283 AC – RiverLands – Seat of Power: Aerys II Targaryen
Visenya had left Casterly Rock with 300 men, all of whom were former Targaryen Soldiers, who had chosen to follow her even after her marriage.
Under the banner of the red three-headed dragon, they rode through the WesternLands and towards the RiverLands.
A few days on horseback eventually made them meet with the party they were after and would ally themselves with.
Rhaegar's lips formed a smile beneath his helm as he rode in front of his men, meeting his dear aunt halfway. Behind him were almost 40.000 men under his command, including Ten thousand Dornish, survivors of the Battle of the Bells, houses of the CrownLands and a sizable host from the Reach.
It was a tremendous army with at most a tenth of them knights while the rest were archers, free riders, and foot soldiers consisting of spearmen and pike men.
"Auntie, have I mentioned how much I missed you?" he asked, offering his charming smile and hoping he would escape her scolding for he had messed it up; big time.
Visenya did not smile and it was clear in her amber eyes that she was not pleased with the outcome of the last events. "Keep your charms for later, Rhaegar. For now, let us clear the mess both you and your father created"
She sided her horse with his, their armours contrasting with one another.
Rhaegar's armour was almost a pick black with a red cape, his helm having two long dragon wings as patterns similar to how many Targaryen men did from the Era of the Rogue Prince. His armour had details of dragons on it and was made in multiple parts to ensure no soft spots were exposed to sneaky attacks or arrows. His horse was of a similar shade, bearing its protective armour.
Visenya's on the other had a lighter touch of silver or dark grey. It was made to be less fancy but more practical, lighter even to match her fighting style. There was red clothing beneath, a matching shade to the red Targaryen sigil at the front of her chest, while her silver-white hair was braided and fell on her back. She bore no cape, finding it unnecessary and she had a basic helm that resembled the head of a dragon to the front but left most of her face exposed, compared to his. Her family sword, Dragon Heart, was strapped to her waist and her bow was placed across her chest; a quiver with arrows hanging by the left side of her saddle.
Rhaegar said nothing else as the two of them let their armies unite and started to march deeper into the RiverLands.
They met a few rebels but they quickly took care of them, barely losing any men. The army was the biggest one Visenya had ever led, her plans forcing her to be as meticulous as possible to ensure all men were used properly and there were no unnecessary deaths.
She was playing on the biggest Cyvasse she had ever encountered and yet her intelligent mind found ways to make it work. No one dared to argue with her, everyone hanging from her words and her plans.
Men cheered whenever she marched or rode between them since they were aware of the battle she had won in Casterly Rock and the plans she made that led to the victory in the King's wood.
Seeing how her presence alone brought them victory, many considered her a lucky charm and when she was side by side with her nephew; one could mistake them for Aegon the Conqueror and the original Visenya Targaryen.
The days had passed rather fast for her and she kept in contact with Tywin, who was still bitter about her departure. She let him be as she focused on what was important now, the battle and their survival.
Finally, once she was alone in the main tent with her nephew; she decided to address the elephant in the room.
"Why did you do it?" she asked him, hands behind her back.
The Crown Prince knew what she was talking about and his hand brushed over the handle of Dark Sister that was strapped on his waist. He avoided her gaze for a moment, choosing to slowly walk around the huge strategy table.
"I didn't abduct her, if this is what you are wondering" he started, quickly focusing on the most primary rumours. "She was unhappy with her betrothed and we...we were in Love, auntie...we are" he confessed, finally lifting his head to look at her.
It was clear by now that Visenya was conflicted when it came to such matters. Her parents had married for Love but her siblings had married out of duty. She, herself, had married Tywin mostly for political reasoning; although there were feelings for one another existing already.
"You are married, Rhaegar. You have two children and you are the Crown Prince" she reminded him, her voice not as strict as he expected of her. "In your position...our position, we do not always have the freedom to marry for love"
"I know but...why can't we? Why should we remain unhappy in a marriage that we did not choose?" he asked, thinking more like a kid than the man he had grown to be. "I mean, would you stay with Lord Lannister if you didn't love him?" he asked her, throwing the revelation that he was very much aware of her feelings for him.
Visenya was not even sure how to counter them or what to counter first. Should she focus on the fact that her nephew seemed to know things many did not? That he somehow had managed to see there were more than political benefits in her marriage?
Or should she talk about his naive mindset, which seemed to have only grown during his absence? She had raised him to be a wise man, thinking about his kingdom first and his men and yet she was face to face with a boy; chasing after true love.
