Disclaimer: I don't own anything, everything belongs to George R. R. Martin, I am only playing on his beautifully created world.
Water Gardens – 297 AC
The journey she was about to sail to wasn't going to resemble any other trip she had made to Essos. She would be looking for someone, trying to catch up to the Khalasar, this time she had a time frame, she wouldn't be able to do as she would like. Now she was an envoy for House Martell.
Her cousin would hate her more so over it.
She sighs putting another change of briefs in her bag, she could never understand Arianne, because there was nothing for the older girl to worry. Visenya didn't want the seat, she didn't want to be the head of the house. No, she only wanted to travel, she wanted to spar into the evenings, she wanted to make a name for herself like Oberyn had done. There were too many responsibilities in being the next in line for their house seat, it wasn't something she wanted and that was without remembering that she wasn't the next in line that resided with Arianne's brothers.
She rolls her eyes thinking about it and puts another set of daggers into the bag, next putting three shifts "Oberyn told me you were leaving today". Visenya's hands still, hovering over the next item going to her bag, Ellaria's voice shows how much the news about her departure wasn't what she wanted.
Visenya turns a sad smile in her features "I was going to say goodbye to you" and that was the truth she would never think about leaving without saying something to the woman who had raised her, who cares for her like she is one of her own. Ellaria opens her arms and Visenya is quick in going to the older woman and being engulfed in her hug. Every apprehension the purple eyed woman had been feeling is somewhat lifted, she can feel her heart start to pound in a normal rhythm.
"I don't like you going alone" Ellaria tells her, Visenya can hear some of her anger and she knows Oberyn will have to work to have his lover to forgive him.
Drawing from her step-mother she smiles "I know, but I also know that I am their best chance in showing the Targaryens their support." Ellaria raises her hand and gently traces under her eyes, their color the very reminder of her Velaryon blood, of her Old Valyrian blood.
Ellaria holds her face gently, eyes soft and caring making Visenya's heart clench in guilt for not telling about the mission given to her three days ago to the woman who raised her when she was just a child who was too young to be chasing her older sisters but was content in watching over her two youngest sisters "Come back" Ellaria orders her.
Visenya smiles "I will, I promise" she puts her hand on top of Ellaria's "Forgive my father, I know he didn't mean to upset you."
Ellaria laughs and smiles fondly to the young woman, of course Visenya would be worried about her father and the possible groveling he would have to make to be back in her good graces. "He needs to learn to tell me about the dangerous paths he sends our children to."
Visenya's whole body warms with how she is included in being considered Ellaria's daughter, not that the older woman wouldn't say it often, but every time she would say it the purple eyed woman would always feel the warmth explode inside herself. She knows there is nothing more for her to say and from the way Ellaria is looking at her she also knows it.
"Your father is waiting for you in our quarters" Ellaria tells her and kisses Visenya's forehead before turning on her heels but before she can exit Visenya calls her.
"Tell them I am sorry for leaving without saying anything." Ellaria nods and Visenya knows that her sisters will receive the message. She only hopes that especially Obara and Nymeria won't be too angry at her for disappearing without a word.
With her bag slung over her shoulder she makes way to her father's rooms. She knocks waiting for him to tell her that she could enter, her father had always been very adamant about his daughters knocking in warning. When she was a child she never did understand why it was one of his only rules, but after the amounts of sister she started to gather and when she would question him, he would give her his red viper smirk "You might see something you wouldn't want to see." She had never failed to comply in knocking – especially when a door belonged to her father.
The door is thrown open and Oberyn looks at his daughter with fondness before taking her hand and leads her to one of the chairs in his room. She sits, though knowing that she couldn't stay for more than a few minutes, she still had to travel to the docks to embark on the last ship going to Essos of the week.
"You can wait for your sisters to come back" he offers her even though both know that she can't exactly wait, Daenerys is probably already married and going towards Vaes Dothrak. She smiles at his offer, knowing that he doesn't want her to go alone.
"Ellaria will tell them I am sorry" she sees the way Oberyn's eyes turn a little sad over the name of her step-mother, she reaches for his hand and he lets her "she will come around, you know she can never stay wroth with you."
