Age of the Great Dragon

by Sage1988

Reborn as the eldest son of The Mad King and Queen Rhaella, Harry as Haeron Targaryen must navigate the world of Westeros and find a way to keep his insane father in check. Thanks to The Cowardly Christian for suggesting the title. Will cover from Aerys early days all the way into the series. Dark Story

4. Chapter 4 Breakaway

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Game of Thrones.

Hello again! Sorry for the chapter being late, real life is hard at the moment but I will continue to write this story! Thank you for your patience and for those that read and reviewed the last chapter.

The poll results are a surprise as I was thinking it would go one way but it seems divided. I will consider the results and decide on what path to follow in a couple of chapters time.

Some people have asked why I made Harry/Haeron so tall. That is because I felt there should be some kind of effect physically to actively channelling your magic through your body especially during puberty. Not to mention the punishing physical exercise he is putting his body through, it all adds up and speeds and boosts development.

At this point I am making Jaime and Cersei twelve years old so everyone knows their ages.

Review Responses from the Last Chapter...

Megatronus Uchiha – Indeed, but I have an idea for that too. The egg will hatch in this chapter in fact. He will make his own group eventually but that will be in the future. The other groups you mentioned, maybe. I am really glad to hear that you like the story and thank you for the compliment, support of people like yourself is a big help to me so thank you!

RoyalTwinFangs – Rhaegar, in a way perhaps. Harry yes.

savitarsuffer – Indeed and it will come eventually. The Kingsguard for all their supposed honour could have made things a lot easier for everyone. If Barristan had never saved Aerys Rhaegar would have taken the throne and Robert's Rebellion likely would never have happened. Jaime probably could have saved Elia and her children if he had gone to help them after killing the Mad King but he stayed in the throne room. Tywin for all of his faults is a great administrator and game player, who better to teach Harry to play.

Beleriond – Very good points. I agree and I think they should have given more backstory to where the sword came from before just putting it in. Lady Rowan was not going to the pairing, I to be honest needed a damsel for the chapter so I made one up. The technology in Westeros has always been loosely guided, some like you say says they have these things but in others they say they don't.

BadReader – Thank you for the compliment! Your support is greatly appreciated!

DarthEmrys – Oh, many things. Valyria...maybe.

Guest – The dragon egg in the hidden chamber is indeed the Butterwell Egg.

Okami Princess – That might not be a bad idea but would Rhaegar go for it? True with Daeron and Viserys now here there are more heirs but I don't see him taking that chance.

theunseenwizard – Thanks! Hermione is going to be in the story, I will admit that. The second woman is decided should I go down that route. It will be another HP character I will say that much.

Home of the Brave – I know, even Barristan regretted it later in life. I felt that Harry needs to be active in helping/saving people, that is who he is which is also why he is trying to avoid civil war since he doesn't want to have so many people killed.

Olfrik – I am going to in this chapter and more in the future, especially with one particularly well-known character in a couple of chapters time. Things leading up to the Rebellion will shift slightly but that is where all of it comes together.

900 – Not really, he always has the Kingsguard with him and that's if a passage even goes close to there. I agree with the idea you posted on the future Royal Guard, I will take the points you made aboard.

cameron1812 – Cheers! Thank you for the compliment!

Blaze1992 – Understood your point but being in the middle of a camp makes it difficult. Not to mention if Aerys dies when he is around people will assume he killed him anyway.

aesir21 – Indeed, Barristan really screwed up as he doomed not only Westeros to Robert's Rebellion and eventually the War of the Five Kings but so many other lives lost due to his 'honour'. Granted he had no idea that would happen but regards it happened due to his actions.

More Review Responses at the end of the chapter...

Chapter 4 – Breakaway

The Red Keep, Kings Landing...277 AC...

"The new sewer system has already made an enormous impact on cleaning the air of Kings Landing." City Watch Commander Ser Manly Stokeworth reported to the Small Council. "Crime has fallen somewhat too and the health of the people has improved."

Haeron nodded, sitting in the Kings Chair as his father was now refusing to see him or Lord Tywin without all of the Kingsguard present and as Ser Harlan was down with a fever he refused to leave his chambers. That was a good piece of news that he needed to alleviate his own worries, available labour had ensured with his and Lord Tywin's guiding hand that the new sewer system had been completed in record time and had for now at least purged the smell from the city which would have a lot of other potential benefits as the Lord Commander of the Gold Cloaks had pointed out.

Without all of the sewage building up in the city there would be an immediate boost towards public health of the people living there along with making it a much more tolerable place due to the lack of stench. It wasn't gone completely but it was a vast improvement over how things had once been. Haeron had even managed to place some runes carved into dragonglass which would help preserve them to break down the waste and pump fresh water back into Blackwater Bay. It would take some time for that to truly become visible to people but it would ensure cleaner drinking water for the city.

On top of that more work for people in maintaining it meant less crime as those who had families wanted a steady wage and not an unstable income from criminal activities which also came with the risk of being caught and punished for their crimes.

All of which had people singing Haeron's praises for actually doing something about the conditions in Kings Landing rather than ignoring it, it was rare for any royal to do anything for the smallfolk and here was the crown prince no less doing something quite significant. So while he had only managed to get the support of a few of the noble houses on his side, it was at least a step in the right direction.

"Before we end the meeting my lords I think there is another matter that is worth discussing." Haeron said as he produced a model ship from his bag. "Shipbuilding in Westeros has been stagnant for centuries now, actual designs used by our great-great-grandfathers are still being built and sailed. Not having a navy that improves and expands on the past makes us fall behind the rest of the world. To that end with the aid of some shipbuilders on Dragonstone, I intend to rectify this issue." Haeron said as he drew their attention to the model.

"I call this a Brig, a two masted square rigged sails vessel, three on each mast. Designed with a more streamlined hull to cut through the water with more ease. She also has a giff-rigged fore and aft sail sail to aid in manoeuvrability along with a few other little improvements in the build to make it not only a more sturdy and able design but also faster than ships currently used. Able to act as both a warship and a cargo vessel with little effort." Haeron explained as he pointed out each new feature of the design.

Most members of Small Council looked at the design with interest, it was certainly different to the bulkier and more square designs that had come before. One member however was of a different mind.

"Your grace this is a foolish errant!" Lord Lucerys Velaryon, the Master of Ships said with complete disregard for the prince's words. He and the others members would frequently belittled the princes and Lord Tywin to the King to earn favour and other rewards from him but never to their own faces. Rhaegar wouldn't care but Haeron and especially Tywin were dangerous and would destroy them if they did anything more than that but this issue was too much for him to turn the other cheek this time. "The designs we use are tried and true. They..." He started to say but Haeron despite his own good relation with the man's cousin Jothos Velaryon interrupted the Master of Ships rather than let him finish his tirade.

"Are unsteady and slow, half of them last ten years before sinking if that. But you will have the opportunity to prove your point." Haeron said before telling them just what he had planned. "Words are easy but there is an old saying 'Actions speak louder than words' so to that end especially as I have already built a functioning brig, we shall stage...a race." Haeron said calmly.

There was a stunned silence in the room as they all heard what he had suggested, more so that he had such faith in the design that he had already had one built.

Tywin merely raised an eyebrow and as he spoke he could not help as the sides of his mouth perked up slightly.

"A race, your grace?" He queried and Haeron who could see his amusement however well he hid it responded to his query.

"Indeed, one month from now. My Brig will race a ship of similar size from your fleet. The race will be from Kings Landing to White Harbour in the North, the first ship to get there, wins. It is as simple as that. This will prove which design is better." Haeron said calmly with great confidence.

"It will certainly get people excited. I can see a lot of things coming from this." Lord Symond Staunton, the Master of Laws said with an eager smile. "Nothing like a good competition."

"Then the race will be held." Lord Lucerys Velaryon said, glaring at Prince Haeron which was surprising for him to be so blatantly disrespectful. Haeron stared back at him more calmly and held his ground which made the Lord of the Tides as he was known storm out in a huff. Seeing this shocked the other members of the Small Council as they had never seen Lord Velaryon act in that way.

Tywin who had long suspected Aerys wanted to replace him as Hand of the King with Velaryon was hoping that the Prince's latest scheme was successful as it would humiliate Lord Velaryon in front of the entire realm! Who would want a lord in such disgrace in a position of authority? He pondered with anticipation.

But he also couldn't help but wonder just what the Prince was aiming for with this? Tywin pondered, thinking the options through. Races were not uncommon and therefore neither was betting on them so he wondered if maybe the Prince was going to use that somehow? It was a highly risky strategy, the Prince had always been bold but not one to take wild gambles. Tywin also did note something else that his spies had told him that made the situation more intriguing.

While the construction of this new ship made sense of a lot of purchases that Prince Haeron had been making in regards to lumber and other ship building materials and quite a lot of other things, the purchases exceeded what he judged would be necessary to build a ship like this 'brig'. In fact by quite some way so what else was the prince building? Tywin wondered and considered he must have something better on the drawing board. More than that though there had been reports from his people on Dragonstone that they had heard 'strange noises' echoing across the island but no idea just what they were which only deepened the mystery he pondered.

---

News of the race quickly spread, not least of which was from the mouth of Lord Velaryon himself who fuming at the idea of his ships being deemed obsolete. The excitement predicted by Lord Staunton was also spreading fast as it was an unusual event and the first major thing to happen since the Defiance of Duskendale.

Even Aerys was interested despite his paranoia being worse than ever now, he looked from the Red Keep as the new ship came into port, the brig which had been named Aemon's Ranger after the greatuncle at the Night's Watch. It didn't look like much but the new and different design intrigued those that were interested in such things. Lord Velaryon's ship, the Sea Snake named after the famous ship of the great explorer Corlys Velaryon arrived not long after. It was a much more clunky looking ship with a much bulkier looking hull but it was about the same size as the Aemon's Ranger.

While this fever for the coming race was building up Haeron had to ensure that his crew was skilled enough to handle the new ship and more than that he had to find another captain quickly as the man he had hoped to give the job too had been bought out by Lord Velaryon with another commission in a rather obvious attempt to sabotage him. Many of the better captains were doing the exact same to earn Velaryon's favour so Haeron had needed to look elsewhere for a competent sailor that he could entrust his new ship too.

Thankfully, Golor hung out in the more 'disreputable' places in Kings Landing and had found him just the man. So that night, a secret meeting was arranged.

Haeron was travelling as incognito as he could with Golor and Ser Lewyn, the tavern was a grimy and dirty place but it was low key enough that they should avoid unwanted attention. Golor spoke to the tavern wench who led them into a back room without too much unease so clearly she was used to this kind of thing.

At the table was a man that looked older than he really was due to many years at sea, he had been a sailor since he was a young lad and had never wanted to do anything else according to Golor but he had a family to support and the chance of a safer life that paid well might be enough to sway him.

"Davos, I presume?" Haeron said as he sat opposite him, the sailor/smuggler nodded before seeing the silver hair under Haeron's hood and the manner of his speech gave him away.

"Your grace." Davos said, almost jumping to his feet as he realised he was in the presence of the Crown Prince himself. Haeron raised his hand and told him.

"At ease Davos, I regret having to meet like this but I am in a difficult position and need a man who knows the sea. I have been led to believe that you are such a man." Haeron said and Davos seemed confused as the crown prince he would have thought could have everything but soon Haeron made his reasons clear.

"If you have not heard of it yet, I am staging a race with Lord Velaryon over a new type of ship that I am introducing. The Brig is a fast and nimble vessel and will outpace her competition but Lord Velaryon is ensuring the odds are stacked in his favour by sabotaging me at every turn. I need a man that can handle my new ship and get it as fast as possible to White Harbour, a captain of skill and competence." Haeron said which made Davos understand why the prince was going to these lengths. He disliked the idea of these power games between the nobility but if he could work it in his favour then he was willing to try. A prince could presumably do many things that could benefit him but he kept that impulse in check, this opportunity would only come perhaps once in a lifetime or never...so he did not want to ruin it for himself.

"I would need some time to get used to the ship you want me to sail." Davos said as he knew sailing an unfamiliar ship could lead to all sorts of problems especially if it was of a new design. Haeron nodded before adding his payment for this task.

"Complete this task and you will be given a commission as a captain in the Royal Navy, a knighthood as well which should ensure you and your family rise in stature and given the family name Seaworth. A coin purse of a hundred gold dragons will be paid in advance in return for your agreement right now." Haeron said, producing the large and heavy pouch of coins for Davos to see that it was genuine.

Davos did not even blink he was so surprised at what the Prince was offering, the coin alone would be enough to settle his family for years and a commission in the Royal Navy and as a Captain...that would pay him way more than his current work as a smuggler, he would have a steady pay that would see him able to afford decent education for his boys and a comfortable living for his family not to mention he would be here to watch them grow up which was a major point for him.

He didn't need to think about it, as long as the ship was sound...he would do it.

"You have a captain your grace." Davos said and Haeron nodded, he was still learning to use legilimency but he could sense that Davos would be true to his word, like the crew he had checked after the first captain had bailed on him. He handed him the coin pouch and added.

"Come to the docks tomorrow. I will show you your new command." Haeron told him with a smile, knowing he could trust him and that he was as good a sailor as you could hope to have.

"As you wish your grace." Davos said, eager to get home and share the news with his wife. The Prince was known as a highly intelligent and trustworthy man who had already done a lot of good for the people of the realm without even having the throne yet, the long standing river of shit that had been outside his own home for as long as he could remember was gone now and the air itself was far more pleasant.

He should at least look at the ship he reasoned.

- x -

The Docks, Kings Landing...The Next Day...

Davos was as good as his word and met them at the docks that morning, riding on horses they gathered a fair bit of attention or at least Haeron did but Davos the moment they reached the dockside was focused solely on the ship.

She was beautiful he thought as he stared at her smoother lines and twin masts. There was some decoration but it was minimal and although Davos could not read, the name was proudly emblazoned on the bow.

"Aemon's Ranger, in honour of my several times uncle who serves at the Wall." Haeron told him with some pride. They dismounted their horses and went up the ramp to the deck of the ship and it was not so different that Davos did not recognise most of it but it was somewhat changed in small ways.

"I will need to take her out around the bay to see how she handles." Davos told him and Haeron nodded and then said.

"Then take us out Davos Seaworth." Haeron said as he turned to the helmsman and told him and the rest of the crew on deck. "This is your new captain, obey his order."

The crew who had more than a few Valyrian dragonseeds among them did not disobey the Prince and Haeron looked expectantly at Davos who nodded and swallowed his nervousness and did what he knew best, sailed ships.

"Cast off forward and aft lines." Davos said as he came up to the helm and then with that done he told them. "Let out some sail, turn to port."

The sails dropped and the ship turned as the helmsman turned the ship, Davos noted that it was easily turning, much better than normal boats this size and as they moved into open water he felt the stiff wind and with a clear path ahead, decided it was time to see just how fast this new ship was.

"Full sail." Davos commanded and the crew did as he commanded, deploying the full sails and there was a surge in acceleration that came so quickly that Davos honestly blinked in surprise, the speed of the ship was much greater than he would have thought. Golor and Ser Lewyn Martell were also both surprised at the speed, they had both been on ships before and knew that this was faster than was normal for a ship.

"Check our speed." Davos ordered after a while, wanting to know just what speed they were reaching. The tried and true system of knots was still in use and it was checked twice to make sure they got an accurate speed. The sailors eventually reported with some surprise after double checking.

"12 knots sir."

Davos was surprised as the ship's acceleration and cruising speed were very high but the ship was as steady as a rock, true this was a calm bay and not the open sea but it was still a strange thing as even the most stable ships he had been on before had not been this steady at speed.

