HOW IT CAME TO BE
She isn't completely certain of how this came to be for one moment she was reading about the Targaryen reign over Westeros and the next moment her mother had entered her chambers to comb her hair the way she did every night.
They talk of beauty when Visenya tells of the knight who called her the most beautiful maiden in Westeros even if she has just seen her ninth name-day. Then her mother gives her a lesson on how her beauty isn't her greatest weapon, it is her mind. Before she knows it, the conversation goes here and there until it finally comes back to the question of what exactly happened to her grandsire and her mother asks her, "Can you keep a secret from your siblings?"
"For you, yes.", she answers her mother because it is rare for her mother to divulge in secrets with Visenya for she is a daddy's little princess still and her love is always more for her father.
"That is nothing more than a fabricated lie. A clever one but a lie still.", her mother tells her when Visenya says that her grandsire was killed by an unknown Lannister soldier who had never been found.
"Really?", she asks, surprised at those words for this is story every child in Westeros reads, a story the maesters tell again and again in their lessons.
"Well, I do suppose it would be more of a lie by omission to be honest.", her mother muses, the Queen's smooth fingers combing through her daughter's silver hair.
"What really happened then?" Her curiosity is something she doesn't often show but this is a special case.
Her mother takes a deep sigh before asking, "Do you know of a Tourney held at Harrenhal once? It is the only blemished in my marriage."
"The one where father crowned Lyanna Stark?" It is among the well-known stories is not the most popular ones for how often does a Crown Prince pass by his wife like that and give the wreath of Queen of Love and Beauty to another?
"Yes. That one. Do you know, your father had found a certain intrigue in the girl? She was still a child of course, on the cusp of maidenhood but I will admit she did have a wildness in her not often seen outside Dorne. I think that is what fascinated your father in the first place."
"What does this have to do with grandsire's death, mother?" Visenya is fully aware of her brother's anger against his father for the crowning incident and Rhaenys is also not too kind about it, even if she doesn't come out teeth fully bared.
"Well, this is right before the start of the war. Now will you listen?", her mother chastises for interrupting and Visenya simply nods in silence.
"Lady Lyanna's husband, well he was only her betrothed then, was undoubtedly furious at that and many would say this moment was important in lighting the first fire of the revolt."
"Ours is the fury.", Visenya can't help herself before those words - House Baratheon's words - come out of her mouth.
"Yes… Indeed. But when I finish you will realise that this moment wasn't important in starting the war but rather ending it. Anyway like I said, a new found and passing fancy from your father. I think it was because of her nature and nothing else. I saw no threat in her, young as she was. I knew it would pass with time. A month later and it didn't." A pause from her mother as the Queen continues brushing strands of her hair.
"What did you do then?", Visenya asks, her gaze focused on her mother through the looking glass.
"I distracted your father and quite successfully I assure you. Within a moon, I was with child - with you."
She wants to ask how her mother distracted her father for she is almost certain her mother is hinting at something her nine name-day old self can't catch.
"Anyway, when I discovered the news I was on Dragonstone and your father was somewhere off near Summerhall or Harrenhal, I can't quite recall. However, I knew he was trying to speak to Lady Lyanna for the girl was infatuated with your father. It would be hard not to really. It is not often in your life a Prince showers you with his attention. And wild and rough as she may be, she was still like any other girl her age, dreaming of escaping into the dreamlands with a Prince or a Knight."
Her mother interrupts the story to warn her, "Remember, you cannot tell Aegon or Rhaenys of this. I fear your brother will most certainly kill your father for his actions and Rhaenys, well, if nothing else she has the ability to do so."
Visenya vows to not speak of it to either of her siblings.
"Yes, now well when your grandsire found out that I was with child again, he had me brought to King's Landing. Didn't take me long to realise me and your siblings were hostages for there was unrest through the lands."
Yes, this part Visenya knows of. A mad King and his mistake, a mad King and his ability to see traitors everywhere, a mad King with a passion for fire - these are the stories she has heard enough.
"I do not how your father came to know of it but I remember well the day he came to claim me. I was only two moons pregnant and standing by the King with Ser Jaime shielding me behind him. Your father marched into the court, an audience available for him, and two Kingsguard behind him and said, "My wife, Your Grace. I have come take her to Dragonstone."
"Your grandsire, being who he was, laughed at your father's face and said, "You can take her. Take your wife while your children remain here with me, their loving grandsire." His bitter, mocking tone was understood by one and all."
"But your father urged again, "Your Grace, please. She is the Princess of Dragonstone. Both of our children were born on the island. Let me continue the tradition." Your grandsire again didn't agree with your father's reasoning. He served your father another ultimatum, your father could take the children and I was to remain behind. Do you understand why he did that Visenya?"
