3 Weeks Later
Waking up that morning, Visenya felt normal, she continued the day as she always did. She woke up, fed the dragons, prayed for Ned, Sansa, Arya, Daenerys, and Viserys before she ate breakfast, and then proceeded to shoot down the ravens as per instruction from Catelyn and Robb. This morning however, Visenya was not allowed to shoot down the ravens, as Catelyn noticed the calluses beginning to form on her hands. She was glad she wasn't allowed to shoot down the ravens, as she finally could get back to training the dragons, which were growing bigger and bigger by the day, they now couldn't be carried, and were now roaming around within a pen in the camp.
Just as she was about to have them burn a piece of meat, one of Robb's bannermen entered her tent, which was now larger to accompany the dragons.
"Princess Visenya." The man began, making her look up from her book. "Lord Stark requests your presence."
Visenya nodded. "Tell him I'll be there soon."
She then looked back down at her dragons, but still noticed the man there. She slowly picked her head up to look at him.
"Can I help you?" She asked in confusion.
"It is urgent." The man explained, and from the look on his face, Visenya knew something was wrong.
Visenya immediately got up, leaving Aegonar and Sunspear in the tent, and practically ran over to the command tent to see Rodrik with his head down, Catelyn with tears in her eyes, Theon looking stunned, and Robb frozen in place.
Something did happen.
"What's wrong?" She asked innocently, unaware of what occurred.
"Jaime Lannister pushed Bran out the window." Theon murmured. "He and the Queen have been fucking for years...they have 3 bastard children...the Baratheon children."
Visenya's eyes widened before Catelyn turned to her and engulfed her into her arms.
"He's gone, my dear." She practically whispered. "He's gone."
Visenya's eyes widened, in shock and disbelief as she pulled away from Catelyn. Based upon the reaction she walked into, she knew that they were talking about Ned. Her worst fear was confirmed.
Ned Stark is dead.
"No." She shook her head as tears began to form at the corners of her eyes. "No, no, Ned's not dead. It's a lie!"
"He was executed on the orders of Joffery Baratheon...as he was tried for treason." Rodrik explained. "I am so sorry Princess...Lord Stark loved you like a daughter of his."
Visenya slowly shook her head in disbelief as she backed away from the tent.
"Visenya." Catelyn began trying to bring the girl back to her.
Visenya then turned around and bolted away from the tent.
"Visenya!" Catelyn called after her, but she didn't stop running.
Visenya ran fast and far, tears running down her cheeks as she did. She ran until her emerald dress caught onto something, making her fall into a pile of mud. But even falling didn't stop her sobs. She didn't want anyone to coddle her. All she wanted was to be alone.
It was a chilly morning, and the rain didn't help, causing her auburn hair to become drenched in a matter of moments. She didn't care if she became sick, all she wanted was for Ned to be alive again, and Sansa and Arya to be ok. Though she'd never know if those words to be true.
Ned was gone.
Sansa and Arya were in King's Landing.
Her entire life she had felt pain. She'd lost her biological father, her biological mother, her older brother, and now her surrogate father. Everything in her life was cursed...she was on the road to being alone.
And that pained her.
Once she had calmed herself down...to some extent...she stood up, and began to slowly walk back to the camp. She closed her eyes and sighed, as she felt many eyes fall upon her, but no one dared approach to console her. Instead of heading back to the command tent, she went back to her personal tent, where Catelyn's handmaidens drew her a warm bath, to try and get her body temperature up, and not to induce hypothermia.
Visenya felt numb as she sank down into the water, allowing her shoulders to be covered. It wasn't until she sunk lower, allowing her head to go under, was when she debated on whether she wanted to come up or not. Maybe if she didn't, she'd finally be happy. She was snapped out of her thoughts when she saw Sunspear land on the edge of the tub, making her emerge from under the water.
She gave the young female dragon a small smile, as she knew, based upon her readings, that dragons could feel her emotions. She looked over to Aegonar, who was resting on Maegor's back, but picked his head up upon seeing Visenya emerge from the water.
After her bath, Visenya dressed in a black dress...a mourning dress...in honor of Ned, and sat in her tent, twirling her dagger, the dagger that ned gave her, in her fingers. Aegonar and Sunspear looked at her with concern...as they were able to sense Visenya's distress.
