AN: I don't own either HP or GOT. JK Rowling and GRR Martin own them, respectively.
This is Harry/Rhaegar.
When Rhaegar Targaryen was born, death was all around him. Fire consumed Summerhall, the summer residence of House Targaryen, and burned corpses smoked all around Princess Rhaella. She pushed and pushed her child out while the royal procession fled around them. Her maester sat next to her in the carriage, encouraging her to push.
The heat from the flames around her invaded the carriage and the horses shied away, whinnying in fright. The king, Aegon Targaryen the Fifth, and Prince Duncan were dead and so was the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard. Rhaella pushed once more, sweat staining her back and face, and a cry was heard. She gasped and the maester encouraged her to push once more, one more big push, your majesty. She pushed, squeezing her muscles, and more cries could be heard as the maester bent down and caught her child as the baby slid out of her body.
"A boy, your majesty," Maester Gyldayn spoke quietly, grabbing a spare blanket to rub the babe dry of blood and other liquids. "Here, you go."
Rhaella just breathed and took the babe from Gyldayn and looked down into her first child's eyes. They were dark indigo eyes, a shade of purple, that was beautiful and the child had a few tufts of silver hair, like all Targaryen children.
"Did you have a name in mind, my lady?"
Rhaella studied her child and glanced up and out of the carriage windows. Fire and Blood. That was the Targaryen house motto and it was all around them. Shouts and cries could be heard through the carriage walls and she flinched when she saw someone getting burned alive. All because of King Aegon's obsession with dragons.
"He shall be Prince Rhaegar Targaryen."
Harry James Potter stood in the middle of the summer residence of the Targaryens, watching. He almost felt like wrapping his cloak tighter around him, unconsciously protecting himself against the flames that roared higher and higher. People burned alive around him and died. Death, the entity to which he played master, walked around collecting the souls of the dying. And yet…
Harry walked along the castle walls, watching the stone walls crumble around him and idly flicking a finger to stop a whole section of a wall from falling on him. He floated the wall over to where it wouldn't fall on him then moved on, following the sounds of a squealing babe. The elder wand sparked and warmed in his pocket, taking glee at the fact that Death was so near. Harry sighed and muttered under his breath about bloodthirsty wands.
"Never again," Harry whispered, rolling his eyes. "Become Master of Death Harry, it would be fun, they said. Travel places, they said."
A man shouted in terror as the flames caught him and he jumped off of the wall, looking like a phoenix as he fell to his death.
"I've seen enough death."
Another cry from the babe and Harry refocused, walking toward the carriage that was pulling away from the castle. He rose up into the air, aided by his wand, and avoided smoking corpses and continued on to the carriage that was pulled by four horses. There were three men riding around the carriage, with white cloaks on their backs. The kingsguard protecting the queen. Harry apparated into the carriage, drawing the cloak tighter around himself. He stood in the middle of the wagon that was more like a room on wheels and stared at Princess Rhaella Targaryen.
The woman was exhausted and weary, holding her newborn son in her arms. The Archmaester was sitting next to her and he also looked exhausted but he also had a weary, haunted look in his eyes. He must have seen the death of the king up close.
Harry, still invisible to everyone, sat down on the other side of the queen and looked down at the babe. The child was cradled in Rhaella's arms, occasionally crying out. When Harry reached out a hand though, the child quieted and squirmed around in Rhaella's arms. The kid, newly named Rhaegar Targaryen, peered up at him with his purple eyes and stared at Harry.
"Hey, kiddo," Harry murmured, coughing a little due to the smoke in his lungs. Smoke inhalation wouldn't kill him in this form, in the shadowy form of an entity that wasn't quite a god but wasn't quite mortal either. "You've certainly been born into an exciting family."
Rhaegar continued to stare at him and Harry's eyes widened. He lowered his hand and watched as Rhaegar reached out with tiny, grabby fingers and wrapped fingers around Harry's thumb. "You can see me..."
"Huh."
Harry continued to stare at Rhaegar with wide eyes and looked at his mother. Rhaella was staring at her son, her skin pale and her eyes wide with terror at the horrifying event that had just come to pass. The carriage wagon had already gone a mile out from Summerhall and the cries were dying down but the flames… Harry could still see and feel the flames and they weren't dying down. It would make for a beautiful thing to see from a distance but not up close. Not when there were corpses still burning and hundreds of lives had been lost here.
Harry sighed and turned back to Rhaegar, who had dropped his fingers and wrapped his other hand around his mother's fingers.
"I'll be seeing you, Prince Rhaegar Targaryen," Harry spoke, standing up and padding over to the door. He glanced back at the prince and his mother then disapparated with a near silent crack. Princess Rhaella Targaryen started at the noise, opening her rapidly closing eyes and looked around the carriage. Her son started to make noises again and when she bared her breast, he began to drink.
