CH 20: Getting Back Into the Saddle

15th day of the 1st moon, 292 AC. Dol Guldur.

Two weeks.

For two weeks, Harry had been laid out in bed, unresponsive.

Despite this, Luna wasn't really worried. It was scary at first, but now she knew what he was doing. Harry's mind had been overwhelmed by whatever he brought back with him from the other side, so he was using lucid dreaming – a technique that any wizard worth the name (according to Harry at any rate) mastered – to bring himself back into balance without putting any further strain on his conscious mind.

It was actually rather fascinating to watch as the swirling chaos of his soul gradually settled down and Luna had spent the vast majority of the past two weeks at his side doing just that, in addition to taking care of his physical needs.

That also allowed her to notice that the runes he'd carved into his flesh so long ago had disappeared. They might have only been a psychosomatic echo to the state of his soul in this new body, but it still spoke volumes about how much he had changed in order for that to happen. He wasn't going to be the same Harry when he woke up, that was clear, but hopefully he would still be mostly himself.

His fever had abated a few days ago and his aura was no longer a chaotic maelstrom, but it wasn't the same as it had been when he left. It was stronger and she would have had to take a second look if she didn't have his body right in front of her. It was Harry, but not the same Harry. In any case, the important part was that he would probably be waking up soon.

Until that happened, Luna kept herself still and quiet with some difficulty. She wanted to talk to him about all the things happening around the tower and what the children were getting up to, but this wasn't a case of a coma patient that needed encouragement to wake up. Harry needed as few distractions as possible while he was getting himself back in order.

That made her hyperaware of even the most minute muscle twitch that might indicate that he was finished. When the hand she was holding exerted an ever-so-slight amount of pressure on her own, Luna barely managed to stop herself from squealing in glee and jumping around the room.

Instead, she contented herself with staring at his closed eyelids as the telltale signs of REM sleep stopped and the skin around them wrinkled as his face lost the slackened expression of the unconscious. Every following second felt as if it was deliberately dragging itself out just to taunt her, but his eyes finally opened and pinned her with a confused green gaze.

"Harry?" She asked softly, unaware that she was squeezing his hand with enough force to crush a normal man's bones.

It took another couple of seconds for recognition to filter into his eyes. "Luna?"

"HARRY!" She squeed and lunged forward to hug him, unable to hold herself back any longer. "You're finally back. I missed you so much!"

"Yeah…." Was his much more subdued response, returning the embrace with palpable confusion.

The sheer difference in the hug was jarring enough to break through her happiness and she reluctantly backed off and looked him in the eye. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah…" He repeated, just as slowly and uncertainly. "It's just… you called me Harry. I remember you and know what we are to each other, but I don't feel like that's my name."

Oh dear, identity dissociation. She had known that was a likely risk of his foray into godhood, but had hoped that he would be able to avoid it.

"Do you have a name?" She asked.

He gave it a moment's thought before shaking his head. That was good. No self-identity was better than a changed one. Uncertainty was better than certainty in this case.

"I guess you might as well keep calling me Harry for now." He finally decided. "Everyone here already knows me by that name, so changing it would be silly. I'll consider picking something cooler when we go to our next location."

Luna beamed. Now that sounded like Harry.

"Are you hungry? I can bring you something if you want. Or do you want to eat with the others? They've been dying to see you again." She burbled happily.

"Starving, and I'd rather not see anyone just yet." He replied. "Could you bring me my journals and notebooks?"

"Sure!"

XXXXX

17th day of the 1st moon, 292 AC. Dol Guldur.

It took him about half a day to get fully accustomed to being physical again. Amazing, how many things you took for granted if you never experienced disembodiment. Just the feeling of blood moving through his veins had distracted him for a good three hours before he managed to filter it out of his perception.

And the physical wasn't even the worst of it, not by a long shot. Two weeks spent in a dream state had been enough to synchronize body and soul again, but he was not the man he had once been. He wasn't 'Harry' anymore. The lack of firm self-identity bothered him less than he suspected it should.

Most of his more important memories had been retained. The experiences of the existence born Harry Potter were unique in this world, so its memories stood out sharply, further helped by the fact that the brain in this body had a physical record of those memories. Reading his old journals allowed him to refresh them further.

But some things were lost to him. The day to day stuff had blurred together with uncountable similar memories held by the souls in the weirwoods. He may remember telling stories to his children when they were young, but it overlapped with similar memories held by millions upon millions of fathers doing the same thing. The emotions associated with those kinds of memories were strong, stronger than they should be. Many small echoes pooling together to create a lot of noise.

His magic was changed as well.

The most obvious change was the absence of his runes. Switching bodies hadn't been enough to shake the effect they had on him, but a dip in what was essentially the well of souls had done the trick.

This naturally had some consequences. The passive body enhancements were gone, but that was a minor loss considering how strong his current artificial body was. The innate connection to Light and Dark was also gone and good riddance to it. While it may have been a tremendous boon when he had been starting out, over time it had become a limitation in the same way as a wand. His skill had grown great enough that he was able to tap into those primordial sources of magic on his own, and without the runes he was no longer so dangerously dependent on the Solar day-night cycle. Not to mention that he would no longer need to constantly be on guard against the pull on his emotions.

All in all, it was a minor loss of power in exchange for quite a bit of freedom.

Next was a slightly increased affinity for all things fire, thanks to the addition of R'hllor to the weirwood soul collective, however briefly they had been joined before he'd returned to the mortal world. The fire god had been so weakened by that point that his influence was minor.

His lack of true name that he recognized as his own meant that he couldn't sign any kind of magical contract, as those would automatically register any name he put down as false. No great loss there, as he had always avoided any such contracts like the plague anyway.

The most significant change, however, was in any kind of magic that dealt with the forceful subjugation of others. He just couldn't do it. Luna had allowed him to test casting the Imperius on her and he had flubbed it worse than a fresh Hogwarts first year. His mind was simply unable to grasp the structure of such a spell. He knew every component, but putting it together was like trying to fit a together a puzzle where none of the pieces matched.

On the upside, he strongly suspected that he would now be insanely good at anything that involved the breaking of bonds or setting people free in some way. He might perhaps even feel compelled to do so, actually.

A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts, followed by it being opened without his leave.

"Have you not gotten ready yet?" Adrastia asked archly. "The feast is about to begin."

Ah yes, the feast. Rhaella had been so happy to hear that he was definitely going to recover that she had decided to organize a celebratory feast. Luna thought it was a great idea and invited the rest of the family.

The entire family, all one hundred and seventy-six of them. Plus guests. A few couldn't make it, but most could and had arrived within the last few days through the mirror portals. He was supposed to have met with the closest of them before now, but he hadn't been feeling up to any human interaction besides Luna just yet, so it would have to be postponed to during and after the feast.

"What are you talking about?" He asked back flatly. "I'm perfectly ready."