"You were what kept father's loyalty to the crown.", Visenya answers after a moment.
"Yes, an assurance that your father would never take arms against your grandsire for the old King feared your father."
"What did father do?", she asks for this is the part no book has ever mentioned. Also, they couldn't have gone to Dragonstone for Visenya knows she was born in the walls of the Red Keep.
"Nothing. Sword still tucked by his side, he asked for a word with me. Your grandsire granted him that as long as the conversation was held in front of the King and court. So… your father said nothing. He turned about and left the Red Keep. That was the last I would see of my husband for seven moons. The next time I would see Rhaegar, we would be the King and Queen awaiting their coronation."
"He walked away? Just like that? How could he?" Visenya is outraged at such a thing. Her father could show an interest in Lyanna Stark but not fight for her mother and his children?
"No… not just like that, I assure you. Rhaegar would tell me when we would meet later of where exactly he went and when. However, to sum it up it was like your father had vanished from Westeros. No one knew where he was or how he was or even if he was alive. Atleast, no such news would come to me or the King. The mad King would say that Rhaegar had finally gone into hiding, cowering at his failure. But the truth is that your father started the war for you and your siblings. He and two of the Kingsguard - Ser Arthur and Ser Oswell - took to the road, travelling through the Kingdoms to end your grandsire's rule, to get you and your siblings back."
"And you.", Visenya adds, finally satisfied with the fact that her father hadn't just walked away.
"Yes. And me.", Her mother nods and runs a comb through the same lock of hair for the umpteenth time. However, Visenya doesn't mind. Her attention is more upon the story than her hair. She doesn't think many people have the opportunity to hear the story, the true story, from somebody who witnessed it the way her mother did.
"Now see, this is where Lord Robert would come in. The Tyrells had been loyal to their King, your grandsire and the King demanded Dorne's spears in exchange for my safety. I wasn't just a safety against your father but against your Uncles Oberyn and Doran as well. That eliminates two Kingdoms and a Lord from the Stormlands who was still too angry at your father."
"But Lord Baratheon fought the war in father's name, I thought?" That is what the books had stated.
"Yes, he did. As I swelled with child, your father made peace with the Lord Baratheon. Your father was present for Lord Robert and Lady Lyanna's wedding, making sure it happened peacefully. Not only that, to heal the rift your father pledged Rhaenys to Robert's first born son, a boy who, as you will recall, was born just after the end of the war."
"I always wondered why you want to wed Rhaenys to a boy so young." Her eldest sister Rhaenys was always going to marry Jon and till this moment Visenya never understood that for Jon was her age, four name-days younger to Rhaenys.
"People pay great prices to win wars, my child. Your father insulted Lord Baratheon and so now he is to pay for it. Or Rhaenys is. Anyway, where were we?"
"Father had Lord Robert marry Lady Lyanna.", Visenya reminds her mother.
"Yes… Well Lady Lyanna was sister to Lord Brandon Stark and Lord Robert was like a brother to Eddard Stark. So the Stormlands and the North agreed to join your father. Lord Arryn of Vale had fostered Lord Robert and Lord Eddard hence when asked he raised his banners too. However, not every prominent Lord from Vale agreed and this led to a battle between the forces of Lord Arryn and the forces of North against those who were still loyal to the Crown. A battle which saw the death of Lord Brandon Stark, the heir to the Kingdom of North." Her mother finally sets down the comb and sits on Visenya's feather bed encouraging her to join the Queen.
"This is why Lord Eddard Stark wed Lady Catelyn Tully, who was Lord Brandon's betrothed, right?", Visenya asks her mother, eagerly remembering that part of the story.
"Yes he did. And Lady Lysa wed Lord Arryn. Your father thus got the Riverrun army too. Four kingdoms he finally had and by now the news had reached the King. Angry at the actions of your father, he locked me and your siblings in the Maidenvault and had Dorne send it's forces to fight against your father, a man who was wed to the Princess of Dorne. Did not sit well with my brothers, I assure you. And then came the Battle at the Trident, do you know of it?"
"Yes. They say it was the battle that decided the outcome of the war." So Visenya had read in the books. It was the last battle of the war before the armies reached King's Landing. It was also the battle where her mother had lost her uncle Prince Lewyn Martell of the Kingsguard.
"It was. Now, the thing is in that battle Dorne played a significant role. They formed the rear of the Royal army and hence entrapped the Royal army as the Rebel forces stood in front of it. Dornish men were never going to fight for a man who had threatened my life. Thus the Royal army was defeated."
