He felt the chill of the Northern Mountains in his bones as he stood among the many as a witness to the marriage ceremony of Kyla and her husband, Wendhorr. Some of the mountains he could see were covered in snow, painting them in white. The hill he was currently standing on was not so different. The trees around him were covered in snow.
For some odd reason, the different clans living in the Northern Mountains considered this particular mountain sacred grounds. On this mountain, no bloodshed was allowed, and conflict was prohibited by all magnars of the clans. Anyone breaking this law was permanently banished from the Northern Mountains regardless of their status or position within their clan. The families of the groom and bride stood watch as the bride was given flowers while the groom was gifted the pelt of a shadowcat. Then, the bride was given honey by the groom's family before the groom kissed the bride.
"As the Old Gods as witness, I now pronounce Kyla and Wenhorr of the Liddle clan." Torren the Liddle proclaimed.
Just like that, Kyla was now a married woman.
"You know, I heard rumours that the clansmen still practice the first night." Alaenera whispered from behind him.
"That practice has been outlawed for centuries," Jon said fiercely.
"I'm sure all sorts of things are outlawed in the Seven Kingdoms." Alaenera rolled her eyes.
"You should hear your smallfolk talk. There are all kinds of rumours going around. How else does a Tyroshi girl know of such things?"
Jon looked helplessly at him, but Harry shrugged his shoulders.
"Who spreads such vile rumours?" Jon asked, turning his sights on Alaenera.
"What if they're not rumours?" Alaenera asked with a playful wink, "If you ask nicely, maybe you could experience this first night."
Harry didn't know whether Jon's face reddened because of anger or embarrassment. It was probably both, but seeing his brother look like a tomato was fun.
"Enough poking fun at my brother for the day. Leave him be, Alaenera." said Harry.
"As my lord commands." Alaenera curtsied before joining Kyla's side to partake in the moderate celebrations organised for the bride and groom.
"Was she serious?" Jon asked once they were alone.
"Probably." Harry said with a thoughtful look, "People are easily corruptible. It only takes a moment of weakness to turn even the most disciplined to act in the cruellest ways."
"We should do…" Jon started,
"…nothing." Harry said, pinning his brother with an unimpressed stare, "If you haven't noticed it yet, the Mountain Clans show us their respect as a courtesy. Their true allegiance lies with the Lord of Winterfell. I'd suggest that you think twice before you set off a hive of bees on us over hearsay."
"We do nothing when something wrong is happening just because they are loyal to our family?" Jon asked incredulously.
"No, of course not. First, find those spreading the rumour and confirm it's authentic. Then, gather evidence about the specifics, like who and when, before presenting it to the Lord of Winterfell to make his judgment." said Harry.
"Sounds like a lot of work." Jon muttered.
"It is, and you'll not act rashly by accusing any one of the clans. They're incredibly proud, and we're guests here. So, keep that in mind."
Thankfully, Jon was not headstrong enough to make a scene at the mountain, but Harry found it odd that he never heard any of these rumours. He doubted Alaenera was making that up just to rile up Jon. He considered himself a good read of character, and therefore, he knew Alaenera would never make up such a severe accusation for any reason. At the same time, none of his Valkyrie guards had ever spoken of such practices in the mountains.
He was not naive enough to think a feudal society like the North didn't have its share of evils. The subpar living conditions of the Smallfolk were well known to him. In most parts of Westeros, they weren't even allowed to own land and lived in abject poverty. It was even a common occurrence for the Smallfolk to go hungry during winter and die of starvation. Avalon and Winterfell no longer experienced such incidences because of his intervention, but that was not the case everywhere.
'Perhaps I should look into spreading the reach of my spies into the remote spaces of the North instead of merely concentrating on regional rivals and foreign enemies.' Harry mused.
He shouldn't be doing anything of the sort, as it was not his job to oversee the laws being applied in the North. It was his father's job. Unfortunately, spying was never a viable policy his father pursued, preferring instead to rely on the good character of his lords.
