c19

Highgarden, the Reach…

From his horse, Harry could see Highgarden, his ancestral home coming into view as he and his guards including Kanoro came riding up the road. Its white walls reaching high as they got closer to it and the many towers, both Andal and First Men style went even higher up than them. Neither Harry nor Kanoro thought much of it, over the course of their lives they had seen too many strongholds for this one to intimidate or inspire them.

Riding through the gates which were already open, they saw sights that Harry had not since he was a child. The three rings of high white walls, the great Briar Labyrinth that he had once played in as a child, the many groves and fountains, the trees with fruit growing in them and the massive number of flowers growing around them.

As they arrived at the stables which were adjacent to one of the courtyards they dismounted their steeds, Kanoro came up to Harry after looking around with a dismissive eye at castle around him and asked.

"You grew up here? This is a castle meant to show off, not for war." Kanoro's tone was dismissive and Harry sighed, agreeing with him on some level as far as he could remember no one had attacked Highgarden since the Iron Throne was founded so who knows how effective its defences would be?

"No I was born here but I spent most of my childhood in Oldtown. A political move by my family and until now I have never been back, especially as my father hates me." Harry said with anger giving his voice a sharp edge. He did not want to be here, Highgarden meant a man that infuriated him...his father Mace. It meant Reach politics which were as turgid and annoying. The overwhelming ambition of his family...and the fact that he and his children might have to rule this place one day only made the potion harder to swallow, as with all the power it represented there was just as many problems.

He honestly wished he was a thousand miles away from here but out of respect for his grandmother, he had answered the summons to Highgarden.

The whispers that followed him as he walked though the corridors that he had once ran through as a child, sneers directed at his guards especially Kanoro which made him grit his teeth. Harry would have snapped at them had he not wanted to be out of here as soon as possible, settling with a harsh glare that made others step back intimidated by the vicious glint in his eyes that promised pain if he was pushed.

Arriving at the solar of his father, the knights on guard stood straight as Harry approached although they narrowed suspiciously at Kanoro, seeing their expressions Harry told his right hand man as he walked between the two knights.

"If those two give you any grief, feel free to teach them some manners. I will be out shortly."

The two knights looked at Harry alarmed while Kanoro smirked as did his men, making the two knights start sweating in a way that had nothing to do with their heavy armour and the summer heat.

-x-

As Harry pushed through the doors to the solar, he was relieved to see his grandmother Olenna and his sister Margaery who in turn smiled at him even Loras gave him a friendly nod which Harry returned. Their relationship was still not really in any way brotherly but they now respected each other a lot more.

The empty space where their mother had once been made a dull ache in his heart, especially as he had not seen her before he left on his travels but he had come to terms with that and had even summoned her ghost so she could meet her grandchildren. She had adored them and wished him the best, giving him closure on that at least.

However sitting behind his rosewood desk looking as pompous as ever was the man that Harry wanted to see the least. He had gained even more weight since they had last met, not surprising since it was nearly eight years ago Harry thought with anger. Mace Tyrell might not be as big as Robert Baratheon but he was a close second, the sneer he gave Harry the moment he entered silenced any hopes that Harry might have held that his father could have mellowed since they had last spoken.

The other three in the room stared curiously at what might be said but Harry took a seat and said nothing, sitting casually and relaxed as he waited for whatever they had summoned him for.

Seeing that for the moment things were calm, Olenna started talking.

"Well since the idiotic beast Baratheon has rejected our plan to replace the bitch Cersei with our own sweet rose." Olenna said without any care or concern, after all it was in private and no one here would say a word. Harry smiled, loving his grandmother's sharp tongue...no one other than his wife and Kanoro would speak their minds as truly or forcefully as her. Margaery was smiling too although she still had some sense of social norms and said.

"Grandmother!" Her voice was full of mocking humour but Olenna waved it aside and got to the heart of the matter.

"We have only our alliance with Renly Baratheon as a route to power, which is about as much use as a hole in the head." Olenna finished and while Loras smarted at the insult towards his lover, Mace seemingly swelling much like a pufferfish with his own self importance put his idiot thoughts forward.

"Then we make Renly king with Margaery as his queen once Robert Baratheon dies. The might of the Reach and the Stormlands would sweep away opposition, our position at court would be unassailable and finally a Tyrell would sit on the Iron Throne." Mace finished thinking of a grandson of his ruling all of Westeros. Loras was actually nodding slowly in acceptance of the idea while Margaery just looked at them with slight surprise at her father's plan. Harry and Olenna though were exasperated at his foolishness and before Olenna could say anything Harry shocked them by beating her too it.

"Need I remind you...father." Harry said the last word coming out almost painfully. "That Renly only knows one place to put his 'sword' which is up men's arses or in their mouths. He could not even get it up in Margaery's presence not to mention Stannis comes before him in the line of succession, and he is after Joffrey and Tommen if you ignore the fact they are bastards. Not to mention Joffrey is a monster in human form and Tommen is a timid child, neither is fit to be husbands for Margaery."

