Chapter 1 – Daenerys I
1st day of the Nine Moon of 295 AC
Daenerys walked across the gallery, enjoying the morning sun on her face. Visenya – their - manse was airier than Illyrio's, something that pleased Dany.
They had moved into the place two moons after Viserys's death. For many months Dany was the lady of the house. A title her sister assure still belonged to her after her return. But, in truth, it always felt that Visenya was the one who ruled, even half a continent away. And when not her, it was Septa Lemore who took over most of the responsibilities. Dany followed her around as she administered the household. Septa Lemore instructed her on her task as she did them, which Dany found a better way to learn.
Dany enjoyed her daily talks with the servants and going over the needs of the place and its people. It felt almost like she was back at the house with the red door.
The Dragon's Manse had been bought and remodeled by Prince Daemon and his Lady Laena when they came to live in Pentos. The palace was made of marble and limestone, in Pentosi architecture, with the frescos decorating the walls and the bright colors and many open galleries. The last members of Dany's family that owned the place added Rhoynar traits by adding outside pools and fountains, building terraces with geometric motifs, and decorating much of the public rooms with Rhonyish tilework.
What delighted Dany the most were the colorful frescos of dragons, Valyrian looking men and women, and scenes of battle and leisure.
At first, Dany feared losing herself in such a place, for she wasn't used to such luxury. But now, she knew every corner, beautiful wall, and even counted the marble stairs that lead from the entrance to the first-floor corridor. She could also name all the statues.
For a century and a half, Dany's family chose to spend time in these walls, either for work or pleasure, but mostly the latter, couples had spent their first moon as a married pair in here. Dany likes to imagine some of her ancestors were conceived here, like Prince Duncan Targaryen, Lady Baela, and her twin, Rhaena. Perhaps, even Prince Aemon Targaryen and her great-grandfather, Aegon V, were born here.
I could have grown up in her. See the sea every morning and do gardening.
The manse had been lost to them, much like everything after the Rebellion, until a year ago.
A fortnight after Viserys death, an envoy from the Iron Bank of Braavos came to them with a shocking revelation. After the Battle of the Trident, Queen Rhaella and Ser Willem had sent much of the treasury of Dragonstone to the Iron Bank and put it all in Visenya and Daenerys's name.
Mother had done something that Visenya had called "ground-breaking" with a trembling tone. The will left specific instructions that only Queen Rhaella's daughters were allowed to inherit. It was supposed to be when one of them came of age, but because Viserys had wed Visenya, they were deprived of Visenya's part. Under the law, Visenya's belongings were Viserys's. As his wife, she was his property. When Senya became a widower at the age of ten-and-seven, they were allowed inside the vault.
They had been shocked at what they found.
There was gold, silver, jewels, even tiaras and crowns, and many bejeweled objects, but also tapestries with their family history, myrish carpets, some paintings, luxury furniture, clothes of rich textiles, and expensive weapons, but two things called to Visenya the most: the books and the dragonbone.
The two sisters had sat for hours, contemplating everything. Amidst the books was a ledger written by their mother in her last months on Dragonstone. She had known that they had lost after the Trident, and with the help of the Iron Throne fleet, commanded by Lord Lucerys Velaryon, they had sent to Braavos all they could, without anyone knowing better.
Besides birthing Daenerys that had been Queen Rhaella's last act, and it saved her daughters.
Senya and Dany cried on that vault surrounded by Mother's last work.
"Defiant and unbending. Despite all the suffering, our mother was strong-willed and clever to the very end. Her last efforts secured our lives and granted us the independence she was never allowed."
In the ledger, they found papers with property leases, documents that, according to Visenya, proved they had estates that belong rightfully to them. Places they could have lived instead of the streets had Viserys not been in a hurry to marry Senya.
The house with the red door turned out to be a small estate on the Braavosi Coastline that had been in the family since the time of Maegor the First. They had a small palace in Lys that they inherited from Larra Rogare that now functioned as an apothecary, storehouse, and alchemy laboratory.
And they had their new home in Pentos.