"Prince Aerys Targaryen the Second is crown prince now," King Jaehaerys Targaryen spoke. He looked ill, from where Harry stood in the throne room. Harry was at the very far back in the big hall and yet he could see the illness in the king. The Iron Throne was intimidating but Jaehaerys didn't seem to have any trouble with it on first impression. When Harry walked closer, avoiding the people at court and the guards and the kingsguard, Harry saw Jaehaerys squirm around in the seat. It was subtle but Rhaegar's grandfather was not comfortable on the throne. Nor was he healthy. There was an air of… unhappiness in the people. War was brewing. House Targaryen had certainly had many wars throughout their history, if Death's answer to his question had been truthful.
Harry walked around the white cloaks and around the throne to the door behind it, stepping into the Red Keep. He could hear sounds of a happy child running around and he grinned a little, remembering the babe from two years ago. He sped up, hastening over the stone floors and up a staircase to the royal quarters. He passed Prince Aerys Targaryen, Rhaegar's father, on the way up and did a double take at the woman next to him. That was certainly not Princess Rhaella Targaryen but that was definitely Aerys' hand inching its way toward the woman's backside.
He sighed and continued up to where he could hear Rhaegar playing. The boy was playing under the watchful eye of Princess Rhaella and her lady in waiting, Joanna Lannister. Harry stepped into the room and looked out over the balcony that was attached to the room. The sun had just risen a few hours ago and he could see all of King's Landing from here.
A squeal of joy jolted him out of his sight seeing and he peered down at a three year old Rhaegar. The boy was standing right before him and grinning widely, like he remembered Harry from when he was born.
Harry knelt down and held out his hand. Rhaegar extended his own, small and yet just a little chubby. But still… Rhaegar Targaryen is a beautiful child. The tufts of silver hair that he had had when he had just been born have grown past his ears, making for gorgeous silver strands of hair. Rhaegar's purple eyes have darkened just a little but when Harry met Rhaegar's eyes, the boy lit up.
"What's your name?" Rhaegar asked, eyes bright with excitement.
"Oh, uh, you can call me Harry, little prince."
"Do you think your son is the Prince that was promised?" Joanna Lannister questioned. "Your father said that was the reason you two were to marry, was it not?"
Rhaella seemed to be lost in thought, watching her baby boy of three years. He was looking up at something, mayhap at the stars that had been drawn on the ceiling of the nursery. She had heard of other woman who had children who thought they had imaginary friends. Perhaps her son had one. "Perhaps. Father seemed to think so. The witch..."
Harry tuned out the Princess' words and watched as Rhaegar put his hand in Harry's and tugged him over to play.
"Young one, you have a prophecy about you," Harry remarked quietly, sitting down and watching the child play with blocks. There was a wooden sword propped up by Rhaegar's bed but there were more books spread out in the room and Rhaegar clearly read more.
"What's a prophecy?"
"Rhaegar?" Rhaella questioned, drawing over to peer down at her son.
"Prophecy. Harry said that I have a prophecy."
Harry frowned then sighed. It would probably be best to have Rhaegar ignorant of the prophecy for a few more years. If he himself had learned about the prophecy over his head at three or four years old, he would have been much more… worried. But at least, Rhaegar had loving parents. Harry didn't even have that when he was young. "Little dragon, forget about it. I did not mean to say anything."
Rhaegar peered up at him suspiciously then nodded, standing up and going over to grab a book. Harry stood up too and was about to go when Rhaegar ran over on his small legs.
"This is my favorite. Read it to me?"
Harry snorted and glanced over at Rhaella and Joanna, who were both absorbed in conversation. "Sure. I need to go soon though. There is something that needs my attention later, okay?"
Rhaegar raced over and jumped up onto his bed. Harry walked over and conjured a chair and sat down. Harry drew the book over and held it up and started to read. "The Conquest of Aegon Targaryen and his sister-wives."
The death of King Jaehaerys Targaryen wasn't unexpected for the smallfolk and the people at court but Harry was still there. Rhaegar's grandfather had been slowly wasting away from an illness and had finally succumbed the night before. Now, Prince Aerys was to be made King Aerys Targaryen the Second and Rhaella would be Queen. Rhaegar would now become Crown Prince at a mere three years old.
Harry watched as Aerys Targaryen was crowned king in the throne room. The throne room was crowded with people and guards. The white cloaks of the kingsguard kept an eye on everyone as the new king took his place on the throne. Queen Rhaella Targaryen sat next to him, albeit on a smaller, more comfortable looking throne.
Crown Prince Rhaegar Targaryen stood next to his mother, a solemn image of a three year old. His deep lilac eyes were looking everywhere and anywhere and they lit up a little when he saw Harry. Harry didn't go up but he did smile at Rhaegar, with what he hoped was a reassuring grin.
A few years into Aerys' reign, Harry came down to check on Rhaegar's father. He had stopped in to check on the little prince, who had been reading, and walked up to the throne room. There were several lords in the big room, talking quietly amongst themselves, while King Aerys sat on the Iron Throne. Harry studied Aerys, walking around the throne to watch him. As he did, Aerys seemed like he was trying to stop himself from fidgeting. The king was switching positions on the throne, trying to make it seem like he was just getting tired but Harry saw through it.
