19

Harry smiled as he watched Baelish from a distance. Recently, the man seemed to be a bit off his game, Harry thought to himself smugly. He was sweaty, panicked, and even looked disheveled, which was strange for him. He normally kept himself looking like a million bucks. The reasons for his sudden slip were easy to figure out. He had a lot of businesses in King's Landing and needed to pay their bills. The money coming in would definitely more than cover them during normal times, but they were at war. The number of customers his whores serviced was cut down drastically since the city closed its gates. Now he was operating in the red.

That wasn't the worst of it though. He had a spy network nearly as big as the Spider's, and that didn't come cheap. Every spy expected to be paid, and if they weren't … well … Petyr knew how fickle loyalty could be. Harry had little doubt that the slippery fool was doing everything possible to find the culprit responsible for pilfering his gold. It was quite ironic since it was he who stole the gold originally. Harry watched the man walk away and leave the garden. Harry, seeing that he was now alone, opened the letter that he had received from Olenna Tyrell.

Enjoying the afternoon breeze, he read every word of the short but to-the-point letter. Reading it twice just to make sure that he didn't miss anything, he folded it and placed it inside his expanded pocket. The old woman hoped to speak with him very soon about the betterment of both of their kingdoms. Harry found this strange since the Reach was currently at war with the Lannisters. Perhaps she figured that Harry would do whatever benefited him the most, in which case, she was correct. Going back to his room, he wrote her a response and sent it with one of his trusted drones. He didn't have time to go and see her, he had a city to run. He had been away from home for too long. As the days crept closer to their departure, Joffrey's attitude became even fouler… but the boy held his tongue.

Harry could tell his father was unhappy that Cersei and her children were leaving, but he was resigned to it once Joffrey had raised a hand to her. Harry, of course, invited him to come along, but he was insistent on staying. He had a duty after all. His Uncle Tyrion was saddened by his departure as well.

"You're more than welcome to come and visit or even stay whenever you desire. You're always welcome, Uncle," Harry told him.

"Alas, Father would likely not allow it," he said sadly. Harry rolled his eyes.

"He is neither the ruler of your life nor the person who dictates your happiness. If you ever desire to leave, simply go to any of my trade ships and request passage to Seven Swords. You will be brought there immediately," Harry promised, patting the dwarf on the back.

His grandfather was also displeased with how his visit had gone. He didn't say much, but Harry could read the old man like a book. He was one of the few who had spent a decent amount of time around him over the years, and thus, knew his tells. Harry, however, was a grown man and refused to be brought to heel by anyone.

His three family members that were going with him had been spending the last few days getting things in order. Myrcella and Tommen looked very excited to be getting away from the chaos of King's Landing. They saw the whole thing as taking a long vacation. Even Cersei appeared to be ready to try something new for once. She had wanted to order a bunch of new clothing for her and her children, but Harry talked her out of it. They could get better clothing back home, and besides, it would take too long for them to be made.

Harry joined them in Cersei's room where Myrcella looked excited, and Tommen looked nervous. "What's wrong with him?" he asked Myrcella. The pretty blonde looked up at him and smiled.

"He's scared about flying on the back of a dragon," she teased. Tommen shivered in fright. Harry rolled his eyes.

"You can relax, Tommen. We will be traveling by ship," he promised the boy. He sighed, which made his sister laugh at him. "Are all of you packed?" he asked. "We'll be leaving in the morning."

They all nodded. "Good. I'll have your things transferred to my ship tonight. Make sure to leave out whatever you plan on wearing," he told them.

Harry didn't bother telling the smallfolk, and neither Joffrey nor Pycelle bothered telling them as well. They were probably scared that a riot might break out if they discovered that their beloved King Harold was going home. In truth, the smallfolk had been happier than they ever had been before. It was amazing what a full belly could accomplish. Harry knew that they were a ticking time bomb though. His generosity wouldn't last forever. The people of King's Landing weren't his responsibility, and he had no qualms about cutting them off once the war was over. Their response was not his concern, however. If Joffrey was smart, he too would try to cut a deal with the Tyrells in order to keep the people fed. That was wishful thinking, Harry thought to himself.

The Dread Lord of Essos

Cersei looked out of her bedroom window. She had just said her temporary goodbyes to her twin brother. She didn't bother speaking with the Imp. She couldn't care less if she ever saw that little monster again. Her father had already given her orders which he was expecting her to follow religiously. Cersei didn't expect to get a tearful farewell from him. She wasn't disappointed.

Early mornings were her favorite time to look out of the window. The sun was just coming up, and only the slightest aroma of shit could be smelled. Would she miss this place? No, of course not. The only thing she would miss here was the opportunities. Cersei had always longed for the opportunity to do the things that men did. She wanted to be King, as ridiculous as that sounded. However, she knew that life worked in mysterious ways. Perhaps she would find better opportunities abroad. Her door suddenly burst open, and her children ran in and hugged her. She quickly hugged them back. She could tell that they were happy but nervous. They knew nothing of the land beyond. Truthfully, she knew very little about it herself. It seemed that they would learn together during their newest adventure.

