Hadrian Snow
The Crownlands had been run roughshod over by the war, and nowhere was this no more apparent than the landscape surrounding King's Landing. Abandoned and destroyed campgrounds, hastily prepared and abandoned fortifications, along with small fires marred the Kingsroad leading to the capital of Westeros.
And it was once they got within viewing range of the city's walls that the sights worsened. The fields surrounding King's Landing were littered with corpses and burnt siege equipment. Arrows fired from the top of the walls still laid half-buried in the ground, the same applying to scattered spears and cavalry lances.
Entrenchments and holes lay filled with burned bodies, as the defenders had moved whatever dead away from the walls before burning them. Leaving corpses so close to the city would only bring disease, and so they had been used conveniently to fill in the trenches that Renly's men had dug. It didn't matter if those so-called trenches had actually been latrines, as they needed somewhere to burn the bodies.
Spiked wooden barricades created a zigzagging path that led to the city's gate, forcing Harry and his fellow Northmen to dismount and carefully lead their horses through. He could see hundreds of men watching them all the while, as Ned Stark had somehow recruited enough men to man the walls.
It had taken Harry and his men nearly a fortnight to get to King's Landing from their battle at the God's Eye. The journey that would normally have taken a week was made longer by their need to avoid the scouts in Renly's army. Nearly a thousand men couldn't stand against the combined Reach and Stormlands host, and so he had to be careful not to be noticed.
They avoided nearly all roads, instead navigating through wooded areas while trying not to get lost. It was only the sun's rise and fall that told him they were heading south, but even then they had to stop and ask for directions when their men happened across a random town.
But not all was well and good, as some of their men got separated from the main group and lost, and that wasn't to mention the few unlucky times they ran into a patrol of Reachmen, which made them hastily change course. Scouts he sent ahead eventually came back with riders from King's Landing, who were scouts sent out by Ned Stark, and so their group soon arrived before the city itself.
The Gate of the Gods opened at their approach, as the numerous lookouts had no doubt seen the many Stark banners raised high by their riders. The scouts they met from the city had also gone ahead, making sure to announce their arrival beforehand, as to make sure they weren't misidentified as enemies.
Once inside, Harry saw that several hundred men manned the gate, with further traps and fortifications built behind it to slow down any attackers that potentially breached the walls. He only briefly surveyed it all, as soon his uncle approached, dismounting and pulling him into a hug.
"Harry." Ned Stark was there, looking to have aged years in what could only be a few moons.
"Uncle." He greeted. "It is good to see you are well."
He had been very worried about Lord Stark, and Robb was of similar mind. Harry had gone south to help Ned in being Hand of the King, and what came next had only been one disaster after another.
The corruption of the City Watch, Littlefinger's schemes, Dorne and Oberyn Martell, the Tyrells wanting to wed Joffrey, and then the wildfire crisis that led to King Robert's death and Renly's uprising. Now the man was fighting a siege - or rather, having won a siege - acting as one of the few pillars that held King's Landing together.
Few of the schemes they navigated had been their fault, as most of it was Southron tomfoolery that Ned and Harry had to clean up. And neither of them could have predicted King Robert's death, along with the succession crisis that would follow.
"I can say much the same." Ned looked him over. "It seems that our journey south came with more burdens than I ever imagined possible. I am sorry for that."
"There is nothing to apologize for." And there really wasn't. How was Ned to know that there were so many problems down south? "I am just glad that I came south with you in the first place, uncle."
"As am I." Ned agreed. "For I likely would've lost my head to my own foolishness if it wasn't for your council. But there will be time for reminiscing later, as I would hear of your exploits, and how my son, Robb, is-"
"My Lords!" A rider approached, cutting Lord Stark off. "Lord Varys and Maester Pycelle have called for a meeting of the small council! They claim to have received urgent news!"
"Alas, the time for storytelling will have to wait." Ned sighed. "There never seems to be a dull moment in this city."
/////
A walk through the city showed that it wasn't just the walls King's Landing that had been fortified and manned, as checkpoints and increased patrols made sure the city was secure from within. It was the equivalent of military martial law from his previous life, as any man that could bear arms was conscripted into service, required to take several hours of their day for training, and given barely-adequate weapons and armor.
And then there was the Red Keep, having been transformed from an impressive castle to an impregnable fortress. It was here that the most skilled men-at-arms and best weaponry were concentrated, making sure the keep could hold out even if the rest of the city fell.
Past the numerous gates and guards led Ned and Harry to the Tower of the Hand, into the small council chambers where the others were already waiting.
Varys, Pycelle, and Wendel Manderly were still present at the table, along with others. The position of Master of Coin was still vacant, having been unfulfilled since Littlefinger held the role.