Oberyn shake his head, his daughter selflessness still manages to impress him, how she puts others in front of herself and that is what worries him in sending her alone. When she is surrounded by Obara and Nymeria they take care of her, they don't let her be consumed in helping others before helping herself.
And he knows that she will want to do whatever is necessary for the younger Targaryen, if the fond way she had spoken of Daenerys is anything to go by and he knows it is. She will want to adopt the orphan and make her an honorary Snake, she will offer Daenerys the warmth she gives her sisters, there is no other outcome from their meeting, of that Oberyn is sure. That is the other reason Doran had been so adamant that she be the one to meet with the Targaryens and do it alone.
He certainly didn't like the way Doran thought his daughter was a pawn on his little game.
When she frowns at his silence he laughs and explains that he had been lost in thought "Sometimes I can't believe you are my daughter". When her frown becomes more pronounced he gets up from his seat, goes to her and puts his hands on her cheeks. He knows that Visenya always felt a little alone being the only one of his daughters to have his family name "You have so much of your mother" she smiles a little sadly not being able to come to the same conclusion that he had "you have her selflessness, her gentleness and her heart."
Visenya leans over her father's touch "But I am your daughter." He nods and drops a kiss on her head, inhaling her scent like he hadn't done since she was a child of six. She gets up and throws her arms around him and he prays to whatever deity hears him that she isn't as brash as he is, that everything that they had taught her will be useful.
When her arms tighten and he knows she is about to let go her holds her a little tighter not wanting to let her go "I love you, father" she whispers and it feels too much like goodbye for his liking.
Slowly he lets her go from his embrace and with his eyes locked onto hers, so she knows she is not to disobey him on it, he tells her "If you find trouble, send for me."
She nods and leaves without another word, knowing that there isn't anything else for them to say to one another.
Oberyn Martell watches as his daughter's horse speeds away from Water Gardens, the little tiger they had found years ago accompanying her, but even with her trustee companion he can't help the fear that grips his heart.
Arms circle him from behind "She will be fine" Ellaria murmurs.
"She has to be." He says letting some of his fear and confidence in his daughter to bleed through his words and let be unsaid: If she isn't, I will not have patience to avenge her, Westeros and Essos will bleed alike.
Somewhere in Norvos – 297 AC
Daenerys can't wait for them to finally stop somewhere and from the way her brother's shoulders are tense and he keeps throwing angry glares in her direction she knows he too wants them to stop. Only Viserys won't say anything about it so he is not perceived as weak in the eyes of the Khal.
The problem is that her husband already believes her brother to be weak.
She swiftly turns her eyes away from her brother going to her husband. Drogo was tenderer than she thought it would have been possible from a dothraki. She knows that the culture she had married into is not to be taken lightly, they are ruthless when needed. The way they move with their horses is something she envies very much, especially since it doesn't seem to bother them how much time they spend at top of the animal.
With a sigh she makes her horse speed a little so she catches up with Drogo, she couldn't bare another glare from her brother, knowing that most likely once they stopped to rest he would want to unleash the dragon on her. When Drogo's bloodriders see her coming they speed their horses standing in front of her and Drogo.
The Khal looks at her and she can't help the shivers that wreck on her body, the feel of his hands still burn on her skin, she still can feel his lingering kisses and how with a small smile and a brush of his nose against hers he pushes away the loneliness that aches on her bones. He smirks when he notices the way a blush settles on her features, making her violet eyes shine.
"Fin ajjin ojil?" he asks as her white horse settles into the pace of his horse. He lets his eyes hover over her figure, noting with pride that her posture on top of a horse is getting better, though he can see the way she is fidgeting slightly and knows she must be hurting. He wants for her to be strong, he wants her to break from the cage her brother had put in her and as much as he wants to break it for her he knows it is important for her to do it herself. His khalasar needs a strong Khalessi and until now she hadn't asked for them to stop or make breaks, waiting until he ordered for them to stop, now he fears she will.
