"My Lord?"
Rhaegar looked up to see Ser Arthur Dayne, Barristan and Varys standing in the doorway of his study. Curious he waved them in, wondering at the expressions on their faces.
They filed in, and he watched with even more curiosity, placing down the paperwork he had been reading through, and watched as Arthur stepped back outside and shut the door behind himself so Barristan could lock it, no doubt standing guard on the door so no one could listen in.
Then Barristan and Varys made their way over to sit in front of his desk, Varys back looked almost painfully straight.
"What is going on?" Rhaegar asked.
"We have found him, My Lord," Varys said, not bothering to mince words. It was part of why Rhaegar appreciated him so much and agreed with his father's choice to bring him here as an advisor.
"What…" Rhaegar felt as though his head was spinning and he could not breathe at the news, news that he had been waiting 5 years for.
He was grateful to Barristan and Varys for giving him a few moments to get his head together, clearly understanding that he just needed a few moments to take in what he had just been told.
"Where...where is he?" Rhaegar asked.
"He is in the North in a small village, they have been sheltering him and hiding him from any searches and strangers, looking after him. He has been living like a common man," Barristan explained.
"Right, we should…"
"Forgive me My Lord, but there is something that you need to know, something my people informed me of," Varys interrupted. Rhaegal blinked at him a little stunned at such an action.
"What is it?" He asked.
"Lord Harry has two children with him, twins, they…"
"He found someone else then, right well, I am not really sure what, he will still need to be brought here to, I need to talk to him and, what is their mother like?" Rhaegal found himself rambling.
His heart was sinking and he felt mildly sick at the news. It had always been a possibility at the back of his mind, of course, it had been a long time, and it was not as though he had been completely faithful to Harry, even though he had told him to marry Elia right before he had disappeared.
But he had hoped, he had truly hoped and imagined...but it did not matter now.
"Ah My Lord, I was not finished," Varys rubbed his eyes.
"What else can there be?!" Rhaegal snapped.
"My spies have reported that the twins have silver hair and lavender eyes," Varys said slowly.
"Silver...but...how…" Rhaegar spluttered.
"There was the theory about the Potter family," Barristan shrugged.
"That was generations ago, nearly as long ago as the Targaryen family having dragons!" Rhaegar muttered, his mind spinning.
"There is no other answer for him having 5-year-old twins with silver hair and purple eyes. Varys' spies also found no evidence that Harry has anyone, or has been with anyone since arriving in the village just under 6 years ago. There are women that he is living with, but all information says that he is definitely not with them. And again it doesn't explain the Targaryen features," Barristan shrugged.
"I...I need to speak to Elia and…" Rhaegal drew off blinking down at his desk and trying desperately to yank his thoughts back together.
"Of course my Lord," Varys and Barristan stood quickly as Rhaegal did and bowed.
Harry stared at the man in front of him completely stunned, he had not expected this to really happen. He had, of course, imagined it again and again over the last six years, but he had not thought that this would truly happen. Now that it was he found that he had no idea what to say.
Or how to feel.
It had been a long 6 years, and he was not the innocent young teenager madly in love with the beautiful prince of the realm to the point logical thought went out the window.
But his traitorous heart still thumped at the sight of him, and his breath caught in his throat.
"Harry…" Rhaegar said.
"I...what the hell are you doing here?" Harry spluttered. He could see the King's Guard shuffling at his disrespectful tone, but the shock was wearing off and fear was taking over, he had a secret he had desperately been keeping safe for 6 years!
"I am here to see you after you ran away and have been hiding for six years!" Rhaegar bristled.
"I ran away for a reason!" Harry snapped.
"And what reason was that?!" Rhaegar growled.
"To save your bloody reputation! You needed a political marriage not a marriage to me! I told you to marry and…"
"I did marry, but that did not mean that you had to disappear, I wanted to make it work between the three of us! I thought that was what you meant!" Rhaegar shouted.
"Oh, and your new wife would have been absolutely thrilled to know about me wouldn't she!" Harry threw his hands up.
"So you didn't even give us a bloody chance to try and explain anything?" Rhaegar shouted right back, anger and annoyance becoming more and more prevalent on his face.
