Harry stopped in front of the station and turned to look at the group following behind him.
"Ready?" Harry asked with a smile.
"So much mystery," Catelyn said, the corners of her lips curling as she looked at Harry.
"Well, this isn't for the faint of heart," Harry said with a chuckle, earning puzzled looks from everyone.
Rolling his eyes, Harry simply led them upstairs.
Once they climbed the stairs and reached the boarding platform, everyone's eyes widened in surprise at the sight of the monster of steel and iron.
Philip, who had been waiting for them there, almost went unnoticed. Even so, he smiled proudly as he watched everyone's reactions.
Although he had seen that expression many times before, he never grew tired of it.
"This is a locomotive, a machine capable of pulling these large carriages over very long distances," Harry said proudly.
"This is Philip, the man I entrusted with this project. His capable leadership made all of this possible," Harry said, drawing everyone's attention to the man.
Harry then introduced his family to Philip. It never hurt for him to at least know their faces.
Even so, everyone's attention was fleeting, as all eyes remained fixed on the train. They knew it was a means of transportation, but they simply couldn't imagine something that heavy actually moving.
Jon and Theon seemed to be murmuring about where the horses were.
"Is she ready?" Harry asked, looking at the crew waiting for them.
"Almost at pressure, my lord. Just a few more minutes and she'll be ready to operate," the man replied, looking at Harry.
"Go ahead. We'll depart immediately," Harry said with a nod.
The man nodded back before hurrying toward the locomotive.
Inside the passenger carriage, one of the crewmen opened the door from within, allowing everyone to board.
"Have a good trip," Philip said with a faint smile. A trace of envy appeared on his face as he looked at the train, ready to depart.
Even so, it wasn't his time yet. There would be plenty of opportunities in the future.
"Hm, I'll see you tomorrow," Harry said with a nod, patting him on the shoulder before saying goodbye.
Turning back to the group, he saw that they had scattered slightly, some looking at the large steel wheels while others stared at the chimney releasing small puffs of steam.
"It's warm," Arya said, reaching out her hand.
"Then don't touch it," Catelyn said, pulling Arya back, who looked as though she was about to fall off the platform.
"It's time. Let's get on," Harry said, calling everyone over before boarding first. He then turned around and watched them follow him inside.
"This is like a giant carriage," Sansa said as she followed him, looking around.
"You can think of it that way. The locomotive is simply the horse," Harry replied with a smile.
Sansa gave a timid smile as she curiously looked around. In her opinion, the red seats were quite beautiful. As she walked down the aisle, she continued looking around the large car with curiosity.
Catelyn followed behind, holding Arya's hand, though Arya quickly slipped free and ran after Sansa, her curious hands touching every part of the car.
"Is all of this made of steel?" Ned asked in surprise, tentatively tapping the floor of the car with his foot.
It was remarkably solid and didn't even shake.
He couldn't begin to imagine how many weapons and suits of armor could be made from so much steel.
"Most of it," Harry replied with a nod, making everyone look at him in surprise.
"All right, save the questions for later. Take your seats, we're about to depart," Harry said, smacking Domeric on the back as he came in last before closing the door, earning an annoyed look from him.
Everyone cautiously made their way toward the seats.
Harry couldn't help finding their timidity amusing.
Suddenly, the entire carriage gave a gentle shake as a deep whistle echoed from the locomotive.
This only made everyone seem even more uneasy.
The front door of the car opened, and a man quickly looked inside.
"My lord, we're ready," the man said, a light sheen of sweat covering his forehead.
"Let's depart," Harry said, looking at the man as the corners of his lips unconsciously curled upward.
The man nodded before quickly closing the door and returning to the cab.
The boiler was already producing pressure, and upon seeing the man's signal, they immediately began shoveling coal into the firebox.
An even louder whistle startled everyone inside the car, and they all looked at Harry questioningly.
Harry was standing, holding onto one of the handrails with one hand. Facing everyone, he simply smiled with excitement.
Suddenly, the car gave a gentle shake before slowly beginning to move with a mechanical sound.
The only way to notice it was by watching the scenery move past the windows.
Philip, who was watching from the station, could only show a broad smile. It was time for the locomotive's first journey.
"We're moving!" Arya exclaimed in surprise as she pressed herself against the window.
Arya's words immediately drew everyone's attention to the windows. The people, the buildings, and the trees all seemed to be moving backward.
There wasn't enough room for everyone, so they began moving to empty seats to get a better view.
The train slowly pulled away from the station and the town while everyone remained pressed against the windows.
"Isn't it a little slow?" Ned asked doubtfully after several seconds. They were moving even more slowly than a marching army.
"Just give it a little time," Harry said calmly.
The rhythmic clatter of steel on steel grew louder as the locomotive gathered speed.
"Whoa," Arya said in amazement as they began to accelerate.
Sansa couldn't seem to decide whether to be excited or frightened. Catelyn seemed uneasy, but the dignified look in her eyes never disappeared. From time to time, her gaze met Harry's.
But whenever she saw the faint smile on his face, Catelyn found herself able to relax.
