Unlike most Targaryens, Visenya longed for peace and quiet, rather than loud events. She'd rather be caught up in her room reading and studying rather than at a feast, ball, or Tourney. While it was the day for the Tourney of the Hand, Visenya found herself rather reading in the Red Keep's garden that overlooked Blackwater Bay.
"I'm glad the gardens are up to your standards." A voice said. "We had them updated before your uncle arrived."
Visenya looked up from her book to see Cersei walking toward her. She curtseyed in respect, though it pained her to do so.
"Your Grace." She said warmly...practically vomiting inside as she not only didn't trust Cersei from her sole interaction, but the fact that she would never accept her as her queen. Cersei gestured for her to sit back down and Visenya obliged.
Silence fell over the two of them before Cersei interrupted the silence.
"You are a pretty thing." She said, her stone cold gaze locking onto Visenya. "My brother is lucky to marry you."
Visenya gave her a faint smile as she crossed her right leg over her left. Deep in her gut she could tell Cersei had a sense of jealousy in her voice...but Visenya couldn't figure out why.
"But understand this." She began, something in her eyes darkening, making a chill run down Visenya's spine. "He will not love you. He won't be the type of man to show you any affection, not even the time of day. He will take you when and how he wants, and it will be your job to obey him, and fall into the background around the Red Keep."
Visenya looked the queen up and down, her own blue eyes darkening. While Cersei made her uncomfortable...she did not intimidate her, not one bit. Visenya knew she had the blood of the dragon, coursing through her veins, and while Cersei and the rest of Westeros did not know this, she knew to channel her roots in order to combat her opponents.
Visenya gave her a small smile. "While I appreciate the education, Your Grace, I believe I can handle myself."
The queen frowned slightly, before forcing a smile and standing up from the table.
"Very well." She said coldly. "I shall see you at the joust."
Visenya nodded as Cersei walked away, knowing in the back of her mind that no matter what happens, Cersei and her will never get along.
Once Cersei had left, Visenya returned to reading her book, which was one hundred times better than dealing with the politics that occurred around the Red Keep and in King's Landing.
"What in God's name are you doing?" Ned asked as he walked into the gardens seeing the Princess reading, not paying attention to her surroundings. "I thought you'd be at the Tourney with Sansa and Arya by now."
Visenya shrugged. "I had no desire to go."
"We are requested to go, as the Tourney is in my name." Ned explained.
Visenya huffed in amusement not looking up from her book. "Just because the Tourney is in your name doesn't make it yours. It is more the King's way to get drunk easier than boast you as his hand."
"Visenya." Ned started, not wanting her bluntness on a day like today. "Please be on your best behavior, especially today."
Visenya finally looked up from her book and sighed at Ned, knowing she was fighting a loosing battle. In the back of her mind, she knew attending the Tourney would allow her to become more accustomed to events like this in King's Landing, but at the same time, she'd have to spend time with those she hated.
A sad look came across her face. "Do I have to go?"
Ned gave her a sad smile and a small nod. Visenya looked down at the ground, before standing up from her chair, cleaning off her emerald green gown, a color that she had become rather fond of since coming home to King's Landing. She couldn't wear Red or Black, as those colors had too many memories of being a Targaryen, and wearing Gold reminded her too much of the Lannisters. While Green was an unused color...Visenya liked how it represented the color of nature, as she always was fond of it.
Eventually, her and Ned were on their horses, heading toward the grounds that were just outside of King's Landing where the Tourney was being held.
"Is this your first Tourney?" Ned asked after a long silence as the two of them road towards the grounds with Jory trailing behind them.
Visenya shrugged. "No. I briefly remember being in attendance for Aegon's Tourney to celebrate his birth...but I don't remember any of the competitors, or even if my father was in attendance."
"You might like it." Ned explained giving her a small smile. "Targaryens use to be quite the feared opponents in Tourneys."
"So I've heard." She replied as they turned their horses into the Tourney grounds where some of the spectators, who were not of nobility, but more so of common houses, began shouting their names as members of the City Watch and Kingsguard cleared the path so Visenya and Ned could easily get their horses through.
"I have been here almost a month and almost everyone in King's Landing knows who I am." Visenya murmured.
"I agree." Ned nodded. "It is quite something."
"Something I hate...and it's not even the real me." Visenya explained as she dismounted Rhaenys.
"Hush now, and please be on your best behavior." Ned sighed as he dismounted his horse. "I am going to speak with Robert, why don't you go find Sansa and Arya and make sure they are not getting in trouble."
Visenya nodded with a sigh as she walked through the Tourney grounds, intrigued by how people could find warfare entertaining. After she wandered around for a while, she stumbled into the Royal Box where she found Sansa.
"Sorry I'm late." Visenya murmured as she sat down next to the girl.
"You've missed the first half of the joust!" Sansa scolded.
"My apologies." Visenya sighed. "Where's Arya?"
"At her dance lessons." Sansa began. "That's all she wants to do these days...I wish we had events like this in Winterfell."
Visenya turned to Sansa in disbelief. "You like it here...don't you?"
Sansa smiled and turned to Visenya. "Yes, don't you?"
A feeling of regret came over Visenya, as she regretted asking the younger girl the question. As a child if you asked her the same question, she would respond the same way Sansa did. Now...all that was on Visenya's mind was the conversation she had with Jaime, of her father's true intentions on what he was planning on doing.
King's Landing in Visenya's mind, was nothing more than a prison and a tomb.
Visenya gave Sansa a sad smile. "I use to be just like you...I loved it here. I use to have so many good memories. Now King's Landing only reminds me of what a prison would be like."