He hadn't been 'working' in Westeros for a long time yet but even he knew when someone was sitting in an uncomfortable seat. The Hand of the King, Lord Tywin Lannister, stood next to the king, watching the lords and knights with the eye of a cat who was thinking about stalking his next prey.
Lord Rickard Stark was standing and talking with one of the southern lords, Lord Jon Arryn, if Harry remembered correctly. Harry ambled over and listened in to their talk. Lord Stark was talking about the Night's Watchmen and how they needed more recruits and about the mountain clans between Winterfell and the Wall.
"Lord Stark?"
Harry turned to see King Aerys turn his gaze to them. Of course, Aerys could only see Lord Arryn and Stark but not Harry.
"Yes, your highness?" Rickard Stark said, raising an eyebrow.
"What about building a wall hundreds of miles north of the current one and claiming those lands? Wouldn't that make it better for the Night's Watch?" Aerys questioned, staring at the two men.
Harry's eyes widened and he could see Lord Stark and Arryn both try to hide their reaction. He had heard some of King Aerys outlandish plans for the kingdom but this… The wildlings would never allow anyone to claim those lands, let alone build another wall. Besides, who would pay for that? And who would build a wall that far North? He had heard stories about the white walkers and even though no one had seen them for thousands of years, the stories were still creepy. The stories told of undead walkers that reminded Harry of inferi but these walkers were the opposite. They were of ice and cold and icy blue eyes.
"Your highness, that-" Lord Rickard Stark was saying, looking up at the king.
"It's a good idea," King Aerys spoke. "Nevermind the rumors and stories. Those are just wild tales from the smallfolk. Myths, more like. No one's seen one in hundreds of years."
"Are you willing to pay for it?" Lord Jon Arryn asked, raising an eyebrow. "The Night's Watchmen don't have enough money or men to build your wall. The Wall was built by Brandon the Builder who is no longer with us. We don't have the capacity to build another one, especially one that far North."
"I will have another wall!" King Aerys exclaimed.
Harry looked between the king and the wolf lord then glanced down at his own clothes, whispering a spell. His dragonhide armor disappeared and was replaced by clothes that made him look like a highborn lord. He now wore a dark green tunic and black leggings, with a black cloak flowing from his tunic. He spoke another spell, an ancient working, one that would make him visible for a few moments and stepped forward.
"Your highness, another wall would not work," Harry spoke, raising his voice a little to be heard over other people. "What about matters of the Iron Bank? They're asking for more taxes."
Lord Rickard Stark turned to look at him, appraising. The Lord of Winterfell was middle aged, his black hair short and his grey eyes kind as they looked at him. Harry had heard that his wife, Lady Lyarra Stark, was pregnant and Rickard had come here at the king's orders.
"Just give Lord Stark and the Night's Watch the run of the dungeons," Harry suggested. "They can take anyone out from there and take them up to the wall."
"To build my wall, certainly," King Aerys said, glaring at him. Aerys' purple eyes darkened and Harry stared back, knowing much about Aerys' temper already.
"The wall won't work, your highness," Harry remarked, taking a step closer to the Iron Throne. "No one alive has the skill."
King Aerys stared at him, his eyes narrowing. "Who are you?"
"No one of importance," Harry answered, taking care to not turn his back on Aerys as he started to leave. "Your Hand would say the same."
"What is the prophecy that is allegedly about me?" Rhaegar asked, all of nine years old and quiet for a child. Harry had appeared on the day that Aerys had said they were going to the westerlands for a few weeks and now, Rhaegar was sitting across from Harry in a carriage. His mother was still in King's Landing, having decided not to go with them as she was pregnant again. Rhaegar had noticed that his father was growing more suspicious about his mother when her pregnancies had not come through. His mother had had two stillborn children and had told Rhaegar that they had died already, that his potential siblings had gone already.
Harry was peering out the window at the lands around them then turned to look at Rhaegar. The older wizard had popped in every now and then and Rhaegar had always loved when Harry arrived. Harry was his friend and his friend only; no one else could see him. Not even the kingsguard that followed Rhaegar or his father around. Luckily, he was the only one in this carriage now so he could speak to Harry freely.
"Are you sure, Rhaegar?" Harry questioned, his green eyes peering at Rhaegar with sadness in them.
"Yes. I want to know. My mother told my father to not say anything about it."
"She's just trying to protect you," Harry murmured.
"I've read books about our history," Rhaegar reminded Harry. "You've read some of them to me. I know about the war of the Five Penny Kings and I know that my father isn't faithful to my mother. I know I was born in fire and death. I know who you are."
"Alright," Harry exclaimed, frowning bemusedly and throwing up his arms. "The prophecy was told of a child of your father and mother's union, their marriage. You have heard of the Prince that was Promised prophecy?"