As for the Master of Laws, the role had been filled by Barristan Selmy. It seemed that Ned, Wendel, and Ser Barristan had been working together tirelessly to defend the city. And from what his uncle explained to him, Wendel had been tasked with training some of the city's smallfolk as levies to man the walls, while ser Barristan handled the city's basic defenses along with that of the Red Keep.
Overseeing them all was the Hand of the King, as his uncle personally oversaw the city's trade and food stores. Luckily, they still received constant shipments of food by sea, keeping the granaries stocked. But there had been word that the Redwyne fleet was headed their way, and would soon blockade the harbor and starve the smallfolk of whatever food they had left.
"What news is there that is so urgent?" Ned began the meeting as he walked in.
"My little birds bring whispers from all over the kingdom, my Lord Hand." Varys said.
"A-And I have received quite a few ravens as well." Grand maester Pycelle bumbled out. "If I may say, not all is going well, although there is some good news."
Ned sighed. "Start with the bad first."
"Lord Tywin has suffered a loss." Pycelle spoke the words as if it pained him.
"What happened?" Wendel Manderly asked. "Don't tell me the Old Lion has been laid low?"
"H-Hardly, my Lord." The aging Maester coughed. "Although-"
"Perhaps it is better if I speak on what has occurred, grand maester?" Varys butted in, earning a nod of agreement. "It was after the Battle of the God's Eye ended that Lord Tywin began a relentless pursuit of Renly Baratheon's forces. A battle that was won, due in part, to the brave contributions of yourself, Hadrian Snow."
Harry nodded as Varys recognized him, earning respectable looks from those present. It was hardly surprising that news had already reached King's Landing of the battle's events, and he had already promised Ned a full breakdown of what occurred on the battlefield once they settled in.
"As for Lord Tywin, he relentlessly pursued Renly's retreating army for days, pushing them further south while harassing their rear. As the pursuit continued, the Lords under Tywin's command began to believe that Renly's army was falling apart."
"Falling apart?" Barristan Selmy repeated. "You mean to say his men were deserting?"
"That was the assumption that the Lord of the Westerlands were coming to. You see, every time they came across Renly's army's old campgrounds, they found it was getting smaller and smaller with each passing day. Less campfires and tents, leading the Lords to believe that his men were deserting in large numbers."
"Let me guess." Harry spoke, earning the council's attention. "His men weren't actually deserting?"
"Indeed." Varys nodded. "It was a ruse, a clever trick devised by Renly Baratheon to draw Lord Tywin into a trap. On the tenth day of their pursuit, Lord Tywin led the bulk of his army after Renly's position, believing most of his men had deserted. However, Renly had positioned himself in between two hills, and it was only once the Lannisters attacked that the bulk of his army revealed themselves and descended from those hills."
"It seems Tywin Lannister's impatience got the best of him." Ned remarked, although he didn't seem saddened in the least. "A clever strategy devised by Renly Baratheon, but one he could only use once. What of their losses?"
"Lord Tywin is reportedly injured, but will hopefully survive his wounds." Pycelle answered. "Lord Kevan has taken command, and made the decision to regroup further North. I don't have exact numbers, but their dead might number as high as ten thousand."
Harry looked around then, and realized something. "Perhaps King Tommen should be made aware of this? Or maybe the Queen?"
While Robert Baratheon had never attended meetings of the small council, it seemed odd that neither Tommen nor his mother were present. They were family to Tywin Lannister, and had a vested interest in the war's progression. That wasn't to mention Cersei Lannister's relentless thirst for power and control, as it wouldn't surprise him to see her sitting with the council even now, claiming to be a stand-in for her son.
"I am afraid that will not be possible." Varys seemed apologetic. "The Queen has all but barricaded herself in Maegor's Holdfast, and seldom lets the King leave her side."
Looking around, he could see the unhappy expressions on the faces of everyone present. It seemed that Cersei had made quite a nuisance of herself by the look of things, going beyond her usual scandalous activity as the war had likely made her increasingly paranoid. Women are irrational creatures, and he would never understand them.
"I will give his Grace and the Queen the news once the meeting is over." Ser Barristan stated awkwardly.
"And what of the good news you promised us, grand maester?" Ned moved the conversation on.
"Why yes, of course." The old man coughed, and Harry rolled his eyes. "A raven from House Velaryon reports that Lord Stannis has engaged the Redwyne Fleet, and sunk most of their ships. I-It is even mentioned that Lord Stannis slew Paxter Redwyne after boarding his vessel personally."
That bit of news made the room's occupants sit up. Even Harry found himself taken back, not expecting such good news.
"Heh, it seems we underestimated Lord Stannis." Wendel laughed joyfully. "The thought of revenge for besieging Storm's End must have pushed him into action."