Harry kept such thoughts to the back of his mind while he invited the clansmen for a meeting. Kyla was not important enough for the lords of the Northern Mountains to attend, but he had invited them, and they answered his summons. If they were displeased to attend a smallfolk wedding, they didn't show it. Even if the clansmen were more tribal in their lifestyle compared to the rest of the Northerners, their clan heads lived in castles and keep. They were lords of their respective clans, and Winterfell recognised them as such. They were not like the raiders of the Mountain Clans of the Vale.
That was why he invited them over into his airship and held their meeting in the sky. The 36 lords of the Mountain Clans were sufficiently impressed and happy to be flying on his airship. He also didn't spare any expense in throwing a feast for their sake. It was couched as a wedding feast to celebrate Kyla's nuptial. Wine and ale flowed aplenty in the feast. It was also rich in delicacies like oatcakes, lemoncakes, salmon and, most notably a wild boar they slew while trekking the mountains.
Harry considered himself lucky enough to have the presence of mind to travel with his best cooks because he couldn't help but hum in appreciation as he tasted the finely roasted meat. The clansmen were quite the experts in hospitality, and they showed it whenever he visited their keeps high in the mountains or even in the valleys. So, returning the favour was the least he could do.
"I have to say it is quite surprising to see this kind of revelry being made for a commoner's wedding." Lord Norrey commented after the bride and groom were out of their earshot.
"Indeed, Kyla is not my family but she is blessed by the gods with magic in her blood. Being a Valkyrie means to be a handmaiden to the Old Gods and serve as a vessel to their power in this land." Harry said, eyeing the old lord of the clan who controlled the lands close to the Gift, "I hope you understand why I give her the respect she deserves."
"Of course, my lord. The Old Gods are held sacred in our lands. I meant no disrespect." Lord Brandon Norrey rushed to say.
Harry suppressed the urge to smile. It was one of his clever tricks to couch the magical abilities of people as the 'blessing' of the Old Gods. It was a load of bullshit, of course. Those ancient beings or spirits that ran around in the Weirwood trees could care less about humans or magic so long as it didn't affect them. But the clansmen didn't need to know any of that because he had an agenda of his own.
"Kyla may no longer serve as a Valkyrie, but her gifts from the gods won't be in vain. I have started a school in Sea Dragon Point for those blessed with the gift from the gods and those who wish to learn it." Harry casually mentioned the school, which piqued the interest of almost everyone in his hearing range.
"A school, you say, my lord. Do you mean to tell us that magic could be taught to everyone?" Lord Hugo Wull asked curiously.
"For those with the right temperament, yes," said Harry, "Magic is a force in nature made by the gods. Those who stay close to the gods and nature tend to have the proclivity to host magic in their souls."
He noticed he had captured the interest of almost everyone at the table.
"I'm sure there are many amongst the clansmen, perhaps even in your immediate family blessed by the gods, " he added slyly, looking all men in the eye. "Their gifts could be nurtured in my school. I'm planning to impart my knowledge through Kyla and the other Valkyrie."
"Ah, but we don't know who has the gift from the gods, Lord Harrion." said Lord Hugo.
"That can be easily solved. I'll have the Valkyrie send with the means to identify those with the blessing of the Old Gods." said Harry.
While there was no way he could replicate the stellar performance of Ravenclaw in creating a self-updating registry owing to the raw form of magic in Westeros, he had other nuanced methods to identify those with magic. Runes were explicitly designed to tame the raw, chaotic magic to make it more malleable. Therefore, his solution to identify those with magic was also based on runes.
But this was not the contentious issue that he wanted the cooperation of the Mountain Clans. That particular problem was with the extension of the Wolfswood road from Deepwood Motte through the Norrey lands, crossing into the Gift.
Harry only broached that subject after he saw the positive response from the clansmen regarding his magic school. Thankfully, he only wanted the consensus from the Norreys and Wulls. Fortune further smiled upon him when the two were more than willing to come with him and chart the lands through which the extended road from Glover lands would pass.