Harry got up from his chair and crossed the room before he lent back against the wall as his father's eyes narrowed along with Loras which made Harry shake his head, hoping his brother would have more sense, then Harry decided to hammer home his point with a few further comments about Renly.

"Add to that the fact that Renly has even less idea of how to rule than Robert, he actually believes himself to be popular enough to rule through personality alone when half if not more of his own homeland think he is a useless prancing fool. He would have his army wasting time and resources on tourneys while they march to war, keeping all of them around him so sure that no one would dare fight against greater numbers and moving as slow as a fucking snail. I know you love him Loras but you know its true." Harry said his eyes boring its Loras's who reluctantly said nothing back, he might love Renly but Harry was very accurate in his analysis of his lover.

Margaery and Olenna sighed in agreement, his grandmother and her favourite student both knew his words were true. They had no good options in this game, Harry was a little tempted to reveal what he knew of Jon Snow but didn't. The boy would be even more reluctant than Rhaenys to take the throne should they offer it to him, he and his wife had seen that much when they watched him with the glass candle.

Mace however swelled up even more and turned a shade of purple that would have looked right at home on the face of his counterpart's Uncle Vernon, before he started shouting at Harry with furious indignation.

"SILENCE BOY! YOU HAVE BEEN NOTHING BUT A DISGRACE TO THIS FAMILY SINCE THE MOMENT YOU WERE BORN! FIRST RUNNING AWAY LIKE A COWARD RATHER THAN DO YOUR DUTY BY THIS HOUSE AND THEN MARRYING THAT FOREIGN WHORE AND RUINING OUR NAME WITH HER SPAWN!"

The air in the room suddenly turned very tense as Margaery and Loras gasped at what their father had just said in horror while Olenna just put her head in her hands, ashamed of her own son's stupidity...making an enemy of his smarter and sharper son.

Harry surprised them by staying silent even if his eyes narrowed and his fist visibly tensed with the incredible fury that he was feeling inside, it took everything he had to stop himself from either cursing Mace with the most horrible and painful magic he could think of or alternately wrapping his hands around the purple and bloating neck in front of him and squeezing the life right out of him but a voice inside his head that sounded a lot like his wife told him not to go to that level.

So with more will than he thought he had, Harry straightened his back and stepped forward until he was face to face with his 'father' actually standing a bit taller than him with a face as hard as steel and eyes sharper than diamonds, Mace actually took a step back as Harry started to speak with a voice that carried all the warm and caring of an arctic wind.

"I have travelled the world, built my own fortune. I gathered an army and took one of the largest cities in the world. I led thousands of slaves to freedom and conquered a kingdom of my own. Now I am a warden and lord paramount in my own right with sons to follow me and daughters who will be the most beautiful and sought after ladies in all the realm when they are grown. Aside from those that carry the Tyrell name, the heirs to Houses Connington and Jordayne are of my blood and I have a group of people that I know and trust at my side who trust me in turn, so father if that is 'disgracing the family' as you so put it...what does that make you?"

The silence in the room was so complete that the slightest noise would have been clear to all. Mace's mouth opened and closed as he struggled to come up with any words in response but was completely stuck like a jammed portcullis, the others in the room looked at Harry with surprise having expected him to shout back at Mace at least but slowly Olenna smiled and Harry gave her a brief nod.

"Since Loras will no doubt be attending this Tourney of the Hand that Robert Baratheon is wasting good coin on to celebrate Lord Stark becoming his hand, I will go too and Margaery and grandmother if they so wish. We need to know the lay of the land now Stark is in charge and I want my sister to understand why I hope she never has to marry any of the potential heirs to the throne. If she must marry anyone then let it be someone who gives her the respect she deserves."

Margaery smiled at her brother and while she might have rolled her eyes at his words, Olenna smiled too knowing he would do his best to protect her special rose. Loras struggling not to laugh at his soppy words but like Olenna he appreciated them.

"Well then, best get going then if we want to get there in time." Harry said with false cheer, not really wanting to go but he needed to know that Zara was secure and just what was going on. He also intended to install some monitoring charms in key rooms of the Red Keep which he could link to mirrors to keep track of what was going on there. The tourney was as good as opportunity as any.

With that thought Harry left, followed by his brother, sister and grandmother while Mace stood there just staring in confusion, not understanding what had just happened.

Kings Landing, the Crownlands…

The smell certainly has not improved.

That was Harry's first thought as he returned to Kings Landing, followed by pride at the lessened corruption he was seeing, all down to Zara and her tireless work. The gold-cloaks no longer added to the crime that ran through the city and nor did the people fear them as greatly, there were still a few rotten apples in the barrel so to speak but things were no longer as dire as they were especially with nearly a fifth of the city's population leaving to settle in the Reach, Stormlands or Riverlands as part of the rebuilding of devastated lands.