Thank fuck that his newly acquired problems with slavery didn't extend to Adrastia, as she had entered into their arrangement willingly. He doubted that he would ever be able to cast a binding geas again, but his magic wasn't acting up in response to the one currently on her. Relying on the honor system with the Black Widow would have been stupid.

"I set out an outfit for you." She retorted, pointedly looking him up and down. "That is not it."

"It's fine." He waved off, knowing that there was nothing wrong with his casual attire. "Let's just go."

"But, Harry!" Adrastia pouted outrageously. "You just came back from the dead, you need to capitalize on the mystique while you still have it."

"I am not going out there looking like some Viking druid Jesus Christ." He deadpanned. How the hell this woman had even managed to pull off that look without making it ridiculous was completely beyond him.

"Too bad." She sighed. "I was hoping that you would gain some appreciation for sycophantic groveling while you were a god."

"We can't all be as petty and shallow as you."

Adrastia chuckled. "You know, I did miss you, even if you are just as much of a boor as you ever were."

Harry – he supposed that he might as well use that name for now – smiled bemusedly. The Black Widow, admitting that she had missed someone? What a wonder.

"I'll have to greet you properly in the coming days, then." He grinned, staring at the cleavage displayed by her dress.

"I will look forward to it." She purred, turning around and sashaying out of the room.

What a sight.

He may not have the Uruz rune ramping up his male sexual energy up to eleven anymore, but this body was still engineered to be the pinnacle of manliness. His sexuality had thankfully not been affected by the pseudo-ascension either, as that was a largely biological function. Plus, most of the souls in the weirwoods had profoundly negative opinions about homosexuality. Good thing too, as the very last thing he needed right now was any extra confusion.

XXXXX

Feasts in Casterly Rock tended to be dull, tense affairs, largely due to Father. Everyone in the Westerlands knew that Lord Tywin disliked and distrusted laughter, which made otherwise happy occasions rather stressful. Nobody dared relax, for fear of earning the Old Lion's disfavor.

Tyrion was finding the feasts in Dol Guldur to be vastly more enjoyable, even if the combined noise of men laughing, women giggling and children screaming as they played threatened to deafen him. Royalty mingled with bastards without concern for station.

Father would have hated it, which made Tyrion enjoy it all the more.

He was just about to take another sip from his mug of Godsmead – great stuff, that – when someone sat down next to him and he froze.

"Hey, how's it going?" The man in whose honor the feast was being held said. "Luna tells me that you're our Lannister guest."

"Er, yes, I am. Tyrion Lannister, at your service, my…er, Your Grace." He managed to say without too much stuttering, although he had to hide a wince at his near blunder with the appropriate address. There was so little formality in Dol Guldur that it was dangerously easy to forget that he was a guest in a royal household.

"No need for that, just call me Harry." The Sorcerer waved off his courtesy.

Tyrion had to take another sip of Godsmead to fortify himself, as every bit of etiquette training he'd ever had screamed at him that one should never be so familiar with a king in a public setting, not even a lifelong friend, which he most certainly was not. Still, he mustered his courage and pushed past that, reminding himself that this was not the Seven Kingdoms. Fortunately, long experience with Luna helped.

"Very well…Harry."

"That's better." The big man grinned slightly. "So, how have you been liking it here?"

"Immensely." Here, Tyrion could be honest without reservation. "Your library is most impressive and your wife has been kind beyond understanding."

"That's good." The wizard hummed. "And your father has made no move to recall you? As I understand it, Fostering in the Seven Kingdoms usually lasts no longer than ten years and you have already been with us for longer than that."

Tyrion's mood soured slightly at the reminder. No, Father had not recalled him, or even hinted that he planned to do so. His letters contained only instructions to get close to Prince Aegon and Princess Rhaenys and to ingratiate himself with the Sorcerer's family. Find a way to negotiate the return of Brightroar. Attempt to marry into the family if possible. Don't disgrace the Lannister name any further than you already do by existing.

It was clear to him that Father still had no intention of ever naming him his heir, despite Jaime's obstinate refusal to leave the Kingsguard. By now, Tyrion should have been back at Casterly Rock, shadowing his father and learning to rule. Instead he was here, the unwanted dwarf son. Not that Dol Guldur was a bad place to be – far from it, in fact – he just wished…well, if wishes were horses then beggars would ride, to quote something Lady Adrastia had once said to him.

"I believe he feels that I still have much to learn from you." He said diplomatically.

Harry hummed again, clearly unconvinced but letting it pass.

"Does that deformed body of yours bother you?" He abruptly asked, changing the subject completely.

Tyrion was startled and nearly spilled what was left of his Godsmead at the unexpected blunt question. He had become so used to Luna's kindness and disregard of his deformity that having it brought up like this came as a bit of a shock.

"I would prefer to be tall enough to reach the table without standing on a chair." He tried to joke, burying the sting with practiced ease.

"I can make you a new body if you'd like." The Sorcerer offered casually and Tyrion felt as if the world around them had disappeared.

A new body? Tall and strong like Jaime? No longer a dwarf to be mocked? Was that even possible?

Ridiculous question, of course it was possible. This man had walked with gods until just recently, or so Luna claimed, and the kindly witch had never struck him as a liar. If anything, she could be too honest.

"Why?" He croaked. "Why would you do that for me?"

You don't even know me! He wanted to shout. His father may think that this man had been fostering him, but he didn't know the truth, because Luna had forbidden him from putting it in his letters home and he had not dared disobey. Why would this powerful sorcerer offer such a thing on their first meeting? It made no sense! What did he have to gain from it?

"You're a smart lad, Tyrion, intelligent and even a little wise thanks to your difficult life circumstances. That's quite rare, you know? A good mind is a terrible thing to waste, and I have uses for someone like you. It wouldn't do for you to be hampered by a frail body."

Uses? It sounded cold, but Tyrion had spent his whole life wishing to be useful, to be valued. Luna's kindness had filled the empty void where a mother's love should have been, but it could do nothing to soothe the part of him that desperately wanted to gain his father's approval.

"What kind of uses?" He managed to ask instead of immediately agreeing, though it was difficult.

"Oh, there are plenty. Smart men – truly smart men – are always in short supply. You may have heard that I intend to have my children with Arianne Martell re-establish the old Rhoynar civilization? That will be quite the undertaking and those children of mine will need a good advisor, a Hand if you will. That could be you, if you wish it."

Tyrion froze in place at the lofty offer. It would be many years before such a thing could happen, but if the venture was successful, then his name could become engraved into legend. It was a destiny that a second son could only dream of.

He glanced towards the spot where Arianne Martell and a few of her bastard cousins were giggling over something. A tremendously beautiful girl only a few years younger than Tyrion himself. She had become a common sight in Dol Guldur, using those fascinating mirror portals to move between here and Sunspear over the past three years and had given the dwarf no small amount of idle fantasies of what it would be like if she were meant for him. The women of Dorne were said to be incredibly passionate.

He had never considered that he might be offered a position as an advisor to her children in the ambitious plan to return the Rhoynar civilization to prominence.