"Right then, let's see what she can do." Davos said as he stood near the helm, Haeron just smiled as he watched Davos put the new ship through its paces, taking out into the Narrow Sea before returning to port. This happened daily for the next few weeks to make sure that the crew knew the ship well enough to perform well in the race.

But the night before the race, something was afoot.

Davos was making sure the crew were going to rest because the next day was the beginning of the race, the ship had been performing well and he was actually excited himself for the journey. The ship was already previsioned and the crew now trained...it promised to be quite an unusual contest he thought and was about to return home when he saw a group of men heading up the docks. They were all brandishing hammers and crude tools. They were jeering and heading straight for the ship, Davos's breath caught in his chest as he realised their intention, most of the crew had already gone and there was no-one but him and a couple of men to defend the ship.

But as soon as his fear made him reach for his dagger even though he knew it was a losing fight, a party of men appeared from hiding places around the dock, they swarmed the men and quickly took them down, sparing only one who was brought to his knees before the leader of the group who was wearing a hood, when he lowered Davos saw the prince's silver hair quite clearly and then heard his voice.

"Return to Lord Velaryon and tell him that he will not win this race by cheating, now!" Prince Haeron said and the intensity of his voice and the coldness of it sent a shudder through Davos as while the Prince was younger than he was, he had a powerful presence that seemed to dominate everything around him.

After his men released the thug who ran away as fast as his legs could take him, Haeron then turned to Davos and smiled, it was incredible how quickly the prince could go from cold and harsh to kind and reassuring in the blink of an eye. He had not met many princes in his life but he had known men and he was unique among all of them he thought with astonishment.

"I regret if this incident has caused you any distress Captain Seaworth, I had my suspicions that Lord Velaryon might try something so I made...counter plans." He said and then told him with a smile. "The men will watch over the ship and yourself as you head home. Best get there soon, you'll need your sleep for tomorrow."

"As you will your grace." Davos said, remaining respectful towards his benefactor and saw that these games of power got more nasty than he had imagined. Who would have thought a lord would betray his future king like that? Davos thought with disgust, it certainly was not a wise move to make an enemy of the future ruler of Westeros.

---

The Next Day, The Red Keep...

The gardens overlooking the harbour below were packed with people waiting eagerly for the race to begin. Both the Sea Snake and the Aemon's Ranger were sat in the entrance to the harbour, a simple rope the only thing in their path.

Even the King was present although he kept way back, fearful that someone would push him over the edge. Haeron however was not afraid and spoke to the gathered crowd.

"Today we mark an interesting event, a test of old versus new. The present against the future and see which is superior. A board has been placed in the throne room where progress of both ships will be charted as the spotters we have placed along the route report back to us. And now, it is time for the race to begin." Haeron said with a calm smile on his face, his words he could tell were angering Lord Velaryon especially but despite the small amount of pleasure he got from that he turned to the large horn that had been set up for him and blew into it.

A loud bellowing sound filled the area and both ships along with the dock workers could hear it. The rope that was holding the ships inside the harbour was pulled back clearing the way ahead and both ships set their sails and as the wind caught them began to make their way out of the harbour and into Blackwater Bay.

Both moved slowly at first, taking time to accelerate and reach their top speeds but Aemon's Ranger just as Haeron had hoped started to gain distance on the Sea Snake as her better sail arrangement and hull shape came into play. She pulled away from her rival and Haeron turned back to the crowd and told them. "The Race is on, now I have no doubt that some of you might like to place wagers on whoever might be winner so I will ask his grace the King to ensure that if a bet is placed then it will be honoured. After all, if we can't trust them to honour a simple wager then how can we trust any of them to keep their word?" He said and Aerys who was in a world of his own as he watched the two ships disappear into the distance came back to the moment and stared at his son questioningly for a moment before saying.

"Yes...yes of course. Any who don't will be punished." He said threateningly and Haeron bowed slightly in thanks even if he didn't mean it. Turning to the Master of Coin next. "Lord Qarlton Chelsted will keep a record of each wager placed, so in the interest of fairness...how about it Lord Velaryon? Ten Thousand Gold Dragons?" He said looking at the rich arsehole lord who snarled back, he had hoped to have the new ship sunk at its moorings and had tried to put his own men on the ship to sabotage it at sea but the Prince seemed to have identified them immediately.

"Lord Velaryon? Answer." Lord Tywin said with an expectant look and the Lord of Driftmark grimaced before saying.

"Agreed."

"Excellent." Haeron said with a thrill from his plan working successfully, he had used his magic specifically legilimency to find those that couldn't be trusted on his ship before it had left. He also knew the man would not want to pay when he lost. He could afford it but he didn't want too. Would likely refuse outright in fact which would only make him look a foolish and prideful loser in front of everyone and would certainly not do his standing with Aerys any good, especially when he had made a show of saying if they could not be trusted to honour a wager then how could they be trusted at all?

"Then I too wish to place a wager. Lord Tyrell?" Tywin asked with a probing look at the oafish lord of Highgarden, Luthor Tyrell. The man had been snacking on the food on the table nearby and froze at hearing his name mentioned.

He was just unlucky his wife wasn't here to stop him, Haeron thought with amusement as he knew Tywin would eat Luthor for lunch so to speak.

- x -

The days that followed passed with great excitement as news of the race's progress came in, the board which had a painted map of the route from Kings Landing all of the way to White Harbour was updated regularly as the spotters reported sightings of the ships as they made their way up the coast.

Chatter about the race was moving around the Red Keep and indeed Kings Landing at lightning speed and wagers were being placed big and small all of the time. Haeron had been targeted by several lords who hoped to have either coin or favours from the prince if they won but Haeron was completely confident in his ship and knew they would be the ones beholden to him.

As the days passed the wooden ship icons were put into their positions on the map as each new piece of information came in, one thing that was becoming increasingly evident that the Aemon's Ranger was opening an substantial lead on the Sea Snake, making considerably better progress.

Those who had placed wagers on the Sea Snake began to get nervous as victory began to look unlikely, Lord Velaryon in particular as he was confronted with the possibility of a rather embarrassing loss and was reaching out to some pirates near the Vale to try and interfere with the ship, to stop it reaching White Harbour or at least slow it down so his own vessel could win but the man who was taking those messages was in the prince's employ and purposefully made sure those letters went nowhere.

The days passed and the ships passed the Vale and now came closer to the North's only major port, excitement spread as the end of the race came into view and one morning, a message from Lord Manderly arrived. The crowd was excited to hear just who had won as there had been no sightings of the ships in a couple of days so no-one knew just who had won. Many suspected the Aemon's Ranger as it had a good lead on the Sea Snake but those with coin purses wagered on Velaryon hoped otherwise.

Grand Maester Pycelle pulled out the message and opened it before announcing the winner.

"I have here the word of Lord Wyman Manderly, also signed by Lord Rickard Stark as proof it is legitimate. He reports that on the morning of now two days passed, The Aemon's Ranger came first into port at White Harbour." Pycelle said calmly and as the information spread a cheer went out from those that had hoped the Prince's new ship would win and especially from those that had bet on it, others who cared not still enjoyed the atmosphere.

Those that had hoped Velaryon's Sea Snake might win were downcast but worse were those that had bet coin on that, Lord Tyrell knew Olenna his wife would kill him when he got back to Highgarden as he had wagered a small fortune on it with Tywin Lannister who was now giving the world one of his extremely rare smiles at the money he had now acquired.

The Queen too was smiling as she stood with her children, even Rhaegar was there for his own curiosity at who had won the race. Daeron and Shaena both cheered for their eldest brother while Rhaegar gave an approving nod. Viserys was still too young to know what was happening but was just happy his mother was happy.

The King himself seemed surprised at the outcome but was then presented with a model of the winning ship as a gift, he seemed to take a liking too it.

Haeron though was staying as calm and collected as you could imagine, turning to Lord Velaryon who was looking like he had swallowed a lemon.

"I believe you owe me ten thousand gold dragons Lord Velaryon." Haeron said with cool tone that was devoid of any superiority but the Lord of Driftmark refused to accept it.

"You cheated! You must have done! My ship cannot lose!" He yelled loudly which made the entire hall silent. Haeron merely raised an eyebrow before saying.

"I am prince not a god. I cannot command the tides or winds. How could I have cheated otherwise? I have not unlike you tried to sink my ship at its moorings or sneak spies onto the ship. So how have I cheated?" Haeron asked Lord Velaryon with cool calmness which only infuriated the Lord of the Tides who had bet a lot of coin on this race and knew that while he was able to pay it all it would take a large portion of his treasury.

Perhaps this was what made him act so foolishly, maybe it was his pride unable to accept that he had been beaten or maybe it was the hope that Aerys would grant him favour if he killed Haeron who Aerys considered his greatest enemy after Tywin Lannister. But whatever the reason he drew his sword and lunged at the Crown Prince.

The ladies in the room cried out in alarm and men loyal to the Prince made to protect him but they didn't need too. Haeron with reflexes born of quidditch in one world and years of training in this one easily dodged the rather clumsy strike and caught the blade in his hands, pulling it free from Velaryon's unsteady grip and sending it clattering across the floor without even cutting himself.

The men skilled at fighting were honestly impressed at such a feat but it was Ser Lewyn Martell that acted and impaled Lord Velaryon through the chest with his sword as he went for his other weapon, a dagger. The Lord of Driftmark gasped in pain as he fell to the floor dying, some of the ladies in the room fainting at the scene but Haeron was seemingly unaffected. He was actually surprised to have pushed him that far but clearly something else had been going on.

"He was not trustworthy." Haeron said calmly, seemingly to everyone but in particular to his father. "We need a Velaryon who is trustworthy to rule Driftmark."

"Yes, Jothos will do it." Aerys said with a fury at the snake that had been apparently been trying to get close to him but had been so disloyal.

Tywin who had been watching this play out wondered if that might be what Haeron had been intending right from the start, Jothos and Haeron had a good relationship and the previous Lord Velaryon had been a thorn in his side, had he arranged this whole situation to remove a problem and place an ally in a position of power? Tywin pondered, if so it was a masterful move and if not then he had been exceptionally lucky but he hoped that he did not rely on that luck holding out, it was always a fickle mistress.

Nevertheless the race was over and both he and the Prince had benefited from it in certain ways, Lord Redwyne would be called to take over the position of Master of Ships and Haeron would be true to his word. Davos Seaworth would be knighted and given a commission in the Royal Navy, raising his family in both wealth and status.

But another effect of Aemon's Ranger winning the race was that all of the houses in Westeros now wanted the new design, Haeron had counted on that. He sat in his room that night pondering just what to make from the situation, not many houses were rich enough to have a navy with the obvious exception being the Iron Islands which was a matter of necessity for them but he would never in a million years give them the new designs. He would he decided use the spreading of the new designs as a ruse to travel Westeros and try to meet with the more powerful houses. It would be dangerous but it was a potential option when he didn't have many.

He was about ready to head for bed when an unexpected shiver ran through his body, he had no idea of just where it had come from given it was a fairly warm night but looking through the window he saw a red light streaking across the night sky, it was not the fabled red comet that passed by this world sometimes but a smaller light that was hurtling down towards the ground not far from the city.

It would land not far from the city Haeron realised and with hindsight he could now remember that he had felt a similar sensation around other objects of magical power.

Without wasting time he rushed out of his room, thankfully already being dressed but not confident enough in his abilities to try apparating just yet. His guards did try to ask what he was doing rushing out so late at night but he didn't answer them and ran for the stables, leaping on a horse and riding out while Ser Lewyn and Golor followed with a few others. Riding through the city streets and out of the still open gate towards were the shooting star had landed. The ride was longer than Haeron had expected as it clearly had travelled further away before landing but eventually he arrived at the long gash in the ground formed by the crashing object.

The ground was still hot to the touch but Haeron barely felt it as he carefully moved forward, astonished as he finally found the meteor, it was smaller than he had expected and red in colour but was metallic in its appearance, glad to be wearing gloves he carefully picked it up and it was cold, despite the impact which still made the ground smoke from the remaining heat. It was also surprisingly light, barely weighing anything in his hands and apart from the colour, it reminded Haeron of what he had heard of the fallen star that House Dayne had made Dawn from. It was like it apart from the colour and he could feel magic that had been locked into it.

Haeron smiled as he knew just what to make with this he thought to himself.

Ser Lewyn and Golor managed to catch up to him and saw what he was holding with awe.

"Your grace, are you sure its safe?" Ser Lewyn said looking at the strange rock and seeing the similarities to Dawn being the same metal as clearly as the Prince could but worried for his safety. Haeron smiled and told him.

"Quite safe I am sure, the gods have blessed us today." Haeron said as it was what people would expect him to say but maybe it was true who knows, Haeron thought as he retrieved his horse and with the knights rode back to the city and the Red Keep.

- x -

The Red Keep, Kings Landing...

News of the falling star had spread quickly and many people knew that the prince had managed to get it first. The castle's forges had become his temporary home as he worked tirelessly to make something from the lump of meteoric iron, the sounds of his efforts echoed all over the castle and the furnace burned the hottest it had ever burnt to rework the metal. Many of the blacksmiths were sworn to secrecy if they saw just what the prince was making, so they would not reveal anything until it was complete.

The days passed until finally he emerged, coming in to court and showing everyone the results of his efforts.

The sword was a larger blade than was normal, a great sword as they were known with a black steel hilt and pommel that had been shaped to look like a pair of dragon head and neck on either side with the centre having a fair sized ruby and black leather to help on the grip. At the end on the pommel was a golden circle with the symbol of House Targaryen, the three headed dragon engraved on it.

The blade however was a strange red colour and was as sharp and as strong as Valyrian steel while being extremely light and easy to wield, as was proven by the Prince when he moved it around effortlessly despite its size. Rhaella and her children looked on in amazement as did most of the court and Aerys in particular stared at the sword with longing, even Rhaegar came to see just what had been made from the falling star.

After a few duels where Haeron had fought several knights who had too retire when the Prince either defeated them or when their swords broke from hits from the new sword, everyone saw that Dawn from House Dayne now at last had a rival...a sword of equal strength and sharpness.

Haeron meanwhile was enjoying his new sword, he had not intended to make such a large sword but it was working fine in the open and he was having a smaller short-sword made for himself for fights in more tight quarters to balance it out. It also added to not only his status but that of House Targaryen to have such a blade, his house had lost their two ancestral swords Blackfyre and Dark Sister many years ago and now they at last had a replacement and one that had only one true match anywhere in the world.

It also was helping with his magic, when the sword was on his person and especially when he was touching it he could feel his magic being amplified, some special quality in the metal perhaps but it would allow him to use magic more easily. It wasn't a true foci like a wand but it helped he considered.

"This sword is truly a gift from the gods, one that I will not waste. And while it will be the one I wield from this day forward, it will not be an ancestral blade handed down from father to son as it is normally with these things. Instead we shall take the lesson of House Dayne and instead it will be wielded by only one of this house that is found worthy. The Dragonknight. If none are found worthy, the sword will not move from its vault. And its name hence forth will be Crimson Heart." Haeron said, deliberately calling on the memory of Ser Aemon Targaryen the legendary knight who was said by some to be the greatest to have ever lived.

"But...that sword is meant for me!" Aerys demanded, shouting childish by the way he was whining.

"A sword is meant for a warrior and you are most assuredly not, unless being a warrior is having your thugs whip a young child." Haeron said, his gaze becoming cold and hard which seemed to terrify Aerys, the court too as they were all aware of what had happened in this very hall years ago and the Prince made them all fully aware that he remembered it vividly.

