Disclaimer: Property of R.R Martin. This fic is just for fun.
VISENYA
Pain shot through Visenya's right arm as she tried to block an overhead swing head on. On retrospect, it was not the brightest idea but who could blame her for not thinking through. It took all her will not to let the practise sword drop from her hand even if it felt like jelly.
"If it were Dawn, you'd be dead," Jaime taunted with that infuriating smirk of his.
Yes, yes, Dawn this, Dawn that.
"If you were serious, I'd be dead too." Visenya hissed through gritted teeth, trying to will her arm into working order.
"Just so."
They took their stances for another bout. Visenya elected to grip her sword with both hands. The blunted steel was a gift from her uncle Eddard, a bastard sword with a large enough hilt for two hands when Visenya needed to. It was fashioned after Ice, the Valyrian great sword of House Stark. Jaime only had a blunted long sword but no shield.
Visenya tried again. Her reach was limited this time but her strikes were more forceful with both hands behind it. It matters not apparently since Jaime blocked, parried and dodged all her attempts with an unfaltering smirk.
"Easy now, I'm not the prince," Jaime warned when Visenya's strikes were getting erratic and desperate despite herself.
"Fuck the prince," Visenya hissed.
"Eager, aren't we?"
"Fuck you!" Vis panted out as she raised her sword for a glorious finishing blow. Jaime dodged it easily and drove his gauntleted fist into her stomach. It knocked the air out of her lungs and her practice sword clattered on the ground. The squires scurried about, not quite sure what to do with the injured princess kneeling on the dirt. Beside them, Robb finished his practice with Ser Arthur. Robb laid her down on the dirt and unlaced her leather armor with deft fingers and poured cold water on her stomach. Visenya could feel the squires blushing at the exposed princess but she paid them no mind.
"Lord Robb, would you kindly assist her highness to the benches?" It was Ser Arthur's own way of humoring Visenya and Robb with official titles even when Robb served as the knight's squire for the last couple of years.
Robb took Visenya to the benches and handed her a glass of iced lemon water.
"Three to two in Ser Arthur's favor this week." Robb informed. All the knights stopped their practice and the squires stopped their scampering when Jaime and Ser Arthur took to the practice yard. Jaime pulled out his golden sword from its scabbard and Ser Arthur received a silver great sword from Robb.
"Five stags on Ser Arthur." Robb whispered. All around, knights and squires placed their own bets.
"I shall take you up on that offer." Visenya replied, not daring to take her eyes of the legendary knights as they circled each other. Then they clashed.
No dance or performance could even come close to witnessing the Lion of Lannister and the Sword of the Morning class with live steel. Jaime's golden sword had the shorter reach but he made up for it with speed and agility the older knight did not possess. Nevertheless, Ser Arthur matched him blow for blow with skills honed over decades. Jaime and Ser Arthur knew everything about themselves, about their swords and about each other. It was like a coin toss really, but far more exciting.
Visenya released a breath she did not know she was holding when Jaime disarmed Ser Arthur. throat. Robb grumbled as Jaime bowed to Visenya after helping Ser Arthur up.
Visenya spars with Robb next but barely works up a sweat when Dany intrudes the training yard with her flowery ladies and whisks Visenya away. Only then Visenya allows herself to think about the coming reunion that she hoped to put off for a century.
"Keep still," chastises Dany as she attempts to untangle her dark hair. Visenya doesn't understand what joy Dany could possibly find in bathing and washing Visenya herself. Her dark hair was cut short, not even covering her neck properly. But Dany treats her like a little sister although she is slightly older and taller by far.
"They won't hate you," Dany answers a question Visenya did not voice, but her voice wavers.
"Dear aunt, they already do."
Dany inhales sharply, she hates it when Visenya calls her anything but Dany; and Visenya knows that she's wrong to condemn her aunt for getting along well with Aegon and Rhaenys. Perhaps it would have be better to have Dany hate her like all the other Targaryens do. All except father.
The rest of the bath is completed in heavy silence and Visenya leaves before Dany is quite finished. Her dress for the reception is all white with red accents. Red and white were always her colors, and she wears them often when dresses are mandatory for this event or another.
