimer: I don't own HP or ASOIAF.
The Dragon Prince
Wind rushed through his hair and the smell of salt filled his lungs.
His face covered with a dark grey hood and his golden armour and white robes traded for chainmail, boiled leather and rough cotton, Regel Black stood at the Braavosi ship's deck with one hand on the hilt of his sword and the other holding the year old child.
He hadn't wasted a single moment and had quickly left the city by ship. He had avoided taking passage on any outbound Britainnosi ship. In times of war loyalty changed with the throw of a dice and thus he had settled for the Braavosi ship that was sailing back to Braavos.
The captain had been apprehensive at first. Anyone would be apprehensive to grant passage to a hedge knight carrying a lot of gold, a castle forged sword and a child who looked nothing like the man in question but when Regel muttered, "Valar Dohaeris" The Captain gave him one last look, staring him in the eye to ensure that he meant the words that he had just spoken.
Two moons had passed since then, and tonight on the eve of a new moon he'd step foot on Dragonstone. Personally he didn't believe Dragonstone to be safe for the Prince but he had to honour Lily's last wish. She had faith in her decision and even though he didn't have much faith in it he was honour bound to carry out her last wish.
The child shifted, forcing Regel to relieve his grip from the hilt of his sword and gently place it on the child's back. The prince soon settled again, his small head resting against Regel's cold breastplate.
Looking across the horizon, he could see the outline of the Age old Fortress from afar. A sense of foreboding gripped him. Unlike his brother he had never felt welcome at Dragonstone.
A sigh escaped past his lips as memories of the past flooded his mind.
He and Sirius had always been close and when they were sent to Dragonstone they found brothers in James Potter, Frank Longbottom, Jared and Remus Lupin. A smile found its way on his lips as the memory of his friends flooded his mind.
They had all been talented in their own way, but he and Jared were never as magickally powerful as the others but their skill with a sword surpassed the others. Dragonstone was home to several talents and it was when he started apprenticing under the swords master did he finally feel settled, never welcome at the Grand Fortress.
"We would reach the Serpent Stone by nightfall." Regel heard a voice say from behind him.
The Captain was still uncomfortable around him but he never questioned Regel rather he hadn't spoken to him once in the last two days, until now.
"How long will you be at Dragonstone?" Regel asked the man, his gaze set on the fortress that seemed to loom closer.
"We'll leave the day after tomorrow." The Captain said in a voice thick with the Braavosi lilt.
Regel nodded, and eased the hold he had on the Prince. He hadn't realised when his grasp had tightened. He hadn't set the child down in days. He even slept with the child in his arms.
He was afraid to part with the child. He was what held him to the world.
"Where's your wife?" The Captain asked, coming to stand beside him.
"Don't have one." Regel replied, truthfully. He knew that the Braavosi were good at catching lies. They were a truthful and honest community. He also knew that the Braavosi punished lies with death and he wasn't willing to take any chances.
"What of the child?" The captain asked, his gaze following Regel's and coming to rest on the Fortress still far away.
"What of the child?" Regel replied, not understanding the question.
"Is he yours?" The Captain asked in a voice devoid of emotion but Regel could sense his curiosity rippling beneath the mask the he wore.
Regel gulped, should he lie? "I'm responsible for his safety." The Knight said looking the Captain in the eye.
The captain saw him eye to eye and then broke the gaze. He turned his back to him and began to walk back to his cabin when he stopped mid-way, "If you wish, you can travel with us from Dragonstone when we leave day after. The amount of gold you have given us should be enough." And without waiting for a reply he walked away leaving behind a perplexed Regel.
A day and night earlier…
Lord Sirius Black had taken King's Landing with five thousand mounted soldiers and two hundred knights two nights after the death of his friend and King, James of House Potter.
When he reached King's Landing he had been informed by two knights from the Queens guard that they had found the Queen dead by the Prince's empty crib the morning after the King's death. She had been murdered and the evidence of the murder lay in her chambers in the form of three dead sorcerers of unknown allegiance.
The Ironborn had been defeated and sent back to their stony islands. They wouldn't think of waging war anytime soon.
He walked through the central corridor and the heavy doors that led to the throne room.
He had been here several times, appreciated its beauty, the workmanship on the walls and that on the glass dome several times but now the room reminded him of his loss.
He mourned the loss of his brother-by-bond, his good-sister and his godson. Most of all he mourned the loss of his godson who was of age with his own son. Someday, they too would have been brothers like he and James were but right now there was another brother he was looking for.
His brother by blood, Regel. When he was told that Lily had been killed, the first thought that came to his mind was Regel's demise. He knew that Regel would have protected her with his last breath but when he inquired of him, Sirius was surprised that no one knew of his brother's whereabouts. It seemed as if he had vanished into thin air.