"This will be a symbol, a weapon that belongs to a worthy warrior...a potential hero even. I do not claim to be a hero or a worthy warrior although I will try to set a standard for future wielders to be judged by. This is not a plaything." Haeron added before turned and leaving with his mother and younger siblings as Aerys pouted and sneered at his son.

The words shared between them made everyone fully aware of the bad blood between the king and the crown prince, a growing tension that would not go away. Sooner or later something would have to give.

- x -

"Incredible!" Daeron said as Haeron carefully let him touch the new sword, his eyes excited but Haeron moved his hand away from the blade when it went to close.

"Be careful, a blade is meant to cut. Don't help it do that to you." Haeron warned his younger brother who nodded solemnly, but then Haeron smiled and messed up his brother's hair which made Daeron laugh along with Shaena.

"Is it really like Dawn?" Shaena asked him having heard all of the stories of the fabled sword and now her eldest brother had such a blade. Haeron nodded and let her see for herself which delighted her.

Rhaella was so proud of her son for finding such a thing and making something that could well outlive all of them with it, she loved all of her children deeply but Haeron was probably the one that she was the most proud of although she would never admit that. He worked so hard and had already achieved so much, he would make a brilliant king she thought with certainty which only increased her fear that Aerys who knew that he would never be anywhere near as smart, strong and capable as his eldest son would kill him before he got the chance to inherit the throne.

Rhaegar meanwhile was looking at the sword and given its colour could not help but wonder if this was the supposed 'Lightbringer' that some legends of the 'Prince that was Promised' spoke of. He had thought at one time that he was the chosen one but had realised that had been his own arrogance and vanity, he wondered though if his children or perhaps his brother's might be Prince that was Promised and the remaining two heads of the dragon just like Aegon and his wives/sisters Visenya and Rhaenys.

Haeron then made and announcement.

"Given the success of the brig I will be travelling to the other houses that have ships to discuss the adoption of the design." He said, knowing it would be best to avoid the Red Keep for some time but his private work on Dragonstone was still being constructed and he had much to do elsewhere, not to mention see if any of the houses might support him if he tried to remove Aerys from the throne although it was likely a lost cause he thought with anger. Unless they were directly threatened most houses would do nothing to aid him against his own father and was now having to consider killing him.

That dark thought took a good deal of effort to keep off his face as he pondered on how to do it, there were a number of spells but getting close enough to use them was tricky so he would need to work on his apparation before he could even try it. In case the worst happened though, he was making preparations and that night before he departed the Red Keep, returned to his other hobby, carving a large and elaborate chest while working magic into it with runes and other spells...if it was ever needed he thought to himself.

- x -

The following morning Haeron bid a farewell to his mother and his younger siblings, they were sad to see him go but knew it was not forever. He was going to visit the other houses to see if they would be willing to adopt his new ship design although Rhaella knew that he was doing it for another more secret reason, to drum up support to replace Aerys. He was risking a lot with this and she just hoped he was sure of what he was doing she thought with fear.

He gave her one last hug and kiss on the cheek before hugging Daeron, Shaena and Viserys before mounting his horse accompanied by a company of men loyal to him including Ser Lewyn Martell and Ser Golor and rode out of the castle. The column of men was fast and made its way out of the city in quick time, their first destination being Casterly Rock where Lord Tywin was waiting for them, eager for them to meet away from prying eyes.

---

Casterly Rock, the Westerlands...A Few Days Later...

Haeron had not been to the Westerlands in many years, not since he was very young and they had ruled from there for a year but he had been only a boy then. The impressive fortress of Casterly Rock sat on top of the cliff and loomed over them. Haeron and his party rode towards it, the Lion's Gate open to allow them free entry. Lord Tywin, his twins Cersei and Jaime along with the rest of their family and the servants were all lined up to greet them. Haeron dismounted and Cersei who was the most eager to see him was feeling rather flustered at the impressive figure he cut in his 'red dragon' outfit and the new incredible sword at his side. Jaime was annoyed and jealous at this but Tywin paid them no mind as he bowed to the Prince as he approached.

"Welcome your grace, Casterly Rock is yours. Rooms have been prepared for yourself and your men." Tywin said calmly and Haeron returned it with a respectful nod.

"Your hospitality is greatly appreciated Lord Lannister. I hope our discussions will be most rewarding for us both." Haeron replied and Tywin nodded calmly as he was hoping the same.

- x -

After retiring to their rooms and freshening up Tywin and Haeron went to the pathway on the side of the castle facing the sea, it might be a strange place to hold secret discussions but since there was a sheer drop on either side and anyone on the path would be easily seen it was perhaps the best place in the castle.

"The Brig design." Haeron said, handing the plans over to Tywin who took them with a raised eyebrow. "Westeros has been stuck for centuries now. The same ships for hundreds of years and that needs to change."

Tywin was surprised at the sudden gift and questioned it.

"I had thought that you would use the new designs to gain favour." He admitted and Haeron nodded.

"With other houses I will but not with you. I still owe you a debt and that I hope is a partial repayment of that." Haeron told him honestly. "I suspect your price for your support in overthrowing Aerys will be far more personal." Haeron said knowing full well what Tywin would want.

Tywin nodded, he wanted his daughter as queen, that was hardly a secret and Haeron it seemed was willing to accept that if he gave him his assistance. He hardly knew Cersei Lannister but when had that ever mattered in the marriage stakes?

They went to see the twins so they could at least make them aware of what they were planning but as they came into the sitting room were the twins were supposed to be waiting both Tywin and Haeron were shocked to see both twins on a table, making out with each other with their clothes nearly off.

They were silent for a moment until Jaime realised they were there, he got up suddenly and looked incredibly startled by the sight of the Prince and his father, but Cersei just looked at him puzzled before turning her head and seeing them standing there and her face went white with terror.

Tywin moved forward so quickly it was almost a blur and slapped both of them hard, knocking them to the ground with a snarling look of fury on his face. He was looking like a vicious lion about to tear them apart when surprisingly it was the prince that came to their rescue.

"Since it seems they have yet to consummate this...union." Haeron said with a raised eyebrow of distaste as he was fully aware as both a Targaryen and as someone who had seen the purebloods back in his old world what came from such...inbreeding. "There is no reason it need go any further...perhaps some time apart will help cool their attachment." He suggested to Tywin and he looked at the prince still furious although not at him, he knew that there was little chance of tying Cersei to him now but the prince was giving him a way to salvage the situation without further embarrassment to House Lannister and for that he was grateful, this did give the Prince potential leverage over him but if he was right in his reading of Haeron then he wouldn't use it.

"Indeed, since you are I believe travelling Westeros, will you take Jaime with you?" Tywin asked calmly as he brought his emotions under control. That scared both Cersei and Jaime immediately and then enraged Cersei at the idea of being separated from her other half.

"YOU CAN'T DO THAT!" She demanded, seeming to expect to force them into changing their minds but that only earned her another slap from Tywin.

"You will do as you are told!" Tywin told her sternly as he grabbed her by the hair which made her cry out in pain, Jaime went to try and interfere but Tywin stopped him with a glare.

It was hard for Haeron to watch, he hated people who abused their children but in this he couldn't afford to interfere. He would need Tywin's support when the time came to remove his father and while he couldn't do anything for Cersei sadly he would be able to help Jaime a little he thought with depression at the evils of this world.

"I will take Jaime as a squire, it gives an acceptable excuse for him not being here and the distance needed." Haeron said and Tywin nodded.

"Push him to his limits. Make sure he knows what is expected of him." Tywin ordered and the fact he had such a short temper to give Haeron an order showed how furious he was. Haeron nodded in acceptance which made Jaime almost shiver in fear while Cersei shook with fear at what her father might do when he decided on her punishment and her grief at being separated from Jaime was already aching but there was nothing to be done.

Haeron had intended to stay longer at Casterly Rock but given events he felt it better to leave now, the visit had left a sour taste in his mouth and with a squire that he was now responsible for Haeron thought with anger. He had no idea just what was this was between Jaime and Cersei, why they would go down this route? Tywin would be harsh with them both after this, more than he had ever been before so taking Jaime with him was as much of a mercy as it was a punishment.

Who knew what a man like Tywin would do if he really wanted to hurt you? Haeron thought with fear.

---

Targaryen Camp, The Reach...A Few Days Later...

Now travelling through the Reach to head into Dorne, Haeron's party had stopped for a rest after a long day's ride. Plans to visit the Arbor and House Redwyne had been scuppered by problematic seas so they had agreed to meet later when it was more convenient.

Jaime Lannister was sulking in his tent, still not used to being so far from home and more to his aching heart from Cersei! He thought with sorrow. He and her were meant to be together he thought with a lovesick mind! They had been in the womb together and they had always meant to be together! Cersei had always told him and she was always right! He thought with complete certainty.

"UP! NOW!" A voice shouted and Jaime jumped with the sudden fear of it. He saw the Prince enter the tent and honestly he was terrified of the incredible figure standing before him. His tall and muscular form clad in a simple shirt and his stern face made Jaime freeze,

"Training now young Jaime." Prince Haeron said with a cold and stern voice which sounded oddly similar to his father which only sent a chill up Jaime's spine. The Prince was regarded as one of the best swordsmen and knights in all of Westeros and easily the best that House Targaryen had produced since Aemon the Dragonknight, under any other circumstances Jaime would be thrilled to be trained by him but the fact it was under these circumstances scared him more than anything else other than his father.

He was forced out of the tent and Haeron took one look at him, up and down intensely as if studying him like a maester would and sighed.

"Join me in laps around the camp, keep pace with me or tomorrow you do it twice as long." Haeron told him before stretching slightly, showing the muscular torso of the prince only made Jaime feel more insecure but he had no choice but to follow as the prince began to jog around the camp. Jaime thought this would be easy especially as he was younger than the prince but as they ran around and around the camp he began to feel his own stamina start to run dry. He was feeling the pain at his sides and his breath was short and rapid after what seemed like only a short time. He was stumbling more and more as his legs began to feel heavy and sweat poured from his skin.

The prince to his astonishment was not only going as steadily as ever but with only the slightest sheen of sweat on his body. His breathing was controlled and his pace seeming to be blistering compared to Jaime's own. The men in the camp were watching and smirking and some laughing at Jaime's failure to keep up with the prince which only spurred Jaime to push harder but ultimately this was a step too far and he felt his legs fail him, collapsing and falling face first into earth. Despite being slightly dazed he could hear the men in the camp laughing which only made him feel even worse before then he felt himself being helped up and saw to his amazement that it was the prince that had helped him. Jaime expected him to be furious at his failure but instead the prince looked calm as he told him.

"The body can only take so much at once, pacing yourself and controlling how much you put into something will help you last longer. Your mind and your body must not only be as fit and as strong as they can be but be in tune with one another. Having a good sword arm is worthless if the rest of you isn't as strong as it can be." Haeron told Jaime calmly who listened with surprise before he told Jaime. "We will work on building up your body and then when you are ready...we will spar. Not until you are prepared for such a thing. Now go and get some food and water, your body will need to replenish itself." Haeron told him and with surprising gentleness helped Jaime to his feet and led him go over to the fire where food and water were waiting for him before the Prince resumed his exercises much to Jaime's shock as the prince carried on for what seemed like forever before coming to get some food and water himself. Ser Lewyn Martell came over to Jaime with a smile and told him.

"He's taking it easy since we are on the road. At the Red Keep, he trains even harder than this."

Jaime honestly had no idea just what to say as he downed his water, thinking the prince must be stronger than Gregor Clegane to manage all that.

---

Sunspear, Dorne...A Week Later...

Jaime who had never been anywhere except certain places in the Westerlands and one trip to Kings Landing was absolutely astonished as they entered Dorne. The intense sun was unlike anything he had ever felt before and he could almost feel his skin burning the moment they passed the Red Mountains. Crossing them had been an experience in itself but then to see the seemingly never ending expanse of desert beyond them...it honestly was nothing like he had imagined. The maesters has of course told him of this but none of it had truly prepared him for the reality, nor the heat which necessitated them all to wear light coverings and head scarves.

With the exception of Ser Lewyn who had grown up here, none of them even the prince was coping well with the extreme heat and conditions. Following the paths through the desert was difficult enough and Jaime wondered as he looked out over the sands how many people they had swallowed over the years. The Targaryens had failed for centuries to conquer Dorne and now he was beginning to see why.

It seemed like an eternity before they arrived in Sunspear and this city was another shock to Jaime, the city of Lannisport and Kings Landing with the exception of Casterly Rock and the Red Keep were the only sort of buildings he had seen but Dorne was so different.

The buildings were made with pale stone and some had domes in either white or gold, some had blue patterns in painted stone along the outside. They rode on horse back through the city and Jaime could hardly contain himself as he looked around wildly to try and see everything. Their party was being deliberately careful to not attract attention yet, enemies can be anywhere and the most dangerous ones were the ones you don't see coming.

So it was better to be as unnoticed as possible for now.

They rode through the city and towards the castle of House Martell, the Sandship. Jaime's boyish mind for a moment thought that the Martells has placed a ship on top of their castle but then realised that it was a ship made of stone. His mind honestly was astonished as to why anyone would have a castle shaped like a ship?!

Ser Lewyn only had to show his face and they were allowed entry, riding into the Sandship was an impressive sight even for Haron who admire their determination to make something original as their castle that spoke of their history.

The courtyard was was full to greet them, Prince Doran was present with his new wife Lady Mellario of Norvos, Princess Elia Martell stood next to them and then was the most infamous of all Prince Oberyn Martell. His cunning grin made Jaime worry as he had heard many rumours about him but Prince Haeron was not concerned and dismounted his horse followed by the others, pulling back his hood the Martells knelt and Prince Doran spoke.

"Your grace, we are honoured by your presence. The Sandship is of course yours."

Haeron nodded and replied to stop the kneeling.

"It is my honour to visit such an impressive structure as this. I thank you for your hospitality." Haeron said and shook Doran's hand before turning to his wife and kissing her hand as one should when greeting a lady. "Lady Mellario, my congratulations on your marriage and I wish you and your husband the happiest of lives together."

"Thank you Prince Haeron. I only wish you the same when you find a woman to wed." Mellario said with a smile and a sideways look at Elia who Haeron would greet next.

Looking at her he could see why she was known as the 'Jewel of Dorne', exceptionally beautiful with a face that painters would have given their souls to use in their work and a slender if elegant body. Her bosom was small but in proportion to the rest of her. She had warm and intelligent eyes and an enchanting smile. Haeron knew that given she was the noblewoman with the closest Valyrian ancestor if his father ever allowed him or Rhaegar to marry then Elia would have likely been his future bride. He took her hand and gently placed a kiss on it.

"Princess Elia, I see tales of your beauty hardly do you justice. It is my privilege to meet you." Haeron said and she with a knowing look in her eyes smiled.

"I hardly would call myself a great beauty Prince Haeron but your compliment is appreciated." Elia said and Haeron smiled back, she was quick witted he thought with approval.

"Am I to wait while the Prince chatters endlessly with my sister?" A voice mocked from the side and Haeron just shook his head while the others all looked on in shocked worry.

"Oberyn!" Doran and Lewyn said at the same time in censure while Elia just shook her head in exasperation and Mellario looked worried that her goodbrother had insulted the future king of Westeros.

"Fear not Prince Oberyn, I was just getting to you." Haeron said with a smile as he turned to the 'Red Viper' and shook his hand. He did not miss how Oberyn looked at him with somewhat lustful eyes but he didn't care, Oberyn's vices were well known along with his easy preference in bed-partners.

