295 AC
King's Landing
Harry tried to stand with a stoic face, but the presence of his long-time maid, Melleah, made it difficult. He had made sure to keep her busy away from him so she could get over the hope of becoming his mistress, but from the way Melleah watched him, Harry knew that it hadn't worked. Since avoidance didn't work, maybe it's time to marry her off.
Even though Harry couldn't say that Melleah was one of the most beautiful women he had seen, she was reasonably pretty compared to most. That, along with the fact that she was a maid to the Crown Prince, should make her a decent attraction for some hedge knights. It would be a shame that she would no longer serve him, but Melleah was already in her twenties, and if she kept waiting for Harry to take her as a mistress, her life would be wasted.
"Prince Harys, you seem eager to meet the Tyrells."
Harry looked at the smiling Melleah and wondered what about him seemed eager. If having a blank face while practically daydreaming in boredom equaled being eager, then yes, Harry was eager to meet them.
With a dry tone, Harry replied, "Yes… I'm clearly trembling with impatience."
Harry thought he heard a snort of amusement from Ser Arys as Melleah babbled on about how rich the Tyrells were. Even though she hid it reasonably well, Harry could detect a hint of jealousy when Melleah mentioned Margaery. Once again, Harry reiterated to himself to get her married off. Melleah was on a path with no end.
A burst of noise from the surrounding crowd caught Harry's attention. He looked into the distance to see a large procession of knights moving slowly towards the Red Keep. The strange part was the jubilation of the smallfolk closest to the oncoming procession. Harry could faintly see every single one of the smallfolk bowing towards the knights as they backed away with something in their hands.
There was only one explanation for the sudden appearance of knights, the Tyrells, but Harry was confused at why the smallfolk seemed to love them so much. He glanced at the people next to him, and most had a puzzled expression at the sight. Since he would soon know the reason, Harry decided to wait until the Tyrells arrived at the Red Keep since he would soon know the reason.
As the procession got closer to the spot where Harry was waiting, he saw that the smallfolk were receiving a large amount of grain from the Tyrell party. Harry was happy that the poorest citizens of the city were able to get extra food, but there was really no reason for the Tyrells to be so generous. From the rotten way the Nobles treat the smallfolk, Harry suspected there was motivation other than simple kindness for this act.
However, there was no time to think about it further. The Tyrells had reached him.
"Prince Harys! I'm honored to have you greet us!"
Harry looked at the man speaking to him curiously. This must be the lord of the family, Mace Tyrell.
With a smile, Harry said, "It's my pleasure, Lord Tyrell. I simply had to meet the family that watches over the Reach."
Harry saw Lord Tyrell puff up in pride before he pulled two people next to him, "Then let me introduce the pride of the family, my prince. These are my children, Loras and Margaery."
Two people around Harry's age were practically shoved to the front. To Mace's credit, the two fit the checklist from being the pride of a Westeros noble family. Loras was handsome and looked heroic, if not a little fake, with his flowery armor. Margaery, on the other hand, was as beautiful as the rumors say. It was a relief for Harry to see that the girl he intended to make queen be this fetching.
Harry nodded towards them and said, "Well met, Lord Loras, Lady Margaery."
As the two bowed and curtsied to him, an aged voice interrupted the formalities, "As nice it is to stand around this stench, I'd prefer it if we could do this inside. Not that we aren't thrilled to be in the capital, Prince Harys."
Harry looked past Mace Tyrell to see an old woman looking at them with a smirk. This must be Olenna Tyrell, the so-called Queen of Thorns. If Harry hadn't heard of her attitude beforehand, he would have been offended by how familiar she was being. Harry had to bite back a smile at how accustomed he was to being a Prince. Getting offended wasn't even an option when someone talked to him in his previous life.
"And you must be Lady Olenna," Harry said with a smile before turning to his attendant, "You heard Lady Tyrell, let's get out of this air and get our guests settled in."