*****
Harry hugged close to the tree and settled himself on the tree branch with a good vantage point on the trap laid on the ground. The crows cawed from their abode, and a gentle breeze ruffled the leaves. Otherwise, the forest was quiet.
Suddenly, his ears picked up the rustle of leaves, making him look around until his eyes fell on a patch of thick black fur hiding amongst the bushes on the ground. He slowly placed the arrow on his bow and pulled it back against the string.
But Harry didn't release the arrow at the Shadowcat. Instead, he waited patiently for the Shadowcat to make its move on the cooked boar meat he was using as bait. The Shadowcats were fearsome hunters with incredible senses, making them a terror in the mountains and forests. Their presence was particularly troublesome in Sea Dragon Point, and he had received many complaints from the people. With the construction of his school, it became imperative that the roads become safer, as there was much work to be done around the school and the surrounding lands.
But people couldn't move so freely if bears and shadowcats attacked them.
So, he decided to cull the numbers of the Shadowcats and other predators in the region close to his school. In time, he hoped a village or town would crop up around his school. The area was rich in marble, and his surveyors had found a silver vein not too far away from the school. So, the place would become attractive as there was no shortage of work. If nothing else, the area was ripe with trees and bears. Wood and pelts remained a lucrative trade market in the North, so there was no trouble in making a living for the settlers near the western cliffs of Sea Dragon Point.
The Shadowcat finally decided the coast was clear and took careful steps out of its hiding spot. Its bright yellow eyes trained on the meat as it walked gracefully, its tail swishing behind.
Harry slowly adjusted his bow without making a sound and aimed the arrow at the predator closing in on the bait. He breathed in and held his breath as he took aim and released the arrow while breathing out.
His aim was spot on. The arrow punched through the head of the Shadowcat. The creature didn't even see the arrow coming, and it fell dead on the spot.
"Phew!" Harry let out a relieved sigh. "I still have a grip on my aim."
He slung the bow on his back and climbed down from the pine tree to collect the bounty. With a flick of his wrist, he levitated the Shadowcat and walked away from the area with his bounty hovering by his side. When he finally came to the clearing where the rest of the hunting party was gathered, he was immediately greeted by an excitable Fenris.
His trusted direwolf companion howled happily and ran circles around him while a bleeding Shadowcat followed him, floating by his side.
"My lord, good hunt." said Celos Poole, riding towards him atop his horse.
"Quite the good hunt, yes. What did Lord Brandon and Hugo get?" Harry asked, nodding at the two heads of the Mountain Clans in the distance.
"They fell a wild bull with their spear, my lord."
"Good. So, what're they arguing about?" Harry asked as the men came along and strapped his kill to a wagon and carried it away into the camp.
"They're currently arguing who put it down first." said Celos.
"Of course." Harry scoffed, shaking his head.
"Where is Jon?" Harry asked.
"With Adela and Kyla. They're helping move the furniture into the school."
"Hmm." He hummed noncommittally while idly scratching behind the ears of Fenris earning a soft purr from the black wolf.
"I suppose we have time for another hunt. What do you say, Fenris? Do you want to tag along?"
Fenris let out a howl and happily rubbed his nose against Harry's leg.
"All right then." Harry chuckled.
He invited lords Norrey and Wull for another hunt. But just before he went to the hunt, Jon came to him with an interesting piece of information.
"We received word from Captain Nimpton. Our ships were attacked by the Sistermen. Captain Nimpton captured the attacking vessel and took the men prisoners." said Jon while Harry was adjusting himself on his horse while holding a spear in his hand.
"That's good." Harry said, but he noticed that his brother looked worried.
"What?"
"Captain Nimpton reports it was not just lowly pirates he captured. Among the prisoners, there was Edmyn Torrent, nephew of Lord Alesandor Torrent of Littlesister." Jon said with a grim look.
"Huh. That's interesting." Harry frowned briefly before shrugging his shoulders, "Is the prisoner being transported to Avalon?"
"If you wish so, it could be done, but should we bring him? This'll threaten peace in the region." Jon reminded him.
"The Sistermen broke peace when they attacked our ships. Now let them suffer the consequences of challenging the North."