"Now here is where the story gets truly interesting for this is the part where words are most twisted. Your father died on the Trident by a blow from Robert Baratheon, who hit him with his war hammer by mistake. The stories speculate that this was Lord Baratheon's way of avenging his lady wife's honour but I can tell you with complete surety that it is a lie none bothered to correct. It was a plan for everybody knew that the King would find out that Dorne had betrayed him and then my life and the life of your siblings would be in danger."
"Were you truly in danger, mother?", Visenya asks fearfully. Her mother sits before her alive and healthy and yet Visenya feels a fear for her mother's safety at the hands of the mad King.
"Well your grandsire was certainly not happy. He called for me and charged me with treason. Now understand that I knew not of this plan your father had hatched with his trusted generals and so I truly pleaded that Dorne would fight in my name. The King gave mercy because people believed your father was dead when he wasn't. Imagine me at seven and half moons pregnant and finding that my husband was dead. I wailed for him and prayed for his soul for naught. But with your father dead, your grandsire did not hesitate to send your uncle and grandmother, who would give birth to your aunt Dany during the course of this journey, to Dragonstone. But I remained with Rhaenys and Aegon. We remained for the King had no reason to ensure our safety."
"That was cruel of him. You were his good-daughter.", Visenya protests. She knows the King was not a kind man but every new story about him only highlights his vices.
"War is cruel. It makes monsters of men, my dear.", her mother says as she smiles wryly at Visenya.
"Why did father have to pretend to die, though? Wouldn't it be easier if grandsire saw that father had won against his forces and the next course of action would be to surrender?", Visenya enquires for that is what she would have done - surrendered to the victorious.
"Your father had to die so the King would see that me and your siblings were no threat. You see with your father dead, the King could easily pass over Aegon to name Viserys his heir. Also, it had to be Robert Baratheon who supposedly killed your father because that would mean that the battle was won by Robert, a man who held no special love for Rhaegar, me or your grandsire. Now I had the same worth to Lord Robert as King Aerys - which is none. So the King finally considered me useless. By now, he had even sent away my retinue in King's Landing."
"Even Lady Ashara?", Visenya asks. There were stories of lady Ashara, a woman with haunting beauty who died during the war.
"Yes even Ashara.", her mother replies softly. Visenya doesn't truly know anything Lady Ashara apart from the fact that she was Ser Arthur's sister and her mother's friend. However, Lady Ashara had died around the same time Visenya had been born - towards the end of the war.
"What happened then?", she asks eagerly.
"Well you certainly seemed adamant to not stay out of the scene after that. I took to the birthing bed half a moon before time, early in the afternoon and you would be born three hours before midnight. All red and squalling, you were my love." Her mother neatly tucks a strand of Visenya's hair behind her ear, smiling in nostalgia.
"The following day Lord Tywin's armies were outside the gates of the city, armed with swords and bows."
"How come Lord Tywin didn't join the war until this point?"
"His own reasons.", her mother answers, clearly avoiding the question.
"Anyway. Your grandsire demanded your presence in the Throne room in the morning, did you know that? You weren't presented to him yet. Ser Jaime, who was the only Kingsguard left behind, offered to present you to the King but I said no. Your father had presented Aegon and Rhaenys to the King and well, I knew something was wrong. We all did. So I took you myself. Mind you I could barely walk so Ser Jaime carried you and also bore half of my weight. Still, there we were in the Throne Room - the King, you, me, Ser Jaime and one of the King's pyromancer."
"What is a pyromancer, mother?"
"Just some men who played with fire. Not important to you, my dear. Now let me continue will you?"
Visenya muttered a quick apology for interrupting her mother before turning into nothing more than a rapt listener.
"The thing was your grandsire believed that Robert Baratheon was coming to take the Throne. So he felt that the best thing was to give him no Throne. "Burn them. Burn them all.", he said. "Let him be the King of charred bones and ashes."
"He felt that he would be born as a dragon from the fire if he would sacrifice a pure life - a newborn life - you."
A gasp emits from her mouth before she can stop herself. "But…", she begins and stops again for what can she say right now.
"It was then that Ser Jaime unsheathed his sword and plunged it through the King's back.", her mother finishes dramatically.
"But he was Ser Jaime's King.", Visenya protests. Kingslaying was a curse.
"Visenya!", her mother exclaims, anger in her eyes. "What Ser Jaime did was the right thing. He was sworn to protect the King and the royal family. He chose to save you and I thank him everyday for that. So should you."
"He broke his oath.", Visenya weakly defends.
