Aelsa Lannister was hand of king, the first woman hand in history and she couldnt let anything get in her way of her success. So when she got pregnant her plans shifted. She needed a husband that didnt care that she was carrying another mans child...
Harrenhal was a fortress located in the Riverlands, just north of God's Eye and south of the Trident.
Harrenhal was a gigantic castle, the largest castle in all of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros. It has five massive towers, with huge curtain walls and its halls are more suitable for giants than people. Its stables can hold a thousand horses, its godswood covers twenty acres, and it has kitchens greater than Winterfell's great hall.
Despite such grandiosity, Harrenhal has decayed over the centuries, majorly on account of how Balerion incinerated the entire castle shortly after its completion. It is infested with bats, and even now there are hitherto-unexplored areas in the castle. It has proven shockingly difficult to garrison, despite the fact that the incomes of its lands are enormous.
"Its a bunch of ghost stories." Atticus remarked when they got to Harrenhal.
"Creepy!" Lila said hiding behind larys.
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House Strong was the fourth House to inhabit Harrenhal, Harwin was the heir. Much to larys dismay. But he had a wife and children a real legacy.
Harrenhal was creepy. Aelsa had to admit she wouldnt want to live here full time. Lyonel and Harwin greeted them with smiles though.
"Its no casterly rock." Aelsa remarked. "But your family is better than mine on a good day."
"Preach." Alaric agreed
"Welcome to Harren!" Lyonel declared. "Thanks for making the visit."
"Thanks for having us." Aelsa answered. "Say hi to gramps."
"You didnt say hi," Atticus sassed.
"He gets your attitude." Larys murmured against Aelsas cheek.
"Hello Lyonel. Hello Harwin." Aelsa said dramatically before looking to Atticus.
"Hello gramps! Hello uncle Har-Win!" Atticus stuck his tongue out at her.
"When did my son become such a butthead?" Aelsa questioned reaching for him.
"Come on let us show you around." Lyonel suggested.
"You havent changed a thing in 20 years father." Larys remarked.
"25 years but thank you for noticing that I like to keep things as they are." Lyonel agreed. "Its how your mother liked it."
Aelsa looked to larys at the mention of his mother and saw the pain in his eyes. She had died when he was young but their mother would always hold a special place in their hearts. Great Mothers had a way of doing that so easily.
" it's hard to believe you grew up here." Aelsa remarked. " no wonder you got to be good at being so sneaky."
" sneaky?" Larys mused.
" you were creeping around with ghosts in your youth." Aelsa agreed. Larys chuckled nodding.
" can we see some ghosts?" Atticus questioned.
" keep your eyes open, and they linger in all the dark corners." Harwin whispered. Loud enough for the older boys to hear, but not loud enough for a little Lila to hear.
" mama where does Grandpa keep the cookies?" Lila question, of course asking the most important question of all.
" I don't know." Aelsa admitted. She looked to lyonel. " where does Grandpa keep the cookies?" Lyonel smiled leading them to the kitchen.
" I had a feeling you might want cookies and I told the chefs to make some just for you." he pointed at Lila and she beamed back at him.
Lila screamed as her brothers chased her around the haunted mansion. Then, after what felt like hours of giggles and screams of laughter, Lila was all tuckered out and went to bed. Ollivander was up in the library, picking out a collection for their stay. He had a stack in his hands as larys led him to his old chambers. Atticus and Harwin were swinging around swords. Atticus wanted to show him what he had learned in the past moons since he was gone. Aelsa begged them to get some sleep when she heard the clatter of swords after midnight.
" you know this room is giving me very much haunted vibes... like the ghosts are watching us." Aelsa remarked. "Olli was really excited to be staying in your old room."
" I was excited to share that with him." Larys agreed.
" who's room is this?" Aelsa questioned.
" a spare room I had hoped one day little naïve me, thought that true love existed." he admitted with a shy smile. "that my future wife and I would upgrade from my Chambers to this room."
" and now we have!" Aelsa agreed " you weren't naïve at all."
" it's strange having you here... a Wonderful sort of strange." he assured.
"Do you want to talk about you mum?"
" not really..." he admitted " she would've loved you though." Aelsa leaned into him.
"She would be proud of you. I know it, because I am." Aelsa added kissing his cheek before blowing out the candle.
Atticus and Harwin were already training when Aelsa and Larys got up. Ollivander was learning from Lyonel all about master of coin duties for when he returned. He wanted a leg up when he got back.
"Lila?" Aelsa questioned peering into her chambers. "Lila?"
"MAMA!" lila shouted charging at her. "A ghost took mr. Lion!"
"What?" Larys questioned.
"A Ghost!" Lila repeated louder. "TOOK MR. LION!"
"Are you sure you didnt just leave him somewhere when you were exploring?" Aelsa countered.
"Mama," Lila sighed, shaking her head. "I dont think you understand how ghosts work."
"Explain it to me." Aelsa entertained the idea.
"Daddy understands." Lila declared and Larys nodded along.
"You explain it to mama though." Larys assured.
"Ghosts do what they want, when they want and they wanted Mr. Lion." Lila declared, very seriously.
"They wanted mr. Lion." Larys agreed. Aelsa rolled her eyes.
"Now I have to offer up something in return and they will give me Mr. Lion back!" Lila decided.
"What would a ghost want?" Aelsa countered. Larys moved to the bed, kneeling down beside it as they girls spoke.
"Thats the thing, I dont know. Clearly they like lions."
"Who doesnt?" Aelsa agreed.
"But i can't give them another stuffie," Lila assured. "Leo and Mr Lion- where is Leo?" Larys stood up pulling Mr Lion from under the bed.
"I think he fell off last night." larys remarked as Lila ran to him leaping into his arms.
"You saved him from the ghosts daddy!" Lila declared. Larys hesitated before nodding.