"Yes, my father told me about it and the maester explained it to me," Rhaegar said quietly, glancing out the window at the Westerlands. They were going to go see Tywin Lannister at Lannisport and his children but Rhaegar hadn't wanted to leave with his father. Hadn't wanted to see which woman Aerys would pull aside next and sleep with. His mother didn't deserve to be disrespected like that and he knew it hurt her. "I'm supposed to be the 'prophesied leader', right?"
"Yeah, something like that. The Prince that was Promised is suppose to deliver the world from darkness," Harry explained hesitantly. "The Prince is also suppose to have a song."
"A song?"
"The song of ice and fire," Harry replied, looking at Rhaegar and raising an eyebrow. "Not even I know what that is though."
"You're the Master of Death and you're not all knowing?" Rhaegar questioned in a wry voice. "You should get your gold back."
Harry stared and Rhaegar looked at his friend and tried to keep a straight face. Rhaegar twitched with withheld mirth then Harry snorted. Rhaegar's lips twitched upward and Harry laughed out loud. Rhaegar smiled.
"But are you sure the prophecy applies to me?" Rhaegar questioned once Harry was done laughing. "I heard the maester say that there would be a 'burning star' to announce the prince."
"Well… There was kind of a burning star," Harry offered. "Summerhall was a big burning star, if you want to call it that."
Rhaegar shuddered and peered out the window. He could see Lannisport from here and he supposed it looked impressive but in his mind's eye, he could see Summerhall. Or at least what it looked like in the history scrolls. Now, it probably just looked like a pile of ashes and stone and soot stained bones.
"I'm sorry," Harry whispered, sounding genuinely apologetic. Rhaegar had never heard a lie from Harry and his friend had never sounded false, like the people of the court. "I shouldn't have brought it up. You're awfully mature for a nine year old and I often… You're the only one who can truly see me. I'm sorry."
"Little dragon," Harry murmured after a while. Rhaegar heard soft footsteps and then fingers on his chin, tilting his head up so that he could look Harry in the eyes. "I am so sorry. I'll leave if you want me to."
Rhaegar finally opened his eyes and shook his head. "No, don't leave. I need a friend."
Harry stared at him and dipped his head in a slight nod. "Alright."
Harry watched as Prince Rhaegar ventured out of the Red Keep and out through the gates. The sun was beaming down on them, as it was a relatively warm beginning to the summer. There were no clouds in the sky and nothing else of note to the weather except for a cool breeze. Rhaegar was not wearing anything that could remotely recognizable. A black hood and a light red dirty looking tunic and leggings were all he had on, making him look like one of the smallfolk of Westeros. The crown prince was now 12 years old and had the look of someone older, someone haunted.
Harry nimbly followed him, cloaked in Death's cloak, and took in the street vendors and the various smiths of King's Landing and the woman selling their bodies as well. He could see that Rhaegar had a book stashed in a pocket and probably another book in the pocket on the other side of his clothes too. As far as Harry could see, Rhaegar didn't even have one of the Kingsguard following him; the prince was alone. His dragon probably wanted to get out of the castle, away from his father.
Harry had come to collet the soul of a stillborn babe, yet another boy this time, and he could hear the shouting of King Aerys from the queen's room. It had been a while since Harry had come to collect a soul personally but he had wanted to meet up with Rhaegar.
He followed Prince Rhaegar over the city until he came to a stop near the dragonpits on Rhaeny's Hill. Rhaegar stared down at the pits that used to hold dragons a hundred years ago ago, quiet and solemn. Rhaegar's silver hair was growing long, reaching to his shoulders. It rather reminded Harry of Lucius Malfoy but Rhaegar's personality was so unlike the Malfoy patriarch that he didn't have any trouble knowing the difference.
"Harry."
He started. Rhaegar couldn't possibly know he was there, could he? Surely he was addressing another Harry. Wasn't there a Harry on the Kingsguard?
"I know you're there."
"Okay, fine. Fine, you got me," Harry remarked, sighing in defeat and walking to stand next to Rhaegar. He pulled off his cloak and tucked it into a pocket. Harry in general didn't need the cloak, as anyone other than Rhaegar Targaryen couldn't see him but he always felt like he was back in Hogwarts when he cloaked himself in it.
He too looked down at the dragonpit, or to what was left of it. The big stone dome had collapsed onto itself and Harry could see a few ghostly souls who hadn't moved on through the dome. There was also a soul of a dragon or two down there, big and transparent as it snaked its body through the throngs of souls of people.
"Do you usually sneak out of the castle without Jon or Arthur?" Harry questioned quietly, as one of the ghosts of the dragons flew out and took to the air. It looked big, like it had been fully grown when it had died. He couldn't tell what color the dragon had been in life but now it was ghostly white.
"When I want to avoid my father, avoid my responsibilities," Rhaegar responded, just as quietly. "Did you come here to… collect my little brother's soul?"
"Yes. I don't delegate that duty to anyone else," Harry remarked. "In respect to you and your mother. Who did he blame the death on this time?"
Rhaegar sighed and drew out the book in his right pocket. "He blames my mother again."