*****
Varys couldn't be more happy these days. He had thought that it'd become increasingly difficult to pit the kingdoms against each other with Robert's death. The initial days of Stannis' rule confirmed his fears.
The Baratheon dynasty emerged from the war with the Lannister rebellion stronger than ever. All their debt was wiped out with Lannister gold, while the Lannister invasion into the Reach weakened the principal house of the Reach. Most of the Northmarch region was ravaged by war and suffered crop loss due to flooding from the broken dams. The eastern parts of the Reach were littered with burnt fields, towns and villages.
The Crownlands were also not spared from the depravities of war. Many good men and knights of the Crownlands lost their lives. At least, he had managed to keep the loyalists of Crackclaw Point out of harm's way. He had intentionally sabotaged their preparedness and kept them out of any major conflicts to preserve their strength for the right time.
By some stroke of luck and pragmatic thinking on the part of Hoster Tully, the Riverlands remained intact throughout the war. It was one of the miracles in the war as it was the first time the Riverlands remained untouched in a major conflict in Westeros. In fact, the Tullys came out stronger with the Riverlands intact, gaining the reviewed allegiance of the Riverlords and ties to House Lefford.
The Stormlands had also remained intact despite the war, which was a shame. The Dornish could find themselves in a difficult fight once they raise their banners for the rightful king.
The Vale remained strong and united behind House Arryn, but Varys knew cracks were forming in that place.
The Iron Islands were no longer a factor after Harrion Stark crushed them in the seas. Even now, the Ironborn were getting suffocated by the Starks. It was pretty clear what Harrion Stark was doing. The Ironborn could possibly end up wiped out in his lifetime, and Varys found that prospect exceptionally welcoming even if the North would end up expanding their strength in the Sunset Sea.
The less said about the North, the better. The North had risen leaps and bounds in economic and martial power out of all the kingdoms. House Stark, in particular, had accumulated power, wealth and prestige, the likes of which Tywin Lannister couldn't even dream. They were so strong that it worried him a little until his little birds confirmed the rumours coming from Sunspear.
The Starks had accepted the betrothal between Harrion Stark and Princess Arianne. It was one of the best news that came his way as the work to keep the North out of the coming war became all the more simpler.
But that alone didn't give him comfort. There were other reasons why he was feeling joy today. For some time now, he had known Petyr Baelish had been facilitating the Myrish pirates and the Sistermen to attack White Harbour's shipping through the Bite. But that little plan was on the cusp of blowing up in Baelish's face.
He had so far kept his distance precisely for this moment. He knew that one day, Baelish's little friends in the Three Sisters would make a mistake, and he could freely expose Baelish without anyone doubting his involvement. If he were really lucky, this would devolve into a much greater conflict between the North and the Vale.
It couldn't have come at a better time either because Stannis was facing some issues with the Faith. There were calls by several elements of the Faith in the Crownlands clamouring for the restoration of the Great Sept on Visenya's Hill. It was also now an open knowledge that the Queen had abandoned the Seven in favour of the Old Gods. It was not at all difficult to spread the rumour that Stannis had done the same. Every misfortune was blamed on the King abandoning the 'true faith'. He made sure of it.
So, he happily welcomed this latest conflict brewing between the North and the Sistermen. Now, he just had to nudge certain things along for Jon Arryn's efforts to be in vain.
He felt a twinge of discomfort for what he was about to do for the sake of his king. But it was necessary. A stag could never keep the kingdoms together. It was the duty of the dragon to keep the seven kingdoms as one. Only King Aegon the Sixth would accomplish that task.
So, Varys breezily walked into the chamber of the Hand.
"My lord Arryn. There has been an incident with the Sistermen." he said, schooling his face to present a grave and concerned expression.
Jon Arryn let out a long-suffering sigh and collapsed into his chair.
"What have they done?"
AN:
To read ahead of the update schedule; pat(r) eon. C (O) M/Dragonspectre.
For artwork related to the fic:
https://discord.gg/Nw2JH25fJf