23Slight incest warning in this chapter as usually is the case for GoT.
Harrian turned fifteen a week before Jon Arryn passed. One day, he was fine, and then, he was dead and buried. It was a time of grief, as the young Harrian had grown attached to the late Lord Paramount while serving as hand.
However, none was more affected by the sudden death than his father. And in the name of drowning his sorrows, Robert found himself face first in tits and drink. Granted, everyone had their ways of handling grief, but Robert's were destructive, to say the least. He'd gone on drinking, whoring, and hunting sprees, the likes of which haven't been seen from him since Harrian's dramatic birth. The difference was that now, Jon Arryn wasn't there to stop him from destroying himself. Harrian hadn't seen his father since the news broke, and now, the word was that they soon were to travel to Winterfell.
"I hear it being said it was a bite from a Lysenese insect that finished the Hand," a bored-sounding voice said as he went in for a blow, tearing Harrian from his thoughts and back in the training yard. He was faced with a boy, a near copy of their mother- yellow hair and green eyes, with a lithe and slender build. The boy, who was his younger brother by a year, was Prince Joffery Baratheon of the Seven Kingdoms.
The two were sparring with dulled blades. A step up from wooden ones, these had more weight and held more of a threat- they hurt when you got hit.
Barristan or some other kingsguard would usually be out in the training yard when the princes were, but today, they had been assigned elsewhere, and the boys wanted to let off some steam.
"Which kind of Lysenese bug? And how did it get across the Narrow Sea?" Harrian questioned, dodging the blow Joffery dealt and going for his swing. Harrian inherited the same green eyes and body type from their mother. His hair coloring was the only noticeable trait resulting from his father's blood. "It wouldn't make sense for a bug to only bite one person in the whole of Kings Landing, and he hadn't left the Red Keep in weeks. Do the symptoms match up? The timing?" Harrian said, pushing against his opponent, making him take a step back.
"Gods if I know the actual reason he died, Harry. I'm just making conversation, saying what I'd heard." His brother said exasperatedly as he put his sword up to block.
Harrian rolled his eyes, "Instead of a conversation, I'd say it's an attempt at a distraction tactic. Where'd you hear this from anyways?" He let up his attacks, and they both stepped back, circling each other.
"Hey now, it's not my fault some of the court ladies get a little loose-lipped when they get... noticed by their prince," Joffery said with a cocky smirk.
"Ah yes, of course, the best way to get accurate information, from the mouths of court gossip," Harrian teased and went in for a lunge, smacking Joffery's side when his guard was down and shifted into a defensive stance, knowing that would get a rise out of him.
A swing of Joffery's blade arched over in an attack, meeting with a loud clang as Harrian's prediction rang true.
Joffery scowled at his brother, "That hurt. And pray tell, what makes court gossip so inaccurate?" he argued as Harrian continued to block his strikes.
"Only that it's often wrong," Harrian replied bluntly.
Joffery's attacks were getting more erratic, the conversation and the stinging of his waist causing his mind to drift from the battle at hand. And in his distraction, Harrian managed to trip him up by feigning another defense and twisting aside at the last moment when the golden-haired boy went in for an attack.
Joffery's sword swung through nothing, and he stumbled into the dirt. He let out an oomph at the impact, and when he turned onto his back, Harrian stood, the tip of his blade pressed lightly against Joffery's chest.
The younger of the two let out a sigh and a smile despite himself, raising his hands in surrender, "Yield, I yield."
Harrian grinned, kicking away Joffery's sword, "To continue answering your question, you should never take word of mouth for granted." Then, twirling his sword in his hand and pointing it away from Joffery, he faked an elderly voice, "And always be mindful of what a person's intentions are when they're talking to you, everyone has their own beliefs they want to convince you of, dear Joffery." He'd experienced plenty of attempted power grabs, scandals, and arse-kissing in his previous life- that of when he was Harry Potter. Again, Harrian grinned, reaching out his hand.
"You know, your Pycelle voice is coming along quite nicely," Joffery said, accepting his brother's offered help, hoisting himself back onto his feet as he dusted himself off. "Perhaps you have the means to become a maester."
"High praise, brother mine," Harrian retorted. "Though I fear that isn't the life for me. Despite how much I might adore dusty old tomes and chains of many metals, I do not plan on them being my companions until I die. Mother would have my head, besides."