"How long can it keep going like this?" Domeric suddenly asked as he watched the landscape rush by.
"As long as there's water and coal, it'll keep going," Harry said with a smile.
"You're joking?" Domeric said, looking at him. Water and coal? They were far too cheap and common to move something so large and heavy.
"You wouldn't understand," Harry said shamelessly. In truth, he didn't fully understand it himself.
"Can it go faster?" Arya asked immediately. It already felt even faster than Ater.
"Better not," Harry said with a quiet laugh as he pinched the tip of her nose, making her slap his hand away before quickly becoming distracted by the scenery again.
"What do you think, Father? Once the railway connects the entire North, travel, troop movements, and the transport of supplies will all become much faster," Harry said with a smile as he sat down beside his father.
Ned tore his gaze away from the window and turned to look at his son. The look of amazement in his eyes hadn't diminished in the slightest.
He almost wanted to ask where the horses pulling it were, but seeing the speed they were traveling at, he knew that not even the finest horse could run that fast.
"You always manage to surprise me," Ned said with a smile, shaking his head. This time, Harry had truly overturned his understanding of the world.
The only explanation he could cling to was magic.
Otherwise, none of it made any sense to him, no matter how much it was explained.
The North had once been a poor and outdated land, but now it seemed to have become something unique and unmatched, at least when it came to transportation.
His son had already become someone akin to the legendary Kings of House Stark, destined to leave his name in history.
....
From the top of Winterfell's walls.
A group of guards patrolled lazily, their level of alertness incredibly low, convinced that there was no possible threat.
Then a loud whistle made them flinch as they quickly looked around.
"Look, over there. Is that a column of steam?" one of the guards asked doubtfully, pointing into the distance.
Everyone looked in that direction and saw that something really did seem to be releasing steam.
"Isn't that over the metal tracks?" one of the guards asked in confusion.
"It looks like it... wait, is it coming this way?" another guard said doubtfully.
They all remained where they were, trying to make out what it was from afar.
"It's definitely coming this way. Close the gates and sound the alarm," the guard said with a frown.
"Wait, it's coming right along the metal tracks. It must have something to do with the Young Lord," another guard said, stopping everyone before a commotion could break out.
"We can't take that risk."
"Just close the gates and stay alert," the guard said with a frown.
They looked at one another before giving slight nods.
The guards hurried throughout the castle while many of them climbed onto the walls, watching as the black speck releasing steam grew larger and larger.
Until they saw an enormous black creature racing toward them at incredible speed.
Its shrill roars and the sound of metal clashing sent chills down their spines.
"It's slowing down," one of the guards said, noticing that the "roars" had become weaker and less frequent despite it being much closer.
Under the watchful eyes of all the guards, the unknown thing came to a stop with a long hiss. Just as everyone watched intently, part of it opened, and familiar faces appeared.
"Whoa! We're home already!" Arya exclaimed as she jumped out of the car and looked around.
"Arya, be careful," Catelyn said with a frown as she hurried after her and took her hand. Her gaze then shifted toward the walls, where the soldiers were staring at them in disbelief.
The soldiers stared with wide eyes as the entire Stark family stepped off the train, then looked at one another before running to open the gates.
Harry smiled when he saw that the journey had been a success. Everyone seemed quite excited.
Many people came to see the source of the loud noises, and the soldiers also came down to keep order.
Even without an official explanation, the people were able to figure out what the enormous steel machine was for.
They surrounded it in amazement, reaching out to touch it and even trying to push it.
Since no one was doing anything excessive, Harry told the soldiers not to drive them away, only to keep an eye on them.
He also summoned several men so that, with the help of the train's crew, they could unload the cargo.
His family entered first, and the servants quickly prepared a lavish meal. Everyone was hungry, yet they couldn't stop talking about what they had just experienced.
Leaving the others to their work, Harry then joined everyone in the Great Hall.
Speaking with his fellow heirs, he told them to get ready because the next day he would be traveling north by train once again.
After taking a bath, Harry went up to his room in the tower, greeting Hedwig and gently stroking her feathers.
The sun was already setting beyond the horizon, so when her master lay down with a book in hand, Hedwig spread her wings and flew out to stretch them and hunt.
She alone kept the castle's rat population under control.
Harry was reading when he heard a knock at the door. He raised an eyebrow slightly, since none of his sisters ever knocked before coming upstairs.
It was then that a faint smile of interest appeared on his face as he called out for whoever it was to come in.
The door opened with a creak, and just as he had expected, it was Dacey, who met his gaze with a smile.
His eyes wandered over her with a hint of surprise. She was wearing a green dress that reached almost to her ankles.
It seemed to have been made especially for her. His eyes couldn't help but linger on her slender waist for a few moments before lifting to meet her gaze once more.
Closing the door behind her, she walked across the room.
Her boots echoed against the floor while her skirt swayed gently, revealing just a glimpse of her ankles.
"This place hasn't changed at all," Dacey said, looking around. The windows were made of incredibly clear glass, allowing the orange rays of the setting sun to pass through unobstructed.
Numerous bookshelves filled with hundreds of books almost served as walls, yet a large part of the room remained empty.
