THE QUEEN AND THE PRINCE
VISENYA
Not once since his return had Robb come to share her bed. He isn't welcome obviously but that did not mean that he would not even try and come. All Visenya can think of is Jeyne and Robb, a tangle of arms and legs as they lay in their chambers laughing at her misery. Her stomach is doing her no good either. Four moons coming on to an end, and her belly is finally swelling which leaves her more uncomfortable than she likes.
Nights are certainly not kind upon her. So no, she doesn't care if it almost midnight when she steps out to get to her husband. Outside the chambers stand three guards, one of whom she knows is distantly related to Lord Glover. It is in this moment she hopes that Ser Barristan would guard her even in the night.
"Where's your King?", she asks the man to her immediate right. He is the only Northerner from the looks of the two other knights, wearing sigils she doesn't think belong to the Northern Lords.
"I do not know, Your Grace.", he answers obediently.
"Then find somebody who does. I want to know where the King is.", she commands. She takes a deep breath before going to the chambers on her immediate right - Ser Barristan's chamber. She had been very clear on the matter that her sworn sword would not live in some little corner. He would be given a proper chamber and the true respect a knight of his stature deserved. Also, keeping him close was a matter of safety. She may have been ruling from Riverrun but that doesn't mean she is fond of this place.
As she stands outside the old man's chamber, wondering if she should wake him up, the soldier comes running back to let her know that Robb was in the Lord's solar. It is a small comfort to know he isn't with his mistress.
She contemplates about Ser Barristan and finally decides against bringing the old knight with her. She wasn't going to be a coward of a Queen. She could wonder the halls of Riverrun herself at night.
"Why are you here?" That is the first question that leaves her lips as she enters the solar.
If he is startled by her appearance, he doesn't show. Instead he offers, "Wine?"
"Wine?! Robb, I am with child. I cannot have wine. But answer me!" Her husband wasn't even paying attention to her, his eyes fixed on the map placed upon the table.
"Where else would I be, Visenya?"
She approaches him then, evaluating the map herself. "Wherever it is you are planning on spending the night."
A lion marker is placed in King's Landing on the map beside a rose she recognises to be the symbol of House Tyrell. A flayed man, marker of House Bolton, rests atop Harrenhal as the wolf stands on Riverrun. Armies that were fighting a war. Dorne remained untouched and that bothered her.
"I am right here only."
She looks at him when he answers. "You were going to spend the night here?"
"Why are you surprised? I am not foolish to believe that you would welcome me in your chambers." Good, she wants to say. Atleast he knew. However, pregnancy is a crazy and abnormal thing for sometimes she misses her husband's fingers working on her. He has always been good with his hands.
Slightly shaking her head to rid herself of such traitorous thoughts, she speaks again, "Right. Well, I thought you would go to the girl. Good thing that you didn't. I will not be slighted further, of course. I mean it. I will drag you out myself should I find you visiting her chambers."
Robb laughs at that and it seems like such a foreign sound. When was the last time either of them had even laughed properly in each other's company?
"I do not doubt you on that. However, why are you telling me this now?"
"Because I know she visited you in the solar yesterday.", she answers simply. The news didn't sit well with her at all.
"How do you know that?", Robb inquires, his curious gaze finally meeting hers.
"I am Queen.", she states simply, moving to sit on the chair of the Lord. She tires too easily now-a-days.
"Do you have spies on me, my Queen?", Robb asks and Visenya can almost hear a note of teasing in it.
"Hardly.", she partially lies. She doesn't exactly have people spying on her husband but she certainly doesn't discourage the gossip which the handmaidens and servant boys pass between them. It is more of a matter of keeping her ears open to things. And she had been ruling Riverrun while Robb had gone West. Did he truly think that Visenya would not have won people over in two moons? She had learnt to be a lady before anything else.
"Then?"
"I am just good at being Queen, Your Grace." She doesn't elaborate on that statement.
After a moment's silence, in which Robb goes to pour himself wine while bringing water for her, he answers her "She came to ask if she was a burden here."
"What did you say?" She would feign lack of interest if she could bother to bring herself to pretend.
"That it was no issue. We have enough rooms." She can feel a headache coming at his words itself.
"Well did she ask if she was a burden to you or a burden to all? For if it is a matter of all, then you lied. She is a burden to me."
"Visenya…" He was chastising her like she were a kid. "Lady Jeyne has not hovered near you, let alone asked you for any burden to carry on her behalf."
