The next morning.
At the top of the tower, Harry was asleep with Dacey in his arms. The bed was a mess, and a thin sheet barely covered them.
Faint rays of sunlight shone through the windows, and the bustle of the castle barely reached the top of the tower.
By the window.
Hedwig looked at her human with irritation. She had been waiting quite a while for him to wake up, and sleep was overtaking her after a night of hunting.
Her reddish eyes closed wearily before she reacted and opened them again, no longer able to endure it.
She began tugging at the bond they shared, making Harry's eyelids twitch before he opened his eyes. His gaze immediately turned toward Hedwig, meeting those enormous reddish eyes.
Hedwig let out a soft hoot and raised one of her talons as she sent an image into his mind.
Harry frowned slightly as he sat up in bed. The thin sheet slipped away with his movement, uncovering Dacey beside him.
Her pale skin immediately caught his attention, making him lose focus for a moment.
Covering her again, he carefully got out of bed and walked over to the window.
Hedwig gave another soft hoot and extended her talon, handing him what he recognized as a crow's leg. Wrapped around it was a small tube.
Ignoring the dried blood, he removed the scroll before leaving the leg on the windowsill.
Opening the scroll, his eyes scanned its contents before his eyebrows rose with an amused look.
"It seems we have a spy in the North," Harry said with a quiet laugh. He felt more curious than angry about it.
He only wondered who it was.
"Good job, girl. You can ask me for anything you want," Harry said, stroking her head as he watched her eyes narrow in pleasure.
"Did something happen?" Dacey asked with a yawn, awakened by his voice.
"It's nothing important," Harry said, setting the scroll aside and looking at her.
"Are you trying to seduce me?" Dacey asked with a smile as she sat up in bed, greedily admiring Harry's body illuminated by the light coming through the window, making his muscles stand out even more.
"Don't tempt me," Harry said as his eyes wandered over her bare chest.
"Forget it. I'd at least like to pretend I can still walk properly," Dacey said with a soft laugh as she pulled the sheet aside and got out of bed.
Picking up her dress from the floor, she put it on in a single motion.
"You tore it a little," Dacey said, looking herself over.
"I'll fix it later," Harry said with a nod as he noticed several tears.
"Hm, it's the only dress I have," Dacey said as she put on her shoes.
"I'll make you some more later too," Harry said helplessly.
Dacey put on her boots before adjusting her dress properly. Looking at Harry, who had simply watched her get dressed, she smiled.
"I'll see you downstairs, handsome," Dacey said, flirtatiously looking Harry up and down before leaving.
After petting Hedwig for a while as a reward, Harry quietly chuckled before beginning to get dressed.
As he walked downstairs for breakfast, he immediately realized that his night with Dacey hadn't gone completely unnoticed.
He assumed someone had gone looking for her in her room when she didn't show up for training, or perhaps they had seen her coming down from the tower. When he entered the dining hall, everyone immediately turned to look at him.
"Good morning," Harry said as he took his seat and quickly began putting food onto his plate.
He calmly noticed that not everyone seemed to know, at least not his mother, which came as a relief.
"Harry, you look hungry. You must have used up quite a bit of energy last night," Theon suddenly said, causing the table to freeze for a brief moment before all his friends burst into laughter, quickly stifling it.
"The usual," Harry said calmly, looking at Theon.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his mother looking between the two of them in confusion before her expression tightened as she turned to look at Dacey, who seemed to be in a very good mood while eating.
"Harry, dear, could you come with me for a moment?" Catelyn's voice suddenly said as she stood up.
Harry grimaced, knowing it wasn't a question, especially since she immediately stood up and walked out.
Piling as much food as he could onto his plate, he stood up and followed her.
"I hope it was worth it," Jon said, looking at Theon speechlessly. His loose tongue was truly impossible to control.
The other heirs let out a laugh, much to the confusion of several people at the table.
Ned merely watched the situation with a hint of amusement in his eyes. Secretly, he felt somewhat relieved to see Dacey with Harry.