"Oh Cersei knows where you are right now does she?!" Harry spat.
"Yes, she does actu...wait what? Cersei?" Rhaegar frowned confused as Harry's words hit him.
"Cersei, your wife!" Harry rolled his eyes.
"Wait, Cersei isn't my wife, what the hell made you think that? Elia Martell is! What the hell made you think..how did you not know?" All anger was put out as out and out confusion washed through Rhaegar's system, something that was mirrored on Harry's face.
"I have been in hiding, and didn't particularly want to hear anything about your marriage, to be frank, I have heard nothing but local information since arriving here. These people don't care a damn about politics, which made it so ideal," Harry shrugged, still looking a little stunned.
"What made you think I was marrying Cersei?" Rhaegar pressed.
"Tywin Lannister," Harry sighed rubbing his eyes. "He knew all about us, everything, he told me that I would be the destruction of the Kingdom, and of you if I stayed. He told me that you needed to marry Cersei to secure the Kingdom and that I needed to disappear unless I wanted to be the reason for your downfall. I didn't know that I was...I thought that it was for the best that I disappear, I didn't want…" Harry looked so lost that Rhaegar couldn't help himself, he stepped forward and reached out for the younger man.
He could not have hidden the hurt on his face if he had tried when Harry stepped back, turning his face away from Rhaegar's touch.
"Please don't Rhaegar, just because you have not married Cersei doesn't mean that Lannister wasn't right. I came here for a reason and stayed here for a reason. You need to leave," Harry said not meeting Rhaegar's eyes.
"Because of the children?" Rhaegar said sharply.
The look of horror on Harry's face as his wide green eyes turned rapidly onto him was a stab through Rhaegar's heart.
"I...I...I...you….they aren't...they...they are…"
"Targaryens! Silver hair and purple eyes, unless you managed to find a Targaryen bastard that we have no clue of hiding out here within a month of arriving, those children are yours and mine! You didn't even give me a chance!" Rhaegar glared, however, he hurried forward as Harry's knees seemed to give out from under him.
He and Barristan gripped Harry tightly and quickly escorted him into the modest cottage he had been standing in the doorway of blocking their entry. Barristan led the three of them to the fireplace, and he and the Prince helped ease Harry into an armchair in front of it.
"Put your head between your knees," Barristan said gently pressing on Harry's back when it became clear that the young man was having a panic attack.
"I...I...I…." Harry stammered.
"It's ok, just breathe, Harry, breathe," Rhaegar rubbed his back concerned.
"I just wanted to keep them safe, I didn't know until I was halfway here, and….I just wanted them safe," Harry sobbed, tear-filled, terrified green eyes met Rhaegar's pleadingly.
"Do you really think that I would let anything happen to you? To our...children?" Rhaegar shook his head.
"I was so young and naive Rhaegar, and so were you, I knew that you would do everything that you could to protect us, but that likely wouldn't have been enough," Harry laughed sharply.
"It is different now," Rhaegar argued.
"What, you want us to go back and play happy families with your wife?" Harry snorted.
"Yes," Rhaegar nodded seriously. "I have spoken to Elia about everything, she knew about you from the very start," He added when Harry just stared at him open-mouthed.
Before anything else could be said the back door to the cottage slammed open and two children raced in, followed by two men and two women. All six of them paused and stared at the three men staring back at them. Though Rhaegar only had eyes for the little boy and little girl who had his eyes exactly.
"Aenys, Visenya, come here," Harry held his arms out for his children who hurried over, their eyes glued onto Rhaegar.
"Harry, everything ok?" Rhaegar heard one of the men saying concernedly, but he could not look away from the two beautiful children only inches away from him. He had imagined what they would be like over and over in his head since Varys and Barristan had told him about them, they were even better than he had imagined.
"Mormont?!" Barristan spluttered. At that Rhaegar did look up, to see that indeed one of the men was Jorah Mormont. The man had disappeared from justice 5 years ago after being caught stealing from his house and the houses of his bannermen, taking advantage of his situation with them.
"Are you our Papa?" Visenya asked, drawing all attention away from Jorah and onto her. Rhaegar knelt down in front of them, drinking them in as they stared curiously back.
