Harry stayed another two days in Riverrun. His mother was quite happy, so he couldn't help staying an extra day.
They went riding around the castle while she told Harry about the history of the territory.
It wasn't that he didn't know it, but he was happy to let her talk.
Unfortunately, he couldn't meet Brynden Tully, who was traveling in the Vale. He had heard quite a few stories about him.
In the castle courtyard.
Hoster Tully, in a wheelchair, looked at his daughter and grandson with a smile.
"He's a magnificent horse," Hoster said, looking at Ater, who was carrying several bags with small gifts Hoster had sent for his grandchildren.
"He is. His name is Ater," Harry said, roughly patting Ater's large shoulder.
"Ater," Hoster murmured, looking at the large horse. His gaze became somewhat melancholic as he thought about his situation. Perhaps he would never be able to ride a horse again.
"Remember to follow the instructions I gave you. In a year, you should have recovered enough to travel. I'll be waiting for you," Harry said, looking at his grandfather. He had actually ended up liking the old man.
"I'll definitely come. I have to meet my grandchildren," Hoster said in good spirits, even in a wheelchair.
"Are you sure we shouldn't send some riders to escort you?" Edmure asked, looking at them doubtfully.
"Don't worry, we can take care of ourselves. Besides, they'd be too slow," Harry said, shaking his head.
Val mounted first and simply watched them in silence.
"Well then, see you later," Harry said with a smile before mounting Ater and extending his hand toward his mother.
"Father, remember to take the medicine Harry gave you. I hope I can see you in a year," Catelyn said softly as she took her father's hand.
"I will. Take care," Hoster said, releasing his daughter's hand with a smile.
Catelyn turned around and took Harry's hand to pull herself up and mount.
Ater immediately began trotting as he picked up speed. In just a few minutes, he had already disappeared over the horizon.
"He really is fast," Hoster Tully said with a slight smile.
"Harry is really bold to travel alone with two women," Edmure said, frowning slightly.
"He's Lord Stark. I've already told you," Hoster said, frowning as he looked at his son.
"There's no reason to be so strict," Edmure murmured, pursing his lips.
Hoster merely shook his head. He couldn't help feeling envious of Ned, who had confidently handed his position over to his son.
He still didn't dare do the same.
Following the road back, Ater galloped at great speed with three people on his back.
After eating at the Crossroads Inn, the group rested for a while before setting off.
The pleasant weather around Riverrun made the ride enjoyable. With the sun already setting, the three rested several kilometers from the Neck.
Catelyn once again watched as the camp seemed to come to life, as if welcoming them. Two tents flew through the air before setting themselves up.
The campfire seemed to explode before a flame danced gently, and the dirty logs turned into three wooden chairs.
Sitting down expressionlessly, she tried not to think about it.
"Harry, give me one of those strength potions," Val suddenly said, looking at Harry with a smile.
"It's unnecessary," Harry said, looking at her.
"Please?" Val said, tilting her head with a smile.
Harry rolled his eyes before slipping a hand into his shirt and pulling out a blue potion, then tossing it to her.
Val caught it with a broad smile as she looked at the thick liquid with interest.
Catelyn looked at Val before looking at the potion doubtfully, but before she could even ask, Val spoke.
"Don't interfere," Val said, looking at Harry.
"You don't even know if they'll come," Harry said, rolling his eyes.
"What are you talking about?" Catelyn asked, frowning.
"A lot of people had their eyes on us when we left the inn. If it weren't for Ater's speed, we probably would have been robbed already," Val said, playing with the potion.
"I can imagine them riding after us, trying to catch up," Val said with a laugh before looking at Harry.
"I doubt it. For that, it would have to be something very personal," Harry said, shaking his head as he heated the food.
"Let's make a bet. If they catch up to us, I win," Val said, looking at him.
"All right. If they don't catch up to us, you lose," Harry said with a smile.
"The winner can ask the loser for anything they want," Val said with an amused look.
"Anything?" Harry said, raising his eyebrows.
"The wildest thing you can imagine," Val said with a laugh.
Catelyn couldn't help clearing her throat softly, feeling that the conversation had gone off track.
Val said nothing more and simply tucked the potion into her cleavage.
"Don't worry, I doubt they'll come," Harry said, looking at his mother.
Catelyn nodded hesitantly, but she couldn't help looking into the darkness around them. However, remembering how the camp had seemed to grow out of the ground, she managed to calm down.
She had seen her son fight with swords, but she had never seen him use magic to harm anyone. It was one of the reasons she didn't think magic was as bad as people said.