Alongside the Lysine palace, the Pentoshi manse was the most expensive property they owned. The Prince of Pentos's family was occupying it. After the Rebellion, with no Targaryen to claim their right, the Pentosi Price considered it part of his estate.
Magister Illyrio helped them get it back to them when he discovered they had a legal claim.
The dragonbone was a shocking discovery. In Visenya's stories, the dragons' skulls were in the Great Hall of the Red Keep, but no one wondered what happened to the rest of the bones. The answer was Dragonstone.
Unlike their ancestors, they began using the smaller dragons to fabricate objects they sold for small fortunes. With the money, Senya bought storehouses, shops, and ships and made even more money. In the streets of Pentos, they said Illyrio Mopatis and Visenya were the wealthiest people in the city. That Mopatis was King in all but name and that she was his heiress.
Dany twirled the ring that had belonged to her mother that she never took off and smiled.
"What keeps makes you smile so brightly?"
Dany turned to the woman that was walking in her direction. Septa Lemore wore a cream silk Pentoshi gown under a mantle of the same textile and trimmed with silver filigree trim. Her hair was free and falling in curls. She looked like a magister's wife instead of a Septa, but Dany was used to the beautiful woman's in those garbs.
"I was thinking about Mother and Senya. What they did."
Lemore smiled at that. She had been the first to approve Visenya's plans. But unlike her sister, the Septa yearned for home. To see justice done for the sister she lost. "I hate to break your high spirit, princess, but your sister wishes to speak with you."
"I was on my way to breakfast."
The first meal of the day was a family affair. They would eat on the large terrace overlooking the Bay of Pentos. Dany had demanded it when work made it impossible to dine together every day.
"She wishes to meet with you in her office."
Dany nodded, wondering what happened.
Something turned in her stomach. It was just a moon ago that Visenya returned. Dany hoped her sister wasn't planning another trip.
Visenya promised she wouldn't be going East for the next decade.
.
.
Visenya Targaryen's office was a spacious place with walls of marble and turquoise accents. Floor-to-ceiling shelves line one wall filled with books, scrolls, and parchments, and inside cabinets were jars with herbs and ointments, bottles of ink, a collection of colorful quills, and stocks of liquids of various colors. The opposite wall was painted with a map of the known world by a door that led to Visenya's receiving chamber.
There was evidence of Visenya's travels all over the room: the cabin with exotic drinks; the collection of little soldiers she used as paper pressers, the one in her desk carved from onyx with gold armor; the large vase with painted with a blue dragon, made of something called porcelain that came from Yi Ti; a dragonglass candle from Asshai, and the jars of exotic plants, and to Dany aversion, dead insects and reptiles.
In the wall behind the great oak desk, three tall windows, with hangings of turquoise silk secured with gold cords, let the sunlight poured into the room.
Her sister sat behind the desk, already filled with parchments and opened ledgers, her silver hair braided in a single braid, with one hand on parchment and another in red-feathered pen.
Dany was surprised to see Senya, not clothes for work but in an ivory lysine gown. The drapery fabric was held by a star-decorated cord. It began atop each breast to lace at the back of her neck.
And while the dress lacked daring cuts on the bodice and slashes on the legs that Dany couldn't see but doubted where there, it still the type of clothes Visenya only wore in the comfort of her chambers.
Still, it suited her in a way her sister seldom portrait herself. It makes Senya look radiant and fragile at the same time.
Visenya smiled as she saw Dany enter.
"You are up early," she said with a soft smile, then frowned. "Are you wearing one of my Quarteen gowns?"
"It fitted me."
Dany had to tighten it a bit on the back, but the belt covered it up.
The heatwave that had been hitting Pentos for the last two days made it impossible to wear anything but flowing silks, yet Visenya did not let Dany wear her Lysine gowns.
"It looks pretty on you," Senya forced the words out. Dany smiled, seeing the truth in her tone. "At least it is the fashion that covered both breasts." Dany blushed, knowing such a thing was common in the Far East. "Sit. I have something to show you."
"You haven't broken your fast," Dany said, sitting in front of her.