"And there are other options if that doesn't appeal to you." Harry continued. "Like I said, smart men are always in short supply."

"What if….what if my father wants me back once he sees that I was made whole?" Tyrion asked past a suddenly dry throat.

"I would consider it a waste of your potential, but I won't stop you." The wizard replied. "Besides, I don't believe that to be very likely. Tywin Lannister is a slave to his own hubris, he has no capacity for change."

That…rang uncomfortably true. Nobody who knew the Old Lion could say that he was not arrogant, prideful and stubborn. Tyrion could not recall a single instance where his father had ever changed his mind on a matter once he made a decision. His refusal to give up on Jaime as his heir was a prime example. Why would he stop hating his dwarf son just because he was no longer a dwarf? He could still hate him for killing Mother when he was born.

It was a bitter realization, but he was used to bitterness where family was concerned.

"Daddy!" The excited yell snapped him out of his thoughts just in time to see VIsenya jump on her father's broad back and wrap her arms around his neck. She was rather tall for her age, but still quite small in comparison to the wizard.

"Oof." Said wizard grunted, barely moving. "I see you've been taking etiquette lessons from Luna."

Tyrion wasn't sure if he wanted to smile or brood. These two had only just met for the first time when the feast began and there was already more affection between them than there had ever been between him and his own father.

Visenya ignored the dry observation, purple eyes gleaming happily. "Come play with us!"

"I suppose I did miss out on doing that until now." Harry conceded, allowing himself to be tugged away. He did briefly clamp a big hand on Tyrion's shoulder before he left, though. "Give my offer some thought."

He did just that, watching the beautiful young girl drag her father towards the part of the huge hall (too huge to fit into the tower, yet it did) that the children had taken over for their games.

What a confounding man. No lord that Tyrion knew of would lower himself to playing with children at a feast.

But the sight awoke a familiar longing in him. He was nine and ten namedays, a man grown and old enough to start a family of his own, yet what woman would have a dwarf? His father's instructions to attempt marrying into the Sorcerer's family had been doomed to failure from the start, as his short stature was seen as a weakness, and weakness was not attractive to a people as hard as the Angmari. But if he were as tall and handsome as Jaime, then it would no longer be so impossible.

The Sorcerer's offer felt more tempting by the moment.

XXXXX

The feast lasted late into the night before it finally started winding down, which was making Rhaella anxious. She'd spent the whole feast staying in the background and avoiding Harry. It was easy enough to do, with family both near and far eager to speak to him. Visenya had been especially demanding of his attention, after the initial awkwardness passed.

It wasn't that Rhaella wasn't glad to see him returned, but she was an old woman now. Luna's help might have allowed her to look more youthful than her forty-six years should allow, but time had still taken its toll.

Rhaella wasn't bitter about it. She might be saddened at the time they lost because of this mess with R'hllor, but she had no desire to extend her life. The pain of outliving so many of her children was a constant reminder of what that would cost her.

There were already younger women ready to replace her in Harry's bed, such as Elia and Arianne Martell. They were good women, although Arianne was perhaps a little too wild. They would be good company to him and Luna for as long as their youth lasted, so it was better that a relic like her move out of the way.

"Rhaella!" A familiar voice called out. "There you are, we've been looking all over for you."

The former queen had almost reached the door to the private quarters she had arranged for herself in recent days and could now only watch with confused trepidation as Luna and Harry approached.

"Should you not be celebrating Harry's return?" She asked pointedly. "With Elia, perhaps?"

"She hasn't agreed to anything of the sort." Harry pointed out in that oh-so familiar dry tone.

"Not yet." Luna added blithely. "So it's going to be just the three of us for now."

"Luna, Harry…" Rhaella sighed in exasperation, deciding that bluntness was required. "You need not waste your time coddling an old woman's feelings, I am ready to move aside."

Harry stepped forward and laid one big palm on her cheek. In spite of herself, Rhaella leaned into it as a flicker of excitement sparked in her belly.

"Don't be hasty now, you still have a few good years left in you." He rumbled with a wry tone that took any sting out of the otherwise callous words. "And you know how I hate being wasteful."

Rhaella's paper-thin resistance crumbled and she all but threw herself at him. Yes, she was ready to move aside, but that didn't mean that she wanted to. Not just yet.

XXXXX

The next day.

Despite the late night, Oberyn found himself waking early and only mildly hungover at that. Truly, the drinks brewed in Angmar were incredible.

He looked to his right in the large bed and smiled at the sight of Ellaria's peaceful face. He had found her while visiting House Uller at his brother's behest and quickly become taken with her. There was more of Dorne in her than in any other woman he had ever met.

She was currently heavily pregnant with their third child and due to give birth any day now. Luna had insisted that they move to Dol Guldur until the birth so that she could be the one to deliver the baby. Oberyn had agreed easily and gratefully, knowing that the ancient sorceress was better than any midwife or maester he could hope to find.

Not to mention that Adrastia was also here. They couldn't get too adventurous in Ellaria's current state, but the dark Summer Islander had not even blinked when Oberyn had first introduced them and his paramour appreciated a beautiful woman as much as he did.

Now if only they could get Luna and Harry in on it as well, then that would be truly grand.

Oberyn slunk carefully out of the bed, being careful not to wake Ellaria. He was wide awake and could not laze around in bed any more, no matter how pleasant the company. Besides, he desperately needed to take a piss. Anywhere else and he would not dare leave her alone in her current state, but he knew that Luna would be coming soon.

A few minutes later he had relieved himself in one of Dol Guldur's enviably sophisticated bathrooms and was pondering if he should get some practice in with his spear, when a far more interesting opportunity presented itself.

The long-absent master of the tower was striding down the central staircase, apparently as much of an early-riser as Oberyn.

The Red Viper took a long, appreciative look at the sorcerer. Very tall, a body that could have been sculpted from marble, a face full of noble authority, lustrous black hair, the blazing emerald eyes his bloodline was known for.

And he was wearing a tight-fitting, sleeveless shirt of some kind that left his muscular arms bare.

A truly beautiful man. Oberyn would spare no effort to seduce him.

"Good morrow, Harry!" He called out, forgoing the proper royal or lordly address that common sense dictated he should use. Associating with Luna required one to broaden their perception of 'common sense'.

"Morning." The other man returned, apparently taking no offence at the familiarity. Excellent.

"Where do your feet take you so early in the day?" Oberyn asked curiously.

"Oh, there's plenty of stuff I need to do now that I'm used to having a body again." Harry answered vaguely.

"Yes, I have been hoping to ask, what was it like to walk with the gods?" An understatement. Curiosity had been eating him alive.

"Most of it can't be described in words, or else you don't have the experience to understand. The rest of it? It was annoying, most of the gods are insufferable cunts."

Oberyn burst into surprised laughter. He had heard men curse the gods, dismiss them, even claim that they didn't exist. Harry? Harry spoke of them in the tone of an annoyed neighbor.

"But not all of them, surely? I have heard good things about the gods of the Summer Isles."

