Visenya sat atop Meleys, on one of the hills that overlooked The Kings Road, in deep thought. It was in times like these where she questioned her life choices...wondering if she did everything correctly. If she made the right allies, and the right enemies. She knew everything she did was right. For the good and future of Westeros.
But now, everything felt numb and raw.
Most of the people (those sworn and allied with Daenerys), were in a meeting discussing how to take King's Landing and take down Cersei. While Visenya herself has thought about how a meeting like that would go for many years...she never thought she'd be excluded from her sister's version of it.
Especially with the small amounts of progress they were making.
In honesty though, she knew she shouldn't be surprised.
In the short time she knew Daenerys, Daenerys didn't want anything to do with her.
She felt disregarded.
Cast out.
Abandoned.
Abandoned from her own family. It made Visenya slightly surprised, that even though Jon declared her the rightful Queen, Daenerys completely ignored it (as did Jon), and practically degrade and cast aside her sister's life choises.
Not only her life choices, but completely ignore the fact that Aegon and Jon were related to them, and technically the rightful heirs to the throne...and blame Visenya for not telling her.
Taking a deep breath, she turned Meleys around and began to slowly walk her horse back to Winterfell. Not in the mood to urge her into a gallop.
All she wanted was to be far, far, far, away from all of the nonsense.
As she started walking her horse back to Winterfell, her eyes narrowed as she saw Sandor walking his horse toward hers.
"A bit far from home, Your Grace?" He frowned, seeing the Queen riding her pristine white mare, through the snowy tundra.
Visenya shrugged as she stopped Meleys in front of his horse. "This is home...are you going on your own now?"
"Not anymore." He admitted with a sigh. "I don't like crowds."
"Neither do I." Visenya admitted. "I've been like that since I was a child."
"I know...I remember." He sighed, before frowning. "Why not thought? They love you. You're the big hero."
She shrugged again. "I've never been fond of heros. Regardless if they save those or not."
"It must have felt good sticking a knife in that horned fucker." He mused.
"Feels better than letting innocents die." She nodded. "Where're you headed?"
"King's Landing." He began. "I have some unfinished business."
"So do I." She admitted. "But I can't leave my family...especially if I plan on coming back."
"I don't plan on coming back." He sighed.
She nodded. "If I go with you...neither do I."
He nodded to her. "I wish you well, Your Grace."
She nodded to him as she urged Meleys into a walk. "And you as well."
It took her a about an hour to reach Winterfell's Courtyard at the speed that she was going...and at this point in her life, she wouldn't have it any other way. She'd rather be invisible and in the background, then be front and center with her sister's antics.
No sooner her feet and red overcoat hit the ground, after she got off her horse, Mira, who was waiting for her to return, immediately walked up to her.
"Welcome back, Your Grace." She said with a somber smile, understanding what her friend and Queen was going through. "I hope your ride was pleasant."
Visenya sighed as she handed Meleys to one of the stablehands. "It had it's moments."
"Lady Olenna is waiting for you in your study." She said with a sigh. "As is Prince Aegon, and Princess Helaena."
Visenya nodded. "Thank you."
No sooner Visenya entered her study she was met with Olenna, sitting at her desk, waiting for her to arrive, and Aegon, sitting on the floor with Helaena, trying to teach her his name.
"My apologies to keep you waiting." Visenya began, as she walked to her desk. "I hope my nephew and daughter have kept you company."
"If by company you mean watching the young Prince teach your daughter how to speak than yes." Olenna mused, looking back to the boy and small child, sitting on the floor across from each other.
"She almost has my name!" Aegon explained, before he turned back to Helaena, who was looking at him with wide eyes. "Ae-gon."
"Egg." She replied.
Visenya smiled. "It's a good start...but it may take her a while to fully be able to say it, Aegon. She is still quite young."
"She'll be running circles around all of us soon." Aegon continued. "Soon she'll be a dragon rider, and speaking Valyrian."
"If her egg hatches." Visenya sighed.
"Her egg will hatch...as will mine." Aegon immediately replied, before he picked up one of Helaena's toys, still trying to entertain the child.
Visenya shook her head in amusement before turning her head to Olenna. "Why did you want to speak to me?"
"Your sister is planning to sack King's Landing." Olenna began.
"So?" Visenya shrugged.
The older woman's eyes widened. "So? Is that all you have to say for yourself is so? Surely you have more brains than that...or has your Lord Husband's stupidity begun to rub off on you?"
Aegon let out a laugh, as Visenya's eyes narrowed at the older woman. No sooner Aegon saw his Aunt and Olenna glare at him, he immediately stopped laughing.
"What do you want me to do?" Visenya asked in disbelief. "Burn my sister alive? If I do that I'll be branded as a Queenslayer and executed by the Unsullied and the Dothraki. If I attempt to reason with her, civilly, she'll say that it is because my husband wants to slit her throat, if I try and explain to her what she is doing is wrong...she will brand me as a traitor to her house."
"She is declaring herself as the rightful Queen." Olenna continued. "Jon Snow declared you the Rightful Queen of Westeros."
"And he renounced it to gain Daenerys as an ally." Visenya sighed, starting to play with her fingers, to try and calm her nerves. "What do you expect me to do? Join her as an ally?"
Olenna raised her eyebrows. "No, I have a better idea."
"And what is that?"
"We wait." Olenna smiled, leaning back in her chair. "While Cersei is focused on your sister, and her army, we will command our forces then."
Olenna then turned around to look at Aegon. "My dear boy, please go fetch Prince Tristane for me?"
Aegon nodded, as he rushed out of the room, in search for Tristane.
"What will Tristane do?" Visenya frowned. "The boy is probably so horrified that Ellaria Sand and her daughters are Euron Greyjoy's prisoners."