"The Red Viper, I see your tongue is as sharp as your spear point." Haeron said and seeing that a flirtatious comment was coming Elia swiftly moved the conversation on as she had no idea just how the Prince might take Oberyn's attempts at seduction.

"Rooms have of course been prepared for yourself and your party. Please allow me." She said as she meant to lead them and Haeron graciously followed with the rest of his party. Jaime in particular was looking around with astonishment at every single thing he could see and enjoying it all the more.

Haeron arrived in his room and saw it had a balcony that looked out over the city below, he smiled to himself as he took in the view, seeing the different culture and style of Dorne was a welcome break from normal. Dorne was so different to the rest of Westeros and he saw great appeal in their ways but alas he would not be here for long. He had many other places to visit he thought to his disappointment but reassured himself that when he did possess the throne he would re-establish the old custom of travelling to each of the kingdoms every so often to make sure he was kept aware of their issues.

- x -

Later he greeted Prince Doran in his solar and as they looked out over the city they discussed the future.

"When eventually Aerys decides to wed Rhaegar or myself off then it is likely that your sister will be chosen for one of us. Do you want her to be subjected to the judgemental madness of Aerys? He barely tolerates Andals in the Red Keep and he would be disgusted by someone of our family not appearing as a Valyrian. I am aware that you have eyes in the capital so you know that I am right." Haeron said knowing of at least two Dornish agents in the Red Keep so Doran would be fully aware of Aerys and his worsening behaviour.

"But why would I risk putting you on the throne?" Doran asked with a cold smirk but Haeron knew he was being tested and replied honestly.

"Because his madness is only getting worse, sooner or later he is going to do something that will lead to civil war, something Dorne might struggle to stay out of especially if Elia is wed off to my brother or myself." Haeron said plainly and Doran's expression did stay neutral but there was a telltale tightening around his eyes that showed he was fully aware of that likely outcome.

"But also because I am not interested in merely keeping my own house in power. I intend to uplift all of Westeros with new sciences and technology. My intention is to make Westeros the most powerful nation in the world and as such Dorne along with it. To that end, as a gift, I present you with the new ship plans to share among your vassals. Of course I do not intend to declare myself king now and cause the kingdoms to rise up in a civil war. Merely I hope to convince enough of the Great Houses to remove my father from power. So it is my hope that you would be willing to support me." Haeron said as he handed the plans of the Brig to Doran who took them with some surprise but a nod of understanding.

"You are playing a dangerous game my friend but it is an interesting one and I wonder if you would be willing to make Elia your queen?" Doran asked and Haeron who had suspected that was coming asked a question of his own.

"Does she want that?"

Doran blinked in surprise, not having expected him to ask that before Haeron explained his position.

"While I am sure she would make a fine queen is she willing to be subjected to the rigours of the court? To have her every movement and word questioned and her ill health made a jape? I am aware of her 'frailty' of body if not of mind and while I would never judge her for something that she cannot control but the rest of the court and Aerys will I assure you. Is that something that Elia wants for her future?" Haeron asked bluntly and Doran looked momentarily angry at the seemingly harsh words about his beloved sister but knew in his heart that Elia did not want to be queen. She would be an incredible one of that he had no doubt but she would be hurt by the horrible words of the court and her ill-health would count against her.

"If she wishes it, and only if she wishes it then yes I would make her my queen." Haeron said which given his previous words shocked Doran but more so that he would take what she wanted into question rather than treat her like cattle.

For that alone, Doran and Oberyn would support him.

- x -

Later that day after Haeron and Doran had concluded their meeting, Haeron stood in the yard with his sword fighting against Oberyn in a sparring match as their respective friends and family watched.

"Your sword is oversized, are you compensating for something?" Oberyn taunted him but Haeron did not respond as he was now in his 'fighting mind' where he was devoted to the fight and nothing else.

Oberyn regretted those words as despite the sword's great size Haeron could move it like it weighed nothing and as a warrior his skill was near faultless. He was the closest match to Arthur Dayne that any of them had ever seen and as Oberyn tried to deflect Haeron's attack away he hit the wooden staff of the spear so hard that it broke in two and then with Oberyn in shock Haeron delivered a hard kick to his stomach sending the Red Viper to the ground and stabbed the sword into the earth next to his head.

That brought a gasp from the members of House Martell as from their position it looked for a moment like Oberyn had died but Haeron extended his hand and Oberyn took his hand to help himself up. They all breathed a sigh of relief while Jaime and Golor smirked at their prince's victory.

"Showing off in battle will only get you killed." Haeron warned Oberyn as many of his family had done before but Oberyn just scoffed and told him.

"But it makes life more fun." He said with a smirk and Haeron just kept his reservations about that statement to himself as he could tell they would only fall on deaf ears. "Good match." Oberyn conceded which Haeron took with his usual good grace and said back.

"Indeed, I see why they consider you the greatest spearman in Dorne." Haeron told him before turning to Jaime who now was sweating but it was nothing to do with the heat. "Jaime, practice sword. Time for training."

Jaime was feeling a hard chill as he knew already how hard the Prince drilled himself and how he was held to the same standard. Golor and Ser Lewyn both grinned as they knew what the young squire was in for and before the eyes of House Martell Jaime nervously drew his practice sword and Haeron started taking him through the various stances. Slowly at first and then getting faster and faster which went on for hours until they finally left to freshen up for dinner that night. Jaime by the end of it was absolutely devoid of energy to continue, covered in sweat and could barely stand.

Elia fussed a little over Jaime as the boy was exhausted after the intensive training but as she later that evening in the small feast that was held danced with Haeron she whispered something in his ear.

"Thank you my prince, few people have ever considered just what I wanted. I hope you find a woman that can be your queen." Elia told him and Haeron smiled, a genuine smile that thankfully no one but Elia saw and he whispered back.

"It was my pleasure Princess, may you find happiness. It is perhaps the rarest treasure in our world." He said which was true as most marriages in their world were dynastic and rarely considered what the lady in question would like. The fact he had considered her feelings already had earned him her favour, she would see him and his party off personally the following day as they had a very long road ahead of them.

---

The Kings Road, A Couple of Weeks Later...

The party of the Prince was moving up the road towards their next stop, they would have gone to Storm's End to meet with the Baratheons but unfortunately Lord Baratheon was not there are present and so it would be a wasted journey.

So instead they were heading to Riverrun to meet with the Tullys next and from there they were heading to Winterfell. A visit to the Vale was also planned but for now they were waiting until they had been to the other two first.

Haeron had not let up in his training and was not giving Jaime any breaks, he trained relentlessly and so Jaime did too. The boy was about ready to drop before finally calling a break and as they sat down to eat some lunch Haeron asked Jaime a question.

"Have you any plans for when you become Lord of Casterly Rock?" Haeron asked Jaime calmly and Jaime nearly spat out the water he had been drinking and asked him with wide eyes.

"What?!"

"While I am sure your father will be around for a long time yet but there will come a time when you must take the reins from him." Haeron said sternly. "Have you given any thought about how you will run things?"

Jaime was stumped as he had no idea just what he would do when the role of Lord of Casterly Rock came to him, he was immediately worried at the idea of having that position hanging over his head. Just learning to read and write had been torture for him he remembered with a shiver given how harsh his father had pushed him to do it and having to deal with all of the endless pressure and administration scared him to his core.

"I don't want to be a lord." Jaime blurted out in his fear. "I just want to be a knight! A member of the Kingsguard, the most noble knights of all and have adventures! That's what I want."

Jaime was nervous after a moment as he saw the look on the Prince's face had hardened and he was just staring at him with a cold expression. He took a moment to look over to Ser Lewyn was busy speaking to Golor and the rest of the men before he started taking off his shirt. This confused Jaime for a moment until he had finally removed it and turned to show Jaime his back. Jaime gasped in horror at the sight of it having never seen anything like it before.

There were thick rope like scars covering most of his back! They were old wounds and clearly would never get any better, criss-crossing the prince's back in jagged patterns and extended from his shoulders down to his waist, Haeron had ensured Jaime hadn't seen these yet as he was trying to be kind to the boy but his admiration for the Kingsguard was clouding Jaime's ability to think clearly and so he would need too 'educate' him on the true nature of knights and the Kingsguard especially.

"These were given to me on my seventh nameday...by the Kingsguard you so admire on the orders of the king." Haeron said wondering just why Tywin had never said anything but dismissed that as maybe his own ego making this more than it was. Jaime's eyes widened in shock at the mention that the Kingsguard had done this on the orders of the king, the prince's own father.

"The King felt I had disrespected him." Haeron explained before saying. "But his madness is not the reason I dislike the Kingsguard so much. I like you idealised them when I was younger than you are now, I wanted to be a knight and do all of the things that knights are supposed to do."

"I was...different once." Haeron admitted to Jaime who was now confused. "I believed the best in everyone, had faith things would be good if everyone tried their best. I had nothing but admiration for the knights of the Kingsguard, they were my heroes and told me all of what a knight is supposed to do. I envied them." Haeron said before adding the next painful bit. "I also had friends around the Red Keep, children that were not nobles but stable-boys, the gardener's daughter and others. I was going to make them members of my court when we all grew up." Haeron did not shed tears any more but the aching grief he felt when thinking of his old friends was still as raw now as it was then.

"What happened?" Jaime asked never having imagined this, he had never been allowed to make friends with the servants as they were beneath him but he had a few like Addam Marbrand who were from the noble families. Haeron stilled for a moment before giving the second...harsher part of the story.

"When my mother suffered a miscarriage due to my father's abuse, he hit her again and again for 'her failure'." Haeron said with a faint growl in his voice as he remembered the incident. "The oh so noble Kingsguard did nothing as my mother was beaten nearly to a pulp by my father and when I pushed him over to try and protect her...he decided that I had to be taught a lesson."

"He waited until my nameday as I mentioned before and I was brought to the throne room to greet the guests for my celebration, when I got there...his gift...was waiting for me. All of my friends were there strung up...dead." Haeron said seeing the image in his mind clearly. "The gardener's daughter was the worst, she had been raped by the king himself as the Kingsguard watched and they are the ones that killed those helpless children. Grown men, slaughtering those that were less than half their size in the name of the king. Then I was made to look at them before being tied up myself and before not only the court but my own screaming mother I was whipped with a steel studded multi tail whip by my own kingsguard protector as the rest of them did nothing but watch. If it had not been for your father and Lord Baratheon interfering then I honestly believe I would have been killed that day." Haeron said with complete truthfulness.

"Ser Barristan, Ser Gerold...Ser Myles...they all did nothing or acted as his hand. They came to me afterwards and said how sorry they were but it did not stop them doing it. They all knew it was wrong and they did it any way betraying all of the principles they were sworn to uphold. Whipping and killing helpless children and standing by as a young girl of six was raped by the disgusting wretch that they call a king. They are hypocrites and liars, hiding behind vows to excuse the things they let go on and pretend that it makes it acceptable. They do not even have the adventures that you imagine as most of the time they are just standing around as the King does nothing but scowl. I only allow Ser Lewyn with me as he was not part of the Kingsguard then and so far has proven to be different than them." Haeron said with a tired voice as the weight of the story hung on him.

"From that day to this I have sworn to protect my siblings and my mother from my father and when the time comes the knights of the so-called Kingsguard will know what I intend." Haeron told Jaime who was slightly unnerved by the intense gaze of the prince. "I want you to understand that things are not always so simple or so clear. True Knights who hold to their values are few and far between in this world." Haeron told him. "Besides it is not like you will have to rule alone, you will have your family and you have a brother I understand, he will be there to aid you." Haeron said making some assumptions but he knew he had said the right thing as Jaime started smiling slightly.

"Tyrion will be smart, he's already talking and reading. It took me and Cersei ages to achieve that but he is so clever already." Jaime said with a faraway look in his eyes. Haeron nodded, he knew Tywin hated Tyrion and blamed him for Lady Joanna's death unfairly but the fact that Jaime actually cared for his younger brother was a good side to his character. But then there was the other sibling and so Haeron who as a Targaryen knew the danger of inbreeding all too well spoke to Jaime about his 'relationship' with his twin sister.

"Jaime, I have to ask...why are you attracted to Cersei? It isn't natural to be attracted like that to ones own siblings." Haeron asked and Jaime was caught off guard by the change of subject. He froze as if not sure how to explain things as his sister had.

"We came into the world together, shared the womb together...isn't that reason enough?" Jaime asked and Haeron frowned as he saw that Cersei was clearly the one who was dominant of the two but to help Jaime break away he had to explain.

"No its not. Twins are meant to be close but as siblings not as lovers Jaime. My own family has done that for centuries and see what it has done to us. So many people in my family have been frail or mad, there are a few exceptions but that is the majority rule...I mean look at my father who had his own son whipped for pushing him over. Then there is Aerion Targaryen who drank wildfire to in his eyes become a dragon. There are many examples, your sister thinks she knows everything but siblings are not meant to love each other like that, it only hurts their children later. Not to mention she might be using it as a way to control you. I know you care for your sister Jaime but there is something not right about it and you know it. It only short changes yourself to make sure decisions at a young age, keep your options open Jaime and maybe you will find a person to that you love even more." Haeron told him sternly.

Jaime was silent as he was being told this and deeply confused, Cersei had always been the smart one and he had always thought that listening to her was the right thing to do but the Prince's words weighed on him. She had always been vicious he thought remembering that she had humiliated people who annoyed her and more than one servant had left due to her treatment of them. The way she enjoyed tormenting Tyrion sent a cold feeling through him and he had been forced to stop her from hurting him more than once. Whenever he did though she would treat him coldly until he said sorry and then she would slowly start treating better but only if he did the things she told him, had she been using him all this time? Jaime thought with confusion not sure just what to believe at the moment.

"Either way, soon we shall be at Riverrun and from there to Winterfell and possibly the Eyrie. This is an opportunity for you to learn about the rest of Westeros first hand. Don't waste it." Haeron told him before going to get some more water which left Jaime thinking deeply on what he said and after having seen some of Dorne, he would admittedly be happy to see more of Westeros.

---

Riverrun, the Riverlands...Two Days Later...

Riverrun was far less impressive than the Sandship or Casterly Rock, the defensive ability to flood the moat around it by opening gates to let in the nearby rivers was a good defence but not that good by the standards of other castles in Westeros.

Riding over the drawbridge they came into the small yard and there to greet them was House Tully. Lord Hoster Tully was of course leading them and he was hardly an impressive man, thin with a frail looking face his thin red hair already turning grey, his brother Ser Brynden 'The Blackfish' Tully was noticeably absent but the man had travelled much over the years so it wasn't hard to imagine he was doing so again. Hoster was looking at them with expectation and Haeron could guess he was hoping to use the visit to his advantage somehow. He had already arranged for his eldest daughter Catelyn to wed the heir to the North Brandon Stark so Haeron guessed Hoster was hoping to tie Lysa to either himself or Jaime which annoyed Haeron but it was to be expected he guessed with irritation.

The children of Lord Hoster were at his side and they were hardly that intriguing either, the oldest two were girls who were pretty but not the most beautiful that any of them had seen although as they aged that could change. The older looked more healthy with long lush red hair and a fuller figure than the younger sister who was a more thin and bird-like frame although she had the same long red hair. They were Catelyn and Lysa Tully who both were looking at Haeron with wide eyes and excitement which didn't exactly endear them to him.

The young boy next to them was even younger than Jaime and was still chubby and awkward looking, Edmure Tully the heir to Riverrun and third child of Lord Hoster. He was looking very nervous as his father's eyes were looking at him with a hard glare, to ensure his good behaviour.

