After stopping briefly to rest and feed the horses, the Royal Caravan continued along Kingsroad to King's Landing. Visenya was riding next to Ned, towards the back of the caravan, so they could discuss the matters of her younger siblings, which were thankfully alive.
"Is he truly going to send an assassin after them?" She questioned with concern, not wanting either her younger sister or brother to be harmed by the King.
Ned shook his head. "No, of course not. I will ensure that your brother and sister are not harmed."
"He still is haunted by my brother Rhaegar." Visenya commented.
"He's angry that your brother abducted my sister...he loved her with all his might." Ned explained. "Though I'm not sure Lyanna felt the same way."
Visenya glanced towards the front of the caravan and looked at the King. "I can understand why, the man has so many bastards he probably could create an army."
Ned gave her a small smile. The one thing he knew about Visenya, was that she was extremely observant...and blunt.
"I don't understand how a man like that could...undermine his queen." Visenya commented making Ned shrug.
"It is an odd thing." Ned began. "But Robert has always been like this...it has only gotten worse with his old age."
Visenya nodded. "I'm certain of it. I have few memories of what occurred before I left King's Landing...but what I remember, especially of Rhaegar talking about Robert was something along the lines of a 'dishonorable man'."
"Visenya." Ned began, trying to stop the younger girl from going off about the King.
"I know he is your best friend, but he is a horrible man." Visenya continued.
"Excuse me, Lord Stark." A voice said making both Visenya and Ned look away from each other, to see one of the members of the Kingsguard riding toward them.
It wasn't until that member got closer, that Visenya realized it was Jaime.
"Ser Jaime." Ned began. "What is it?"
"Might I have a word with my betrothed?" Jaime asked, making Visenya feel like she wanted to vomit...though she'd never do that to Rhaenys, and ruin her coat.
"Of course." Ned said with a firm nod, sharing a brief glance with Visenya, before riding up toward the head of the caravan to speak to Robert.
Visenya sighed in annoyance, keeping her head straight ahead. Jaime, who clearly was actually interested in the girl, looked over to her, trying to spark a conversation.
"Lady Valaria." Jaime said to her, after all of the awkward silence between the two of them.
"Ser Jaime." Visenya said, still not looking at him.
He didn't deserve her time.
He didn't deserve her patience.
What he deserved was a knife to the back and throat...the same way he killed her father.
"Your horse is very beautiful." He commented, taking in Rhaenys's impeccable white coat and mane. "What is her name?"
"Rhaenys." Visenya commented without hesitation.
Jaime frowned. "What an...interesting name for a horse. Where did you find that name?"
"In a text I read." She explained. "Rhaenys was the name of the wife and sister to Aegon the Conqueror, and it is said she was a beauty, so when I got my horse, because of how pristine her white coat and mane are, I chose Rhaenys."
"You read about Targaryen culture?" He asked in disbelief.
She shrugged. "More so Valyrian culture. I am fascinated how Old Valyria was one of the most advanced cities in the world, and one cataclysmic event destroyed it all, and those who survived were the Targaryens. All because one of them saw the Great Doom happen in a dream."
Jaime looked at the girl intriguingly. From what Robert told him, it made her sound like she was exactly like him...but only when speaking to her, he realized how quiet she was. He didn't know if it was an act or if it was her true nature, as to why she was acting so cold and antisocial. In reality, Visenya's true personality was nothing like how she was acting towards Jaime. While she was quiet at times, she was never this quiet. It was only when she disliked a person she would become this quiet.
"You don't like me...do you?" Jaime asked after a period of silence fell between the two of them.
Visenya briefly glanced at him. "What makes you say that?"
"You are nothing like Robert described." Jaime admitted making Visenya turn her head to look him in the eyes.
"I take that as a complement." Visenya said with a huff of amusement. "I'd rather have the King ignore me completely, then take note of my personality."
"You do not agree with the King?" He questioned, still intrigued by the girl.
Visenya shrugged. "Depends on the situation. If you'll excuse me, I'm going to check on my cousins."
Visenya then urged Rhaenys on to catch up to the carriage that was carrying the two Stark girls. As she rode towards the carriage, Jaime sat in silence, as he watched her ride away. She was very different towards him than what Robert made her out to be, but based on the solo interaction...he wanted to know her better. Especially since they'd be married.
As Visenya rode forward, a voice stopped her.
"Valaria!" A familiar voice called.
Visenya turned her head away from Rhaenys's mane, to see Arya waving her hand out of the carriage window to call her up to them. Visenya playfully rolled her eyes, before urging Rhaenys into a slow canter to allow herself to keep up with the carriage, but slow enough to have a conversation.
"What is it, my dearest Arya?" Visenya playfully replied.
"What're you doing?" She asked.