Harry sighed too and glanced around the commonfolk that were walking across the street. Goldcloaks walked too and fro through the city, in groups that varied in number. "These things happen."
"You were mortal once, right?" Rhaegar questioned after looking up at him. His eyes were drawn, haunted.
"Yes, I was."
"Did you have dragons where you were from?"
Harry turned to look at Rhaegar then nodded. "Yes, but they… they weren't really like the dragons of the Targaryens of old. They were dangerous and mostly unrideable."
"I wish I had a dragon," Rhaegar commented. "The skulls in the palace are beautiful but they don't do dragons any justice. Balerion, Vhagar and Meraxes were dangerous to the people of Harrenhal and other cities. They were just trained well. Aegon the Conqueror didn't let his dragon burn crops that were needed or allow Balerion to hunt livestock."
"I'm planning on becoming a knight."
Harry's eyes widened as he studied Rhaegar then at the book. "Something make you think you need to be a knight?"
"The prophecy."
"Of course it is," Harry said, running a hand through his sweaty hair. "Did I tell you about my own prophecy?"
Rhaegar peered up at him and then shook his head. "No. I didn't know you had a prophecy about you."
"Suffice it to say, if you want to become a squire, that should be your own decision, not one influenced by outside matters. It's probably a good decision but you should think on it."
Rhaegar stopped his horse at the road that led to Summerhall. He had petitioned his knight master for a few days of rest from learning, from getting bruised everywhere. Though he had seen the looks on the Kingsguard, on the knights of the court. Rhaegar was a natural at learning to fight, at learning how to be a knight. The bookish prince was gone, well, mostly gone. Rhaegar still loved to read but he didn't have a lot of time for that now.
He was three years into his knight training and now 15 years old. His father was getting old and paranoid but the time spent training to be a knight did let him avoid his father. He still had princely duties but now he could spend time out in the sparring field. Rhaegar could even practice with his harp, the beautiful instrument that his mother had given him a year ago.
Rhaegar guided his horse forward and walked onward to Summerhall, the ashes around the palace long since blown away by winds and time. There was a certain smell though, one that might not ever go away, of flames and death. The breeze around him was cool, causing the small tree saplings to blow in the air. His white stallion whinnied uneasily as Rhaegar rode right up to the remains of the palace.
The only things remaining of what used to be a magnificent summer home was the stone outlines of the palace. Though the stone was not clean or white. It looked like the builders had used black stone instead of white but Rhaegar knew that it was all soot. He urged his horse on and walked slowly through the ruins and came to a stop in the middle of the palace. There had been enough of an entrance that he could bring his horse in and he sat there and looked out at the remains of his birthplace.
"Do you remember anything?"
Rhaegar didn't even move or twitch; he had come to expect Harry dropping in unexpectedly. However, this visit wasn't really unexpected. Harry had told him how he had come upon his mother giving birth to him amidst fire and blood, amidst grief. But himself on the other hand…
"No, I do not," Rhaegar remarked, watching as Harry floated down from sitting on top of the highest stone. He could make out faint black wings beating behind the wizard, wings that were attached to Harry's shoulder blades. "I just remember what my mother told me."
"Your cries drew me like a moth to a flame," Harry remarked, walking over to stand next in front of his horse. The wings behind his back fluttered in the slight evening breeze then folded inward. "The brightest life in and amongst all that death."
"All to bring back the dragons," Rhaegar said quietly, dismounting and exchanging his horse's bridle for a halter and tying it to a sturdy looking tree in the former courtyard. He walked along the short walls that were left and heard Harry follow. "What was your prophecy?"
Harry peered at him then looked up at the moon that was glowing down on them. Rhaegar thought Harry looked beautiful just then, with the moon beaming down on his face and hair. The scar on his forehead was illuminated and looked like it was glowing but whether from the innate power that Harry had or from moonlight, Rhaegar wasn't sure. "The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches... born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies... and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not... and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives... the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies..."
They continued walking along what was once a beautiful palace, across a small creek that ran around the building then back through the soot blackened remains. Rhaegar thought on the prophecy and remembered Harry mentioning a dark lord.
"Were you Master of Death when you were growing up, like an inherited title?"
Harry shook his head and hummed quietly. "No, I became the Master of Death when I was 17 when I had collected the Hallows. There wasn't a ceremony or something like that and I hadn't even heard of the title before I became it."
"The Hallows?" Rhaegar repeated, raising an eyebrow at the strange name.
Harry drew out a long stick and held it out on his palm. "The Elder Wand, sometimes called the Deathstick. My cloak and this..."
Rhaegar looked over at the stick and saw that it had notches on it, little knots, all along it. He raised his hand and looked at Harry, who nodded. Rhaegar placed his palm on it and the stick sparked, little threads of energy billowing out from it. As he touched the wood, it warmed in his hand. A small, black stone then appeared next to it and Rhaegar looked at Harry, silently questioning.
"The Resurrection stone," Harry explained quietly, looking into his eyes.