"They're alright, mostly. A bit too peaceful for their people's good, which is why Jala sent her brats here for a few years."

Ah yes, Oberyn had met the former Princess of Koj last night. She was an old woman now and had abdicated her seat in favor of her children years ago, but she was still quite formidable. The Summer Isles had become a great deal more…vigorous in their responses to pirates and slavers under her influence.

Apparently she had sent her children to learn from their grandfather to make sure that they would be hard enough to continue her work. And Oberyn believed that he had seen her grandchildren and even very young great grandchildren at the feast as well.

The Summer Isles had risen greatly in power over the past few decades. Dorne had actually benefited from the increase in trade and security of the seas around those parts, but certain other parts of Westeros had not. The Reach in particular was not overly fond of the amount of food being exported from the Summer Isles, even if the challenge to their dominance in that area was minor.

It was rather humbling to think that a single man could have such influence. Doran probably could not have hoped to find a better match for Arianne, even if she would bear no title.

"Do all your children send their own offspring to you?" Oberyn asked curiously.

"Most of them." Harry nodded. "For the library if for no other reason."

Ah yes, Dol Guldur's library. Having spent some time at the Citadel, Oberyn could say with conviction that the maesters could no longer claim to have the largest collection of tomes in the world. Dol Guldur was better organized as well.

"A wonder if ever there was one." He commented. "Luna tells me that many of the books held there were brought from your homeland."

Many of the books in Dol Guldur's library were written in a hand too precise to have belonged to a mortal man. Luna had said that they were written by something or someone called a 'computer', whatever that meant. The only thing Oberyn managed to glean from her baffling explanation was that it was some kind of machine….probably.

"They were, and that's actually connected to what I need to do right now." Harry said and Oberyn noticed that they were at the entry hall.

"You are going outside?" The Red Viper asked, unable to suppress a small shiver at how cold it must be. He was still wearing Dornish silks, having passed through the mirror portal and thus avoided the need to traverse the frozen hell beyond the Wall.

"To the nearest weirwood." Harry confirmed.

"I wish I could accompany you, but I fear I am not dressed properly."

"Put this on." A thick fur cloak was handed to him. Where Harry got it from, Oberyn had no idea.

He was about to protest about his boots – which were made with Dorne in mind and were certainly not proof against water – when the sorcerer waved his hand over him. "There, I put a spell on the rest of your clothes to keep you from freezing to death. Let's go."

Oberyn shrugged, surrendering to the inevitable as he put on the cloak. Besides, he really did want to go with the wizard, as well as check to see if the spell would do what he said.

"Will you not be cold?" He asked with a raised eyebrow, seeing that Harry was disdaining a cloak himself and still wore only that thin sleeveless shirt.

The sorcerer smiled enigmatically. "What was once part of the world is always at least a little part of the world. The elements won't touch me."

XXXXX

Walking across the sands of Dorne was uniquely exhausting. The soles of one's feet could never find proper purchase, making every step far more difficult than it would be on solid ground.

Oberyn would still prefer it over trudging through snow. Yes, the footing was more certain, but that was hardly a fair exchange for having to plow through the stuff. To say nothing of the frigid wind slicing at his face and especially his ears like icy daggers. He didn't even want to imagine what it would be like without the spells protecting the rest of his body.

How did people live in this place? It was a question that had plagued him since the first time he had stepped outside Dol Guldur in a fit of curiosity years ago and it baffled him still.

The conditions were so miserable that Oberyn couldn't even muster up the vim to attempt seducing Harry, so he decided to focus on a more serious topic.

"My sister, Elia, suffers from a frailty that has plagued her since birth. Luna said it was because her lungs had not formed properly and that you could heal the damage." He said, clutching the cloak tightly around him.

"'Heal' isn't quite the right word." Harry replied almost absently, infuriatingly unbothered by the cold despite wearing so little. "Her body isn't damaged or sick, it's just weak. You can't heal that kind of thing, which is why Luna couldn't help on her own. What you need to do is replace the damaged organs."

"I see…" Oberyn mused. "And you can do this?"

It sounded like madness, but if it would make Elia better…

"I could, but it would probably better to just make her a new body." Harry admitted. "If it was just one or two organs then replacing them would make sense, but replacing all of them individually would be ridiculous."

"Is it safe?"

"Quite safe. I've worked out all the problems when I was making new bodies for Luna, Adrastia and myself."

Ah, so Luna had been serious when she said that she used to be short. It was maddeningly difficult to tell when she was being serious and when she was being fanciful.

"Then I beg of you to do this for my sweet sister. House Martell will never forget what you did for her."

"Luna already said I would, didn't she? I usually don't like it when people make promises in my name, but she's the exception. Besides, I'm going to be making a new body for Tyrion as well."

The Lannister dwarf, getting a new body?

Oberyn imagined the clever young man being as tall and handsome as his Kingsguard brother, then he imagined Tywin Lannister's – who was famous for hating his deformed son – reaction to it and grinned.

Harry had barely returned to the world of men and he was already so entertaining.

"May I watch you work?" He asked hopefully.

"Sure." Harry shrugged. "It'll be pretty boring for the most part, though."

Oberyn had been expecting a refusal, because surely such a thing must be a secret art. The casual agreement almost made him stumble in surprise.

"I look forward to it." He grinned, already planning out ways to lure the other man to his bed. Perhaps those massage techniques he'd learned the last time he had been in Lys would prove effective? Ellaria would surely help as well.

Not yet, though. Arianne would be quite upset if she didn't get her own time first. His niece had been eagerly looking forward to becoming a woman in full.

"Ah, here we are." Harry said, stopping before a weirwood with a face carved into its trunk, a heart tree.

"And what do you need to do here?" Oberyn asked curiously.

"Just retrieving a few important objects…" Harry trailed off, sticking his hand into the tree as if it was made of water!

"What?!" Oberyn blurted out in shock.

"I had to leave a few things behind when I came back." Harry's explanation explained nothing. Then his hand came out again, holding a staff of twisted bone topped with a grinning skull that had arcane symbols carved into it.

The Red Viper instinctively took a step back at the sight of the vile thing. Was that a human spine connecting the skull to the rest of the staff?

"Wouldn't want to lose this after all the work I put into it." Harry hummed, and the staff suddenly vanished from his hands. "Now for the other things…."

The process repeated itself, this time coming out with a simple, if masterfully made, oaken quarterstaff.

"A simple wooden staff, made from life, to protect life. Stronger than cold steel." Harry mused, giving it a skilled twirl before making it vanish as well.

Oberyn wasn't sure he agreed with that, but he had more important things on his mind than arguing about the merits of steel weaponry.

"What are you doing, and what was that horrid thing earlier?"

"I wasn't able to keep my soul pocket to myself while I was ascended, so all the junk I had stored in it got left behind when I came back. Fortunately I already took out all the books and put them in the library, so most of the stuff in there really was just random junk. As for the staff….well, I had some leftover bones to work with when I left my old body behind and it seemed a shame to waste them."

