Hello, everyone. I am hoping all of you are having a great time! Now, please enjoy this chapter. But before that, I wish to tell you all something important!
If you have read my Harry Potter and the Demon Empress fanfiction, you'll notice that I am ending it and replacing it with something else; now, there are some options there, so if you go and check it out, you'll find the option.
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Chapter 17
The day seemed slow and uneventful, considering everything. The whispers of winter's imminent arrival perfectly set the stage for what could be a lengthy or brief season. Regardless, the Stark family longed to return home and witness the snowfall at their ancestral residence, although that wouldn't happen for quite some time. At present, they were travelling to Harrenhal to celebrate Lord Walter Whent's daughter's name day, not because they desired to go, but because it might be the only opportunity, and possibly the last, for the Stark family to be together. Galadriel, upon her return to King's Landing, would no longer bear the Stark name but instead become a Targaryen or something entirely else. Nonetheless, Galadriel wished to move her family away from King's Landing because, once her plan unfolded, it would be difficult to anticipate the Mad King's reaction.
Galadriel saw this tourney as the perfect excuse for them to leave. It didn't take much to convince the Mad King to wait a little longer for the wedding, especially when he seemed more interested in burning people alive. Yet, Galadriel's focus was on Rhaegar and Robert. She had to make them move, but they had to do it themselves. And the same could be said about her family.
Robert and Rhaegar are both tense, which is good. I have been very vocal about feeling nervous and fearful of something happening to me, making my family keep an eye out. Galadriel thought, realising that she would have to do things to push Robert to act more lunatic. She knows what to do. Mm, Pandora's Actor told me Robert is already at Harrenhal. There is no doubt he is whoring and fighting. That's the only thing he does. But yeah, it's a good thing he is there already.
And on the other hand, Galadriel already has Rhaegar eating from the palm of her hand in a manner of speaking. So, he would follow the lead left by Galadriel.
Galadriel's actions were undeniably cruel; in fact, everything she was doing seemed to be steeped in evil. However, she remained blind to any wrongdoing. In her eyes, it was all justified for the betterment of her family. For far too long, the Stark family and the North as a whole had been ridiculed and looked down upon by the South. It was now time to bring about a change, to elevate the North to a new era where they would reign supreme in Westeros and beyond. But to accomplish this, Galadriel understood that she must undertake painful and ruthless measures, no matter how distressing they may be.
"Galadriel?" Lyarra called, and Galadriel tilted her head at her mother, who stared with concern at her. "Are you alright?"
"Yes, I am, Mother," Galadriel replied quickly. "I am just thinking about the future, that's all."
Lyarra's lips tighten, knowing full well what her daughter meant by that. "Well, we should be grateful that you were allowed to come here with us after all. I guess the prince is trying to win me over."
Galadriel chuckled at her mother's hissing words. "This tourney is a good excuse for us to escape King's Landing, and Rhaegar saw it as that. He is not a fool."
"Still, I am surprised you convinced him to let you go."
"He knows this is my last time as a Stark of Winterfell; he wants me to spend time with my family; after all, I am not going back North, at least not for a while."
Galadriel would be incredibly busy after she married. There was a lot of cleaning they had to do and a lot of rats they had to kill, and King's Landing was filled with them. Pandora's Actor and Albedo had a long list of people they needed to get rid of and many other schemes they had to start in order to procure Stark's domination and her rule. No one said that ruling would be easy, and Galadriel knew as much. Yet, there was also her supposed marriage. She truly wonders if Rhaegar would be able to come up on top of this conflict. She hoped so, truly. But then again, Robert was not a slouch either. He could be quite the leader, too. He was strong and charming to anyone who met him, making the upcoming conflict an intriguing battle.
But in all honesty, Galadriel considered Robert's or Rheagar's demise to be inconsequential. It would ultimately result in the same fate. What she truly cared about was leveraging their respective titles to her advantage.
Ah, a long few months await me. Galadriel thought with a sigh.
"You're always going to be a Stark of Winterfell!" Lyarra said, hating the fact that Galadriel spoke in such a manner. "No dragon would ever change that."
Galadriel smiled at her mother, taking her hands. "Yes, I know."
Galadriel then heard a knock on the carriage window and saw Lyanna happily riding a horse. "Hello, my dear future queen. We are about to arrive at the beautiful castle of Harrenhal."
"Beautiful castle? Harrenhal?" Galadriel snorted at Lyanna's cheeky lines. "Surely you jest, my dear little sister."
"Of course I am! This place stinks. I almost feel bad for Lord Whent and his family."
Galadriel won't deny it; that was a very true statement.
"Lyanna, where is Brandon?" Lyarra asked, concerned about his oldest son.
"I think he is waiting for us there with Father," Lyanna replied. "Hey, Ned! Is Brandon there?!"