Joffery nodded in agreement. They both knew well enough their mother had the grandest of plans set out in her mind for them. But he still grumbled at the thought, "Mother is too controlling at times."
Harrian sighed gently and said in a mildly scolding voice, "Mother only hovers because she loves us, Joff." Memories of another life were still at the back of his mind. Joffery didn't go through the things he did, but Harrian knew well not to take such things for granted.
Joffery shrugged. "I suppose. It still is a pain, though. Let's take a rest." He waved his hand over to some yard boys, and they came over, putting away the princes' sword and handing the two princes' towels to clean up their sweat. Harrian flashed them a grateful smile, and Joffery quickly gave one too, then dismissed them with a wave of his hand. Despite how many years he's lived as Harrian, it was strange to have people wait on him, hand and foot. This life was all Joffery had ever experienced; he was so used to the golden spoon he didn't even notice it there. And as Joffery was his brother, Harrian would give Joffrey the world if he asked for it.
"Do you think we'll be able to sneak outside again before we leave? I'd like to see Master Mott have my sword sharpened." Joffery brought up. Harrian would often bring Joffery along for his adventures outside the Red Keep. Since they were kids, they'd been playing with orphans in Flea Bottom, sneaking their way into the Sept of Baelor, or going to the Dragon Gate to see what kinds of people were making their way into King's Landing that day. Due to their similarities in appearance, Joffery would often cover his hair with soot to match Harrian's, and they'd be able to pass themselves off as twins.
"Yeah, we could probably get around to it. Let's see... tomorrow we should be free in the afternoon, so how about then?" Harrian asked for confirmation, at which Joffery nodded in approval.
Cersei would always panic and fret at their disappearances, often becoming angry at the guards and those in charge of caring for them, but no matter how much they would heighten their security, the boys would always find a way to slip through the cracks.
The two brothers made their way to the overhanging cover in the training yard and crashed on the benches there, where goblets of sweet wine sat waiting for them. "Have you thought much about the trip to Winterfell?" Joffery questioned, picking up his drink and taking a sip, continuing, "I heard that father's thinking about naming Ned Stark his hand. Why else would half the court be heading North? Though, I did hear the Night's Watch's numbers have been dwindling... perhaps he'll have us join them in defending the realms."
Harrian gave him a side-eye but hid a smile as he gulped his drink before putting it down and wiping his mouth with his hand, "Now that Watch theory is one of your more far-fetched ones yet. Mother wouldn't stand for her sons taking the black. Though, making Lord Stark his hand would make sense. They were pretty close during their youth, from all the stories father's told us. He's held the North well, too."
"I could never give up women for a giant ice wall," Joffery said wistfully, gazing out in the distance. "You, on the other hand.. you like your honor and all, don't you? Plenty of that fighting grumpkins and snarks."
"You brat," Harrian said, knocking his knuckles lightly on Joffery's temple while rolling his eyes. "All the talk about maesters and the Watch. You're trying to be king. I see where you're going with this. Do you even know how to rule? All the duties you'd have? You hardly pay attention to your studies." Harrian accused.
Joffery scoffed, offended, "I pay well enough attention in my lessons; I'll have you know!"
"Right... House Fossoway of Cider Hall, sigil and words," Harrian asked, unimpressed.
"Green? No, a red apple on yellow, and their words... tasting victory or glory, or something."
"Taste of Glory. You got the sigil correct, though." Harrian praised.
"Shit. Memorization isn't my strong suit." Joffery admitted, "I'm more than happy playing the part of the lowly second prince, though," he mused with a grin, "I get to do whatever I want while you have to slave away under your studies to rule the Seven Kingdoms." He paused, brow furrowing in thought, "Actually, do me a favor and don't leave me the crown. I like my freedom too much."
Harrian snorted, "It is a hard job. Managing all the lords, peasants, and enemies."
Joffery nodded, straight-faced, "Unless you set them all on fire." They both stared at each other for a few seconds before they burst into laughter.
In this laughing fit, their Uncle Jamie found them when he came down to call them for their luncheon meal, ruffling their sweat-dampened hairs and earning himself even more laughter from the two princes.
They chattered excitedly with their uncle about their training, with Joffery boasting about his improving swordsmanship. The Lannister kingsguard nodded, walking them along, adding appropriate quips and remarks as the two brothers shared what happened in the training yard. Since their births, he'd been by both the boys' sides, even after Robert stopped going after Harrian's. Birthing rooms weren't places for kings, Robert said.