Morbid, but Oberyn supposed he could see the sense in it.

Harry reached into the tree again….and pulled out a pickaxe?

"You never know when you might need a spellforged pickaxe."

Fair enough.

"And for the final item….."

This time, it was a knife. One with a bone handle and a dark blade that radiated a palpable malice.

"Blackrazor, an old companion of mine, made from the pain, hate and death of my enemies. A vicious instrument, but useful in the right circumstance." Harry said, turning the knife around a few times before making it disappear just like he had with the other three things.

"Is that everything?" Oberyn asked, huddling deeper into the cloak. His face felt numb and the spells on his clothing seemed to be fading, for he could feel the cold seeping through.

Harry ignored him and faced north with a deep frown. "There's a chill in the air, an unnatural one."

Oberyn did not at all like the sound of that. "The Others?"

There was a time when he would have scoffed at anyone suggesting that those monsters of legend had ever existed, much less that they were returning, but he had seen how vigilant the Angmari were about the matter and it made it difficult to be dismissive. To say nothing of all the magic he had witnessed.

"Could be, I need to ask Luna if she's sensed anything while I was unconscious. Come one, we're taking the fast way back."

"I do not believe your 'Apparition' agrees with meeee….!"

XXXXX

"….eeEE-OOF!" Harry dropped the woozy Dornishman unceremoniously to the floor.

He hadn't missed the man giving him bedroom eyes and was going to amuse himself by pushing his buttons until he gave up.

"Don't worry, you'll get used to it." He 'assured'. "Now, where is that wife of mine?"

It was a rhetorical question, but Oberyn answered it anyway as he got up and dusted himself off. "She must be with Ellaria by now."

Harry ignored the grumbling tone, correctly presuming that the princeling wasn't used to being manhandled. "They'll probably be in the sitting room, then."

And they were, but it wasn't just them. Rhaella and Arianne were also there. The former was sitting by herself in a plush armchair, while the latter was on a large sofa with Luna. Ellaria had another armchair to herself.

Elia must still be with her kids somewhere.

"Harry!" Luna beamed as soon as she saw him." Come sit with us."

"Don't mind if I do." He replied, plopping himself on Arianne's other side while Oberyn went greet his paramour with a kiss that would have been considered obscene even in 21st century Earth, nevermind the medieval society they were part of.

"Good morrow, Your Grace." Arianne said coyly, looking up at him from under her eyelashes.

"Didn't I tell you to call me Harry yesterday?" He asked archly, observing the girl that Luna had negotiated (badly) into his bed.

She was very beautiful, with dark olive skin, dark curls framing her face and some truly lush curves on her short frame. Now that he was properly embodied, he could certainly understand why Luna would think he'd want her.

Her being not-quite-sixteen bothered him not at all. In fact, it was pretty much an ideal age as it would let him enjoy her youth for as long as possible. Plus, it was an adult age already. A young adult, but an adult nonetheless.

"You did….Harry." She said, boldly (by Westerosi standards) leaning into him and feeling up the muscles on his arm. "Where did you and Uncle Oberyn go?"

"Oh, we took a walk to the nearest weirwood, I had to retireve a few things that I left behind." He wasn't too upset about leaving his hammerspace inventory behind. Really, he wasn't. Alright, maybe he was a little upset, but his memories of most of it were too blurry to grab hold of them from out of the weirwood soul collective. "While we were there, I sensed that the Others had awoken. Luna, would you happen to know anything about that?"

The effect of those words were really quite amusing. The three mortal women froze up (Ellaria having to push Oberyn away to stop him from violating her tonsils any further) and stared at him in shock. Luna just looked like she was considering her reply.

"The Others?" Arianne laughed nervously. "I know that Luna said they were real, but surely you jest?"

"Oh no, I'm entirely serious. The whiff of ice magic and necromancy on the air is quite distinctive. So, Luna? Anything you forgot to tell me?"

While Harry's memories of the day to day goings on of his life were definitely a bit hazy, he did have a powerful feeling that his wife could be quite the scatterbrain.

"Well, I didn't really sense the Others, but there was one thing." She admitted. "I went to clean your workshop the day you came back and I sensed something from those creepy black rocks you've been collecting from all over the world. I tried to figure out what it is, but it hurt my brain and gave me a nosebleed, so I just locked them up in a trunk and tried to not think about it. I guess I forgot to mention it."

Black rocks? It took Harry a few moments to recall them and the aggravating difficulty of figuring out what they were. In fact, that was a project that he'd needed to shelve after uncountable failures to discover anything new.

To hear that they 'hurt Luna's brain and gave her a nosebleed' was not comforting information. Those rocks were at the center of all sorts of weird shit and having them 'wake up' on the day that he returned to the mortal world had bad news written all over it.

"Alright, I'll check it out." He nodded.

"Should you really be worrying about rocks if the Others are moving?" Rhaella asked. "I know that Rhaegar's fixation on prophecy was a bit much, but legends of those creatures paint them as a terrifying foe to all living things. Should not all efforts be focused on combating them?"

"Don't worry, I've made preparations." Harry assured, only to immediately frown uncertainly. "I did make preparations, didn't I?"

He would like to believe that he was prudent enough to do so after making his home on the doorstep of such creatures, but his memory was once again a little fuzzy.

"You did." Luna assured. "Every settlement is stocked with obsidian up to the eyeballs."

That was good. Ancient legend said that the Others were highly vulnerable to 'frozen fire', or volcanic glass in other words. Common sense about magic said that elemental weaknesses weren't just a video game mechanic (and how sad was it that he could remember video game tropes but not the finer details of his preparations for a zombie apocalypse?). If the Others made a move then they wouldn't just be steamrolling the opposition.

Why then, did he still have a feeling of Impending Doom?

"Are we in danger here?" Ellaria asked, worriedly clutching her gravid belly.

"Not at all." Harry dismissed. Worst case scenario, there were always the mirror portals to use as an escape route. The regular people, though, they were definitely in danger if shit hit the fan.

"You will protect me, won't you?" Arianne asked, grabbing hold of his arm and looking up with mischief in her eyes. Trust a horny teenager to not grasp the severity of the situation.

At least it moved the conversation away from the doom and gloom. There was nothing to be gained by obsessing about the Others right now.

"Oh, I'm going to be doing a lot more than just protecting you." He grinned.

Arianne gasped and blushed, looking embarrassed as her uncle laughed. "How bold!"

"Is it?" Luna wondered, confused. "But we have sex all the time!"

"It is different between women." Arianne protested.

"And I'll be happy to educate you in those differences." Harry replied with aplomb, getting another heated flush from the girl. She was quite the emotive one.

"You will be gentle with my niece when you make her a woman, won't you, Harry?" Oberyn cut in, grinning alongside his paramour.

"Uncle!" Arianne protested the teasing.

"I don't know, she seems to be the type that would find 'gentle' boring." Harry mused, reaching over to wrap his arm around her and ignoring her squirming. "I'm going to have to find out what strings to pluck to make her sing before I commit to an approach."

