[A/N] - I usually take inspiration from music when I write such scenes or books in general and like to make my playlists. So, here are the songs that inspired me and I also find very fitting with the book.
1. Burn by 2WEI
2. Infinity by James Young
3. Doomsday by Derivakat
4. That's My Girl by Fifth Harmony
5. Speechless by Naomi Scott
6. Jenny of Oldstones by Florence + The Machine
7. Battle Born by Five Finger Death Punch
8. Immortals by Fall Out Boy
9. Used To Be Young by Miley Cyrus
10. Gangsta's Paradise by Coolio
11. Experience by Ludovico Einaudi
12. Raise Your Banner by Within Temptation
Robert had been more cowardice than they had him for, choosing to launch his attack in the early hours of the night as the sky was covered by Dark Clouds.
His army came from the other side of the river like a raging wave, the banners of the Stag, Wolf and Hawk shaking with the wind as the Rebels charged.
Immediately, every soldier quickly grabbed their weapons, and their mounts and charged to meet the enemy halfway. The battle would take place on both sores of the Red River and in its raging waters; the outcome would be to decide which side would win the War.
Everyone was in their armour, especially our heroes and Visenya and Rhaegar got on their horses without a moment of hesitation. A squire passed them their helmets but Visenya refused to wear hers, the dark atmosphere was already causing bad visibility for them.
Before her nephew could charge, she moved her white stallion and blocked his path. "You gave me a promise, Rhaegar. Robert wants to drag you out in the open, do not let him. Defend your men but do not face him" she said, A few strands that had escaped from her braid were wiping against her face from the ominous wind that had picked up.
The Crown Prince gave a nod with his head and the two of them grabbed their sword and bow respectively.
Then, the real battle started.
If the battle against the Silver Lions in front of Casterly Rock was a choice battlefield, it paled in comparison to what was going on around them.
The sound of horses, stomping hooves and blades clashing was the most prominent sound. Amongst them, one could make out the sound of men crying in pain, shouting a war cry during their charges or grunting as they fought against one another.
Due to the sneak attack and the mixture of the armies, many archers could not offer constant attacks and Visenya tried her best to lead them. Her arrows found their target, always aiming for the open spot by the neck or the gap between the helmet; taking down the enemy quickly and efficiently.
From time to time, she instructed the men to aim for the horses; choosing to take down the enemy riders and pray some would be crushed or wounded by the weight of their own mounts against their bodies.
Her blade had eventually been drawn when a few Rebels had managed to come to a close but they were on food and she was on horse. She used the height advantage to slice them, taking them down as her stallion went as far as to kick them down in the mud.
"RHAEGAR!" The voice of Robert boomed across the battlefield despite all the other sounds.
Fuelled by anger and need for revenge, the young Stag smashed any royal soldier with his war hammer; stopping at nothing while searching for his target.
Eventually, he managed to pass the river and head towards their side; too close to Rhaegar, who was busy fighting men that tried to pull him off his horse.
The Crown Prince had heard him and at first, he was about to turn his horse and retreat but then took a good look around him.
Men, innocent men, perished under the sword. The ground started to pile with the bodies of sons and fathers. Horses fell victim to the arrows and many good soldiers lost their lives constantly.
And why?
Because of his selfishness. Because of his need to get the girl he fell in love with.
The words of his aunt echoed in his mind, reminding him that many of those men had no loyalty to him. They were forced to fight because they were threatened, and died without truly having any say in this war.
They died protecting him, carrying his banners while he remained all mighty on top of his horse.
Then, he remembered one more thing her aunt had told him. If he were to die, the war would be lost but the same would mean for Robert. If he were to die, all of this would be over and many lives would be spared.
I am sorry auntie, he thought and led his horse towards the man, who wanted him dead.
"Rhaegar!" Visenya shouted but the boy did not listen as he met Robert by the sores.
This boy will be the death of me, she thought as she laid her horse towards them.
She jumped over fallen men and sliced a few that tried to stop her as she charged straight towards the two men fighting.
Robert's war hammer was longer and heavier, capable of dealing massive damage that even his armour would not be able to protect him from.
She sheathed her sword and quickly grabbed her bow and arrow. The horse kept galloping but her upper body remained still, stable like it had always been. She pulled the string and controlled her breathing, her trained mind taking into consideration the wind that was currently coming from her left. When she found an opening, she let the arrow loose and watched as it found its target. She had aimed to kill Rober, silently praying to her cousin to forgive her.
But the Gods did not seem to agree with her and the arrow found its way into his left shoulder; forcing him to almost fall off his horse but he kept standing.
He changed the war hammer to his right, proving he could still fight with the other. Rhaegar was about to charge again, taking advantage of Robert's wounded stage but his opponent seemed ready to take him down either way.