"Riding Rhaenys of course." Visenya smiled with an eyeroll.
"Where's father?" She asked.
Visenya turned her head away from the carriage, to see Ned and Robert riding their horses side-by-side, near the Royal carriage.
"Riding with the King." She explained. "I can see it from here."
"Visenya can you please come inside?" Sansa begged. "I wish you were here with us...more so than Arya."
"No, please stay with me!" Arya began. "Make Sansa ride Rhaenys. All she talks about is the Prince."
"Which one?" Visenya questioned.
"Joffrey." Arya groaned making Visenya quietly laugh.
"Visenya, he's so kind to me." Sansa began.
"Have you spoken to him at all?" Visenya asked raising an eyebrow.
Sansa fell quiet. "No, not yet."
Visenya let out another laugh, this time, her real laugh...the laugh that many residents of Winterfell considered to be the laughter of an angel.
"Sansa, calm down. You still have to get to know each other." Visenya explained. "You may not even like him."
"I doubt that." Sansa groaned leaning back.
"What about you Visenya?" Arya asked. "Have you spoken with Ser Jaime yet?"
Visenya sighed in annoyance, before looking over her shoulder to see Jaime at the back of the party, speaking to another member of the Kingsguard.
"We've crossed paths." She explained. "No matter what happens, I will still hate him. Now and forever."
"Why?" Sansa asked in curiosity.
Arya frowned as she turned to her sister. "You don't know? He's the man who killed Visenya's father."
Sansa's eyes widened and nodded.
"Can you both stop?" Visenya begged, before looking ahead to see an Inn about a mile off. "There is an Inn up ahead, it looks like we're stopping for the evening."
Both girls nodded, as Visenya let out an aggravated sigh. Eventually, they did in fact stop for the evening. While supper was getting ready, most of the party spent time in their rooms...except for Visenya. Much to Visenya's luck, the inn had archery targets, allowing her to practice...though she didn't need it, due to how skilled at archery she was.
Even with her frustration of the entire situation, Visenya still managed to hit a perfect bullseye every single time. It almost got to the point where she was beginning to wear-out the target. She fired another arrow, and sighed.
"I think you don't need anymore target practice." A voice said.
Visenya's eyes narrowed as she turned around to see Jaime leaning against a tree behind her.
"I'm pretending to hit you in the eye, allowing you to have a slow and painful death." She began.
"Do you really dislike me that much?" He asked in curiosity.
Visenya sighed in annoyance. "I'm not happy with this entire situation...and to answer your question...yes."
"What on earth for?" Jaime asked walking toward her. "I've only just met you recently. You do not know me, my customs, my traditions, or how I am on a day-to-day basis. How can you establish an opinion on a person after knowing them for a day?"
Visenya eyed him up and down, before raising her head in defiance, all while making eye-contact with the man. "I have an excellent sense of judgement, and I have my reasons as to why I loathe you."
Just as Jaime was about to reply, a loud high-pitched scream was heard, making Visenya turn her head, load her bow, and start running toward the noise.
"Valaria!" Jaime called after her, not wanting her to get hurt.
But Visenya didn't listen, as she knew that scream all too well.
It was Sansa.
As soon as she came on the scene, Sansa was with Joffrey who was on the ground holding his arm.
"Sansa? What's wrong?" She asked with concern.
"Nymeria bit him." Sansa explained.
"Where's Arya?"
Sansa shrugged before pointing to the woods.
Visenya nodded before ushering into the woods. "Stay here."
Visenya constantly called for both Nymeria and Arya, in concern for the two of them. Eventually, Visenya found Arya, but Nymeria was no where in sight. With some light persuasion, Visenya pulled Arya back to the inn, where she was placed in front of the King for questioning. Ned, who was oblivious to the entire situation, walked in, no sooner Visenya walked in with Arya.
"I'm sorry." Arya began as soon as Ned walked in.
"Are you hurt?" Ned asked.
Arya shook her head. "No."
"It's alright." Ned began before addressing the King. "What is the meaning of this? Why was my daughter not brought to me at once?"
Cersei frowned in anger. "How dar you speak to your King in that manner?"
"Quiet woman!" Robert scolded. "Sorry, Ned. I never meant to frighten the girl. But we need to get this business done quickly."
"Your girl and that butcher's boy attacked my son." Cersei explained. "That animal of hers nearly tore his arm off."
Visenya frowned listening to Cersei talk, not knowing whether or not to believe the words coming out of the queen's mouth.
"That's not true!" Arya protested. "She just...bit him a little. He was hurting Mycah."
"Joffrey told us what happened." Cersei continued. "You and that boy beat him with clubs while you set your wolf on him."
Now Visenya was getting angry. Not only had this solidified her reasons to not trust Cersei, but the fact that Arya would never do a thing like that, and for her to accuse her of such actions made Visenya's blood boil.