"Mom, how far are we going?" Harry asked as he walked behind his mother while eating. They had been walking for a couple of minutes with no clear destination.
"I don't know. How far do you want to go?" Catelyn asked, turning around with a serious expression.
Harry didn't know what to say to that. He didn't even know exactly what was bothering his mother about the situation; it wasn't as though he planned to become a Septon or anything like that.
"We'll see in the future," Harry said with a shrug.
"Do you want to marry her? What if she gets pregnant? A child born out of wedlock is no small matter," Catelyn said, looking at him angrily because of his careless attitude.
At this rate, she wouldn't be surprised to become a grandmother in nine months, and her plans to secure a good marriage would be completely ruined.
"You don't have to worry about her getting pregnant, and it's far too early to know anything more," Harry said, resisting the urge to roll his eyes.
"Mom, please don't interfere in my relationships. I don't know where this relationship with Dacey will lead, but whatever happens, it's something I get to decide," Harry said, looking at his mother.
Catelyn looked at her son with wide eyes. Her mouth opened as if to say something before she slightly averted her gaze.
Harry sighed, setting his plate of food aside before stepping forward and hugging her.
"Actually, I'm not sure where this relationship is headed. Dacey probably doesn't want to marry me; she's deeply committed to inheriting her mother's position," Harry said, gently rubbing his mother's back.
"But like I said, it's far too early to talk about that," Harry said as his fingers played with her hair.
"If you're not going to marry her, then let me arrange your marriage. And if you're not satisfied with my choice... I suppose there's nothing I can do," Catelyn said with a sigh, feeling a little guilty for reacting that way.
"Deal, but I'll decide Sansa's and Arya's marriages," Harry said, the corners of his lips curling upward.
Catelyn froze when she heard that before looking him in the eyes. He didn't seem to be joking.
"With my opinion being taken into account," Catelyn said, pursing her lips. In any case, she didn't expect to have much success with Harry being so protective of his sisters.
"Deal," Harry said with a smile.
"You only know how to make me angry," Catelyn said, pulling away from Harry's embrace and looking at him in annoyance.
"It's because you look really beautiful when you're angry," Harry said, smiling at her mischievously.
Catelyn let out a soft huff, ignored him, and walked away.
"Hm, that went well," Harry muttered to himself as he picked up his plate again and finished his breakfast.
After leaving the plate in the kitchen, he found his friends in the courtyard. They all had their luggage with them and seemed ready to leave.
"How did it go?" Jon asked when he saw that no one was saying anything.
"It went well," Harry said with a shrug as he looked at Theon. It wasn't as if his mother was never going to find out.
But she could have found out some other way. He was definitely going to make him pay for it.
"You all head to the train first. I have a small matter to take care of," Harry said, changing the subject.
"Need a hand?" Domeric asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I won't be long. I'll see you later," Harry said, waving a hand before walking away.
"I wonder if you'll come back alive from this trip," Jon said, looking at Theon.
Theon's expression stiffened as he looked at Jon speechlessly.
"Accidents are common on any journey," Dacey said teasingly, looking at Theon, who seemed even worse now, as if he were beginning to have doubts.
"By the way, where do you think Harry is taking us?" Domeric asked, trying to change the subject casually.
"He said we're heading north. Maybe the Wall?" Daryn said, leaning against his luggage.
"I bet we're going beyond the Wall," Smalljon said in his deep voice.
"I'm not sure they'd even let us pass. If we all died, it would create quite a mess," Domeric said with a frown.
"The perfect place to make a murder look like an accident," Dacey said jokingly as she hoisted her luggage onto her shoulder.
Everyone let out a light laugh and started walking toward the train.
Harry left the castle and walked toward Wintertown.
The town had grown considerably over the past few years. Even so, he couldn't say it was beautiful.
From time to time, the breeze carried unpleasant smells. He had been trying to improve sanitation, but people could be very stubborn.