"Men swear oaths every day. Oath to a King, oath to the Gods. Defend and obey the King. Protect the innocent and the children. Ser Jaime answered to the Gods for that and that is the only way it should be. All I know is he saved my child. Tell me what would you have done? The King was going to burn you and King's Landing with him. We would all die for no reason if it weren't for Ser Jaime.", her mother explains and Visenya wonders what she would have done. Even she wouldn't let a babe die. But would she have killed the King?
"What did you do after that?"
"Me and Ser Jaime took you and went to the nursery to look for your siblings. It was sheer luck, the timing of our arrival, as not even moments later the Mountain barged into the nursery too. Have you heard of the Mountain?"
Visenya gives a nod after hearing her mother's word. The Mountain was a brute of a man, taller than any man who ever lived and just as dangerous. Visenya had never seen him but she had heard of him in passing and nothing else.
"Do you know his real name?", her mother asks again.
"No."
"Gregor of House Clegane. Bannerman to Lord Tywin.", her mother answers her own question.
"He was sent to protect you?"
Her mother laughs at that before speaking, "Quite the contrary, my dear. He was the harbinger of our death, the death of the Targaryen children. If it weren't for Jaime's presence, the Mountain would have us dead too for you and your siblings were all that stood between Lord Robert and the Throne."
"What did Ser Jaime do?"
"Play saviour again for White Cloak or not, for Lord Tywin Ser Jaime is his heir. You know why? I have told you this before."
"Because of Lord Tyrion's short stature.", Visenya recounts. It had been a year back when Aegon had called Lord Tyrion Imp while retelling one of the stories of some knights. Her mother had punished Aegon for that, telling her children that it was rude to ever call Lord Tyrion an Imp. Her mother had forbidden it.
"Yes. So the Mountain would never harm Jaime Lannister and hence we were saved. Then when Lord Tywin came our way, he was furious with his son. That anger would dissipate within hours certainly, for your father's armies would show up then and a few days later your father himself."
"But then aren't you furious at Lord Tywin?"
"I was. But then when news of your father being alive reached our ears I decided to take matters into my own hand. You understand with your grandsire and grandmother dead, I was acting Queen even before my coronation. I was the one who along with Lord Tywin ensured that when talked of, it would be a mysterious soldier who would be the Kingslayer."
"How could people still not know? It would be hard to hide the news, mother.", Visenya speculates.
"Wasn't too hard. There were exactly ten Targaryen soldiers in King's Landing along with one Kingsguard, a wet nurse, the royal family and Varys and Grand Maester Pycelle."
"Grand Maester who?", Visenya asks. She had only known of one Grand Maester and that was the one who had been in King's Landing since she was a babe.
"Pycelle. Old fool, I assure you. After Aegon's birth, he told your father it would be almost impossible for me to be with child again. I had him removed when I became Queen. Your father agreed and pulled some strings to have the man sent back to the Citadel."
"Now see, ten soldiers of whom barely two or three were in the Red Keep while the rest were at the City gates. Yet all those men died. The wet nurse was with your brother and sister at the time so she did not know what happened in the Throne Room. Lord Varys may have the knowledge and by the time the Lannisters had come in, the King was already dead. No Lannister soldier would speak of the matter of course when we had blamed a man among them of the murder while at the same time blaming none."
"That was quite clever of you, mother.", Visenya compliments. She doesn't think she would have been able to come up with such a plan.
"Thank you, my child. This is also why you do not see Lord Tywin in court anymore, did you know that? We made promises and I assured him no harm would come to his family if he gave me peace and his sworn fealty to your father and Aegon. He agreed and we left it at that, preparing for your father's return."
"So father knows, right? Of Lord Tywin and the Mountain I mean."
"He does, my child. But like I said war is cruel. Things happen during war that are hard to forgive and forget but let it be in the past now. All of it and I mean that Visenya."
Obediently, Visenya nods. "Yes mother."
"Now get some sleep, my child. And remember, Ser Jaime was nothing less than a saviour on that day. Not a sinner, not an oathbreaker or a Kingslayer. He was a true Knight who saved a little princess.", her mother finishes before standing to leave Visenya alone for the night.
"Mother?", she calls out, "Why tell me of it at all?"
"Well, babe or not, you were there my child. In some way, I believe you deserve to know what Ser Jaime did for you that day. As you grow up, you will hear people say your father was an Usurper but that is a complete and utter lie. Your father did not fight for an Iron Throne and a golden crown, my dear, he fought for his children. I fear Rhaenys and Aegon will never understand this so I need you to."
Years later when her father would lie on his death-bed, her anger at his decision to wed his children dissipated, she will utter the last words he hears from any of his children ever, "You fought for us. For mother and Rhaenys, for Aegon and me. I understand." She gives her father a parting gift, his peace.