The King

Chapter Twenty-Four

Magic, a force scarcely understood in the world, was entirely unknown to most people. It had been so long since magic was truly potent that people regarded it as mere superstition and rituals of questionable efficacy. But was it really so, or was there something more behind it? The Masters of the Citadel could earn a Valyrian steel link for studying magic and the occult, but the order believed magic had vanished since the Doom of Valyria, as there had been no record of its use in Westeros since then. Or maybe they didn't want any record of magic. In a way, they were right; magic was growing weaker. Valyria was the last ember, kept alive by the Targaryens and the dragons, the most magical creatures known. No being had more magic than dragons, but now they were extinct. That was until Harry was born. The small ember was rekindled, and with him, magic began to awaken. New magical creatures were born, and magic returned to its former glory, though it remained hidden.

Olenna Tyrell looked at Harry Stark in astonishment. She was one of the few who knew the true history of the Starks, people with magic, known better as wargs. Wargs were individuals with the ability to enter the minds of some animals and control them at will. Wargs could be either men or women and didn't have a specific animal; they could dominate any animal as long as they had a special empathy towards it. It was unknown if they had a limited number of animals they could control. There was an easier time entering an animal's mind when the warg and the animal shared some kind of bond. However, the interaction between the minds of the animal and the warg could influence both personalities, with negative effects for the human if the animal influence wasn't kept under control. That was all that was known about the Starks' magic, from what she knew. This was why the wolf was their symbol, and why the Citadel and the South, with the help of the Targaryens, wanted to weaken the Starks as much as possible.

Even though House Stark was the only one who didn't resist the Dragons, they feared the wolf. Everyone kept an eye on House Stark for any eventuality, even though they had a weapon like a Dragon. Since the Conquest, the Northerners suffered much pressure solely to weaken the Starks, but they never yielded. They endured everything, and then the Citadel weakened the dragons. They were responsible for the current desire to keep House Stark weak. Now Olenna saw with her own eyes the fear of the Masters. Magic had awakened in a way they could not have imagined. Harry sat down again, under the gaze of the two Tyrells, who were pleasantly surprised. Olenna couldn't believe it. Being the one with the most knowledge of all Westeros, it was obvious she knew every hidden thing in this place; any scrap of information reached her ears. But for someone like Margaery, it was something new. Instead of being afraid, which would have been the most obvious reaction, she was completely surprised but also interested, though both maintained their composure.

-"Surprised is a very short word to define what I feel witnessing that."- Olenna remained calm, as an intelligent person should. More than ever, she needed to hasten the union between Margaery and Harry because armies could be defeated, and ships could be united with a well-elaborated strategy, but how do you defeat magic? What kind of strategy do you use against that?

-"I know, I felt the same way when I discovered this."- Harry looked at his hand, where a blue flame ignited, forming the shape of a rose and then freezing. -"I still remember the first time I knew I could do this, I think I was six years old."- He obviously lied for his convenience in the most believable way. -"Then I found that place so desired by the Citadel."-

-"There were rumors, myths, that Winterfell housed a hidden chamber or library with information from even the First Men who set foot on Westeros."- Olenna looked at Harry. The Citadel even tried to tear down Winterfell to find that place, but even the Targaryens had limits and didn't believe in that nonsense. The place was never found, but apparently, Harry had discovered it. -"Tell me, how did you find it?"-