"Lyanna, you don't have to scream; I am riding next to you," Ned sighed as he approached the carriage. "But yes, he told me he was going to arrive first at Harrenhal, just to make sure nothing funny was taking place. Whatever that means."
"I bet he's shagging a servant girl," Lyanna scoffed. "I think Elia would be angry at that."
"That would be incredibly stupid of him. Besides, father is with him. I doubt he would allow him to do something as stupid as that," Galadriel added in a mumble. Please, Brandon, don't throw away a great alliance with the Martell! Galadriel knew that, despite the constant bickering between Elian and Brandon, they had been spending a lot of time together recently. It was quite entertaining to watch Elia's bravado match Brandon's stubbornness. Yet, Elia was still a princess, and respect was something necessary for her to fall for Brandon, which was something Galadriel's older brother was still lacking.
Maybe Elia can put a muzzle on Brandon's mouth, or perhaps his cock, in order to keep him in line. At this point, I don't think there is a woman in this world who can control him. But maybe she can, somehow. Galadriel thought, looking at Ned's face.
"Please, Lyanna, it is not like he is trying to woo her; also, I doubt Elia wishes to be with someone like him," Ned said, and he suddenly saw the expression of the females of the Stark families on him.
"Dear brother, you still don't know the heart of a lady," Galadriel sighed deeply.
"Elia is all over Brandon; even I can see that," Lyanna added, and Lyarra could only muster the strength to exhale loudly.
"Brandon is an idiot. I just hope he doesn't offend her," Lyarra said, and Ned looked a bit shocked to hear that.
Ned decided to remain silent.
"Yeah, having the Dornish as enemies is not wise. They love their princess," Galadriel said, knowing full well the prestige Elia has in Dorne. That's why she was worried about her brother doing something stupid which could offend an entire kingdom. "In any case, my dear brother, what about Lady Ashara?"
Ned's face suddenly blushed, and Lyanna began to snicker.
"Oh, is our brother's lady not coming with us?" Lyanna smirked in a teasing voice. "Maybe another lord won her over."
"Of course not!" Ned replied in a cold voice. "She is with Princess Elia, and she is travelling with her. They are coming to Harrenhal, too."
"Oh! It seems sweet, dear Ashara can't get enough of my handsome brother!" Lyanna teased, making Ned groan deeply before deciding to ride away from his sister.
"Hey! Don't escape! I want to hear more of my future sister-in-law!" Lyanna yelled before following Ned on her horse.
"Well, I do hope Lady Ashara would give me lots of grandchildren," Lyarra sighed dreamily, which made Galadriel chuckle.
Harrenhal, eh? This is where it all starts.
Galadriel found herself humming deeply, contemplating the significance of Harrenhal's tourney had she not been reincarnated in that world. It was a peculiar sensation, undoubtedly. However, presently, it had transformed into a mere festivity devoid of any real importance for the people of Westeros. Only a few houses were going to participate in the tournament.
Galadriel began to see Harrenhal in the distance and hummed. This is it. Tomorrow is when everything starts. I must get ready.
Robert Baratheon let out a low, guttural grunt as he released himself inside the servant girl he had brought to his tent. The young maiden collapsed onto his chest, gasping for air, a mix of pleasure and exhaustion evident on her face. She chuckled softly, her laughter echoing in the dimly lit tent, revelling in the fact that she now lay with a noble lord. The scent of sweat and desire hung heavy in the air, mingling with the musky aroma of the canvas tent. Yet, despite the nights they had spent together, Robert no longer seemed to notice her, leaving her feeling used and a simmering anger bubbling within her.
"That was incredible, my lord," she whispered softly as she caressed his manly chest, trying to win him over. Still, Robert seemed deep in thought and ignored her for a few seconds before he pushed her away.
The servant girl frowned as Robert dismissed her without a second thought. The servant girl, however, was not ready to leave.
"My lord, have you enjoyed this tourney so far?" She asked, and Robert scoffed at the question. He truly couldn't care less about the tourney at all.
"I just want to hit something," Robert muttered angrily, still feeling sore from his recent loss in the tournament against the silver-haired prince. However, what truly angered him was the woman he loved so much was now going to marry that man.
She belongs to me! Robert growled internally, taking a deep sip of wine, yearning for another fight. It seemed that all he had been doing for days now was searching for tourneys or engaging in tavern brawls and encounters with tavern women. He longed to banish her from his mind, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. No matter how hard he tried to drown his thoughts with alcohol or distract himself with other women, Galadriel's face, her smile, those crimson lips, and golden eyes consumed his every thought.
"If there is nothing else, leave me be woman," Robert grumbled.
The servant girl scoffed before recalling a bit of news she heard not too long ago. "Oh! That's true. Have you heard, my lord?"