What was even more surprising was that the Prince was missing as well. The crib had been empty with bodies littering the Queen's chamber. They had laid the bodies out in front of him. The body of the Queen covered in a shroud of the colours of her house. A Black Stag embroidered over a yellow field, a Golden Doe standing in a green glen and a crimson dragon on black.
On both her sides lay the bodies of her fallen Queen's guard, their corpses covered with white cloaks.
He bent on his knees and said a small prayer before the bodies were taken to the Great Sept to prepare for the final rights.
Once the bodies were taken, his attention was brought to the bodies of those who the Royal Guard had found in the Queen's chamber. The Captain believed them to be responsible for the Queen's murder and that some of their accomplices had fled with the Prince after killing the Queen and her guards.
Sirius had already asked Lord Alastor Dayne to prepare several scouting parties to look for the Prince.
"Captain Peter, has there been any news from the Royal Army?" Sirius asked the Captain of the Royal guard, a stout man with broad shoulders belonging to one of the lesser houses in the Crownlands.
Peter sighed, "Yes, My Lord. We received a Raven today. The Royal Army marches towards the city. Lord Lupin and Lord Longbottom march with the King." he said, his voice devoid of emotion.
Anger flared within Sirius, but he later thought to himself why should the good Captain be affected by the King's death. It wasn't as if he was James friend or brother.
"Is there any news of my brother?" Sirius asked, as he took the turn from the main corridor towards the parapets of the castle.
"None My lord, the last anyone heard of him, he was going to the Queen's chambers to inform her of the King's demise. He hasn't been seen since then." Peter said nonchalantly.
"And who told you this?" Sirius asked Peter, coming to a halt mid-step.
Peter came to an abrupt halt, "Lady Raina of course. She was the sole survivor of the attack on the Queen." He said with an arched brow.
"And where was Lady Raina?" Sirius asked, his voice demanding.
"We found her in the chambers. She had been stunned and bound tightly." Peter answered, "She was utterly distraught when we told her that she failed at her duty." He further added.
Sirius scoffed, "Are you usually this indifferent?" he asked the man, catching him off-guard.
Peter was about to open his mouth and say something when the bells from the bell tower began to toll again.
Sirius turned his gaze to the King's Gate. His sight hadn't gone bad yet and in the distance he could see a small number of riders coming their way from the west, banners of gold and crimson flying in the air.
"The banners of House Lestrange" Peter muttered but before he could say anything else, Sirius had already left, his cloak billowing behind him as he walked away.
Present Day
Regel grew nervous by the minute as he waited to be summoned by Arch Mage Dumbledore in his private cabin.
Truth be told, he had needed more time to prepare himself mentally but the ship had caught a strong east blowing wind and they had reached Dragonstone much earlier than anticipated and here he was in the Great Hall of the Grand Fortress of Dragonstone.
The sun had set and the candles in the torches and the chandeliers had been lit, however majority of the light came from the fire places in the four corners of the hall and the central hearth below the grand dome.
It wasn't long before he was summoned and he fell in step behind the soldier who had been asked to retrieve him. Not uttering a single word, the soldier led him through the sea corridor that was cut into the cliff of the island that looked towards the stormy waters of the Narrow Sea.
Regel didn't like the sea one bit and therefore kept his gaze set on the soldier walking before him.
Based on the passage he took and his experience as a student and apprentice at Dragonstone, Regel quickly inferred that he was being led to the Sea Dragon Tower, also referred to as the East Tower as it was built on the eastern most point of the Island.
He followed the soldier up the winding staircase to the top of the tower and came to a halt before two heavy doors, made of a dark wood.
The Soldier stepped back and turned to look at Regel, "Lady McGonagall awaits you inside. I'd be out here to escort you back when your business with her is done." The Soldier said.
If Regel was surprised he didn't show it. He simply nodded and walked towards the doors, which opened inwards before he could lay his hands on them.
He breathed deeply as he entered the chamber, the doors closed shut immediately when he was past them.
Tightening his grasp on the child, he drew his dagger.
"There wouldn't be any need for that." said a voice, which he hadn't heard in years. The voice was as sharp and biting as he last remembered it to be.
"I apologise but I'm not accustomed to doors that close on their own." Regel said, not amused by the old sorceress' antics. He couldn't see her and was growing more nervous than ever before.
It certainly didn't help when she materialized in front of him out of thin air. Taken aback, his grip on the dagger tightened.
Lady Minerva McGonagall was a tall, severe looking woman. Her hair combed back into a tight bun, her dark brown eyes were fixed on him, judging every move.
"I thought brothers of the King's guard weren't allowed to have children." She said in her stern voice, pointing towards the child.
Regel smiled, "I'm here to see Arch Mage Dumbledore. I will speak to him only." Regel said, defiance prominent in his voice.
A smirk grew on Minerva's face, "I don't see him here, do you?" she asked, "I might say, you are slow for a King's Guard Regel. I always expected more of you but then again you aren't Sirius." She said, her smirk tugging harder at her lips.
Regel remained silent.