'I wished I had a dragon right now.' Visenya thought to herself.
"That's not what happened!" Arya shouted.
"Yes it is!" Joffrey countered. "They attacked me and she threw my sword in the river!"
"Liar!" Arya shouted.
"Shut up!" Joffrey shouted back.
"Enough!" Robert demanded. "He tells me one thing, she tells me another. Seven hells! What am I to make of this? Where's your other daughter, Ned?"
"In bed asleep." Ned explained.
Cersei shook her head. "She's not. Sansa, come here, darling."
Sansa walked forward and stood before Cersei and Robert, her eyes present with fear. Visenya could tell that they had spoken to her before this...manipulated her mind into believing their side was correct. Visenya's anger was rising quickly.
"Now, child...tell me what happened." Robert began. "Tell it all, and tell it true. It's a great crime to like to a King."
'He is no king.' Visenya thought to herself.
Sansa shook her head. "I don't know. I don't remember. Everything happened so fast. I didn't see."
Visenya's eyes widened, confirming that Sansa had been manipulated by the queen...and by Joffrey.
"LIAR!" Arya screamed pulling Sansa's hair back and starting to punch her.
"ARYA!" Sansa screamed in agony.
"Stop it!" Ned demanded, trying to break the two girls up. "That's enough of that."
"Liar, liar, liar!" Arya continued.
"Valaria!" Ned called, making Visenya walk away from the back of the room, and physically shove both girls apart.
"Enough!" Visenya demanded, blue eyes staring daggers at both girls. "Now, stop it! Both of you!"
Both girls, knowing Visenya is extremely demanding, and in fact physically strong, along with cold in these types of situations, eased off each other.
"She's as wild as that animal of hers." Cersei commented, making Visenya snap her head around in disbelief. "I want her punished."
"What would you have me do?" Robert asked, turning to Cersei. "Whip her through the streets? Damn it, children fight, it's over."
"Joffrey will bear these scars for the rest of his life." Cersei continued.
'And I have a scar on my hip from the day my father died.' Visenya thought to herself. 'I'm fine. He'll live.'
"You let that little girl disarm you?" Robert asked turning to Joffrey before turning to Ned. "See to it that your daughter is disciplined. I'll do the same with my son."
Ned nodded. "Gladly, your Grace."
"And what of the direwolf?" Cersei asked, still not satisfied. "What of the beast that savaged your son?"
Robert sighed. "I'd forgot the damned wolf."
"We found no trace of the direwolf, your Grace." A member of the Kingsguard explained.
"So it be." Robert replied.
"We have another." Cersei interjected.
"As you will." Robert nodded.
"You can't mean it?" Ned asked in disbelief.
"A direwolf's no pet." Robert countered. "Get her a dog. She'll be happier for it."
"He doesn't mean Lady, does he?" Sansa said with tears welling up in her eyes. "No, no, not Lady! Lady didn't bite anyone! She's good!"
"Lady wasn't there! You leave her alone!" Arya protested.
Ned sighed. "This is your command...your Grace?"
"Where is the beast?" Cersei asked.
"Chained up outside, your Grace." A member of the Kingsguard explaiend.
"Ser Ilyn, do me the honor." Cersei replied with a wicked smile.
Ned put a hand up. "No. Jory...take the girls to their rooms. If it must be done, then I'll do it myself."
"Is this some trick?" Cersei asked in disbelief.
Ned shook his head. "The wolf is of the North. She deserves better than a butcher."
In agony, Sansa was taking back to her room with Arya, both kicking and screaming. Visenya on the other hand, went back outside and began to pull her arrows from the target she was using. Just as she turned around to head back to her room, she was met by Jaime again.
"They listened to you...more so than the King." Jaime said in disbelief. "Why?"
Visenya said nothing but looked deeply into his eyes. Anger and frustration were present on her face. Sansa's direwolf didn't deserve to die.
"Sansa's direwolf did not deserve to die." She explained. "I have no other words I wish to speak to you. Goodnight Ser."
She ignored his protests and walked back into the inn where she was met by Ned.
"The direwolf didn't deserve to die." Visenya began.
Ned nodded. "I know."
"Then why did you do it?" Visenya asked in disbelief.
Ned sighed. "Earning their trust is important, Visenya. I take it that you and Jaime Lannister are not getting along."
She shrugged. "Why should I? He murdered my father."
Ned sighed again. "Visenya, please try. I know you don't want this...but please try, we need their trust and alliance."
Visenya let out a sigh, as she sat down on her bed, before glancing at Sansa and Arya, who were sound asleep on their bed, tears stained on both their cheeks.
A/N:
Please let me know if you have any questions, comments, or concerns.