Jaime is already waiting by Dany's chambers in the Maidenvault when Visenya comes out. He holds a ceremonial dagger that she likes to wear with her dresses, much to the chagrin of the ladies. But father approves of it and it's all that matters. In fact, the dagger was a gift from father for her thirteenth nameday and Visenya has cherished it ever since. The blade, hilt and sheath were completely black and it bore a one-headed dragon sigil in red. Father sent similar daggers to both Rhaenys and Aegon, each with different dragon sigil. Visenya clasps the dagger to her belt and heads for father's solar with Jaime two paces behind.
Both Baratheon and Lannister men stood with Ser Arthur and Ser Balon at the doors to the king's solar. Jaime joined them when Visenya stepped inside.
Her father was sitting behind his desk with Lords Stannis and Tywin in front of him. His indigo eyes look over her appreciatively when she enters the solar. Her kingly father was easy to please. Little things like naming her horse Vhagar or naming her dagger Dark Sister pleased him greatly.
"Dear father, my lords." Visenya greeted and kissed her father's cheek lightly and turned to greet the lords.
"Princess," Lords Tywin and Stannis greeted in unison.
"Visenya, Lord Lannister's granddaughter Lady Myrcella and Lord Stannis' daughter Lady Shireen will stay in court after the wedding to serve as your ladies in waiting. I trust you have no objections on the matter?"
What she needs are squires and horse handlers not ladies.
"Of course not, father. I have heard nothing but high praises of Lady Shireen's gentle nature and Lady Myrcella's beauty and grace. I am sure they will be a great comfort to me," Visenya lies smoothly. Gossip about ladies is the furthest thing from her mind at any given time. Father knows and smiles. Any child of Cersei and Jaime is bound to be beautiful and greyscale survivors can only be meek or mad.
Father and the lords speak some more on the royal fleet, trade with Essos, taxes and other matters. Visenya serves them wine in her capacity as the king's cupbearer. She listens in but says nothing.
"Ladies in waiting? Was that wise, father?" Visenya asks once the lords leave.
"Once Aegon arrives, he will expect to attend court and small council meetings as you do now and he may not take kindly to you doing the he is the Crown Prince and so he must learn."
And you must gossip with the ladies and sew with the septas, Visenya thinks bitterly. Maybe her face betrayed her bitterness because father soothes her as he does so well.
"You will always be my favorite, sweet child, my Visenya," Father admits with surprising ease and he pauses before saying, "Do you know why so few Targaryen princesses were named Visenya?"
"They feared her reputation, father. My namesake was not the most forgiving woman."
"No, sweet child, when our ancestors conquered Westeros, they adopted its traditions as well. The notion that only a man can rule is Westerosi, not Valyrian. Man or woman, it mattered not when you were perched atop a dragon," father said, "There have been only three 'Visenya' in our line so far. Only Princess Rhaenyra, the Half Year Queen, was brave enough to name one of her daughters Visenya."
Visenya knew better to state that Rhaenys would come first or that the blood of Old Valyria and its customs meant little now since the dragons are gone. She only nodded and father continued.
"Should Aegon prove unable or uninterested, it will be up to you to rule in his name like the first Visenya did for the first Aegon. If Aegon is proves himself able, you shall still rule together like Jaehaerys and Good Queen Alysanne. You, Aegon and Rhaenys are the three heads of the dragon, destined for greatness in the wake of the Long Night," father spoke with the same fervor septons use in their sermons and the gleam in his indigo eyes made her shudder ever so slightly.
Visenya could easily imagine herself a second Rhaenyra and Aegon the Sixth could very well be Aegon the Second. It would be another Dance of the Dragons.
Visenya had thought long and hard before coming to the conclusion that she really did want the Iron Throne, the throne that father has groomed her for. It scared her that she did not know what she would do if Aegon spurns her in favor of only Rhaenys or some other woman. Would she be content as a princess or would she fight? Visenya hoped it would not come to that.
"Come, sweet child. I have something for you."
Father beckons and Visenya follows him to his bedchambers. On the bed lies father's black doublet with the Targaryen sigil embroidered in extreme detail. On the bedside table, lies two crowns. The king's crown is that of Maeker the First. It was a large warlike golden crown with seven sharp black iron points. Beside it was a another crown, smaller. It was entirely black iron, fashioned after intertwined trees and vines. The seven tendril-like spikes were even longer than father's crown. The crown had a certain wildness to it and was breathtakingly beautiful.
"Do you like it?" Father asks although the answer is obvious.
"Thank you, father," Visenya breathes out as the tip of the iron spikes send shivers up her arms when she touches one.