"Yes I am," Rhaegar nodded.
"Daddy told us all about you, he told us that we looked just like you, our hair is a little lighter though," Aenys reached out and touched Rhaegar's own silver-blonde hair, that was indeed a little darker than his children.
"Our eyes are exactly the same though," Visenya grinned reaching out and cupping Rhaegar's face in her little hands.
"Are you really a Prince? Daddy says that you're a brave and kind Prince who is one of the best Knights, but we weren't sure whether or not to believe him," Aenys said in a childlike whisper conspiratorially to Rhaegar, which of course meant the whole group of adults hear. The 4 newcomers snorted amused.
"I heard that you little brat," Harry grumbled poking Aenys gently in the side and got a giggle in return.
Rhaegar couldn't hold back any longer and swept the two of them into a tight hug, burying his nose into their hair and trying to imprint their scents as deeply into his mind as could. He imprinted the memory of hugging his children for the first time onto his brain as deeply as he could.
He caught the look of guilt and sorrow on Harry's face, and he realised that he had truly not kept them from him maliciously. He had been in an impossible situation and he had been doing what he had thought was the best for Rhaegar and then their children, he hadn't done anything for himself for a long time Rhaegar would guess.
The anger that he had been feeling mixed in with all of his other confusing feelings for Harry slipped away.
Harry had given up his entire life, his Lordship, his family, his friends, his lands, to hide out in this tiny village in the arse end of nowhere, in this tiny cottage instead of the castle he had grown up in, all to protect their son and daughter, and Rhaegar.
"I've been working all day, I'm fucking sitting down!" The other man that had come in with his children grunted stomping across the room and flopping onto another one of the armchairs leaving Barristan and Rhaegar gawping a little.
"How many times…" Harry growled.
"Language," All of them said as one, managing to make Harry chuckle.
"Its been a long fuc...long day," The man huffed yanking his boots off and his fur jacket.
"Erm are you…" Barristan frowned at him.
"One of the free folk yes, Osha as well," Harry motioned to the dark-haired, smaller woman making her way across the room also, along with a very tall blonde haired woman. "This is Tormund, and this is Brienne, you obviously know Jorah,"
"My Lord," Jorah bowed awkwardly, still standing uncertainly by the door.
"I will finish supper. We should talk after," Harry sighed looking pointedly at Rhaegar.
"I will tell the others to set up camp," Barristan shot Jorah a suspicious look before he headed to the door where the rest of the King's Guard were waiting.
Looking around the small cottage Rhaegar realised that with the addition of himself and Barristan there would barely be any more room for all of them.
"Papa?" Visenya tugged back slightly and he realised that he had not yet realised his children, not wanting the more than a step away from himself. They however at 5 did not really understand what was going on and were getting impatient.
Harry stood and headed for the kitchen area in the one-roomed cottage where the amazing smell was coming from.
"Your grace," Jorah motioned to the free chair before dropping heavily and clearly tiredly next to Brienne who was watching his interaction with the twins was a cautious eye.
Rhaegar sat into the chair and before he could do anything else, the twins clambered onto his lap and started talking over each other excitedly.
"Do you really live in a castle?"
"Do you really have an army?"
"Do you really have dragon bones?"
"Did our family really descend from dragon riders?"
"Do you really have ruby clad armour?"
"Are you really the best warrior in the country?"
"Daddy says that you sing!"
"He said that you…"
"Slow down you two!" Tormund laughed.
"Sorry!" They grinned at Rhaegar.
"No problem at all," Rhaegar chuckled before he set about answering their questions. Though he realised that Harry had told their children all about him going off of the questions that they asked about whether things were true.
"Right, come on you two, bed!" Jorah yawned standing. It was late into the night, and the children had kept Rhaegar talking through most of it, also telling him about their lives along the way and answering questions that he managed to ask before they plied him with more of their own.
"But…"
"Your Papa and I need to talk Aenys, Visenya. Say goodnight to him. He will still be here in the morning," Harry said firmly.
"Fine," Visenya groaned dramatically.
"Do you promise you will be here?" Aenys asked Rhaegar suspiciously making the Prince chuckle amused.