"Mother, here's your food," Harry said, handing Catelyn a plate and pulling her out of her thoughts.
"Oh, thank you," Catelyn said instinctively before accepting the plate and beginning to eat.
Her gaze couldn't help moving from Harry to Val, watching them go from insulting each other to flirting in an endless cycle.
It wasn't how she imagined a relationship should be, but somehow, they both seemed happy. Her son could hardly ever stop smiling when he was with Val.
Shaking her head, she concentrated on eating while feeling the warmth of the campfire.
With the stars shining brightly in the sky, the three went to sleep to the sound of burning wood crackling.
Catelyn was sleeping alone in her tent when the familiar sound of clashing swords woke her in alarm.
Remembering Harry and Val's words, she immediately got up and carefully looked through the tent flap.
Dawn was just breaking, and the brightening sky could be seen on the horizon.
Under this faint light, she could barely make out what was happening.
Val's blonde hair was particularly striking, but the scene was so unreal that she wondered if she was dreaming.
Two men lay on the ground beside her, their blood forming a large pool around them.
Four men looked at her with obvious unease.
"You don't need to watch," Harry said, approaching her side.
"Why don't you help her?" Catelyn asked, looking at her son.
"She'd throw a tantrum afterward if I helped her," Harry said, rolling his eyes as he looked at her.
Growing impatient when she saw that they weren't attacking her, Val lunged at them. After drinking a strength potion, her movements were inhuman.
Although the men managed to block her sword, their arms gave way or broke before Val's blade cut them down.
A kick from her sent a man flying several meters.
Like a cat playing with a group of mice, Val eliminated all the bandits before walking back with a broad smile.
Stabbing her sword into the ground, Val pushed Harry back toward the tent.
"It's still early. We can sleep a little longer."
That was the last thing Catelyn heard as she looked at the tent. Her gaze shifted toward the sword stuck in the ground, still covered in blood, and the corpses a few meters away.
Her view of Val had changed completely.
She had always thought Val was merely her son's lover, and that calling her his guard was just a figure of speech.
But after witnessing the small massacre that had just taken place, Catelyn had to admit that she would never be able to look at Val the same way again.
Returning to her tent, she tried to fall asleep, but after what she had just seen, and knowing what her son and Val were doing in the tent next door, she couldn't sleep.
Hours later.
Harry rode Ater with Val and his mother until they reached Moat Cailin.
There, they boarded the train and traveled to Winterfell.
Harry noticed that his mother was quite happy, not only because her father had recovered, but also because they had completed a journey that normally took a month in just a few days.
"Thank you, dear," Catelyn said, gently cupping Harry's cheek before walking toward her room.
Harry simply smiled. She didn't even have to say it.
"I'm going to see Dacey," Val said, giving Harry a flirtatious look before leaving cheerfully.
Harry simply smiled as he shook his head. He was usually unsure whether they were best friends or rivals who couldn't stand each other.
Although it would have been interesting to follow her, there was something that interested him even more.
He had been right in the middle of his experiments to create a magical container. The last time they'd discussed it, Val had given him an idea.
Now all that remained was to see whether it was a good one.
....
Winterfell.
Maester Luwin was reading a book in his study when someone knocked softly on his door.
"Come in," Luwin said softly, looking curiously to see who had come to visit him.
It was then that a head of black hair appeared, and Luwin couldn't help but smile when he recognized who it belonged to.
"Jon, what brings you here?" Luwin asked cheerfully.
It had been years since their lessons had ended, and they no longer saw each other as often.
"Maester Luwin," Jon said, greeting him with a smile.
"Sit down. Would you like some water?" Luwin said with a smile.
"No, I... just wanted to talk for a while," Jon said, shaking his head as he sat across from the old man.
Luwin looked at Jon without much surprise, not only because he had expected this, but because he had noticed that Jon had been behaving strangely over the past few days.
"Maester, what should I do with my life? I'm a bastard. What's expected of bastards?" Jon asked, looking at him.
"That's a somewhat difficult question in your case. You see, Jon, I don't know if you know this, but bastards don't normally grow up in the castle alongside the other children," Luwin said with a serious look.
Luwin had never told Jon this when he was younger, but Jon was an adult now and could certainly learn what life was like for other bastards.
"By now, you would probably be serving as a knight under some house, have joined the Night's Watch, or be managing some of House Stark's lands," Luwin said.
Jon's expression grew somewhat gloomy, as he now understood why he had received different treatment from other bastards.
"What do you think I should do?" Jon asked.
"I think it's too soon to say. Your case is very different. Your brother, the current Lord Stark, is very fond of you. If you wished, you could continue as you are for a long time, marry, have children, and perhaps continue living in the castle," Luwin said.