"Well said." Oberyn laughed.

Arianne just tried to hunch in on herself in embarrassment, but didn't try to get away from him so she was clearly not really upset.

"But that's for later. For now, I have things I need to check up on. Luna, come with me and show me those rocks."

XXXXX

Harry wiped the blood leaking out of his nose and forcefully directed his attention away from the greasy black rocks.

"Ah, that's definitely not good." He noted blandly. His brain felt almost as if it had just been pushed to the brink of an aneurysm induced by overuse of magic, an unfortunately familiar sensation that he had no business experiencing after merely 'listening' to an object's soul.

Whatever those rocks were, they were unfathomable to the human mind.

"What are you going to do?" Luna asked, a small crease in her expression the only sign of worry.

"First, I'm going to lock these rocks up in the most secure chest I can find and throw them to the bottom of the ocean. Or maybe into an active volcano." Harry replied without enthusiasm, then paused. "No, wait, that's a terrible idea! There's no telling what the reaction will be. Either way, I'm going to have to visit the places I got them to see if the source is also acting up."

That meant the Iron Islands, Asshai, Stygai, Yeen, the Isle of Toads and maybe a few others. Only from a distance though. If a few little chunks could mess him up this badly, then he'd rather not find out what a throne, a big statue or an entire city worth of it would do.

"You can do that a bit later." Luna asserted. "You only just came back and still aren't completely settled. You still need to meet Aegon and Rhaenys properly and they need a dad. Plus, Arianne might just explode if you don't make a woman out of her soon."

"Heh, she did seem rather pent up." Harry chuckled.

"She's wanted to have sex with a man for years, but I kept cockblocking her because I wanted her first time to be with you." Luna admitted shamelessly.

That got him full out laughing and he went to hug her.

"Never change, Luna." Harry sighed, petting her hair as she happily smushed herself up against him. "I missed you."

"I missed you too." She murmured back and gave him a squeeze. "So wait at least until you have Elia and Tyrion's new bodies ready before you go on any trips, okay?"

"Alright, fine. I guess the rocks won't be going anywhere."

XXXXX

Arianne was so excited she could barely sit still. It was finally going to happen, she was going to be made a woman. And by such a man! He was everything she found she liked in men; tall, dark, handsome, strong, with an air of danger to him. Luna's descriptions did not do him justice.

There was a bit of fear as well, of course, but after years of waiting it was drowned out by anticipation.

When Father had first told her that she would not be wed, but instead given to the Sorcerer of Dol Guldur, she had been outraged. Even if she could admit that the gifts Luna had offered in exchange were well worth it, she had bitterly resented the perceived insult. Nor was she foolish enough to believe that she could remain Father's heir – the lords of Dorne would never accept an unwed princess that was being fucked by a foreigner.

Fortunately, Luna had managed to calm her down and get her to see the benefits (and Arianne still had some very fond memories of the angry sex she had used to do it). True, her birthright would be denied to her, but her children and their descendants after them would rule much of western Essos.

It may have sounded like madness, reviving the Rhoynar civilization – there were simply too many obstacles in the way – but Arianne could see it being possible with Angmar's backing

The Dothraki were a broken people now. The dragons had strangled land trade across the Dothraki Sea, and tended to attack any large groupings of people that they spotted, such as khalasars. With the slave trade almost completely smashed and having no allies to call upon, the savage horsemen could no longer supply themselves with steel weapons, leaving them a much lesser threat than they used to be. The Free Cities were increasingly refusing to pay them tribute and preferred to send mercenaries to wipe them out. A large chunk of their women had dispersed around Essos, seeing that their men could no longer protect them and another large portion of their people had already fled further east, back to the Bone Mountains that they hid in during the days of the Valyrian Freehold. The Dothraki Sea was mostly empty these days.

Volantis was a burned out shadow of its former self and its destruction had thrown the other Free Cities into a chaotic war for dominance. It was like a lesser version of the Century of Blood that had ensued after the Doom.

All the great powers that could have opposed a resurgence of the Rhoynar were in no position to do so (though they would undoubtedly still try), and considering that Angmar had risen to such a height of power in a mere half century, it was believable that the reborn Rhoynar could manage the same with its aid.

And it would be her children that would rule it. Arianne was still a little upset that she would not get a chance to rule herself, but Father had relentlessly beaten it into her head that a ruler should always look to secure the future, even if that meant making unpleasant sacrifices in the present.

Not that she expected her role to be unpleasant any more. Oh no, after meeting Harry and getting an impression of what kind of man he was, she was downright eager for it. She was even grateful to Luna for constantly chasing away all the boys she wanted to 'try out' over the past few years. None of them could compare to Harry and still being a maiden would make their first time more special.

Not that she was going to thank her for it.

When the time finally came and Luna escorted her to the master bedroom, Arianne was already dripping wet from anticipation. The lack of naked Harry inside the room came as a severe disappointment.

"Why is he not here?" Arianne did not whine while rubbing her thighs together.

Instead of answering, Luna merely smiled and bent down to kiss her. Her looming height made it a bit awkward, but the two of them had plenty of practice.

Disappointed, but far too aroused to protest any kind of action, Arianne responded eagerly. Clothes flew off eagerly until both were naked, at which point Luna stepped back and smiled again.

"Wha…?" Arianne asked a bit dazedly, only to feel a huge hand grip her by the throat and pull her against as chest that felt like a marble pillar.

"Evening." Harry's voice purred in such a way that her womanhood trembled. It could also be because his hand was so big it went all the way around her throat, or because she could feel his manhood poking into her back, hard and throbbing.

"Good, evening." She managed to rasp out with a shudder. Her hand trailed downwards and grasped his member, gasping at its size and the heat it was giving off. That is going to be inside me soon.

"I'm going to give you two rules that I give to all my women." Harry continued, his other hand reaching out to expertly fondle a breast. "If I get carried away and hurt you, then you say 'yellow' if you need me to slow down and 'red' if you need me to stop. If I don't hear either of these two words, I am going to fuck you stupid. Understand?"

Arianne felt the fingers around her neck tighten slightly and it was all she could do to whimper out a response. "I understand."

He had barely touched her and she already felt like she was on the edge of climax. It was better than the most lurid fantasies she had about men having their way with her and any thoughts of red or yellow were the furthest thing from her mind.

"Good. Luna, get her ready for me." Harry ordered.

"I'd love to." Luna beamed and went down to her knees.

Arianne felt herself lifted up as if she weighed nothing at all, legs settled on the witch's shoulders and her head between her legs. She even caught a glimpse of Harry's manhood as it slid in between Luna's breasts, before the familiar feel of her tongue lapping against her core made her gasp in pleasure.

But it was different this time. Harry's hand at her throat squeezed slightly harder, making it more difficult to breathe, which for some reason enhanced the pleasure. Then they let up and pressed on another part of her neck, making her feel lightheaded and again enhancing the pleasure. What in the world was this, and why was she only discovering it now?!