Still Harry thought as a band of thugs armed with badly made steel leapt out ahead of them, some things never change. He sighed while he and his men drew their swords, Loras doing the same but looking unnerved by the fact that they were being ambushed for seemingly no reason. After all robbing the odd merchant or tax man was not unknown here but they were a noble convoy with many men at arms to defend them, who would be so foolish as to do that in broad daylight?

Without further ado Harry, Kanoro and their men rode the thugs down with the expertise of many hours in the training yard and actual combat experience which most of the Reach knights accompanying them did not have. It was laughably easy, so much that they did not even work up a sweat and continued on to the manse where they would be staying for the duration of the tourney.

There to greet them on the door to the manse was Zara smiling widely as she greeted them, waiting till Olenna, Margaery and Loras had retired to their rooms before meeting with Harry and Kanoro in a private room which Harry casts charms on to prevent them from being overheard.

"I take it the Queen's thugs did not delay you too much." Zara said with a smile. "She has been fuming for days about you coming here, blaming you for all the misfortune she has brought on herself. She even has a big black eye on her face after the incident with the Royces."

"Yes you mentioned that before, what exactly happened?" Harry asked, he was intrigued as the Royces were a major house in the Vale and the only real family that could stand a real chance of overthrowing the Arryns if they were not so loyal. Anything to do with them was worth listening too right now given the current state of House Arryn with only a sickly boy unlikely to live to become a man now as its lord.

"It seems that Lord Royce's oldest son Ser Andar could not keep it in his pants and has impregnated the bastard daughter of Robert Baratheon, Mya Stone." Zara told him and Harry nodded, remembering the young woman that had started a large and profitable ranch with a loan from him. "The Queen learnt of it through Pycelle and Jon Arryn's squire and decided to mock Robert with the fact his daughter had become a whore, he was furious and struck her immediately before having Lord Royce, his son and Mya come to Kings Landing to explain themselves." Zara said with a smile that showed she thought the situation hilarious.

"And then?" Kanoro asked, worried for the young woman who was now pregnant.

"Robert shocked everyone by screaming at them all for an hour before legitimizing Mya and ordering Ser Andar to marry her." Zara explained and Harry was astonished at what Robert had done. Never had he even bothered with any of his bastards before and now he had raised one to his own house and forced Ser Royce, heir to Runestone to wed her.

"I bet that caused a stir." Harry said with a smile, old friend or not Lord Royce would be furious after the king made him wed his son to a bastard, Zara nodded and with a laugh added.

"Indeed, I honestly thought Lord Royce was about to rebel until the King granted him the position of Warden of the East until Robin Arryn comes of age." She had heard all about it from Ser Boros Blount who owed them a debt of a thousand gold dragons. "So the tourney is actually a double celebration of Eddard Stark becoming Hand of the King and Mya's marriage to Andar Royce."

Harry nodded before asking an important question.

"Have you found out who poisoned Jon Arryn?"

"Yes and it was not the Lannisters like many suspect, instead it was Lysa Arryn on the behalf of Petyr Baelish. He plans to rule through her and her son but this unexpected marriage with the Royces has upset things, not to mention their recent defeat of the Burned Men clan. They found a good sized silver mine on the land the clan once roamed and are already earning themselves a fortune." Zara telling him pieces of information that her spy network had picked up.

Well that was interesting Harry thought, Lysa must be even more in Baelish's thrall than anyone knew but a woman that still fed her six year old son from her own teats was clearly not someone without problems in their own head. The Royces rising to power looked now far more likely as Robin Arryn's health was so bad, they might not be an ally but if he had a copy of their original Valyrian steel sword Lamentation made then it might create some good feeling between his house and theirs.

"Have you got your Portkey on you at all times? With things coming to ahead I need to know that you are safe." Harry told her earnestly, his biggest fear was that she was going to be targeted because she was the most vulnerable of his inner circle. Kanoro likewise was concerned for her welfare but she just laughed and said.

"Absolutely you silly man. You and Alys go on about it often enough and I am not like Stark, who blunders around with all the caution and tact of a raging bull."

While Harry was still worried she was not taking the threat seriously he pressed on, hoping his fears did not come true.

"I also want to relocate the orphans to our Reach territories, if this continue to become unstable it will not be safe for them to remain here even outside the city." Harry said, having already detailed ships to come and take them away. Kanoro and Zara nodded with Kanoro giving a small smile in approval. It was a much needed boost to Harry's mood as despite his planning, an unsettling feeling was descending on the realm.

The time of peace was coming to an end, everyone with any sense could feel it. Harry's only concern was were they going to be ready for the storm when it hit.

-x-

The Following Day, the Tourney of the Hand…

Eddard or Ned Stark as he was known to his friends watched the festivities in front of him, feeling far older than he had before Robert had come to Winterfell. Was this how you felt Jon Ned asked himself? Watching helplessly as Robert ran the Seven Kingdoms right into the ground?