"I have ensured that he had been communicating with Prince Doran." Olenna began. "Dorne is no longer on the side of Daenerys Targaryen...and neither is the Iron Islands."
"How is that possible?" Visenya frowned. "The last I checked, at least before she was captured, Yara Greyjoy was allied with Daenerys...as was Dorne."
"Not since they witnessed you speaking with her on Dragonstone." Olenna sighed. "They saw how easily she broke the promises she made to them...how easily she changed her mind."
Just as Visenya was about to reply, Tristane and Aegon came in.
"Your Grace...My Lady." Tristane said with a nod.
"Tristane, I believe I told you to call me Visenya." Visenya said warmly with a smile.
"My apologies...Visenya." The boy warmly smiled back.
"Enough with the nonsense." Olenna groaned. "What has your father said of Dorne's forces?"
"They will be here within a week." Tristane explained. "They are sailing from Sunspear to White Harbor...as is the remaining allies of House Dayne."
Visenya's eyes widened in disbelief. Not only was she surprised that Prince Doran was sending some of his fleet for Visenya, but the fact that Ashara Dayne, the woman who gifted her Dawn, was sending the last few soldiers loyal to her house, to Visenya.
"Surprising that Ashara Dayne would be revealing herself." Visenya murmured.
"I believe my father said that she knew you needed all the help possible." Tristane explained with a nod.
"Thank you." Olenna smiled at the Prince. "You may go."
Tristane nodded before he left the room, allowing for Aegon to sit back in front of Helaena to entertain the small child.
"I have also ordered bannermen of House Tyrell to come North as well, in case your sister complicates things." Olenna explained. "What of the bannermen for House Lannister...that is, the one's that are loyal and listened to your husband's call."
She shrugged. "Some immediately answered and accepted...others...immediately denied. Saying they were and would always be loyal to Cersei."
Olenna rolled her eyes. "Idiots."
"I'm sure it is because I am an outsider...and a Targaryen." She sighed, looking over to Aegon playing with Helaena.
"Or it is the fact they fear Cersei...or you of that matter." Olenna mused.
Visenya frowned. "I don't strike fear. Why would I want someone to fear me, in order for them to be on my side? I am nothing like Daenerys."
"Your sister is using the same philosophy the Conqueror's used hundreds of years ago, to gain allies." The older woman began as she leaned forward. "You know how to use your brain, on how to gain allies...something your sister lacks. You do not strike fear, and rarely have you brought dragons to negotiations...you have always thought for the good of the people."
Visenya sighed as she leaned back in her chair, deep in thought as to what her Hand of The Queen was saying. Just as she was about to reply, Ser Gwayne entered her study.
"My apologies for interrupting Your Grace." Ser Gwayne began, giving nods to Olenna and Aegon. "My Lady, My Prince."
"What is it, Ser Gwayne?" Visenya frowned in confusion.
"Jon Snow is requesting your presence in the Godswood." The knight said with a nod before he left the room.
With a frustrated sigh, Visenya got up from her chair, placed her overcoat around her shoulders, before venturing down to the Godswood. No sooner she arrived, she saw all of the Stark children, and Jon gathered...all seeming angered at one another.
"What is the matter?" Visenya frowned in confusion as she walked up to Sansa and Arya.
"We are here to discuss the matters of your sister." Arya began, frowning at Jon.
Jon sighed with an eye-roll. "You understand we'd all be dead if not for her. We'd be corpses marching down to King's Landing."
"Visenya's the one that killed the Night King." Sansa began. "You declared her The Rightful Queen of Westeros."
"Daenerys's men gave their lives defending Winterfell-" Jon began.
"And we will never forget them." Rickon interjected. "That doesn't mean that I want to kneel to someone who-"
"I swore myself and the North to her cause." Jon immediately replied.
"And in the process you betrayed Visenya." Sansa countered.
"I respect that." Arya sighed, gaining a frown from Sansa and Visenya.
"You respect it?" Visenya questioned.
Arya shrugged. "We needed her. We needed her army...but we didn't need her dragons, as we had Visenya's. You did the right thing, and we are doing the right thing telling you we don't trust your queen."
Jon sighed "You don't know her yet."
"I'll never know her." Arya countered. "She's not one of us."
"If you only trust the people you grew up with, you won't make many allies." Jon countered.
Arya nodded smugly. "That's all right. I don't need many allies."
Jon rolled his eyes. "Arya-"
"We're family." Arya began, gesturing to everyone present. "The six of us. The last of the Starks."
"Visenya nor I have never been a Stark." Jon countered, watching as Visenya shook her head in disbelief.
"You are." Sansa countered. "The both of you are Ned Stark's children as any of us."
"You and Visenya are my siblings." Rickon said in disbelief.
"You're my brother." Arya said with anger. "Not my half-brother, or my bastard brother, or my cousin. My brother."
"I consider you more of my brother than of my nephew." Visenya explained, looking Jon in the eyes. "We were raised together. We were the outsiders. We are family. All of us."
Jon looked at her hesistantly, wondering what words would come out of her mouth.
"You declared me Queen." She began taking a step forward. "Not just the Queen of Westeros, but Queen of The North. I was raised here...I grew up within the walls of Winterfell. Daenerys may be my sister, but she is showing more traits that remind me of The Mad King every day."
"She is not your father." Jon countered, immediately realizing the statement he said, and the shock that came onto her face. He regretted making the comment.
She shook her head in disbelief. "Aerys is no father of mine."
Having enough of dealing with Jon, she walked out of the Godswood, wondering how much Daenerys was manipulating Jon, for him to consider her, the only thing right in the world.
A/N:
As always, let me know if you have any questions, comments, concerns, or ideas.