Rhaegar narrowed his eyes. "Does that mean what I believe it means?"
"No," Harry offered. "And yes."
"You know what I said about you being cryptic."
Harry snorted. "No one can truly bring the dead back to us. Or well, except for me but that's one of the rules. You can talk to a dead relative or a friend with it but that's all you can do. And not for too long else wise you could go crazy."
"The prophecy said that your Dark Lord marked you as his," Rhaegar commented after a minute or two of silence. They had returned to where he had tied his horse and the white stallion was now munching on some grass that had struggled to return. "Is that… your scar?"
Harry stopped walking and raised a hand to almost stroke the horse's mane. Rhaegar watched him as Harry withdrew his hand and turned to stare at Rhaegar, brushing some of his long black hair off of his forehead. Harry had never looked older or changed in appearance every time that he had popped in to say hi. He had always looked ten and seven and now Rhaegar realized that it was because Harry had become Master of Death at that age. He supposed that Harry had stopped aging right at that moment. "Yes, that's what he marked me with. Unintentionally though. It was a killing curse. One that obviously didn't work."
"I don't like the thought of someone marking you," Rhaegar confided, reaching out to touch the scar on Harry's forehead. He didn't say someone other than me. He didn't say that he would like someone he trusted with him at court. He didn't say he was almost half in love with Harry by now. The lightning bolt scar was raised and almost dark red in appearance, almost like the red of the Targaryen dragons on their banner. He heard Harry inhale sharply at Rhaegar's fingers tracing the scar and he drew his hand back.
"Yeah, well, he's dead. I killed him seventeen years after he gave me that," Harry remarked quietly. Rhaegar studied Harry as the wizard drew back a step or two and took to the air. "Good luck getting your head bashed in."
Rhaegar snorted, feeling his lips twitch upward into a smile. "I don't get my head bashed in."
"Sure you don't," Harry remarked with a smirk. "Keep Arthur and Jon close. I don't trust your father."
Harry sat down in the stands meant for people at court and the royal family and searched the grounds for Rhaegar. The smallfolk and commoners were excited for the tourney today, seeing as it was purported to be when Prince Rhaegar Targaryen was going to be knighted. The last joust played out just like Harry thought it would go, with Barristan Selmy winning. Arthur Dayne and Jon Connington were standing at the entrance to the prince's tent, swords at their waists. Arthur Dayne had the impressive sword Dawn at his side and the white cloak billowed from his armor. They were only sign that Prince Rhaegar was around and the fact that Rhaegar was the only member of the royal family in attendance indicated that the rumors that Harry had heard were true. Queen Rhaella had given birth to a healthy baby boy late this morning.
King Aerys was probably not letting anyone see the boy or even touch him, if what Harry had heard from Rhaegar in the past was true. All of Rhaegar's potential other siblings had either died in the womb or had caused miscarriages and all of their souls had been collected by Harry.
A big shout rose up in the audience and Harry could see Rhaegar come out of his tent, followed by the knight who had trained him. Rhaegar looked out at the audience and smiled appreciatively, his smile not really making it to his eyes from what Harry could see. The two walked out to the middle of the field and then stopped, with Rhaegar kneeling down. The knight raised his sword and pronounced the crown prince a knight.
Everyone cheered and Harry clapped too, whispering the spell that would make him visible to everyone under his breath. The present he had gotten for Rhaegar was on his lap and Harry couldn't wait to give it to him. He had found the blade on one of his trips to Essos to collect a soul and seeing as Rhaegar was special to him, he wanted the prince to have a strong weapon.
People gasped at the sight of him and his wings like he had expected. His wings were still tucked inward but everyone could see them. The big, black feathers ruffled in the wind and he stood up, hastening down to the field. He was wearing a red tunic and black leggings with his dragonhide armor over it and everyone's eyes were either on him or Rhaegar. He could also see that Arthur and Jon had their hands on their blades, ready to defend the prince.
"Stand down," Rhaegar whispered, looking up at Harry as he walked over to him. Harry grinned at Rhaegar's expression, part awe and part… possessive interest as the dragon prince realized that everyone could see him. "He's a friend."
Arthur and Jon exchanged looks but took their hands off of their swords. Harry could hear loud shouts behind him and shrugged, used to hearing people talk about him behind his back.
"Harry?"
His wings beat once or twice, kicking up dirt and leaves, before folding inward. One even curled slightly around his body as he kneeled. "Your highness, a present for you."
He held out the blade in its sheath and presented it to the man who had captivated him for the past 17 years. If Harry had been mortal, he would have followed Rhaegar to the ends of the Earth or in this case, Westeros. And it wasn't just because Crown Prince Rhaegar Targaryen was handsome, with his long silver hair and deep purple eyes. The two of them had had discussions from the time that Rhaegar had turned 13, with Rhaegar knowing when Harry needed cheering up to the prince getting all protectively angry at Harry's childhood. And to the basic fact that Rhaegar was the only one who could see him. The Dragon Prince had been the one to keep Harry sane throughout these years.