"I promise little Dragonling," Rhaegar smile hugging him and kissing his forehead, doing the same with Visenya.
"See you in the morning," Tormund kissed Harry's forehead.
"See you in the morning," Jorah also kissed Harry's forehead before the two of the scooped up and twin each and carried the yawning children to the stairs in the corner.
"We will put them in with us to make sure they don't sneak down," Osha kissed his cheek before heading off.
"Do you wish me to stay?" Brienne asked standing straight-backed like a soldier looking between Barriastan and Rhaegar.
"Thank you Brienne, but I will be fine," Harry smiled standing to kiss Brienne's cheek. "I will see you in the morning,"
"I shall go and make sure that the others are settled," Barristan stood himself once Brienne had also climbed the stairs. "Goodnight Harry, it is good to see you again,"
"Barristan," Harry smiled.
He and Rhaegar sat there in silence for a few moments, neither of them wanting to really break the ice between the two of them and start talking again about the issue looming between them like Balerion the Black Dread.
"How did you come to have two wildlings, Jorah Mormont and Brienne with you?" Rhaegar asked after a while.
"Tormund and Osha made it over the wall at some point. They joined us here when I found them starving in the forest. Tormund didn't really know what to make of things when he threatened to kill me and I offered to cook them supper instead and put a roof over their heads for a few days. Jorah was pissed at me for that one, they just...never left," Harry shrugged.
"Jorah…"
"He found me when I was wandering around the countryside trying to find somewhere to hide. I was about 8 months along and struggling. He came across some thieves robbing me. He was running from the Starks but stopped to help me. He recognised me, and I eventually told him everything. We heard about this place and agreed to make it here together. He was only planning on hanging around till things had calmed down, and then make it across the sea to Essos. He has helped me raise the twins, protected us all. He stayed with us," Harry answered.
"And Brienne?"
"Lady Brienne actually," Harry grinned. "She is from the Stormlands. She wants to be a Knight and is one of the best fighters that I have ever seen. She was wandering around the countryside looking for quests when she came across us. She decided to protect Aenys and Visenya," Harry said, and they were back to the issue at hand.
"They're beautiful," Rhaegar said softly.
"Yes, they really are aren't they," Harry smiled picking up one of the toys from the table next to him.
"I want you to come back to King's Landing with me," Rhaegar stated.
"Rhaegar," Harry closed his eyes.
"They are my heirs, my legitimate heirs, you are still my husband, I want you to come home!" Rhaegar locked eyes with Harry when those stunned green eyes met his own.
"But...you married Elia," Harry said slowly.
"Yes I did, but I am not the first Targaryen to have more than one spouse. I spoke to Father about it and explained the situation. He could not really argue about it considering our sigil is the three-headed dragon. I agreed to the marriage only under the understanding that my marriage to you was not annulled. Father was angry at first when I told him what we had done, but he calmed down," Rhaegar explained.
"But...But that means…"
"Aenys and Visenya are my legal heirs yes," Rhaegar nodded.
"Brienne is going to have a heart attack when she realises that she has been protecting the Heirs to the throne," Harry laughed weakly covering his eyes.
"Harry," Rhaegar said softly, moving to kneel in front of the man the teenager he had loved had become. "Harry, I never stopped loving you,"
"Elia Martel," Harry breathed.
"I respect her, and I love her and who she is, we have a daughter, Rhaenys together who we love, but we are both more than aware that I am not IN love with her, and she understands that. I am not going to pretend that this is going to be a nice easy situation, that we are going to be able to play happy families, but it is doable. Harry, I have missed five years of their life, I have missed six years of your life. Come home with me, please," Rhaegar stroked his cheek gently, brushing his hair behind his ear.
"I am not the man that I was Rhaegar," Harry closed his eyes.
"So we learn each other again. I am not the same man either. We learn each other again, we learn to be a family," Rhaegar pressed.
"My family includes everyone under this roof," Harry looked at Rhaegar challengingly.
"I look forward to the gassy looks on Barristan's face every time he looks at Mormont," Rhaegar nodded before he paused. "The Wildlings as well?"
"Everyone," Harry nodded.