"Are you children ready?" she asked quietly. They nodded silently.

"That's good because we're ready to depart!" Harry said happily, walking in through the open door. He was happy to get back home. Even so, he'd still be making periodic trips back to Westeros. "We've all said our goodbyes, so let's get going," he told them, escorting them outside where his father was waiting. They all hugged one last time before they boarded a carriage and rode down to the dock where the Prima Nocta was docked. His ship dwarfed all others, even his own trading vessels. The young ones oohed and ahhed at it as they jumped out of the carriage when it came to a stop.

"Is it safe going by ship?" Cersei said as he helped her out of the carriage. "Stannis still controls these waters."

"It will be fine. He doesn't attack my ships anymore," Harry said just as Daemon flew overhead. Cersei understood the meaning and nodded. "All aboard!" he called out and everyone walked up the gangplank. Harry took them to his private cabin and let them in. Cersei tried not to look impressed by its elegance, but Harry could see right through her.

"I'm sleeping here!" Tommen yelled out and climbed on the massive bed. He began jumping up and down. Harry snorted as Cersei pulled him off.

"There will be no sleeping here tonight," Harry told him. "This ship is very fast. We'll be in Seven Swords by tonight," he explained. Cersei raised an eyebrow.

"That fast?" she asked, looking skeptical.

"Indeed. Make yourselves comfortable while I go talk to the Captain," he said, leaving them in the room. Harry, of course, didn't need to talk to the Captain. He was getting a ping from one of his drones. He went onto the deck as one ran up the gangplank. He handed Harry a letter before deboarding. As he left, the gangplank was pulled up, and the sails unfurled. Within moments, they were pulling away from the dock and heading out to sea. Harry quickly read the letter. Renly Baratheon was dead. Killed in an ambush by Staniss's men, if the rumors were to be believed. Harry believed that Renly was dead. Beyond that, he had no idea. This world was dangerous, and every major player had more than their fair share of enemies. He'd have to try and uncover the truth. Using a bit of his magic, he set fire to the letter and watched the ashes get carried away by the wind.

The Dread Lord of Essos

Cersei groaned as her eyes fluttered open. Her head was pounding, her mouth was dry, and her stomach felt as if something was crawling around in there. She turned over and hid her face, desperate to go back to sleep. "Welcome back to the land of the living," she heard the annoying voice of her nephew.

"Go … Away!" she called out and nearly gagged from the effort. She barely remembered how she came to be in such a state. She cursed when the blanket was pulled off of her. The cold air of the castle room hit her nude body and made her shiver.

"Drink this. It'll help you feel better," Harry told her, handing her one of his patented hangover cures. She glared at him and sat up, not caring that her naked body was on full display. She grabbed the glass and drank the colorful potion down. She gagged again but kept it down.

Almost immediately, Cersei began to feel better. The harsh thumping in her head slowed, then completely died. Her mouth stopped tasting like rotten fish, and she suddenly felt hydrated again. Even her stomach problem cleared up. She gave it a moment to make sure her maladies didn't return before getting to her feet. Harry watched as she looked around in confusion. He decided to fill her in.

"Once Myrcella and Tommen fell asleep on the journey, you decided to help yourself to some of my private drinks. I think you chose some of the strongest ones because when I came in to check on you, you were already slurring and stumbling," Harry chuckled. Cersei's face flushed red. She didn't like being made a fool. Unfortunately, this time it was she who made a fool of herself. She remembered helping herself to his wines to calm her nerves. She was, in a sense, starting a new life. It was natural that she was nervous. The only mistake she made was not realizing how strong his drinks actually were. After only three cups, things began to go blurry for her.

"It was very late when we arrived. I brought you and your children in and put you in your rooms," Harry told her. "They're in the room across from this one. I placed them in the same room. I'll show them their permanent rooms when they wake up."

Cersei rubbed the sleep from her eyes and looked around. The room she was in was lavishly decorated. No room in the Red Keep even came close to the grandeur. Everything was creams, whites, and gold. The walls looked to be made of white marble, and the bed was big enough to fit ten people. The curtains and drapes had the shininess of fine silk, and the furniture appeared to be made by the finest craftsman in all of Essos. On one wall was a large and elaborately decorated fireplace that didn't look as if it had been used yet. Seeing as how everything in the room appeared to be new, she guessed that it hadn't. "This is your room. You can decorate it however you like," Harry told her as he walked to a large and beautifully designed set of curtains. He pulled them open and pushed open a set of double doors. As soon as he did, the room was bathed in sunlight. Cersei watched him walk outside. Grabbing the sheet off of the bed, she wrapped her body in it and followed him. Stopping by his side, she gasped at what she saw.