As the Tyrell party was led inside, Harry had to entertain an exuberant Mace, who seemed far too happy to be near him. He did notice that Olenna eventually maneuvered Margaery to stand between Harry and Mace before pulling her son back. It was not the most subtle thing to do, but Harry understood the need after listening to Mace's endless boasts.
If he didn't need to have the Tyrell's allegiance for his future reign, Mace's bluster might have been annoying enough to damage their standing in Harry's eyes.
Nonetheless, Harry simply gave a small smile at the beautiful Margaery. She was walking slightly behind him in a smooth gait with a crooked smile on her lips while looking around the halls of the Red Keep.
"It's a beautiful castle, my prince. While growing up, I heard stories about it, but words can't compare to seeing it in person."
Harry gave a slight nod, "That is true, my lady. I feel the same when I hear about the Reach. The maester tells of how beautiful it is, but until I see it in person, I feel that I truly don't know your lands."
Margaery locked eyes with Harry and gave him a stunning smile, "We would be honored to have you as our guest, my prince."
Harry smiled back at her and nodded again. While he had no great desire to sit on a horse for weeks to see some flowers, Harry assumed that visiting the Reach would be an inevitability. Visiting the future queen's childhood lands was a requirement before marriage, right? In all honesty, Harry truly had no idea and decided to ask the Hand sometime later.
The rest of the time Harry spent with the Tyrells involved making some small talk with Margaery, with Loras joining in here and there. It would have been fantastic if that was the only thing that happened, but Harry was sure that Margaery noticed Melleah shooting daggers at her while trying to be discreet and failing miserably.
Harry held back an annoyed groan and pushed up the talk he intended to have with his longtime maid.
"That boy isn't acting like I expected."
Margaery and her grandmother settled into their rooms and took a small break to discuss what they had seen.
"What do you mean, grandmother?"
Olenna eyed her granddaughter with a bit of disappointment. "Did you forget everything I told you because of the prince's pretty face? Don't falter now, my dear. This is the time to have your wits about!"
Margaery shifted in her seat guiltily. "I'm sorry, grandmother. The prince was kind to us by being present in the welcoming party."
"Hmph," Olenna leaned back, "That's the issue I'm speaking about. The rumors I have about the Crown Prince are that he loves his books and rarely has the time to bother about anything else. Why did he suddenly greet us?"
"Maybe he knows our family's importance?"
"Importance?" Olenna spat out, "Do you mean how most still consider us to be jumped-up stewards? No, my dear, either my spies have been lying to me, or the Crown Prince is more than just a maester-in-disguise."
"Then," Margaery said hesitantly, "Does that mean our spies betrayed us?"
Olenna shook her head negatively, "I might have believed that if it were one or two that gave me this information. Not when all of them say the same thing. The prince won't be as easy to draw to our side as I thought."
"Don't fret, grandmother. I won't fail our family. The prince won't be able to forget me by the end of the tourney."
Olenna had one of the rare genuine smiles reserved for family as she gently patted her granddaughter's hand. Out of all the children and grandchildren Olenna had, Margaery was the one she had the highest hopes in. Not only did the girl remind Olenna of herself, but there was also a real chance that Margaery would be the key to having Tyrell blood in the royal family.
The pair were interrupted by a knock on the door before Loras entered the room.
"Loras," Olenna greeted, "What brings you here?"
Loras gave his sister a smile before greeting his grandmother with a kiss on the cheek, "Hello, grandmother. There's a scandal brewing in the royal family with the crown prince right at the center."
Olenna quirked her brow, "Prince Harys? Well, don't keep me waiting, boy! What is it?"
"Some guards whisper how the Crown Prince directed his wrath on his brother. Prince Joffrey has apparently been locked in his rooms for moons now. The Queen was heard shouting at Prince Harys about it, but there haven't been any changes since then."
Olenna had to hide a smirk at how similar Loras was to the ladies who lived to gossip. Nonetheless, it was a surprise that she hadn't known about this beforehand, especially when it seemed to be public knowledge since Loras found out so quickly.