The changes his old friend had gone through since they were boys at the Eyrie were hard to accept, where once there was a fierce and bright young man that attracted young girls like a fly to honey, who had drive and ambition there was now a drunken wreck of man that wanted nothing more than to stay permanently pissed and cavort with as many whores as he could before he died of his heart giving out or so ridiculous accident while Ned did his utmost to try and keep things together.

So here he sat, watching pointless displays of men on horses trying to knock other men off their horses. This was nothing like a real fight, Ned thought these men had no idea what a real struggle to the death was except for a select few that had fought abroad or in the last war. His attempts to lessen the influence of the Lannisters only made his mood worst as the damned lions were all but unassailable here and the corruption was sickening to a man like him.

The North might not have truly prospered under him but it had recovered from the last war and remained stable, he was not the sort to waste his energy on grandiose projects and would rather be practical with his power and resources. The North did not waste resources which would become scarce in winter, that was their way.

He was broken from his thoughts by a comment Robert made.

"Fucking hell. I didn't think he'd show his face here again so soon after what happened last time." Robert exclaimed, nearly spilling his goblet of wine in the process. Ned followed his gaze to a small group sitting nearby, two women dressed in fine silks who were watching the festivities. Not uncommon but the two men with them stood apart with well made but sturdy looking leather not unlike his own and unlike most of the spectators they were armed with their swords. Not guards but not your normal silk dressed southern noble either.

"Who is that?" Ned asked Robert, curious as he had never seen these people before so they must be new to the city. Robert took another drink before answering.

"Harry Tyrell." Robert said with a slight look of admiration, causing not only Ned but his two daughters Sansa and Arya to turn and listen also. "I honestly have never heard of any rose like him before, ran away from Hightower to avoid marrying a bloody old woman, travelled the world, fought with the Golden Company, led the armies of the God Emperor in Yi Ti, planned then led the sacking of Volantis before leading freed slaves to conquer the Stepstones and turns them into a kingdom in their own right. Then he kills the Fucking Mountain and not too long ago conquered Lys but only after having about eleven children and becoming one of the most powerful lords around. What do you think of that?" Robert said with a laugh.

Ned's eyes as did his daughters zeroed in on the Tyrell in question, Sansa was rendered speechless at the number of children he had but Arya was looking with slight jealousy at the sound of travelling the world although her own eyes widened at the number of children he had. Ned himself was astonished, he had heard of the Tyrell who killed Clegane which in his opinion was long overdue and his other more famous exploits even in the North and been surprised to hear that he was a son of Mace Tyrell. His family was never known for being the most daring or adventurous and yet here was a rose that was more than willing to get involved in affairs and shake things up which was something Ned really could do without, with the tension building between his house and the Lannisters the last thing he needed was a dangerous Tyrell getting involved too.

Robert however only made things worst when he waved for them to come and sit with them, out of the corner of his eye he saw the queen scowl in a manner that nearly resembled a snarl alongside Prince Joffrey.

"Your grace." Lady Olenna Tyrell said with a slight nod, her face not bothering to hide her own boredom with the tourney although Lady Margaery Tyrell gave a more formal curtsey and a slight bow came from Harry Tyrell and his dark skinned warrior although they looked as bored as Lady Olenna.

Ned felt Harry Tyrell study him, his eyes were far sharper than Mace Tyrell's had been the last time that they had met, like his grandmother's who looked at all of them and then dismissed them just as readily. It angered him on some level, for this southern lady to be disregarding him like that but he was aware of her strong minded ways and even her lord son cowered in her presence. Her grandson it seemed must come from the same mould Ned thought, hoping nothing went wrong with them around.

Robert was soon talking to Harry Tyrell and his warrior friend and Ned was left to observe.

What did worry him however was the effect Olenna Tyrell and her granddaughter might have on his own daughters as they sat together.

-x-

Sansa was in awe of the beautiful lady from the Reach that was sitting next to her, only a few years older they were closer in age than any she had met so far and subconsciously she sat a little straighter and copied the way that Lady Tyrell had crossed her legs and folded her arms. She was slightly embarrassed when Lady Tyrell noticed what she was doing and laughed.

"Oh relax dear girl, you are the daughter of the Hand of the King and betrothed to the crown prince. You can sit in anyway you like." Lady Tyrell smiled widely at her. "I am Margaery Tyrell and I would like us to be friends at the least. How are you finding Kings Landing Lady Stark?"

Sansa smiled wider at the friendly disposition of Lady Tyrell, no Margaery she corrected herself. It had been lonely here with few friends from Winterfell coming along and having someone closer to her in age that she could spend time with would be nice.

"Exciting Margaery." Sansa said with beaming eyes and a wide grin that showed her naivety, fortunately Margaery started talking and before Sansa knew it she was chatting to her like they had been friends for years. Cheering together as the dreamy Ser Loras Tyrell did his rounds.

Unknown to Sansa Joffrey sneered at her stupidity and leered at the more physically mature Margaery.

-x-

Arya meanwhile was ready to get up and leave as the tourney dragged on and was stabbing her own fingernails into the palms of her hands in an attempt to stay seated. Worst she had to sit next to an old southern lady who would not doubt expect her to act just like Sansa, like everyone else did.