The final person was also a young boy who looked thin and short for his apparent age, his features were sharp and there was a cold glint in his eyes that Haeron recognised from different courtiers that he had seen in the Red Keep, that ambition burning deep inside and the willingness to do anything to advance themselves. He knew to keep an eye on that one, knowing that someone like that could never be trusted. This Haeron guessed must be Petyr Baelish, the ward of Lord Hoster.

The family did kneel as they approached and dismounted, stable-boys quickly taking their horses. Haeron walked over and Lord Hoster spoke.

"Your Grace. Welcome to Riverrun, we are of course at your service Prince Haeron." Hoster said and Haeron nodded before replying.

"Your service honours me Lord Tully and it is a pleasure to see your home." Haeron said which allowed them to rise. "I see your daughters, son and ward are well. Greetings." Haeron said with a nod of the head. Catelyn and Lysa looked like they were almost going to faint and were blushing as he looked at them which didn't leave him with a good impression of them and he merely greeted them politely then young Edmure and Petyr. The jealousy in Petyr's eyes was increasingly as he greeted Catelyn which only made Haeron want to sigh not having the energy to deal with an jealous child and given he had no interest in the girls so he vowed to keep them at arms length. He did not have anything against them but having met many more intelligent women in his life these girls meant nothing.

He was here to speak to their father.

So he went to speak with Lord Tully who had promised Lord Mooton of Maidenpool, Lord Mallister of Seagard and Ser Cox of the Saltpans would be there to discuss the ship designs but only Lord Tully was present.

Although his magic was still not what it once was he did manage to use a little legilimency on him and also the fact that Hoster kept trying to talk up Lysa and Catelyn to him made him realise to his frustration the man intended to to use the ship designs as leverage over his own vassals and at the same time try to tie Lysa and Catelyn to him and Jaime, the fact he would insult House Stark by breaking Catelyn's betrothal to Brandon Stark was worth it in his mind if he could tie her to either Casterly Rock or better to the Crown Prince.

It disgusted Haeron and realise more than even that he was wasting his time here, Hoster he thought with disgust would change his allegiance with which ever way the wind was blowing and he could certainly never be counted on.

Haeron became coldly stern as he listened to the pointless chatter of Lord Tully before deciding to not stay longer than tonight. He would stop at Seagard on the way to speak to House Stark so he could see Lord Mallister about the ship designs to try and at least cultivate one ally here and would speak to House Mooton on the way back but since he wouldn't be staying as long as he had thought he decided to make a detour of his own to see Harrenhal and see the largest castle in Westeros for himself.

---

The Eyrie, the Vale...

Jon Arryn stood on the battlements of the Eyrie, the home of his family for centuries and wondered about the delicate situation that was growing across all of Westeros. He had long been watching events in Kings Landing and saw the ever growing madness of King Aerys, his attack on his own son was just the worst example so far but who knows what might lie ahead he thought with worry.

It was partly for that reason that he had been working hard to establish a power block of his own, if needed to defend themselves from the Mad King. It was for this reason that he had arranged to foster both Robert Baratheon, son and heir to Lord Steffon Baratheon and Eddard 'Ned' Stark, second son of Lord Rickard Stark here. He wanted to create a strong bond between the North, the Vale and the Stormlands to act in their mutual defence and if necessary to remove the Mad King from power, he had even encouraged for Rickard Stark to consider betrothing his children outside of the North and bring the Riverlands into their alliance by wedding his heir Brandon to Lady Catelyn Tully. He was working on perhaps tying Lyanna Stark, Rickard's daughter to Robert but that was still uncertain.

He was at least successful in building a good bond of friendship between Ned and Robert, they were as close as brothers he thought with pride at that achievement and that his own heir Elbert Arryn was good friends with them too was just a great addition to his plans.

But there was a piece on the board that gave him pause Jon thought as he considered his problem...Prince Haeron Targaryen.

The Prince was ironically showing the signs of greatness not seen since Jaehaerys the Conciliator, the Great King himself. He had intelligence, will and the determination to achieve whatever he set out to do. The way he had shaped himself into the best warrior House Targaryen had ever produced since the legendary Dragonknight and even created a rival to the greatest sword in Westeros, Dawn was testament to that, not to mention the innovations that he had created. As a man who prided himself on being an educated lord he looked into these new inventions and works that Haeron had made and it was astonishing.

Jon was genuinely impressed at that...but wary too.

The Prince was not the sort of person that was easily led and while that was no bad thing for a monarch but also bad as he wasn't sure he could be brought to their way of thinking. He had from what he could guess already call on both House Lannister and House Martell for support and was trying to get other houses onboard to presumably remove his father from power. But Jon didn't know if he wanted to put another Targaryen on the throne, they had been declining for centuries now and with the odd exception had been appalling rulers for Westeros, causing more problems than they solved. Perhaps it was time for a new dynasty he thought and his choice of Robert as a ward was a crucial part of that plan, being the closest relative to the current line after his father so if the main line of House Targaryen were 'eliminated' then House Baratheon could take the throne.

It was a dangerous game but one that he believed might be necessary for a better future...Robert was far from perfect, he drank too much and was far too involved with women and hunting than a future lord should be but Jon was sure he would calm down eventually.

But still he considered with doubt over Robert's suitability to be a king, it might be a good idea to see the Prince for himself.

Jon's sources told him that the Prince was currently at Riverrun and would be for several days before moving on to Winterfell, if he moved quickly he might just beat him there...in time for a 'fortunate' coincidental meeting. Even better he had an excuse, given his ward was of House Stark what better reason did he need, Jon thought and with a small smile on his face he walked over to the yard where he saw his wards training.

Watching them for a moment he saw again that Robert was easily the most formidable warrior the Stormlands had produced in years. His skill with his war hammer was impressive for his age and he had proven that in tactics on the battlefield he was exceptional, far better than Jon himself which would only serve them well if it became needed. Ned was acceptable, a capable swordsman and rider but not the finest warrior he had ever seen but he was good enough and loyal to a fault.

Seeing Robert disarm Ned again was enough for Jon to end it and make his intention known to them. He cleared his throat loudly enough to attract their attention and Robert smiled as he looked up while Ned just bowed his head respectfully.

"Want to join us Jon?" Robert asked with a somewhat arrogant swagger that Jon knew was impossible to tame. He just shook his head in disappointment before saying.

"Maybe another time Robert. But I think its time for us to go on a journey. Pack warmly, Ned its time to go and see your father." Jon told them and that did make Ned perk up with hopeful eyes.

"We're going to Winterfell?" Ned asked hopefully and Jon smiled kindly before saying.

"We are. If we time it right then we might also be there in time to meet the Crown Prince. Best make sure you are ready to leave by dawn tomorrow." Jon told them sternly and then left which left the two of them alone. Ned was happy to be going home even if it was just for a visit but Robert made a face.

"The fucking Dragon Prince is coming?! Shit." Robert said with distaste which seemed to shock Ned.

"Robert, he's the Crown Prince. The next king. What's the problem with him? They say he's much saner than his father," Ned reasoned, trying to understand Robert's dislike for him. Robert did not as usual hold back.

"He's an inbred cunt. An entitled prick that everyone gives far more fucking praise than his deserves. Now we have to bow and scrape...fucking hell." Robert said before going off to relieve his frustration in the bed of one of the maids. Ned watched, wondering if Robert's dislike for the Prince went deeper than that but all he could do at the moment was be excited on the fact that he was going to see his family again.

---

Harrenhal, the Riverlands...

The intimidating sight of the ruined Harrenhal was awe inspiring the moment they saw it, the melted and twisted stone a testament to the power his house had once commanded and Haeron only found himself more infuriated at his ancestors for screwing up so bad that they had lost it. While as Harry he had not had the best experience with dragons to say the least with Norbert and the Horntail and a few other incidents later in life, he had a certain...fascination with them now. Flying on the back of dragon, that had to be an experience of a lifetime and he was unable to do it because of idiots who were too greedy for power he thought with anger.

The egg he had been using magical fire on though was getting warmer which according to the notes Brynden Rivers had managed to acquire meant it was preparing to hatch which excited him. He knew better than to get his hopes up but it was good sign regardless.

House Whent had been welcoming and he pitied them as he could feel the ambient magic in the air, the curse of his place was real and he wondered if he might disarm it to spare future generations. They had enough problems with maintaining this place he thought given it must cost a fortune to maintain, so that night he crept around the castle alone, looking for the source of the curse that he could sense. The vast size of the castle was making this much harder than it needed to be but thankfully he was undetected due to the time of night.

He soon arrived at a corridor which was covered in a thick layer of dust, clearly no-one had been in here for years, the intensity of the magic here was reminiscent of a ward, presumably what had kept whatever the object that carried the curse from being found and destroyed.

But there was no objects in the corridor, just dark coloured stone walls.

Haeron could feel the curse though and it was not in the walls but behind them, knowing that the Red Keep had secret passages he could only assume that Harrenhal must do too. He took a deep breath and summoned his magic before casting a spell with a wave of his hand that should allow him to see if there was anything concealed here.

"Revelare."

The spell was somewhat draining given the size of the corridor but a faint red glow appeared around a section of wall about half way along on the right. Haeron walked over and cast another spell now he had the location.

"Alohomora." A brief smile coming to his face as he remembered the first time he had seen the spell used and again thanked Hermione for showing him.

The stone wall parted slightly, showing it was a concealed door as expected. Pushing it open he looked inside and used the torch he was carrying to see what was inside.

There were stairs that went down a bit so carefully he made his way down, sure that there might be traps but it seemed whoever had designed this had clearly not thought them necessary, the stairs were steep but climbable and then came to what looked like a large natural cavern which he guessed must be deep under the castle. It was dark and difficult to see but clearly there was some reflecting the light his torch was giving off, Haeron soon realised just what the contents of the chamber were as he got closer and knew House Whent was going to love this.

- x -

Next Morning...

When he had brought Lord and Lady Whent not to mention Jaime and Ser Lewyn to show them what he had found they were in complete shock.

"This has been under the castle all of these years!" Lord Whent exclaimed in shock as he looked at the incredible amount of treasure that lay here. Heaps of gold and silver and other valuables.

"The secret stash of House Hoare, the Iron Born always steal, it is their way and have no loyalty but to themselves. Stands to reason they would hide something like this even from their own people." Ser Lewyn said with a shake of his head at the fortune that was here.

"And now its ours." Lady Whent said in amazement as she picked up a golden necklace and brushed her fingers over the sapphires that the gold held in place.

Jaime was used to gold and so his eyes were drawn to others things like the statue of Harren 'the Black' Hoare in the centre of the room. Smirking he drew his steel sword which he was allowed to carry as they travelled and slashed at it when to his astonishment and everyone that saw it...the sword shattered on impact. Jaime was so caught off by this that he stumbled and fell on his backside, looking at his ruined sword with shock while everyone looked between them and the statue.

"How is that possible?" Lord Whent asked in confusion knowing that even if the stone was strong enough to resist steel it should have just deflected not shattered. Haeron looked at it and admitted something to them.

"Thanks to the stupidity of Baelor the Blessed most of the texts my family had on magic were destroyed but some of them did survive. One of the things that they say is that a curse has been be held in an object to endure. Perhaps this is the source of the curse that has driven so many families to extinction and brought down misfortune on your own." Haeron said with a curious look on his face which made the others look at him with surprise that he would admit to having read texts on magic but his mentions of the curse being held in this object intrigued them especially the Whents who had been suffering badly since they had taken ownership of the castle with all of the losses in their family and poor birth rates.

"You've read about magic?" Jaime asked as Haeron helped him to his feet and Haeron told his squire.

"If one is to understand then one must learn. Even if you don't believe it can help you understand those that do. Knowledge is key to many boons Jaime." Haeron told him hoping to educate Jaime and let him see that he must know more to be better prepared for the world. Jaime was confused but nodded making a mental note to try and learn more of the world.

"Perhaps we need a stronger sword." Haeron said as he drew Crimson Heart and hoped it was strong enough for this but short of Valyrian steel it was their best option. He took a deep breath and swung the sword at the statue while everyone watched with baited breath.

This time the sword did not break and cleaved cleanly through the stone, the magical properties in the sword's metal allowing it to do this and dampening the magic that had broken Jaime's. The Statue fell to the ground and shattered into pieces.

But the moment the statue was broken, an inhuman scream bellowed across the chamber, dark smoke began to pour from the shards of the broken statue before their horrified eyes which joined together into the form of a man, he seemed to be letting off some kind of vapour.

He was dressed in black armour with the crest of House Hoare on his chest, grey hair on his head and holding a vicious looking axe in his hands but what scared all of them was the moment that he opened his eyes. There was nothing there, just a dark void in each socket and he did not speak but instead when it opened its mouth emitted another horrific scream.

The more fearful among them scrambled for the stairs to escape while others just stared in shock at what they were seeing, Haeron however rallied his own courage and held Crimson Heart ready as the ghost of Harren the Black came at him. The ghost swung its axe wildly at him but Haeron was able to parry the blows and deflect them away from himself, Haeron could only guess the reason he had gone for him and not the others was that he was holding the sword that had broken his statue.

Harren's ghost did not quit however and lunged violently at him, each attack more desperate than the last but Haeron remained calm despite the fact he was dealing with a malevolent ghost, he was an opponent like any other and so treated him as such.

Eventually the ghost made a mistake and overcommitted himself and allowing Haeron to get an opening to stab him through his ghostly heart. Harren's ghost started screaming again as white lines spread out from the wound with great speed before it burst into white light, the screams echoing for a moment before finally disappearing forever.

The silence in the room was complete and everyone who remained including Lord and Lady Whent, Ser Lewyn, Golor and Jaime all looked at Haeron with awe in their eyes. The prince had stood firm in the face of an evil spirit and slayed it with his sword, as great deeds went this one was certainly up there.

He would be the first, the new Dragonknight who would set the standard for those that followed.

Haeron however looked at his sword to make sure it had not been compromised and sheathed it when he was satisfied it was good. He had not had to do anything that in a long time he thought, as Harry he had been forced to deal with unfriendly spirits as the Master of Death and now as Haeron he was doing it again, it was something he didn't relish doing but it was good to make sure spirits that had been corrupt or evil moved on.

The curse was also fading he thought as without the statue and the spirit inside it was now breaking, he turned to Lord Whent and made a suggestion to him though.

"While I am sure this will bring about an end to the curse it might be worth constructing a new home for your family elsewhere, maybe closer to one of the town's you control. There is plenty of stone here spare to work with." He said with a smile and Lord Whent when he had recovered his wits nodded in agreement.

"Given the costs of maintaining Harrenhal I can only agree my prince and I am sure that the gold in here will be sufficient for that task. Your Grace, how can we ever repay you for this? You may well have saved my family from ruin." Lord Whent said and Haeron merely raised an eyebrow before saying.

"I need no reward for this Lord Whent. As a member of House Targaryen it is my duty to aid those we serve as they serve us. As a prince my duty is always to the realm and its well-being, I am merely carrying out that sacred task." Haeron said calmly. That was partly why he had done it but he had let himself be seen doing it for another reason.

By slaying the spirit and being so humble about it he would only increase his legend, it was a potentially dangerous thing to do but he had slain a ghost and a curse that had endured for centuries, that was something anyone would take notice of.

But as he was leaving the chamber he saw a ring with an unusual stone in it, picking it up he saw it was a fire opal set in a gold ring. It was beautiful but what really intrigued him was that he could feel the magic in the stone, gemstones were hit or miss with magic with some being excellent for use as foci while others were next to useless. Opals had to his knowledge never been tried but he was sure this one would be ideal he thought and picked it up. It was a good sized stone and when he slipped it onto his finger he could feel his magic strengthen.

