Chapter 36
The days passed quickly, and the time for the Tyrells' departure drew near.
Harry focused on his own affairs while at the same time getting to know Margaery a little better. Regardless of whether there would be a marriage or not, he liked the girl.
Especially because she had started acting more naturally, being herself, something he liked much more than the false persona she had presented at first.
Loras challenged him almost every day. In his eyes, Harry could see the desire to defeat him, although of course he never managed to do so. Even so, he did not seem discouraged by his defeats.
He occasionally spent time with Olenna, mostly listening to her talk about important people in Westeros and tell stories about the rebellion or the Targaryen rule. Thanks to her, he gained a good understanding of the current situation.
He took the opportunity to ask her about Petyr Baelish, and the way she looked at him was quite curious.
It turned out that this man was an old friend of his mother and ran several brothels throughout Westeros.
She shared what she knew. It seemed that Jon Arryn favored him at the insistence of Lysa Tully, Catelyn's sister.
Harry narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. Perhaps Petyr's interest in the North was not necessarily a matter of business. There seemed to be something personal behind all of it.
After thanking her for the information, he also told her some interesting things about the lands beyond the Wall, such as the fact that giants still existed, along with mammoths, direwolves, wildlings, and a merciless climate.
For some reason, hearing that those myths were true greatly excited the old woman.
Finally, one day, the carriage bearing the distinctive emblem disappeared into the distance.
With peace returning to the castle, Harry ate lunch quietly that day.
Even so, the peace did not last long. A letter arrived in Hedwig's talons.
The situation continued to grow more complicated, and Mance could no longer keep things under control. Subtlety was no longer an option.
With the journey to Essos approaching, Harry immediately left for the Wall to resolve the matter before departing.
He quickly asked Dacey if she wanted to come. If she did, then he would bring the entire group.
Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, Dacey said she wanted to return to Bear Island before going to Essos, so she would not be coming.
So he decided to travel with only Val. Bringing her was important, since she was the link in the agreement with the people beyond the Wall.
Before leaving, he stopped to speak with his father for a while. He had asked him to send a second invitation to Lady Dustin to come to Winterfell.
Unfortunately, her answer was the same, that she was indisposed.
He would have had no trouble believing her if not for the fact that the letter she sent Domeric completely avoided the subject of her health and only encouraged him to visit her and tell her how he was doing.
Frowning, Harry looked at the letter in his hands.
"Perhaps Lady Dustin has a problem with our family?" Harry said, looking at his father.
Ned remained silent as a barren landscape appeared in his mind. The clash of metal and spilled blood made him unconsciously frown.
"The only reason I can think of is that Lord Dustin died at the end of the war, at the Tower of Joy, when we were searching for Lyanna," Ned said with a sigh as he thought about those days.
"Hm, I'll go speak with her when I return. I have to go to the Wall to deal with some matters," Harry said thoughtfully.
"Be careful, son," Ned said with a relaxed nod.
His burden regarding the affairs of the North had lightened considerably, but he could still be useful by helping his son with smaller matters.
After quickly saying goodbye to his family, Harry departed north with Val.
Riding Ater, the journey was incredibly fast, leaving Steam Town behind on the very first day.
There was no room for Ater on the train, and in any case, it was good for him to get some exercise.
Traveling alone with Val, he felt a little freer, openly using his magic to set up the tent, light a fire, and set out a couple of seats.
"I'm still not used to seeing it," Val said, watching as a camp seemed to rise from the ground.
"You'll get used to it over the years," Harry said, turning to look at Val, who had a faint smile as she sat on a log with one leg crossed over the other.
Her unbraided blonde hair fluttered in the breeze.
"That sounds like a confession. I am hers and she is mine, from this day until the end of my days," Val said, pretending to speak dramatically before bursting into laughter.
"Southerners can come up with some pretty amusing things," Val said, her lips curving into a smile.
"How do your people get married?" Harry asked with an amused look.
"We don't. A man simply steals a woman he likes. If she doesn't resist, then they're a couple. Sound familiar?" Val said, looking at him with a smile.
"What do you mean?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow as he smiled.
"You won't admit that you stole me?" Val said, smiling at him.