"It does seem that our Master of Ships has finally done his duty." Ned remarked dryly, while looking relieved. "I'll admit that I feared he too would go against the Crown, and declare himself King."
"You were not the only one, my Lord Hand." Varys gave a small smile. "I also had feared such a eventuality. My little birds now report that Lord Stannis is sailing south, to the Stormlands. No doubt he will reclaim Storm's End, and be another thorn in Renly's side."
"I suppose that Tywin Lannister's blunder can be washed away by this latest news." The Hand mused. "The only question is what will be Renly Baratheon's next move. He can hardly lay siege to Storm's End while simultaneously fighting off Tywin Lannister, the Riverlands, and my son. Is there any more news?"
"T-There are ravens pouring in by each day, bringing oaths of fealty to the King." Pycelle said. "The victory at the God's Eye has pushed many fence sitters to our side."
"Lord Tully's host has swelled impressively, and an additional ten thousand men have left their homes to march with their liege Lord." The master of whispers added. "Now that victory seems certain, the Lords of the Riverlands seem less reluctant about fighting for their King."
"It should not matter if victory is certain, not heeding their Lord's original call to muster cannot be overlooked." Ned's tone of voice made his opinion known. After all, his own son had risked his life while battling alongside the Riverlands Lords, and for so many of them to sit back instead of marching to war… It was something more than dishonorable in his eyes.
"If that is all, this meeting is concluded." Ned Stark ended the meeting soon. "Bring any word of Renly Baratheon's movements to me at once."
/////
It was with some reminiscing that Harry came to the realization that he rarely went to bed unaccompanied in the past year. Whether it be Val, Margaery, Arianne, Ashara, or Kinvara who slept with him, his cock was typically erect and buried in woman's core by the time the sun went down.
Am I a whoremonger? A sex addict? The errant thought made him frown. Perhaps.
His friends from his previous life as Harry Potter would surely be scandalized by his debauch behavior, especially Hermione. But he had seen worse men in his time in Westeros. Having constant sex with the ladies of the realm was hardly a crime, and was a better vice than bandithood or selling his sword to the highest bidder for coin.
And even now, returning to the Red Keep in the midst of a war had brought a different woman to his bed. She was someone he had not laid with in some time, and her company was appreciated more than not.
Red hair on a thin frame could be seen as she writhed in front of him, her handful-sized breasts swinging as she breathed heavily. Her aristocratic face pictured in the throes of rapture and desperation.
Cersei's handmaiden, Jocelyn Swyft, had returned to him after all this time. She sought his warmth, to calm her nerves in the midst of this war ravaging the realm, and there was no better way to settle such nerves than through sex.
There was a reason that the city's whore houses were overflowing with coin during wartime after all. Both men and women wanted release, to soothe the stress that came with war, and the possibility of the city being stormed and sacked any day by Renly's forces.
The woman in front of him was hardly any different. And who am I to deny her?
He gripped her hips as she bounced up and down on his cock, increasing the pace of their lovemaking. She had practically thrown herself at him upon hearing of his return, taking him in his quarters after the small council meeting came to an end.
"Gods! Yes, give it to me hard, my Lord!" She moaned loudly, throwing away what dignity she had to chase after pleasure.
He could feel his balls stirring with seed as she went through another release, her own wetness staining his thighs. "We haven't done this in a while, have we, Jocelyn?"
"N-No, it's been far too long!" She panted. "I've needed your cock! Ever since Winterfell, all I've wanted is to take your cock and mother your bastards!"
He didn't blow his load inside her, instead pulling out and coating her stomach and breasts with thick wads of cum. She moaned like a whore as he covered her, face flush and red hair matted with sweat.
It was only after their coupling ended that he took a bath, before settling in with the redhead sound asleep. Harry sat at the edge of the bed while looking past the open balcony and out towards the city itself. Night had fallen over King's Landing, and from high up in the Hand's Tower he could see the torches marking out the walls.
He could hear the moving of sheets behind him as Jocelyn stirred. "I've been meaning to inform you… That the Queen wants your presence, my Lord."
"Wants? Not requests?" He spoke before she could respond. "Is her Grace too lazy to seek me out herself?"
"I-It wouldn't be proper." She murmured.
"No, I suppose not." He shrugged. "I heard she had barricaded herself in the holdfast, is this true?"
The redhead grimaced, and gave a slight nod. "Few are allowed inside, limited to only Lannister men-at-arms and members of the Kingsguard. She will make an exception for you though, my Lord."
"Yet she allowed you to leave." He noted. "Did you come here only to pass along the Queen's message? Or to get impaled on my cock? …Or was it both?"
The way she blushed and stuttered said it all.