"Tell me more," Dany said curiously, and Viserys surprised her by taking her hand in his own with a smile.

"Well, Visenya was older, much more seasoned in battle than her sister Rhaenys. The story goes that Aegon loved both of them very much, but that Rhaenys was his favorite sister-wife."

"And why is that?" Daenerys asked, loving him so when he was in such good spirits. She wished no ending for moments such as this one, the hatred she sometimes felt for him vanquished from her thoughts altogether.

"Information omitted from the history books, as far as I could tell...Yet I have a few theories of my own," he offered with a knowing half smile. "She was, to put it simply, more feminine than Visenya ever could be..."

His gaze traveled over her approvingly before his light eyes stared deeply into hers, almost as if Viserys were speaking of her and not their ancestor. "Physically she was more slender than her sister; younger as well as prettier. And she was less serious. Personally, I believe Aegon loved both of his queens very much. Yet he needed a balance in the love he shared between them...Visenya was too much like Aegon; too stubborn and strong-headed, too much of a fighter, a warrior. Rhaenys was his complete opposite in many things, more relaxed and playful, yet wild and insatiable; she helped him find that balance…among other things." He squeezed her hand and winked at her, causing a soft giggle to escape her lips.

Daenerys tried to remind herself that Viserys was probably putting on a good show for her name day…Although in truth, they had become a bit closer during the past month. The princess bit her lip while pondering her relationship with her dreadfully confusing older brother. Best keep him in the lightest, most jovial of moods, she told herself firmly, relying on the safety of it being a very special day. Surely he wouldn't punish or hurt her…Surely not today.

"We're descended from her, aren't we?" Dany asked. "The favorite sister."

Viserys smirked, rubbing a circle into the back of her hand with his thumb, sending a tiny shiver through her body. "Yes, we're descended from the favorite sister." His gaze was smoldering, rendering her motionless as a wave of discomfort washed over her. "The most beautiful one."

"I'm your favorite sister," she said, giving him a pouty little smirk, hoping to lighten the mood and stop him from staring at her in such an unnerving way. Viserys actually laughed at that, pulling at a lock of her hair and grinning handsomely.

"You're my only sister, you dimwit," he said as she slapped his hand away from her hair, sticking her tongue out and trying to relax once again.

"I think I'd still be your favorite even if you had seven more sisters," she protested and he shook his head even as he smiled.

"Without a doubt." Viserys paused for a few moments, his eyes studying her as his expression turned more serious. The prince looked as if he were contemplating something which troubled him. "You would have been Rhaegar's favorite as well, if only he had met you."

"I would be everyone's favorite," she responded with a grin. Daenerys wished she could have met Rhaegar; the stories she heard of him were enough to leave her quite envious of Viserys and the time he had spent with their brother.

"You should have been born earlier," he said suddenly, and her grin disappeared when she saw that Viserys' gaze had darkened, and he no longer seemed playful.

"What…whatever do you mean?"

"Well, the entire ordeal could have been avoided." He gave her a hard look before letting go of her hand. He turned away from her to fill their cups with cool, red Volantene wine, and Daenerys tried to steady her breathing as she felt a sudden rush of anxiety, his tone twisting her insides and making them writhe in fear.

It was the first time he was letting her drink anything like it, and Daenerys didn't know whether to take that as a good sign or a bad one. It was her name day, and she was turning twelve, after all. Perhaps he was finally starting to see her as more of an adult? Daenerys could only wonder, even while her body warned her of the tension in the air around them, a slow sweat starting to break out on the back of her neck as she decided not to question Viserys' cryptic statements.

She took the cup from him and thanked him; their fingers brushed together and she gasped, her eyes lowering as blood rushed to her cheeks. Dany was about to bring the cup to her lips when he put his hand on her knee; the girl could feel his touch was unusually hot through the thin material of her dress.

"A toast, sweet sister." His voice was rougher than usual as he raised his cup towards her. "To finding gold, an army, and taking back the Seven Kingdoms in a war Westeros has never seen the likes of." He seemed like he wanted to add something more, but then shrugged almost imperceptibly and clinked his cup against hers, making Daenerys smile.