"Welcome to Seven Swords," she heard him say proudly. At that moment, he had every right to be proud, she thought to herself. The view was absolutely stunning. Her mouth gaped as she took in the sight. Not only could she see the castle grounds, but she could see far beyond. It seemed that everything was made of stone that glistened as white as snow. Her eyes followed a long bridge that connected their island to the mainland. At the end of the bridge was a gate that was wide open. Beyond the gate was a stunning part of the city that she couldn't get a good look at. From so high up, she could see far into the distance, but everything looked tiny to her. When she looked down, her legs nearly gave out. She was standing on a balcony that was so high up that men and horses below looked like ants. She swung around when the door opened. She saw her children run in followed by a young, beautiful woman.

"This is Mia. She'll act as your handmaiden during your stay," Harry told her. Cersei straightened up. 'At least he knows how to treat a Queen like me,' Cersei thought smugly. She was glad that he had chosen someone of beauty. It wouldn't do to make her look at an ugly face all day. What she didn't know was that Mia was a simple drone of his, and she would be keeping him informed about his dear aunt. Harry would not burden a living person with the task of taking care of his snooty and annoying Aunt Cersei.

"Mia will get you some breakfast. Eat in here this morning while you get settled. Your bags have been dropped off. A little later, I'll take you all into the city proper. I'll be back in a bit," Harry told them before leaving the room. He went back to his room just in time for Melisandre to walk through the door. As always, she woke up early to enjoy what she called the "Gift from R'hllor". The curvy redhead smiled and walked up to him. Wrapping her arms around the back of his neck, she pulled him in and kissed him passionately. Pushing him hard on the chest, she smirked as he fell back onto the bed.

Harry watched as she hiked up her tight, red dress, exposing her hairless slit. She crawled onto the bed and straddled his lap. "I have not been able to enjoy your presence as much lately. That will not do," she purred and started to roll her wide hips. Her body edged its way higher and higher until she was brushing her swollen clit against his lips. Her slit was soaking wet. Melisandre was always soaked after her early morning ritual. The Red Priestess threw her head back and moaned as Harry sucked hard on her throbbing nub.

The Dread Lord of Essos

Since he left for Westeros, the drones had been working very hard to bring the city up to code. Not only that, but thousands had entered the city that was designed to hold well over a million. Even though it was becoming heavily populated, there was still plenty of room for everyone. Missandei, being overworked, had hired several more people to help her out. She would likely need even more in the coming months. Harry saw no end in sight to the poor and desperate who wanted a better life within his walls. Eventually, he would order his drones to build villages along every main road leading from his city.

The King's Garden was beginning to fill out, but Harry made sure to leave the prime spots open for future endeavors, like the construction of the Iron Bank along the Garden Road. It was by far the most beautiful area of the city, other than his private island, of course. A decent portion of the shops belonged to him, but other wealthy merchants were now buying up shop fronts to peddle their wares as well.

The Housing District was mostly done. It was a mixture of apartment blocks and small, single-family homes. Your marital status and the size of your family determined who got what. A single person was always put into an apartment, while most single-family houses were filled by couples with children. Artistically crafted fountains dotted the district, providing clean water for drinking, washing, and bathing. Bathhouses were also available to be used, free of charge. There were even a number of parks scattered about for children to play in.

Cersei, of course, would never sully the bottom of her boots by stepping beyond the Second Wall. At the moment, however, she and her children were exploring what King's Garden had to offer.

"I will take that design with that pattern," Cersei ordered, pointing at a dress and then a bolt of material. They were in one of the newest shops that were owned by a Lysini tailor. He made beautiful clothing, which was why Melisandre ordered most of her dresses from him. Her designs were quite a bit more scandalous than Cersei's choices though.

"Of course," the man smiled happily. "In which color would you prefer?"

"One of every color. I would like all five of those designs in every pattern and color for my daughter as well," she said, pointing out what she wanted. Off to the side, the tailor's apprentice was measuring Tommen for his own sets of clothes that Cersei had already ordered. His female assistant, who happened to be a former Lysini pleasure slave, pulled the women into a back room where their exact measurements were taken.

This shop was one of many that only used Harry's silk. His silk was superior to that of Yi Ti and other empires along the Jade Sea. It held dyes better, was shinier, and was a lot stronger as well. Harry provided the man with spindles of silk thread, and in return, he provided for the castle. It was considered a great honor to be the lone provider of clothing to the Royal Family, which Cersei and her children were technically a part of. Cersei wasted no time filling their closets with the latest fashions. Harry didn't care. He was basically paying the man in silk, and Harry was producing more silk than he could use. Whatever kept her out of his hair was fine by him. Harry had more important things to do at the moment.