Only to be surprised when Lady Olenna called out during a pause in proceeding.

"GET A MOVE ON! I WILL NOT SPEND MY LAST YEARS WAITING FOR THE REST OF YOU TO GET OFF YOUR ARSES!" Her sharp voice shocked many others including Arya but it got things moving, Arya stared up in admiration for the much older woman sitting next to her before speaking words she probably shouldn't.

"I thought all Southern ladies had to spend time stitching shirts and sitting quietly while men did whatever they wanted." Arya said bluntly while Olenna surprised her again by saying back just as bluntly.

"And I thought all Northerners were simpletons that just believed in foolish ideas about honour but it seems we are both wrong there aren't we young girl."

While Arya did not like the insult directed at her homeland, she was so in awe of this sharp tongued older woman that she could put it aside for a moment.

"Why do men bother doing tourneys then? They are nothing like real fights." Arya asked, wanting to hear more from Lady Olenna who snorted before answering.

"Because it is a place for them to wave their swords around and show everyone how big it is, and I am not talking about steel ones. Just the insignificant things between their legs that they have such pride for." Lady Olenna spoke and Arya could not help but smile and laugh a bit at the rather crude joke. The old woman smiled now too and said. "I assume therefore that you are the daughter of Lord Stark called Arya, good gracious you do have a strong resemblance to your late aunt. I was there when she was named the Queen of Love and Beauty at Harrenhal and she was as bored by tourneys as you are now."

Arya was struck silent for a moment at the mention of her late aunt who had died long before she was born having caught the eye of Rhaegar Targaryen, her father had said she resembled her late aunt but little else as he found it apparently too painful to speak of her however much Arya wished she could learn more. It was also a reminder of her own ugliness which stabbed at her enjoyment only moments before. Seeing the smile fall from her face Olenna said quickly.

"Well spit it out child? Whatever it is that has upset you or just waste time brooding."

Arya felt uncertain if she should talk about her feelings to a stranger but she could not help but like the strong-minded woman who spoke with such authority to the men around her.

"I am just Arya Horse-face my lady, my sister is the pretty one."

A harsh laugh came Lady Olenna which only made Arya feel worst...until she spoke again.

"Utter rubbish! You are young and have yet to grow. Do you think my Margaery was always so beautiful? When she was younger she was a stickily thin creature with a face like a pig, then she started to sprout and look at her now and I will tell you my girl on pain of death if you speak of it to anyone else that I was much the same when I was your age. Sounds like your sister needs a kick up the backside to relieve her of her rather large ego."

Arya's spirits were lifted by Olenna's words and they started talking about things they thought were foolish and what interested them personally, Olenna was quick to take a liking to blunt and adventurous Arya reminded somewhat of herself at that age. In fact she was tempted to ask if Arya could be fostered at Highgarden so Olenna could teach her but the suspicious looks Lord Stark was sending her stopped that in its tracks.

Still she promised to write to Arya and see if the girl could become more than the raw and stubborn child that she currently was, there was untapped potential there.

Later after the festivities were finished for the day Harry and Kanoro spent some time in the training yard with Ser Barristan and Jasen Waters, sparring to compare their swordsmanship and give each other some practice for the melee which was due the next day. Kanoro and Ser Barristan were sweating considerably as they struggled through their own bout, but both were smiling widely as they faced someone that could actually give them a challenge after besting pretty much everyone around them. Jasen on the other hand was showing his progress as he held Harry off with considerable difficulty, Harry smiled glad to see the improvement in the would be vigilante Harry had first met on his original visit here.

Eventually Harry disarmed Jasen and knocked him to the ground by sweeping his legs out from under him, Jasen looked up with an irritated expression for a moment before accepting Harry's hand to help him back to his feet. They were about to go again when Harry noticed they had an unexpected audience.

Eddard or Ned Stark as he was sometimes known was watching them from the shadows nearby, Harry took a towel and wiped his sweaty forehead, still in good spirits after a hard but enjoyable duel and asked Lord Stark while the others continued their sparring.

"Can I help you Lord Stark? I doubt very much that the Lord Hand would waste his day just to see us train." Harry said, his expression kept open and honest while he studied the Northern Lord in front of him.

He had been expecting a dour faced and serious Northerner and for once that is exactly what he got, Eddard Stark's face was typically of the North slightly longer than normal with solemn grey eyes and a face that could be a statue in how stone-like it was. His hair was showing signs of going grey which given he was only thirty five was surprising in itself but with the stresses Robert had impressed upon him it was not so shocking. His eyes were a keen grey that seemed to shift in response to his feelings and at the moment were a dark grey that was guarded as he looked at Harry.

"Indeed, I need to speak to you Lord Tyrell. In private." Eddard Stark's eyes going to Barristan, Kanoro and Jasen briefly and Harry sighed, knowing full well this was going to be a difficult conversation so he sheathed his swords and pulled on his basilisk leather coat and walked with Lord Stark along the walls of the castle.