However, before he could attack Rhaegar again; Visenya slammed her stallion against his; efficiently blocking Rhaegar from approaching.
The muddy ground made the hordes fight for balance and in the close proximity, Visenya had no time to grab her sword. She, instead, grabbed another arrow and stabbed it on Robert's leg.
He grunted in pain, his brown eyes flashing towards her direction.
"Run, now" She ordered her nephew as she tried to pull her horse away and managed.
Rhaegar was conflicted, clearly wanting to help her but she shot him a look. Don't you dare disobey me, it said.
Robert took a moment to pull his horse back as well and smashed the arrows in half, leaving only a part of it inside his body.
Just then, Stark men rushed on foot to defend him and the Targaryens knew they had to fight and flee at the same time.
They fought hard, trying to keep any blades from attacking their legs or their horses. Rhaegar was more successful, having already bigger distance from Robert and the others; as a few of his men rushed to defend him.
Ned Stark had joined the battle as well and he managed to bring his sword while on horseback, slashing her stallion to the side.
The animal let out a noise of pain and staggered before falling to the side, taking Visenya down with her. Her leg got trapped under its weight and she fought to free it while she heard Rhaegar call for her. Eventually, she was free and had unseathed her sword to defend herself.
However, the Stark heir moved out of the way as Robert charged in her direction like a raging wild boar.
It was clear in his eyes that she was an obstacle, an obstacle to get his hands on Rhaegar and he would deal with her personally. As the Crown Prince retreated thanks to the safety of his men, she was left rather exposed and he positioned his war hammer.
Visenya never saw it coming, the dark weapon blending with the darkness around it until it was too late. She felt it smashing against her abdomen, her armour bending and even cracking from the mere force that sent her flying back.
Blood escaped her lips, her amber eyes wide as eventually her back made contact with the muddy ground. She felt that all of the air had left her lungs and each labored breath was causing her pain.
She bit her bottom lip to contain any sound, tears pricking to the edge of her eyes as she fought to roll herself to her front. The moment she managed to lift her head, she saw something that would haunt her memory for years to come.
Rhaegar was about to retreat, hid men urging him to do so. Yet, he managed to see her aunt falling off her horse and he desperately called her name.
When he saw her standing, sword at hand, he felt hope within his chest but it quickly perished upon seeing Robert smashing her with his Warhammer. His blood ran cold, his violet eyes growing wide at the sight. The only person he truly loved, one would say more than his own tortured mother; was lying on the ground.
The sounds around him were muffled, the only thing he could hear was his own ragged breath and his heart beating; the sound echoing through his head. Guilt stretched its hands and squeezed his heart as he came to realize the severity of the situation.
She got hurt, perhaps even barely managed to survive and it was all his fault.
He had invited her into this war, he had asked her to join him and help him win. She had warned him to stay away from Robert but he didn't listen and she got hurt trying to protect him.
It was then, that Rhaegar turned to face the angry Stag in the eyes.
Targaryen never run from everyone. They face them head-on, he repeated in his mind; now more determined than ever. I am sorry auntie but this war ends today, one way or another.
He ignored the protests of his men and charged, heading straight for Robert, who did the same.
Any logical soldier moved out of the way as the two of them met in the waters of the raging river. Their weapons clashed again and again, none refusing to back down.
Despite being wounded, Robert was so thirsty for the blood of the Crown Prince that he refused to let that stop him. He fought with such ferocity, that one would think he was possessed by some dark spirit.
In the end, the final blow was landed...
Robert's Warhammer smashed against the breastplate of Rhaegar, the force of it alone denting the metal and sending the rubies decorating it straight into the river.
The blow was lethal, his ribs cracking under the force as he fell off his horse. If that hadn't killed him, Robert's next blow did and the one after and the one after.
"No!" Visenya shouted, wailing like a heartbroken mother at the sight.
Her cry was so loud, so filled with pain and sorrow that almost every man heard it. Upon seeing the Crown Prince dead on the ground and an injured Robert standing victorious above his body.
Many men, whose loyalty did not lay in Rhaegar; quickly found the chance to flee or surrender. They knew the battle was lost and only the Targaryen men remained to fight.
No, no...no! This can't be happening. Visenya herself found the pain fuelling her newfound rage and she used her sword to slowly lift herself off the muddy ground. For the first time in decades, the mighty dragoness shed tears.
Her gaze turned from shock to sorrow and then narrowed to that of anger, the amber in her eyes burning like true fire: the Dragoness within her raging and many men from both sides felt themselves freezing at the sight of her haunting glare.
Tears were shed but no one could truly tell if they were out of sadness or pure anger at the death of her nephew.