"Kesi Pōntoma Zālaza, tolvie Barāthēon isse Vesteros. (We will burn them all, every Baratheon in Westeros.)" She murmured, and she could've swore on her entire house that her dragons nodded at her command.
She gave both dragons a smile, and wiped away the tears that were forming in her eyes. She had read in many texts that dragons were loyal to their riders and claimers till their death, and Visenya was glad she could say the same about both dragons. She could also tell that both of them had completely different personalities. Sunspear was independent, and while she cared for Visenya, she had the personality of a black cat not wanting to be bothered with certain things. Similar to the way Visenya was when she had to deal with certain people. Aegonar, in complete contrast, was attached to Visenya, and was rather protective of her. While Sunspear was protective as well, she did not want to be coddled by her all the time...Aegonar on the other hand, did.
Just as she was about to start teaching them both more commands in High Valyrian, one of Robb's squires entered her tent.
"Princess Visenya." The young boy began making her look at him. "Lord Stark requests your presence."
Visenya gave the boy a small nod, stood up from her seat, gesturing for Maegor to follow her, all before walking to where Robb, Catelyn, Theon, and all the Lords of the North were beginning a large discussion. Catelyn gestured for Visenya to come over to her.
"What's going on?" Visenya questioned, looking at all of the people.
"We are assessing if we are to bend the knee to Stannis or Renly Baratheon." Catelyn explained.
"How about neither." Visenya murmured and Catelyn put a hand on her back and gently rubbed, knowing how much the younger girl hated the Baratheons. The two stood in silence watching the meeting of what the best course of action would be.
"The proper course is clear - pledge fealty to King Renly and move south to join our forces with his." Jonos Bracken explained.
Robb shook his head from his seat. "Renly is not the king."
"You cannot mean to hold to Joffrey, my lord." Jonos began. "He put your father to death."
"That doesn't make Renly king. He's Robert's youngest brother." He explained. "lf Bran can't be Lord of Winterfell before me, Renly can't be king before Stannis."
"Do you mean to declare us for Stannis?" Visenya raised her eyebrows in disbelief making all heads turn to her.
"I know how you feel, Visenya. But you wouldn't rule before Viserys, right?" Robb asked.
She scoffed. "A Baratheon shouldn't be sitting on that throne, and you and I both know that. Whether it'd be Stannis or some other Baratheon."
Galbart Glover groaned in annoyance. "Renly is not right! lf we put ourselves behind Stannis…"
"My Lords. My Lords! Here is what l say to these two kings." Greatjon began before spitting on the ground making some of the Lords cheer in agreement. "Renly Baratheon is nothing to me, nor Stannis neither. Why should they rule over me and mine from some flowery seat in the South? What do they know of the Wall or the Wolfswood? Even their gods are wrong! Why shouldn't we rule ourselves again? He then pointed to where Robb was sitting. "There sits the only king l mean to bend my knee to - the King in the North!"
He then bowed to Robb was his sword unsheathed, making Robb rise from his seat.
Rickard Karstark nodded. "l'll have peace on those terms. They can keep their Red Castle and their iron chair too"
He then also bowed to Robb before chanting: 'The King in the North!'
Theon then got up from his seat. "Am l your brother, now and always?"
Robb nodded. "Now and always."
Theon then took out his sword and bowed to Robb. "My sword is yours in victory and defeat, from this day until my last day. The King in the North!"
"The King in the North!" Greatjon began.
That's when all of the Lords started chanting: 'The King in the North!'
Visenya let out a sigh, as she glanced to Catelyn, both of them looking wearily at the entire scene. Visenya was frustrated, as she believed adding another king to the situation would only cause a larger issue in the war to begin with. After all the chanting was over, Visenya decided that instead of celebrating with the rest of the group, she decided to speak to Jaime...she wanted answers, and she knew he would be the only person in that camp to have them.
After leaving Maegor in the hands of one of Robb's squires, and allowing for Aegonar to feed on the dead ravens she had been shooting down, she walked toward the cell where he was being held, knowing deep in her mind that she was going to regret this entire conversation. Sunspear, being the good she-dragon she was, trailed behind her, flying low, as she didn't know what Visenya would ask. Upon approaching the cell, the Stark guards looked at her in confusion.
"Princess Visenya." They said in unison making Jaime pick up his head.
"I want to speak with him." She explained.
The guards shook their heads. "Princess, we can't allow it. We are operating on His Grace's orders."