Daenerys sighs, knowing that as the Khaleesi she cannot show any type of weakness as it would reflect poorly unto her husband, but the way Viserys was glaring in her direction almost makes her open her mouth and ask for them to stop. But when her eyes locks onto Drogo's she knows she doesn't want to disappoint him or bring the khalasar to question Drogo's choice of a wife.
"Anna khaleesi?" he prompts when she doesn't say anything to him.
She settles for a tired smile "I was feeling lonely" she tells him, in an improving dothraki, a half-truth and knows it was the right thing to say with the way he gives her a bright smile, prideful.
"You are not alone anymore" he assured her and she blinked away the tears that wanted to spill, the way he was always trying to reassure her without being forceful, just showing through small gestures and a few words that her life wasn't the same, it wasn't just Viserys and her.
"Thank you." Drogo can see how much she means it and he traces her features and when he sees that she wants to take her hands off of the lead but is afraid to he takes one of her small hands and kisses the inside of her wrist. Her violet eyes show her trust and how much affection she has for him.
And so to show how much he appreciates and cares for her he tells her "After the sun sets we will stop." She blushes prettily at his words and mouths her thanks to him. He winks at her before speeding his horse and she is quick to follow laughing and soon enough all the khalasar is racing through the grass. They will stop at sun set, but before then they had to cover more ground.
Daenerys knows Viserys will be livid, but with the wind in her face, the way Drogo smiles at her she can't find in herself to care.
Winterfell – 298 AC
Robb rolls his eyes for the tenth time in the last hour, he couldn't understand why his mother felt it was important for him to know how the arrangements of the table would look like or who would sit where. Though when he notices she doesn't speak of Jon he frowns and stops her in the middle of a sentence.
"What of Jon?" she flushes angrily and he squares his shoulders preparing himself for the onslaught she will unleash on him.
"He will be sat with the soldiers" she narrows her eyes when Robb opens his mouth to contradict her, something he was doing more often, especially when the subject was his siblings – all of his siblings "the queen wouldn't appreciate a bastard at the table."
Robb narrow his eyes at her usage of the word "Mother, don't speak about Jon like that."
She looks possessed and it only makes him stand his ground, he will fight for his brother "That is what he is!"
"He is my brother, that is what he is." He lets his voice grow icy much like he had seen his father doing when something or someone displeased him, the way his mother's eyes widen at his tone he knows she heard it too. He is quick to turn on his heels and leaving there to fume by herself. He has more important things to do, for example joining Jon, Arya and Bran in training their direwolves in the godswood.
When he is turning a corner he encounters Sansa, she is crouched down beside Lady – her direwolf – scolding the animal for something. He laughs at the scene and his sister turns with flushed cheeks "They are a little hard to bend, aren't them?" he says good naturedly, crouching down to pet Lady.
Sansa nods "Lady was doing fine yesterday, today she doesn't hear a word I say" he chuckles thinking that it must be a trait of the litter as Grey Wind had done the same thing. Sansa looks like she is searching for something and when he raises an eyebrow she explains "Where is Grey Wind?"
"You know mother doesn't like the direwolves near her, he was more than pleased to go with Arya, Jon and Bran to the godswood." Robb stands up and offers his sister his hand, which she accepts "That is where I am going, you and Lady should join us."
He sees the conflict in his sister's eyes, with a tired sigh he puts his hands on her shoulders wanting her to listen to him "No one will see you not being a lady, come spend the day with your siblings." He sees that she is wavering so with a small smile he tells her "Lady will certainly like to be with her pack mates."
Sansa laughs at him but eventually nods her head, it would certainly be a different way to spend the afternoon and that is when she remembers "But Septa Mordane…"
Robb shakes his head and tucks her hand on his arm leading her towards the goodswood, with a pat on his leg Lady follows "I am sure she won't mind you bonding with your siblings."
Sansa knows that the Septa will very much mind, but after the tiring needle lessons she can start to understand why Arya never lasted more than an hour at it, not that she would ever tell her sister that and so she thinks she earned a afternoon playing with the direwolves – not that she will ever let her siblings tell another soul about her playing with the animals.
She is sure that Arya will want to bring it up at some point, but even that notion doesn't make her want to turn away.