"Now, let's not waste time. You have come all the way here to Dragonstone with your bastard in tow. What is it that you want?" she asked in a stern and cold voice.
"The child's not a bastard." Regel said through his teeth.
"Do you seek legitimization for him? This isn't the place for that either." McGonagall said annoyed, turning her back towards him she walked to the table where a flagon of wine and goblet waited to be used.
"He's your sister's great-grandson and heir to the realm of Britainnos" The Knight shouted at the top of his lungs, awakening the child causing him to cry.
The goblet of wine fell to the cold, stone floor shattering into smithereens. The piercing sound of the shattering of glass awakened the dragon within Minerva, causing her to whirl around and stare Regel dead in the eye who stared back at her.
Her eyes blazed, with what emotion Regel couldn't decipher. It took courage to stand in front of the Dragon Sorceress, courage that was deflating with every passing moment.
"You Lie" she said, hissing the words like a snake.
Regel shook his head but McGonagall wasn't convinced, "You Lie" she shrieked at the top of her lungs. Her voice pierced his ears, no doubt accentuated by her magic.
He fell to the floor on his knees and covered the child's ears to prevent him from losing his hearing.
"I speak the Truth" he said, "I swear on my life" he further added, looking up from the ground and saw her eye to eye. "I swear on my life" he said, his voice a little more than a whisper.
McGonagall glared at him, her anger blazing in her eyes.
"I got a raven." She said, "It said the entire family was killed by the Dark Sorcerer, the Aqua Mage from the Land beyond the Iron Islands."
Regel bowed his head, "I don't know if it was him that killed the King but he certainly did murder the Queen" hatred seeping into his voice as he spoke of Lily's murderer.
Silence fell between the knight and the dowager.
The sun had set and the moon had risen. One could hear the waves crashing on the rocks below. One could hear a lot in the silence that had fallen over the room, the child was silent again, still drugged by the potion that Regel had given him when aboard the ship.
"Show me the child." Minerva said, breaking the silence and bringing her hands forward.
There was little Regel could make out from her face but what he was certain of was that the woman wasn't of any danger to the Prince.
Slowly he placed the child in Lady McGonagall's arms and in that moment, something happened. Something that was difficult to explain in words. Something that even Regel didn't quite understand and wouldn't in years to come.
He saw the lines on McGonagall's face change, they were no longer stern and but her face was still hard as stone.
"You claim the child is a Potter?" McGonagall asked, looking at the boy curiously.
Regel nodded.
"You wouldn't mind if I perform a test to ascertain your claim, would you?" She said averting her gaze from the child.
Uncertainty gripped Regel, How could she possibly ascertain the boy's parentage. He had given her his word. What else could she possibly want, but before he could consent or decline, McGonagall had already turned her back to him and had begun walking to the hearth opposite the sea.
Before he could make sense of what she was about to do and try and stop her, she had laid the child into the flames.
Regel didn't know what hit him. He saw the sparks fly and heard the cackling of logs and coal amidst the burning embers. Rage engulfed him and not realizing when he drew his sword with the intent of beheading the Dragon Sorceress he charged, his body driven by anger.
Anger coursed through his veins like life's blood and he'd have sliced the woman's head off of her shoulders had he not been thrown back by the shield that the sorceress had erected around herself.
"You lack sense and patience both young knight." Minerva said as Regel hit the ground, knocked off of his feet.
She sat in front of the hearth and put her hands into the burning flames where she had thrown the little Prince, "The Boy has the Blood of my family. He has the Blood of Draig Dragatto, Dragon Tamer, Free Rider and Conqueror of Valyria." She said as she took the child out from the flames and held him before the knight.
With awe, Regel studied the Prince who seemed to have miraculously survived the flames. He had nothing to say. The boy was blessed with the magick of the dragon riders.
"The boy has the blood of my father." She said, cleaning the soot of his face and from around his eyes.
The Sorceress held her breath as the Prince began to shift and opened his eyes awakening from his slumber. As the Dragon Sorceress studied the child's features, she soon caught herself looking into his eyes. They were indeed a mesmerizing emerald green.
He had his mother's eyes.
Picking him up, she took him to the window. Holding the boy with one hand, she raised her other to point east. "The Land of the Rising Sun awaits you little rider." She said in a sprightly voice.
Behind her she heard the Knight shift and stand up, "I believe you have made an oath to protect this child." She said, her voice losing the cheeriness when addressing the knight.
"I'll protect him with my life." Regel said, breathing heavily.
Minerva turned to face him with the child in her arms, "Then we must leave." She said with utter seriousness.
Regel contemplated for a while. Thinking whether he should tell her that it had been Lily's wish that the Prince be brought to Dragonstone but in truth Regel didn't know why Lily had insisted on bringing him here.
"We don't have time. Will you come with us?" Minerva asked, her impatience rising with every passing moment.
"Yes" Regel said, forgetting everything else and bowing to the woman and the child standing before him.
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