"I wouldn't have brought you with me if you didn't want to come. I was afraid you'd follow me home like a lost puppy," Harry said, sitting astride the log.
Val put on an expression of feigned indignation before a smile spread across her face.
"You're avoiding my question. Don't be shy, I can admit that I came with you because I'm attracted to you," Val said, bringing her face closer to Harry's.
The breeze stirred her beautiful blonde hair, carrying a pleasant mint scent toward him. Her blue eyes, filled with flirtation, made it impossible for him to resist playing along.
"Fine, I admit that I thought about stealing you the moment I saw you. Happy?" Harry said, his lips curving slightly.
"Then I don't want to hear you call me a hostage again," Val said with an amused giggle.
"You don't even consider yourself a hostage," Harry said, rolling his eyes.
"I want to hear it from you," Val said, looking into his eyes with a small smile.
"You're annoying," Harry said, rolling his eyes and ignoring her.
Val's lips curved as she leaned toward Harry, resting her head against his chest.
The two fell into a comfortable silence as the fire crackled.
"I liked your braid," Harry suddenly commented as his hand reached toward the strands falling down her back in a wide fan of blonde hair.
His fingers intertwined with her hair before he used both hands to make a pretty braid.
"You're skilled," Val said, sitting upright and taking the braid in her hand.
"I often braid Sansa's hair," Harry said with a smile.
"My sister used to braid my hair too, and it's comfortable for fighting, so I got used to wearing it that way," Val said with a slight smile before suddenly using her braid to tickle his face.
Harry immediately scrunched up his face as he tried to lean back.
"Stop," Harry said, laughing as it felt like ants were running across his face.
"So you're ticklish?" Val said with interest as she placed one hand on Harry's thigh and leaned forward to keep tickling him while trying to avoid his hands.
"I'm not," Harry said, laughing as he grabbed her wrist and they struggled.
"Then stop squirming like a worm," Val said, laughing as she threw herself at Harry, knocking him off the log they had been sitting on.
Harry's back hit the snow while Val loomed over him. Letting go of her, he simply looked at her in silence.
Her blue eyes looked at him mischievously as she tucked a couple of blonde strands behind her ear before leaning toward his face.
Her hands cradled his face while her thumbs played with his cheeks.
The two looked into each other's eyes in silence for a moment.
"I like you," Val suddenly said with a smile.
Harry could not help letting out a small laugh as his hands held her waist.
"The feeling is mutual," Harry said, looking at her.
Val's smile slowly widened as she continued looking into his eyes.
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go to the tent," Val said, looking at him intensely.
"Isn't that a little fast?" Harry said, caught off guard.
"I'm an eighteen-year-old virgin. I have no plans to make it to nineteen," Val said as she grabbed Harry by his clothes and kissed his lips.
Harry's eyes widened in surprise before his gaze softened. Cradling her soft cheek, he kissed her with the same passion.
Her soft lips sought his with need. The cold and the breeze stopped mattering as they lost themselves in the feeling.
"Let's... go... to the tent," Val barely murmured between kisses.
Harry sat up and placed his hands on Val's buttocks before standing.
Val's legs immediately wrapped tightly around his back.
Walking toward the tent, the flap opened on its own as they approached. A pleasant wave of warmth enveloped their bodies as soon as they entered, leaving behind the cold and the breeze outside.
Laying Val down on her back, Harry remained on his knees, taking a moment to look at her. Her slightly flushed cheeks gave her a charming appearance, and her eyes remained fixed on him, beckoning him with her gaze.
"What are you waiting for? These clothes aren't going to take themselves off," Val said, propping herself up on her elbows.
"You'd be surprised," Harry said, looking at her. To Val's astonishment, her clothes actually began to separate from her body, leaving her completely naked in the middle of the tent.
"I hope you know more interesting magic than that," Val said, her lips curving as she looked at him.
Her nakedness caused her no embarrassment. Even lying there vulnerable, she looked elegant, and her gaze was still burning, as if she wanted to devour him.
"You're truly beautiful, like a Veela, but also as brave as a Valkyrie," Harry said as he made his own clothes leave his body and leaned toward Val.