Plus, this showed that the Prince was more involved in making more decisions than she ever expected. Olenna's plans would have to change to accommodate a more domineering Crown Prince, but the end goal remains the same.
Legitimize the Tyrells by making Margaery the queen.
Harry walked towards his father's room with Melleah and Ser Arys following behind. The Tyrells had been settled into their rooms when Lancel Lannister, his father's squire, told him he had been summoned.
Even though Harry would have loved to decline, that wasn't done to the King's summons. It was honestly one of the most disappointing things about his new life. Not the unavoidable summons but rather the fact that most of his new family was so distant.
Harry had to admit that he was partly at fault, but Robert simply didn't seem to give a damn about anything that didn't include fucking or drinking. While Harry did get most of the attention when Robert felt fatherly, that wasn't saying much. However, Cersei was almost the opposite. She showed too much love towards her children, with Joffery getting the overbearing amount.
It was probably why Harry loved Cersei. A parent who loved him was all he wished for in his previous life, and that was there now, for better or worse.
When Harry reached his father's chambers, he turned around and said, "Melleah, go to my rooms and wait for me. I have something to discuss with you."
Harry nodded at Ser Arys and opened the door as his bright-eyed maid walked away. He wasn't too surprised to see the Hand talking to his father inside.
"Ah, Prince Harys!" Jon Arryn greeted with a smile, "Your father has something to discuss with you."
"Bah! Don't call him by that wretched name. Even the boy knew it was bad and started calling himself Harry. I should have never let you convince me to name him like a dragonspawn!"
As Jon struggled to stop himself from starting the often-repeated argument of making the transition to the new dynasty smoother, Harry's dry voice interrupted them, "I'm glad my name is to your liking, father."
"Your grace, maybe we should focus on when you called the Prince here?" Jon asked.
Robert's tirade was stopped before it could begin, "Right. Harry, I summoned you to tell you that you'll marry Sansa Stark. I couldn't marry my Lyanna, but I'll finally be able to join my house with Ned's!"
Harry's eyebrow twitched in irritation at the abrupt decision. He supposed that he shouldn't be so surprised when Robert made it widely known how much he loved his Lady Lyanna, but Harry preferred not to let this match happen. It wouldn't be the worst, but neither would it be the best.
"Father, don't you think I would be better off marrying someone from another house? The Starks are already a house that is loyal to us."
"Not so, my prince," Jon cut in, "The King and Lord Stark might have loyalty to each other, but it's not often that passes onto the children, especially with no blood relation between the houses."
Harry blinked in surprise. He didn't expect the Hand to be in favor of this marriage.
"However, the North isn't interested in what the South does. My King, even though I love Ned, it would make more sense to marry Prince Harys to Lady Margaery."
That was more like it. Harry might have had to use some spells on the old man to change his mind if the Starks were genuinely being considered. Harry promised himself that he wouldn't use magic on his family, but Jon Arryn wasn't family...
"Damn it, Jon! I already said I don't want Harry to marry those traitors! He will marry Ned's girl, and you can't say anything to change my mind!"
Harry resisted the urge to smack some sense into Robert. His desire to avoid using magic on his family would be quickly broken at this rate.
"And you!" Robert exclaimed as he looked at Harry, "What's this I hear about your brother being locked away!?"
Harry sighed, "I found out that he was killing smallfolk for sport, father. Mother already yelled at me about this, but I still feel I did the right thing."
Robert flinched back in shock, "Jon? You told me it was something harmless!"
"Your grace…" Jon hesitated before saying, "Maybe we should let Prince Joffrey out during the tourney? The royal family can't look weak with the nobles attending."
Robert's face started to get red with anger before he deflated. He muttered, "I should have whacked that boy harder when he was younger. What was that little shit thinking?"
Harry almost smiled, thinking that Robert wouldn't do anything, but he was quickly proven wrong.