"Very well," Rhaegar grimaced slightly but smiled when Harry actually smiled at him.
"This is going to be difficult," Harry sighed.
"We will manage, and it will be worth it," Rhaegar smiled pressing a kiss to Harry's forehead. His heart swelled with hope when he pulled back and Harry's eyes fluttered open to look at him.
"Ok, let's go home," Harry nodded.
"What's the matter my darlings?" Harry's gentle voice woke Rhaegar from where he was lying in front of the warming fireplace. They had discussed their journey back to King's Landing, particularly considering they would have exceedingly precious cargo with them.
They had settled down in the living room to sleep, Harry taking the comfy armchair while Rhaegar made himself as comfortable as he could in front of the fireplace. He had been a little hurt to realise how poor Harry and his children had been living.
"We couldn't sleep daddy,"
"We wanted to make sure that Papa was still here," Visenya and Aenys said quietly.
"He's still here, and we are going to be going home with him tomorrow," Harry assured them.
"Really!?" The twins gasped.
"Shhh yes, yes we are. And you have a little sister to meet when we get there," There was a grunt and what Rhaegar guessed was the sound of Harry lifting the twins onto the chair with him.
"Really?" Visenya asked.
"Yes, her name is Rhaenys," Harry said gently.
"Like the story about Aegon, Visenya and Rhaenys!" Aenys said excitedly.
"That's right," Harry hummed.
"Are all of us going?" Visenya asked with a hint of suspicion to her tone which made Rhaegar smile slightly.
"Yes all of us,"
"Uncle Jorah?"
"Yup,"
"Uncle Tormund?"
"Yes,"
"Auntie Osha?"
"Yes,"
"Auntie Brienne?"
"Yes, I believe that that qualifies all of us," Harry laughed.
"What…"
"Ah ah, we are going to have a long few weeks ahead of us, you have plenty of time to ask questions. Time to sleep!" Harry scolded gently.
"Can you sing us a song each, please?" Visenya asked.
"Yes, please Daddy!" Aenys begged.
"Hmm, I don't know," Harry hummed thoughtfully.
"Please, please, please!" They begged in tandem.
"Ok, ok," Harry laughed. "Come on settle down, under the blanket,"
Rhaegar listened to the sound of shuffling before there were a couple of gentle sighs.
"Ok,
Cast away your worries, my dear
For tomorrow comes a new day
Hold to me, you've nothing to fear
For your dreams are not far away
As you lay your head and you rest
May your dreams take over my love
Listen close, my son of the west
For your destiny lies above
Though the world is cruel
There's a light that still shines
In the darkest days of our lives
When all hope seems lost
And you can't find your way
Think of me as you look to the sky
Child mine, your future is bright
For your father's blood's in your veins
In dark times, I pray you will fight
For the world will soon know your name,"
"My turn daddy," Visenya yawned sounding nearly asleep.
"Ok,
Little baby, hear my voice
I'm beside you, O maiden fair
Our young Lady, grow and see
Your land, your own faithful land
Sun and moon, guide us
To the hour of our glory and honour
Little baby, our young Lady
Noble maiden fair
Little baby, hear my voice
I'm beside you, O maiden fair
Our young Lady, grow and see
Your land, your own faithful land
Sun and moon, guide us
To the hour of our glory and honour
Little baby, our young Lady
Noble maiden fair,"
Rhaegar lay there for a good long while after Harry stopped singing, listening to the sounds of gentle, even breathing coming from his husband and children. Eventually, he rolled over to see them, the twins were slotted either side of Harry in a tangle of limbs under the blanket while Harry held carefully onto them.
Rhaegar looked carefully at Harry's sleeping face, he was older than the memories Rhaegar had of him, the years had been long and stressful, that much was clear. But he was still beautiful, still gentle and kind, still completely unique and the most beautiful thing that Rhaegar had seen in his whole life until the birth of his beloved Rhaenys, and now there were two more faces that were the most beautiful things he had ever seen.
Looking closely at the twins, they were a perfect mixture of the two of them. Harry's features and his own melded together to create two completely unique faces, beautiful and striking already. And now Rhaegar was going to get to watch them grow up.
His family.