Shaking his head, he avoided the townsfolk as he made several turns until he arrived at a large three-story house.
Harry stood in front of the house for a few seconds, studying it carefully. It appeared to be in slightly better condition than the surrounding houses.
Walking up to the door, he knocked a couple of times and waited.
With a creak of the hinges, an old man opened the door slightly to see who it was. Although it was very subtle, Harry noticed his pupils contract, clearly surprised and frightened by his arrival.
"Hey, old man. Mind if I come in?" Harry said with a smile.
"Of course not, Young Lord," the old man said, regaining his composure as he fully opened the door, bowed, and invited him inside.
Harry nodded and entered the house. Looking around, he noticed the furniture, paintings, and rugs. The old man was clearly living very well.
"Listen, I don't have much time, so I'll get straight to the point. I know you sent a letter yesterday, talking about 'the enormous beast of metal,'" Harry said, looking at the old man, who was trembling as his face filled with fear.
Harry didn't even need proof, only suspicion to condemn him.
"My Lo—" the old man said before Harry interrupted him.
"I don't care about your reasons. I just want to know who you wrote to," Harry said, looking at the old man.
The old man hesitated for only a couple of seconds before spilling everything.
Petyr Baelish.
It was the first time Harry had heard that name, but he took it seriously after learning that the old man had been sending him letters with information since before he was born.
Either he had something personal against his family, or he was simply interested in gathering information.
If it was the latter, Harry wouldn't hold a grudge against him for it. It was only natural to gather information about the great Houses of Westeros.
In fact, Harry was somewhat behind in that regard, since he knew nothing about the South.
For the first time, he became interested, though he still didn't have the time to investigate.
Besides, the North was as solid as a rock at the moment, and he had no plans to invade anyone, which was why he hadn't been gathering information.
His mother was one of the people who received the most information from the South, sent by her family. If anything important happened, she would tell him.
"Not a single raven more. I'll be watching you, and if you disobey me... well, let's just say I need quite a bit of labor. Even though you're old, I'm sure you can still work for a year or two," Harry said, looking at the frightened old man.
Magic stirred gently as Harry cast a compulsion on him. From then on, whenever he thought about sending a letter, Harry's words would come back to him, filling him with fear.
If he still sent a letter despite this, Harry would look at him with admiration before sending him to work in the mines until the day he died.
His actions were nothing less than treason. He could still enjoy his remaining years in peace, but if he insisted, Harry would show no mercy.
Harry quickly returned to the castle, gathered a few things, and ran toward the train.
It had already been turned around the day before. Even so, it wasn't traveling empty, as Harry had loaded it with the grain that was normally transported by road.
With a loud whistle, the train slowly began to move under the watchful eyes of many spectators.
And now, the Stark family had another perspective, watching a great cloud of steam pour out of the chimney as it moved forward.
The townspeople were even more astonished as they watched the enormous machine begin to move on its own, wondering what kind of magic the Young Lord was using to make such a heavy mass of steel move.
Inside the car, Harry wore a broad smile as he looked at his companions.
"All right, we're going to the Wall. In fact, we're going beyond the Wall," Harry said, looking at everyone. He hadn't dared say that to his family, since it would surely have caused a lot of drama.
Everyone immediately looked at each other with an expression that said, I knew it.
"Isn't that too dangerous?" Jon asked, knowing that beyond the Wall there were not only wildlings, but also dangerous creatures, and even the climate itself was a danger.
"I hope so, otherwise it'll be boring. If you survive, our next destination will be Essos," Harry said enthusiastically.
"Well, someone seems to be in a good mood," Theon said, unable to help himself. In any case, he had nothing left to lose.
"I'll tie you to the train and make you run behind it," Harry said, looking at Theon with irritation.
Everyone burst into laughter, joining Theon and throwing a few jokes at Harry. They had been holding them back since breakfast.
"It's only natural he's in a good mood. He doesn't have to pay to get a woman to spread her legs," Dacey said teasingly, casually playing with one of her locks of hair.