"I'm a man of habit," Harry said, closing his book and getting to his feet as his eyes met hers directly.
"You've grown. You're almost taller than me," Dacey said as her hand gently patted the upper part of Harry's chest.
Her hand felt Harry's firm, supple muscles, remembering the way he had physically overpowered her. Her fingers lightly brushed over his shirt.
Harry looked at Dacey and smiled. She was actually quite tall, standing at one meter eighty.
Although he was younger than her, his body had developed remarkably well through training and magic.
Even so, he still lacked a couple of centimeters.
"The train was truly incredible, just what I'd expect from you," Dacey said with a smile as she walked past him and sat down on the bed.
Harry turned, following her with his eyes.
"How did you come up with it?" Dacey asked as she crossed one leg over the other, reaching out to pick up the book Harry had been reading.
"That's a secret," Harry said, raising an eyebrow slightly before following her and sitting down beside her.
"High Valyrian?" Dacey asked uncertainly as she looked at the incomprehensible characters.
"High Valyrian," Harry replied with a nod.
"It looks like a headache," Dacey said, the corners of her lips curling upward.
"I don't think it's that bad," Harry said, suppressing a smile at the expression on her face.
"Then teach me a little," Dacey said with a laugh, looking at the letters in the book for a moment before fixing her eyes on him.
"How do you say, 'Take off your clothes,' in High Valyrian?" Dacey asked, looking at him with a faint smile.
Noticing the surprise in his eyes, the corners of her lips couldn't help but curl even higher.
"Is that the first thing that comes to mind?" Harry said with a quiet laugh.
"Well, you never know when I might need to use it," Dacey said, the corners of her lips curling upward.
"Just answer the question," Dacey said, lightly tapping Harry's chest with the book.
"Bantis naejot māzī," Harry replied with an amused look.
Dacey murmured the words with clumsy pronunciation.
"It sounds strange," Dacey said, looking at him.
"Your pronunciation is terrible," Harry said with a laugh as he looked into her eyes.
Her pale green eyes held a rare playful warmth, one he had noticed... it seemed to be reserved only for him.
"Maybe I picked something a little too difficult. Let's try another phrase," Dacey said as she rested one hand on the bed and leaned toward him.
Looking into his deep green eyes, Dacey felt as though she could never grow tired of looking at them.
"How do you say, 'Kiss me'?" Dacey asked, the corners of her lips curling upward.
"Umbāsagon nyke," Harry said as his eyes inadvertently settled on Dacey's pink lips.
"Umbagon naik," Dacey repeated in rather mangled Valyrian.
"Umbāsagon nyke," Harry corrected, pronouncing it carefully, when Dacey's lips suddenly pressed against his.
Soft, carrying a delicate lavender fragrance that filled his senses, while loose strands of her hair tickled his cheek.
The kiss was brief. When they parted, his eyes met Dacey's. Her cheeks were slightly flushed as she looked at him.
"Didn't you just ask me to?" Dacey said, blinking innocently.
"So obedient?" Harry said with a quiet laugh as his hand took hers.
His fingers played with her hand. It wasn't a delicate hand; it was slightly rough, with calluses on her fingers from gripping a weapon.
"Bantis naejot māzī," Harry said with a mischievous look.
"Do you think I wouldn't?" Dacey asked, raising an eyebrow in amusement. Her hand rested on Harry's thigh before she climbed onto his lap.
Harry's arms immediately wrapped around her waist. She was slender but firm.
Dacey chuckled as Harry's fingers tickled her while her arms loosely encircled his head.
Their gazes were drawn to each other once more, and their lips met in a long kiss.
The temperature in the room seemed to rise as their hands impatiently explored each other's bodies.
"Don't doubt it," Dacey said as she took Harry's hands from her thighs and placed them on her backside. Her expression was playful as she looked at Harry with a brazen smile.
"It's just... I'm a little worried about how this is going to change our relationship," Harry said, looking into Dacey's intoxicated eyes.
"Nothing will change. I'll still be your companion, we'll just be able to fight in much more interesting ways," Dacey said with a quiet laugh. It seemed her Harry was a little indecisive when it came to women.
The corners of her lips curled slightly. If she couldn't defeat him with a morningstar, she'd do it on a bed.
Harry's gaze seemed to waver for a brief moment before becoming heated once again.
His hands returned to her thighs before slipping beneath her skirt. It was then that a look of surprise appeared on his face as he looked at her.
"I'm not wearing anything underneath," Dacey said with a quiet laugh before throwing herself at Harry and kissing him again.
Harry barely let out a soft laugh against her lips before taking hold of her by the backside and bringing her down onto the bed.
They rolled together between kisses and caresses, their clothes gradually disappearing until only the faint moonlight revealed their naked bodies.
Harry's hands traced Dacey's body with passion. Her skin was soft and smooth, and her muscles were remarkably firm.
Feeling her legs wrap around his back, their hips came together naturally.
Dacey let out a soft nasal sound as her legs tightened around Harry.
The sound of their quickened breathing and the faint creaking of the bed echoed throughout the room.
----
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