Sansa looks at her brother, she had noticed that Robb had changed, that he no longer let their mother have her way in how she treats Jon, that he didn't let Theon antagonize Jon about his unfortunate parentage, he was also more lenient with Arya, teaching her how to aim with a bow and arrow and taking her horse-back riding, with Bran giving him books about famous knights and playing with Rickon.
With her he was always seeking to pull her out of lady duties, wanting her to take part on whatever their siblings where doing, today was the first day that she knew he wouldn't take no for an answer.
"What?" he asks somewhat unsure, a hand coming to his cheek as if seeking to take something from his face.
Sansa shakes her head "You have changed" she puts it simply and he looks at her blue eyes – the same shade as his and understands what she means.
"I couldn't be lord of Winterfell if I had stayed the same." Sansa very well knows that no one would contest him becoming the lord of Winterfell if he had remained a… boy. Robb sighs knowing that his sister wouldn't let go until she had an answer that satisfies her, she is much like Arya in that sense. "I just realized I wasn't going to be a good leader if I couldn't even protect my family."
Sansa frowns and remembers of his growing protectiveness towards… "You mean Jon."
Robb looks at her seriously, having heard the disbelief in her tone "He is family" he raises an eyebrow when she opens her mouth to contest "he is a Stark but in name, Sansa and you will do well in remembering it."
She looks off put and stubborn probably because she feels as if he is betraying their mother "And why is that?" she asks him imperiously and he shakes his head knowing that it will take more than a few words to make his red headed sister see in a new light. That doesn't mean he isn't going to try.
"Because it is the Stark blood that matters in the North"
Sansa doesn't try to argue with him, something in her telling her to wisely stay quiet and a part of her understanding and agreeing with what he was saying. She can hear Arya laughing loudly and Bran screeching in anger, when they are able to see the scene Jon is very patiently telling Arya to stop laughing at Bran, patting her head to make her quiet down. Amazingly enough she does.
"It wasn't funny, Arya!" Bran says and Sansa imagines he had ben repeating that for a while now.
"Yes it was" Arya says slightly giggling, Jon admonishes her quietly and Bran looks at him in thanks. Jon raises an eyebrow to Arya who huffs but complies to his silent prompting "I am sorry for laughing Bran. It wasn't funny how your direwolf was playing catch with you making you run like a headless chicken."
Jon tries to smother a smile at his sister's antics and Sansa sees from the corner of her eye Robb smiling widely at the scene.
Lady is the one that announces their arrival, jumping into the fray of the rest of her pack mates. Arya looks at Sansa, she slightly frowns but when Jon puts his hand on top of her head again she sighs and offers a weak smile to her elder sister. Sansa is again impressed with Jon's ease in taking care of Arya's temperament.
Her sister's grey eyes widen when they settle on Robb "You should have seen" Bran is already complaining "Nymeria obeyed! I told her to go chase a rabbit and she went!" Bran falls silent, thankful that she hadn't started again on the slightly mortifying moment. She jumps to her feet taking Robb's hand to show to him the carcass lying a few feet away. Sansa tries to not scowl so much at the sight.
Jon laughs "I am fairly certain she would begin to hunt at some point, little wolf." Arya sticks her tongue out at him and Robb continues to inspect the dead animal. Sansa sits on the ground beside Bran, she can see the surprising looks on each of her sibling's face.
At that moment she knew she made the right decision in coming with Robb, their surprise in having her amongst them shouldn't be there, she really needed to spend more time with her family.
A/N: Thank you for everyone who left a review, favorite and followed the story!
I love hearing from you, what you are thinking so far, what would you tell me I need to work more on and please please tell me if I am rushing, I have this problem of rushing the story because I can't wait for things to start to pick up. I am trying to contain myself, but if you think that I am rushing too much, please warn me!
To the guest that asked who would be Jon's pairing, I still don't know, but I don't think it will be Nymeria or Tyene, I'll mull over Arianne being a possibility, but I still don't have any idea! So if anyone has ideas for it I'll be glad to hear them out, but I can't make any promises who will be Jon's final pairing.
I'll try to maintain weekly updates.
Fin ajjin ojil: What is wrong?
Anna Khaleesi?: My Khaleesi?