Despite the pain coming from her abdomen, she lifted her sword and silently cut the head of the first man she saw in front of her. The sudden attack made many men unfreeze and move, with some caution.
She fought silently, blocking and slicing down man after man without making a sound. Only her blade could be heard as it severed heads, and hands and took the lives of men that stood in her way while she slowly made her way towards Robert.
A Stark soldier tried to attack her and she blocked him, only for a Baratheon to successfully find the side of her unprotected thigh and draw blood; forcing her onto her knee.
But with the grief clouding her mind, she only stood up and stabbed her sword through the soldier; painting her sword fully into his red blood.
Some Targaryen men that remained, watched her fight and went to assist her only for Visenya to turn her burning gaze in their direction.
"Retreat, now!" She ordered, her voice booming with such ferocity one would mistake it for that of an animal.
With some hesitation, many men obeyed and only a few stayed to fight by her side until the very end.
However, that end came too close as one by one the men perished while Visenya received a new scar on her arm that forced her grip on the sword to weaken.
A Bolton found the chance to take her down but was stabbed in the back by Ser Barristan.
"We need to go, my lady," he said as he limped her way.
"No...you go. I am not done with him" she said, her gaze never leaving the wounded form of Robert, who watched everything from the shore.
"Yes, you are. Rhaegar wouldn't want you to die like he did" he hissed in her ear and took her good hand around his neck, pulling her away.
Some surviving Targaryen men, loyal to her until the very end; moved forward and tried to cover their retreat. Visenya fought against her friend, who had guarded and taught her since she was a child but he refused to let her go.
An arrow at the back of his knee forced him to the ground and she struggled to keep him from falling on his face.
"Barristan" she called his name, holding her sword with her injured hand at the enemy men approaching them.
The loyalists that tried to help them, perished in front of them by arrows or swords.
In the end, the two of them were surrounded.
Visenya felt her knees hitting the muddy ground, her hands tied behind her back by ropes while multiple parts of her body ached.
She was certain she had injured her leg when she fell from the horse. She had new wounds on her thigh and arm from swords and let us not mention the burning pain coming from her diaphragm; making every single breath of hers hurt.
By her side, Ser Barristan was forced on his knees; the soldiers clearly did not care about the arrow in his knee. The King's Guard still had his white cloak on, only that it was now covered in dried mud and blood.
He was also wounded, blood coming from his wounds but he refused to give up.
The sound of steps against the muddy ground made them look forward, as Robert, Ned and Roose Bolton marched their way. The Baratheon heir was limping, Visenya's arrow still stuck into his thigh.
Robert looked down upon them, his bloodlust almost fully gone although by seeing the white hair of Visenya; it was starting to come back. First, though, he had to deal with the brave knight by her side.
Robert had seen him fight and had been informed of the men he killed, being a ferocious fighter on the battlefield. There was respect in his brown eyes as he looked down at the man, who while his soldiers retreated had tried to save his Lady.
"I say we kill them, both of them" Roose Bolton said from his side, being by his left while Ned was by his right.
"Ser Barristan is an honourable knight, Robert" Ned argued. "He only did his duty like many men did today. Lady Visenya is the sister of the King, she is more useful to us alive than dead" he continued, wishing to prevent any unnecessary bloodlest.
Enough men had died and many families would suffer as a result of this war. There was no need to increase the number of the fallen by pointless executions.
Robert remained quiet for a moment, thinking. Ser Barristan was a knight, a talented one and every knight could change alliance. He could still be useful to him in the future, having someone like him in his ranks.
As if reading his mind, the King's Guard narrowed his eyes and was about to argue; when he felt the faintest of kicks at the side of his foot. He looked to his right, seeing Visenya glaring at him through muddy white strands.
Do not dare to argue, was all her gaze said.
It was commanding and threatening, coming from her as his Lady and his leader rather than his friend. However, there was also the faintest of grief in those beautiful orbs of hers. She had just lost her nephew and she did not wish to lose someone else that was close to her.
In the end, Ser Barristan remained silent.
"Both will be kept alive. The Princess" he started, not even having the guts to call her his aunt. "Should be kept in ropes and guarded at all times. She can still be of use to us with her mad brother. Send my Maester to tend to his wounds"
He barely sent her a glance, no empathy in his brown eyes. He had met her multiple times when he was younger, his own father being close to her. He remembered her at his father's funeral, promising to help his family until Robert had gotten the hang of leading.
Truth to her words, she had helped them a lot and until the battle; Robert had the descent respect for her. However, after seeing her on the battlefield, defending the man who abducted his wife-to-be; he only saw her as his enemy and another Targaryen he would have to eventually get the world rid of.