"What?" Robert asked in a not-so-gentle way.
"The Stark family is coming here, even the famous White Wolf," the servant maids' words suddenly brought a stop to whatever Robert was doing or trying to do.
"What did you say?" Robert asked one more time as the woman frowned at him again.
"The Stark are coming here," she replied again, this time slowly.
Robert's hand trembled, nearly causing him to drop his wine, as he quickly glanced in her direction. "What?" he questioned, his mind racing. He had believed that the wedding would take part in a few days, which was why he had planned to be as far from King's Landing as possible. He had no intention of attending the extravagant ceremony that was the wedding of the heir to the throne. Robert was unable to bear witness to the woman he loved marrying, a silver-haired individual he despised.
One of the reasons Robert ghosted Ned after the tourney at King's Landing ended was because he couldn't bear to look at his friend after his defeat. He also needed to leave and be away from all of that. However, now that he found out she was there, it felt like the gods were giving him one last chance.
"Leave now!" Robert yelled as he began to get ready to find the love of his life.
"What?" the servant girl mumbled, confused. "What about us—?"
Robert glared at her, confused and angry. "There is no us! You're just a whore! Now leave before I drag you out!"
Angry and humiliated, the servant girl took her gowns and left the tent.
Robert splashed cold water on his face, hoping to alleviate the remnants of his hangover and appear more presentable. Robert's activities were no secret to Galadriel and her watchful guardians, yet they remained indifferent to his doings. Robert, oblivious to everything around him, stepped out of the tent in search of his beloved. This time around, he would make the most of his opportunity.
The arrival of the Starks caught everyone off guard, causing Lord Whent and his daughter to brim with pride. They boastfully proclaimed that the future queen of Westeros had graced them with her presence, their voices filled with arrogance. Galadriel, however, smoothly played along. She shared pleasantries with the lord's daughter and some other nobles for a bit, but her thoughts were consumed by pressing concerns.
It would take them at least a month to ride north. Galadriel thought about how long it would take for her family to ride to their ancestral home once the war started. And she was confident that the war was going to happen. After all, they had meticulously planned every detail, and if Galadriel wished to get the results fully, she needed to act accordingly. Now, I must change places with that doppelgänger of mine. Galadriel thought it was time for her to oversee the entire plan from her secret base.
"Father, they are here!" Lyanna exclaimed loudly, as Ned and Lord Stark winced at Lyanna's loud voice.
"We can see it, Lyanna," Ned mumbled as he helped his mother and twin sister out of the carriage.
"You took long enough," Lord Stark spoke, watching her wife and daughter get out of the carriage.
"Sorry, my love, but your daughter is too heavy," Lyarra sighed as Galadriel felt the damage of a World item on her.
"You're hurting me, mother."
"Don't worry, dear, I still love you," Lyarra whispered, caressing Galadriel's hair. "Now, where is Brandon?"
Lord Stark and Lyanna shared the same laugh, their snickers echoing through the air as they teased Brandon, who was standing a few meters away next to his horse, waiting for a certain Dornish princess to arrive. It was unexpected to see Brandon looking so put-together and clean-shaved, considering he was constantly proclaiming his love for his beard.
"By the Old Gods," Lyarra quickly approached her oldest son and touched his face, much to his dismay. "Look at you! So handsome!"
"Mother, please, people are looking," Brandon hissed, but of course, Lyarra did not bother to care about his discomfort.
"Such a handsome man that you are!" Lyarra mumbled as tears appeared in her eyes dramatically. "I remember when you were just a baby suckling on my tets."
Bradon made a face of disgust as he did not want to think of that. "Mother, please stop before I decide to take the Black to save me from this public embarrassment!"
"It's so bad to accept your mother's love? Are you really that embarrassed by it?" The sound of Lyarras's voice echoed in the air, causing many people to turn their heads towards the scene. The ladies discreetly hid their smiles while the lords and stable boys openly snickered with amusement.
"Gods be good," Brandon mumbled.
"Save it for later, Mother; here they come," Lyanna smiled, watching Princess Elia's carriage arriving at the courtyard of Harrenhal. "The future wives of the Stark family."
Brandon and Ned quickly looked at their clothes and hair before taking a deep breath and walking towards the carriage.
"My boys are growing up," Lyarra sniffed as Lyanna and Lord Stark chuckled.
"Well, my dear brothers are well-behaved now," Galadriel added, her voice tinged with relief, just before sensing a [Message] coming through. That was the cue for the plan to start. So, with that in mind, Galadriel sighed deeply, ready to start what would be a long set of days.
"Mother," Galadriel called as Lyarra tilted her head at her. "I must go to—you know! I ate a lot!"
Lyarra rolled her eyes. "I told you not to eat too much! You're going to get fatter!"
"That's hurtful, mother, you know?" Galadriel mumbled. "So, I'll be fast!"