"Are you jesting?", she asks, surprised at such a suggestion from Robb. "And it is not me I am concerned with. She has been hovering around you enough. Do not think I am unaware of her attempts to be near you."
"She is showing me a friendship and kindness you haven't shown me in months.", he says bitingly.
"If you hadn't brought her here I would show you kindness and love, Your Grace.", she retorts. He was the one to start it all, not her.
He doesn't answer, taking his time to sip on his wine and Visenya's patience is running thin. Had he no idea what the Westerling girl was playing at.
"Your whore has shown her desire to help the Maester here, did you know that?", she asks instead.
A half hearted shrug is the first reply she receives. "I must congratulate you, I see. You are good at being a Queen."
"Robb."
Sighing, he answers, "What do you want me to do about it, Visenya? If she wants to help that is good, wonderful even. Atleast, somebody will be useful here."
"Are you suggesting I'm useless?"
"No… No. I did not mean it like that…."
"Save it.", she cuts him off. She doesn't need these words from him in this moment. "You wed me, took me as your Queen and I am doing my duty. I have been managing Riverrun, now more than ever for you have taken your mother captive. I am doing my duty, carrying your child. Forgive me if I cannot march out and battle for you."
"I am telling you about that girl because I do not want her near the Maester. The man is responsible for my health. So forgive me, if I do not trust a Western woman you slept with for your pleasure. You will do what is necessary because I will not have her near me or my child." It is fear of another woman that had made Visenya approach Robb in the first place. She has known how it ends if there are other women, women who can mother children, bastard they may be.
She doesn't spare him another glance as she leaves. It is a bitter truth that she has not been of any help to Robb but what could she do when Dorne was so far away and unresponsive.
OBERYN
"Let me go myself, Doran. I will look at the boy and see if he is worthy. And I will end him if he isn't.", he vows to his brother as they discuss in Doran's solar.
"No, Oberyn. You heard me. One of your daughters. A girl who will not draw attention to herself but be able to defend herself if required." His brother has been saying that for a long time now.
"Why not me?", he asks. Visenya Targaryen was all that remained of Elia. He wanted to meet the girl himself, it was all he had desired since the child's birth. So when his brother suggested to test Robb Stark before pledging themselves to the Northern boy, Oberyn volunteered. He had failed when Rhaegar Targaryen had taken his sister as bride and he had not been there when Robb Stark had taken his niece as bride. However, he could be there now. See if the boy was worthy of Elia's only daughter. And if he wasn't, well, Oberyn wasn't the Red Viper for no reason.
"Outside of Dorne, your daughter will pass for nothing more than a Dornish bastard. You on the other hand, brother, have quite a reputation. There is a vast difference between a Prince and a Sand. The Lannisters will not even notice if one of your daughters head North to Riverrun. The same cannot be said about your expedition.", his brother reasons and Oberyn truly doesn't care. He would disguise himself as a mere peasant to meet Visenya.
"But Doran…", he begins and is immediately cut off.
"I will not hear any more of it, Oberyn. Any further talk will only delay us. Let one of your daughter go. I will trust their judgement and you need to as well. If we are to pledge ourselves to them then we need to know that Visenya is truly being treated as the Queen she is."
"Nym then?", Oberyn asks. She is the daughter he thinks is best suited. Obara would be far too rough and Tyene would only draw attention to herself. Sarella wasn't the best fighter among the sisters while the others were still too young. There is a part of him that almost wants to send Elia, the name-sake, to Visenya.
"Nymeria will do well but you must vow to not follow her, Oberyn. She will go alone. You must understand I cannot send a Dornish guard. No highborn child of Dorne must leave with her for it will only raise suspicion. She can take anybody else she wants but no more than three. We need them to pass off undetected."
It is a just reasoning, he supposes. They may have taken Myrcella as ward but they were yet to go to King's Landing and make true on their fealty. They would be under suspicion from the Lannisters. Still, his heart is heavy.
"Will we ever meet her, Doran?", he asks almost wistfully, remembering Elia in the Water Gardens or Elia in her maiden cloak. His sister Elia had been young and alive once. Now, they only had a daughter - a daughter with all Targaryen features - to remember Elia by.
"When the day is right Oberyn, we will watch from the crowd as the Seven Kingdoms bow down to her. Someday, brother, we will get what we want.", Doran vows and Oberyn puts all his faith in his brother.