"The queen has been raging about your presence for days, I think it best if you keep a low profile while you are here." Eddard Stark warned him and was surprised by Harry's loud laugh.

"If you are hear to tell me that the queen absolutely hates and despises me then I think you are a bit too late for that Lord Stark. My family and I have already felt her clumsy attempts to humiliate, destroy or kill us, I mean just when we arrived a group of very unskilled thugs tried to kill us. Her finances must be rather tight to not be able to get good assassins or even hide it properly as it took my people only an hour to name one of her servants as the one who paid them." Harry said, offhand about the whole thing although he knew better than to let down his guard, even the best warrior could be blind-sided in battle, no one was invincible he thought sadly.

Eddard looked shocked at the announcement that the Queen had already tried to kill the Tyrells.

"And you never went to the King with this information?" Eddard asked with anger and Harry just shook his head at the man's naïvety.

"And you think it would be taken seriously? The queen would put all the blame on her servant and that would be the end of it, do you not yet realise that this city is a den of corruption and deceit Lord Stark?" Harry asked wondering how this man had survived for this long with this kind of attitude, especially his shocked reaction to his words. "You are a Lord Paramount, you must have some idea of the political implications of events like this."

Eddard was about ready to protest when something stopped him, the changes in the behaviour of Robert that he had witnessed since the end of the Rebellion and the Lannisters actions so far. All the corruption he had seen in the city since his arrival but he still could not believe that Jon Arryn would have allowed this to happen.

Harry was reading his surface thoughts and decided with annoyance at the man's lack of awareness to hammer home his point in a way that Lord Stark might understand.

"Even in your country there is politics, do you think the Boltons aren't still plotting a way to gain lordship of the North? That the Glovers don't envy the great wealth that the Mormonts have just come into? If the Umber heir will be as loyal to House Stark as his father when there are whispers he claims the First Night and tortures the wildlings they capture to death for his own enjoyment? If they cannot take what they want then they scheme to get it."

-x-

Those words stopped Ned cold although he had to wonder just how the Tyrells were so aware of Northern affairs? Those issues he had brought up had unsettled him greatly as they were things he had never even considered before, Harry Tyrell then asked him a question he had not expected while he was reeling from that.

"Who do you think benefits from Jon Arryn's death? I know that you have been looking into it so I want to know what you think so far?" Harry Tyrell asked him, making Ned worry more and more that his family was surrounded by enemies. With two daughters in the city it was a thing that kept him from sleeping as much as he would like. All the same he decided to see what the Tyrell had to say, comparing Harry to the rather foolish and boastful Mace Tyrell that he sired him.

"I know that the Lannisters had the most to gain from his death, Grandmaester Pycelle would have been able to easily cover it up." Eddard started to say only to stop when he saw the Tyrell shaking his head in disbelief.

"Lord Stark...your innocence in politics would be endearing if it weren't so dangerous, while you have been looking into things as bold as brass you have only seen what a particular person wants you to see. The Lannisters would never have moved against Jon Arryn as he was too cowed by them to act against their interests given the debt that is owed to them, the King would never appoint Tywin Lannister as Hand and so here you are and you are now looking into a conspiracy that could well involve them. No the person that benefits the most from Jon Arryn's death is Petyr Baelish and Lady Lysa Arryn herself."

Ned was immediately angered at the implication that his own good-sister would poison her husband and was about to make his anger very clear to the Tyrell but the Tyrell started speaking first.

"Think about it. Lord Arryn was about to send his son to be fostered elsewhere which Lysa was completely against, now that is not going to happen. Lysa Arryn has been hopelessly smitten with Petyr Baelish since she was a girl and is rumoured to have once been pregnant with his child if Lord Tully had not made her get rid of it."

That information was enough to knock any argument out of Ned as he listened, never had any Tully spoken of it to him before but he had heard a rumour that Lysa had once been with child as a teenager. He was too stunned to speak as his preconceptions were torn away, allowing Harry to keep talking.

"Also now that Lord Arryn is dead and his sickly son is still a boy Lysa rules as regent until he comes of age, free to marry her true love and through her besotted nature Baelish will rule the Vale. And the most damning thing of all, less than a month before Jon Arryn died Petyr Baelish purchased some Tears of Lys. A very expensive but effective poison that mimics sickness and who better to deliver it than his own wife and who was it who told you that the Lannisters killed Jon Arryn? I will bet it was Lysa." Harry Tyrell asked with an intense stare that was out of place in the eyes of a man many years younger than himself.

Ned was shaken at the ideas he had been presented with today, he did not want to believe them but when laid out before him like that it was a far more likely outcome than he wanted to admit. His first impression of Baelish had been not to trust him, something in his gut had revolted at being anywhere near him and only Catelyn's insistence that he was a good friend had made him give the man the time of day. That same gut was telling him that the Tyrell's theory was true, a feeling his father had once told him was an instinct of the Wolf from which his house had derived their banner. Jon had always told him it was pure foolishness to believe such things but a part of him had always thought differently, after all how else would his family have survived for so long if not for some way to tell friend from foe even at an instinctive level.