"You could also go to Essos if you like adventure. You've already been there, so I suppose you understand a little about how things work over there. You have the opportunity to decide your own fate, something few people have," the old man said, looking at Jon, who seemed confused.
"What if I wanted more?" Jon asked, looking at Luwin.
"What do you mean by more?" the old man asked, frowning slightly.
"What if I wanted lands of my own, to become a lord?" Jon asked with a conflicted expression.
"That... is a little more difficult. It's not impossible, but you would need your brother to grant you lands. And although the North is immense, that doesn't mean there are lands that can simply be given away," Luwin said, feeling that they were touching on a delicate subject.
Besides, if Harry had to give lands to someone, he wasn't sure it would be Jon. Of course, he didn't say that aloud.
"You're still very young. You can take a few years to figure out what you want to do," Luwin said when he saw that Jon remained silent.
"Hmm, I understand. Thank you, Maester Luwin," Jon said after a few moments of silence, then stood up and left.
The cold breeze immediately greeted him, along with a bark.
Lowering his gaze, Jon smiled slightly as he crouched down and vigorously rubbed Ghost's head.
"Let's go for a walk," Jon said, rubbing Ghost's head one last time before standing up and walking away.
He couldn't help thinking about the heart tree, wondering if his mother had also visited it often.
As he walked through the castle, people occasionally greeted him. Even so, he noticed the difference. Their greetings were casual, and he couldn't help thinking of the way they greeted Harry.
Smiles filled with respect and gratitude.
Walking through the small forest, he reached the heart tree. Ever since he learned that he was the son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark, he hadn't been able to sleep well.
Somehow, he felt that he would be wasting his life if he remained nothing more than Ned's bastard.
He felt that he had to do something to live up to their names.
Sighing, he sat in front of the tree and looked at the sad face carved into it.
"What are you doing?" Harry's voice suddenly asked, making Jon jump.
Turning his head, he looked at Harry. He had that typical smiling expression whenever he looked at him, seemingly amused at having startled him.
"Just thinking. What about you?" Jon said, shaking his head as he looked back at the tree.
"I just came to recharge a little. I'm doing some experiments and used up all my magic," Harry said casually as he leaned against the tree and looked at Jon.
"Why are you the only one who needs to recharge?" Jon asked, somewhat confused about it.
"It's a spell that, let's say, carefully channels magic through your body, and it requires quite a bit of control and practice, so it's not easy to teach, especially to novices like you," Harry said with a teasing smile.
Jon merely sighed and shook his head.
"You've been lost in thought these past few days. What, have you decided to go after the throne?" Harry asked, looking at him.
Jon trembled slightly before looking at Harry. Seeing his casual expression, Jon couldn't help smiling wryly. As direct as always.
"I don't know. I feel like I have to do something, since I'm the only legacy my father left behind," Jon said with a conflicted expression.
"Your father?" Harry said, frowning.
Harry couldn't help thinking about everything Ned had sacrificed to keep Jon safe. His reputation, even his relationship with his wife. He had endured it all to protect a child who wasn't even his own.
Jon paused for a moment when he saw Harry's expression, but he was confused. Harry knew who his father was.
"As far as I'm concerned, your father is Eddard Stark, and if you want to leave a legacy in someone's name, it should be his, not Rhaegar's," Harry said, looking at him.
"You don't seem to like him," Jon said, feeling uncomfortable.
"It's not just that I don't like him. I despise him. He abandoned his family, his people, all to sleep with a girl, and look at the result," Harry said with disgust.
"We don't know exactly what happened," Jon said, frowning as he clenched his fists.
"That's true, but just looking at the results is enough. You're not a child, Jon. Although Aerys was the one who ignited the flames of war, Rhaegar made sure there was enough fuel."
"I suppose his arrogance got the better of him. Perhaps he thought no one would dare rebel, and many people paid the price, especially his wife, who was raped, and his children, who were murdered," Harry said, his tone hardening.
Jon looked at Harry in silence. He didn't argue. He simply stood up and left, unable to find any arguments to contradict Harry's words.
And deep down, Jon knew Harry had a point, but Rhaegar was his father. Until he was sure of the truth, he wouldn't judge him.
Harry sat silently, watching Jon's back as he walked away with Ghost following him. A little concern appeared in his eyes. He hoped Jon wouldn't do something stupid.
Like leaving without telling anyone.
----
Thank you for reading!
If you'd like to support my work, you can find me on Patreon as Fast_Writer, where 10 advanced chapters are available.
Thank you for your support!