Just as he reached a hand toward Val, her foot suddenly pressed against his chest, playfully pushing him back.
"Hm, so this is what you were hiding beneath your clothes," Val said, looking him over before glancing downward.
Pushing him gently, she felt the firmness of his muscles as her foot moved down his abdomen, finally stopping in a dangerous area.
"That's my line," Harry said as he gently pulled Val by the ankle, drawing her toward him.
His hand slowly traveled over her abdomen until it reached her chest, stopping there as he appreciated the softness of her skin.
Val let out a soft sigh, feeling as though an electric current ran through her body, a sensation she had never experienced before.
"You're very beautiful," Harry said as he leaned over her, bringing their lips together.
Val's gaze seemed intoxicated, her hips moving against Harry as the temperature inside the tent seemed to rise.
Val wrapped her arms around Harry's neck when she felt his hands holding her and lifting her from the ground.
Harry knelt while holding Val, the friction between them making their breathing grow increasingly heavy.
"Harry..." Val whispered languidly, her mind overwhelmed by all those new sensations.
Her hips moved again, this time with greater intensity.
Suddenly, a moan of pain and pleasure escaped Val's lips as she embraced Harry's back. A shudder ran through her entire body as she felt herself slowly descending.
Her body merged with Harry's as their lips sought each other with greater intensity.
Their heavy breathing and the sound of their movements echoed inside the tent.
Val felt her insides convulsing as her fingers dug into Harry's back.
With a loud moan, Val felt an overwhelming heat in her lower body, making her body tremble.
Breathing heavily, Val looked Harry in the eyes.
The intoxication had not yet faded. They simply remained silent as their heavy breathing slowly calmed.
"Wow, that was... wow," Val said after a while, letting out a silly giggle.
"It was," Harry said with a smile as he embraced her, holding her against his chest.
"Should we do it again?" Val asked, turning to look at him.
"Can you?" Harry asked with a smile.
"That's my line," Val said, knocking Harry down while giving him a look of feigned disdain.
The tent shook until late into the night before finally becoming quiet again.
….
The next day.
Harry woke up a little later than usual, feeling a weight on his body.
Looking down, he saw the messy blonde hair sprawled across him and smiled slightly, remembering the night they had shared.
The night had been truly wild and pleasurable. He definitely had a weakness for women with some muscle.
Looking at her beautiful sleeping face and the faint smile curving her lips, Harry assumed that she had enjoyed herself quite a lot as well.
Gently moving her aside, he tried to get up without waking her. Even so, the slight flutter of her eyelids did not escape his notice.
Smiling slightly, he covered her with a blanket before standing up and leaving the tent. Harry quickly lit the fire and prepared the food.
Checking where Ater was, he sensed that he was some distance away drinking water, so he left him alone.
With the food ready, he entered the tent and found Val sitting up, yawning carelessly. Her hair was disheveled, but even so, Harry could not help finding her beautiful.
"Get up, we have to eat and keep riding," Harry said, looking at her.
"I've been riding all night, can't you let me rest?" Val said with a seductive smile as she bent one leg and rested her arm on her knee.
"Just put some clothes on and come outside," Harry said, rolling his eyes and refusing to fall for the provocation, or they might end up spending another night there.
Val stretched, enjoying the pleasant sensation that ran through her aching body. When she looked for her clothes, she found them perfectly folded to one side.
After getting dressed, she went outside and found breakfast already prepared. Taking the plate from Harry's hands, she began eating eagerly.
"By the way, do you have a spell to keep me from getting pregnant?" Val asked, looking at Harry, who was also eating.
Harry let out a choked sound, nearly choking before looking at Val speechlessly.
"You should have worried about that last night," Harry said, looking at her in disbelief.
"I don't care if I get pregnant, it's just that it would be annoying," Val said honestly. She still wanted to follow Harry on his travels.
"Don't worry, I cast a spell on myself so you wouldn't get pregnant," Harry said, making light of the matter.
"Shouldn't the spell be on me?" Val asked, confused.
"I'll explain it to you later. Let's eat and get going," Harry said with a laugh, not wanting to give her an explanation about the birds and the bees.
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