"Harry, what are you doing?" Rhaegar whispered as he hesitantly took the blade. "How?"
"Blowing everyone's minds."
Rhaegar snorted. He didn't quite understand Harry's words but he understood the basic meaning. He drew the blade out of its sheath and his eyes widened as he realized just which blade this was. A dragon's head had been created at the hilt, with the mouth leading to the blade.
"Blackfyre?" Rhaegar uttered in astonishment, swinging it in his hand. He heard Arthur and Jon gasp at Rhaegar's word and the member of his Kingsguard came to stand next to him, watching as Rhaegar swung it again. It was light but very well balanced in his hand as he held it. "Where did you find it?"
"Essos," Harry remarked, still kneeling. "A soul told me where."
"Rise, my friend," Rhaegar whispered.
Harry grinned and stood up slowly, letting his wings shake a little. "This spell of mine won't last long. I just wanted to-"
"You wanted to make an entrance," Rhaegar said with a knowing smile.
"Yes, yes, I did. Now rumors of my being will pass on to the king and gods know where else."
Rhaegar raised an eyebrow and Harry just smiled.
"Let's see what the king thinks of me," Harry remarked then vanished on the spot.
"Will my brother live?" Rhaegar asked as Harry appeared in his room in the Red Keep a few months later. Harry's wings fluttered then folded inward, almost so that they weren't visible. He could hear little Viserys cries' from down the hall as his young brother suffered from a fever. Harry studied him then nodded slightly.
"Yes, he will. I didn't come here for a soul," Harry remarked, coming closer to him. "I just came to see how you were doing."
"Were you sure that I was the Prince that was Promised?" Rhaegar questioned as he looked out over the balcony in his room. King's Landing was visible in the slowly rising sun, a soft red glow over each stone building. Blackfyre was attached to his hip and everyone had wanted to touch it or look at it in detail. Rhaegar had been asked by every member of court about the strange man who had given the sword to him but he hadn't said a word except that the man was a friend. "I've been having these dreams..."
Harry raised an eyebrow. "What kind of dreams?"
"Dreams of three children," Rhaegar said. "Children with green eyes instead of violet and silver hair..."
Harry stared and blinked at him. His mouth opened once, closed it then opened again as he processed Rhaegar's statement. He finally said, "Green, like my eyes?"
Rhaegar nodded. "Have you had any… dreams?"
"I'm not mortal, remember? I don't dream," Harry remarked, still shaken. His eyes were wide and his skin was pale as he started to pace around the room. Rhaegar watched the other man as he walked and wondered what he was thinking about.
"What did you father say about me?" Harry finally asked, stopping at the balcony and turning to look at Rhaegar.
"The general opinion of the court is that you are a dragon god."
Harry snorted. "People call you the Dragon Prince, don't they?"
Rhaegar nodded.
"We're certainly a pair then. The Dragon God and the Dragon Prince."
"You are no dragon god," Rhaegar remarked, walking over to where Harry had stopped. "If you are though, you are my dragon god."
Harry stared at him, flecks of red filling his cheeks. Rhaegar raised a hand and tilted Harry's head up and laid a light kiss on his cheek then pulled away. Harry's green eyes were wide but there was a certain… excitement to them. Harry was grinning, his wings fluttering a little more.
"Is that okay?" Rhaegar asked, just to be sure.
"Yes, it is very, very okay. Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"My father is talking about sending for the Dornish princess," Rhaegar said as he played his harp in his room. Harry was sitting on one of the chairs that he had taken a liking to in Rhaegar's room, the one that looked out over the balcony. Harry had popped in and out over the past few months to be with Rhaegar and to check in on Aerys. The king had grown in his paranoia over the years and the Defiance at Duskendale had increased had made the king even more crazy.
Taking Jaime Lannister as a Kingsguard had been the king's idea but Harry had seen more than one lion's claw in the creation of the deal. It had been more along the lines of holding Jaime hostage against his father's potentially treasonous behavior.
"For marriage?" Harry questioned, studying Rhaegar as he plucked the strings on the harp. His… partner….boyfriend... was just fine tuning a new song, one that would likely make everyone cry all over again. Harry always enjoyed listening to Rhaegar play the instrument. Rhaegar even had created one song just for him and only played it in his presence.
Rhaegar nodded. "There are no more Targaryen princesses for me to wed nor are there apparently any of noble Valyrian blood. My mother supports the offer but my father is desperate for a marriage even if he has to ask the Dornish and appear weak."
"Isn't there a history of kings sometimes having consorts, male consorts?" Harry questioned.
"There was one Targaryen king that had a male consort," Rhaegar agreed. "However, the High Septon did not approve and nor did the smallfolk. The king did have a queen at the time so there was an heir. Are you suggesting something?"
"Hmm. You need someone you can trust at court. I want to keep an eye on my prince. You also have had dreams..."
Rhaegar raised an eyebrow as Harry stood up, his wings beating once or twice.