Harry was right, he hadn't been strong enough six years ago to protect all of them, he had been a fool to believe that he could when they had run away into the night to marry. But now, now he was, and now he dared anyone to try and harm his family, any of them. He would resurrect the words of his house, Fire and Blood, if anyone dared to lay a hand on them.
Rhaegar lay there staring at the three of them, taking in as much of them as he could until his eyes unknowingly closed and he passed into sleep with the image he had never dared to hope for being the last thing that he saw.
Rhaegar stood alongside his King's Guard, Barristan at his side, and his Knights staring at the image in front of them.
"Alright, do we have everything?" Harry asked adjusting the bow over his shoulders and the daggers at his waist.
"Ready," Brienne of Tarth was dressed in a full set of armour with an impressive sword sheathed at her waist.
"We have everything," Jorah nodded as he lifted Visenya and then Aenys onto the back of the wagon that Barristan had tracked down to make the journey easier on the two young children. Jorah was also fully decked out in armour, an impressive sword at his waist and daggers as well. The two young Targaryen children also had wicked looking daggers attached to their belts.
"Ready," Tormund and Osha heaved themselves into the waggon as well, decked out in their full furs, Osha had daggers and a short sword, Tormund a lethal looking axe.
"Alright then," Harry swung his last bag into the waggon before hefting a pack onto his back that he would have struggled with half the weight of 6 years ago.
"Do you know how to use that Little Princess?" Barristan asked Visenya gently, nodding to her dagger once they had left the village and the silence was becoming uncomfortable.
"Oh yes! I have learnt with everyone how to fight. I am very good with the bow and arrow but daggers are my best weapon. I am getting much more skilled, but Uncle Tormund taught me that in the meantime also go for the cock!" Visenya grinned brightly at him.
Barristan looked to the redheaded giant wildling wide-eyed and found him grinning proudly.
"What was that?" Harry shouted back to them from where he had been walking ahead with Jorah.
"Nothing Daddy!" Visenya called back sweetly.
"Hmmm," Harry narrowed green eyes at them before turning back around.
"She is very skilled at it," Aenys said to Barristan.
"Sorry?" He asked.
"Stabbing people, she is very good at it," The male twin nodded.
"Have you had to do it very often?" He frowned a little.
"Bad people come through the village every now and then," Aenys shrugged.
"They think that because we are up in the middle of the nowhere they can attack and there will be no justice visited on them, the fools don't realise that out here people learn to fight to protect what they have much harder than they do anywhere else, because we have so little," Osha explained.
"These little brats have probably shed more blood in actual battle than a little of your shiny counterparts," Tormund chortled.
"Right," Barristan nodded feeling more than a little stunned. These two were so very different from any Prince, Princess, Lord or Lady that Barristan had ever met.
"Are you sure about this?" Rhaegar frowned.
"I am not the child that left," Harry snorted, gathering the reigns on his mount and easily lifting himself into the saddle. "I promise, I am far far more skilled than I used to be,"
"You were bad?" Tormund asked.
"Terrible!" Harry laughed.
"We should be back within five hours," Jorah squinted around them.
"I am not sure that I like this, you are Husband to the Prince my Lord," One of the King's Guard frowned.
"I have also been living in this land for six years and know it like the back of my hand," Harry said sharply.
"And going with the Mormont…"
"I am going to stop you right there before you end up with a dagger sticking out of somewhere you don't want it," Osha growled. The Knight who had been speaking snapped his mouth shut at the glare he realised he was getting from Harry.
"I trust Jorah with my life more than any here. We will be back soon," Harry said sharply. "Behave!" He added to the wagon where his children and the rest of his group where settling down.
"We will make sure they do!" Tormund assured him.
"He was talking to you," Jorah smirked before he and Harry urged their mounts on through the trees. And Rhaegar turned to find his children staring at him with mischievous smirks on their faces.
"So, Papa…" Visenya smirked.
"You're on your own," Tormund snorted and made a great show of making himself comfortable in the wagon. Osha just smirked at him as mischievously, and Brienne's face did not move from where she was standing blankly at the foot of the wagon with her hand on her sword hilt, guarding the children. Though he could have sworn he saw a small smirk.