Her attack was devastating, with plenty of collateral damage.
Domeric sensed the atmosphere and let out a quiet laugh. He had truly missed these interactions, unlike the cold halls of the Dreadfort.
The train took five hours to return to Steam Town, with everyone quickly getting off while several men began unloading the grain.
Harry spoke with Philip for a while about the next stage of their plans. They would gradually begin bringing more people to Steam Town, trying to increase the workforce.
In the future, they planned to expand the railway lines, one stretching from east to west.
Another line they had been considering was from White Harbor to Winterfell. Connecting the heart of the North with its largest city and port was something they definitely had to do.
But before that, he needed to meet with House Manderly and see what their attitude was.
Setting that aside, he immediately departed north with his companions.
It was a long journey, much longer than going to the Neck.
Since it had taken them two weeks to reach Mole's Town, Harry estimated that the distance between Winterfell and Castle Black was around one thousand kilometers.
As they drew closer to the Wall, the weather became worse and worse, with everything frozen and snow constantly falling from the sky.
Mole's Town appeared to be a small place, but Harry had heard that most of the settlement was underground, which was a smart idea considering how cold it was.
He could even feel Ater's muscles trembling slightly.
It was almost nightfall, and the streets were mostly empty.
Seeing no suitable place to stay, Harry decided to continue to Castle Black. After all, it was only a few kilometers away.
Once they got close enough, the snowfall finally allowed them to see the Wall.
Rising two hundred meters into the sky and stretching as far as the eye could see in either direction, it was larger than anything Harry had ever seen, even in his previous life.
His companions were no less astonished. The tallest structure they had ever seen was the tower of Winterfell.
The cold didn't allow them to admire the magnificent structure for long, so they continued onward until the guards came out to meet them.
"Are you new brothers?" one of the guards asked doubtfully. Usually, so many people didn't arrive at once, nor were they so well dressed.
"No. I'm Harry Stark, heir to House Stark. I'm looking for Benjen Stark," Harry said, looking at the guard.
"I see. Please, come in. I'll have someone fetch him immediately," the man said, surprised for a moment before giving a slight bow and stepping aside.
There was no way he would mistreat the man who fed them, especially when food had become even more plentiful over the past few years.
Harry entered with his companions and left their horses at the stables. This time, Ater didn't complain. Although the cold didn't affect him much, that didn't mean he liked it.
The stable was pleasantly warm, so he comfortably lay down to rest for a while.
As for Uru, Harry said he would take responsibility for him, so he was also placed in the stables, though in a separate area.
A few minutes later, Benjen Stark, his uncle, came to greet him with a smile. It had been years since they had last seen each other.
Benjen hugged Harry and Jon before shaking hands with the rest of Harry's companions.
"Come on, I'll find you some rooms before we talk," Benjen said, guessing they were tired.
Once they were alone, Benjen looked at Harry and Jon with a smile.
"What are you doing so far from home?" Benjen asked with a smile, thinking they had simply come to see the Wall and experience life in the Night's Watch.
"We're planning to cross the Wall and go into the lands beyond," Harry said directly, not surprised by the change in his uncle's expression.
"That's far too dangerous. How could Ned let you come?" Benjen said, immediately frowning.
"Well, my father doesn't know," Harry said with a shrug and a quiet laugh.
"Harry, you're far too young. You don't understand the dangers beyond the Wall," Benjen said, frowning.
"It's precisely because I don't understand them that I'm going," Harry said, looking directly at his uncle.
The room immediately fell silent as Jon looked nervously between his brother and his uncle.
"Uncle, we'll be fine. We'll be careful. We've already faced dangerous creatures," Jon said, trying to mediate.
"Beyond the Wall there aren't only dangerous creatures. There are wildlings who constantly attack us, and an unknown magic shrouds the entire land," Benjen said, trying to discourage Harry from wanting to go there.
But he saw that this only made Harry even more interested.