A boy, she reminded herself as she looked at the young man; barely of age 5 & 20.
A boy, she repeated in her mind that had been sheltered most of his life and shaped to be what everyone expected him to be.
A boy, she told herself for the third time as she realized that the man in front of her was still a boy in heart.
In the end, the mighty Visenya let out a heavy sigh and faintly cracked under the innocence of his purple eyes. She had helped raise the crown Prince, she had tutored him and he looked up at her.
Perhaps it was the fact that she was now a mother, both to her own son and also to those through her marriage with Tywin. This had softened her and she saw Rhaegar as the boy he was rather than the next King to sit on the Iron Throne.
"What is done is done, the past cannot be changed," she said, pinching the bridge of her nose as her glowing amber eyes focused on him. "Let us end this rebellion for now and once it's done, we will see what kind of damage control we can do"
A genuine smile formed on the Prince's lips as he walked towards her. There was faint guilt in his violet hues, for dragging his aunt into another war that he caused.
She didn't have to come, she had a son to look after but here she was. She could have shouted at him, slapped him even and he would have deserved it but in the end; she chose to forgive him.
He came to a halt in front of her, their eyes connecting as he passed her around a head if not a few inches more.
He took her hands into his. "I know what I did was not right but I tend to fix this" he confessed. "When this is all over, I will stand and face the consequences of my actions. No matter what they may be"
A glimmer of pride shone in her unique eyes as she heard him, seeing that the man she had helped raise was still there. He just needed a small push here and there to come back to the surface.
It was clear that he was worried about those consequences, and he would have rather stayed with his lover but Targaryen never ran away from responsibilities; never ran away from anyone.
They were dragons and they would face everything head-on, just like how they had always done.
Visenya freed her one hand and placed it on the cheek of her nephew, fingers reaching the end of his jaw and the beginning of his neck. She gave him a nod of pride and agreement, her actions speaking more than words ever could.
Then, to his surprise, she pulled him forward into one of those rare hugs. Her hand moved to the back of his neck, holding him there and he was quick to return the action.
Their armour stood obstacle to hugging properly but the intention was clear and pure. They stayed like that for a moment, a rare time for the mighty Dragoness to show any emotions of such kind.
"No matter what, I will be proud of you Rhaegar. Even your romantic nature might be the death of me one day" she said, her voice soft and motherly.
Rhaegar chuckled and as they slowly pulled away, he offered her his pearly white smile. "I promise I will try hard to prevent that. Can't lose my favourite aunt"
"I am your only aunt" she reminded him, earning a chuckle from him.
"One whom I truly admire. I and the rest of the army" he commented, making her roll her eyes at the drama.
She slowly withdrew her hand. "Go get some rest. We will march at dawn and we need to rest" she told him, her tone making it clear he had no room for argument. "And Rhaegar, promise me one more thing"
"Anything, Auntie"
"No matter what, stay out of the front lines. You are far too important to me and to the army. If we lose you, we lose everything" he tried to argue but she placed her hand behind his neck again, staring up at him. "Promise me, Rhaegar. You will not act recklessly and get yourself killed"
He placed his hand on top of hers, surprised by the sudden strength behind her grip. "I promise you, Auntie. In the events of the battle, I will not risk myself"
She gave a small smile and released him. "Good. Now, off to bed. I want you rested by morning"
Rhaegar took a step back, placed his hand over his heart and gave a formal bow. "As you command, Auntie," he said, amusement evident in his violet eyes.
Visenya only rolled her eyes but kept that smile nonetheless, unaware that this promise would not be kept.
They fought and moved for almost two months, their army having increased with the arrival of Ser Barristan and Jonothor Darry, who brought another part of the Targaryen army with them, along with a few more loyalists from different smaller houses.
Rhaegar and Visenya stayed true to their words and stayed back, letting the men do the fighting and barely participating unless they had no choice.
Visenya, especially, due to her mastery of the bow; offered a major assistance when rebels would manage to escape the formation of their soldiers and would try to make their way towards them.
Their army was bigger than the one of Robert but that did not mean they would win in a battle, not unless they played their cards right.
The Dragoness had managed so far to reduce casualties as much as possible, her times often spent studying the maps of Westeros and forming the best plans to cover distance and have the advantage in more open fields with their sheer numbers.
They were now getting closer to the Trident and once again, they had set camp. The ground beneath them was muddier than before, a faint rain having passed above their heads as the sky above them was still clouded above them.