"To your future coronation, Viserys," she said. "May you be a wise and wonderful king."

"You mean a feared and powerful king," he said sharply, giving her a look that made chills go down her spine as her body instinctively braced for an attack. She smiled in what she hoped was a convincing way and nodded fervently, taking a sip and noting how strong and sweet the taste was, secretly delighting in this one insignificant freedom he was allowing her.

The weather in Volantis was like nothing they had ever experienced; they were still trying to get used to the hot, humid climate and inappropriately thin garments they were forced to wear as a result. It had taken Daenerys at least a month to convince Viserys that Volantene clothing, as thin and sometimes annoying as it was, would be quite necessary for their survival here. Wearing any other types of garments made from heavier fabrics soon proved near impossible considering the unbearable heat, and the siblings soon found themselves relying entirely on the clothing provided by Lord Vhalak, much to Viserys' distaste, Daenerys knew.

It was her name day and Viserys had taken Dany to dine out, quite literally. At first she had grasped at the opportunity, but the day had quickly taken on a very dangerous edge as Viserys only continued to drink more and more, the things he said becoming stranger and stranger.

Yet Daenerys liked it out here, under the shade of a rare full tree, the birds inhabiting it chirping around them in a chorus of mating calls. She had kicked off her white sandals, and the wispy, thin material of her moon-colored gown was already sticking to certain parts of her body from the intense heat. She sighed heavily, taking another sip of the wine to refresh herself, and noting out of the corner of her eye that Viserys looked quite brooding.

"Don't drink it too quickly," he said, leaning down and resting his silk-covered elbow into the thin quilt they had laid on top of the grass. "This bloody heat will make our stomachs turn, and with them our wine…Let's not celebrate the day by getting sick."

Minutes passed in silence as they nibbled on a few pastries. Viserys had bought them on the Long Bridge before they had made their way outside the confines of the city. The river Volaena was near, and if Daenerys kept quiet long enough she could hear the lulling sound of water rushing. It would only take them a couple of minutes to reach the stream, and Dany bit her lip, debating internally. Could she dare ask Viserys if they could go see it for a bit…? It was her name day, after all. And perhaps his pleasant disposition hadn't expired so quickly and entirely.

"So what did you mean before, when you spoke of our brother?" she asked moments later, for lack of anything better to talk about.

Viserys stiffened and brought the cup down from his lips, and Dany wondered how many cups he had already consumed when he sneered at her, his face twisting into a fear-inducing grimace.

"It's really all your fault," he said sourly. "Had you been born a few years earlier, father would have simply made Rhaegar wait for you. Then you would've married our brother when you reached a suitable age..I would have been lord of Dragonstone while Rhaegar sat on the Iron Throne and ruled Westeros with you at his side…as his queen."

Daenerys had never contemplated that before; the thought made her feel uncomfortable and out-of-place. She furrowed her brows in confusion.

"But I thought Rhaegar married Elia Martell before I was even born, and their children, the crown prince and princess born before me as well. So how could he have—"

"That's what I'm saying," Viserys snapped with a dark gaze, silencing as well as frightening her. "Don't be so stupid, Daenerys. If you were born around the time of their betrothal, or before it, father would have stopped it all. In fact, simply being born earlier would have landed you a spot as a second wife. Father always said keeping our bloodline pure was of the highest importance. You would have wed Rhaegar as soon as you turned of age." His gaze darkened even further. "The War of the Usurper could have been avoided entirely, had you merely been born a year or two before—"

"It's too bad you weren't born a girl then!" Dany suddenly shot back, tired of his illogical accusations. "Then Rhaegar could have married you and the war would have been prevented entirely."

She realized her mistake a moment too late, noticing the way his jaw tightened and his pale eyes narrowed dangerously. Before she could start to apologize, his hand wrapped around her throat and he was pushing her down into the quilt, climbing on top of her, a horrible frenzy growing in his gaze.

"You'd have liked that, wouldn't you," he hissed, his face so close Daenerys thought he was going to kiss her, or worse, bite her. She was alarmed at realizing she didn't know which frightened her more. His fingers tightened on her throat as Viserys pushed his knee between her legs, pressing his hips against hers, far too close for comfort.

