Arc 4 -Harrenhal

The sun rises in the east, its first rays of the day illuminating the ruins before Ikarus.

Harrenhall was built just three centuries ago.

It was built to be the largest and most powerful castle in Westeros. A huge ambition considering that Westeros is home to massive castles like Winterfell and Casterly Rock.

King Harren the Black had his castle built in Gods Eye, House Hoare's home was a modest tower in Fairmarket on the shores of Blue Fork. King Harren did not consider a small tower to be a suitable abode for the King of the Islands and the Rivers.

Harren's dream took forty years to build. Thousands of slaves died in the construction of the castle (in name they were captives, but the Ironborn have been practicing slavery for centuries calling it another name, Salt wives are an example of this), either working in quarries or in the construction of the castle.

Harren financially ruined both the Iron Isles and the Riverlands with his project.

And ironically, as soon as the construction was finished, Aegon and her sister-wives arrived in Westeros. Harren was arrogant and challenged the Dragon King, believing that his walls would protect him. Unfortunately for him, the stone cannot withstand the fire of the dragons. Harrenhal was reduced to rubble as soon as it was completed.

Harren and his house died that day.

And they say the gods have no sense of humor.

They do, and it's a cruel one.

Although almost three centuries have passed since the Harrenhall Fire, no one has been able to rebuild the castle, some tried but failed either due to lack of money or sudden death.

There are those who say that the castle is cursed.

That the ghosts of Harren and his children still roam those lands.

Since House Hoare more than half a dozen Houses called the ruins of Harren's dream a home.

All those houses had a tragic end.

Among the most famous inhabitants is Rhaena Targaryen, granddaughter of the Dragon himself. The daughter of King Aenys spent her last years in these ruins.

Rhaena, firstborn child of king Aenys, was married to Prince Aegon, her younger brother, and together they had twin daughters: Rhaella and Aerea. After the murder of her husband, she was captured by her uncle, King Maegor the Cruel. Maegor forced her to marry him and Rhaena attempted to kill him on their wedding night but failed.

After Maegor's death she supported her younger brother Jaehaerys and relinquished her claim to the throne.

After seeing her husband die, her brother Viserys brutally tortured and a thousand other atrocities Rhaena was tired. Years later she regrets giving up her rightful throne.

Even during the reign of her younger brother, free from Maegor, her life was not easy. Her lover stole three dragon eggs and ran away. Her husband murdered all her close friends. She didn't get a chance to mend her relationship with her mother before she passed away, she got to Storm End a day too late. Her daughter Aerea , with whom she had a difficult relationship, died after being infected with a horrific disease in Valyria.

Her life was tragic, like that of many others who lived in this castle.

"This place is full of death and regrets." Ikarus feels death in the air.

There is a dark atmosphere in the lands surrounding the ruins.

The morning fog doesn't help at all.

Ikarus walks closer to the ruins and examines the structure before him.

Its colossal walls are tall as small mountains, dark in color and with many patches of moss scattered throughout the structure. Battlements appear dwarfed when viewed from the ground.

Its gate is massive, said to be larger than the Great Keep of Winterfell, but the stone is cracked on all sides. Looks like it's a couple of hits away from falling apart. Ikarus absentmindedly wonders if he is powerful enough to pulverize it.

Behind the walls are five massive towers, monstrous in size.

They remind him of some skyscrapers.

"Decrepit, half-destroyed skyscrapers straight out of a post-apocalyptic world." He murmurs.

The original names of the towers were lost with House Hoare, currently the smallfolk calls them Tower of Dread (the one near the middle bailey and the mews), Widow's Tower (connected to another tower via a stone bridge. Underneath there is a great cell that is used to keep prisoners), Wailing Tower (it contains storerooms on the ground floor and cavernous vaults beneath), Tower of Ghost (the one near the postern gate and the ruined sept) and Kingspyre Tower (connected to Widow's Tower, and it has the castellan's chambers).

"The Tourney of Harrenhal. The beginning of the end of the Targaryen dynasty." Ikarus remembers both the show and the books. In the show Lyanna and Rhaegar eloped together, even got married and the idiotic Prince left Elia aside.

The story was never confirmed to be canon in the books.

That is the world Ikarus finds himself in now.

If in this world Rhaegar divorced Elia, ergo abandoned her and their children...

Ikarus feels his blood boil.

"Three kingsguards to protect his fucking wolf and none to protect his lawful wife, daughter and heir." He frowns. "I hope you rot in hell Rhaegar. In this world death is not always the end. If by some trick of fate someone revives you I promise I will kill you myself. And your death will be a thousand times more painful than Elia's. "

He looks to the sky and takes a deep breath but his anger doesn't subside.

"And as for you, Lyanna. If you voluntarily left with him, if you married a married man. If you really were a spoiled brat who only didnt care for the consecuences of her actions, then I will find everyone who knows of your marriage and kill them. I will destroy every evidence of that marriage. I will make sure your blood never takes what once belonged to me and my brother by birthright."

Ikarus has a negative opinion of both of them.

Rhaegar was lost in his dreams and prophecies and did nothing to stop his father's madness. Of course, originally the Tourney was an excuse to plan the overthrow of his father but the prince forgot about his intentions and became obsessed with the wolf girl.

As for Lyanna, that girl was obsessed with getting out of her marriage with Robert because she considered him a drunk womanizer. Of course that's what he became, but back then Robert only had one bastard daughter, Mya Stone, produced by the woman he lost his virginity to. Yes, he had sex. But it was very light compared to what it became a decade and a half later. Young Robert was not much different from other young nobles.

Heck, Lyanna's older brother Brandon was much more of a manslut and she had no complaints. Brandon was worse than Robert and the wolf girl never spoke ill of him.

It was said that the heir to the North's favorite activity was to 'dip his sword in virgin blood' aka stripping the virginity of maidens. The Wild wolf is believed to have at least a dozen bastards scattered throughout the North and Riverlands.

And then the girl who claimed to care so much about marital loyalty falls in love with a married man. If in this world Rhaegar married Lyanna and divorced Elia...

Divorce in Westeros is different, if a man divorces his wife, the children of that marriage lose their legitimacy, they become bastards.

"I always keep my promises."