With that much stimulation, it took Arianne less than two minutes before she was convulsing in orgasm. She wanted to scream, but could only gasp helplessly because of the hand squeezing her throat. Just when it felt like she was about to pass out, either from the pleasure or from lack of air, the grip loosened and allowed her to suck in deep breaths of air like a drowning woman.

"There, all ready." Luna beamed, standing up and wiping her mouth, leaving her legs dangling in the air.

Dimly, Arianne realized that that was only foreplay. She was ready to pass out and go to sleep. Still, any thoughts of red and yellow were obliterated by the planes of hot, hard muscle pressed against her back, the strong arms holding her up and the lengthy girth of the cock that had sprung up and slapped into her sodden womanhood when Luna got out of the way, and was even now throbbing between her dangling legs.

Harry wrangled her unresisting body over to the bed, still keeping one hand on her throat, but the other now pinning her wrists above her head. It made her feel so tiny to have his huge, chiseled body looming over her and his glowing green eyes bored into her own dark ones with such intensity that it took her breath away.

Arianne glanced down and finally got a good look at his cock, making her swallow nervously. That was….quite a bit bigger than she had imagined. Was it even going to fit? Where was Luna?

Eyes darting sideways, she spotted the tall sorceress on an armchair at the side of the bed, legs splayed apart lewdly and hand already rubbing at her core. The look in her moonlight eyes clearly said that she was going to watch her husband fuck another woman and enjoy it thoroughly. There would be no help or reassurance coming from her.

Arianne felt her insides clench with anticipation and realized that she found the thought intensely arousing. She was on her own, about to get fucked and there was nothing she could do to stop it and Luna, her longtime friend and lover, was going to just watch.

She barely even remembered about the assigned safewords, mind too fogged by lust to conceptualize high-flying concepts such as 'stop' or 'slow down'.

Then she felt the tip of him prod at her soaked entrance and her breath hitched. He was going to do it.

Arianne looked back into his eyes, seeing that their intensity was undiminished. With his long black hair falling about his face and creating a black curtain full of shadows, it made them seem all the brighter.

The hand around her throat squeezed, choking her while he slowly – oh so slowly – worked himself in, making the entire experience so much more erotic. Just when she felt her lungs start to burn from lack of air, he let go and instead pressed on another part of her neck, cutting off the blood supply to her neck and making her woozy.

Arianne could do nothing but whimper in helpless pleasure beneath him, desperately trying to urge him to go faster by bucking her hips, but he wouldn't budge and kept his pace excruciatingly slow. Inch by painstaking inch, he slid into her, stretching her apart until she thought she would be torn in half in an explosion of glorious pleasure.

It seemed to go on forever. He would push in just the tiniest amount more every time before withdrawing, all the while one hand kept her hands pinned helplessly while the other drove her insane by alternatively squeezing down on her throat or the veins in her neck. His eyes kept her attention captive the entire time.

Arianne was able to muster a vague sense of surprise at the lack of pain. She knew that a woman's first time was supposed to be painful as their maidenhead broke, but that had not happened and he was surely already deep enough for it. Was that why he was going so slow?

Then she felt finally him bottom out, his big, throbbing cock seeming to reach all the way to her womb. The sudden sensation of fullness was too much and Arianne convulsed, shuddered and desperately gasped for air that he was not allowing her to have as she reached climax. He had gotten her so worked up that merely having him all the way inside was enough.

Just when she felt like she was about to pass out, she was allowed to breathe and did so greedily, opening eyes that she didn't realize she had closed to stare at his own again. There was a definite amused glint in them that hadn't been there before.

"Now that you're ready, we can get started." Harry rumbled, a smirk pulling at his lips.

Started? Arianne wondered blearily. She had already climaxed twice – powerfully at that – and was ready to take a break, yet he was saying that they had just started? He was going to kill her.

There was a moan to the side that reminded her of Luna, but then Harry pulled out in a single, quick move and completely obliterated any thought of the other woman. He plunged back in, slower, but still much faster than before and also in a single movement.

"GUUGH!" Arianne gurgled at the delicious violation, unable to scream because of the grip once again depriving her of air. Then she could make no sound at all as Harry began to rhythmically thrust into her. There was so much strength behind each movement, no matter how gentle they were, that the Dornish princess felt like she was being fucked by a dragon rather than a man.

Her womanhood was already feeling wrung out from climaxing twice, but the sheer dominance of Harry's fucking was forcing her towards another one in spite of her body's protests.

This one wasn't as powerful as the previous two, but that was compensated for by the fact that Harry didn't let up. In fact, he didn't even acknowledge her helpless writhing at all and just continued taking his pleasure from her. Why did she find that bit of selfishness so arousing?

Between the three orgasms, the choking and the lightheadedness of having her brain's blood supply periodically cut, Arianne was barely coherent enough to register that his movements were becoming a little ragged and that small grunts were escaping his lips. If her entire world hadn't narrowed down the the feeling of his cock plunging deep inside her, she would have surely missed it.

But she knew what was coming and awaited it eagerly. With what little strength her body had left, she tried to wrap her legs around his waist, in the end only managing to open herself up to him even further.

Then it came, surging into her like a burning river. His hot seed felt like it was filling up places she didn't even know she had, and with each splash of his essence came a roaring wave of pleasure that she would have sworn she was too worn out to feel anymore.

Even though her had let go of her neck, Arianne could only whimper and cry as her body convulsed under what felt like and endless torrent of orgasms. It was too much and her vision whited out.

An indeterminable eternity later, her sight cleared up and she stared blearily at the room's ceiling. Everything felt strange and unreal, as if her body was floating along on a lightning cloud, vague and tingly.

Was this the joy of a woman? She wondered absently. It was joyous indeed.

A loud slurping sound ruined her state of serenity and she turned towards it with a small frown, only for her eyes to widen in surprise.

Harry was standing there and Luna was on her knees in front of him, gobbling down his member all the way to the base in ways Arianne hadn't really believed was possible despite the stories her sorceress friend had told her. She could see the other woman's throat bulge as Harry's member filled it and suddenly her mouth felt strangely dry.

"Oh, it seems Ari is awake." Harry spoke up, looking right at her exhausted, sweat-soaked form with a completely deserved look of self-satisfaction.

Luna reared back to free up her mouth and looked at her with a beaming smile. "Ooh, neat! If she's still conscious then you can do me from behind while I lick your cum out of her."

Arianne whimpered, too tired to beg for mercy. They really were going to kill her.

XXXXX

The next day.

Both being early risers, Harry and Oberyn once again found themselves in each other's company in the morning. This time, the Dornishman suggested a spar, wanting to see if the wizard's skill as a warrior matched his skill with magic.

"You are better at this than I expected." Oberyn observed, darting in for another quick attack with his wooden spear.

"You know how it is," Harry replied casually, blocking with his quarterstaff. "better to be a warrior in a library than a librarian in a war."

