More new stuff coming your way! Oh... and some old stuff.
He had turned down her offer of exchange, just like she had expected him to. She wished that Robb would return to the North and live out the rest of his days but she knew that honour and pride would keep him on the battlefield.
Durrandon in exchange for Jaime wasn't the best plan she had concocted but it served its purpose, she had an audience with Robb. If it had worked Tywin would have been more likely to participate with Robb's demands at the risk of losing his grandson and Jaime's heir.
If only she had come with her she would have had more to offer Robb, perhaps an offer that he wouldn't have been able to turn down.
Robb may have even decided to return home if he felt he held enough cards to keep the Lannister's at bay. If that could have been enough to satisfy his thirst for revenge, for the time being at least.
But she had made her choice and she would suffer the consequences.
This game was far too dangerous for babes and young girls yet it didn't matter who you were or how old you were, no one was free from being a player in the game of thrones, willing or otherwise.
Nevertheless, she left with her men and continued towards Harrenhal where Tywin was set to arrive the day following, she knew she would be safer with the old lion than with anyone else. The Capitol certainly wasn't safe with Joffrey and Cersei making every attempt that they could on her life and with her uncles bickering between one another, with her in the centre things would get even worse.
She had never seen them behave as they were now. They would both make terrible kings, and it broke her heart that neither of them would put their pride aside and treat with one another.
Apparently neither of them were reasonable enough to consider negotiating and she couldn't risk choosing one over the other.
The actions of Renly had surprised her the most; he was made of copper, never very politically ambitious but always pompous. He taught her to appreciate the finer things while Stannis told her of times when book soup was the only sustenance he had.
Renly had the Tyrells, a clear contributor to Renly's sudden interest in the Iron Throne. And they were not above the rest of them. Everyone had a hidden agenda.
On the other hand, Stannis's actions were of no surprise at all. There were stages in his life that killed him on the inside and even as a girl she often pitted her uncle. Her father didn't appreciate Stannis or give him the recognition that Stannis felt he deserved. Robert put him on a cliff when he gifted him with Dragonstone instead of their ancestral seat, he nudged him towards the edge when he removed Vesara from his care, and he pushed him off when he appointed Eddard Stark as Hand of the King over him.
She had always thought that her father had his reasons for doing these things to Stannis, perhaps it was out of spite or perhaps it was to test Stannis. Either way, Robert had entrusted Stannis with his eldest daughter, surely that had to count for something.
Dragonstone had served Vesara well in her angst ridden teen years. Her uncle had done well to rid her of the fairy tales that she and Renly were raised on in both Storm's End and King's Landing.
She was grateful for the proximity of Dragonstone and the regular trips to King's Landing with her uncle as Master of Ships, if only for a day at least she would get to see her father. Vesara could not rationally understand why she loved a man that she barely knew so much; she worshiped Robert from the time she returned to his arms after he won the rebellion right until he took his last breath.
She sat at his side that day. She and Eddard took shifts with Cersei pretending that she was too distraught to see her husband in such a state. Truth was, Cersei was too good at playing the doting wife when all eyes were on her, yet as soon as they were cast aside so too was her act.
"Rain fury and hell on those Lannister shits." He coughed, he shouldn't have been speaking but he insisted on getting out all of his final comments. She felt his grip on her hand loosen with every ounce of energy he used in last moments. "I'm sorry I had to sell you to one, the Kingslayer of all people. I wanted you to be able to marry for love like I never had the opportunity to."
"Do not fret father, I did marry for love, for the love of the Kingdom and the love of my family. My duty to them is my love for them."
"Cut the shit, you play the Princess and the diplomat all too well girl, if only you had been a son. You've learnt well, say pretty words with resentful thoughts. You are more than I could have hoped for and you would have been a King the realm could be proud of."
As much as he tried to hide it, she was Robert's pride and joy, Stannis reminded her of that when he would get in one of his moods. He was rave about how his brother treated him, his lack of respect and yet he would gift him his most prized possession, his little girl.
"I have no need for a girl. I have need for fertile land to grow crops and feed my people, what am I to do with a girl?" She knew her uncle meant nothing against her, but she knew she was a reminder of Robert's slight.
"One brother, is a vicious idiot, your sister and young brother are far too sweet. Watch them, they are lions through and through. What was that dreadful poem I wrote for you on your wedding day?" He chuckled as he tried to remember his one and only attempt at writing poetry.
Vesara had thought that he was jealous of her talent and her time spent exchanging poetry with the Red Viper. He had recited Vesara a poem in his drunken stupor at her wedding feast.
She remembered the look on both Cersei and Jaime's faces when her father belted out his awful rhyme, at least Tywin seemed somewhat amused, and she couldn't help but laugh. Her father always knew how to make her laugh.
Something she hadn't done of late.
She imagined what he was like in the face of danger. She imagined how he would laugh and chase down his enemies and swing his warhammer, she imagined he did not fear. Even as he neared death, she saw no fear in his eyes. There was nothing but excitement for a new adventure perhaps.
Her father was a great warrior and a mediocre king, she knew that, he knew that, the whole Seven Kingdoms knew that and yet they continued to accept his rule.
Her father had become silent, his eyes barely open. He had requested that she beg Eddard to return before he drew his last breath. As she rose she felt his hand grab her wrist gently. "Be careful, I do not wish for my little girl to greet me so soon." The stag leaves the forest on his own terms, or if a boar forces him out." He chuckled at his own jest and beckoned her to leave the room.
x
He was truly magnificent but she couldn't help but compare him to another.
She couldn't recall a time in her life without the sweet boy. He was intelligent, quick and mild-tempered. He would be a gallant knight one day. Or perhaps he'd serve as the head of her Queensguard.
He had so much potential, enough to be King. She had intended to name as her heir but there was something in the pit of her stomach preventing her from doing so.
Rhaego should have been her heir.
She watched him play with the dragons, they were rough with him but it seemed that Rhaegal had a soft spot for the boy often rising to protect him when Drogon would take things too far.
Rhaego should have been frolicking with the dragons.
As she rubbed her empty belly she would remind herself that it would never again house a babe and with that thought she would convince herself that he was of the dragon, and as he played with her children she became even more certain. They knew what he was; they knew he was one of their own.
For that she was grateful, had he not been of the dragon she didn't know what she would do with him, as she had already grown fond of him.
His dark hair fell around his face, his curls bouncing when he moved. She should probably have it trimmed. He would peer out from under his dark hair with his now startling purple eyes only emphasised by his warm skin fixed on her. She was afraid to look into his eyes for too long afraid that she would get lost in phantom memories of her brother.
He was just coming into his first name year and he already had so much personality and presence about him. He would smile up at her with his toothy grin and she would melt. As of late he was the only thing that could soften her heart as her young dragons continued to bring her strife as they grew.
She was the mother of dragons, three with wings and one without.
She prayed for the day that he would ride next to her to claim what was truly theirs by right. And they would take it with blood and fire.
She prayed that his true mother would live to see them return to Westeros. She bore no ill will towards the girl; her name did not matter, not anymore. She would be renamed by her actions, she was neither stag nor lion, a storm queen.
Everyone knew what happened to the last storm queen; her pride had seen the end of her house and her crown taken. She would have her revenge for both their houses of old.
She would restore House Targaryen to its former glory and see their babe rise as the storm dragon.
She would see him be King.
Okay - so I'll admit that the flow of some these chapters will be a little bit off, I'm still trying to work out how to piece different perspectives together without posting ridiculously short chapters (I could never tease ya'll like that... ooh actually this chapter is kinda short). Anyway, I promise I'll work on it.