It is a Queen's crown and Queen she shall be.
After four bitter years of staying under the same roof as the Queen and her children, Visenya did not need to fake her smile when she saw them off for their long journey to Dorne.
That was four years ago. Now, she could not even fake a smile when seven pairs of black eyes glare daggers at her from the moment they entered the Throne room. Robb prickles behind her but Visenya calms him with a look.
"His highness, Crown Prince Aegon and Princess Rhaenys of House Targaryen," the herald declares as a man in a violet doublet - much like father - walks hand in hand with Rhaenys. Aegon has changed a lot, clearly favoring father's structure and coloring. He no longer matched Visenya's memory of a spiteful, little, pudgy boy that echoed whatever insult his mother or sister had for Visenya. Rhaenys was much the same, taller and darker but still hateful.
"Father," They greeted as they bowed before the king on his throne.
"Come Aegon, Rhaenys." Father beckoned and they climbed up the steps of the dais. He stands up from the throne and embraced them awkwardly. Father's chest still hurt from when Robert Targaryen hammered him within an inch of his life so many years ago.
"Meet you sister."
Aegon and Rhaenys are… courteous. Visenya approaches them and pecks Rhaenys on the cheek and gives Aegon her hand which he presses his lips to. They say nothing and Visenya manages a small smile. Aegon smiles back but Rhaenys is impassive.
Princes Oberyn, Quentyn and Tristane are introduced to court next, followed by Princess Arianne and the Sand Snakes. They all would stay for Visenya's name day, followed by Aegon's and then the eventual wedding in three months. Visenya retreats to her seat next to the Iron Throne with Aegon and Rhaenys and stays silent as other Dornish lords are introduced. Aegon and Rhaenys whisper something to each other, shoots her a look and giggles quietly. Daenerys finds them and gossips like fishwives..
"You know, if looks could kill…" Robb whispers in her ear and she follows his gaze to the Martells and company.
"Then snakes wouldn't need fangs, would they?" Visenya whispers back and sighs. It would be a long three months.
The court drags on for hours. Aegon openly yawns when the dancers dance to some Dornish rhythms and then to some Northern tunes. Visenya pulls away Robb as soon as it is proper for a princess to go missing. Jaime doesn't follow her, he can't break the Kingsguard formation beside the Iron Throne.
Much of the Castle is empty and they leave for the godswood on foot.
"He's following you." Robb says with amusement in his voice.
"Don't look back."
Robb grins and releases her hand only to wrap his arm around her waist and pull her close, possessively. Visenya chuckles as they continue into the godswood.
They continue until there is no way to tell which way the city is through the dense trees. "Should we set the wolves on him?" Robb grins.
"Wait and watch," she says and immediately wargs into Ghost. The direwolf was watching Aegon from the rear and Visenya directs him to the hidden prince. There is a scream and a thud, and Visenya is herself again.
Robb is already helping up Aegon who eyes Ghost warily. Visenya says nothing as she stands beside Robb.
"Robb Stark, heir to Winterfell. Pleasure to meet you, your highness." Robb introduces himself, his voice light and friendly.
"The pleasure is all mine, my lord," Aegon replies automatically. "Is it yours, Lord Stark?"
"Ghost is our friend, but he gets along best with me." Visenya says as she runs her fingers through Ghost's snow-white fur. Ghost has grown up to her shoulders, a great deal larger than any wolf.
"Do wolves really grow so large, Vi- my lady?" Aegon asks, his hesitation to call her by her name is oddly endearing. Robb snickers.
"He's a direwolf. They grow even larger, my prince." She replies, smiling a bit.
"Truly a magnificent beast." Aegon says in a daze and reaches out to touch Ghost. But Ghost steps back and disappears in seconds.
"Now you've scared him," Visenya says. Aegon laughs in his melodic voice, the way Visenya imagines father would laugh. Robb laughs too and Visenya allows herself a smile.
The laughter dies down and Aegon watches her with barely concealed lust. His violet eyes are heavy-lidded and dark with desire. Visenya wonders if Lyanna Stark really did seduce her father because it seemed tempting dragon princes come naturally to wolf maids.
Highly recommend Lost Girl by prussianblues and Heads of the Dragon by TheEagleGirl to anyone who enjoyed this fanfiction. They introduced to the absolute joy that is Jon "Visenya" Snow.