Benjen quickly realized he couldn't let them go. After all, he held a high position at the Wall; he simply wouldn't open the gate for them.
Not wanting to discuss the matter any further, Benjen changed the subject before letting his nephews get some rest.
"It doesn't look like he's going to let us go," Jon said. He didn't believe his uncle had dropped the matter so easily.
"It doesn't depend on him," Harry said, not feeling upset, perhaps a little irritated, but knowing his uncle was only acting out of concern.
His parents might have learned to stop seeing him as a child, but his uncle clearly still did.
And letting him go to a place where even the best rangers died every year was something no one would accept.
Even his father would probably insist that he not go, but now that they were here, he had no intention of turning back.
After chatting for a while, Jon got up and went to the room that had been assigned to him.
Once he was alone, Harry looked at his hand before the mist swirled together, forming a number.
10.3
Harry raised an eyebrow in surprise. It was twice as high as in Winterfell.
A smile immediately appeared on his lips. This would make the journey much safer. Ten points were enough for him to use magic a little more freely, without worrying about exhausting it and having to rely on the reserves within his body.
Suddenly, the door to his room opened. Thinking it was Jon, he looked up, only to see Dacey.
"It's cold," Dacey said with a smile.
"If we take our clothes off, we might get even colder," Harry said with a quiet laugh.
"Let's find out," Dacey said, hugging Harry and slipping her hands beneath his shirt along his back.
Harry grimaced at the cold before quietly laughing and hugging her back.
"It was a really exhausting trip," Dacey said, stretching out on the bed.
"Hm, it was, and we'll have to do it all over again on the way back," Harry said, playing with her brown hair between his fingers.
"I wonder if we'll run into any wildlings," Dacey said as she felt the warmth of Harry's body.
"Do you hate them?" Harry asked curiously.
"I can't say I hate them. In fact, I pity them. The few who've tried to invade Bear Island have done so in miserable conditions. Though I can't say I sympathize with them either," Dacey said, remembering the thin invaders armed with stone weapons.
"I see," Harry said softly as the two of them fell into a comfortable silence.
"You know, there's something that's been on my mind. What did you talk about with your mother before we left?" Dacey asked, breaking the silence.
"You're only asking me now?" Harry said, raising an eyebrow as he looked down at her.
"We haven't had many moments alone," Dacey said softly.
Harry rolled his eyes when he heard that. They'd had quite a few moments alone behind a tree during the journey.
"She's worried. She didn't know whether we were going to get married, whether you could get pregnant, and so on," Harry said briefly.
"Oh," Dacey said softly before falling silent.
"Actually, I don't want to marry you," Dacey said, a rare hint of hesitation in her voice as she looked into Harry's eyes.
"I already know that," Harry said, the corners of his lips curling upward.
"Really?" Dacey asked, looking at him in surprise.
"Hm. You love your island. If you married me, you might have to give up quite a lot. That's why I was worried about how our relationship would change," Harry said, looking at her.
"It wouldn't be proper for me to fight or train anymore. I'd stop being my mother's heir, and people would expect me to behave a certain way as Lady Stark. Honestly, I only want you, Harry," Dacey said, looking him in the eyes. Being Lady Stark was a burden she didn't want.
"My mother wants to betroth me," Harry said after a moment of silence.
Dacey raised an eyebrow when she heard that. Harry watched her closely, his green eyes seeming to search her face for some kind of reaction.
"Just remember not to be so... rough with her. A skinny girl from the South wouldn't be able to handle it," Dacey said teasingly, giving him a playful look.
"You're unbelievable," Harry said, looking at her speechlessly.
"But enough about that. I'm cold, so let's do something to warm up," Dacey said with a soft laugh as she looked at Harry.
Harry chuckled softly as his hand gently unfastened one of the leather fastenings on Dacey's chainmail
His hands traced her skin, sending a shiver through her body.
Looking into each other's eyes, their lips met as their clothes gradually disappeared.
----
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