At last he thought with relief, he had a foci.

Jaime didn't comment on the ring as to be fair it was one small trinket compared to the wealth House Whent would have but did feel the need to ask.

"Your grace, did you mean what you said. About duty?" Jaime asked and Haeron turned to him and told him honestly.

"In part, but remember despite what your father might say appearances and reputation matter. Your father's reputation means that he rules without opposition because people know what will happen if they displease him. I as a Prince do serve the realm and it is better to be seen doing that than not...like a lot of my family." He said with a grimace as he remembered the ancestors he had that had been idiotic to say the least.

Jaime was finding it difficult to reconcile that with what his father had always said, he had always told him 'A Lion doesn't concern himself with the opinion of the Sheep' but the more he thought about after the Prince had explained it the easier he found it to understand. Reputation is important in how others will see you not just with your family name and so if he was going to be respected then he would need to craft a reputation that deserved respect.

Haeron who unknown to Jaime was secretly reading his thoughts smiled privately to himself...the boy was learning.

---

Winterfell, the North...A Week and a Half Later...

The cold of the North had been a shock to most members of their party as the moment they had crossed the Neck it had easily become far less warm. The wind had a bite to it that they had never felt before and Golor and Lewyn who had grown up in warmer climates found it very uncomfortable, so did Jaime as they all donned thicker and warmer clothes.

Haeron did not seem even remotely affected by although he did wear warmer clothes as they did, he still trained just as hard as ever and trained Jaime relentlessly, but the vastness of the North seemed to shock the others. Haeron knew that the North was large enough that you could fit the other kingdoms inside it and when they had winters they were like a white hell. He looked around and saw some of Scotland and Ireland and some of Wales too in the landscape around him and the fact days could pass without seeing even the slightest sign of civilisation was strange to him but it only made him wonder more about travel.

They camped more often than not and the cold had the effect of pushing them harder to get to Winterfell as fast as possible. They only stopped occasionally to pick up fresh supplies in towns or villages they came upon.

But finally, they arrived.

Winterfell was apart from Highgarden the only castle that could really challenge the Red Keep as the largest intact castle in Westeros. It was a grim structure compared to the other two but solidly built and he could easily see why it had withstood the ages. The two massive walls with a moat in-between and rugged towers along it. Riding through the gates he saw that House Stark was already out to greet them and other Northern nobles from their vassals too. That pleased Haeron as he had something they had been after for centuries and would ensure good will when the time came, but surprisingly they were not alone.

Robert Baratheon was here given how much he resembled Lord Steffon it couldn't be anyone else, and the old man standing to his side must be Lord Jon Arryn judging by the Falcon medallion he was wearing. Why were they here? Haeron asked himself and knew it could not be a coincidence so he would have to move carefully until he knew why.

Stepping forward he saw Lord Rickard Stark at the head of the line, he knelt as Haeron approached and spoke.

"Your grace, welcome to the North. Winterfell is yours."

"Greetings Lord Stark, I thank you for your hospitality and welcome." Haeron said as he stood in front of the man and he and the rest of the family stood. Haeron then turned to Brandon Stark, the Wild Wolf as he was known and shook his hand, Brandon smirked and increased the strength in his handshake to try and rattle the prince like this was some sort of game but Haeron merely responded in kind and Brandon only just managed to cover up his wince as he was nowhere near as strong as Haeron.

Next it was Eddard Stark he met, the boy was respectful with a bow and keeping his eyes down but Haeron told the boy.

"I have heard you are a dutiful son of House Stark. Honourable to a fault." Haeron said and added as they worried he might disapprove. "You do your family credit."

Eddard looked relieved by that as did their father Rickard. Brandon looked disappointed and maybe hoped that Eddard would be more like himself. Haeron moved on to Benjen Stark after that and the young lad smiled at him as he bowed. Haeron surprised everyone by giving him a slight nod and a pat on the shoulder before moving on to the last member of House Stark present, the daughter Lyanna Stark.

A thin and gangly creature with the same long face, grey eyes and dark brown hair. Unremarkable really although she was still young, Hermione had certainly changed as puberty set in Haeron remembered and so would Lyanna in time.

"Can we see Crimson Heart?" Lyanna asked with a daring grey fire in her eyes which made Rickard call out.

"Lyanna! Apologize to the prince...NOW!" He said with a furious expression on his face and Eddard and Benjen looked horrified at what she had said, scared Haeron would take offence. Robert and Brandon smirked as they liked her fiery spirit. Jon Arryn he noticed was deeply concerned too and a reading of his thoughts showed his ambition, and his intentions to remove the Targaryens from power.

Haeron might hate his father but he was not about to allow his family to be destroyed which was the only way Arryn's plan would work and he would certainly not allow a lout like Robert Baratheon who he could already tell from his thoughts of booze and fucking Lyanna Stark would be a repeat of Aegon the Unworthy.

As long as Steffon ruled House Baratheon he would stay his hand, he owed the man that much but if Robert ever made any move to be a threat then he would end that threat Haeron thought coldly. The same with Arryn as he had no intention of starting the Civil War he feared was coming early.

Bringing himself back to the moment he granted Lyanna's wish and drew his sword, scaring many who thought he might cut Lyanna in half but instead he showed her the blade and she was wide-eyed with amazement at it, so was Eddard and Benjen while Robert and Brandon just looked at it with barely concealed longing.

"It would probably be best to get out of the cold. I am sure that you would appreciate a bath and change of clothes your grace." Lord Rickard said eager to get them apart and deciding to let the man off the hook, Haeron nodded and allowed himself to be led with the rest of his party to their rooms.

Rickard meanwhile turned to his daughter with enraged eyes.

"Lyanna! That is the crown prince! The heir to the Iron Throne and one of the greatest swordsman in all of the kingdoms. Show proper respect." He almost growled at her, Lyanna was not intimidated as she knew her dimples would get her out of this and merely smiled as she said sweetly.

"Of course father. I promise, shall we get ready for dinner? I for one am hungry." She told them and Rickard, Jon, Eddard and Benjen all sighed with frustration while Brandon and Robert both laughed at her audacity.

'What a woman!" Robert thought to himself with his interest in her heightened.

---

With some time to pass before dinner the Prince and his party toured Winterfell and Haeron had to agree it was a formidable fortress but there were places where it could be improved. A lot of the inside area was unused and some of the castle was crumbling. Not unexpected in such an old castle but it really should be repaired he thought as he looked at one of the towers which was known as the Broken Tower.

"Its grim." Jaime commented arrogantly as there was not much to look and marvel at in Winterfell, Jaime was of course used the ostentatiousness of Casterly Rock which was often cluttered with unnecessary displays of wealth. Feeling he needed to be aware of other cultures Haeron told him sternly as they stood on the battlements of Winterfell.

"You have never seen a Northern winter have you?" Haeron asked already knowing the answer and allowed Jaime to splutter at the question before continuing to make his point. "According to records the snow will cover everything you see and fall so thickly that you will not be able to see more a short distance ahead of you. The cold is so harsh that it will freeze to the bone, food and travel are impossible to find and many will starve. A culture that grows in a place such as this would learn to make the most of their resources, what ever is not needed would not be bothered with as you have to use whatever you have just to survive. What is the point of paintings if you are freezing to death? Better to burn them so you can live another day." Haeron said plainly.

"The North like Dorne is a country of extremes, just the other way around. Instead of harsh deserts they have harsh cold. The culture of a place will evolve depending on the environment it endures. Look at the Reach for example, they have pleasant fields and farmland so they became farmers and in the Stormlands they not only have bad weather and rugged terrain but were constantly under attack from others so they became warriors. Peoples who grow in harsh environments will have to be tough Jaime." Haeron said with a stern look in his eyes that made Jaime almost wilt but he did take on-board what he was being told. Respect for other cultures and understanding them was vital in making alliances and given he would one day be a ruler of a kingdom he would need that skill.

They all then went to join dinner and while he spoke to Lord Stark he saw Robert Baratheon stuff his hand down the cleavage of a serving girl and half carry her to his room while being so drunk his entire face was red. Eddard Stark looked so embarrassed by Robert's behaviour he might just hide under the table while Lyanna looked on with disgust at Robert's behaviour.

This was the person Lord Arryn was thinking of putting on the throne? Haeron thought as he looked at the Arryn who was doing his best to ignore Robert's dishonourable behaviour. He decided there and then to not bother with a visit to the Vale as it would be pointless given Arryn's potential plans.

- x -

The following morning while Robert was sleeping off his drinking and night of sex Haeron was standing again in the hall as the lords had their breakfast and explained the new ships to Lords Stark, Manderly, Glover and Mormont the latter three being the ones that actually had ships.

Lord Manderly was easily the most eager to get the new ship designs, he had seen the Aemon's Ranger win the race from Kings Landing. He was also the biggest trader in the North so having fast and capable ships like that would really be a benefit to him, not to mention he had a fondness for the new ships as the race had won him a large fortune from placing bets with House Peake who they still were rivals along with other houses to the south. So much coin had been won by them that they were restoring Wolf's Den which had been used previously as a prison.

Haeron gladly gave a copy of the designs to them but did have to add one last provision to his act of kindness.

"I must insist that all steps are taken to ensure the Iron Born do not acquire the new design. It would only embolden them." Haeron said knowing full well how bad they were and would not change for anything. They didn't respect anything or anyone, praised thieving, rape and murder but called it a crime if it ever happened to them. They were weak and pathetic thieves stealing what they couldn't be bothered to make themselves and if they put a toe out of line on his watch he would gladly give them a slap down Haeron thought with disgust the Iron Born.

"You can count on us your grace." Lord Glover insisted and Lord Mormont nodded in agreement, he could only hope that was true before turning to the other thing he was giving the North which would benefit them all in the long run.

"There is another matter that I wish to discuss with you." Haeron said before turning to Golor who came forward with a fairly big square shaped object covered by cloth. The Northerners looked on curiously as Haeron removed the cloth and showed them what was underneath it.

"You all know what this is." Haeron said, holding up a sheet of glass with a slight green tint to it. They were unimpressed he could tell by the glass but not what he he said next.

"Myr has long been the sole producer of glass which you use to make the glass gardens you rely on in the harshest weather to make more food. They charge harsh prices for glass, enough that it would be more than the North makes in a year to make a single glass garden. But I am a prince that looks for the betterment of my kingdoms, so I present to you the first pane of glass produced in Westeros." Haeron said proudly and that instantly got them interested and excited he thought with a mental grin. They were dependant on trade for food as they found it hard to grow enough in their climate especially without sufficient glass houses.

"I will show you how to make more, enough that you will be able to build all the glass houses you want." Haeron said with a smile, it had taken him effort to learn how to make the glass but it was exactly the sort of thing that would make him a friend of the North for life. They would no longer need to be robbed by Myr for glass or other kingdoms for food, now they would be able to make their own or at least enough to be far more independent.

The excited and joyful looks on their faces was enough to let him know that he had made the right choice, there was an old saying 'The North Remembers', it usually meant that if you wronged the North then they would never forget and eventually take their vengeance on you...but it also meant they did not forget those that helped them especially in a way that meant something. The look of admiration in the eyes of Lord Rickard who like him knew how much his home land would benefit from this was proof of that. Eddard Stark too looked at him in amazement alongside his brother Benjen while Brandon looked simply bored as if he didn't care. That nearly brought a frown to his face as the heir who didn't care would never rule well.

- x -

Three Days Later...

Haeron had spent the last couple of days teaching Northerners how to make glass and was confident that they had finally got the process down, it would take time for them to spread the knowledge and process to other keeps but it would happen and soon glass houses would spread around the North. Their value would make this a top priority for them.

So he was finally taking some time to train with Jaime, the lad had a natural gift with a sword he thought as he watched Jaime run through his drills. He might not be talented at ruling or other disciplines but in terms of physical pursuits he was highly gifted. He only hoped the brother Tyrion would be good at ruling as together they would balance each other out, Jaime would rule but with the guidance of his brother. Some would assume Tyrion might betray him and while that was a certain possibility Haeron would he hope be proven right to trust their brotherly bond.

"Excellent." Haeron said as Jaime finished his drills. "You learn quickly, I hope that you soon gain the experience required to improve. Practice and training will only take you so far. To truly master your abilities, experience is often the best teacher and I can tell you from my own that the sensation of being in a true fight will make you keener than you can imagine." Haeron explained to Jaime, knowing the sensation and fear of a real fight would push you harder and further than any sparring session.

"Then prove it...Dragonspawn." A taunting voice said from the side, making Haeron and Jaime look over to see Robert Baratheon standing there with his war hammer over her shoulder. He could see the Starks and Arryn coming running up behind him.

"Robert what are you doing?" Eddard asked urgently with some worry, Jaime not liking this at all stepped forward but Haeron put his hand up to stop him.

"He's challenging me Jaime, if he wishes to face me then I will not deny it but to use real weapons Baratheon? You cross a line." Haeron warned him, this would be a real fight not a simple spar.

Robert just snorted and ignored all of the calls from the different Starks and Jon Arryn to stop, he had seen the admiration people gave him and it made Robert sick, the inbred fuckers were disgusting to his eyes and then there had been the looks he had seen Lyanna give him...looks of interest.

He would prove who was the better warrior he thought as he took his war hammer in both hands.

Haeron drew Crimson Heart and stood ready. Both of them were tall with large muscles but the prince was slightly older and had something of an advantage given he had some real fighting experience which Robert did not have.

He also had the advantage of being calm and collected, judging things carefully but quickly...something Robert could not do.

Robert like a wild man began to swing his hammer, Haeron however knew the war hammer was a weapon that relied on blunt force to do damage even through armour so he must at all costs not let it hit him, especially as he was not wearing any armour he thought with some worry.

So he ducked and rolled around Robert's attack and leapt to his feet, deflecting the second blow as Robert wheeled around to continue attacking. To give Robert his credit he was accurate with his blows and fast to move, keeping Haeron on his toes but Haeron was precise with his attacks, aiming not at the metal of the hammer but the wooden staff that held it.

Robert's rage only grew the longer it took to pin Haeron down, he was not used to a fight going on this long and he would normally have hit and slow him down by now but the dragon fucker just side-stepped, dodged or deflected his attacks away. His breathing was becoming more and more laboured with each swing of his hammer but then he stumbled as the prince spun away from another lunge and that was when Haeron went on the offensive, slashing down hard with his sword on the wooden staff of his war hammer!

The wood, already weakened by the smaller hits he had inflicted on it when deflecting previous attacks split in two! The metal hammer falling with half of the handle falling to the ground while Robert was left holding the other half, he barely had time to understand just what had happened before Haeron moved in and elbowed him hard in the face, knocking the shocked Robert to the ground. Robert, dazed but determined to continue this fight went to get up only to find the tip of Crimson Heart right in his face. Haeron held it there, looking coldly down at Robert. Everyone watching held their breath as they wondered just what he was going to do before Haeron said coldly to Robert as he sheathed his sword.

"If your father had not saved my life once I would punish you...but for Steffon's sake I won't. Your passion gives you great strength Baratheon but do not let it control you." Haeron told him before turning to walk away. Everyone breathed a sign of relief and Eddard went over to help Robert up while everyone else looked on still trying to understand just what had happened.

Rickard Stark though was looking at Haeron with curiosity and then seeing that it might be wise to get Robert Baratheon and Prince Haeron apart for the time being suggested an expedition.