-x-

Seeing Lord Stark look so shaken made Harry feel sympathy for the man, but these harsh truths could one day save his life and a man of such integrity and valour could be a really useful ally in the future, not least because he was the uncle of Rhaenys' brother.

Harry knew the man was incredibly loyal to his old friend even if it was in Harry's view not fully reciprocated by Robert, he would not leave unless Robert was dead or he was assured of his old friend's safety, the only other way would be if their friendship ended and while Harry could see them coming to blows it would not end that easily. So taking a risk, Harry decided to give Lord Stark some advice that he hoped would keep him alive.

"It is not your fault you are unprepared for Southern politics Lord Stark, your teacher Jon Arryn if you excuse the insult was not a wise Hand of the King nor did he teach you whatever he did know about it. He was so afraid of conflict that he allowed Robert Baratheon to spend the realm into financial ruin, the Greyjoys to continue ruling after their rebellion and even now they are rebuilding their fleet unhindered and finally that the Lannisters have a strangle hold on power. He was so focused on keeping the peace he lost sight of how these things would impact us all in the long run, I know he hated me upsetting the apple cart so to speak by conquering the Stepstones and killing Ser Gregor Clegane. So instead of channelling Jon Arryn, perhaps you could take inspiration from Cregan Stark."

Eddard looked shocked at the suggestion, alarmed at the idea of the Greyjoys rebuilding their fleet given their habit of attacking the poorly defended Northern coast and wondered if holding Theon at Winterfell would be enough to stop them from reaving. The insults against Jon had been hard to swallow but given the condition things were in right now he could hardly argue with the description of his old foster father, the idea of taking inspiration from Cregan Stark though...that got Eddard thinking. The only Stark besides himself to ever become Hand of the King even it was only for a day and he had only held court for six more. He had put many things in place that helped keep the realm stable especially with the harsh winter that followed the Dance of Dragons, he had not been afraid to do whatever was necessary to achieve the needed stability after such a brutal war. He had made many enemies which had only hastened his departure back home but he had done much good in those few days.

His own father had actually referred to Cregan as the strongest lord to rule House Stark since they had bent the knee to House Targaryen during the conquest and one of the smartest, he was a figure that was greatly admired in the history of his house and Eddard could see the wisdom in following Cregan's example rather than Jon Arryn's. He still admired Jon who had seemed so wise and strong when he was younger but now Eddard had seen a new side to him that he was not sure about.

So he nodded to the young Tyrell, feeling very much that he was perhaps more dangerous than any other member of his family and while he had integrity, Harry Tyrell was ruthless and determined to succeed.

-x-

Later that day, dressed in their finest the Tyrells attended the wedding of Mya Baratheon (formerly Stone) to Ser Andar Royce. Mya had look stunning in her white silk dress and even more surprisingly Robert himself had walked her to the altar and said publicly that the Baratheon cloak Mya was wearing had in fact been the same one that Robert's own father had put on his mother's shoulders at their own wedding. Cersei had been ready to spit fire at the sight of the Mya Stone being wed in the Great Sept and being raised to a princess when in her mind she was a worthless bastard and had they not quickly left the day after the wedding feast Harry would have feared for Mya's life.

That night Harry had used his magic to infiltrate the Red Keep and placed several observation charms around the castle in crucial areas that were linking to mirrors back on Bloodstone, designed to alert him if key phrases were mentioned.

As Harry went to check with Zara one last time before leaving the city, she handed him the communication mirror he had left with her and the image of his wife appeared instead of his own reflection. Harry smiled at the sight of her but she looked serious so he quickly asked.

"What's wrong? Has something happened in the islands?"

"No." Rhaenys said with worry. "The alliance between Tyrosh and Myr has collapsed and they are fighting again, some of their ships have even struck at our islands although we forced them back."

Harry's eyes narrowed and anger rose inside him, fight amongst yourselves if you must but do not drag our people into it Harry thought. It was time to go on the offensive to make sure they realised just who they were messing with, he realised so he asked his wife.

"Which of the pair is weakest at the moment?"

Rhaenys understood immediately what her husband was planning and told him some information she had recently received from Gannicus and Crixus.

"Both are decimated in terms of ships and troops but Myr has a plan to conquer Tyrosh without even needing to fight."

"How are they planning to do that? The dragonstone walls of the city are nearly as high as the ones in Volantis and the gates just as reinforced." Harry asked, even he would not lead an amphibious assault against walls like that without a considerable advantage so whatever Myr was planning would have to be spectacular if they thought that they could take the city without a struggle.

Rhaenys explained Myr's plan which their allies had learnt of through some escaping slaves that had been involved and Harry admitted it was horrifying but brilliant in its deadly potential, such things in his counterpart's world had shown that.

And he would make full use of it, it was time to use their best weapons Harry thought with grim determination.