Jamie didn't care. Cersei needed him, so he was there. It was better if Robert wasn't there, anyhow. After Harrian, Cersei only birthed their children, after all.
Harrian and Joffery grew up very close with Jamie Lannister, who was often in charge of watching and guarding the pair. It was strangely easy for the Lannister kingsguard to grow fond of Harrian when he was born. Maybe it was because he was born before him and Cersei had started falling back into their old habits, or perhaps it was because Harrian was born loveable, with only his hair differentiating him from his siblings.
They met with their mother and their siblings when they reached the Queen's solar.
"My sons!" Cersei said with a light tug on her lips, putting down her fork, midbite. Her brother and the children following him were a welcome sight to behold.
Myrcella and Tommen were fawning over a kitten- the kitchen cat had recently given birth to a litter. Cersei lounged in a cushioned seat, going over some ravens she'd received while picking at some honeyed fish. At Cersei's greeting, Tommen and Myrcella perked up in interest and gave their brothers a wave in greeting.
"Mother!" Harrian greeted her with a beaming grin, hugging her.
"Just got done practicing swords, I see," Cersei remarked, scrunching her nose, and despite her distaste, gave in to a quick embrace with his sweaty form.
Joffery went in for a hug as well while Harrian nodded, "Joff almost got me this time around. He is getting better at swordsmanship by the day."
"Yep," Joffery confirmed, "Though I can hardly compete with Arthur Dayne reborn."
"You just need to stop your mind from wandering. You'd be my match in swords, otherwise." Harrian praised, which left Joffery preening, then they turned their attention to their other siblings, joining them on the carpeted floor.
"Was anyone out there with you?" Cersei questioned with an anxious tone, and the eldest boys gave each other a side-eye glance, which told Cersei all she needed to know. "You know better than to practice swords without supervision!" She scolded frettingly, "Especially when you're not using wooden ones anymore!"
The boys nodded along with guilty expressions, though they all knew they'd be out there, no matter if anyone was watching them. Cersei knew this well enough and complained, "Why must you two be such trouble?"
"Such trouble," Tommen agreed, as Myrcella tutted, nodding along.
"You two are plenty of trouble, yourselves." Cersei sighed.
"Are not!" They protested in unison.
Jamie shook his head with a grin and added to his sister's comment, "You both are always hatching some secret plans. The week before last, you convinced a servant girl to give you thrice your share of lemon cakes, last week, it was sneaking salt into your mother's wine, and this week, you've found yourself a kitten."
"Playing with a kitten is hardly being naughty," Tommen argued.
"How about I ask the mother of that kitten what she thinks?" Jamie asked.
Tommen pouted at Jamie while Mycella looked at him with feigned innocence as if she were the Maiden reborn. She certainly looked the part, with her golden locks and emerald green eyes, already looking the role of a young woman. A mirror of Cersei. Tommen also shared his mother and sister's hair and eyes but was far more child-like in comparison, with baby fat still filling in his cheeks. Many often thought the age gap between the two to be quite large, but they were only a nameday apart.
"Joff and Harry are gloating again, mother!" Myrcella whined, and they were, both with impressive self-satisfied smirks as their sibling's various misdeeds were noted.
They'd found themselves seats on laying chairs as they escaped their mother's scrutiny and feasted themselves on a bowl of grapes as if they were enjoying a fantastic play before their eyes.
"It's not our fault you both get into trouble so much," Joffery shrugged.
"You both are the ones who think up most of the pranks. But, you just let us do your dirty work for you!" Tommen accused.
"Not to mention all the times you sneak out of the Keep!" Myrcella chimed. "I'll take Harry, you take Joff," she told Tommen. They both pounced on their older brothers in attack, only to be bested, bursting into laughter. Their older brothers redirected their attacks into being tickled mercilessly as they gasped for air.
Their younger siblings loved hearing the stories of their brothers and the friends they'd made, from diving off cliffs into the waters to escape the long summer's heat that time they visited Casterly Rock to running from ruffians when they lost their day's pay gambling against them in cards in the slums of King's Landing. They did all of the more dangerous things behind their Queen mother's back, who was already constantly worried for their safety. Their riskier adventures would be far worse for her heart if practicing with dulled blades was already making her fret.