"I need to go," Harry said immediately, quietly. His voice sounded shaky even to his own ears. "I… Stall your father for a week and a half then meet me at Summerhall at the end of two weeks. Bring a guard."
"Stall my father? Harry, you do realize I won't be able to stall him for long. He's too paranoid now and if I stall him for a long period of time, he might start to think I'm going to take the throne from him. He's thought it in the past."
"I know. Just do your best. I know you protect your mother and little brother from him."
"Rhaegar, don't think I don't know what you're doing," King Aerys said, his voice shrill and loud. His fingernails had grown even more over the past two weeks and Aerys refused to even let scissors or clippers near him. His beard was long and dirty and Rhaegar could even see flecks of blood in the matted hair under his father's chin. The king had ordered two more people put to death last night and Aerys had laughed as the accused burned at the stakes. "You are taking the crown from me. I know it. Which lords are supporting you?! I'll see them burned!"
Rhaegar sighed as he mounted his horse. Arthur mounted too, his white cloak fluttering in the wind. Harry had said to take a guard and as much as Rhaegar hated to bring a guard with him to Summerhall, Harry probably had the right of it. They rode out of the courtyard at a walk then trotted out of the keep, listening to Aerys shout on. Rhaegar knew some lords at court were indeed getting wary of Aerys' reign, of their king taking joy in killing people. He knew some had come to King's Landing for the express purpose of asking him to take the throne.
The two of them rode out of King's Landing then rode through the king's wood. Arthur was silent enough on the trip, only once asking their destination during the trip. Though Rhaegar thought that Arthur might know where they were going. Arthur had caught Rhaegar going out of King's Landing once or twice in the past year or so and had let him go. And Arthur was his best friend, other than Harry.
They rode in quiet as they passed the various wildlife that lived south of King's Landing and up into the foothills of the Dornish Marches and right onto the road that led to Summerhall, the summer residence of House Targaryen. He could smell the smoke from here or…
Rhaegar's eyes widened when he realized that the smoke he was smelling was from a current source, not from the past. He urged his horse onward, up the road and heard Arthur follow with his horse. The two of them rode onward until they saw the ruins of Summerhall and… something that Rhaegar had not expected at all. He could see Harry standing in front of Summerhall but he was not alone.
"Rhaegar?" Arthur said, faintly, drawing the sword Dawn. Arthur's eyes were wide and Rhaegar's were too as Harry noticed them. And so did the two dragons on each of Harry's shoulders. Harry's wings were out and wrapped around his shoulders, effectively protecting the two, week old dragons. One dragon was black and the other was red.
"Arthur, you can see him?"
"Yes, I can. You know the one they're calling the dragon god?"
Rhaegar laughed, his voice faint and hoarse from not laughing in a while, and urged his horse forward until he was but a few feet from his lover.
"Harry, what… why?"
Rhaegar was too confused to even notice anything but Harry. Arthur obviously did though as he drew his attention and pointed at something on the ground at the edge of Summerhall's borders. There was a smoking crater near the woods, one that had the symbol of Harry's title burned into the ground.
"I am mortal now," Harry remarked, fidgeting a little and rocking back on his heels. "The wings stayed but now… Am I good enough to impress your father into letting us marry? Or something along those lines?"
Arthur snorted and narrowed his eyes, looking between the two men. He had witnessed the man opposite them give Rhaegar Blackfyre and the wings were impressive to behold. Rhaegar seemed to be utterly content with the other man, trusting him to get close, so Arthur would withhold judgement for now.
Rhaegar smiled softly and held out a hand to the black one, who had been looking at him intensely. "How old are they?"
"One week. They came with me, were with me when I landed on the ground and had to get used to doing things the mortal way. The red one's already taken to me but I suspect..."
Rhaegar watched as the black one toddled over to him, its black wings flapping idly in the wind like it wanted to fly. It ambled over to him on week old legs and came to sit on his shoulder and huffed out a breath of smoke. Rhaegar stared at it and stared in awe. Dragons come alive.
"Why? Harry, you didn't have to do this for me."
Harry peered over at him after stroking the red one's nose. There was a sword strapped to Harry's waist, one that Rhaegar noticed looked a lot like Valyrian steel. "You had dreams of green eyed, silver haired children. I conferred with Death and it said that you are the destined one to hold my heart and released me from my duties. Death will have to occasionally ask me for help or advice but I am yours."
"As I am yours."
Harry smiled softly and folded his wings behind him then stepped closer. Rhaegar closed the distance between them and pulled Harry into a kiss, knowing that they had a lot ahead of them but together, they would be able to take on anything. Including raising baby dragons and making sure his father didn't destroy the kingdom.
AN: This is tentatively the first part of a series if you guys are interested in reading more.
I have created a facebook page for readers of my stories to ask questions, leave comments, anything like that. I will also be putting polls for pairings eventually on there too so feel free to like the page. And I will try my best to post updates on stories too.
Just search for 'molmcmahon' on facebook if you're interested.