They were on one side of the small river, whose mud and unique sand gave it a darker reddish hue when the sand hit it right. It was the thinnest one of the three that formed the so-called Trident.
Once again in the main tent, she stood next to Rhaegar and had her eyes glued on the map in front of her, spread on the big table.
Pieced had been placed to mark their army, other houses and Robert's army. Based on the scouts' last report, Robert was at the other side of the Trident and would not reach them yet.
So far, they seemed to have the advantage in this war, its scales turning towards their side with their victories.
In the same room were Lewyn Martell, Ser Barristan and Jonothor Darry, all of whom were discussing with her the next plan of action.
"According to the scouts, Robert is approaching our location with his men. I think it would be wiser to move towards the Twins, ensure their collaboration and use the passage between to force Robert's army through, taking advantage of the narrowness of it" Ser Barristan suggested, pointing at the said spot on the map with his finger.
Rhaegar took a good look at it. "The Freys are loyal to the Crown and the Lannister, aren't they Aunt Visenya? They would not dare to refuse us passage and collaboration with us"
All the eyes turned to the only woman in the room, who had her hands behind her back. "The Lannisters have yet to join the war. This means that the Freys might use it as an excuse to deny us passage. They are known for their cowardice and changing alliance"
Lewyn Martell gave a nod to his head. "I agree. They are nothing but cowards and I wouldn't trust showing them my back"
"Why haven't the Lannisters joined us yet?" Ser Jonothor questioned.
Visenya was the Lady of Casterly Rock, their Lady Lannister. They should have joined the war before and the fact that they hadn't, was ridiculous. After all, the whole marriage was to ensure they would aid the Crown.
"My Lord Husband does not wish to risk his troops yet, not with how unknown the outcome of this war is. A few victories over battle do not grant us certainty of victory over the war" she explained, shifting her weight from one leg to the other faintly. "He does not to risk the destruction of his house of Robert gains advantage"
If ghosts were real, she knew her cousin Steffon would have haunted her by now. She was literally going to war against his firstborn, ruining whatever connection the Baratheons and the Targaryen had for over a century.
"This is stupid. We are his allies, you are his Lady Wife"
"I am here as Visenya Targaryen, not as Lady Lannister Ser Jonothor she argued back, her eyes narrowing at his form. "He simply does what is best for his house as is pretty much any house that has joined us" She brought up the harsh truth. "We have all those men because most did not have a choice but to obey our call to arms. They do not do it because they hate Robert but because the King has threatened them"
A quick glance at Lewyn, and everyone then fell silent for a minute, knowing this was the truth. It was the ugly hard truth that they tried to ignore, for the sake of their morality and sanity.
Visenya was not happy about it either, especially after learning that Elia and her children were held prisoners in the Red Keep to ensure the Dorne would not turn their back on them.
She slammed her hands on the table and slowly looked at each one of them. "The 7 Kingdoms have split. Those who fight for loyalty are those that have been harmed the most from us, from the Crown" from the King, she added in her mind. "Anyone else simply does not wish to risk the future of their houses, of their sons for a war that we still don't know the winners yet. It is wiser to consider that as we think of who will be willing to help us and who will stab us in the back"
Another silence as Visenya made her point, spitting razor-sharp truths that no one could argue against. She had to remind them of the shitty reality they were in, for War was never fair and was never certain.
She had never participated in one before but she spent years studying it, learning from the losses and wins of everyone before her; being from her house or not.
In the end, the silence was broken by Rhaegar. " My aunt is right" he said, earning all eyes on him. "Lord Lannister is simply doing what is best for his men and so will any other Lord. Sitting him and arguing over it won't change anything. We need to form a plan of attack" he then turned to Ser Barristan. "Any news from our scouts"
The older Knight shook his head. "They have not returned yet, my Lord"
Just then, as Rhaegar was about to say something, the warning horn reached their ears.
Immediately, they all rushed outside the tent only to see a horse galloping their way with a limp rider on its saddle.
A soldier managed to grab the reins and ease the horse as two more soldiers tried to help the unconscious rider.
The body almost fell to the floor and faint gasps were exclaimed at the sight of it. The man was one of their scouts but what had earned such a reaction was the arrow protruding from his back.
The man was barely alive, having rode to warn them. He didn't have to speak as the arrow had a small flag attached to it with the Baratheon Stag on it.
Just then, the horn was heard again and men started to rush to get ready and grab their weapons. In the distance, one could barely see the silhouette of an army, coming from the other side of the river.
They were under attack