"Your grace." Rickard said as Haeron passed to get his attention. Haeron duly turned and Rickard then made his suggestion. "Perhaps since you are in the North it might be of interest for you to see the Wall first hand? It is a magnificent sight." Rickard offered and Haeron was intrigued. He had always known of the Wall but he had never thought to actually see it.

"I would be delighted...Lord Stark." Haeron said in agreement.

---

The Wall, The North...Three Days Later...

Riding towards the Wall accompanied by his own men and Lord Rickard Stark was uneventful but when the Wall finally came into sight...all of the men except Rickard and his men were stunned even Haeron.

It was easily the largest structure that any of them had ever seen, reaching high into the sky and yet stretching far into the distance in both directions.

Haeron in particular was astonished, he could only imagine the effort it must have taken to build it and then the magic that had been woven into it. He could feel it even from here and it was intense, the Children of the Forest supposedly had weaved their power into it and he could well believe it given the strength of the magic even after thousands of years.

Castle Black itself as they arrived was substantially less impressive but the men of the Night's Watch, as miserable and tired as they seemed to his eyes were still impressive as they manned such a structure and kept their constant vigil. Rickard and Haeron both were treated with due respect as they rode in and then went to the metal cage to ride to the top. Both men were silent as they looked out while Jaime, Lewyn and Golor shivered in the cold, too distracted by it to really enjoy the view.

Eventually they arrived at the top and exited the lift cart, seeing the tunnels of ice as they walked to the outlook Rickard commented.

"Your ancestors King Jaehaerys and Queen Alysanne came to the Wall, walked these same passages with my ancestor Lord Rickon Stark and came to this same outlook." Rickard said as they approached one of the wooden outlooks that dotted along the Wall's top. Their breath was stolen away as they looked out over the ice covered wild land beyond. They weren't sure but they all suddenly felt a strange chill that had nothing to do with the weather as they looked beyond the North and into the lands beyond.

"They say that the Conqueror also came to the Wall with Queen Visenya and Torrhen Stark to see the Wall for themselves. You at least are not threatening me with a dragon." Rickard said with a smirk and Haeron frowned before saying calmly.

"I have no dragon to threaten anyone with thanks to the foolish ambition of some of my ancestors and Otto Hightower." Haeron said with a deadpan look as he stared Rickard in the eye. "I remember that story too and they say the dragons both times refused to cross it."

"Aye they would not cross it. The most powerful force in the world and they would not cross the Wall. Do you think my ancestors would build a 700 foot high wall that spans a hundred leagues. Three hundred miles according to the distance measures you created. To keep out cold and savages?" Rickard asked him, knowing the ancient legends of why his people had built the Wall and what it protected them from.

Haeron did too, despite not being as interested in such things as Rhaegar was he studied all legends as he knew from his experience with the Deathly Hallows that often there was a grain of truth in there somewhere.

"To protect all of the living against the Others, the White Walkers as they are otherwise known. While else would it and an order like the Night's Watch be created but to protect the world from a threat more dangerous than any other?" Haeron said calmly and wondered if the Walkers were real, for their sake he hoped not but knew better than to take something like that for granted.

At ten years old as Harry Potter he had known that dragons, unicorns, fairies and magic were tales told to entertain and nothing more.

At eleven years old, he had known they were all true.

"I am glad to see you do understand your grace." Rickard said with genuine relief. "If the legend should ever turn out to be true, I would hope you would aid us in that battle."

"I would, after all what else can you do against a force that cared for nothing more than death." Haeron said although how do you fight a foe like the White Walkers he wondered?

"They're just stories." Jaime interjected, finding the mood a little too dark for his liking and Rickard turned to him and said.

"Boy, my ancestors could have conquered the Wildlings and made them into Northerners, grown the North by nearly twice its size. Why instead would we make the Wall instead of making ourselves kings of a much larger kingdom?" Rickard asked him sternly. Jaime had no answer and they all looked out of the outlook and across the tundra and forests beyond, their thoughts uncertain and unsettled at what might lie out there.

They rode the lift back down to the castle below and Haeron went to meet someone that he had been hoping to meet for some time.

Knocking on the door he heard the person he had come to see answer.

"Enter."

Haeron pushed the door open and saw an old man, older than any other that he had met on this world so far but his thinning snow white hair, unseeing eyes and thin frame did nothing disguise the power of his mind or the wisdom he had.

"Can I help you?" Maester Aemon asked and Haeron gave one of his rare smiles as he told him.

"You have helped me many times already Uncle Aemon." Haeron said, affectionately referring to him as Uncle Aemon even if he was many times more than that.

Aemon cautiously walked towards him, following the sound of his voice until they were right in front of each other and gently felt his face. Haeron allowed this and Aemon soon smiled.

"You have a strong face, like my own father but from our letters and what we hear of your exploits in the south then you can only be Prince Haeron." Aemon said with a wise old voice.

"Indeed, I was visiting the North but I could not let the opportunity for us to meet in person pass by. To thank you for all of the help and advice you have given me over the years." Haeron said kindly and Aemon just kept smiling as he reassured him.

"It was my pleasure, you have an inquiring mind and the will to do good in this world. That is more than enough reason and reward for me." Aemon said as they sat down and began to talk, the smile on Aemon's face was worth the trip to the Wall to Haeron as he owed this man so much. He would never have been able to achieve even half of what he had without him and his advice.

They talked for many hours until Haeron finally showed Aemon the dragon egg which he had brought from Kings Landing so he could keep heating it as he travelled. Aemon was amazed as he felt the warmth of the egg in his hands and smiled deeply at the sensation, potentially hoping as did Haeron that it would one day hatch.

It was late in the evening when Lord Rickard, Ser Lewyn and Jaime came to fetch them for dinner and were surprised to see the Prince and old Maester speaking so openly with each other, they knew they were related but not that they had been corresponding for years. But as the old maester handed the egg back to Haeron...something amazing happened.

The shell of the egg became much hotter, so hot that Haeron nearly dropped it but red lines appeared on the egg around each of the scales, stunning all of them as they watched while Haeron held it in his hands.

He watched as the scaled shell of the egg broken apart, revealing a creature the size of a normal cat. It was covered in red scales with flecks of gold and dark whorls that were tiny now but would no doubt grow as it did. Its front legs were attached to its wings and it had a small angular head, it cried out little cries that sounded pitiful but they were persistent. It had golden eyes which turned on Haeron and snuggled up to him, Haeron gladly held it close so it could seek out his warmth and smiled while the others all looked on in amazement as the first dragon born in over a century was right there in front of them. Jaime and Ser Lewyn in particular had seen the skulls of Balerion and other great dragons in the Red Keep so they knew that this small creature might one day grow into a huge beast that would dominate all around it.

Rickard was silent and glad that he was on good terms with the Prince as his dragon would hopefully not be turned on the North someday but the most joyous of all of them was Maester Aemon who heard the chirps it was making and actually cried as he gently petted the creature which took to him straight away but refused to leave Haeron's side.

Haeron was inside though not only excited but worried as he knew many would try to kill this little marvel he thought knowing the powerful creature it would one day become and for now it would depend on him for protection. He gently petted the creature which allowed Jaime, Lewyn and Rickard to as well but only if he was there. The men marvelled at the incredible thing before them and now were more certain than ever that the Prince was meant to do greater things.

"Haeron." Aemon said with pride in his voice. "Thank you, today is a day that I honestly never thought would ever happen...not since the Dance of the Dragons has House Targaryen had the symbol of our house but now you have restored it. You have made an old man very proud and very happy." Aemon said with tears on his face as he felt the tiny dragon rub its small head against his hand.

Haeron smiled back, this dragon changed everything and he would need to make sure it was raised right but it would be a worthwhile endeavour as this dragon would one day be a symbol of his power and bring him the support he needed to overthrow his father.

But on a personal level, he was deeply touched that he had managed to make Aemon so happy, it must have been awful his life here but he was so strong and so wise...it was his privilege to do it.

---

As the Haeron and his party made their way back south, knowing it was time to return to Kings Landing, they had no way of knowing just how fast tales of their exploits had spread, especially that the Prince had ended the curse of Harrenhal and 'killed' a dark spirit with his special sword, some of the people who heard this story were in disbelief that in the real world that could happen but others were intrigued or even in wonder. The Septons who heard it were enraptured as they saw it as validation for their beliefs, if spirits existed then so too must the gods and many would pray in septs for protection from evil spirits like the one that the Prince had ended. This also made him a hero in some of their eyes as he had defeated an evil ghost and with only his sword like a legendary hero of the past.

Haeron's own family were very different.

Shaena and Daeron were in awe of their older brother as he seemed like an untouchable hero in their eyes, a towering figure that would do incredible and great deeds. Viserys was too young to really understand all of this yet while Rhaegar was amazed as the first solid proof to his mind that the White Walkers did exist as life and death was clearly not as definite as everyone one believed and the mystical could exist so he intensified his research and would make a journey of his own to the Citadel to study there.

Rhaella however while proud of her son for his accomplishment was deeply worried as Aerys was so enraged at the praise and attention Haeron was receiving. He was fuming and the last time he had fumed this badly he had whipped Haeron on his name day, the memory of that day making her shudder as she had nearly lost him that day and she did not want to let history repeat itself.

- x -

The Red Keep, Kings Landing...Two Weeks Later...

Walking through the familiar corridors of the Red Keep was bittersweet for Haeron, he disliked the place only due to the backstabbing politics of the place and Aerys of course but still...it was home he supposed and his mother and siblings were here.

They made it bearable.

But their party or rather him specifically received far more attention when they saw what was riding on his shoulder. The little dragon had already grown a fair bit with a rich diet of pork and beef which it seemed to like especially when well cooked and somewhat spiced. It had a voracious appetite and that made sense given how much growing it had to do.

The dragon was amazed by the sights and sounds of the Red Keep, its small head looking around eagerly as they moved around to see and hear and smell everything. He petted the dragon's head which made Jaime, Golor and Ser Lewyn smile as they despite the fearsome creature the dragon would one day become found the small beast rather cute.

He had decided to name his new dragon Kara, derived from the High Valyrian word for 'great' which was apt he thought for the dragon that would hopefully bring back their species and do a lot of big things in its life.

The stares and double takes continued all of the way to the throne room, that was when the fat was really thrown into the fire.

The sight of him with a dragon draped around his shoulders as he walked into the room brought gasps of shock and when Aerys saw it, he froze in complete surprise before stumbling down off of the throne and looking at the dragon with undisguised longing.

"A dragon!" He said in barely a whisper as he went to touch it but Kara did not like him, the dragon spat out a burst of sparks in his direction which stopped him in surprise. Everyone looked on as Haeron gently petted his dragon who rubbed their head against his temple in adoration.

"Kara doesn't like you. I can hardly blame it." Haeron said with a cold smile as he looked Aerys in the eyes. "Kara hatched to me, a dragon will only accept one person."

"The dragon is mine! Its meant to be mine!" Aerys screamed, suddenly becoming furious and lunged forward as if to grab Kara with his hands outstretched like grasping claws but Haeron stepped back intentionally at the last moment and allowed Aerys to fall flat on his face. He yelled out in pain but it was nothing more than a bruise.

"This is a new beginning for House Targaryen." Haeron said to the courtiers which all looked on in surprise at the rather pathetic actions of the king before giving him their full attention. "The dragons return marks a change that I will not ignore." Haeron said simply before leaving with Jaime and Golor while the Kingsguard helped Aerys to his feet. They all looked at Ser Lewyn in shock but he only shrugged as he would inform them of the mad adventures they had been having when on their journey later.

Jaime was struggling to contain his amusement at Aerys being so weak, Golor likewise was having to work hard to keep the smile off of his face. But neither of them had any way of knowing that Haeron was thinking deeply of his current plans and knew that him having a dragon would change things dramatically.

Aerys would want the dragon and would do anything to get Kara, even kill him this time Haeron thought with a dark look in his eyes and knew that he would need to be ready. Given he had not been able to gather as much support around Westeros as he would have preferred that meant he would need to go to his back up plan, one that he had set in motion before leaving Dragonstone and why the Aemon's Ranger was now tucked up in a dock nearby.

He had intended his back up plan to be a demonstration of his power and skill but now he would need it sooner rather than later. He had already made arrangements for it to be ready and Davos had moved his family to Oldtown for safety and they would be provided for by House Hightower in exchange for the new ship design.

Haeron would have just killed Aerys but unfortunately the blasted Kingsguard and foodtaster made all of attempts not worthwhile, they were too good at their jobs he thought with annoyed admiration, and his magic was still not strong enough to help him in a meaningful way. So to give him time to get Kara grown to a point that she would be strong enough to help him and gather necessary resources to overthrow his father...he would need to play the long game for now Haeron thought with care as he was playing a daring game.

But for this moment he went to see his mother and siblings so they could see his new dragon for themselves.

- x -

"She's adorable!" Shaena squealed as she fed the little dragon meat which made it chirp with happiness. Haeron smiled as his sister's happiness, not having the heart to tell her that dragon did not really have gender but let her have her moment.

"She's going to be as big as the Black Dread!" Daeron said with a beaming smile as he could see it in his mind, his older brother riding the enormous dragon through the sky and together with him Daeron wished that he and the rest of their family would have their own dragons some day.

Haeron could tell what he was dreaming and he would do his best to see to it that they all had a dragon some day, not Aerys but the rest of their family he thought to himself. He would restore the species and his family's power at the same time. Even Rhaegar seemed excited by this Haeron noticed with surprise as he was looking down at the little dragon.

Rhaegar was seeing this as a sign that the Prince that was Promised was coming, the return of the dragons meant the dragon has three heads might have alternate meanings than he had thought but it was a great advantage regardless against the White Walkers he thought with excitement that this might be truly the miracle he had been hoping for.

Rhaella stayed quiet as she looked at her children making a fuss of the dragon which she could tell was loving every moment of it. Despite her fears she was still a Targaryen and the sight of a dragon filled her with excitement too and she was so eager to see this little creature grow into the massive dragon it was going to become. But she was worried too as she knew Aerys was going to do whatever it took to get hold of that dragon and she pitied the small creature if he should succeed but worse in her mind was the fact that he was certainly going to have to kill Haeron to do it.

She was terrified for her son and had all of her own people in the castle on the highest possible alertness to make sure if any attempt was made to attack him, they would know about it well before it happened.

She could only hope they were able to stop Aerys she thought with some desperation as Kara made a noise at her to keep petting it which she gladly did and resumed feeding the dragon treats of meat chunks.

- x -

That Night...

It didn't take long for Aerys to act, mere hours which was impressive given his poor self-control.

As most of the Red Keep slept, a figure crept through the dark corridors and quietly entered the prince's room, he saw the lump of the prince under the sheets of his bed and quietly drew his sword. He hesitated for a moment before suddenly as he went to strike, he was tackled from behind.

"NO!" Ser Michel Redding shouted as he rushed forward and pushed his fellow Kingsguard to the ground! He overheard the king commanding Ser Harlan to kill the Prince and bring both the dragon and Crimson Heart to him and Ser Harlan to his shock had agreed! So he would not fail his prince a second time! Ser Redding thought desperately as he did his best to protect Haeron.

The two men fought and wrestled with each other fiercely but as Ser Harlan Grandison reached for his dirk with the intention to end his sworn brother he felt a blade at his throat.

"Not so fast Ser Harlan, now...slowly to your feet." Haeron said, already dressed and with Crimson Heart in his hand. Looking over at the bed that they had disturbed with their fighting both Kingsguard realised it was just a pile of blankets beneath the sheets and more than that Golor and Jaime Lannister were standing their with their own swords in hand while the dragon Kara was on the nearby dresser snarling at the two intruders. "Do you think we didn't see this coming? I know the King too well." Haeron told him although the interference of Ser Redding was a surprise. The man had been kept at arms length by Haeron ever since the day he had been whipped by him but it seemed at long last the knight had done the right thing he thought with amazement that it had taken him this long.