"Gali! I can come with you—!" Lyanna yelled, but by that point, Galadriel was long gone.
A set of trees allowed her to hide away, and it took not long before [Gate] opened for her. Soon, Galadriel met with Albedo and Pandora's Actor, who were waiting for her. The white-haired girl sighed in relief before allowing her demonic form to take over. She truly missed her long wings and tail.
"I sometimes forget what it feels to not hide away," Galadriel whispered before looking at both guardians. "Is everything ready?"
"It is my lady," Pandora's Actor said as he presented a doppelgänger who was already taking Galadriel's form. "She knows what to do."
"Well done," Galadriel hummed, but her smile quickly faded as she pressed her finger into the belly of the doppelgänger standing before her. "So, this is how my belly looks? Is it truly that plump?"
"Nonsense, my love!" Albedo exclaimed quickly. "You're beautiful just the way you are!"
"You're not answering the question, Albedo! Am I fat or not?!" Galadriel exclaimed as she squeezed the belly of the doppelgänger figure, who looked in tears at the fact she was now being called fat. Even though she was wearing the form of her lady, she was still feeling humiliated.
"Don't call my dear assistant fat!" Pandora's Actor stated, defending his fellow doppelgänger.
"Enough!" Galadriel exclaimed, not liking how, at the end of it all, they were talking about her weight. She doesn't even know if she could even get fat. Still, she pushed those thoughts away. "Now, please focus on what is the plan."
"You're going to take my place during all this. Are you ready for it?" Galadriel asked the doppelgänger, who nodded quickly.
"I do, my lady!" The doppelgänger replied quickly. "Master Pandora's Actor has taught me all I need. All that's necessary to grab Robert's affection."
Galadriel was uncertain if she truly grasped the meaning behind it, but in the end, it didn't really matter. By tomorrow morning, everything would change. The doppelgänger simply needed to serve as bait.
"Are the agents in position? What about the letters?"
"They are ready, all of it," Albedo replied. "We have word that the Mad King is not truly paying attention to us, but he is on his son."
"Mm, it seems he truly fears his son will gather allies and overthrow him," Galadriel said.
"A fair assumption, my lady," Pandora's Actor acknowledged, his voice laced with a hint of amusement. "Rhaegar is possibly an incredibly dull and irritatingly melancholic individual. Nonetheless, he is a crafty person who knows the art of building alliances. We are aware that he is gaining support and making preparations for a potential opportunity to overthrow his father."
"Albeit peacefully," Albedo added with a scoff.
"Yes," Pandora's Actor nodded.
"I know that," Galadriel said, knowing that one of the reasons Rhaegar was happy to let her leave King's Landing for a while was that he was travelling towards the Reach in order to get some support.
He is not that stupid; he knows he is popular with the common folk. Galadriel never hesitated to acknowledge the intelligence of others, and Rheagar was no exception to this rule. Even though she also believed that he could be pretty arrogant.
"So he is away," Galadriel hummed. "We must make sure everyone is in the fog when this happens. Let's confuse all and let chaos dance around."
Galadriel said as she couldn't help but smile sadistically. Let's see how those two react to this. I am craving some entertainment.
Robert started searching the tournament grounds, still wondering where the Stark family could be. Was it possible that the servant girl had deceived him? It was a possibility; he considered it. However, his luck soon took a turn. Out of nowhere, the woman with white hair, whom he loved so deeply, emerged from the bushes.
Galadriel was shocked to see him, or so it appeared to Robert.
"Galadriel," Robert whispered, and soon the white-haired girl rushed to him, her footsteps light and graceful like a ballet dancer. She spun around before reaching for him, spreading her arms for a warm embrace. It was all very dramatic, so much so that the real Galadriel, who was watching it all unfold from her secret base, was currently having a stroke at what she had just seen.
"Robert!" Galadriel called out. "I missed you so dearly!"
Robert's thoughts suddenly vanished as he could feel Galadriel's embrace. Soon, everything was fine. All of his worries vanished. He hugged back, not wanting to let her go.
"I missed you too," Robert whispered, taking his time to smell the scent of her hair.
"Robert, my twin brother, Eddard Stark of Winterfell, who I love, is waiting for you," Galadriel said sweetly.
"Oh, is he?" Robert smiled, loving how Galadriel's waist felt around his fingers.
"Would you be kind enough to be with me for the day, my lord?" Galadriel spoke, caressing Robert's cheek. "It may be the last day for us."
Although Robert was unsure of the meaning, he was aware that he couldn't miss out on this opportunity. In the end, Galadriel's statement does contain some truth. This might be the last opportunity for both of them.
"Of course," Robert whispered in Galadriel's ear. I am going to make you mine. Robert thought, not knowing how this day would be forever remembered in history.