Sansa looked at the older woman in complete shock. Sansa had fallen in love with King's Landing as soon as she arrived, how could Visenya hate such a wonderful place? Eventually, Ned came and sat with the two of them, while the final joust was about to begin. It was against Loras Tyrell, and The Mountain.
Loras rode over to where Sansa, Visenya, and Ned were sitting, and bowed his head at them. Sansa frowned in confusion.
"The Knight of the Flowers." Visenya explaiend, as Sansa threw a token wreath on his lance.
Loras bowed his head toward Sansa.
"Thank you, Ser Loras." She smiled, before he bowed in front of Robert, then rode down to the opposite end of the track.
A chill ran down Visenya's spine as her gaze shifted to The Mountain. She began to pick at her fingertips in nervousness, as she knew what the man was capable of. She saw him stab Rhaenys. She saw him smash Aegon's skull. She saw him rape, and murder Elia.
The man was an evil person, in Visenya's mind.
"Who is that?" Sansa asked, pointing to The Mountain.
"Ser Gregor Clegane...The Mountain." Ned explained.
"The man who murdered my family." Visenya uttered making Sansa look at her in shock.
Visenya turned to Sansa, a stone cold look on her face. "He murdered my niece Rhaenys and nephew Aegon. He raped and murdered my sister-by-law. I have no respect for a man of that nature."
Ned put a hand on Visenya's shoulder, knowing her history with that man. Visenya shook Ned's hand off her shoulder, as she continued to pick at her fingernails. It was only when she looked down at her hands that she noticed the slight blood drawing around her cuticles.
"Don't let Ser Gregor hurt him!" Sansa begged, looking at Ned.
Ned, attempting to calm her down, tried to reassure Sansa, that everything would be ok. But in truth, he knew it could go both ways.
"I can't watch." Sansa murmured, turning away from the joust.
As the joust began, Visenya leaned forward as Loras knocked The Mountain off of his horse. Almost as soon as he got knocked off, he shouted for his sword, immediately making Visenya's stomach turn. This was going to be bad. As Sansa began to protest the betting, and as she watched Loras charge his horse towards The Mountain, and in response, The Mountain sliced Loras's horse's head off.
Sansa's screamed in horror, as she watched Loras tumble to the ground. Visenya wrapped an arm around Sansa allowing her to cry into her shoulder, only after Visenya allowed her hand to come to her mouth in shock at the sight she just witnessed.
"It's alright." Visenya murmured sharing a quick glance of horror at Ned.
That's when she noticed that The Mountain's brother, The Hound, ran onto the field and began to defend Loras from being murdered. As soon as The Hound defended Loras, The Mountain angrily walked off the field. Sansa was still shaking in Visenya's arms.
"It's ok, it's over." Visenya murmured.
"Promise?" She asked looking up into Visenya's blue eyes.
Visenya nodded, pulling her close again, not wanting Sansa to get a panic attack. Eventually, Visenya rode back to King's Landing, still shaken by the events that occurred in the joust. All she wanted to do was read in peace. Though based upon the events of the day, she'd highly doubt it, as such events have a tendency to stay in her mind for a long time. Knowing events like these would cause people to bother her, she instead decided to ride towards the Sept of Baelor, to pray. It may allow her to calm herself down, and focus on the various situations at hand.
As she entered the Sept, she carefully walked over to the unlit candles in front of one of the statues, grabbed a wick, and began to light candles in the name of her family, something that Catelyn taught her while she lived in Winterfell.
"Rhaella Targaryen." She murmured after lighting one before proceeding to the next candle.
"Rhaegar Targaryen." She murmured, lighting another candle.
"Aegon Targaryen."
"Rhaenys Targaryen."
"Elia Martell."
She turned slightly towards another unlit candle and hesitated on lighting it in the name of her father. Sighing slightly, she blew her wick out, as she has finally come to terms that her father was in fact a cruel man...even though he wasn't always.
Walking out of the Sept and mounting back onto Rhaenys, she decided to explore King's Landing, as she hadn't been in the city for so long, and had truly missed it's people. While she rode through the city, some people looked at her in awe, and some looked at her in shock, to see the niece of the Hand of the King riding through Flea Bottom by herself.
While it had been fifteen years since Visenya was last in King's Landing, she knew her way around Flea Bottom. She knew it was one of the poorest and most dangerous parts of the city, but they were still good people, and deserved to see some form of hope. Visenya longed to help with outreach for the poor, even as a child in the Red Keep, she longed to help the poor. She thought it was unfair that her family was able to dine on the finest food every single night, whereas people not too far from the Red Keep were dining on rats for dinner.
Just as she was about to turn the corner to head toward the Dragon Pit, she heard citizens talking.
"Did you hear that the Kingslayer wounded the Hand of the King?" One of them said, making Visenya stop Rhaenys.
"Yes." Another said. "They said he was outside a brothel. Perhaps he wanted a good time, considering his Lady Wife is up North."
Both snickered, until they saw Visenya dismount Rhaenys and angrily walk toward them.
"My Lady." One of them began, before Visenya shoved him against the wall of a building, holding a dagger to his throat. A dagger that was gifted to her by Ned before they came to King's Landing, if she were to get into sticky situations.
Like this one.
"Where did you hear these rumors?" Visenya snarled at the man.
"Everyone's talking about it." The man sneered at her, making her tighten her grip. "Cause almost everyone heard or saw it...the fucking Lannisters brought out the Kingsguard. They killed some of the Stark guards."
Visenya released her iron grip on the man, allowing him to fall to the ground, before she mounted Rhaenys once again, urging the horse into a gallop, heading toward the Red Keep, in order to see what was occurring, and why Ned had gotten stabbed...by her unwanted fiancé of all people.