Visenya raised her head in defiance.
"Ninkiot! (Land)" She commanded, and Sunspear obliged, scaring the guards when she did.
The guards began to shake in fear, they moved out of the way for Visenya to enter the cell.
"Take care not to startle Sunspear, my Lords." Visenya explained walking toward the cell with a small smirk. "She's rather protective of me."
She then gestured for the guards to go, and in return, Sunspear let out a scream, wanting to follow Visenya into the cell. Jaime's eyes widened in fear before Visenya turned around and extended her right hand.
"Dohaerās, Sunspear. (Serve, Sunspear.)" Visenya began, and the dragon obliged. "Lykirī. (Be calm.)"
Susnpear, then nested herself on the ground, but still alert in case something happened to her, making Visenya smile, before turning back towards Jaime, who looked at her in shock.
"That was...impressive." He said slowly looking over her physical stature. "I didn't know you spoke Valyrian, though I should've assumed it, since your mother spoke it."
While he would never admit it, he admired Visenya. From the day he saw her shooting arrows, the day Ned Stark killed the direwolves, he found her intriguing. The fact that Robert described her as a completely different person to the one he saw, he found her softer than others led on. The last night he saw her, he truly believed that they were finally becoming friends, and he was starting to fully understand her. She was intelligent, independent, strong...kind of arrogant (much like himself sometimes), but at the same time, brilliant.
She looked upon him sadly, with anger present in her emotions from her clenched fist. And he hated it. She didn't look at him, like how he wished she did. He wished she looked at him with admiration, the same way he looked at her...but every time Visenya laid eyes upon Jaime...pain was present in her eyes.
"I am going to give you the benefit of the doubt and ask you." She began after a few moments of silence. "Did you push Bran Stark out of that tower?"
He let out a sigh, as he felt she stabbed him in the chest, one-hundred times over.
"Yes." He explained clenching his jaw.
He watched as tears began to fill her eyes, as more pain started to occur in her. "Does that even bother you? Do you have a soul."
"Of course it bothers me." He explained, looking her in the eyes, as he spoke like she insulted him by asking him such a question. "I had no choice. I had to do it, for Cersei. Everything I do, has been for her."
"Is that what you tell yourself so you can sleep at night?" She asked in disbelief. "That pushing him out of a tower had to be done, because loving her was so right?"
"You Targaryens have been inbreed for centuries. You are the product of incest, yourself. Your parent's were siblings, just like Cersei and I. And why isn't it right?" He argued with anger. "Because your pretty little head doesn't think so?"
"You pushed a boy, an innocent child, out of a tower." She spoke softly. "It think it speaks for itself."
He looked over her facial expression. She considered the boy to be her brother, he could tell that she was in pain, speaking to him. And much to his suprise, he felt guilty, something he hadn't felt in a long time. She made him feel guilty. Everything he ever did for Cersei...he never felt this way. But looking upon her facial expressions, seeing how much pain she was in...from losing Ned, and now seeing that Bran Stark is crippled...he couldn't help but feel guilty.
"I'm sorry, Visenya." He said softly.
She felt like she was staring into his soul...she had that effect on people. She felt like he was lying to her, but at the same time, she noticed how guilty he felt. Hurting an innocent boy. A boy who dreamed of becoming a knight. She looked down briefly before looking him back in the eyes.
"I know." She murmured.
She then turned around and gestured to Sunspear.
"Māzīs. (come.)" She spoke, and much to Jaime's shock, the golden dragon obeyed, and followed the Princess away from the cell, and back to the camp.
As the guard returned, Jaime frowned at him.
"Scared of a dragon?" Jaime smirked, remembering the guard's reaction to seeing Sunspear.
The guard sighed. "I'm not scared of the dragon, it is what the Queen does to them."
"The Queen?" Jaime asked in disbelief. "You mean Visenya?"
The guard nodded. "Most of us, without his grace's knowledge, have begun to call her...The Queen of Dragons...she brought dragons back...and they only listen to her. It fits her rightfully so."
The guard then turned back around, facing away from Jaime. Jaime shook his head in disbelief.
"The Queen of Dragons." He murmured in disbelief, knowing truthfully, that Visenya was even more dangerous now than she ever was, especially now that she had two adolescent dragons at her command.
A/N:
As always, fill free to comment, and or let me know if you have any questions or concerns.