The stallion heart was nearly too large to fit within Visenya's cupped palms. The smell of metal wafted through the air and the fire around her was causing beads of sweat to drip down her back. Dozens of eyes watched her as she stood in the center of the room.
The Dosh Khaleen stand before her, the wise women of the Dothraki, and Visenya pleaded with her self not to fail at this task. To eat the raw stallion heart.
The first bite was terrible and she gagged on the taste. Blood dripped down the corners of her mouth and down her chin. Slick and staining, it spread down her wrists and arms as she helt the heart to her mouth. She thought of the unborn child growing inside her and took bite after bite as the voices seemed to blur around her. Visenya made eye contact with her baby sister, who encouraged her to continue with a big smile.
She shoved the last piece of the heart down and swayed as her stomach turned. Her eyes lifted to Khal Drogo, who looked at her back with complete love and devotion and something else. Pride. When determined that the heart would stay down, Khal Drogo approached her and scooped her into his arms. Visneya had never felt so happy.
The Dosh Khaleen determined that her unborn son would be 'the stallion who mounts the world' and would unit all Dothraki to one Khalassar to rule all the lands. Her son would be a Khal of the Dothraki and the King of the Andals and First Men.
The feast continued on. Music and laughter filled the shelter. She looked pleased to see Dany playing with the other young ones, even a little toddler who grasped at her hair. She would make an amazing aunt to Visenya's child and she could not wait to share this little life with her. This child would be deeply loved. Visenya smiled at her husband as she sat on his lap with his arm protectively around her, hand resting on her stomach and he kissed her jaw.
Suddenly commotion entered the celebration. Unfortunately that commotion was her brother. Drunk and stupid. Visenya stood quickly and studied his stumbling and nonsense falling from his mouth. He demanded a seat with the Khal, a seat of honor, a seat for a which Khal Drogo laughed and gestured Viserys sit with the women and children. Visenya watched carefully as the detrimental effects unfolded.
"That is no place for a King." Viserys said in a disgusted tone.
"You are no King." Her husband spoke, for the first time, in her birth language. Visenya's
lips parted in surprised and then horrified as her brother drew a sword. She ran forward to stop him but she did not make much progress.
"Keep away from me!" Her brother shouted as men rushed him.
"No! Viserys, drawing a weapon is punishable by death," she hissed, but he pointed the tip toward her.
"There you are sister," Viserys sneered. "Look at you. A right savage in ripped garb."
"Put the weapon away or they will kill us all," Jorah quickly intervened.
"They cannot kill us! They cannot shed blood in their city." His voice was manic. "But I can."
Visenya felt the tip of the sword trace from her belly button up to her chin, tilting her head up. She stared at him, hiding the fear behind a stern face.
"I want what I came here for. I want the crown your precious Khal owes me. He bought you from me and has yet to pay his price." Viserys glanced between Visenya and Drogo. "Tell him I want what was paid for or I am taking you back. He can keep that baby inside you, I'll cut it out and leave it for him."
Visenya felt disgusted at her twin's behavior. He was absolutely mad. She looked to Khal Drogo with a face of defeat and then to her horrified baby sister sitting beside Rhotho and the mothers.
Khal Drogo stood and so did Dany. He said something in Dothraki that Visenya couldn't completely hear over the blood rushing in her ears and spinning room.
"What is he saying?" Viserys jabbed the sword to her.
"I - I," she stuttered trying to piece together the bits of Dothraki she had caught. "You shall have a golden crown. One that men will… tremble to behold. That is what I heard."
Viserys exhaled deeply with a smile forming on his face. He laughed nervously and lowered the weapon. Visenya relaxed and looked to her husband for reassurance. Dany ran to her side, taking her hand tightly and holding her arm like a frightened child.
"He is mad," Dany whispered.
"Yes, he is," Visenya concluded.
"Would he kill us?" Dany asked with her big violet eyes searching Visenya's face, but she stared at their brother.
"I think he would," she determined.
Drogo approached her and placed his hand on her cheek. He gazed in her eyes lovingly and placed his other hand upon her stomach protectively. She nodded to him, pleading with her eyes for him to do something - anything. Her brother could not continue like this. Viserys was a danger to herself, her sister, and her growing family. Drogo called an order to grab hold of Viserys.
The Khal's blood riders grab her brother by the arms and knocked him to his knees. There was a snap and a scream as one broke Viserys arm.
"You cannot touch me!" He shrieked. "I am the dragon! I want my crown!"
The next sequence of events happened too fast for Visenya to track. A woman dumped the pot of stew and Drogo threw gold inside instead. The gold melted quickly.
Jorah approached her and whispered, "look away."
"I will not, but please make sure Dany does." Visenya held her chin high. She felt Jorah's eyes on her before he shifted his focus to Dany and instructed her to close her eyes.
Viserys watched as Drogo approached with a pot of liquid gold. His eyes widened as he met Visenya's and pleaded.
"Please, sister. Twin, make him stop. Make them stop. I beg of you. You can't," he cried. Visenya remained silent. Visery's matching eyes filled with fear as he made eye contact with Visenya.
"A crown for a king," Drogo dumped the hot gold over Viserys head and with a sizzle his body dropped to the ground. The gold hardened instantly when introduced to the chilled night air and made a distasteful thunk as it hit the ground. Visenya exhaled deeply as several eyes turned to her for her reaction.
"Khaleesi?" Jorah studied her. He reached to her but dropped his hand when she did not move.
"He was not a dragon. Fire cannot kill a dragon," Visenya concluded, and for the first time she felt… truly relieved.