"Fine, let him out. But I want guards watching him even when he takes a shit!"
"Of course, your grace."
Harry's lips trembled in anger as he walked out with the Hand. He would have to have someone closely monitor his psychopathic brother. Harry already knew the guards that would 'watch' Joffrey would conveniently look away whenever his blonde brother wished them to.
"Prince Harys, you might not like that the King let your brother out, but sometimes the good of the family comes before all else."
Harry held back any retort and simply nodded in acceptance before returning to his room. He couldn't do much when the King directly countered his orders… unless the imperius curse was cast, and Harry wasn't willing to go that far. Not only did that sort of dark magic change your soul, but it also pushed you ever so closer to insanity with every cast.
Harry entered his chambers with a frown while thinking of how to fix the mess that his father was creating. His father's mind might be off-limits, but nothing stopped him from placing well-designed compulsions on Lord Stark.
Harry could always break that self-imposed rule if it comes down to it. One small mind-altering spell on his father won't turn him into a manipulative monster... right? Harry shook his head to get rid of his thoughts.
"My Prince?"
Harry almost jumped at the voice before remembering that he had told Melleah to wait for him in his room.
He cleared his throat and said, "Ah, Melleah. I wanted to talk to you about your future."
As he spoke, Harry could see a mix of fear and hope on Melleah's face.
"You've been loyally serving me for years, and I feel you should be rewarded. You are a woman of three and twenty, and it's time to focus on your own life and find some happiness. I will find you a match with a landed knight and ensure you are cared for for the rest of your life."
This was usually something that the head servants took care of… well, the dismissing of the servants, at least. However, the dismissed servants didn't get retirement gifts that would make a minor lord turn green with envy. The latter was something that Harry felt that Melleah was owed by the small part of his mind where modern sensibilities refused to be erased.
The overly generous offer was why Harry was surprised to see Melleah burst into tears.
"Please, my prince!" Melleah got out between her sobs, "Don't send me away! I swear I'll fix whatever displeases you!"
Harry looked on in confusion before deciding to use his mediocre legilimency to understand what Melleah was thinking. When he did, it took all of his considerable willpower to not join his maid in tears. The sheer amount of despair that swirled around in her mind was unbelievable.
If Harry had to put a familiarity to what Melleah was feeling, it would have to be when he found out what he was doing to his friends just by existing in his previous life. The hopelessness, the self-hate, the misplaced anger… basically everything that would make a person lose hope in life.
Harry made a mistake. He wanted Melleah to leave his service and live a happy life, not feel like her life wasn't worth living.
"Melleah… stop your tears. I won't force you to go if you don't want to."
Melleah sniffled and looked at him with big eyes, "Really, my prince?"
Harry nodded and crossed his arms in thought. Maybe he could turn this into something beneficial for both of them. Harry knew it was almost expected for him to take his pleasure from Melleah, and she knew that too. Harry had to move her into another position to discourage that thought and stop giving her false hope.
After another brief scan of her mind, Harry almost shuddered at the fanatical devotion that he sensed. He felt that it might be quite similar to what Bellatrix must have felt for Voldemort. Harry wondered if it was caused by him stopping Robert from bedding her or if it was simply because Melleah knew that he would be the future king.
Either way, Harry would put it to good use. He needed someone devoted to him to be his eyes and ears in this cesspool. Harry knew he couldn't rely on magic to solve all his problems, though rooting out spies should be relatively easy with even rudimentary skills. However, this would be a test to see how effective Melleah would be without his help.
"You'll stay with me, Melleah, but not as my maid. I have another job for you, and if you can succeed, it'll make you invaluable to me."
The feverish gleam in Melleah's eyes let Harry know that she wouldn't allow herself to fail. Of course, it'll be years before Harry would see any significant results from her efforts.
Read ahead here (It's only 1 chapter ahead. This story is low priority at the moment so updates will be slow.)
P atreo n . com (slash) MarkusEllis (Remove spaces)