"A wise sentiment." Oberyn nodded sagely, looking for a weakness to exploit. He was at a tremendous strength disadvantage, so he had to be cautious. "Although few have the time to devote to the arts of war as well as the scholarly ones."

"Perks of eternal youth."

"Indeed. I imagine the women are another perk. Did my niece please you, Harry?"

The wizard disengaged and gave the other man a flat look. "I was wondering when you'd get around to asking. Yes, Arianne was very nice. Passionate girl, bit of a screamer too, although she passed out halfway through the night. We'll have to work on that stamina of hers."

Oberyn laughed. "You wore her out? I suspect that she will soon have my Tyene joining your bed as well. Those two always seem to end up doing everything together."

"Luna did mention that." Harry shook his head bemusedly. "I leave my wife unsupervised for a few years and I'm back to having a harem."

"Ellaria is also interested in laying with you." Oberyn added unhelpfully. "She was already with Luna and said that it was an extraordinary experience. I was most envious, as your wife continues to refuse my advances. Now that you have returned the four of us could have some fun together."

"Denied." Harry immediately retorted. "I don't share bedspace with other men."

"That even one as experienced as you would deny himself half the pleasures of the flesh." Oberyn shook his head in mock sorrow. "You northerners are such prudes."

"Or maybe you're just a dirty slut." Harry countered drily. "It's very simple, Oberyn. I don't enjoy having things stuck inside me, so there's no need for any cocks other than mine to be present, and men have no holes that women lack."

"But you have never even tried it!" Oberyn argued.

"And you've never tried to get fucked by a horse, but you don't hear me espousing the benefits of beastiality."

"A fair point, but still….."

"What are you two talking about?" Tyrion asked, having waddled into the room unnoticed while they were talking.

"Fucking." Harry answered sagely.

"Indeed." Oberyn agreed.

"Ah yes, an intellectual topic." Tyrion nodded sarcastically.

"We could just go back to wailing on each other." Harry suggested.

"Probably for the best, but let us switch to swords. I should practice with it even if it is not my favorite weapon." Oberyn counter-suggested.

"I don't like swords much either. The damn things always feel like they're going to fly right out of my hands." Harry grimaced, but took up a practice sword anyway.

"I will need to learn the sword as well if I am made whole." Tyrion said in a tone of realization.

"Oh, so you've decided to accept my offer?" Harry questioned.

"I could not have refused." Tyrion admitted. "To no longer be a dwarf….it still feels like a dream."

"What about the other offer?"

"Ooh, what offer?" Luna cut in, bouncing into the room ahead of Elia, Rhaenys, Aegon and Visenya.

"I figured that Tyrion would make a good advisor for mine and Ari's children when they go about reviving the Rhoynar." Harry answered, not batting an eyelash at the intrusion to their conversation.

There were some surprised gasps from the Martells/Targaryens, but Luna just beamed widely. "That's a great idea! Tyrion is really smart and would be a big help."

Tyrion flushed in embarrassment at the praise and nodded agreements from the others.

"So, have you made any decisions yet?" Harry prodded, giving the fidgety Visenya a small wink. The girl was obviously working hard to keep herself quiet and not rudely inject herself into the conversation. Seems like Elia and Rhaella had managed to counter at least some of Luna's example.

Tyrion went quiet for a moment, staring back at the wizard's expectant green eyes before sighing. "You were most likely right when you said that my father would not accept me, no matter what my body was like, but I feel that I must still make one last attempt to earn his favor. If he refuses me, then…then I will simply found my own branch of House Lannister on the Rhoyne!"

It was a dramatic statement, the kind that nobles did not make lightly. One that could lead one to make their indelible mark upon history or lead them into ignoble obscurity.

"With Blackjack. And hookers!"

A statement that a giggling Luna completely robbed of gravitas.

Harry snorted out a laugh, the reference sparking a memory of watching Futurama with all three of his wives so many centuries ago. Good times.

"Err, what are Blackjack and hookers?" Tyrion asked tentatively, baffled.

"Blackjack is a card game and hookers is another name for whores." Harry explained.

"I see." The dwarf flushed in embarrassment, along with the children. Although in his case it was mostly because he felt that his dramatic statement was being mocked.

Meanwhile, Elia tried to scold Luna for her language, to little effect.

"Speaking of Blackjack and hookers, Harry." The witch said, interrupting the scolding by the expedient means of smothering the frail Dornish woman in her bosom. "You should take Oberyn and Tyrion with you when you go investigating the black stone. It'll be a bromance!"

"What is a 'bromance'?" Oberyn asked bemusedly, liking the sound of it.

"It's basically a close, non-sexual friendship between men." Harry explained quickly and poorly, not wanting to get into the breakdown of relations between men and women, the disintegration of family values and the resulting familial bonds men sought with each other to fill the void. Or even worse, American college fraternities. So nice of Luna to bring that irrelevant bit of trivia floating back to the forefront of his mind. "Our culture was a great deal more relaxed than what you are used to, so good friends just started calling each other 'bros' as a short for brothers, even though they were not at all related."

"Hmm." Oberyn stroked his goatee thoughtfully and grinned at the flustered Elia, who had by now been released from her breastly entanglement. "Well, you are fucking or will end up fucking quite a number of Martell women, so I suppose we are brothers in a sense."

"I want to go, too!" Visenya piped up, apparently unable to stay quiet any longer.

"No, dear." Luna scolded gently. "Let the boys have this, it won't be a bromance if there are girls along."

"But I want to spend some time with Daddy." The girl pouted.

"You will." Luna assured. "It should still take Harry at least two turns of the moon to make Tyrion and Elia's new bodies."

"About that long." Harry confirmed.

"Okay." Visenya immediately perked up. "Can we do something together now?"

Harry looked at the practice sword in his hand, which he had never gotten to use, and then back at his most recent daughter. "Well, I could teach you to use a sword if you'd like."

"I don't like swords." Visenya scrunched her face, but her expression quickly reverted to a happy one. "I could play the harp for you! Mother says that I'm as good as Rhaegar used to be."

"Alright." Harry reluctantly conceded, knowing when it was best to cut your losses. He'd already missed out on all of his daughter's life at this point and any refusal to spend time with her could be seen as a rejection of her as a person.

"I begin to understand why it cannot be a bromance if there are girls present." Tyrion muttered.

XXXXX

A few end-of-chapter notes.

Tyrion – he is both younger than he was at the start of canon and there was no Tysha incident, so he isn't an ultra-cynical drunkard and whoremonger.

The inevitable protestations of pedophilia from all the filthy casuals still insistently applying real world morals to fiction – Arianne is almost 16 at this point, which is easily considered an adult age already in Westeros and Harry has been sharing souls with billions of dead Westerosi for the past 13 years. He wouldn't see any problem with it even if he wasn't an almost-700-year-old immortal that lost his virginity just shy of his teens.

Plus, canon!Arianne got her first taste of the D at 14, so this fic is technically behind schedule on her sex life.