Jamie, who'd been watching standing from the side as chaos ensued, stepped in to save the confused mewling kitten in the middle of the conflict.
Tommen and Myrcella ceded their defeat, sitting back down on the carpet, out of breath. The younger pair were as close as the older brothers were, and people often drew similarities between their childhoods. Time and time again, their dynamics would be compared for their similarities.
"Do you know when we will be leaving for Winterfell, mother?" Harrian asked, going back to leaning on his chair, the younger two going back to their own world with their kitten, debating names.
Cersei's expression went from fondness to one that swallowed a lemon at the mention of the trip North and replied with gritted teeth, "As soon as your father finishes... grieving." Then, turning to Jamie, she asked, "have you heard any recent news?"
"We should be departing within the month, from what I've gathered," Jamie said, "it would be good to have the servants start packing up your warmer clothes."
"The servants wouldn't know what's fashionable, it would be better for us to supervise to make sure they pack the right clothes," Myrcella chimed in to correct her uncle.
He smiled warmly at her. She really was growing to be more like Cersei by the day. And himself. Yes, of course, Princess."
Cersei chewed on her lip, "We might need to call in a seamstress for more winter clothes... it wouldn't do to have clothes from last winter or clothes not fit for the weather…." She muttered to herself.
Sensing an impending conversation of hours-long clothes-fitting sessions on the horizon, Joffrey stood up, and loudly announced, "I'm feeling like scones, let's go get some."
The younger two gave Joffery grateful grins at the opportunity to escape the pin prodding that was dress fitting, while Tommen picked up the kitten, now dubbed Winter after her coat of white fur. A smile lingered on Cersei as they gave her pecks on the cheek in farewell as they left the room, Harrian waved them along when Joffery shot him a questioning look. Cersei shook her head when Joffery cheekily grinned as he left the room.
"You'll be sending the seamstresses to their rooms after they return from the kitchens, I expect?" Harrian questioned, looking amused.
"Oh, Harry, you know me so well," Cersei admitted with a tug of her lips. "Would you be a dear and follow them down? I fear what antics they would get into without you there."
"I doubt me being there would make them get into any less trouble," Harrian snorted, but stood up nonetheless, and gave his mother a farewell hug and one of his easy smiles.
There were often many similarities between Harrian and Jamie, jumping off the cliffs only being one of the more obvious parallels. Harrian also shared Jamie's more carefree nature (rather, blatant disregard for rules). With their matching smiles, especially as he's grown older- gods, she would've assumed Jamie the father, if she didn't know better.
"Uncle Jamie," he said, nodding goodbye and leaving the room in search of his siblings.
"He's a good lad," Jamie said with a soft smile as Harrian closed the door behind him, placing a hand on his sister's shoulder.
"I wish they were all ours." Cersei confessed, leaning into her lover's touch, "I hate that I have to share Harrian with him."
Of all the children, Robert adored Harrian the most. He claimed Harrian had all the best traits of him and Cersei combined and that the miracle of his birth was a surefire sign that he would be great. Cersei agreed, of course. Harrian was undoubtedly remarkable.
Robert doted on him perhaps even more than Cersei did, never punishing neither Harrian nor Joffery for going on their adventures, even when Cersei would scream and demand him take their sons' safety more seriously. Perhaps he thought Harrian was protected by the gods, that no harm would ever come to him, and by extension, Joffery. Robert put Harrian up on a pedestal above all else in his life. Still, that affection for Harrian never stopped him from hurting his child's mother, getting piss drunk, and leaving a trail of black-haired, blue-eyed bastards everywhere he went. Even now, odds were that was precisely what he was doing. She was just glad that Jamie didn't treat Harrian differently from the children they shared.
Jamie smiled at his sister as his hand trailed along her shoulder, and as if reading her thoughts, he assured her, "It doesn't matter who Harry's father is. I've long since come to adore Harry just the same. He looks all of a Lannister, aside from his hair. How could he not be a strong, smart, handsome lad, with how much he takes after us? After you?" He placed a firm kiss on her head, "Even after all these years, you still are the most beautiful woman in the realm, dear sister."
"Such sweet words... What are you trying to aim for here?" Cersei questioned teasingly, standing up from her chair so she could face him fully.
Jamie smiled cheekily and went in for a kiss, he could feel Cersei's smile against his lips.
Maybe they weren't too old yet to make their children a sibling.