"Later, read."
Dany could see Visenya was too focused on whatever she was doing. Visenya tended to forget things like food and sleep when she was this concentrated.
Dany took the letter and read it what she knew were her sister's words. And read it once again, looking between the cursive handwriting lacking its usual loops and at times unreadable notes, she turned to Visenya to see her pondering look.
"I don't understand… You're writing to the Usurper?"
"Remember when I came back?"
Of course, it had been one of the happiest days Dany had this year. She had been so worried that her sister would never return. Visenya had been different after Viserys' death. The death of her twin broke something inside her that made her more withdrawn. When Visenya ran away – because they both knew that was what she did – Dany feared she would end up lost in the sea.
"I told you we were going home."
Home. Visenya was earnest when she said it, even if not as fanatic as Viserys had been. Dany thought she meant Braavos. But her sister was speaking of Westeros, taking back their family's throne. It sounded like something her brother would say.
Viserys had been delusional, Visenya said many times. Dany never once believed Visenya would fail to accomplish it. But she didn't expect it to be like this.
They had not spoken of plans since, but Dany's lessons on Westerosi history, geography, customs, heraldry, and the law of the kingdom took foremost importance, so she knew something was coming. That and the meetings they had in the last two months where they talked about their lessons. Visenya liked to hear Dany's thoughts on what she learned from Haldon and Lemore. Her sister had always been like that. But, once upon a time, she would only do it away from Viserys. Her brother didn't believe his sisters had any worthy thoughts.
"Do you plan to kill them when they come here?" Dany said, uncertainty.
"No. That would be a terrible plan. I want to get an agreement. The Queen Who Never Was married her son to the heiress of the throne. In a way, her son would still be king, and her descendants would sit on the Iron Throne."
"You want to marry Joffrey Baratheon?"
Never in a thousand years, Dany believed what she just said. Visenya hated Tywin Lannister above all people in the world. And she hated a lot of people.
"What about Lord Willas or Prince Quentyn?"
Something shifted in her eyes. It was not Visenya in front of her, but Queen Visenya. Queen Visenya was cold and did not show emotions. She was the woman that came out of Viserys' death, not the sister that always let Dany hide in her bed when she had nightmares.
"Prince Oberyn makes large proposals that it is true. But they are empty ones. If we were to invade, we would lose. Doran Martell won't begin a war he cannot win. There are other ways to win, Dany."
Dany didn't understand how marrying the Usurper son would work in their favor. She had it so out loud.
Visenya bit her lip. "There is something Illyrio told me that I hid from you. I believe you too young. Because I wanted to deny it so I could ignore what he and Oberyn wanted from me."
"What?"
"Cersei Lannister's children are bastards."
Dany let the letter fall on the ground.
"I know it. Varys knows it. Doran knows it. Leyton Hightower knows it, probably even more people. Sooner or later, so will everyone. Robert Baratheon's days are numbered. Jon Arryn is the only one keeping him alive, and Lord Arryn is old. Do you know what will happen next?"
Dany thought over the lessons from Haldon and Lemore. "Joffrey won't be king. Stannis Baratheon will."
What she read in the letter was starting to make some sense.
The king's brother had taken Dragonstone after the war. But amidst the fight, they were able to run away to Essos. He had robbed them of their castle afterward, becoming Lord of Dragonstone. As Princess of Dragonstone, the seat should belong to Dany as Visenya's heir.
She leaned down to pick up the letter and re-read it.
Out loud, she read the part that began to make a lot of sense.
"I hope we can come to a peace agreement that allows my sister and I to return to the castle where she was born, and perhaps one day my sons to rule the castle of my grandfathers."
Dany gave her sister the letter back, doubt eating her heart.
"Dragonstone. If you marry Lord Stannis, you will be Lady of Dragonstone." Visenya nodded for her to continue. "And when the truth comes out, you will be Queen."
"Do you think Tywin Lannister will let that happen? His legacy would be a laughing stock, ruined. He will go to war with the Baratheon's. And people will take sides."
"But Stannis is the heir."