Harlan however was not one to give up and used this to kick Ser Redding away while picking up his sword, charging at the prince. He was regretful of this but the Prince had spurred them for years and he was directly under orders from the king to kill the prince and bring the dragon to him.

He had always thought that the Prince would suffer from not learning from them, he had seen the intense training that Haeron had put himself through but never actually fought against him so he had thought that against someone of their skill he would be ill-equipped.

But the prince quickly proved that notion false.

He was swift and precise, not a single movement wasted even in the confined environment of the room, parrying Ser Harlan with ease and then as he stepped past he did a backwards jab, stabbing Harlan straight through the gaps in the armour.

Harlan stilled, shocked at the prince defeating him so easily and in some ways glad. The prince hadn't deserved to die but hopefully whoever took his place on the Kingsguard would be a better person than him.

As Ser Harlan fell to the floor they all looked on with disappointment and Haeron nodded to Golor who went to take the body away, it would be better to not let it be found in his chambers they all thought.

"Your grace." Ser Redding started as he faced the warrior the boy he had known had become. He wasn't sure what to say but Haeron nodded and told him.

"I am glad that you at last have made the right decision and not the knightly one Ser Redding. I have long known that this day might come, when I will have to leave for the sake of the peace but I will not be gone forever. If I might ask something of you, it is for you not to turn a blind eye again and see to the protection of my mother and siblings in my absence." Haeron said with an expectant look at the Kingsguard who he had once been so close with. Ser Redding looked confused and worried at what he had said.

"Leaving your grace?! Where will you go?" He asked and Haeron told him calmly.

"That is not your concern but I will not be seen in Westeros for some time. Jaime, I will arrange for you to return to Casterly Rock." Haeron said sternly and Ser Redding was deeply concerned as it sounded like the Prince was intending to flee to Essos but given his father was actually trying to kill him he could hardly fault his reasoning and nodded in acceptance of his command.

"I will your grace." Ser Redding said with a deep hope he could do just that. Haeron wondered if he would or not but then he turned to his own squire who looked put off by being left out as surprisingly had actually liked life on the road and the strange experiences he had found there.

"I am still your squire, it would be best if I stayed with you." Jaime said with a smile, making his decision. Haeron didn't react too much, just with a raised eyebrow before explaining to him.

"Jaime I will be leaving Westeros for a long time maybe even years, can you take being away from home for that long?" Haeron asked knowing he should probably send Jaime home as it was going to be more dangerous out there and he would be far from Tywin's protection but Jaime seemed intrigued at the idea of visiting foreign shores and having 'adventures'.

"So it will be fun." Jaime said brightly and Haeron sighed as he could tell the boy would not be moved.

"If you wish okay, but I doubt highly it will be all...fun." Haeron warned him and then went to say his goodbyes to Rhaella and his siblings as after tomorrow...it was Essos or dead with what he had planned for Aerys. He knew killing him in public was too much for the realm to handle and he was only just getting used to his new magic foci so he would need to start small but he would ensure that Aerys paid for this.

- x -

The Following Morning...

Aerys was waiting in the throne room, eager for his new dragon and sword to be delivered to him by Ser Harlan Grandison, like a child on their name day but to his surprise and that of the courtiers it was not Ser Harlan carrying a dragon and sword that walked through the doors of the throne.

Servants carried a bath of warm water with soap and towels looking as confused as the courtiers but they were merely doing as they were told. Then much to Aerys' shock and anger Haeron came into the room with his dragon on his shoulder and his sword at his waist. But Haeron was only feeling disgust at the sight of Aerys. He was unwashed, his thin hair far too long on both his head and his beard, his nails revolting in their twisted gnarled length.

Haeron walked proudly forward and concentrated his glare, creating a confusion over the Kingsguard in the room and was surprised how much easier than he had thought but still he knew it would only last for so long, so without wasting another moment he walked up to the throne. Aerys was terrified as he was sure Haeron was going to kill him and saw the Kingsguard looked dazed and were not going to save him!

But instead Haeron literally picked him up and carrying the spluttering and shocked Aerys down the steps and tore off his clothes and without wasting another moment threw him in the bath! Haeron took the cloth and soap and started scrubbing the filthy Aerys and then took a pair of scissors to cut both his hair and nails to a much more normal length. Haeron spoke loudly so everyone could hear him.

"Your grace, if you are going to be king then you should look the part at least. After trying to kill me last night I am left with no choice but to educate you in how to look the part at the very least." Haeron said with false cheer and scrubbed Aerys clean while everyone looked on in astonishment that this was really happening. Not to mention the fact that Aerys had apparently tried to kill his own son last night! Some of them were honestly shocked and more than a little fearful at how unstable the king really was and wondering if this was the prince's revenge.

It took some doing but Haeron was finally done cleaning Aerys so he had fresh clothes already prepared and dressed him before putting the now clean and presentable Aerys back on the Iron Throne who was seemingly in a state of shock at what had just happened.

"There...now you look somewhat like a king even if you don't act like it." Haeron said even straightening his crown on his forehead before calmly walking out of the room, stopping only to give his mother and siblings one last hug before going to the yard, Jaime and Golor were both waiting for him and they all got on horses and started riding out of the gate and towards the harbour before the hammer dropped.

It took a bit longer for it to happen then they thought it would and they had already arrived at the Aemon's Ranger which was casting off before cries and bells rang, Ser Davos in command of the ship turned and asked him.

"Are you sure this is the wisest course of action your grace?" Davos asked, knowing what they were about embark on was probably the greatest voyage that he had ever heard of. Haeron nodded before telling the captain.

"Given what I just did to Aerys which was I admit purely to show the realm how pathetic he really is and that was before he was trying to kill me, it is necessary. Ser Davos...will the crew be ready when we arrive at Dragonstone?" Haeron asked and Davos nodded, glad he had managed to move his family to Oldtown and see to their upkeep for the immediate future.

"The crew will be ready, but why would we need so many? After all Aemon's Ranger has a good crew already." Davos asked confused and Haeron told him with some satisfaction that he had managed to keep his secret project hidden until now.

"Who said anything about using the Ranger?" Haeron said with a smirk coming to his face. "This ship is good but for the voyage we are intending to make we will need something better. There is an old saying, you never show a new invention unless you have something better on the drawing board." He said with confidence.

That confused all of them as Aemon's Ranger was easily the fastest ship in all of Westeros now, what could the prince have been building that would be better than that? They all asked themselves.

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Dragonstone, Black Water Bay...A Day Later...

The Aemon's Ranger made good time getting to Dragonstone, not as fast as a raven but thankfully that was not a worry as they were not going to the castle that dominated the island. Instead they made their way through the lava tubes of the volcano the island had to reach a hidden bay were Haeron's secret project was at last revealed.

Davos, Golor and Jaime looked on in astonishment as they saw the vessel he had been constructing for themselves. It was much larger than Aemon's Ranger and had three far taller masts and sails, painted black and red it was a fearsome looking vessel with strange hatches along the side but above the water line although just what they were none of the men could guess at. It was streamlined like its smaller sibling and had a dragon head on its bow.

"While the Brig is a good ship for trading and defence, this ship is suited to longer voyages." Haeron said proudly as he led them forward. "I call it a Frigate and have made a number of improvements to its design learned from having the Brig in operation. Not to mention there are some more...newer innovations added to the ship that will make it the fiercest ship afloat." Haeron said with a smile of pride as he took in his new ship. Davos being the most knowledgable of ships in their company was in awe of his new command asked the Prince.

"Does she have a name your grace?" Davos asked with curiosity and Haeron nodded before telling them.

"I decided to name this ship after one of the ancestors of House Targaryen that needs respect...Queen Visenya." Haeron said, referring to the original Visenya who had been wife and queen to Aegon the Conqueror and a dragonrider like him. The woman who had played a huge part in the Targaryen Conquest of the Seven Kingdoms and ruled in his stead when he did not want to bother with governance once the war was done. The same woman who had been in charge of the initial construction of the Red Keep when Aegon had been a prick and not wanted to bother as he retreated to Dragonstone and before that preferred Rhaenys who to Haeron's mind while a dragon rider herself was weaker than her older sister.

A pleasant nature and being beautiful was not a good thing when you wanted to rule effectively he reasoned.

"Visenya?" Jaime asked confused. "Why not Alysanne?" The reputation of Alysanne was far more 'clean' and 'just' than Visenya but Haeron told him.

"Alysanne was no warrior, a dragon rider and fiercely intelligent yes but no warrior. I chose the name of this ship with that in mind." Haeron said and wondered when they would get to use the new 'innovations' he had installed as it was inevitable they would be needed.

Boarding the ship they looked around and saw things that they didn't recognise on the main deck but the Prince would tell them what they were with time.

"Davos, the command is yours. Captain." Haeron told him and Davos was a bit nervous of this new ship which was larger than any he had ever seen except the largest swan ships of the Summer Isles and had the largest crew. He saw about sixty or so men and with misgivings that he had not had a chance to get to know the ship properly but it was looking to be unlike any ship before it so he would need to learn fast Davos realised with concern.

"Raise anchor, set the sails bring us around and towards the Narrow Sea. What's our destination you grace?" Davos asked hoping they had somewhere in mind and Haeron nodded with a smile as he was actually looking forward to visiting Essos and seeing the wider world that he had only read about. He gently petted Kara who was still in their customary place on his shoulders as the ship began to move out towards the open sea.

"Braavos of course, I have business there. But there will be other places captain. Now let us get underway." Haeron said and saw as did Davos and Jaime that a storm of ravens was being released from Dragonstone castle, something he had arranged with the maester the moment that the Queen Visenya set sail.

It carried a message, from him to every single castle that they could reach in Westeros. A short and simple sentence that would send a chill down many spines.

I will return.

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The Red Keep, Kings Landing...Two Days Later...

Aerys was swearing up a storm and having prisoners burnt alive in anger at Haeron's escape, the little shit had humiliated him and then gotten away without a scratch! He could hardly handle the sheer amount of rage he was feeling and made everyone keep their distance as much as was possible.

But the new ship he had escaped on had shocked everyone, never had Westeros had such a vessel and it was already being ordered of every shipbuilder to build a bigger one by Aerys to not be second best.

Tywin who had now returned to Kings Landing and making sure his wilful daughter had learnt her lesson and left both Cersei and Tyrion in the hands of Genna and Gerion was angered that Jaime was being taken out of Westeros but the reports he had received on his son's progress were quite good and showed he was learning, he just hoped some time in foreign ports would make him grow up. As for the crown prince Tywin could not fault him for his actions, Aerys was the poison that was rotting House Targaryen from the inside out and Haeron was the cure. His own ambition aside he wanted a peaceful Westeros that he could work in to advance his house and interests which would be easier with Haeron on the throne so he would be glad for the day he 'returned'.

Rhaella meanwhile was heartbroken that her eldest son had been forced to flee Westeros due to Aerys and was already working to make sure that if he did try to kill Haeron that she was able to warn him and with a disgusted look on her face as she thought of her brother/husband pondered if there was a way to end him. She would need to be careful for obvious reasons but maybe without Haeron around he would allow his guard to drop she thought as she made her own plans.

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There we are, I hope you all enjoyed it! Please leave a review to let me know what you thought.

Revelare – Is Latin for 'Reveal'.

Any Valyrian words were researched from an online dictionary.

More Review Responses...

malinkody, Shay Shadowhunter, M2R, bloomsburry-dhazel, rmw5763, Mevic John Abacaro, LunaLuna99999, Surion1243, Charanko Pebble, Andrew MacKenzie, Forcef nature283, Ezylryb, MattBlack, myafroatemydog, supercowgirl101, Rasmuz Back, Malsar, guillermo. dk 0ks – Thank you!

PLZ – Yes, one thing I hate is when good stories are abandoned and I will keep doing this story until it is finished.

yrlastin – Assuming that spell works here. I will touch on what magic works in future chapters. But it will take some time to regain their full power.

reditusm - Danke, es freut mich wirklich zu hören, dass dir die Geschichte gefällt. Es tut mir leid, wenn ich etwas falsch übersetzt habe, da ich kein Deutsch spreche.

M – Good Points, I think they need to establish more firm standards and numbers for Valyrian steel, House of the Dragon has I think made it too common. I will bring one item from that series in but only one which will be seen in a future chapter. As for treaties, I have never heard it and we have seen things being taken and not returned so I think it is on a case by case basis. Tywin wouldn't care about what people think of him, he has said so himself. He would do whatever suits him and his House best and do it brutally so everyone fears him.

Zoom99 – There are reasons why he doesn't. Namely he hasn't got full access to his magic yet and if he is seen having magic then he might as well flee anyway as the Faith would be after him and the lords would likely be so afraid of him especially after killing his father. He has kingsguard with him all the time and arranging an accident is often not as easy as it sounds. Not to mention there is a reason story wise why I am not doing that.

Axquiila2 – I will try to update twice a month but that depends on how fast I can write each chapter, my real life tends to determine how quickly I write and it is a bit hard to judge.

ThunderSphinx – I know I did think about doing it more slowly but I felt the story had to move more quickly. Thank you for the compliment.

Quatermass – I understand, Northern Wind was an experiment and I knew it wouldn't be for everyone. Glad you are enjoying this one.

Tassadar112 – Indeed, Rhaegar is too lost in the past and it will likely grow worse as this time he doesn't have to try and balance Aerys since Haeron is the older brother.

Shadow Wolf 15846 – I know! I was thinking when I cam up with this story of killing him then but its better for the story to keep him around for awhile longer but eventually he will meet his demise.

Kobester1998 – I gave him that knowledge because it suited the story, if not only wants to help but needs too as it helps him improve his own reputation and be seen as great which he needs to overthrow Aerys.

roshane – I can understand that, it gives a great deal of freedom and I am working on an OC Game of Thrones concept at the moment.

Smokeinbarrel – You make good points.

naruto – I appreciate you saying that! The scars? Not sure.

Dscot – Thanks for the support! I am know, good men that do nothing while bad things happen are allowing it to happen, good points about Barristan.

RRW – The Patronus was an experiment and took awhile to build up energy for. The charms you mentioned are not so easy without a foci not to mention Aerys has a foodtaster so it would be hard to make sure it works.

Seawurm – Not Rhaegar sorry but glad to hear you enjoyed the chapter.

Sheploo – Indeed, The Defiance of Duskendale really brought out Aerys' madness but I feel the seeds had already been planted before that.

Spacestrider – I don't want a character to become dependant on his magic. The Kingsguard do deserve a wake up call.

acronym – Funny you should mention that. Not sure how big Earth is compared to Planetos but I have something planned.

Blackdragon3365 – Possibly. Indeed you make many good points.

DeluxeHipster1945 – Kingsguard, understood. The siblings, it seemed to me to be a logical thing that would happen with Harry around. Rhaegar, the throne is not his future, I will say no more.

ShadowQuill – Good idea, he has something in mind that will be of major help in Westeros at least during winter without saying too much.

KingInTheNorth27 – Got ya! Good explanation!

tsourgrhs.59 – As I said before it made sense to me that having magic constantly running through your body rather than a foci during puberty when combined with a hard physical exercise program would have a big impact.

Qhristhian - Muy buenos puntos y gracias.

Drakena – Lyanna Stark, no I'm afraid.

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Next Chapter – Haeron travels to Braavos and begins to build something new while exploring an option to remove Aerys. But also a new mission that will take him far from home.