"Viserys," she gasped, her hands coming up to tug at the hand wrapped around her throat, her body jolting with sensation as his breeches rubbed against her intimately, the thin materials of her small clothes and gown doing nothing to dull the contact. Viserys froze upon realizing what he had done, and a terrible, wild look entered his eyes, his chest moving faster as his breathing quickened.

"Daenerys…" he whispered, so softly she might not have heard it had she not been looking at him, watching his lips hovering above her own. He loosened his hold on her throat and she breathed in deeply, closing her eyes for a moment before opening them again, her hold on his wrist going slack. Viserys' face was so close to hers that she could see thin, dark purple rings surrounding the beautiful lilac in his eyes. So caught up in his gaze she was that Dany barely registered he had moved until she felt his hand against her face. His thumb found her lower lip, slid from one side to the other, and her breathing quickened at the sensation. Viserys' eyes were burning her, yet she felt a chill sweeping the length of her spine.

"Forgive me, Viserys," she whispered, hoping to keep him from hitting her. Not today, please not today. "What I said before—I didn't mean it," she gasped, trying to twist her face away. But Viserys grabbed her jaw tightly, bringing her face back towards his. Dany could feel her face burning under his heated, intoxicating gaze, her hands coming up under his chest to push at it uselessly—he was far too heavy for her to affect him, she realized.

"Forgive you?" he murmured slowly, his hand leaving her face to slip into her hair. Daenerys shivered at his tone, at the look he was giving her, at the way he was touching her—she didn't know what had come over Viserys, or how to respond to it, and she wasn't sure she even wanted to find out. "I guess I could make an exception…It is your name day, after all." His voice was lower, rougher somehow, and Daenerys bit her lip in fear of what he might say or do next.

Viserys' eyes were drawn to the movement, and his gaze darkened, fastened on her lips. "I'll forgive you under one condition, Daenerys," he said softly, his eyes coming back up to meet her own, and her fingers tightened in the material of his shirt reflexively, a heavy sense of trepidation invading her.

"Yes?" Dany breathed, suddenly dizzy with disbelief. He wasn't going to hit her—she was going to get away with it—

"You have to do something for me," he said in a cryptic tone, his eyes dancing with some intense, hidden emotion. Daenerys swallowed nervously, not trusting her tongue to answer, waiting for him to continue.

Yet instead of speaking, Viserys came closer, pressing himself down on her. He braced himself on one elbow to not crush her entirely, his eyes wide and hungry. The sudden movement made her breath catch in her throat, and heat flooded her cheeks when his other hand came up against the side of her face.

"You have to give me something," he continued, his thumb finding her lips again. His eyes made her want to bury away somewhere and hide, so devastatingly beautiful yet more cruel and cold than they had any right to be, making her heart race in her chest as she realized she had been so foolish. Of course, she thought bitterly, there's always a price to pay with Viserys...

"Brother, you know I have nothing," she whispered, suddenly worried. What could he possibly want from her…?

"Oh, but you do," Viserys said with a sinister smile, his face becoming predatory as he pulled her lower lip down with his thumb. The dark centers of his eyes grew in size as he studied her mouth again. "One kiss, sweet sister, and you shall have my forgiveness."

His eyes found hers once more, and Daenerys was certain she appeared livid at this point. She could feel the blood rushing under her skin at the implications of what he was saying, her heart pumping even faster, her palms starting to sweat against the material of his shirt—

"You can close your eyes if you like," he said softly. Viserys gently rubbed his thumb over her top lip, then her lower one, his eyes never leaving Dany's.

"No," she said breathlessly as he lowered his face, her hands weakly pushing at his chest. Viserys paused in his action, pulling back slightly with a small frown.

"Yes," he commanded, his voice dark and low, leaving no room for argument. And then he was caging her in, his elbows on either side of her, his hands coming up to grab the sides of her face as he bent his head once more, terrifying her. Dany's eyes slipped closed of their own accord, her breath coming out in short, panicked gasps.

"Please," she tried again, but then his lips captured hers, effectively silencing Dany's protests.