"You would be surprised how far one person is willing to deny the truth as long as it benefited them."
"So you want to take a side? The Usurper's brother side? He stole Dragonstone from us."
Dany nearly shouted the last part. Were they betraying their own family if they did this? Their mother's legacy would be forgotten?
"Marrying Stannis Baratheon, is this what you want?"
"I want to see Tywin Lannister and his precious legacy go up in flames. I want Elia, Egg, and Rhae avenged. I want to rewrite our legacy."
While guarded to most, it was nothing Dany hadn't known beforehand.
"Than we should go to war against the Baratheons and the Lannisters. Like the Martells and Lord Varys wishes."
Dany had learned to stop calling the lords Lannister and Starks the Usurper's dogs. It one of the most painful of her lessons, because at the same time, she learned why her father was called the Mad King. It was more than just a way for The Usurper to defamed her family.
Visenya twisted her lips. "We could wait for years for them to kill each other. Then when the country is in chaos, we can attack. The Targaryen's returned to bring peace," she said with false jubilation. "That's Varys plan. Marry you off to Willas Tyrell. Make Quentyn my consort ... If they are still alive after the civil war. But we are two girls raised in exile. There was never a ruling queen in Westeros. Look at what happened to Rhaenys and Rhaenyra and the women afterward. Those lords will fight us to the bitter end. But if wed the heir-"
"You get to rule through him."
Visenya nodded. "People don't love Stannis. The southron lords won't want him on the throne. Married to me, I can get him support. Support that will be loyal to me. He'll need me to get the throne. Until then, we will live in Dragonstone, overseeing lands loyal to us. Jon Arryn will want us married off to loyal Baratheon's or pressured us into septa's vows. I won't allow us to disappear from history. I'll negotiate a marriage contract with Stannis and make it seems I only want Dragonstone. Stannis reputation will work in our favor."
"And what is his reputation?"
The last thing Dany wanted was her sister married to another cruel man.
"I've been told Stannis is hard man. Proud and just. Bitter. Joyless even. He scoffs at most highborn activities, dislikes courtiers and courtesies. He's an outcast amongst his peers."
"Is he handsome?" Dany hoped so because if not, he sounded terrible.
"Not really. He's too stern-looking, while Robert and Renly were the handsome ones."
Dany frowned.
Visenya Targaryen was beautiful. The years in the streets made her willowy-thin and hollow-cheeked, but she was beginning to look healthier. People always commented on her beauty and grace, and in the streets, they acclaimed her the most beautiful woman in Pentos.
At thirteen, Dany understood her protective sister better than before. Visenya was more than a mother to her than a sister. She had been meek in the presence of Viserys but defied him when she taught Dany everything she knew. She opened her eyes for the truths Viserys denied her.
Viserys was cruel and weak. Only after he died did Dany understood the bruises on Visenya's skin.
He was also their brother, and Dany loved him once. But he only brought sorrow to Visenya.
"Why would you want to marry a man like him?"
Senya could be aloof and, at times, craved solitude. She was also a person who loved art and beauty. Visenya read poetry to children and always had a book on her bedside table.
Visenya's curiosity was like that of a cat.
Back when they lived with princes and magisters, or even when they lived in the streets of Volantis and Lys, Visenya learned all she could. She worked regardless of how Viserys used to punish her for it. The blood of the dragon didn't work, but Visenya worked. She was a maid, singer in Lys, even as a scribe for merchants and tax collectors. Anything to get them some coin for food and clothes.
Now they had all the money they could wish. I want Senya to be happy.
"I won't wed Stannis without an agreement, Dany. I'll make sure your possible marriage needs to be approved by me." The Queen Visenya mask was gone. Her sister was back. "I'll make you a princess in more than words, Dany. You deserve it. If my way doesn't work, we can still try Varys way."
A princess, Daenerys thought. She had forgotten what it was like. Perhaps she had never really known.
Author's Note: For those who wish to see this story moodboard, check my Pinterest at margot1996david
HermioneandMarcus: I apologize for the delay… For now one I'll update more often.
Sparky She-Demon: Thank you