Tyrosh, a week later…

Outside the soaring walls of Tyrosh the last remains of the two fleets did battle, on the walls war machines threw large boulders and barrels of tar at their enemy ships. Tyrosh had been warned by its own spies of the surprise attack and been prepared for Myr's fleet but as the two fleets fought, inside the city Myrish spies mixed together different chemicals which had been smuggled into the city in separate barrels for weeks. Once mixed as they had been told, the spies put the chemicals over a fire that started bubbling quickly and a yellowish haze started to gather over the cauldrons which had been placed all over the city. It began to move outwards from the cauldrons and into the streets and buildings, whoever it came into contact with started choking immediately as they breathed it in, the first victims being the Myrish spies themselves who had not been told of the deadly nature of the liquid. They could not breathe and they fell within moments as their lungs were filled with the toxic smoke which was carried further and further into the city, choking the citizens to death.

On the walls the guards did not notice the deadly gas at first as they were so focused on the Myrish fleet, nor did they see the three specks that were appearing on the horizon.

Only when they got closer did the sailors on the ships and the guards on the walls realise that they were no mere birds, their wings spanned as wide as a ship was long and would easily give a whale a run for its dinner. Their scales glinted in the sun as they sped across the clear and empty sky, their roars echoing louder and louder as they approached.

Sailors were a superstitious lot, often believing tall tales and customs that would seem silly to anyone else but even they like everyone else in the world believed dragons to be extinct, no living dragon had been seen in well over a century and they had faded into legend. So when three of them appeared, as large as they had been whispered to be and casting enormous shadows beneath them as they got closer to the two fleets. Men on deck looked up in astonishment, the battle temporarily forgotten as they stared in amazement at the sight that was straight of a dream or a storybook.

Only did they realise moments later that it was going to be more akin to a nightmare.

The three dragons flying in a loose formation broke apart and dived towards their ships, the sailors suddenly realising just what their intention was and started screaming as they ran around in a complete panic, not having the slightest clue as to what to do.

The largest of the three who had bronze scales was the first to draw blood, his enormous mouth opening to spit out a torrent of flame that was so hot that nearby ships saw their exposed tar buckets and canvas catching fire. The first ship to be hit directly was a big war galley that was blown apart by the force of the flames being directed straight into its centre, men not having a chance to scream as they were immediately roasted alive in the extreme heat but it did not stop there, the dragon did not relent its breath as it pulled up and instead hit another ship that was close by, scorching the decks and setting it on fire followed closely by another and another as its two follows added their own fire to the slaughter.

Men screamed as they burned, some tried to jump into the water but their wounds would draw sharks with all the blood in the water. The two small fleets which had numbered around a hundred ships each were powerless as the dragons dived time and again to bathe them in fire that was sending ships to the bottom with pathetic ease, if not blown apart then the fire would sink them within minutes.

When there were no more ships to burn, the largest of the dragons turned its attention to the men that were standing shocked on the walls. Not fully able to take in what had just happened but they some started firing scorpions and whatever other weapons that they had at the dragon as it approached but any of the rare hits they scored bounced off its scaly body but nothing large enough to cause damage found its mark as the dragon weaved and dodged its way through the air with the grace and majesty of a hawk or an eagle. It unleashed a strong stream of fire along the wall that near enough incinerated the guards and reduced their bodies to blackened husks.

None of them had even seen the people that had been riding the dragons, they had been too focused on the beasts themselves.

-x-

Harry sat on Talos, in awe of the sheer power and effectiveness of the dragons. While he knew full well they were no invincible and he would always be careful with his as would his wife with hers he could easily see how three had delivered Aegon the Conqueror the Seven Kingdoms. The thrill of flying through the air had taken his breath away, quite literally for a moment but he had never felt as much excitement as he did flying on the back of his dragon.

The devastated Tyrosh and Myr fleets beneath them would no longer be a threat to him or his people and Crixus had agreed to send those in the movement who could not fight here for safekeeping while he and the rest of the movement went east to confront the heart of the slavery at Slaver's Bay. After the poisonous gas attack they would be of use in cleaning and then repopulating the city once the gas had cleared with Harry claiming it as part of his territory, Myr would have been next but with Crixus and the rest of the freed slaves heading east he did not have the men to hold both Myr and Tyrosh.

It would not be easy to hide what they had done here which was why they had left no survivors, Harry thought grimly. There was always the chance that there might be a few who could have seen the dragons but their dragons would be long out of sight by the time anyone else came, no one could clearly see it was him and Rhaenys on their backs and the devastation of their fleet would keep Myr out of their hair until they could be dealt with, Harry's eyes darkening as he looked at the scene in front of him. While he did not like letting so many in Tyrosh die it would make the conquest of the city easier and having its fleet in one place so it could easily be destroyed made the job easier. Good thing they had slipped that information to the city's rulers before hand.

His ships would be here soon so Harry urged Talos with one last blast of flame to blow open the city's main gate and then he and Rhaenys directed their dragons home.